That week was hectic.
For it was the period wherein new students came into the school.
*Freshers* we were called.
For our faces and physique were fresh and had not been bent like the name of the school *UNIBEND* intended.
Sunday came.
And the lucky students who had overcome the battle at auditorium joyfully made their way towards the school fellowship for the first time.
To East wing basement, the TACSFONites went.
To West wing basement, the CASORites gathered
To Agric Faculty, the WOF went.
To Engineering faculty, the TREMites went.
To Sports Complex, the CU-NIFES freshers gathered.
To June 12 building, the dogged TLT members gathered.
Those soldiers of Christ who would keep knocking on your door like unrepentant Witnesses for Christ.
To the primary school hall, the RCF members went.
With a young Kosi hoping to experience student fellowship for the first time.
Entering the gates, I marveled.
For the population of the people I saw exceeded three hundred people.
Two smart looking students stood at the door.
*You are very welcome*
The words coming out of their ever smiling mouth.
All the while ushering me to the front seats.
Upon entry,
By the left side was a table.
Two ladies sitted upon chairs with a big book on the table.
They were the Secretary General and her Assistant, as I was informed later.
For I was puzzled about their sitting posture which bore semblance to two angels sitting at heavens gate with the book of life before them.
At the right side at the entrance were the ushers.
A bunch of grim looking men putting on shirt and tie
And in contrast, smiling, smartly dressed ladies whose sight warmed my heart.
To my seat I went while I waited for the service to begin.
Workers meeting was going on.
And by Jove,
The Vice president was dishing out hot rebuke to all of the workers.
*Workers*
*Workerrrrssss*
*Workerrrsssssssss*
*News has reached us that most of you are now putting on trousers*
*Most of you do not attend meetings*
*Have you so easily forgotten your first love?*
These words clearly stung all around
For I could see most of the seated crowd fidgeting in their seats.
Ladies with their high heels twitching.
A crease of sweat forming in the suit and tie of the men around.
The bashing finished as the vice president went to sit on one of the five leather stuffed chairs in front.
The President arose from his seat and proceeded to give his charge.
*Workers good morning*
A scattered murmur of *good morning sir* was issued back to him by the workers.
*Workers good morning na*
He said again.
This time infusing the greeting with a tone of humor.
*Good morning sir*
The workers replied.
This time with increased vigor.
*Eh eh. That is it. We are all workers and not above correction so after being corrected, let us still greet each other well*
With this said, he handed over the microphone to the Secretary General who uttered the following words
*Workers good morning*
*You can all go for your workers meeting but be back in ten minutes for Sunday school*
At the utterance of those words, they all rose with unison.
All moving towards their meeting points.
The choir to their spaces upstage
The editors to their location at the back of the classes.
The follow up following their leader like a pack, to the front yard of the classes.
The Organizing men following their general to the same location where the transport department was.
At these locations, they gathered.
All to pray for the success of the service.
Sunday school started in earnest.
A young man who introduced himself as Bright undertook teaching task.
Oh he preached!
Dissecting the word of life like Anatomy student with a cadaver.
A lady came up at his back some twenty minutes later,
Bible in hand while patiently waiting as Bright rounded up the teachings.
*Praise da lord*
She shouted as she burst into a stream of tongue speaking.
*Hallelujah*
I shouted in return.
All the while wondering which demon she had seen that made her start firing tongues like that.
She prayed like fire for those five minutes.
Instructing the whole congregation to hold the church walls while firing darts at the enemies through prayers.
Upon her leaving, a sister from the Choir department took up the microphone.
*Brethren let us lift up our hands and worship him*
*Come on worship. Come on worship the king of Glory*
Olorun mi o!
Within thirty seconds I was in heaven before the king.
Goosebumps had riddled my whole skin like a person who just took a cold bath in the harmattan period.
Oh !!
It was much more than that.
It was like a boy who had just heard the words *You are handsome* spoken to him by the girl he has a crush on.
Pardon me.
For it was much more than that.
It can be likened to that feeling Real Madrid fans felt when Sergio Ramos scored a late equalizer against Atlectico Madrid in the Champions League final.
Oh ohhhhh!!!
It is much more than that.
It was indescribable.
She led the praise session for thirty minutes.
Some students at the stage background choreographed their dance steps which added life to the praise.
A particular group of students who fiddled with electrical appliances seemed not particularly interested in the praise.
For they kept on untangling wires, testing microphones and wearing exceptionally dull faces.
*Who cares?*
I murmured in rhetoric tone.
*NFCS cares*
My subconscious mind replied.
Upon the end of the praise session,
Testimonies were taken.
*RCF praise da looorrd. Help me thank God that I got 4.59GP last semester o*
(Loud applause from the crowd)
*RCF praise da lord. Thank God for my sister who just got admission to study Law*
(Loud applause from the crowd)
*RCF. I just want to thank God for my life. And for the salvation of my soul*
(Extremely low applause)
*RCF Praise da looorrd. God blessed me beyond expectation o. I was expecting five thousand naira from my father and he sent me Fifty thousand naira, Wait o, and my uncle added twenty thousand naira. Praise the lorrd*
(All students stood up with wild jubilation shouting Hallelujah.)
The vice president prayed for the testifiers
And the HP group were called up for their ministration.
*Hello, I am Ilo and this is His Praise group ministration. God bless you*
Four students quickly came on stage.
Dressed in matching white lab clothes,
White gloves on their hands.
Black shoes adorning their feet.
Hillsongs 'Lead me to the cross' started playing in the background.
With perfect sychronized steps,
They all moved.
In rythmic choreographed steps, that drew applause from the audience.
With sound acrobatic displays, that drew gasps and *wow* from the audience mouths.
I vowed at that moment,
That if this was heaven, I will never leave the church premise.
Watch out for the concluding part of this trip.
#BASHORUN
