The Diary of A Nigeria Christian Girl PDF 1

This is the
Diary of a
Nigerian
Christian
Girl.
Part One
Copyright ©2020 by Ife Grace
The diary of a Nigerian Christian Girl
All rights reserved.

Book Cover by Michael Brandoo
The diary of a Nigerian Christian Girl is a work of fiction where

real people, events, establishments. organizations appear, they
are entirely coincidental. All other elements of the novel are
drawn from the author’s imaginations.
DEDICATION
To every Nigerian Christian Girl...
THE STORY LINE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Present Day
A Note From The Author
About the Author
Chapter
One
7
S OMETIMES, MAMA D PISSES ME OFF with her in-

quisitiveness. Why won’t she just allow me do what
I want? For goodness sake, I’m an adult, abi? Is a men-
tor not meant to just proffer advice at the request of their
protégé? Are they monitoring spirits?
I wished I had stayed back at home instead of going over

to Mama D’s house. Well, the reason I visited her that Sat-
urday morning was to welcome her back from her trip to
Kaduna. Mama had been away for three months to take
care of her daughter who had given birth to a set of twins.
As I sat with her on a folded chair in the open courtyard,
I did everything possible to change the topic about my re-
lationship with Wale but Mama was stubborn. She kept
going back to it.
“Yemisi,” my mentor said, her gaze fixed on me. I avoid-

ed her eyes and stared at the green tomatoes sprouting at
the center of the yard. “This guy you said you are in love
with, what’s the position of things now?”
I stared at my feet. “Mama, we are fine.”
Mama D hissed. “What kind of answer is that?”
What else was she expecting me to say? That I no longer

loved him?
I wonder how I ended up with a fifty-five year old woman

as my mentor. Most of my friends had mentors who were
young. They understood the language of my generation.
I’m sorry to say this, but my mentor is old school.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I have learnt a lot from Mama

THE DIARY OF A NIGERIAN CHRISTIAN GIRL 1
8
D. There were days I’ve been blessed by her deep insight

and concern for my welfare but today was not one of those
days. She should leave Wale and I alone.
“I’m talking to you Yemisi. From everything you have told

me, it doesn’t look to me like this guy is serious about get-
ting into a marital relationship with you.”
“He is.” I answered abruptly and stayed silent.
Just yesterday evening, Wale cupped my face in his strong

hands and told me he’d never loved a woman like me. Few
weeks ago, he sent me a love poem. On my birthday, he
organized a surprise party for me. How can a man like that
not be serious?
Mama D was not ready to drop the subject. “I asked you

the name of the church he attends, you said he doesn’t
have a stable church because most Sundays he is occupied
with his ministerial assignments. I asked you that on the
weekends he is not invited to minister anywhere, where
does he go on such Sunday mornings? You didn’t give me
any answer. Who is he accountable to? Who does he listen
to? Where is this dating or whatever you call it headed?
What are your convictions? For a year now, you’ve not
said anything concrete that I can hold on to. Don’t you
think you need to hear God clearly?”
At that moment, I wished I had stayed back in my room

to watch the movies series I started the night before. That
was far more exciting than this interrogation. Why can’t
Mama just leave me alone?
“Mama D, I’m sure about one thing. Wale is the man God
9
wants me to marry.”
My mentor folded her hands and looked at me for a long

time. “I want to see that young man. Nobody takes my girl
on a merry-go-round.”
Thankfully at that moment, the house-help, Kudirat came

in to inform my mentor that she had finished preparing
the rice. She wanted to know if she should go ahead to
make the stew. Looking for an excuse to get away, I stood
up quickly.
“I’ll prepare the stew.”
Mama pulled her ears. “Don’t add maggi o. Little salt will
do. Make sure you use the olive oil to prepare it.”
I shook my head. Mama! Even when you prepare meals

for Mama D a thousand times, she’d still talk to you as if
you were entering her kitchen for the first time.
Mama D turned to the house-help. “Kudirat, pour the rice

into the brown food warmer so it doesn’t get cold.”
I went into the kitchen. Mama followed me. She stood at

the entrance of the kitchen, her eyes following my every
step. I washed my hands before stooping low to remove a
pot from one of the kitchen cabinet.
“Make sure you rinse the pot first.” Mama said.
I rolled my eyes playfully at her. “Mama, I know.”
She pointed at a set of white aprons neatly folded in the

