THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
EPISODE 56
“God forgive me!” She murmured out loud against Pete’s lips unconsciously, making him open his eyes. He was surprised to see that her eyes were open as she kissed him. Before he could react, the office phone suddenly started ringing and they sprang apart as though just realizing they were in his office, they stood gazing at each other surprised at what had just happened between them.
“Excuse me sir….” The secretary who had just opened the door stopped halfway as she took in their surprised facial expressions, and left the office immediately.
Kathleen excused herself and left the office too while Pete just stood still, he couldn’t believe what had just happened, he had only meant to test her, he hadn’t even expected her to return the kss, neither had he expected her to be kssing him with her eyes were wide open and asking for forgiveness. What kind of a weird person was he getting himself involved with? The funny thing was that he was finding the whole thing amusing instead of annoying.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
The secretary sat on her desk fuming as Kathleen hurried past her. How dare that stupid bch? She had recommended her for the job only because she thought Kathleen was different, yet she has proven herself more dangerous than the other ladies in the office. If she had known this was going to happen she wouldn’t have recommended her. She had set her eyes on Pete, and as far as she was concerned Pete was her man, he just didn’t know it yet. She was going to find a way to win his heart and get him to forget all about the stupid bch, the secretary decided.
Kathleen was feeling very embarrassed as she walked into the office. Thank God it was lunch break and the others had gone out, so she had the office to herself.
How was Pete going to see her now? Was he going to think she was cheap because she had let him kss her so easily? A year ago she would never have believed had someone told her the first man that would kss her would be someone she wasn’t married to. How had she allowed herself come to this point where she could kss just anyone? This was the danger of communicating with people who didn’t share the same beliefs and goals with you. She had no doubt that she had allowed Sharon influence her more than she thought possible. She paused when she also remembered she wasn’t even praying or studying her Bible often anymore.
“Ah! My spiritual life is under attack!” She exclaimed as she started praying immediately.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
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“Please sit down and make yourself comfortable. What can I offer you?” Ella asked immediately they walked into the house, and she took off her shoes. She had refused to leave the office with him in the same car since she knew she wouldn’t be able to bear the awkward silence between them in the car. Hence she had driven ahead while he followed behind with his own car.
“What about Angela? She isn’t home?” Ken asked curiously when he noticed how quiet the house was.
“She has gone to work. I registered her in a tailoring shop. She is learning how to make clothes, so she has gone to the shop.” Ella said as she took off her wig and sat by the arm of one of the chairs, making Ken look at her, maybe this was what he loved about her. He loved how kind-hearted and how nice she was. She was a very empathetic person who believed in treating others as she wanted to be treated, and such people were very rare especially in today’s Nigerian society.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
Four years ago he had rescued fourteen years old Angela from her foster family and it had been all over the news. Angela who was an orphan and had no where to go had endured untold hardship in the hands of her uncle who was sexually abusing her, and his wife who was domestically violent. The incident that had drawn his attention to Angela was when her Aunty burnt her back with hot iron simply because she mistakenly burnt her clothes while pressing them with iron. That had been the straw that broke the camel’s back, since Angela had cried out for help and her wicked foster family had been exposed.
Ella had reached out, and had pleaded with him to let her have the girl. He had chosen her over the other good people who had offered to help, since he knew her and trusted her. He was glad to see he had made the right decision.
“How does she cope with the shop and house chores?” Ken asked, wanting to make small talk before telling her what was on his mind.
“She tries. I buy dinner on days she returns late from work. She’s really learning fast, as a matter of fact she made me a very nice dress last week.” Ella said with a proud smile. Looking at how she was talking about it so happily, one would have thought she was talking about her child or kid sister.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
Ken smiled as he watched her. He could tell she didn’t know how relaxed she looked as she talked about Angela. It seemed the only time she was always on edge was when she talked with him about personal subjects that involved them both.
“Why didn’t you just send her to school instead?” Ken asked, wanting to hear what she would say, since he knew only few people would consider sending their hired help to higher institution.
