THE VISITOR
EPISODE 8
WRITTEN BY LIZZY OYEBOLA YAKUBU
“Okay, let us plan towards next month then. I have a whole lot to do this season, plus I have a new baby to nurture.” My husband finally agreed after months of pleading with him to allow us go visit his aunt, Asake who had been released from the prison because of her ill health.
“Which baby? Are you the one feeding him?” I teased and we laughed together.
“Nurturing is not all about feeding, you know?” He said, smiling sheepishly. I raised my nose at me as my baby belched loudly, his eyes shutting up as he fell into the warm arms of sleep.
Few weeks after the Aunty Asake saga, we got to know that I was few weeks pregnant. We were so shocked and happy altogether. We had been looking forward to giving the twins a baby sibling but it seemed impossible for like two years.
Even though my husband was always saying he didn’t care whatever the sex of the baby was in the first trimester, I could tell he wanted a baby boy. I knew he didn’t want to be ‘the man from the gods’ among three ‘ladies’. So, well, God gave him his heart’s desire!
The day the scan revealed that it was a boy, he was mad with joy! He almost pecked the radiologist who had presented the result to us out of joy!
The baby served as a bridge of reconciliation between us both. He wouldn’t let me do anything! He got me almost everything I needed before I asked. He would pray for me. He would tickle me till I roll over.
After such storm, especially the battle for Jemmy’s life, the pregnancy was such a blessing! A comfort! And the Lord made it a very easy ride for me. There was no spectacular discomfort during the pregnancy. When I named him ‘Comfort’ and people say its feminine, I would only smile and nod at them. Only I understood exactly why I named him that!- His father named him ‘Bliss’ though and people prefer that.
So, when I heard that Aunty Asake had been released from the prison because of the ill health and that we should go and check on her, my husband wouldn’t even answer me.
“With this huge tummy and my precious baby? We should go and greet that woman? Like seriously?” He had come against me strongly. I knew how he felt but I was afraid that even though he said he had forgiven her, he might not have totally let go.
Immediately Bliss turned two months, therefore, I quickly presented my proposition again and I was glad that gradually, the fence he built around his heart was falling apart.
“But honey, next month might be too late” I said, rubbing the back of my baby boy that I had just breastfed. He moved towards me and carried him, dancing with him in his huge arms and pecking him intermittently.
“Honey” I called for his attention again but he wouldn’t look at me. I was about calling him again when he looked at me, calmly.
“When do you want us to go?”
“Tomorrow” I said and his jaw dropped.
“Tomorrow? Who are we going to leave the children with?” He asked, obviously disagreeing with my plans.
“We will go with them, obviously” I said and he looked at me in disbelief. “Nothing is going to happen to us all honey! I have peace in my spirit about it” I said and he sighed.
“We will pray about it tonight. By morning, if God is saying ‘yes’ to this, we take off, then” He said and I smiled heartily, going towards his side and planting a peck on his lips.
“You are such a darling!” I said with glee. I had seriously wanted to see Aunty Asake. I desired to see her and if nothing preach Christ to her. I felt sorry for being a part of her being ‘roasted’ and cast into the prison. I knew it was a divine judgment that Heaven served her, yet, I desired to see her in order to introduce her to light.
I had just finished spinning some clothes when the telephone in the phone rang. I picked it up.
“Yes honey!”
“Can you come downstairs? We have a visitor” He said and I frowned slightly, knitting my brows.
“A visitor?” I asked when the line dropped. I quickly washed my hands in the sink, changed my top and slid into a comfortable pair of slippers.
As I descended the stairs, I saw someone that looked like Abel, my husband’s cousin seated. I smiled as I walked towards them.
“Is this not Abel?” I asked to be really sure. He looked really different from the last time I saw him at our wedding.
After exchanging pleasantries, he cleared his throat and handed a white envelope to my husband. My husband handed Bliss to me and started to unfold the letter.
“What is this? Your WAEC result?” He asked, still unfolding it.
“No sir. Mama Asake wrote you a letter. She asked me to bring it to you” He said and my eyes widened.
“Wow! I exclaimed excitedly.
