"If there is a man to pray, there is a God to answer", the preacher said, "All you have to do is have faith".

I scoffed.

Earlier, he had talked about judging people and put in the "Judge not, that you may not be judged." How we arrived at faith and prayers, I do not know. All I know is Aunty Bukky has been staring at my piercings all through and not just glances, long hard stares.

My gaze met hers and she quickly turned away.

I hissed.

"This service has ended," he said, "let us pray".

If there is anything I am grateful for, it is the hour long services. I could live through a little stare just to please them. Right?

My Mom stayed back in the church for those meetings and so I went home alone. I also got myself a celebratory cake on the way because today I did not look for an excuse to walk out. They say we should celebrate our little wins and that is exactly what I am doing.

It wasn't long after I got home when mummy walked in. "So fast?," I thought to myself.

I was in the kitchen doing the dishes when she walked in echoing "Aunty Bukky and I had a very long talk about you" as she took a bottle of malt from the fridge and cut part of the cake.

I rolled my eyes.

Apparently she was not attending meetings. Who knew?

"Welcome, ma," I said as if I did not hear what she just said.

"Ehen. When did you get a new piercing?” She asked, throwing a morsel of cake into her mouth. “Mummy was complaining about your dress too."

If I have not said it, I am not pleased with the church. All my skirts are too tight or too short, my dresses too open and there is no place for my little rebellion, but come as you are: wretched, lost and blind.

Lies!

Everyone gathered in that temple is in the habit of tearing down. I know no one who builds or nourishes or loves without a little "strip away your darkness; my light is better."

I was pissed, but per years of practice

I composed myself and as tho I did not hear her, chimed “mummy I greeted you.”

She dropped her can of malt on the kitchen slab and took off her second wrapper and head gear, dropping them on the chair.

”Ejiro, I heard you. Answer me.”

"Mummy What happened to my dress? You saw me this morning na."

"The piercing! When did you get a new one?"

"Since now. You did not notice?"

That was nothing but a lie. I had pierced it this morning just because I could. It even still hurt a little.

"No, I did not," she said, sipping on her malt, looking a little confused.

For the first time in a while, she didn't know what to say and even though I know I would get an earful in the coming days, it still pleased me.