Tips on how to be a better sister and in-law

As the worship praise rages on, the worshipers lost in the euphoria, Mrs. chidi who had started at the same church as the key member of the same choir that were controlling events this very Sunday for the birthday celebration of all the elderly in the parish was no more a member of the denomination let alone a member of the choir. A day like this reminds her of the good old days before religious politics drove her away from the church of her birth. She came today to support her elder sister who was among the celebrants.

The Catholic church have found a way of liven up their service, not through sermons but songs. They seems to have beaten other denominations that introduced singing and dancing as core part of worhip. The celebrants were all given front seats, most were in their 70s. The officiating priest came all the way from Enugu, another state about three hours from the parish.

His diocese was announced but not his town, his ancient made people to believe that he might not be far from his village. 

“ When it is time for offering, the celebrants can seat down where they are and join their family as they come up.” The bishop announced.

The celebrants were so many that people were surprised that they were so many of that age in the parish alone. Even most of the celebrants don’t even know that the celebration would be high key as it was. So, most families wasn’t prepared for the offering, and most observing the situation has to go out to buy things for offering. 

Mrs. Chidi phone vibrated and a peep revealed that she had had five miss calls from her in-law, she went outside to call him back. The in- law marrying her first daughter was on his way back to the state from their base in another region. 

Her elder sister's kids were not even struggling to fix themselves in the offering line, the organizers seems to have fallen victim of the same oversight the celebrants did of miscalculating the number of people that would show up. They supposed to be calling the celebrants family by family to queue up for the offerings. It seems as if it’s by survival of the fittest that people fix themselves in the line, making the whole thing to be rowdy.

Some celebrants came with their own musicians and for about thirty minutes, the church was turned into dancing hall.

Mrs. Chidi tired of standing up, pushed her way into the line and others with her started fixing themselves into line. She was eager for the whole thing to be over, she had unexpected assignment to see through after the service. The church was filled to the brim, only during December that the village church witness such crowd. No one ever dreamed that the celebrants took the occasion serious like what is being witnessed his Sunday day.

“After the service, all the celebrant will take pictures with the bishop at the back of the church. Then after the pictures, all the celebrants would move to the celebration arena where the canopy had been set village by village for them. That’s where you will cut the birthday cake after the prayers from the bishop and the celebration would start in full” the parish priest announced.

Mrs. Chidi was squirming on her seat, she know that her sister would sit through all the agenda the church has for them before returning to her house to start her own celebration for those she invited. She is not sure she will see the celebration through. 

While the picture taking was still going on, she spied her nephew heading home, she rushed to join him. 

At her sisters house, she explained to her Nephew that she could not wait.

“ My in-law and my youngest daughter is returning home, they phoned not long ago telling me that the they were on their way back, I have to go and prepare something for them, it would be somehow if they travel for five hours and return without any thing waiting for them” she said.

She presented her gift, ate what was offered her and went home. 

Suddenly, heaven opened up and rain was pouring as if there was no tomorrow. Most celebrant cut their church celebration short despite being assured that the rain was a blessing and went home to start their celebration that side.

Mrs. Chidi was in the public bus heading straight to the market direct from her sisters house. She had no umbrellas, no rain coat. She was wondering if the rain was God sent or man made. Nowadays, people are running over with envy. The rain actually don’t worry her. Her worries were being able to see food items to buy. Today being Sunday and the rain adding it’s own obstacles, she wonders how the market would look. 

She had decided against making the traditional Sunday rice and opted for soup and garri. She believed that her in-law has over grown eating the Sunday, Sunday rice of the people that has somehow turned into tradition most youths of today don’t even know the history behind the rice they eat mostly on Sundays. Most even believed that it has it’s root in religion, only few knew that it’s root is in poverty.

Nowadays, what used to be luxury food of 60s and 70s is now one of the cheapest food available. The likes of garri and fufu that used to be regarded as poor man’s food has turned out to be too expensive even to the rich. Talk about reverse status effect. Rice maintained it’s assured glorified Sunday meal at least for the kids. 

Mrs. Chidi bought all the ingredients she needed for the meal and went home soaked all over by the rain. Things were usually a little bit expensive on Sundays, the idea was to do your shopping on Saturday, only about 20 percent of the market women usually show up on Sundays. 

Pepper, salt, crayfish, fish, meat, Maggi, bitter leafs, coco yam, stock fish. She on the stove and went to work of boiling and cutting.

An hour later, she was through with preparing bitter leaf soup and water for garri was put on the stove.

Driving through the heavy down pour that has for hours now refused to let down, the sky still darkening, temperature dropping and wind not reducing in intensity, horn blared. Mrs. Chidi's in-law drove into the compound.