10
store. “Get a clean apron and please don’t put maggi. I

don’t know why Kudirat will buy maggi cubes and put
them in my cabinet. That girl needs to be flogged.”
I worked slowly, praying she’d leave me alone. I do not
cook well under supervision. One glance at Mama D and
she got the gist.
She stepped away from the entrance. “I meant what I said

earlier. I want to see Wale. This time I’m not going to take
any excuse from him. I must see him.” She said before
leaving the kitchen. From where I worked, I could hear
her speaking sternly to Kudirat and giving her more or-
ders.
The front door opened and a familiar laughter filled the

house. Mama appeared in the kitchen followed by my
friend Abigail. She stepped past Mama and entered the
kitchen.
We hugged. “Virtuous woman. Correct wife material.”

Abigail said as she pulled away. “The man you will marry
is blessed.”
I laughed. “It’s good to see you again. How are you?
Mama clicked her fingers. “Save your chit-chat for anoth-

er time. Let’s get the stew cooking. I have a sick friend to
feed.”
“Who is sick?” I asked.
Abigail smiled sadly. “My mum. She slumped to the bath-

room floor last night. Thank God my baby sister was with
her. It might have been worse. She is getting better though
11
and the doctor said she’ll be discharged soon.”
I reached for the onions and began to chop them slowly.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know about it.”
Mama D stood impatiently at the entrance. “Ladies of Vir-
tue, can we get to work? Abigail, there are pineapples and
oranges in the store. You can peel some. Where is Kudirat?”
Mama left the kitchen. I fried the stew while Abigail peeled
some oranges.
“How’s Wale?” Abigail whispered.
I was about responding when Mama D entered the kitchen

again with another set of instructions.
**********
Wale refused to see my mentor and it bothered me. Well,

he didn’t outrightly say he wasn’t going to see her. These
were his exact words:
“Yemisi, you know how busy I am. It’s not easy combin-
ing my job as a real estate supervisor and my ministry.
Your mentor should understand. I’ll find time to see her
but right now, my schedule is tight.”
I didn’t push but I wasn’t happy either. He noticed when

we met on Sunday evening and the way he felt he could
get me cheerful again was to fill my week with endless
calls and romantic words.
6a.m on Monday morning, Wale called. On my way to

work, he called again. As I returned to the staffroom from
the SS3 class, my phone rang.
12
“My sweetheart. The woman that holds my heart in her

hands. How are you today?”
I couldn’t hold back the laughter. The anger was gone.

“You’ve asked me that question three times already. Wale
I am fine.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I wish I could see you

right now.”
“That’s not possible. I am at work.”
“I know jare. I’ll be seeing you this evening right?”
I decided to do small shakara for him. I wanted to know

how bad he wanted to see me.
“Maybe another time.” I said. “I’ll be tired by the time I get

out of here.”
“Babe, you can’t do that! I have a ministration at Jesus As-

sembly this evening. You have to come with me please.
Listen, this is likely my biggest preaching engagement. I’ll
be ministering to about a thousand people. I need you.”
I chuckled. Those words made me feel like I was his wife

already. I love when Wale made statements like, ‘I need
you.’ ‘I can’t do without you.’ ‘You have to be right beside
me.’ There was this wholeness it gave me.
I had always known I’d marry someone actively involved

in the ministry and it was the reason I stuck with Wale.
Back on campus, God had shown me a picture of my hus-
13
band. I knew he’d be committed to ministry full time. He’d

be a man sold out to the work of God. It made sense when
Wale told me he perceived God would require him resign
from his job very soon to face the ministry.
“Okay, fine. We’ll go together.”
Wale shouted in excitement. “Thank you! I love you so

much. Listen, my boss is approaching my table right now.
I’ll talk to you soon. Make sure you keep your phone close.
Your voice is what will make my afternoon go smoothly.”
I was still smiling when the bell rang for my next class.
You won’t believe Wale called me again before the end of
that class. You know, at first when the phone rang, I didn’t
expect it would be him since we had just spoken less than
an hour ago. I couldn’t also check the Caller ID because
my phone was in front of the class while I stood at the back
dictating notes to my students. I ignored the call at first.
One of my students Dotun, a tall dark teenager with play-

