HE SAID NO
EPISODE 43
Wednesdays were for bible-study and the besties just got back from church, Grace sat down gingerly on their plastic chair, still fully dressed, she didn’t bother to change out of her work clothes before she left for church to avoid being excessively late.
“Ah, Grace, you know, when pastor was talking about the privileges of sonship, and he mentioned that one of the privileges of sonship is God’s leading. Sons are led by God’s spirit. ” Amifel started as she sank into bed.
“He said, we don’t pray to be led, we pray to sharpen our awareness to his leadings, that means that whether I feel like it or not God leads me, and when I pray, his leading become evident to me. “Amifel paused a little as if she was thinking of what to say next.
” You know, somewhere in between, Daniel just slipped into my thoughts again.”
“How does that correlate with the sermon and who is Daniel by the way?”
“Ahn Ahn! Have you forgotten him so soon? “Amifel queried. “The guy I met at Cynthia’s wedding.”
“Oh oh oh… the yam guy, its been quite a while now. What about him?”
“He’s not a yam guy and it’s not even his name!”
“Whose name is it? Yours?”
“His father’s name…” Amifel mumbled, eyeing her briefly before she looked away in peace.
“Okay ma, I am sorry, what about him?”
“Nothing. “
“Talk now…”
“Nothing… he just manages to slip into my thoughts every now and then. Sometimes even when I’m praying about something else, his name drops on my mind. The ironic thing is he has completely forgotten about me.” Amifel chuckled. “To think that I have been expecting his call since that day, I guess I have lived in the world of fantasies for too long.”
Grace seemed to be absent-minded, she made no comment whatsoever to what she said.
“Grace…” Amifel called her gently the first time. “Grace!!” she called harder.
“So, I have been talking to myself since… “
“I have actually been listening to you.”
“What was the last thing I said?”
“Okay, fine… I was a little distracted. Could you please come again?”
“I don leave bus-stop… I am not coming again.”
Grace shrugged, she looked away without pressing further. That was so unlike Grace and her friend could not help but notice.
“Are you fine?”
Grace breathed hard before she answered.
“I am worried.”
“About what?”
“Mike. “ she paused briefly before she continued. “Ami, I am beginning to get frightened. It’s been almost a week since I last heard from him.” Amifel ignored her as she slipped out of her pink straight gown into something lighter.
“I even stylishly looked around for him today, he wasn’t around for service and that is so unlike him.”
Grace was expecting Amifel to say something but she didn’t.
“Won’t you say anything?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, I already asked you to call him but you are busy proving hard to get,” Amifel answered nonchalantly as she zipped up her shorts.
She was initially waiting for Mike’s call but as it stood, she was beginning to change her mind.
“When do you think I should call him?”
“You are still asking? If I were you, I would call him right now. Like right away!”
Like a robot, she quietly removed her phone from her nude bag and dialed his number, it was switched off. She quietly dialed his alternative number, she got the same response. Her heart thumped a little faster as different thoughts joggled through her mind.
“He’s not picking up?”
“His numbers are switched off…” she said dejectedly.
“Maybe his phones are dead,” Amifel said.
“He doesn’t switch off all his numbers at the same time.”
“That was why I said that his phones must probably be dead.” Amifel could see the tension on her face.” Relax lover girl.”
Amifel was about to start her usual teasing session when her phone vibrated, she scrambled through her bag for it and just as she was about to pick it, the caller hung up.
It was a new number, the first person that dropped on her mind was her mum. She has used several numbers to call her in the preceding weeks and she hadn’t called in a while, so she guessed that she must be the one.
Grace, who had momentarily forgotten her sorrow, would not let the sleeping dog lie.
“Who was that.”
“I don’t know, it is an unsaved number.”
The call came in again from the same number, Amifel was hesitant.
“Won’t you pick it?” Grace shot her a questioning look, Amifel’s guess was as good as hers.
Amifel clicked on the receiver’s button and there seemed to be a lot of noise in the background, this was followed by silence and it lingered for a few minutes.
The caller was silent, Amifel too didn’t say a word.
“Talk now!” Grace said in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Hello,” Amifel said calmly.
No response. That was definitely not her mum.
She hung up quickly.
“Why did you hang up?”
Amifel was about to explain when the call came in yet again.
She picked it almost immediately this time.
“Hello, who is this!” She asked impatiently, she was not ready for any breathing competition.
“Hello, Am I speaking to Amifel?” A male voice answered calmly at the other end.
“Yes, who is this?” She repeated.
“It’s Daniel. “ he answered calmly.
It was like a tap of cold water ran wildly upon her sun-parched heart, she did not know when she broke into a smile. A confused grace looked at her in wonder.
Daniel must have thought that she was having a hard time remembering who he was and he was about to explain “We met at…”
“I remember you.” She said calmly, trying so hard to contain her excitement.
“How have you been Ma’am.” He cleared his throat.
“Fine…Been fine, thank you. You?”
“I’m doing great too.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry I haven’t checked up since the wedding… I’ve actually been wanting to call you before now but there has been no event. I know I promised to call for business…” He paused a bit as if to let it sink.
“But, there is still no event, yet… Hope you don’t mind?”
Amifel chuckled.
“You are funny.”
“Really? “
Amifel laughed some more, he took that as a positive response.
“So, I guess my call is welcomed then.”
“I think so.”
“Don’t worry, I am rooting seriously for badass events and I know one will show up soon but I really couldn’t wait till then, I’ve been itching to hear from you.”
Amifel smiled sheepishly, she wanted to say something but she couldn’t find the right words.
“Thank you.” She finally said.
“You are welcome ma’am and I hope you have forgiven Oracle.”
She laughed heartily this time as she remembered the MC.
“Hey, it’s not that deep!”
“I know… just trying to pull your legs.”
She cackled again.
“So, I guess, we’ll talk much later?”
“Sure.” She answered, hoping it won’t be long.
“Okay Miss Amifel, do have a great evening.”
“Thanks, you too…”
By the time she was done, Grace’s probing eyes were staring at her intently.
“Guess, who I just spoke to?” she screeched with her shrill thin voice.
“I don’t know, who? George?”
Amifel shot her a brief stern look.
“Please don’t spoil my pleasant evening. “
“It was just a guess.”
“That was a bad guess.” She smirked. “It was Daniel.”
Grace chuckled.
“That man is the real son of his father.”
“How do you mean?”
“That is what people say when you are talking about someone and the person suddenly shows up. They would say, ‘you are not a b@stard.’”
“Should we be expecting Mike to show up then?” Amifel grinned.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Grace hissed. “It’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry now…”
Grace ignored her as she stood up to loosen her braids in front of the standing mirror.
“Maybe you should go check him at his place tomorrow, I can follow you if you want…”
“Okay. I think I will do that, I just need to be sure that he is fine.”
“I am certain that he is.” Amifel comforted her as she laid face up on the bed with her hands beneath her head as she replayed Daniel’s voice in her head.
Could this be a confirmation or she was In another fairytale world?
Grace undressed as she folded her used clothes before placing them into the laundry basket. She noticed that Amifel was smiling to herself, she smiled in return, her friend was definitely in love again and it was such a beautiful sight to behold.
She would have made fun of her but she was not in that kind of mood, now that Amifel’s probable prince charming had shown up, hers seemed to be nowhere in sight…
To be continued…
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
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