THE CHAT ROOM : PART 21 – 30
PART 26
Temi Akintade
“And what did you tell him?” Frank asked. He was probably on his honeymoon with his wife in Zanzibar. He had called me the moment I broke the news to him after his wedding.
“Nothing. I told him to let me pray about it.” I was currently seated in my shop writing down a new recipe I got when I was meditating on scripture that morning.
Hadassah’s toys were littered on the ground. She had poured it away when I was taking her to creche that morning. I made a mental note to tidy them later.
There was a long pause on the phone. I wondered if he was still listening or the network had interrupted but atlas he cleared his throat and spoke like some jealous lover. “Just be careful.
You should have told him no! You are eighteen and you don’t even know what love and marriage mean.” He stressed.
I scoffed. “That I’m 18 doesn’t mean I am a fool. I know what love and marriage mean. I have been having constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit and he has taught me that love doesn’t even have to do with emotions but 80 % of love is what is found in 1 Corinthians 13.
And I know what marriage is all about from my constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit.” I cleared my throat.
“See, the moment I gave my life to Christ, he married me and that is why we became one. And ever since, he has been teaching me that marriage means fellowship, intimacy, becoming one to fulfill the intention that God has for us on earth, and to become a force against the d’vil.
So I know what love and marriage are all about. The Holy Spirit has been my great teacher Frank.”
He sighed. “You have grown so much in the Lord… I wish- never mind. How is Hadassah?”
I wondered about what he was trying to say but I let it slide and concentrated on the list I was writing. “She is in creche.” We joked some more and the call ended without me asking about his wife. I dialed his number almost immediately and he picked.
“Frank I forgot to greet your wife. How is she?”
“You little brat stay away from my husband! Have you not done enough yet?” It was Frank’s wife.
I could hear him yelling and cursing his wife in the background. “Leave my family alone! He is now married stop calling you bch!” She ended the call.
I stared at the blank phone for a long time. Trying hard to understand what had just happened.
Just then the phone rang again. It was Frank. But I ignored it. I made up my mind to live my life without any interference from Frank anymore.
As soon as I closed for the day, I paid my workers and went to pick Hadassah. By the time I got home, I met Pastor Nat at the gate in his cozy car.
Hadassah leaped for joy when she sighted him. On sighting us, he slid out of the car and collected Hadassah from me. He planted a wet kss on her cheeks. Hadassah gave a cheeky smile.
“What are you doing here sir?” He was dressed in blue Armani and suit. It was obvious he was coming from work.
“Nothing I brought food for you and Hadassah. I went to an eatery so I thought about getting you something light.” He smiled.
I knew I should reject his food and kind offer but I was hungry. I collected the food and he bade me farewell promising to see us the next evening when we come for evening service.
I was still fantasizing about him, and thinking about how he would make a good dad to Hadassah when sister Dorcas passed by me on a motorcycle.
She threw me a hard stare and glared at me while I tried to wave at her, she ignored me.
I shrugged and went into the house. If sister Dorcas decides to keep malice with me then she was ready for it because I havent done anything wrong to her.
That night, before I slept I read psalm 35 praying at the loudest. “Contend with those who contend against me, Lord!!!” I prayed it into the night until I slept off.
As early as 6:00 AM while I was preparing our breakfast and Hadassah was still asleep, my phone rang. At first, I ignored it thinking that it was Frank or Pst Nat since he liked praying for me and my daughter every morning.
But hearing the persistent ring of my phone, I hobbled towards the phone and picked the call. It was an unknown caller. And he was yelling at the top of his voice.
“Is this Paulina?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“It’s me Okoro, the cybercafe man who happens to be your shop neighbour.” He panted like he was being chased.
I remembered him now. It was the man who first dashed Hadassah a thousand naira when we first came to the shop and it was him who started to patronize us before others.
“Oga, how are you now?”
“All is not well ooo our shop has been burnt down!” He yelled. I was hearing some voices who were equally shouting in the background.
“Wait what shop? My shop or your shop?”
“The two oooo. Come come now!” He ended the call.
I quickly sat on the floor just by the bedside. How on earth did my shop burn? I remembered not leaving the switch on before I left.
I should stand up and rush to the scene and go to the police station to report but I just sat there in tears.
THE CHAT ROOM : PART 21 – 30
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