ful eyes looked at me, smiling.
“Miss Yemisi, pick up your phone. That might be your

boyfriend.”
Two boys sitting beside him chuckled. One slapped him

playfully on his back.
“How can you tell it’s Miss Yemisi’s boyfriend? It could be

anyone.” A girl in front of him said.
“Fine, I may be wrong.” Dotun responded. “But if it rings

again, then it’s definitely her boyfriend.”

14
“I’ll send both of you out of my class!” I glanced down at

my notebook. “Let’s continue with our notes.”
My phone rang again. My students burst into laughter. I

walked to the front of the class to turn off the ring volume.
“Dotun was right. Love never gives up.” A boy in the front
row commented.
“Miss Yemisi’s boyfriend is lucky.” Dotun said. “If I were

old enough to be her boyfriend, I’d kill anyone who dared
come close to her. She’d belong to me alone.”
I stopped in front of the table and looked sternly at Dotun.

His smile disappeared and quickly he bent down his head.
I pointed a finger at him. “Dotun, one more word and
you’ll be detained throughout this week. There’ll be no
break time for you.”
He raised his head. “Ahh! Miss Yemisi.” He placed his fin-

gers over his lips. “Lips sealed.”
The phone rang the third time. When I glanced at the caller
ID and saw that it was Wale, a smile escaped my lips. My
students started clapping and making some funny sounds.
Seriously, I don’t understand these children. Why were
they acting so giddy? Teenagers never seem to amaze me.
“Please excuse me.” I said quietly and left the class. Before
I got to the entrance, a girl sitting close to the door grinned
at me.
“Miss Yemisi, where are you going to? There is network

in our class.”

15
One glance at her and quickly she turned her face away,
suppressing a smile. I walked past the two arms of the
SS2 class and down the corner that led to the staircase. In
front of one of the classes, a pudgy boy frog-jumped. He
was sweating profusely and grumbling at the same time.
I moved farther away and leaned on the rusted railings
beside the staircase.
“Wale, I don’t understand you. You’ve called me four

times in less than twelve hours.”
There were days Wale would not call and I’d be so mad at
him. Other times, we won’t stop talking until my battery
ran flat.
“I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss my girl. Were you

busy?”
“Yeah. I was in SS 2A.” I responded. “That’s the last for the

day though.”
“That reminds me, I’ve not thanked you for the box of
pizza and the malt drink that was delivered to my office
on Friday. I learnt you placed the order. Babe, you didn’t
have to do that. Your salary can barely pay your bills.”
I smiled. “Wale, just say thank you.”
He laughed. “I was getting to that. That meal was an an-

swer to a famished soul. Thank you so much.”
I made imaginary love shapes on the dusty railings with

my fingers. “Honey you’ve not seen anything yet. By the
time we get married, I’ll make sure you come home to de-
licious meals.”
16
Wale went quiet. I waited. I wanted him to say something

to me. Something like, ‘of course, I can’t wait for us to get
married!’ Or ‘I won’t be eating out every night again, all
thanks to my beautiful wife.’
I remained silent, hoping and praying he’d say something

that showed he wanted to spend the rest of his life with
me.
“I can’t wait to see you this evening.” He said, finally. “A

day without seeing you drive me nuts.”
That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. Why was he always

avoiding the subject of marriage? We’ve been together for
a year now. What was stopping us from settling down?
Was I not the kind of wife he wanted? Did he have doubts
about us getting married?
It became clear that not once had we talked about the fu-
ture. I couldn’t trace back to the day he made any com-
mitment to me. I just knew we became friends and some-
where along the line, we got intimate. Was there something
wrong that I wasn’t seeing?
“You should get back to class.” Wale said, interrupting my

thoughts. It was clear he wanted to dismiss me so quickly
because he was uncomfortable with the line of conversa-
tion. That hurt.
Annoyed, I ended the call and returned to the classroom.

