Tangled With A Priest

 What did he mean she lied a lot? Would he prefer her not to lie? To tell everyone his cat kept tormenting her? But she wasn't even sure it was his. "I promise you, if it persists I'll visit the infirmary," she bargained. 

 "That's another lie, but I shall give you the benefit of doubt. Go and have that breakfast before you collapse to the floor." He held the door open and she walked in, the others following her. 

 "What was that?" Father Ekene asked, looking at his hand. 

 "What?"

 "Just wondering why she reacted that way." He shrugged. "You seem extremely interested in that one," 

 "I am," Father Chibuike agreed. "I intend to groom her on how to become a proper student. She has a foul attitude, plus she's seen something she's not supposed to." His cat. She caught it too fast. 

 "We did not travel all the way from east so you can groom a student who doesn't care that you wake up in the morning," Sister Agatha said. 

 "How harsh of you to say that."

 "Chibuike, we came here for a reason, not to mingle around with students."

 "That's exactly what I'm doing, mingling around with students. Now allow me to go retrieve what I came here for." He stepped into the canteen, leaving them outside. 

 Father Ekene leaned against the wall. "You still won't talk to me? Your Bible says the sun shouldn't set on your anger," he said to Sister Agatha. "The sun set a while ago and you're still upset."

 "My Bible?" She scoffed. "It's the word of God."

 "I meant the one you carry around," he smirked. "Listen, I'm sorry, I don't have an excuse."

 "You always say that," she murmured. 

 "I'm sorry, okay?"

——

 In the canteen, JohnMary pulled out a seat for Ivie. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again. 

 "Five hundred percent sure." After all, she had seen two priests kiss, why wouldn't she be fine? 

 Thinking back at what she had seen, those two hadn't been in a cassock, maybe they hadn't accepted the faith back then. But that they remained friends? Would God overlook their past, and overlook that they're walking temptations to each other? What if they were already priests and that happened? Was that what Father Chibuike meant by his loving God doesn't mean he couldn't love other people? She banged her spoon on the table. "Crazy priest, crazy friends."

 "Waoh, he's really wearing you out" Itohan said. "Shall we help you?"

 "It's too early to start dealing with him," Gaga said. 

 "But it's not too early for him to deal with me?" Ivie asked her. 

 "I don't seem what's wrong in what he's doing? He literally came from heaven. He's grooming you, it's time you admit that you have a bad character."

 Ivie flicked her head with the back of her spoon. "You were supposed to be my friend."

 The others laughed. "Gaga would not allow us to do anything to Father Chibuike."

 "He's the least of my worries now, really." She reached for the burger at the table and took a bite. "This," she raised the snack, "is what came from heaven."

 "At least you have a good taste in food, since your taste in men is lacking," Gaga said, pulling away to avoid another spoon flick on the head. 

 "The priest is not a man."

 "Is he a woman then?" Aisosa joined in Gaga's defense. 

 "That's not what I meant. He's a priest, that's what you're supposed to see him as, not a man."

 "The priest is a man and I'm seeing him for who he is."

 "A priest," Ivie stressed. 

 "A man," Gaga argued. "Do you know how many girls already have a crush on him?"

 "Those are the stupid ones," JohnMary said. 

 "Exactly," she agreed. "Sensible girls should have a crush on JohnMary instead. He's handsome, has the grace of God himself, and he's not a priest."

 "But you don't have a crush on JohnMary, that means you're not sensible."

 Ivie stuffed the burger she was eating into Gaga's mouth whilst the others laughed. "She has joined Father Chibuike's clan to annoy me."

 Meanwhile, outside the canteen, Father Chibuike joined his colleagues, his beaded rosary now in his hand. "Shall we leave, or do you need privacy for your reconciliation?"

 Sister Agatha stomped before them. 

 "She's too tough," Father Ekene whispered. 

 "Then stop annoying her."

 "I'm tired of this boring life."

 "You knew what you were getting into you decided to join us."

 The trio were not just priests, they were missionaries. They were sent to different churches and schools in the disguise of ordinary priests and priestess when their mission was to exorcise. Father Chibuike had been dealing a lot with evil spirits, possessions and strong holds that all had their original appearance. 

 But St. Stephen didn't, it was modernized as suicide, the kind that seemed too natural for youngsters to do, the kind that came from depression and peer pressure and bullies, the kind where students fell from staircases and a suicide note found on their body. 

 He had started following the case when the Bishop brought it to his notice, brushed it as a minor incident at first, until it occurred again. And again. And again. Until the recent one. He had packed his luggage and asked the Bishop to send him, Sister Agatha wanted to come too, that left Father Ekene with no choice. He grumbled for a bit, said how it wasn't in his plan, but came anyway. 

 Father Ekene sighed. "By the way, I found out something."

 "Definitely." Father Chibuike hushed him until they entered his office. "Ready to spill the beans?" he looked at his watch. 

 "I looked at Precious's suicide note, it was printed."

 "Printed?" Sister Agatha asked. 

 "Strikes me too. Is suicide something you think about long enough to decide to print it? At the front of it Sorry was written, she was apologizing, to who? For what?"

 "Do you know the contents of the suicide note?" Sister Agatha asked. 

 "No."

 "So we need to ask some students who might have read the note."

 "This is where mingling with the students comes in," Father Chibuike said, giving her an I told you look. 

 "Do you think they will talk?"

 "Of course, they won't! Except you hold something against them." He grinned dangerously, Ivie would come in very handy.