“I actually wanted to, but she said she didn’t have the brain for school work. She suggested that she would rather learn how to make clothes. So we agreed that I get her an English and etiquette tutor to brush her up before she learns how to make clothes. If you hear her talking now ehn, you won’t believe it’s that Angela you met that time that couldn’t even understand English well.” Ella said with a pleased smile making Ken chuckle.
“That’s very nice of you.”
“She’s such a good girl. Whenever I look at her and remember what those monsters did to her, I feel like going to their house to make trouble. I hate the Nigeria system that allows people get away with such hideous crimes.” Ella hissed making Ken nod.
“Enough about Angela. What did you want us to talk about?” She asked as she scratched her hair. Somehow she had gotten used to Ken that she no longer cared about her appearance around him. He had seen her in different states after all, so seeing her without her wig was surely not a big deal.
Ken looked at her, not knowing where to start from, “How did your date go yesterday?”
“Very fine. Thanks for asking. Now what do you want?” Ella asked, and Ken noticed her guard was up again.
“I feel there are things you need to know about me… Maybe it would help you better understand me and forgive me too.” Ken said making Ella look at him with a slightly amused reaction.
“You’re not about to tell me you are a member of a secret cult, are you?” She asked making Ken chuckle.
“Maybe that would have been better for me.” He said making her frown.
“What is it?” She asked as she sat up on the couch, looking at him curiously now.
“I chose to become a lawyer that advocates for abused women because I’m from an abusive home.” Ken said making Ella’s heart skip a beat.
“What? Your uncle and your aunty don’t look…”
“Not them. My biological parents.” He explained when he saw the confusion on her face.
“Oh!”
“Yeah. My biological father was very abusive and he would hit my mother over the slightest provocation. Could be because she brought him drinking water in a cup he didn’t like, or because she opened the door a second late.” Ken said with a lost look in his eyes.
“He would drag her around the house holding her by her hair while she cried in pain, but was too scared of him to fight back. She always insisted that as a wife it was her duty to respect and honor her husband whether or not he was right.” Ken continued, even when tears blurred his vision.
“Sometimes he would beat her so badly that she would stay hidden in the room for days, and we would have to lie to people that she traveled home to see her family. You won’t believe that even in those moments while she is inside trying to recover from her wounds, he would still beat her up, claiming he hated the sight of her.” Ken continued as a sob broke from Ella’s lips. Maybe this was what he loved about her, how she genuinely shared in other people’s joy as well as in their sorrow.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
Watching him cry as he told her his story, Ella couldn’t help the emotions that rose within her. She felt angry and sad at the same time. Angry at his mother for allowing herself endure all of that especially when she had impressionable young boys in the house. And sad at the helplessness she knew he must have felt, “You didn’t have neighbors? Why didn’t anyone come to her aid?” Ella asked tearfully.
“It was a private compound. We were alone in the compound.” Ken explained in a broken voice.
“And her family? Didn’t anyone of them suspect she was going through such domestic violence? No one visited?”
“They never allowed anyone visit. And to the best of my knowledge, no one knew. Not even my aunty, her twin sister.” Ken explained.
“So what happened? How did you end up with your aunty?” Ella asked curiously.
“He finally killed her. I was ten years old then… I can’t tell exactly what started their argument that night, but I was awoken from sleep by their voices as usual. I wasn’t going to leave the room since my brother and I had made it an habit to use our pillow in blocking out the sounds. But that night, I noticed my brother wasn’t in the room, and so I left the room in search of him. Just as I stepped out of the room, I heard their voices coming from the balcony, and saw my brother challenging my father. He was asking him to leave our mother alone, and was holding a pestle threatening to hit my father with it if he dared touch my mother again. My father became very furious, and tried attacking my brother, but my mother stepped in, pleading with him to leave my brother alone. He accused her of trying to turn us against him, and pushed her away forcefully, I don’t know how it happened, but next thing I knew I heard my brother scream. My mother had fallen off the balcony head first.” Ken didn’t know he had been crying as he spoke until he felt Ella’s hands around him and heard her sobbing too.
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that.” Ella murmured as she embraced him.