Different questions flooded my mind that afternoon.
When a man says he loves you, does it not translate to ‘I

17
want to spend the rest of my life with you?’
We didn’t have issues with affection for each other. I

have watched him struggle to concentrate because he was
aroused at my presence. There were times we had hugged
and it took so much restraint not to fondle with each other’s
body. There were times we could barely keep our hands
off each other. We talked for hours over the phone, eager
to share details of our day. We prayed together, shared
scriptures together and proclaimed our love for each oth-
er. We never went to bed without settling any misunder-
standing between us. What then could be the problem?
“How’s he?” Dotun said, grinning as I entered the class.

I completely ignored his question and faced the class.
“We’ll continue with our notes tomorrow. Team leaders,
see me at the staffroom for your questions. Each team has
three weeks to prepare for a presentation. If any of your
team members do not co-operate, you know what to do.
As you are aware, your presentation is part of your contin-
uous assessment.”
The bell rang. I was relieved that my class was over. A

small thin boy with round glasses took my lesson note
from my hand while another reached for the students’
notebooks on the table. The boys walked ahead of me to
the staffroom.
I was half way gone when I heard my name. I turned to

find one of my students running towards me. Her hands
were trembling as she held mine.
“Miss Yemisi, Can I see you at the end of school today?”

I pulled her closer and touched her chin tenderly.
18
“Phoebe, are you okay?” I gazed into her troubled eyes.
The girl shook her head. Tears welled up her eyes. “Miss
Yemisi, I’m afraid for Dotun. Yesterday, while I was
sweeping the class, I saw a leather bound journal beside
his chair. He must have left it carelessly on the floor. Out
of curiosity, I flipped through it. What I read made me
shiver. Dotun needs help.”
I stopped for a moment, unable to believe the information

Phoebe had just told me. Dotun was always cheerful in
my class. His mother was responsible and loving. He had
access to the basic needs of life.
“Are you sure the journal you saw belongs to Dotun?”
Phoebe nodded. “I know Dotun’s handwriting. The jour-

nal is his. I scribbled down some of his words from the
journal. I can show them to you.”
For a moment I didn’t know what to say. “What subject do

you have next?”
“Mathematics.”
A man with two long whips bounced past me into SS2A.

“Your teacher is here. We’ll talk about this later.”
On my way to the staffroom, my phone beeped. It was a

text message from Wale.
I’m grateful our path crossed. You are everything a man desires
in a woman. I can’t wait to pick you up this evening. I love you

19
very much.
I read that message several times and the last statement

rang like music in my ears. Wale loves me. He loves me so
much. Maybe I was just worried for nothing.
“Wale said he loved me.” I muttered to myself.
There was no way he would be playing pranks on me. He

must mean those words. An unbeliever could try to play
smart but certainly not a man of God. Could it be that he
didn’t know how to tell me he wanted to marry me?
I sat quietly behind my table, glad to find the staffroom
almost empty. I typed a reply.
I love you too. I can’t wait to see you too.
A call came in before I hit send. The number was not fa-
miliar. I paused, angry at the interruption and wondering
who it was.
“Hello, who is-”
“Stay away from Wale!” A loud feminine voice barked.

“You cannot take him away from me. I don’t even know
what he sees in you. I’m begging you in the name of God,
stay away from my man.”
I glanced at the Caller ID and put the phone back to my

ear. “Please who is this?”
“Just stay away from Wale and stop asking me stupid

question.”

20
The line went dead. I stared at the phone screen, and for
the first time since I met Wale, I was truly afraid.

Chapter
Two
22
W ALE CAME TO THE SCHOOL TO PICK ME up

after work. I couldn’t leave immediately with him
because the Principal had asked one of the English teach-
ers, Mariam, and I to check up on a boy who lived with
his grandmother, not too far away from the school. I ex-
plained to Wale and he said he would wait till I got back.
There were two paths to our destination. One would re-
quire we walk down the street that led to the express road,
board a taxi, stop at a particular bus stop and trek through
a narrow path to the boy’s house.
The second option was faster. We could go through a bush

path, walk past a refuse dumpsite, take the corner that led
to some uncompleted buildings and then appear on his
street.
We settled for the bush path. When we got to the refuse

