SMALLVILLE COLLEGE 7

Written by Lizzy Oyebola Yakubu


Is that not Dr. Oladejo?

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BEVERLY

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As I alighted from the taxi that had conveyed me to the SmallVille Kindergarten School (SVKS), looking up, I saw someone who looked like Dr. Oladejo in front of The Special Lodge and I was dumbfounded!







I had just spoken to Glory and she had told me her father was still very ill and in bed!





How could the man that was dying just two weeks before, walk so hale and hearty on his two legs in SMC?!







“I thought he and Prof. Bello don’t agree!” I thought so quietly as I walked briskly to the Kindergarten School.









Earl suggested that Somto be brought to SMC so we could all watch him grow better and I did so. He enrolled him into SVKS by himself and Somto started becoming fleshy and all healthy again.







As I approached Somto’s personal class (Since he was secluded from other children so he wouldn’t infect them with whatever ‘disease’ he had), I heard a baritone voice sing from inside and wondered who it could be that was with my son.









“Somto” The voice called







“Les” My baby replied, obviously meaning ‘Yes?’







“What is my name?” He asked







“Dati” Somto replied again meaning ‘Daddy’









Oh my!







Earl!







My heart warmed up at that! – what a totally different man!







A man that could look pass my past and love me for who I really am even if I might not get married to him-such a great man is rare!







A kind of heat rushed through me and tears started forming.







“Lord, I want to do Your Will in marriage. Lord, be the One who will order my steps and give me what You want for me oh Lord!” I muttered from the depth of my heart.







“Lord, I don’t want my parents’ kind of marriage. I don’t want a marriage that is not in accordance to Your Will oh Gracious Father! Choose for me Lord. Please choose the bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh for me my Father.” I swallowed and fumbled with my handbag.








“I know life will make sense, Your work will be easier and more fulfilling when You lead me in my marital life. Hence Lord, work it out in the Name of Jesus!”







“Chai, Lord I am grateful that You broke off the love I had for Cole out of my heart. It was actually a selfish, ambitious love, just to get what he has and use it for my family.” I shut my eyes firmly and wrapped my fists into balls.







“Lord, the feelings I am having for Dr. Earl, if it is Your Will, purify the love and perfect it. If it is not Your Will Lord, let me not even see any good in him or what he does or says anymore from today in the Name of Jesus. Amen!”







“I love you my son!” I heard him say again and tears rushed into my eyes anew.







“Ai yob you dati” My son replied and I smiled, sniffing as I did.







“I can smell mummy” Came Earl’s voice and I knew I had been caught. I sniffed in the tears that was gathering in my insides and straightened my chiffon skirt. Entering the classroom, Earl beamed a large smile at me that made my knees wobble.







“Hello sir.” I muttered, trying to regain my strength.







I had never felt that way before.







“Morning Bev” He replied, his nice of teeth greeting me joyously. I gulped.







“Momi na dati” Somto started singing and we burst out laughing as I lifted him onto my laps.







“I love you my boy! Keep prophesying. Mummy and daddy! Sing it loud!” Earl teased. I laughed and shook my head as if I wasn’t enjoying it, though a permanent smile was etched on my face.







“Why are you here at this time of the day doc?” I asked, still trying to avoid eye contacts.







“I am becoming so used to Somto and he seems to love me so much too. I love to be here whenever I am free” He said and I nodded. It felt so good.







“That reminds me doc. Do you know Dr. Oladejo?”







“Sure. Your sponsor and guardian”







“Is he close to your dad?”







“Hmmm…maybe, maybe not. Why do you ask?







“You know, I left him really sick two weeks ago. He still sounded so feeble when I spoke with him five days ago. But today, I saw him entering The Special Lodge on his two legs with Prof. Bello!”









“The Special Lodge?” Earl seemed to rack his brain. He stood up almost immediately.







“Let’s go towards the place. I have a premonition that we need to be there. I think the Holy Spirit wants us to visit them. I don’t know but I feel it strongly in my spirit that we should move close to that place” He said, rushing his words like he was talking and swallowing hot noodles altogether.









