AMIDST TEMPTATIONS
Episode 17
I tried to always go home on Sundays even though I had a ti-ght schedule because of my course of study so I was surprised when my father called me to come home that Wednesday…
“Dad..today is fellowsh!p”
“Its important, you won’t spend more than an hour, just come home”
I bec@m£ scared, what could be wrong,was everyone alright, My mother,I had seen her on Sunday, was there something he wanted to give me in person, did someb©dy die in our family… did Erica say something to him, that was the most likely but she wouldn’t do that would she?, I decided to just go and find out what was wrong. I sat in the study for five minutes staring at him while he meditated with his bible open in front of him, I stared at the clock, I had just one hour to spare but I couldn’t rush him.
I finally leaned forward “Daddy.. what is it?”I paused “are you okay,is something wrong?” hope he didn’t have any health issue
He sat up and looked at me”I had been on my annual fasting”he said
“Ok?” My father usually fasted for 40days on his own, it made him pray and get closer to God..when he bec@m£ silent again, I knew something was wrong
He leaned backwards and peered at me
“I had a dream about you days ago”
What…I sat up shocked, I didn’t like my father’s dreams because I knew of their history, God was always telling him something and he usually knew something before any of us did. My heart was pounding as I began to sweat while he studied me calmly, I felt like sinking in my chair out of guilt
“What about Dad?” I finally managed to blurt out
“Is everything okay in school?”he asked
“I..yes..e..everything’s fine”
“You sure?”
“What was the dream about, you are scaring me” I said
He sighed, closed his bible, pu-ll-ed his glas-ses and ru-bbe-d his eyes..what was with the suspense, I was about peeing in my p@n-ts…
“You were in a strange place and crying bitterly” he began, my che-st fell..in relieve, but he was still looking at me with accusing eyes so I decided not to relax yet
“You were really in agony” he said again wearing back his glas-ses
“Dad it was just a dream”
“Like you lost something vital..I dont take my dreams lightly especially concerning someb©dy I love..you know that” he continued
“Yes Daddy but..”
He leaned forward on the desk
“So would you tell me what is going on..what’s wrong?”he asked calmly, my thoughts were racing
“Nothing Dad..I’m fine”
“My dreams don’t lie”
“Maybe you were worried about me” I dismissed, I knew the dream was scary but I couldnt let my Dad see that..
“Why would I be worried about you..I know you are in Gods hands and I always pray for you.. ” he paused “Tell me the truth and don’t lie to me”.
Yeah..the problem was I was still a child to my Father..
“I’m not lying Dad..”
” Does it have anything to do with the d@t!ngissue you talked about? ”
Guilt flashed in my eyes but it was gone, I admit I feared it was that, what else, I had gone outside my Dad’s wish to d@t£ out of disobe-dience and he had seen it
“No..why would you think that..?”
My Dad took off his glas-ses and looked straight at me, god when would all this end, he was using his lawyer act on me and it wouldn’t be long before I spilled..
“Are you d@t!nganyone?”he asked bluntly
“N..no Dad, no one”I denied
“I want to meet the young man”
“There’s no one Dad” I said again calmly not meeting his eyes, Martin would not survive him and we just started, why was it a big deal
“I’m not d@t!nganyb©dy.. Can I go?”I tapped my f!ngerson the desk
“If I find out you are lying to me..you know the consequences”
I nodded and stood up, he was overreacting , no big deal about a dream besides God would have shown me too..right. I nee-ded to get out of there though, the room was becoming very intense…as i reached for the door handle he continued
“You weren’t alone..there was a young man watching you from afar off..a strange man”
I turned to look at him in shock.
*What do you think is the meaning of the dream, did her father see more than that?plea-se I nee-d your comments below, thanks.
Episode 18
A year pas-sed with so many things happening, Serena had lost her mother eight months ago and I didn’t go for the burial because I didn’t want to see him..face him, but I gave my condolences to Serena when she was back in school. Martin had graduated and had been posted to Calabar for NYSC, I was now in 500 level preparing for my next professional Exam, Erica had finished service and was back home applying for job, it wasn’t easy for her as a young graduate especially in a country like Nigeria, my brother David had since moved out to his own place and had a girlfriend named Jennifer, um, that’s about it..and yes I was still d@t!ngMartins.
