As the service progressed, Amara realized that she had missed being in church. She missed the gathering, and she missed singing in the choir.
As the choir ministered, she sang along since it was a song she was familiar with, and Michael's mom, who was seated beside her, smiled as she turned to her.
"Your voice is really lovely. You should join the choir," she said, and Amara smiled shyly.
"Thank you, ma. I used to be a member of the choir," she explained.
"Was? Why did you stop? Or do you mean you just did not attend rehearsals yesterday?" Michael's mother asked curiously.
Amara shook her head, "I've not been in church for a while now. It's a long story."
Michael's mother smiled. "I like long stories. You will tell me the story after we close. I want to know why a fine girl like you with your angelic voice is not singing for God."
Michael's heart was beating fast in the minister's stand as he watched his mother and Amara smiling and talking to each other.
What were they talking about? What kind of trouble was this one? Eh God?
"Pastor Michael," pastor Dele called softly, trying to get his attention.
He turned, and pastor Dele jerked his head towards the altar, "The choir is singing worship now," he said, seeing that Michael was too distracted to realize it was time for the sermon.
"Holy Spirit, take control," Michael prayed quietly as he stood with his Bible and climbed the pulpit.
Everyone in the congregation rose as he picked up the Microphone, and Amara did the same. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was the one preaching, and she couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.
Michael's mom leaned closer to Amara. "That fine pastor is my son," she said, her voice filled with pride.
Amara looked at her in surprise, then at Michael, and back at the woman again.
She was Michael's mother?
"You look very young and pretty to have such a grown-up son," Amara said, and Michael's mother smiled widely, pleased with the compliment.
"All eyes closed. Let's worship God," Michael said, indirectly talking to his Mother and Amara, whose close communication was still distracting him.
Why was his mother chatting so much with Amara? Pastor's wife like her was gisting inside church. What kind of example was she setting for others?
He was relieved when they both closed their eyes along with everyone else, and he closed his eyes as he raised a worship song.
Michael preached about Faith in God since it was the week's theme. As he preached, he urged the congregation to trust God and His plan for their lives, but he couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite.
After the close of service, as the ministers and workers went into the vestry to pray, Michael's mother turned to Amara.
"Come with me," she said, standing up. Amara looked at her with a confused smile and followed her.
She led Amara to the church's bookstore. "I feel led to buy you a Bible. Choose any Bible of your choice," she said, pointing to the Bibles displayed there.
Amara looked at her, surprised by the gesture. It was easy to see where Michael got his kind heart from.
"Thank you, ma," Amara said as she turned to the storekeeper and whispered to her. "Give me the cheapest Bible."
Michael's mother watched her with interest as she waited for her to pick a Bible, and then she raised a brow when the storekeeper handed one of the Bibles to Amara.
"Did you ask for the cheapest Bible?" She asked with a knowing smile.
"Bible is Bible, ma. It's not like I'm going to eat the back. It's the same thing that is written in all of them," Amara said, and Michael's mother laughed.
"That's true though. But I will pick one for you since you're pitying my purse," she said, reaching for a more fancy Bible.
Just as she handed the Bible to Amara, Michael, who had been searching everywhere for them after the workers' prayers, rushed over to meet them.
"What are you doing?" He asked his mother, looking from her to the Bible in Amara's hand.
"I was just buying a Bible for my young friend here. What is your name, by the way?" She asked, looking at Amara.
Amara smiled shyly, "My name is Amara, ma," she said, and Michael frowned, wondering what was going on between them and if Amara had told his mother that he had brought her to church.
"The sermon was very powerful, pastor Mike," Amara said, smiling at him.
"Thank you," Michael murmured, wondering how he was going to take her back to the hotel and drive his mother home.
He didn't want his mother to know that he knew Amara. He wasn't sure what God was planning to do by making his mother and Amara meet like this, but it was not going to work.
"Amara, do you have somewhere you're rushing to? If you don't, let's go to the fast food down the road and have our gist," she said, and Michael frowned.
"What gist?"
"It's not your concern. It's between me and my friend," his mother said, smiling at Amara.
"I'm sure she has something to do. You people can gist in the car. Sister Amara, I will drop you off at your place," Michael suggested.
Amara nodded, sensing that Michael wasn't uncomfortable and it seemed like he didn't want her to talk with his mother. "Thank you, sir."
Just as they headed for the car, the usher, Brother Emma, hurried towards them. "Sister Amara!" He called out with a bright smile.
All three of them turned to look at him. Seeing the way he was smiling at Amara, Michael nodded inwardly.
Good. This brother looked like a perfect match for Amara. Very good, Michael thought with a smirk as he and his mother walked ahead of Amara to the car.
"This one you're leaving already, I hope we will see you next Sunday? Can I have your number so that I will call you?" Brother Emma asked, not minding the audience.
"I don't have a phone right now," Amara said with an apologetic smile.
"Oh. That's too bad. I know if I give you my own now, you won't call me. What if you give me your address? I will come and visit you," he suggested.
Amara shook her head, "I don't have where I'm staying right now. I'm staying in a hotel, and I don't know where I will go when I leave the hotel."
"Oh! Which Hotel? I can come and see you there, and maybe we can talk better," he said.
Amara nodded and told him the name of the hotel before leaving.
As she got close to the car she saw the lady that had come to greet Michael when they just got to the church kneeling and greeting Michael's mother.
"Mummy, I didn't know you were still around. I would have come to greet you at the house."
Amara overheard the lady telling Michael's mother.
It was obvious that she liked Michael. Maybe this one was planning to be Mrs Michael, Amara thought with amusement.
She could never understand ladies who liked pastors. Why would anybody want to be a pastor's wife? That office had too much responsibility.
As she joined them, the lady's smile became a little stiff when she saw her, "Pastor Mike, is she your sister? I was going to ask you when you both came together this morning," the lady said, and Michael almost glared at her when his mother looked from the lady to him in surprise.
"Tega, you're bad! So you knew Amara before, and you were forming?" She asked, looking from Michael to Amara, "Why were the two of you acting like you don't know each other?" She asked, then narrowed her eyes as her lips widened with a smile.
"She is the one, abi? You didn't want me to know. I know my spirit will never fail me! From the moment she sat down beside me I just felt this love for her. Ah! Tega! So you didn't want me to know."
The lady's smile wavered. "The one, what?" she asked, looking from Michael's mother to Michael, but none of them was looking at her.
Amara quickly shook her head, "No, ma. It's not like that. Pastor Michael is just a friend…"
Michael sighed, "She is the new convert I told you about yesterday. It's nothing special," Michael said, cutting her off.
His tone stung, and Amara couldn't help but feel bad. Meanwhile, the other lady smiled, happy to know that Amara was nothing more than a new convert.
"I don't believe you. If that was the case you would have said it from the beginning instead of acting like you don't know her. You know what? Let us go home together since you're both not strangers to each other," she said, and before Michael could protest, she took Amara's hand and opened the car door for Amara to enter inside while the other lady stood there with a displeased frown.
Before Amara could enter the car, Michael's cousin hurried towards them, and Michael groaned inwardly when he saw her.
Now what?