“Somto, we will be back darling” I pecked him and he staggered back to his cushioned bed.









As we left, I saw his nurse walking back inside to meet him.









I kept wondering why Doctor Earl would want us near The Special Lodge!



______________

EARL

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Holy Spirit, what would You have us do here?







My heart kept beating hard as we moved to the back of The Special Lodge.







“Sir, what are we doing here?” Beverly whispered so quietly, her nice pink lips dancing as she did.







“Shhh…let’s be quiet” I whispered too, placing my right index finger against my lips. She nodded and carefully, we got to the back of the office. The window was opened slightly and we could hear some voices inside.







Recorder!







The Holy Spirit whispered and I racked my brain. I didn’t have any recording device on me except my phone which could even ring any time.







Pocket.




He said again and I frowned slightly, fumbling with my pockets as I did- it was there! – the recording chip I used in class during lecture. I had used it that morning but never did I know that I still had it in my pocket. I would usually keep it in my briefcase.







“Thank You Holy Spirit!” I whispered as I signaled for Beverly to wait behind while I moved to the window side.







“So, what exactly did you say you…” I heard the voice asking which eventually faded away as I pointed the recorder down into the office.







“Lord, make my hands invisible please. I don’t want to be caught here Lord” I prayed silently.







Suddenly, the window hit my hand and gbam! the recorder fell into the office. There was silence at once and I quickly bent down, using some leaves as covering, my heart racing vigorously.







I signaled for Beverly also to hide and she ran behind a tank house.







“I am sorry Holy Spirit. I failed!” I whispered, rubbing my forehead anxiously.







How could it have fallen?!







The men must have realized that it fell. They must have picked it up and- oh gracious me!







“The recorder has my name!” I exclaimed quite loudly, yet quietly!







When I heard their voices resume, I quickly stood up and ran towards the tank house, where Beverly was hiding. Her eyes brightened up.







“How far?” She asked. I sighed.







“The recorder fell inside and unfortunately it bears my name” I said and her eyes widened.







“That was why I said we shouldn’t go. Why are we here in the first place?”







“I thought I heard the Holy Spirit telling me to go. I must have been wrong” I said, sighed and waited for the Holy Spirit to say “No you aren’t wrong” but I didn’t hear His Voice.







“Let’s go now sir. We will come back to retrieve your recorder when we can” She said and I nodded, even though I knew that The Special Lodge was only meant for my dad and he only held the key.







Getting it back would be a miracle!









I felt quite uneasy as we walked back to SKVS and I wondered why.





_______________

BEVERLY

______________





“Hello mummy, this is Beverly”





“Oh my darling, are you here already?”





“Yes ma. I am at the gate”







“Okay. Press the doorbell and tell the gateman to lead you up to Flat B, the main building” Mrs. Bello said and I nodded like she could see me, dropped the call and walked up to the gate to press the bell.





Dr. Earl had pleaded with me two days before to go to their house and spend some time with his stepmother as she was lonely with no child or even her husband at home.







It felt weird at first but when I thought about her as being the mother to my friends and roommates, I decided to go.







“Oh darling Beverly!” The beautiful woman in her early fifties rushed at me and drew me into a very close embrace as the door to the main building opened.







We were in the embrace for a while and I really loved it as I wafted in the sweet savor she exuded. I had never been hugged by a woman that sweetly, not even by my mum!







I moved into the elegant house and I was stunned!







The high-end look that greeted my eyes when I entered into the elegant house was absolutely amazing! Not to talk of the wide crown molding and the baseboard trim of the roof and walls.





“Come with me darling. I specially asked all the workers in the house to take the day off, leaving only the gateman” She said as she settled in one of the elegant couches.







Whenever I entered SMC, the feeling that took over me always said that I had left Nigeria and had landed in one of these developed countries!







SMC is heavenly but The Bellos’ is heavenlier to the extent that I wondered how gloriously blinding the beauty of Heaven would be.