“She could have left when she had the chance, but she didn’t want her boys to grow up in a broken home. And she didn’t want them to grow up without a mother, since she believed my father would never let her take us with her. She was worried about what people would say if she left her husband, because she was a Christian. But she had no idea what that her decision to stay back cost us.” Ken continued, unable to stop himself. Once again he felt like that frightened kid who had been unable to save his mother from his abusive gather.
Ella held him tightly as they both sobbed together. At that moment, it didn’t matter to her that she was mad at him. All she saw was the broken kid in the man, who needed to be comforted. She never would have thought he had something like this bottled up inside of him, but now she understood better why he had always seemed so withdrawn the first time they had met.
“Was he arrested? Your father?” She asked curiously.
“No. Somehow he managed to convince everyone that she had been involved in an accident, so he got away with it. And then after that my brother ran away from home.” Ken said with a sigh.
“Where is he now? Your brother?”
“That was the last time I saw him. Never heard from him again.” Ken said with a shaky breath.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
“I’m so sorry.” Ella murmured as she pulled away from him. She understood this was probably the reason he didn’t want to get married, but what she didn’t understand was what it had to do with her and what happened.
“After you fell asleep that night and I stayed up watching you…. For the first time I actually thought of getting married, and the thought scared me. Especially because it was you.” Ken said as though reading Ella’s mind, making her heart skip a beat as she moved away from the seat with a frown on her face.
“What are you saying?”
“I know I might be going about all of this, the wrong way, and I’m sorry… But the thing is, I’m… I’m in love with you Bella. Always have, and will likely always be. And yes I thought staying away from you for this past two years would help me get over whatever I was feeling…”
Ella held a finger up, “Hold on! Just hold on a minute. I’m not following what you’re saying.” Ella said in confusion, as her heartbeat increased. Was this wishful thinking? Or she was dreaming? Did Ken just profess love to her?
“I know it’s all so sudden… But I’ve been unable to think straight since I ran into you at Pete’s house the other day. I ran away that morning because I was scared you’d think I used you, and also because I was scared of my feelings for you. I’m still scared I might hurt you, and the whole idea of marriage scares me…”
“You seem to be scared of so many things.” Ella interrupted.
“Yes I am.” Ken admitted with a shaky breath as he stood up, “But I really do love you.”
“What happened to your bro code?” Ella asked even though her heart was racing.
“I talked to him first before coming to find you.” Ken confessed, making her look at him in surprise.
“You told Kunle that you were going to toast me, or that you like me?” She asked in disbelief. If he had truly talked to her brother about it, then that explained Pete’s call asking her to listen to him. So he was really serious? He loved her?
“Yeah. I did. I told him I was in love with you. I think that’s why I found the boldness to confess it all to you.” Ken admitted.
“What did he say?”
“He said he would kill me if I ever hurt you.”
“As expected. Anyway, I understand all you’ve said, and I’m thankful you decided to share all of this with me, but I don’t think what you need right now is a relationship. You need…”
“You. I need you Ella. If there’s anyone I know who can help me, it is you.” Ken said as he moved towards her.
“If there’s anyone I know who can help you, it’s God. Only God can fix what is broken inside of you. Only God can make you whole again. And if he decides in his infinite mercy to use me as a vessel to help you, I’d completely yield to him. But you have to seek God first. And all that womanizing and immoral lifestyle, what did you think? That it would fix you?” She asked with a shake of her head.
“Then help me. I don’t know, I feel like I blocked it all out for so long and now it’s all flooding back and it’s haunting me. I haven’t been able to sleep for sometime now without taking sleeping pills, cause I keep having nightmares. I’ve been trying therapy for sometime now, but nothing seems to be working.” Ken pleaded without taking his eyes away from her as he took both her hands.
Ella sighed, “Let’s just pray.” Ella said and closed her eyes, expecting him to do the same.
“Lord, behold your son, he has tried all he knows, and has come to the point where you’re his last resort. Please Lord, fix all that is broken in him, and heal every wound on his soul. Take away all the hurtful and painful memories, and give him only pleasing ones. Give him the serenity to accept the things he can’t change, the courage to change the things he can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Please help him to draw near to you and help him to know you for who you are, so he can know the peace that comes from you, and experience the joy of your salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.”