“Who writes letter in this age?” My husband questioned.
“I asked her to let me type and send via e-mail but she refused. She said I must come to this place to deliver it” He said and my husband cleared his throat.
“I hope it’s not a letter bomb o” He said skeptically. Abel chuckled but I simply raised my nose at my husband.
“Let me read it if you are not reading, abeg” I said and he spread the letter widely, placing it before us in a way that we could both read comfortably.
TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD, ONE MUST HAVE A POWER! ONE MUST BE CONNECTED TO A POWER! ONE MUST HOLD ON TO A POWER! THERE ARE TWO POWERS IN THE WORLD. THERE ARE TWO WAYS. EITHER THE GOOD OR THE BAD. EITHER THE POSITIVE OR THE NEGATIVE. EITHER THE GENUINE OR THE FAKE! THE CHOICE IS OURS TO MAKE!”
WHILE I CHOSE THE BAD, THE NEGATIVE AND THE FAKE, WHICH LANDED ME A FIERY ATTACK, YOU CHOSE THE GOOD, THE POSITIVE AND THE GENUINE WHICH INSTEAD OF ATTACKING YOU IS A FENCE AROUND YOU! A FENCE OF FIRE! IT MAKES YOU UNTOUCHABLE! IT MAKES YOU PROTECTED! YOU ARE SECURE IN IT!
DO I REGRET EVERYTHING? YES, I DID! NO, I DON’T! OH YES! I DID REGRET HAVING TO TOUCH YOU AND RECEIVING SOME FIREBALLS IN MY BODY AS A RESULT BUT I DO NOT REGRET IT NOW BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED, I WAS JUST NO MATCH FOR THAT POWER IN YOU, AROUND YOU AND ON YOU! THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH GOD!
I AM GLAD THAT EVEN THOUGH MY MORTAL BODY IS DETERIORATING, I HAVE A HOPE! I HAVE A HOPE OF GETTING A NEW BODY N ETERNITY! THE BODY OF IMMORTALITY. I AM GLAD THAT THAT ENCOUNTER OF FIRE BROUGHT ME TO THE LORD. EVEN WHEN I DIE NOW, I AM SURE HEAVEN WOULD REJOICE WITH SINGING AND JOY.
I THOUGHT I SHOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT EVEN IF YOU DO NOT MEET LIFE IN ME WHEN YOU EVENTUALLY VISIT, YOU SHOULD REJOICE WITH ME THAT MY LIFE IS IN A SAFE PLACE FOREVER!
CONTINUE TO HIDE UNDER THAT FIRE! I SAW THAT FIRE! BODE, LARA, BE UNITED! UNITY IN MARRIAGE IS ESSENTIAL FOR VICTORY! THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE SO UNITED! THEY ARE THREE, YET ONE! SUCH UNITY! WHEN YOU ARE DIVIDED, ANYONE CAN COME BETWEEN YOU BUT WHEN YOU STICK TOGETHER UNITEDLY, IT WILL BECOME A HERCULEAN TASK FOR ANY DIVIDER TO BRING YOU APART! WITH UNITY, YOU CAN DO AND UNDO. WITHOUT UNITY, YOU WILL BE DONE AND UNDONE!
HOW IS MY JEMIMAH? I BELIEVE SHE IS NOW BETTER. I BELIEVE SHE CAN NOW MAKE USE OF HER RIGHT HAND. EVEN AS JOB’S DAUGHTER WHOSE NAME YOUR BABY BEARS WAS FAIRER THAN ALL THE LADIES OF THE EARTH, BECAUSE OF THE GLOWING BEAUTY OF THE LORD UPON HER, THE BEAUTY OF YOUR DAUGHTER, NO MAN CAN TOUCH! SHE IS CONTINUALLY HID IN CHRIST JESUS! ALWAYS PUT IN GOOD WORDS FOR ME BEFORE HER. I AM REALLY SORRY.
GREETINGS TO JEDIDIAH, A SISTER WHO IS A TRUE LOVER. MAY THE LORD BIND HER AND HER SISTER TOGETHER IN LOVE. I REALLY ADMIRE HER STRENGTH.
