After Amara was done chatting with Michael's mother, they both watched a nollywood movie together on Africa magic.
After the movie, Michael's mother called Michael out to drive Amara back to the Hotel.
Neither Amara nor Michael said a word to each other as they got into the car. The moment Michael drove away from the compound, he turned to spare Amara a glance.
"Why did you tell her everything that way?" Michael asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.
"Was I supposed to lie to her?" Amara asked in confusion.
"No. You weren't supposed to lie. But telling her everything was uncalled for. You should have answered her in a way that won't reveal everything," Michael insisted.
"How else could I have answered the question? And why can't I tell her the truth the way it is?" Amara asked, still confused.
"Because she is my mother!" Michael said, raising his voice in frustration.
"So, what if she is your mother? We are not friends, and neither are we dating or anything. I am JUST a prostitute you rescued last night and brought to church. Why should I care what your mother or anyone else thinks about me? Do you think they think about me any less than I have thought about myself for the last two years?" Amara snapped back angrily, surprising Michael.
Michael was silent for a moment. She was right. They had no relationship whatsoever, so it didn't make sense for him to worry about any of that.
She wasn't his enemy, and there was no need to be hostile towards her. She wasn't the one who asked him to marry her. And it wasn't like Amara knew what God told him about her being his wife, anyway.
Michael sighed deeply. "You're right. I'm sorry for my outburst."
Amara sighed but said nothing. She wasn't sure why Michael felt offended by her conversation with his mother, but she wouldn't let him provoke her.
He was her helper after all. She couldn't afford to get angry and be rude to him after all he had done for her.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. "Listen, I'm grateful for all you have done for me, I really am. I know you don't owe me anything: the hotel, the clothes, and everything. And I really hate to be a burden to you or anyone else, for that matter. But it's my life. I made a stupid mistake, and I almost died, but God saved me. I don't want to start afresh with lies. When I woke up this morning, I didn't plan that I was going to meet your mother today and just confess all my life's sins to her. But it ended up that way. Your mother seemed like a really nice person. I won't lie to her simply because I feel embarrassed about my past. If she decided to judge me or treat me differently because of it, that would have been disappointing, but it wouldn't be a big deal, too," Amara said quietly, and Michael nodded.
"Okay."
Amara sighed softly. After all she had said, all he could say was that?
Amara and Michael said nothing until they got to the Hotel. After Michael parked the car, he turned to her.
"Do you want to speak with your mother before I go?" He asked, surprising her.
She shook her head, "No. Thank you. I don't want any pressure right now," she said, and he nodded.
He reached into the center console and took out some money. He handed it to her, and she frowned. "What for?"
"Get something to eat from the hotel. Then just hold it in case you need anything," he said, and Amara looked down at the money, wondering how he could just give out money so easily.
"What? You don't want it?" Michael asked, and Amara plucked it from his hand before he could finish speaking.
"Thank you. I do need it," she said with a grateful smile. "Thank you very much. When I blow, I won't forget you," she promised, and Michael's lips twitched with a smile.
"Thank God," he said, and watched her get out of the car.
He waited there until she disappeared into the hotel before going home.
The moment he walked into the house and saw his mother in the living room watching a movie on Africa Magic, he knew immediately that she was waiting for him.
"Have you dropped her?" She asked, and Michael nodded.
"Yes," he said as he sat down, wanting to hear what she wanted to say about Amara.
"She's a nice girl," his mother said with a small smile.
"A nice girl?" Michael asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. How many girls do you think will openly admit their mistakes like that? Apart from that, I just know in my spirit that she is a good girl," Michael's mother said, looking at Michael closely, "I guess she was the one in the car when you came back from the vigil? The one you came in to get clothes for?" She asked, and Michael nodded.
"Yeah," he said, wondering where his mother was headed with all that talk.
She nodded thoughtfully. "I want to get her a place to stay. Can you help me get an agent to do that?"
"You want to rent a house for her? Why?" Michael asked, surprised and confused.
"Have you gotten her a place to live after she leaves the hotel?" His mother asked, and he shook his head.
"No…"
"So why are you sounding surprised that I want to help her get a place? Get an agent to find her a house. I would like it if it's like a two-bedroom apartment. That way she can use the outer room as her shop while she sleeps inside," his mother said, and Michael's brows pulled together.
"What shop?"
"She said she can make clothes and clean. I want her to have something to do to be able to take care of herself. Shey you need a new cleaner for your house? You can be paying her to clean your…"
"No!" Michael refused immediately.
"No, what?" His mother asked with mild amusement.
"I don't want her to clean my house," he said with a shake of his head.
From cleaning house, she will start cooking, then he will begin to think about marrying her. He was not going to fall for that Nollywood pattern. Absolutely no way!
