Chapter 3 Pastor Nath

Some days had passed after the incident with Ada. It was the morning of his awaited day

"Wake up son, it's your big day"

Nathaniel woke up to his father's smile, he could tell the old man was happy and he wanted to protect that at all cost, the family legacy continues or rather his father's legacy continues.

It had been 2 weeks since the death of Ada, nothing had changed, no one came searching the house was in his name so he burnt it down and properly disposed of the body, it was as if a random insect had died, that's how insignificant her death was and that also drove home how poor the justice system in the country was.

The sweet aroma filled the house, a day for joy smiles filled the hallway, as he walked around the house everyone congratulated him. Filled with so much joy, pride, and as well as guilt which he tried to hide. He had expected himself to have nightmares of her but that was not the case he had been sleeping like a baby, which made him reaffirm his point that she was the devil. He shrugs off the thought of Ada from his mind and set out to enjoy his day, he put on his best suit, got in the car, and zoomed off to church. The congregation was already packed in the twenty thousand seater cathedral, the cathedral was such a sight to behold it was fit for kings and his father was treated as one. As he arrived there his father who woke him up was already waiting for him.

"You know you need to work on your wake up time", his dad cautioned

"My son, I want you to know that I've never been more proud of you. You truly are my blood, now go out there and make me proud. We are a chosen lineage." A wrinkled bright smile stretch across his father's face, it grew wider and wider and headed straight for his ears, this sight brought great joy to Nath, no one would understand how he felt, not even her. Her, why now, why am I thinking of her again at that moment a pungent smell hit his nose and it was familiar as well, there was only one with a smell like this and it was Ada.

How come, I killed her, she isn't meant to be here, at that moment a great dread chased the joy out of his mind. But he couldn't let it show, so he did his best to keep his composure and boy was he good at that.

Church service was going smoothly but it felt longer than usual for a certain guy.

At last the moment everyone had been waiting for, Nath's coronation. He was so lost in his thoughts that he lost all hype for it....TAP..... Nath jumped as an usher lightly tapped him to remind him it was time, the little tap wasn't meant to result in that reaction which further instilled the point that his mind was far gone. SHIT, I need to keep my composure. He brought out one of his fake smiles and looked up to his father going on about how proud he was about his son.

"I want to welcome someone you all know, my son. I raised him perfectly." His father boasted, only if he knew but we already have a glimpse of how far from perfect his dear son is.

"Most men of God can't raise their children properly, but I did and I raised him to be a man of God, I don't mean to toot my own horn but we have to give credit to whom it's due" a large boastful laugh followed his father's statement. His father, Pastor Jeff had to be in the ministry for a long time close to three decades and he knew how hard it was for men of God to raise their children properly, there were lots of stories of children of big pastors whom ha strayed far away from the kingdom of God.

"I did it all on my own, and with that, I welcome my only child, Pastor Nath to the pulpit, everyone stands up and celebrate him as he comes up."

It was time, the long-awaited moment, it felt like forever to him. He got up from his seat, looked straight at the pulpit, his legs felt like they had been transformed into noodles, his head felt like they could fall off at any minute, the air grew thinner, each step was a battle, and the more steps he took, the farther he was from the pulpit at this point he had gone deaf, he couldn't hear the sound of the claps meant for him, the noise they made for him literally fell on deaf ears.

After what felt like a year or two, he made it to the pulpit, trying so hard to keep his composure. He was dying inside then he felt a warm body against his, it was his father who was hugging him and whispered smile for the crowd into his ear at that moment a little bit of strength filled him, his god had given him a command and he had to do it.

"Hello, everyone thank you for being here for me. You can all have your seat." now he could hear the sounds of their clapping which dwindling till the hall went quiet as they waited for him to speak, he had practiced his speech over a million times, as the hall turned grave-yard silent he was ready to begin but at that moment from the back he could hear a pair of hands still clapping looking up to see who it was, he realized it was someone who is meant to be in the graveyard who kept clapping as she walked towards the pulpit, he was frozen like someone who had seen a ghost and yes he had seen one, it can't be he thought to himself why here. She made her way towards the pulpit, the whole crowd had disappeared from his vision he could see or hear no one but her, the air grew thicker. While this confrontation was going on in the real world his dad took a mi and said to the congregation, my son is in the spirit, God is administering to him. His dad wasn't wrong though just that he was with a spirit and not in one and I don't think Ada is God.Back in Nath's trance Ada was already at the pulpit walking slowly towards him. She came face to face with him and whispered I hope it was worth it and with that everywhere went dark for Nath