I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE ADMONITION- ‘PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!’ THE DEVIL LIKE A ROARING LION WALKS ABOUT SEEKING WHOM TO DESTROY! PRAY ON! FIGHT ON! KEEP BEING UNDIVIDEDLY UNITED!
ASAKE.
By the time we were done reading, I was soaked in tears. I wept so vehemently. I was glad that a sinner had come home. I was glad that she had realized what she had done and felt sorry for it! Yet, I was full of gratitude to the Lord!
If she had successfully divided my family, she might have still met with the Lord and my own marriage would still be in shambles!
I was glad that the best Planner in the world planned it all! He restored our own home graciously and also worked out her salvation!
“Hmmmm…Glory be to the Lord” My husband said with a loud sigh, rubbing his hand over his head. “Wow!” He exclaimed again.
“Where is she now? Is she still in Akure?” I asked, tears still flowing down my face.
“Yes, aunty” Abel replied
“We will go and see her tomorrow” My husband said and I smiled at him, rubbing his hand lovingly.
“Thank you so much” I whispered. I felt really glad.
Abel’s phone rang and he smiled at us.
“It’s grandma” He said and I smiled. I loved every talk about my wonderful mother-in-law!
A mother indeed!
A mother who joined forces with my weak army to pull down the strongholds of the enemy. Sweet mother!
He raised the phone to his ears.
“Hello grandma…I am fine ma…My journey was fine ma; I am with my uncle now…Okay ma” He said and brought the phone to my husband who placed it on loudspeaker.
“Hello mummy, ekaale ma”
“Kaale o”
“What’s wrong with you? You voice sounds so down, mummy” I said and my husband nodded too.
“What’s the matter, mum?”
“Asake just died!” She dropped the bomb that deafened me for a few minutes. My husband collected Bliss from my hands as I stood up in shock. Abel jumped up too, placing his hand on his head.
“Died? How? When? Where?” I scattered the atmosphere with so many questions.
“Just now! She just passed away!” She said and sighed.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” I exclaimed as I held my chest in shock, tears running down my face.
If only we had gone earlier!
If only my husband had agreed with me!
“Though it’s painful” Mummy started saying again. “I am glad that she went home!” She said and I settled down in a settee again, sobbing. My husband looked into my face and wiped the tears with his hands.
“Before she passed away, she looked much beautiful than she ever was! Her rugged, burnt body looked better and fresher- and she was singing beautifully! She kept singing ‘Oh Lord, my God when I in awesome wonder consider all…” Mummy explained and my head swelled the more as my heart exploded within me.
“Wow! Wow!” My husband exclaimed.
“She smiled all through as she wiped my tears. She looked so hopeful and joyful! She wanted to wait for you people to come and visit her but she said ‘I need to go now. I need to go now. This place is not beautiful! See the beautiful city, see Jerusalem! See, can’t you see?’ That was what she kept saying” Mummy cried.
“Wow! Aunty Asake! Wow!” My husband exclaimed, blinking really fast that I knew he was hiding his tears.
“Forgive her! Please forgive her” Mummy said, sniffing wetly.
“Who are we not to forgive?” My husband asked. “I read her letter few minutes ago and I was like, ah, Lord, if someone who had dug hands with the devil to eat like this can still make it to Heaven, You must keep me Lord. In the Hollow of Your Hands, keep me Lord!” He said, sniffing wetly.
“I will miss her though!” He said again, very emotionally. “Like, very seriously!” He said, handed Bliss back to me and started walking up the stairs, the letter in his hand.
“Mummy, we will discuss the burial arrangements on WhatsApp, right?” I asked and mummy sighed.
“Yes, we will.” She said and we ended the call.
I am glad that even though my mortal body is deteriorating, I have a hope! I have a hope of getting a new body in eternity! The body of immortality. I am glad that that encounter of fire brought me to the lord. Even when I die now, I am sure heaven would rejoice with songs of joy!
I remembered those words from her letter and sighed.
What a God!
What a Power!
What a testimony!
What an end!
THE END.
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