"Okay. But I'm sure you can help her get customers. If we print a flyer and put it in your pharmacy for your customers to see, they can patronize her," his mother said, and Michael looked at her, wondering why she was doing so much.
"Why are you so interested in her?"
"Why won't I be interested in her? I told you I like her. I like how straightforward and honest she is. When I get back to Lagos, I will talk to your father so that we can add her to the monthly empowerment list. For now, help me get an agent to find a fine two-bedroom apartment. It should be in a busy environment so that she can easily get customers. And it shouldn't be too far from the church. That way you can keep following her up for me," she said, and Michael rubbed his eyes.
What kind of trouble was all this? Michael wondered.
Before Michael could respond, a knock sounded on the door. "Who is there?" Michael asked as he rose to check.
"It's me, Elohor," his cousin called out, and Michael sighed as he opened the door.
He was surprised to see her and sister Faith from the church. "You didn't say you were with somebody."
"Good evening, Pastor," Faith greeted with a shy smile as she walked in with his cousin, curious to see if Amara was in the house.
"Good evening," Michael said with a forced smile and turned to his mother, "I will be in the room." Michael told his mother before walking away.
"Sorry. Faith was helping me at home, so when I said I was coming here, she decided to escort me," his cousin called after him as she sat down after greeting his mother.
Michael did not respond or look back.
"Good evening, ma," Faith greeted Michael's mother on her knees. "I came to see if there was something I could do for you. I can wash your dirty clothes and clean the house or cook…"
"Why will you do all of that?" Michael's mother asked with a smile. She could tell that Faith liked Michael and was doing all this for her because of Michael.
Faith was taken aback. She glanced at Michael's cousin before looking back at his mother. "You're our pastor's mummy, and you are also a senior pastor's wife. I admire and respect you a lot, so I wanted to help."
"Aunty, I brought the food," she said, taking the bag Faith was carrying. "Faith helped me in doing almost everything. She is such a hardworking girl."
"I'm sure she is. Thank you, Faith. But there is no need for you to wash my clothes or clean. Michael has a cleaner. My clothes are clean, there is a washing machine, and I have stocked up the freezer to last him for a long time," Michael's mother said with a polite smile.
"Oh. Okay, ma," Faith said, slightly disappointed.
"Elohor, go to the fridge and bring something for her to drink," Michael's mother said, and his cousin went to do as she requested.
She returned with two drinks for herself and her friend. As they drank and watched the movie playing on the television, Michael's mother watched Faith while pretending to watch the television.
She noticed as Faith leaned closer to her niece and whispered something to her, then her niece cleared her throat. "Ehen, aunty, how did Tega know Amara?"
Michael's mother raised a brow, "They are friends. Why?"
"Friends ke? No o. Why will Tega be friends with her?" she asked, then leaned forward in her seat. "Faith went to the vigil that Tega attended last night. She said Amara was there, dressed like a prostitute, and Tega took her home."
Michael's mother looked at Faith, "Is that true?"
Faith nodded, eager to share her side of the story. "When I saw her today, I thought she looked very familiar, then I realized where I had seen her. As she put on church clothes today, she looked very different, as if she were a real Christian," Faith said, and Michael's mother nodded thoughtfully.
"I see. So, she is not a real Christian," she said, smiling at Faith.
"She wasn't dressed like one," Faith nodded.
"Thanks for the information. If you're done, you can go home now. I want to speak with my niece alone," Michael's mother said, and Faith's smile faltered.
"Ma?"
"Are you not done with your drink and the gossip?" Michael's mother asked.
"Haba, aunty!" Michael's cousin exclaimed, embarrassed on behalf of Faith, "We were just telling you about her. This wasn't gossip."
"And I said I've heard, abi?" My dear, you can go home now. I wasn't expecting you, anyway. I was expecting only my niece because I have something to discuss with her privately. So, please go. Thank you," she repeated, and Faith rose, embarrassed as she hurriedly left the house.
"Aunty, why will you do like that na?" Michael's cousin asked with a frown.
"You're a disgrace to us pastors' wives. I didn't want to tell you that in front of her."
"Ah! Aunty! Me? What did I do?" Michael's cousin asked with a frown.
"What did you not do? You brought that silly girl here to gossip Amara. Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself? Would Amara have been out there if you had done your duty as a pastor's wife properly? You are here opening your mouth waaa, when you should be in your room crying and begging God for mercy and thanking God for not allowing her to die in sin," she said, and Elohor stood up angrily.
"How is it my fault? Did I ask her to go and do anything? Is that why you will embarrass Faith like that and call me names? Abeg, I'm going to my house," she said as she headed for the door.
"Come back here!" Michael's mother snapped at her. "Come back here and carry this stupid food that you and that stupid girl cooked together. May God have mercy on the two of you," Michael's mother said, and her niece angrily picked up the bag and left the house.