Joy to Joy

Chapter Twenty-Four

On Sunday, mom and I try to attend church service on time. After preparing stew for the week over the night, we would sleep for the whole day.

Over the years, running late for service has been cemented as one of our family traditions, as well as Sunday white rice and stew. We usually arrive at church fifteen minutes late just because of this practice.

I still remember when dad ensured we arrived at least thirty minutes early. That does not mean he would join in the cooking, even if it would be helpful. The rules were that everyone would be awake and having breakfast to achieve such.

In that period of my life, my parents were financially stable, we were attending a different branch of the same church, and I was a newly enrolled secondary school student.

Church activities ran most of dad's life back then. He served in the church's health department. On the ride home, he would tell us about a sick child he counselled or how he helped prevent politics by giving people time slots. Dad saw his secretary role as impactful to the church as the doctors'.

The stories were uniform and expected before they started to get shorter then finally, they fizzled out.

Osas and I told mom that dad was too sick to drive us to church sometime later. I wanted to assume he probably had an important matter with his extended family to settle. After Easter Sunday, he opened up to us.

"You guys should go without me," He was in house wear and told us when we were about to leave.

"But what do you mean, dad?" Osas was half the height he currently is.

"You guys should follow your mom to church. I have tried my best to put the fear of God in you."

"But what about you, daddy?" That used to be me.

"Your father is taking a break from church for now, but that does not mean you guys cannot have fun." He hugs us before shutting the apartment's front door for us. "Greet my friends for me."

In the present day, I am in my senior year of secondary school and ready to inform my mom of the break I would like to take from church. Like dad did.

That is until dad appears in a native that he only wears when going out for special occasions like marriages.

"You guys are still here? The church service starts at 10 o'clock. Let go before we are late," He approaches my mom, whose hands shake as she pins his collar button. She does this while watching the smile on his face. I rest my right arm on my waist.

Are we going to church? Mom, Dad, and me? Why?

During the car ride, my mom sighs.

"Spencer, are you coming to church again with us?"

"You just realized that now?" Dad enters the school premises.

"Is it my fault? You are a strong head that never listens to counselling. That is why I am surprised," She gently pokes his head while he is holding the steering wheel.

"Who would take counselling from you?" He hisses playfully.

"What made you change your mind, Spencer?"

Dad pauses. "Things have not been going how they should for a long time."

"Oh, you mean Osas? Is that what we are talking about?" I push my head between both seats.

"Nothing is wrong with your brother. We told you not to worry."

"Why do you even waste your breath? Joy, we were not talking with you," Dad tells me through the mirror.

"By the way, I hope that you have declined that admission you got. Your mother told me that you even paid for two universities."

My mom sighs, and I look away uncomfortably.

"Yes, she paid for two. But only one has replied to me." I press into the car seat gloomily.

"Joy, you cannot expect me to pay for your tuition with such little scholarship to show for it. You already have bad grades, and your mock results were even worse."

Mom shakes her head.

"Do not think I am doing this because I hate you. I love all my children equally. But you do not expect me to invest more than I have in a vision you have not to build for yourself."

I open my mouth to argue but shut it after some time. Dad rarely is this calm with me in any conversation, so I am sure he has considered the offer. And he is right; this is my fault.