₦airaland Forum

damianchiemezie:
He should write and publish them officially

Ynix:
Post them to BBC

swankmee:
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
Mark 13:11



TWELVE

Six months passed swiftly with no word from Ike. Just like that, he stopped keeping in touch. At first I thought I wouldn’t have been able to handle the pain that came with it but then as time went on, I found myself, in less pain and gradually, I felt no pain. I was almost tempted to go in search of him in his company when Kara asked about him but I knew better.

So much had happened within those space, asides from the fact that Kara became a millionaire under 24 hours with fixed properties at home and abroad assigned to her name made me realize that God could change anyone’s situation in minutes. Lekan had WILLED, 80% of his properties to Kara, wrote me a long apology note he planned giving me before he died mysteriously. Yemisi had cursed his cold body saying that he would rot in hell for willing just 10% of his properties to her. She almost pounced on me, saying that I was bad luck to her, she even threatened to make life miserable for me and my daughter but the family lawyer held her by her threats.

“Eyah, so he travelled with his family to the U.K.” mum commented, her eyes pinned on the 18 inch screen TV. We were watching our favourite family soap that evening. Kara was fast asleep, leaving mum and I.

I rose up and walked to the kitchen, grabbed a drink and then walked back to the sitting room. I emptied the contents of my cup, thinking I would feel at ease with whatever was going on with me but then, it seemed my uneasiness just began.

“Ehen, that reminds me. Ike’s mum and I spoke few days ago, and she told me her son had gone back to the states again.”

My heart skipped a bit, I glanced at her briefly. Thoughts of the possibility of Ike travelling and never coming back filled my mind. “Are you serious mum? You mean he travelled? What about his company?”

Mum had a puzzled look on her face. “Are you asking me? You should know better now. I thought you both speak to each other at least. He still runs his company here but from abroad. According to his mum, he has been gone for three months now.”

I shrugged, my heart still skipped another beat. I forced my eyes on the TV but my thought was far off.

“his mum has been pestering me to speak to you to sort out whatever happened between you and her son. She doesn’t want him married to those women with no culture like she said.” Mum chuckled.

Pictures, imaginary pictures began forming in my mind about Ike, getting married to a white woman? Well, if it was God’s will for him to, then so be it. the uneasiness continued, my attention was no longer on the programme as I suddenly felt a sense of urgency. Mum noticed my uneasiness and turned to me.

“Are you okay?” worry laced her eyes.

“No, I feel like there’s something I need to do.” I was tensed.

“Abi you need to talk to God again?”

That was it! prayes, I needed to pray like mum had rightly deciphered. I jumped to my feet and rushed to the room. The first few worship songs I took, got me reeling in the amazing atmosphere of the presence of God. I spoke in tongues all through, even though I didn’t know why and what I was praying for, my prayer intensified until I felt a relief. It was after I was done, that I got to understand that, my uneasiness had been the holy spirit nudging me to pray. I smiled absentmindedly, my Christian walk was really going interesting and more amazing than I thought. That night, I went to bed in peace, with no trace of worry whatsoever.
***************************************************************
Several times, we’ve been taught in Sunday school or the preacher had preached in his sermons that our Christian walk will sometimes be characterized by trials, temptations, persecution and it is our decision to choose if we want to stand rooted in the faith like Job, who despite the misfortune that befell him, loved God despite it all and at the end, got more than he had in the beginning.

The scripture James 1:2-3; my brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

This, rang severally in my head as I stood, stuck to a spot and watched the black smoke from the Plaza rise up to the sky, the plaza where my shop space was located was burnt beyond recognition. Shop owners wailed, kicked and scratched, some talked about their multi million naira that had now become ashes. My eyes found my shop space again, the whole building was pitch black, my cake supplies were all gone, my cake machines, deep freezer were all gone in 24 hours.

Tears welled up my eyes. I felt for my phone in my bag, dialed my pastor’s line. He picked on the first ring and I asked if he was in the church. My ride to church which should normally take about thirty minutes, seemed like an hour drive to me. By the time I saw my pastor, I busted into fresh tears. My whole body shook with sobs.

“I don’t understand what went wrong?” I said between sobs. “I thite to keep my heavens open, I give to the needy and to the church, I pray everyday and I believe I have a healthy relationship with the holy spirit so what is wrong!” I yelled, I didn’t understand. Was this the way Job felt when misfortune befell him?
Pastor allowed me wallow in self-pity for a while until I was calm and then he spoke.

“sister Diane. I want you to know that God doesn’t do evil.” He paused as if, waiting for that to sink in. “I hope you know that God didn’t cause Job’s misfortune? The devil did and that was because the hedge around Job was opened for the devil to strike! And since Job wasn’t the one who let the hedge around him open, God doubled all he lost at the end. I want you to search your life, have you broken the hedge? Perhaps through fornication, lieing, stealing or what have you. And If you haven’t I want you to know that ALL things, work together for the good of them that love God.”

I wiped my face with the back of my hand. I was sure I hadn’t broken the hedge in anyway. “it’s just that, I’ve been through a lot. I loosed my husband at first, the other man that looked promising, left me just like that and now, my only source of livelihood is gone…..just like that? This is all too much for me Pastor.” Tears trickled down my face.

Pastor patted his blue tie, as if lost in thought. He soon sat up in his chair, hands clasped together, he put it out on his desk. “for God to walk with and through you, he would check if you truly love him. will you love him if you loose everyone around you? will you still love him even if he demands your life and time?”

He pinned me down with his gaze. I stopped crying now. “I would be sincere. It was quite hard to still love God after this. This was exactly how I felt when my husband disappeared suddenly in our first year of marriage. I was bitter and I shut God out for five years. So in as much as it’s hard, I’m not willing to let go this time.”

His mouthstache expanded just as his lips pressed into a smile.

“I’m happy to hear that sister Diane. Through it all, no matter how long it will take, keep your faith alive in him. remember, he owns the whole world and even your own very life so go home rejoicing instead of wallowing in sorrow and self pity for you can’t even add a cubit of life span to your life.”

I nodded my head, satisfied with his counsel, I took my bag and headed home. Even if I wanted renting a new shop, I couldn’t touch Kara’s money or properties until she was eighteen. Like the pastor had said, I decided to fix my mind on something else, rather than remembering the black smoke that rose from the building to the sky.

“Holy spirit, I need more grace….i need strength!” I mumbled. Just as I sat at the back of the taxi that day, I heard the holy spirit, still and clear my grace is sufficient for you.