ENTER-ENTER-ENTER (NCCF Tale-Episode 2) by Ebi Robert

“I sang the song very well, but they claimed I do not know the lyrics.” This was her explanation that faithful day.

I had no idea what song she spoke so much about, but I could see the seriousness on her face. 

We had a long gist that very day because it was just worth the while. Bridget is one person who is known to always keep her listeners straight to the storyline. Issues of life, marriages and the rest are topics that catch her attention. She is always ready to go an extra mile with you just to make you understand. Sometimes boring, but then entertaining.

I remember one of the days we had an encounter, she carefully took me through the long talk of some men and their unfaithful attitudes. It was a little contradictory; but I did not defend my gender. I only tried to keep the record straight. If not for anything, it was necessary.

Many women believe that all men are the same. This belief has always been one very difficult point to disprove. But one humorous quote I saw somewhere had solved the problem to an extent. “Who told you to try them all?”  I remember the day I posted that on my Facebook timeline, it attracted many laughter-emojis, and I was sure many got the trick. But the answer I gave Bridget wasn’t that, it was a well-detailed analysis of how both sexes have been affected by different personalities at Sundry time. 

The sharing of opinion that very day was a little better. At least, I was able to maintain decorum for everyone to air their view; Grace, who I had met the day before, at the evening devotion, Bridget herself, and the notorious Nathaniel, who doesn’t see anything on skirt without chasing after it and of course, myself. 

So I just knew her as Bridget. She was just Bridget and that was normal, but the nomenclature with which she was addressed by me changed overnight, when I got to realize that there was an interesting tag she was called with: Enter, Enter, Enter!

The threefold-name had come in this wise: I cannot vividly remember the exact scene, but I think it was at one of the family house gathering, maybe, the Saturday-Jogging-exercise also known as the Endurance-Trek, when a chorus was raised and followed by others. 

The threefold-name, “Enter-Enter-Enter”, was echoed loudly which received a resounding response by the crowd “Enter”. 

I was amazed. I wondered what the song meant. Not until I was told by someone that Bridget had once tried singing a well-known song, but somehow, the intro got everyone lost in the air. You know, she had sung the song in a way not known to many, and since that incidence, she was labeled with the three-fold name. 

Oh, at last, I got to understand what song she was explaining to me about that faithful day. But then, I realized that she was now used to the labeling.  I guess you know that feeling you get when the whole world chooses to annoy you. She had no choice but to flow along. After all, it was the beloved family house members on the annoying mood.

One morning, we all walked to the Chapel for the morning devotion. As usual, the choir led the morning chorus. My, gosh! Help them, I wonder if they brushed their teeth that early morning, but want concerns me? We must all flow! When the spirit is moving, you don’t care about toothbrush and paste, right? Hey, I am not talking about the choir, per se, I am talking about that situation when you are woken by the sound of that jingle, but you just have little time to freshen up. Sometimes, the tap is already locked by the able-bodied UTILITY, and you have no choice than to run down to the devotion-hall. But most annoying of it all is when the preacher tells you to turn to your neigbours and say: YOU ARE WELCOME, or I LOVE YOU. What? Are you kidding me? Well, the preacher is always alone, so how can he know what happens to those at the floor.

The lead-singer continued as a young lady walked up for the mic. Guess who? It was Enter-Enter-Enter. She was the person to bless our soul that morning. 

Soon, the lead-singer handed over the mic to Bridget, and lo, it was time to teach. Of course, family house never expected it. But it’s the culture, everyone must mount the pulpit. 

She sang one or two choruses and then gave us the topic for the day. For the first time, I saw someone taught us in the morning with the Aba-made Kopa-cap clouding her mane. For me, I don’t know if she was wearing the cap or the cap was wearing her, but for all I know, there was a WEARING. The front of the cap was like the beak of a peacock. I can’t how she managed to get a cap so different from ours. 

I could hear the voices. Family house people listened patiently. No need for offence. Everyone just had to maintain, and respect themselves. After all, it was the Word and no time for joke. She spoke, and spoke and spoke until she got to the ending of the matter, when she said: IN CONCLUSIVELY. Trust family house members, they just could not hold themselves, but echoed HMMMM!!

Drop your comments if you enjoy the story!

Watch out for Episode three (3).