The Devil's Incarnate

3 - Meeting Pastor Melvin - 2010

She was drawn back to the moment, the mere thought of the whole affair disgusted her, but she decided to get to the root of the situation. If the caller was the same with the previous pastors she had met, then she would understand that what she had experienced yesterday at the Fellowship was all for show.

She would run as far as she could, not desiring to repeat her former experiences or be a sinner in the church. She was wild, true, but she understood her limit and respected spiritual matters. If there was fowl play, she wasn't going to be a part of it as it would destroy her mindset about the purity of a supposed church goer. It was a boundary she wasn't willing to cross, because it meant a point of no return. She was prepared to be very disappointed.

That evening, after Sobrina's last lecture, she was barely out of the building when her cell phone rang again.

"Hello", she answered, walking hurriedly, she was hungry.

"It's Pastor Melvin from the fellowship. I called earlier today; are you done with your lectures?"

"Yes, I just finished with my last class for the day"

"Where are you at the moment?"

"I'm just about to leave the faculty of Agriculture", she responded while taking the stairs.

"Can you come to KFC? it's just by the corner, we'll meet at the entrance". She abandoned the thought of home, took a different direction and walked to the restaurant.

At the entrance, a tall chubby black young man - about two years older than Sobrina - stood, neatly dressed in long-sleeved shirt buttoned till the collar, on plain trousers and black shoes. When Sobrina arrived, he extended his right hand for a hand shake. Sobrina took it, "Hi", she smiled mildly at him. He wasn't really handsome, in fact, she thought he was ugly. His face was slightly spotted, he had the scantiest hair she had ever seen and a small mole protruded from his beardless jaw. He led her inside and subsequently to the counter.

"You must be hungry, ask for whatever you'll like to have", She requested for a meat pie, a slice of fish and a soft drink. She was moderate, with the understanding that they were both students. He paid for her food, taking nothing as they walked to a table, while she carried her food.

It was the second time she stepped foot in that restaurant. the first time was two years ago around her first week in the University, when she was curious and wanted to experience everything at once. But the food was bad and expensive. She was served a leftover meal from yesterday, the beef was already beginning to decay from within. It was a terrible waste of money. But the environment was spacious and pleasant, beautified with different colors of chairs arranged around squared tables. The counter was built far within, with diversity of food displayed in the show glass. There were large LCD televisions mounted on the walls, and ceiling fans hanging from the roof. She had made a mental note never to return.

"I am Pastor Melvin", he said introducing himself. He began to recap the message Sobrina had heard from the pulpit yesterday, while she listened as she ate. He spoke about redemption, what Christ had done for sin and what it meant to believe. When he was done, he asked Sobrina if she was ready to give her life to Christ.

"I already took that decision yesterday at the fellowship, and I really meant it. Matter of fact, that is why I am dressed in this manner. I don't have a skirt".

He was pleased with her response. They talked some more about school in general, he told her he was a final year student of Microbiology. She would later hear from other students that he had been originally admitted in to the University as a medical student, but was demoted to Microbiology when he couldn't pass his exams, as was the method of the medical school.

It was beginning to get dark, they said a short prayer, and Sobrina left for home.

And so it was that Sobrina met Pastor Melvin ten years before it all began.