Cold At Dusk

Chapter Seventeen

It was one of those Sundays, Mark decided to go to church not doing clean up in his car or leaving the house early in the morning to a place only he knows . Kamsi is glad not just that he is coming to church but that her plan would work better with his pressence in church.

They got to the church when a woman was singing worship infront of the congregation. It was the new building. They used white plastic seats instead of  wooden pews that were familiar to Anglican churches.

The usher led them to a seat but Mark did not like it. He stood on the aisle while his eyes scanned for seats close by then he walked to a seat which was at the wall with Kamsi following. It was a queue of white seats lined at the wall close to the eastern door. He loved to sit there because of the ease to stand and leave at will.

From the time they joined the service, it was no more a long service for them. Kamsi sat looking at her phone and other times glancing up to look at the priest while he made announcement. She had messages from Maka which she did not want to reply. Maka was one of the people that hated the talk of her joblessness. She did not want to engage in a discussion about it with her.

Immediately the service ended,  Mark went about greeting members of the church, the ones that were in high ranking in the society while Kamsi excused herself . She found the priest in the vestry and told him all that she had to tell him.

" I'll wait for you two upstairs. Go and bring him" the priest.

The priest's office was upstairs. It was a place he used for counseling young couples and new converts.

Kamsi went back to the church. Mark was sitting down with his friend. It was more than just a greeting, it was a deep discussion. His friend was the father of charity but just in the church. He only gave the orphans  in the church. Outside the church, he helped no one. Kamsi did not like the man and it infuriated her that he was the reason she was standing.

"Nobody asked you to stand" her mind countered.

She was standing there rocking herself back and forth on her stilletoes heels. She hoped her husband would see her standing and summarize his discussion. Nothing like that happened. The discussion stayed as long as they wanted.

Mark stood up first and he clasped hands and embraced his friend . He started walking towards the western door where Kamsi was standing beside a chair. She kept rocking herself on her heels as she watched him with a smile.

"Stop doing that! " he scolded like she was a child.

Kamsi stopped playing with her heels .She straightened the ankara gown she wore and looked at him, he seemed annoyed.

"Don't you know, you could fall? " he asked.

"Archdeacon asked us to see him" She said hastily feeling that joy like a child that had reported the older brother to an elder one.

He began walking to the door and Kamsi hurried to keep up.

"Is it that the pastor wants to see us or you want us to see the pastor? "

"Is there a difference? " Kamsi asked.

They were outside, on the front stairs leading into the church. Mark paused and turned to look at her. His eyes were narrowed in slits and his head to a side like he was accessing her sanity. It was what Kamsi thought each time he was in that position. She bent her head, clutching her purse more tightly. It was in that moment she noticed that her shoe had started to peel.. It was expiring.

" Go to the car" he said handing her the car keys. "I want to ease myself "

Once more, Kamsi rocked on her heels while she watched Mark corner to the back of the building where the toilets were located. She then slowly walked to where their car was parked. She waved in  greeting to a few familiar faces. Not having the strength to stand and exchange pleasantries, she quickened her pace to the car.