“Amen.” Ken echoed as he opened his eyes to look into Ella’s face, “I almost forgot you’re a church girl.”
“Because I don’t behave like Kathleen, abi?” Ella asked with a grin.
“Maybe. I’m sure she doesn’t call people ba$tards or keep grudges for long.” Ken said making Ella scoff.
“She would probably call you worse if you had done that to her. Ba$tard!” Ella said with a scowl..
“I agree. I’m a ba$tard. Will you at least give me a chance to redeem myself? I will understand if you don’t feel the same way about me, but I promise if you give me a chance I will…”
“What about all your fears and reservations about marriage? I’m not interested in being your friend with benefit or a just your girlfriend. I’m not as open-minded as Ronaldo’s babymama.” Ella said with rolling eyes making Ken smile.
“I’m not asking you to be any of that. Just give me a chance to love you. I’m sure if I’m going to be able to marry anyone, then that person is going to be you. I’d rather walk down that road with you, than with anyone else.”
“I’m not going to do any of that sx thing with you. God knows you’ve had enough sex to last you a lifetime, so if I’m going to give you a chance there won’t be premarital sx.” Ella said making Ken wince.
“Really?” He asked with a frown.
“Kenneth Femi Adebayo! Are you just trying to sleep with me and run off again?” She asked with a slightly raised brow making him chuckle.
He couldn’t believe he had been crying a while ago, “I love it when you call my name like you were with my mother when she was picking the names.”
“I could be your mother, and your sister, and every other thing… But you have to agree to my terms. It’s that or nothing.” Ella insisted.
“Fine. If that’s what you want.” Ken said with a nod.
“Are you sure? Don’t think you can agree now and change my mind later o, it won’t work. And don’t even think of cheating on me either. If you can’t meet these terms, then feel free to…”
“It won’t be easy, but I’m willing to do it. For you I could do that much.” Ken said making Ella smile.
“You know, I always used to think you were smart until yesterday.” Ella said making him frown.
“Huh?”
“You really had no idea I always had a crush on you?” Ella asked incredulously.
“You did?”
“Tsk. Don’t worry, I’m smart enough for two.” Ella said with a grin as she embraced him. Who would have thought her day would end this way? She wondered what Tracy would say if she told her about this new development. She would never forget this day… It was the day Tracy told her they were expecting a baby, and also the day Ken confessed his feeling to her. The baby had brought her a breakthrough.
“You really did like me?” Ken asked with a frown.
“Yeah. I think everyone else knew apart from you. Maybe that’s why my brother didn’t make a big deal out of it.” Ella said, and Ken raised a brow.
“Why didn’t you say anything or even give me greenlight?” Ken asked.
Ella rolled her eyes, “As if you would know a greenlight if it hit you on the face. Have you taken your medicine today?” Ella asked changing the subject.
“You were the reason I was sick. You didn’t want to hear me out nau.” Ken said making her giggle.
“Really? I guess I was the reason you were purging like that too.” Ella asked as Ken glared at her.
“You should go home and take your medicine, I need to return to work.” Ella said as she picked up her wig, but Ken drew her back.
“We just made up, and we just started dating, shouldn’t we celebrate? And maybe spend sometime together?” Ken asked hopefully.
“Let’s do that later. I have an appointment to keep and you need to go home and take your medicine. I could come over later, or better still you can come over later. Angela has been asking about you.” Ella said as she adjusted her wig and headed for the door with her handbag.
“Why don’t you come over? You can cook something…” He let his words trail off when Ella turned around to look at him with a slightly raised a brow.
“I’m not even your girlfriend for an hour yet, and you want to turn me into your cook? Is that why you asked me out? Is that how you want to prove the love to me?”
“Sorry. I will cook.” Ken offered instead.
She flashed him a smile, “Better. I’ll come to your place with Angela then. See you later.” She said with a wave as she got into her car. This felt so good.
THE MIRACLE I NEED : Episode 51 – 60
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