The Communion

It was the first sunday of the year and the church was totally full. Majority of the congregants wore white spotless clothes, and almost looked pure. They sat wearing their most pious faces... so what if they all weren't exactly perfect? Where else could they go if not to this sanctuary.

There, at the right side of the auditorium behind the church leaders, was Awurama. Her head was bowed, a most serious expression on her face. Her mouth moving up and down in prayer. Watching her no one could tell she had moved to church straight from Kojo's room. She even had on his boxers as he couldn't remember exactly where he had kept her spare underwear.

Behind her sat Agyapomaa.

Ha! Her hands were lifted up, tears flowing on her face. She looked most holy. Was she not the same person Jo, her watchman, had heard last night on the phone with her boyfriend, mocking her husband for not realizing after all these years their children were really not his?

Oh and there stood Kwame. His left hand holding the microphone, his right hand in the air, his face lifted up as his smooth voice released deeply moving songs one after the other. The pain in his heart from catching Deacon Arthur as he tried to woo his girlfriend was cleverly masked. Deacon Arthur had a penchant for sleeping with young girls. He was the richest business man in the church and this fact troubled Kwame greatly.

Aba stood at the extreme left of Kwame. Her mind was working overtime as she thought of ways to cajole Fred, her ex, to give her money. Derek her son, whom she had given birth to at fifteen years had school bills to pay. Jonathan, whom everyone knew as the father had disappeared. No one knew his whereabouts, and no one knew that Oko was really the father of her child. She had been seeing him secretly and Oko had gained admission into university just when she got pregnant. He had promised to marry her after university if she didn't tell anyone, as his parents would not pay his fees if they found out. Aba never asked him for money, she wanted him to concentrate on his studies and pass well.

Grace was late as usual, but this time she was with her twin Judith. Nobody really understood why their names were so different. They always dressed the same way, with matching short skirts and high heels. The striking difference between them was that Grace was quiet and Judith loud. She loved being the center of attention and did everything to attract some where ever she went. Grace, the shy one had recently served her excommunication sentence after being found pregnant. Who in the church didn't know it was the child of the youth pastor? She had told everyone. She was so in love with him, which annoyed the youth pastor immensely. He insisted it had been a one night stand, but Grace was hopeful they would be together one day.

Judith, who was making noise with her heels saw Lorvia, the head usher shoot a look of disapproval in her direction. Judith thought the look was for her. The look was however that of confusion. Lorvia's silly boyfriend, the church guitarist, had convinced her to have another abortion. That fool! She thought, wait, or was she rather the fool?

After all they had been together seven years and though he could easily and comfortably marry her, he was yet to pop the question.

The man of God mounted the pulpit, lifted his hands and stretched them over the communion.

Those hands. Abigail watched quietly from the middle of the auditorium. Those hands had been in her treasured pot. And those lips, now in prayer, had done all but devour hers.

Of course the pastor didn't give her as much pleasure as Edem could do in seconds. But he was the man of God! And what the man of God wanted, the man of God got.

He had finished blessing the communion and it was being passed around. As Abigail lifted her piece to her mouth, she suddenly remembered that the test results for that STD she suspected she had would be released the next day. She really hoped she was negative. Not that she was worried about herself, but the man of God's wife had just delivered another child and she didn't want them to go through any trouble if it turned out she had infected him...


Nana Amobea Antwi-Larbi is a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon.