SHADOW THIRTEEN

The smile on his face was replaced with a stern look as he stared at Ivie, sprawled on the bathroom floor. He closed his eyes and murmured something under his breath, and as if pacified, he smiled back. "What you did was unfair to Sister Gabriella, you need to know that God works in mysterious ways, with people you least expect."

"It was a lie to get her out of here, you know." Simon responded, confused.

"Yes, but I don't tell lies." He gave Simon his keys. "At the end of this lobby is a path to your left, take it, it leads to the priest's lounge, the second door is mine. You can carry her right?" Simon nodded. "I'll distract Gabriella, take five minutes." He looked at Ivie once more and made a short prayer.

When he opened the door to go out, Sister Gabriel fell back. "What are you doing, Sister?" He asked. "Eavesdropping? You don't look that petty."

Sister Gabriel gave an awkward laugh. "No, Father, I just wanted to connect with them."

"Hmm, I believe you. After all, you a priestess wouldn't be so immature to lie over something like this."

"Yes, Father. Didn't they say they wanted you to pray with them?"

"I talked them out of it"

"When? They have been singing since I left." Sister Gabriel gave him a defeating look.

"So you've been eavesdropping? I thought you agreed that was the most immatured thing to do. Shall we go out for a work?"

"This night?" Sister Gabriel asked immediately to hide her embarrassment.

"Well isn't it better than leaning against the door and eavesdropping in the name of connecting?"

"Going for a walk by this time is just not something any sensible priest would do, no offense." Sister Gabriel shot back.

Father Chibuike smiled. "None taken. And since we're two insensible servants of God, let's go for that walk." He began walking away from the door and when he saw her from the corner of his eyes, through shuffled feet resistance, follow him, a smile spread across his lips. "Tell me, Sister, are you afraid of the darkness?"

"Why shall I be, Father?"

"You were so reluctant to leave the door, and I thought that maybe you are afraid of the dark." They stepped outside.

"I find the darkness more alluring that light, Father, you know why? Because so many things can go unseen in the dark."

He smiled at her. "I didn't know you want to do things that you don't want people to see. You should be careful of such darkness, Sister. Actually, there are so many eyes that see in the dark, they just decide to stay quiet." He nodded to the opposite direction. "Let me escort you to your room, allow the young adults to pray." When they got to their threshold, Father Chibuike took her hand in his and prayed, taking her off guard.

He had stalled her enough, even if Simon was a snail, he would've been done by now. So he headed back to his room, his footsteps light against the tiled floor, humming a song, a joyful smile plastered on his lips. But to say he was happy was an exaggerated falseness, he had barely managed to hold a conversation with Sister Gabriella without snapping.

The girl's room was still brewing in praises when he passed, and he couldn't help but admire their smartness, for one he was glad Sister Gabriella had not been informed. Entering his room, he saw Ivie laid on the floor, her blood soak bed cover underneath her. He walked to where she was and squatted to meet her. He placed a hand on her head, her temperature was too cold, abnormal, just like the way she looked, and he didn't like it one bit. On her face were parts blackened with smoke, her shoulder dripped blood, a cut visible on her knee, and her hands were cold. Still he took them in his, and he knew he shouldn't have, but he brought them to his lips and dropped light kisses on them. He knew he was a priest, knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he also knew he would never do it with her conscious.

He changed out of his clothes, and got to the kitchen to heat water before returning to her on the floor. He stared at her dress, contemplating what next to do. Carefully, he unbuttoned her pyjamas, and took it off her to reveal her bra that did not cover fully well the swell of her breast, and the wound on her shoulder. Father Chibuike promised himself he would only look at the wound, thankfully, it was not a deep cut. He pulled out her trousers and kept it along side her pile of blood stained shirt. She was left in just her underwear, and Father Chibuike knew that, for the sake of his sanity, he shouldn't take it off. She deserved privacy, whether conscious or unconscious, and he? He deserved anything that was not this torture.

He did not stop his hand when it moved to caress the sides of her face, did not even see it move. He rested his forehead against hers, her hot breath fanning against his cheeks, and wondered what her reaction would be when she found out he had seen her in her underwear. He laughed.

"What happened to you?" He said. "Why must I see you like this?" The frothing of the water hised him into knowing it had boiled, and he left her to turn off the stove. When he had mixed the water in the tub, he carried her in it, and in her unconsciousness, she groaned, maybe from the pain that stretched through her, or from the pleasure that came with the warm water, he couldn't tell. Gently he scrubbed the blood off her body, dabbed on her shoulder and knee, all the while reminding himself he shouldn't look at the way her bra clutched to her breasts.

His hand curled around her waist as he raised her up, resting her head against the tube, and he washed her face. When he touched her forehead, she whimpered and turned her face, that was when he saw the bump on it. "I hope I never find out who did this to you," he said. Then continue dabbing the cloth on her face, praying as he did it, a way to distract himself. When he was done, the prayer still playing on his lips, he pulled her underwear off, with her lower body still submerged in the tub. Then he unhook her bra, and took it off, his eyes locked on her face. When she was completely bare, he lifted her up and wrapped a towel around her, drying her body.

He laid her on his bed and went to his wardrobe. There was no clothes suitable for a female, and for the sake of his sanity, he couldn't let her sleep in a robe, much less in the towel. He picked out one of his long sleeved shirts, and a short trouser. He wore them on her before taking off the towel. "Well done", he said to himself. When he laid on the bed beside her, he pecked her forehead, it was the only place on her that was not cold.

When Ivie stirred, the light from the bulb on the ceiling blinded her sights, and she squinted her eyes. She covered her face with her hand and sat up. On her was an oversized shirt, the sleeves dangling from her hands. She looked around the room, confused. The last she had witnessed was Simon's face looking down on her. She rubbed her eyes off the grogginess, and the pain that shot from her shoulder told her she was very much in reality. She got off the bed and limped on her left leg to the kitchen, her throat feeling parched. She still did not know where she was, hoped it was not in Sister Gabriel's house, because she still couldn't figure out what had happened last night. She looked at her clothes again, realized she was naked inside, and hurried inside the bathroom. There she saw her clothes, washed off the blood, and hung to dry, her underwear too. She concluded it was Sister Gabriel, but couldn't quite understand why the woman would bathe her and wash her underwear. She changed back into her clothes, sparingly wet, but manageable. When she came out of the bathroom, Father Chibuike was holding a cup that had vapour swirling from it, standing in front of the bed.

"Father Chibuike?" She hoped her voice would not betray her. Did Sister Gabriel send for him? But that did not seem like something she would do. Then, was this his place? Ivie's eyes bulged, she smelled the clothes in her hands, the one she had changed from, and when she inhaled the homely scent of him, she looked at her feet.

"Is there a particular reason you can't look me in the eye?" Father Chibuike said, a teasing smile on his lips. He was glad to see that she was alright, more glad to see her embarrassed.

"No, Father. Where is Itohan?" She clutched on his clothes.

"I didn't know you were this close to her that you want to see her first thing in the morning when you wake up." Father Chibuike dropped the cup he was holding and took a daunting step towards her.

She looked up at him. "Do you live here?"

Another step. "Yes, I do."

"Did you...you..change me...my clothes last night?" She stuttered.

It was torture, Father Chibuike wanted to say. "Save the thanks for later."

"So you really did? Ahh." She covered her face, freeing the clothes on her hand to the floor, and turned around.

He laughed, taking the last step, and when he got to her, he embraced her. "You should be thankful I took care of you."

"But you saw my nakedness."

He knew he could tell that he hadn't actually seen it, but he loved seeing her shy. "Turn around," he said.

She shook her head, conscious of his arms around her.