“I think Moses would do a better job, he’s bold and fearless, a good leader, all that we nee-d in a president”I said
“Emilia you know its not about that, we nee-d someb©dy that God has chos£n..am considering Paul”
“Paul?..he just bec@m£ a Christian not too long ago”
“Two years now, but he’s been fervent..like a fire that won’t go down ”
“So you would chose Paul over Moses who had worked un-der you, you had basically fathered him in school, besides I doubt Paul even wants president”
“Its Paul..no one else” he insisted with conviction
I sighed”I just feel we should pray more about it, a wrong leader would lead to the fall of the fellowsh!p”
“That is correct” he agreed.
That was the conversation between my b©yfri£ndand I over the phone, he was currently in Calabar so it was all phone d@t!ng. We nee-ded a new president in the fellowsh!pso the Excos had been asked to pray concerning it. When I did, it was very clear it was Paul that would be our new president, I was shocked, God hadn’t spoken to me in a long while and I feared it was Sean’s fault. I hadn’t heard from him for almost a year and was glad he had forgotten about me and found a girl to his taste.
Paul was made the new president and Moses was devastated, his true colors c@m£ out when he blurted
“fv¢k all of you” and walked out on the fellowsh!p. Paul ascended the podium speechless on the standing ovation he was getting, everyone was happy we had chos£n the right person. It made me decide not to judge a book by its cover.
When I told Martin that night during our call he wasn’t surprised
“Told you..I’m glad we chose the right guy for the job…am more glad I have you in my life”he said out of the blue
I giggled
“I can’t wait for you to meet my parents”he said
Uh…”Really..”
“Yeah..”
I was silent “you told them about me?”
“Well yeah..it kinda just c@m£ up”
“Don’t you think its too early…We so young”
“Come on..I’m not asking to get married..yet.. I just wanted you to meet them, I’m sure they would love you”
I felt special but it didn’t feel right, maybe I was just scared…of what?
“Uh..ok”
He was silent. “Do you have second thoughts about us?”he asked
“What..no Martin..I love you” it was what I dreamed of, at least before I met Sean
“Ok” he paused “thought you were thinking of him”
” Wha..”my face flu-shed “why would you even say that, Martin he’s an unbeliever I could never..”I was saying
” so if he becomes a Christian you would d@t£ him?”
Were we having this conversation..but really would I..
“Are you being insecure?”I asked him
“Course not..just asking”
“Can he not like come up in every of our conversation.. he wasn’t even my ex….just a guy”I sighed exasperated, was he scared or what
“Okay..so after you meet my parents I can come meet yours?”
I froze blinking”you mean ..m..my Dad?…he ..doesn’t really approve”
“Oh..like the Bishop uh..?”
“He’s very protective of me..am his favorite”
“Fine..just felt I should at least know a fam member by now..its been over a year”
“I thought you met my sister..its not a big deal, for now my family is out of it” I was having a headache from the conversation but couldn’t tell him that..
“Martin you don’t have to worry about anything, I love you and when the time is right I’ll meet your family and you’ll meet mine” when he got silent i decided to change t©pic..
“How’s work?”I asked ru-bbing the side of my head…
I sat in clas-s thinking about my father, it’s been over a year since he told me about the dream, and nothing negative had happened, at a point I thought it mearnt my exams but I had pas-sed it, what did it mean?..I kept praying though that nothing bad would happen. Serena sat beside me now because she was Serena, even though I had not gone for the burial she forgave me, I guess she just finally un-derstood that it would never work and had given up on her scheming, though I also always refused her invitation to hang out, she was as-sociated with someone I didn’t care to think about, hanging out with her would make it impossible not to think about him.. so it was a no no..especially as Serena told me he was returning to Nigeria from where he had been after his mother was buried. I hoped and prayed he wouldn’t come looking for me..going for the p@rty in the first place had been a hvge mistake on my p@rt.
I knew now without a doubt that who my father had seen was him, Martin would never watch me like that, it was Sean who was dark and brooding..as for the tears, I feared for the worst, my vir-ginity or my Salvation are the only two things that would make me cry like that…and he was capable of taking them..
Serena snapped her f!ngersin front of my face “Earth to Millie”
“How long is he staying?” I suddenly asked
“A month I guess..then he’s going back for his masters and might never return, he says there’s nothing here left for him”
TBC
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