“Oh…I am so happy to meet you mummy” I said, placing a large overstuffed green pillow on my laps. She smiled.







“I am more blessed to have the lady two of my children are really dying to have under my roof” She said and I blushed.









“I really do not know what they see in me that much ma” I joked and we both laughed out loudly.







“And mummy, I am really sorry about everything that has befallen a number of your family members.” I said and she smiled.









“My dear, we have a lot to discuss. I have a lot to teach you also.” She paused and readjusted herself on the couch. “Any woman who is married without any knowledge of God and the knowledge of the devices of the enemies has already failed in that marriage!”









“Hmmmm”







“I married and felt it was all I needed to do! I forgot that immediately I get married and start having children, my battle in prayer increases!”









“Wooow! I am seriously learning ma” I said and she burst out laughing.









“I have a strong belief that my family is coming alive my dear so don’t let me bore you with the sad tale the devil wrote about us! Things are already being realigned by God for us!”









“Amen! I strongly believe momma”









“So, let’s move to the kitchen. I wouldn’t know what you will like so I didn’t prepare much.” She stood up and I followed suit. “I have some grilled chicken, Gizdodo, catfish, some pepper soup and what else sef?” She was saying as we entered into the kitchen.







I couldn’t hold myself as I entered into the well-lighted peach colored kitchen with so many gadgets and heavy duty, expensive-looking drawer knobs and pulls.







“This kitchen is too beautiful!!” I exclaimed and she laughed.







“We thank God my dear.” She said as I moved in, stepping triumphantly, yet cautiously on the well-polished hardwood floor.







“I hope you can find your way around the kitchen darling. I was in the process of preparing some pastries for Cole when you called.” She said and I nodded at the blank cheque I had to do as I wanted in the elegant kitchen.







Looking at the glassy pots and golden racks, I was really so excited than I couldn’t even feel hunger anymore.







“I can always have the grilled chicken you talked about ma. Let me help you with the pastries” I said and she smiled.







“God bless you my dear” She said and we got to work, sieving and mixing and rolling and cutting.







“Add a little sugar for me please” She said and I opened the transparent jar with the inscription ‘Sugar’







“Thanks dear” She said as she mixed on.







I covered the sugar jar and examined it very well.







“Ma, is it that there are no ants in this house? No matter how tightly I close my sugar, I will always find an ant or two the next day but there are no ants in here” I said and she smiled.





“That’s because this is airtight. No ant whatsoever can enter into it” She replied calmly and I nodded. I replaced the jar on the rack and returned to the working table.





“I just got an inspiration now.”







“Please share with me” she said humbly as the mixer went to work.







“The bowl which is airtight can’t be invaded by ants. But the careless bowl which even seems to be covered will still get ants in it!” I said and paused.







“That’s quite deep o” She said and I smiled.







“Be all overly enclosed in the Lord, let Him be all over you and you will realize that the ants can only try and try, they will never be able to penetrate.”







“And then, on the other hand, be indecisive about God. Loving God a bit and still giving room for Mammon, then see the invasion of millions of ants in your life!” She completed, nodding repeatedly as she worked on.







“Yes mummy. You get my point”







“Hmmmm…This is what happened to my life o. I was serving God but I hadn’t totally let go of some of these worldly things. Then, from the little space in the jar of sugar, there was an invasion, a mighty invasion and see, none of my family members, none except Earl is able to stand! Can you imagine?” She wiped her hands against the apron and shook her head, the veins on her forehead palpitating so badly.









“Hmmmm” Was the only thing I could say at the precision of her words. They were the exact things the Holy Spirit had dropped in my mind earlier on.









“Beverly, I have woken up! My family is hung up in the mid of life and death but you know what? They are coming back down to the fulfilment of God’s Will for their lives! I am now awake! No more dozing! No more lazing around!” She said so passionately as she started oiling some of the cookies pans.









I could feel the smoke!







I could feel the passion!









I could feel the downpour of anointing!



Source: https://ashsalt.com/2020/06/smallville-college-smc-7/

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