Let us pray

 

It was already 9AM but my father did not show any signs of stopping soon. We are all hunched down in our tiny sitting room, praying. I am getting tired. Why do we have to repeat words over and over? Doesn't God hear? If I said, "dear God thank you for today" and went my way, isn't that one line enough?

Monday night RAW replay would soon be on and I do not want to miss it. I let out an exaggerated yawn. I hope father takes the hint and rounds up the prayers because—

'Let us pray against Joe Biden, let us pray that the antichrist will not find their way to the white house!'

I stifled a laugh. Didn't the bible already say the antichrist would come? Why should we bother about praying for something that was bound to happen?

'Begin to cover Trump with the blood of Jesus! Holy ghost fire!'

I couldn't hold it anymore. I cupped my hands and laughed. Apparently, my laughter was funny. I heard my sister laugh under her breath too. Then, I heard the slap that brought our morning devotion to a halt.

'You stupid child! Why are you laughing when we are praying?', my father screamed at my sister.
But I laughed too. I laughed first, why was only my sister getting the heat?

I watched tears fill my sister's eyes as she held the unfortunate cheek. I felt tears fill my eyes up too. It was always like this, I would do something and go scot-free but when my sister did it, it was a big problem. Last month, my father hit her head with a bottle after he saw her taking a sip from the fanta I stole from his room. He knew I was the one that took it but he did not do anything to me, it was her.
It was always her. My father hated my sister even though he would never admit it, it was obvious.
She is still sobbing and I'm fixed in my chair not sure whether to keep bowing my head in prayers or do something else.
I finally choose to do something else. I leave my seat and go to hug my sister, even though I can feel my father's eyes piercing my back. She is sobbing harder now and I whisper to her to ignore my father.
She knows my father hates her too. I overheard her praying to God to make father forgive her. She knows, as I know that he blames her for our mother's death.

Author's note: First, yes, the US elections were a prayer topic in most Nigerian homes courtesy, WhatsApp BC messages about the end of the world.
Secondly, let us not pretend that this is not something that happens around us; children being ill treated because their mothers died after birthing them. Grieving is hard but I don't think it should make us inflict more punishment on others. I hope we all take tangible steps towards healing.