45 Co-incidence

A woman stepped out of the backyard with a cigarette in her mouth and entered the hotel. She looked here and there like she was looking for somebody.

Then she turned abruptly back, apparently because she couldn't see the person she was looking for. I felt if I asked her about the barman she could know so I said 'Excuse me.' She turned.

As soon as her eyes met mine she said 'Aha! Where is my money?', and she stretched her hands to me.

I thought she was crazy.

Where is my money?'' She demanded in a more aggressive tone.

Which money?" I asked, knowing that she must be crazy since I didn't have any money deal with any woman. I have caught you at last!' screamed the woman.

If you don't give me my five naira I will report you to the police!"

I turned to the nearest man to me and asked him if the woman was mentally alright. You are asking a stupid question!' the man told me.

'A woman is asking you to pay her what you owe her and you are asking me if she is mentally alright.' I was torn between telling the woman that I didn't owe her anything and taking this short man by the right hand and throwing him out

through the window.

"Give me my money now!' the woman screamed. I looked at her and made my face very vicious if I

give you a slap' I said you will become a dead woman. Look at my face properly. Don't confuse me with another person.

I am coming to this hotel for the first time and. I don't know you.

So if you embarrass me because you are so confused you don't know who has your money, I'll slap you and you will be as good as dead.'

The threat worked. The woman looked at my face and suddenly ran to me and held me in an embrace. Apologising to me for her mistake, she told me that the other man who had her money had tribal marks, and that although I had no tribal marks, I resembled the man.

I discovered that Mshelia Guest Inn was no place to look for people for recruitment so I went to my car and drove off.

It occurred to me that I should go to St. Patricks Cathedral again and attend the evening Benediction.

It was an evening Benediction which I attended that found me employees and I was going.

to attend another one just in case. I found myself driving at high speed towards St. Patricks. When I got to the Cathedral, I discovered to my surprise that the place was literally deserted.

The only person around was an elderly man of about sixty attending to flowers. I went to him and greeted him. He grinned.

When will the evening benediction take off?" I asked. You aren't a regular visitor here?' the man asked.

At first I didn't know why he asked this. I knew I was far from being a regular visitor to the Cathedral but I could not see what this had to do with the question I asked. Why do you think I

am not a regular visitor?" I asked.

'Everybody knows' said the man, 'that evening benediction has been suspended because of

new engagements. This is the period of lent. The CCD and St. Jude's choir are greatly involved in rehearsals

You also know that this is the case during corpus Christi. Indeed, apart from Santa Claus, no other feast affects benediction more than these things.

Et expecto ressurrectionem mortuorum. Et Vitam veturi saeculi.

Amen'..

His speech was jargon to me. When will there be a congregation here again?" I asked desperately. I needed the congregation badly so that I could recruit people. Even a child of yesterday knows that people congregate here every Sunday' I

heard.

I suppose you are not a Catholic' the man added. I am a Catholic' I said. This was true. Although I had been a devoted Catholic, I had lost touch with the church for almost twenty years. I had no idea of the Catholic terminologies he was using.

You are a nominal Catholic then?" he asked. This irritated me. I told him I was indeed a nominal Catholic.

The elderly man told me to return to the fold, and gave me a lecture filled with Catholic terminologies.

I left him and drove off with my failure gnawing at my mind. I drove into my house without any idea of how to recruit new employees to complete the required number.

we are glad to be back again 😊😊 it's been stressful .

Thanks for your patience 😘

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