dump, we had to cover our noses because of the stench.
We also had to watch the ground for rotten food and de-
faces. The place stank. The heap of refuse was so high and
broad that it would take two large trucks to clear the mess.
As we approached the uncompleted buildings, Mariam
suddenly stopped walking and pulled me quickly behind
a mango tree.
I was scared to my wits. This was a lonely path. If anything

happened to us here, no one would discover us for days.
“What is it?” I asked, looking around for any sign of dan-

ger. Were there rapists here? Even if we screamed, no one
would hear us. My heart pounded fast. I followed Mari-
am’s direction to the back of an abandoned bungalow with
weeds gathered in front of it. Right in front of the building
were images that looked like the shapes of humans.
23
“What’s that?” I asked, squinting.
“Is that not your student, Adesuwa?” Miriam asked.

We moved away from the tree and it was then I saw Ade-
suwa and the Games prefect of the school kissing passion-
ately. My eyes and mouth opened wide in shock.
The thing is, I was not surprised that Adesuwa could make
attempts to kiss a boy. The issue was the kind of boy she
chose to do it with. If it had been with a boy like Dotun or
Badmus, it would have been easy to contain. But Daniel?
The guy everyone knew messed around with anything in
skirt.
What was she doing with a boy like that? Why would a
girl know that a boy screwed around and still allow her-
self to be used, knowing he’d dump her for someone else?
How do girls think?
“You have to sit Adesuwa down.” Mariam adviced. “An

intelligent girl like that should not fall for a stupid boy like
this.”
I was getting upset as we tip-toed towards them.

Daniel. It was easy for any girl to fall heads over heels for
his athletic body. He had won awards for the school in
sports and represented the state in many football matches.
Why a young boy like that could not control the thing be-
tween his legs beats me.
We froze when Daniel unzipped his trouser. I closed my

eyes and opened them again. Was Daniel really going to
have sex with Adesuwa right there?

24
“Will you stop that nonsense!” Mariam shouted. They

froze. Daniel cursed under his breath when he saw us. He
zipped up and stepped away from Adesuwa. Her eyes
were filled with shame. She stared at the floor and gently
tucked in her rumpled blouse. Daniel stood beside her, his
hands thrust into his pockets.
Mariam faced her. “Adesuwa, when did you start this non-
sense? Why are you girls stupid like this? Of all the boys to
mess around with, it is this public toilet you chose.”
“Mariam.” I said quietly.
“Leave me jare let me talk sense into her head.” Mariam

eyed Daniel. ‘You are already a vagabond so I won’t even
waste my time talking to you.” She returned her attention
to Adesuwa. ‘If this useless boy gets you pregnant, you
will forever live to regret it because he will hate you and
deny ever having anything to do with you. You will suffer
while he goes on to be with another girl. Even if you use
contraceptives, it won’t heal the emotional pain when he
dumps you. Stop acting like a fool!”
I couldn’t say anything. My anger had dissipated and was

replaced with compassion. This was a girl who had re-
ceived a standing ovation during the last graduation cer-
emony for taking prizes in Mathematics, Physics, Chem-
istry, Biology, Geography and English. She wasn’t just
intelligent, everyone at school spoke well of Adesuwa.
Some of the boys in her class had told me that if there was
a girl they could boast about who had never messed up
with a guy, it was Adesuwa. One time I overheard Dotun
saying,
25
“Adesuwa is tough jare. I don’t even know what to do

again. Are you sure she is not a boy wearing a girl’s uni-
form. How can somebody be so unemotional?”
I wondered what Daniel did to win her heart.
Mariam dismissed them. “I’ll deal with both of you tomor-

row. Now, get out of here. Go home!”
Adesuwa scuttled away, half running, half walking. Dan-

iel bounced with his hands still thrust in his pockets.
Mariam’s face broke into a smile. “I think I have the right

question for our in-house press club presentation.”
I looked at Mariam, waiting for her to continue. When she

didn’t, I asked, “What’s the question?”
“Why do good girls fall for bad boys?”

