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2THE MALEKA HOUSEHOLD
Itu comes in busting through the front door passing her mother and sister in the kitchen without offering her greetings. She gets to her room in a flash and slams the door behind her scaring the civilians of this house.
Boipelo: I thought you said your sister went to church.
Reitu: she said so to me.
Boipelo: then what is this attitude?
Reitu shrugs her shoulders and gets back to peeling the carrots. Confused Boipelo leaves the kitchen for Itu’s room. She knocks and tries to enter but the room is locked. From the door she can hear that her daughter is weeping.
Boipelo: you’re a 28-year-old woman!! This is not how you’re supposed to cat. What are you teaching your little sister? Open this door now!! Or I swear I will break it down.
She waits at the door but there’s still no answer. She leaves the spot and goes to her room, comes back with a spare key and unlocks the door to find Itu bawling her eyes out lying flat on the floor.
Boipelo: there’s no way church hurt you this bad. What happened to you? Why are you crying?
Itu: I am fine Mme, just--- I want to rest I had a long day.
Boipelo: fine? So fine means crying to you? Itumeleng? What is wrong with you? Did something happen?
Itu: nothing, I just have a bad headache that’s all. I need to rest.
Boipelo: if you say so. I will get your sister to go buy something to calm it down. Rest then.
She leaves the room, leaving the door open and goes back to the kitchen.
Boipelo: you go get your sister something to help her with her headache form the shop.
Reitu: headache?
Boipelo: yes, she says she’s suffering one, a bad one.
Reitu: headache? Is that all. She’s had those before, but I have never ever seen her cry or act this way.
Boipelo: just drop your detective tactics and go buy something for Itu.
Reitu: but what is it’s something else?
Boipelo: something like what?
Reitu: I don’t know--- she’s the one attending a suspicious church.
Boipelo: didn’t I warn you against that behavior?!! Go and stop spewing nonsense!!
Reitu leaves the kitchen leaving her mother to wonder a little bit just what if all the rumours are true. Just what is all the things they say on the streets about the bishop are true. How did these malicious rumours even start? She later dismisses the thought and says a little prayer for forgiveness.
THE MOHLALA HOUSEHOLD
The bishop’s wife, Nomfundo sits in her lounge with a magazine and a glass of wine in her hand after a long day of counselling some members of the women’s bible study group. Being a stay-at-home wife is a hobby of hers, the only days you’d see her out is when she ahs to attend some church related act, usually going on meeting, shows, and of course church with her husband of over 20 years. The bishop walks in finding his wife relaxing, he hands his jacket and car keys to one of the helpers in the house and meets Nomfundo halfway for an embrace.
Mfundo: you worked hard today.
Tshepang: all thanks to you, what would I be without you?
Mfundo: nothing. So, the girl did you deal with her?
Tshepang: I tried handling the situation, she just too stubborn.
Mfundo: and that is why I told you not to groom them. Just attack and leave. Prolonged things usually become messy. Deal with it before it destroys us. Please!
Tshepang: I will. I will.
Mfundo: okay, now… look at this I was thinking of renovating the basement, you know for—what do you think of this design?
Tshepang: renovate? Why?
Mfundo: to show gratitude. We’ve lived all these years having more than enough. He has never bothered us, instead he gives us more and more. We have an abundancy in everything. Why can’t we thank him by doing this. I think he’d appreciate it too. Plus, this can give you time until you find the next victim now that you’re done with Itumeleng.
Tshepang: well, if you say it like that. I don’t know anything about decorations and renovations, I’ll leave everything to you. You can go as deep as you want, the pockets are heavy.
Mfundo: who are you telling? You know who I am, right?
Tshepang: I know, how can I ever forget. I must shower before supper, let me dash. I had a long day.
Mfundo: okay…
The bishop ups and leaves the lounge with a pang of guilt but quickly dismisses it as thought of what’s at stakes consumes his mind. He was the chosen one for this job, out of all the suitors lined up for Nomfundo, her father chose him to wed her daughter and bequeathed them everything they have. Without his father-in-law, they would not be here. There’s not single day he is not thankful to him.
DAYS LATER
ITUMELENG’S OFFICE AT HOLY GRAIL
Itu sat smiling and grinning by herself as she went through the record sales of the past weeks. Everything was back to being glitz and glamour in her life. Now that she went through with everything that she was ordered to do, the bishop was back to being his old sweet self. He event went as far as booking them a lunch date at one of the most prestigious hotels in the area. Being treated as royalty was nice for a change. Things were still sour, but they were definitely better that they had been a few days ago. A knock followed by an entering shifted her focus a little bit. She had a visitor, Lesego, whom she had not talked to since the day she hailed insults at everyone.
Lesego: this where you have been hiding. I see.
Itu: what do you mean hiding?
Lesego: I mean that you’ve been scarce. I went to your house the other day but was told you were not home. So, I don’t know if you were avoiding me or not.
Itu: no. I was just busy. I was not avoiding you.
Lesego: so, what has you glowing so much these days? You see happy.
Itu: I don’t know. Maybe the Might Lord we serve. Just stop being nosy and help me with these.
Lesego: you know I cannot do math to save my life, right?
Itu: come one, it’s easy. I will teach you. But first I have to go fetch something from the storage room. You can do whatever or read through that folder, I will be back.
Lesego: okay.
Itu leaves her office leaving her friend behind as she ventures to the storage room to look for some folders for reference to help familiarize Lesego with the work. In the room, just after she steps out, the bishop knocks and lets himself in, in search of Itu but finds a different person in the room.
Bishop: oh, I did not know there was someone else here. Greeting, my child.
Lesego: bishop. How have you been?
Bishop: amazing, the Lord has been amazing to me. I hope his mercy extended to you too…
Lesego: I believe so.
An awkward moment silence pass. While she sits down, she feels the man hovering over her, she gets a little uncomfortable and starts fidgeting her fingers pressed for time. The unholy and ungodly hands of the bishop brush over her chest as she sits, and he stands behind her. She freezes, still and appalled at the cat. The man continues to brush his arm against her chest while pretending to be reaching for something on the table in front of her?
Bishop: any idea when the owner of that chair will be back?
Lesego: n—n-no.
Bishop: ohh… I cannot wait any longer. Tell her I was here.
With that he leaves wearing a smirk on his face. Confused and now scared Lesego breathes out almost hyperventilating while thinking about what happened. Itu bust back into the office without a clue of what just happened scaring her friend in the process.
Itu: why shaken? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Are you okay?
Lesego: oh, yes, I am okay. I am a 100. Perfectly fine, nothing weird here.
Itu: whoa, whoa, who are you trying to convince. You’re going a little overboard. I get it. You’re okay, now let’s work.
Lesego: yeah, let’s work.
Itu: great. So, this is who this works, first you---
Lesego: hey friend, what do you think of the bishop? Don’t the rumours about him bother you at all?
Itu: suddenly--- what is that about?
Lesego: I am just curious you know, since you’ve been working with him for all these years. I thought you might know a thing or two about his true self.
Itumeleng looks at her friend stunned that she asked such a question. Guilt eats her up, she doesn’t know whether to tell her the truth and warn her to look out for herself just in case she gets preyed on or just to let things be and look at the greater and bigger picture while protecting the bishop and the ministry’s reputation. She decided to keep her mouth shut, anyway it is not like the bishop would do what he does to her to other women, she is different from other. She is special.
Itu: the bishop is as he is. No change in scene and out of scene. He is great leader and a great man. I aspire to get a husband like him someday. Don’t let the talks in the streets get to you.
Lesego: o-okay…
Itu: yeah, let’s get back to work.
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