There are those who carry living burdens. Angela was one of them. Though she also carried the burden of beauty – that inability to go unnoticed. She was not in short of admirers. But she refused to have a relationship or marry.
Some said she was Ogbanje, a spirit of misfortune; others opined she had a spiritual husband. But the truth was much simpler. She had Menorrhagia. Menorrhagia is excessive bleeding during menstruation. It made her anemic, cramped and fatigued. She could barely climb a staircase without shortness of breath.
She wore multiple sanitary towels, changing them hourly. She will be a messy burden to any man, she said. That’s why she refused to marry. The problem seemed to be hormonal imbalance. But the doctors couldn’t agree. She had been to every expert. Her savings were depleted. Out of desperation she decided to attend a healing crusade. A new miracle worker was in town.
Opinions were divided about this miracle worker. Some considered him controversial. He was young, in his 30s, but he had no girlfriend and wasn’t married. He wasn’t particularly handsome but he had enormous charisma. He regularly attended parties, wore jeans and t-shirt. Yet in his crusades blind eyes were opened, cripples walked, the deaf heard, the dumb spoke. He also raised the dead.
Seeing the throng at the crusade ground Angela lost hope. If she can just touch that t-shirt. Thanks to the Nigeria Police brand of crowd control, as he walked towards the stage the wave of humanity swung him towards her, and back. But she touched that t-shirt, just before he swung back. She instantly felt something down there.
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A week later she was out for coffee with her friends. A handsome gentleman got down from a Mercedes SLK. “Angela, right? Sovereign Bank?” “Oh yes… Mr….” He brought out his card and scribbled a number. Collected hers. “Will you have dinner with me, Tuesday? I need to run some numbers by you.” Her friends rolled their eyes. What a pick up line!
Angela accepted, after all she was no longer the woman with the issue of blood. Jesus heals.
Aphorism CITY 