Wounded Pilgrim 16

AFTER THE FIST

"Please just tell me you did not just hit me with a fist" Bartholomew said as he stood up and tried regain his composure.
"Yes for not minding your own business" Richy said as he got up from the bed and started dressing up. Bartholomew watched in dismay from the couch where he dropped himself on as Richy put on clothes he thought were his and walked out without a word.

It was already a week of them staying together and already it was getting smoky in there. On top of his fatigue and hunger was pain and anger too. He was simply in total discomfort. It was in moments like that he started wishing that not only to have a promising female friend but a wife. He would be perhaps using her as a pillow as she nurse the wonder face after off course feeding him. Poor Bartholomew.

Just then he remembered he had some piriton tablets somewhere in the box attached to his bed. He painfully moved there and got two of them before swallowing them and sipping water.

It was about some minutes to ten when he was woken by a phone call. It was Sister Petronillah calling something which made him uncomfortable in many ways. It was barely some days ago when he met her in awkward situation in a marathon. She was there quite as he suffered insufficient funds in the hands of a rough conductor. He had only been saved by the fact that he was just alighting so even if she introduced herself to him then it didn't matter at all. On another view he wished she had not talked to him there. As he contemplated about her the call dropped and he found himself staring at two missed calls from her.
"Do you sleep this early Bartholomew?" asked Petronillah when he picked her call later.
"And you, do you call persistently this late?" Bartholomew asked her.
"Look a question is not answered by another question" she protested.
"Okay you know tomorrow is Sunday I have to sleep early lest I go fishing in the sermon"
"Speaking of church I didn't see you there today in the church cleaning and choir practice"
"Sister I was at work today, but then what brings you back to our church and particularly on weekends?"
"It's the house of the Lord like others right?" She asked quickly.
"Okay, never mind my question, tell me something now that it's you who called" he went on.
"Bro I was just checking on you nothing much"
He wanted to say something but ended wishing her a good night and getting the same from before dropping the call. He rose up from the bed still some pain especially when he bowed his head. He noticed Richy was sleeping on the bed beside him.

Since he was still feeling hungry he moved with a lot of determination and washed the utensils before cooking some rice. It was not a nice meal especially for him who had not eaten the whole day but he had no option with no vegetables around to be cooked with ugali his favourite food. He would then eat silently since he had learnt not to wake a sleeping Richy.

"Please tell me you didn't go fighting some estate boys" are some comments he was imagining he would be asked by some speculators like Deacon Musa. The thought of Petronillah around did not give him comfort at all. He saw her as an unnecessary trouble. Perhaps he would avoid the church altogether to be on safe side. If he went to church he planned to go late but play a low profile and leave early.

It took Bartholomew a lot of effort and determination to take a bath such that if he were to be given a platform in church he would testified of it. Bathing with cold water for a bachelor especially a wounded one required a lot of grace and strength. But then here he was feeling refreshed and better. It was time to sleep now.

He swipe his phone to check it for a last time before he could switch off the light and sleep. A new text had come through as he was bathing. He just hoped it was nice good night message from one of his admirers. He sometimes got many of them or a few of them. The text was from a very unexpected sender whom for a long time had not contacted him. It was one of the most unfriendly text annoying him instantly. His anger was back, sleep would not come easily.