I chuckled. “That might be a simple one. Opposite at-
tracts.”
*******************
Wale looked content and relaxed when I returned. Mari-

am had taken a bike home and I’d been forced to walk
the lonely path to the school building alone. A bible was
opened in front of Wale when I climbed into his car.
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.” I said and shut the
door.
Wale closed his bible and placed it gently on the back seat.
“It’s okay. Can we go now?”
26
“Sure.”
The Honda Civic jerked forward and stopped. Wale started

the engine again. It hummed and died. He tried again. The
same thing happened. Hissing, he got down and opened
the bonnet of the car. After a few minutes, he returned to
start the car. It roared.
“I’m trusting God for a new car.” Wale said as we moved

away from the school gate. “How can someone like me be
using this kind of car. It does not befit my status. Thank
God, the Senior Pastor of Jesus Assembly will be sending a
driver to pick me up for tonight’s meeting.”
“Oh really?”
Wale nodded. “I love invitations where the host takes care

of their guests. I remember one particular invitation I re-
ceived. I paid my transport fare to the venue. Guess what
they gave me at the end of the ministration? Two Hol-
landia drinks and a bowl of Danish cookies. The next time
they invited me, I turned the offer down sharp sharp.”
“Don’t you think that might be the best they had to offer?
We are not motivated by gifts in our service to God.”
Wale sounded annoyed. ‘Forget that thing! Nothing is free

my dear. We love the envelopes too. Won’t the minister of
God eat? Some of these people just want to drain the life
out of you.” He gave me a quick glance and changed the
topic. “How was work today?”
I wanted to tell him about the call I received from the

woman who’d refused to disclose her name but I held my
27
lips. This was a big evening for Wale and I didn’t want to
spoil it. I had learnt that a wise woman shares her worries
with her husband only at the right time.
“Women, don’t ever welcome your husband from a tiring

day at work with disturbing news.” a relationship cousel-
lor had said. “Train yourself to know when to let out your
concerns. When your husband is well rested, you can, in a
polite way, present the problems.”
I was preparing to be a good wife. What better time than to

start practising now. I decided to wait until after his min-
istration. It was difficult though but I knew I had to try.
“Are you okay?” Wale asked.
I nodded and flashed him a smile. “I wasn’t expecting you

to pick me up after work. I’d love to shower and change to
something more appropriate before the meeting.”
He looked at his wristwatch. “I have an hour and a half

before the meeting starts. You know what? I’ll take you
home and then we can go somewhere quiet. I want us to
pray together before the meeting.”
I smiled again. Wale really loves me!
It was almost 7p.m when we got to the church in the Grey

highlander the Pastor sent to get us. We stopped to pick
up two of Wale’s mentees. One of them was a lady who
looked at me with contempt. What was her problem gan?
If she was crushing on Wale, then she needed to deal with
it and not take it out on me.

28
All these campus sisters should be married to their books!

Shior!
This was the reason I told Wale how unhealthy it was for
a guy to mentor a lady. Many of these ladies don’t know
boundaries. They’d just be catching feelings anyhow.
When the Senior Pastor came to greet us at the car park,

Wale did something I didn’t like. He introduced us to the
Pastor by saying,
“I came with my people.”
Am I part of the ‘people’?
I was annoyed that the wife of the Pastor addressed me

the same way she did with the mentees. No personal ac-
knowledgement. No special treatment. Did they really
know who I was to Wale? I was already feeling moody but
I got out of it and smiled warmly. This was Wale’s day and
I would enjoy it with him.
The Senior Pastor led us into the church auditorium. It was

packed full. I felt like a Pastor’s wife already as we filed to
the seats reserved for us.
Wale’s ministration blew my mind. I had never seen Wale

expound scriptures like I did that evening. He taught the
Word with so much authority that at a point I couldn’t sit
still. It was as if I was listening to a different man.
The words that came out of his mouth, the effect those
words had on the congregation, I almost didn’t believe
this was the same man I laughed and played with. People
29
fell under the power of God without being touched. There

was a strong flow of the gifts of the Spirit.
“Oh God!” I muttered beneath my breath. “This is my hus-

band. This is the man I’m getting married to. This is my
man!”
At the end of the meeting, the Pastor handed him an en-

velope while the women packed food and drinks into the
Pastor’s car.
I smiled. Those women ignored me again but very soon,

they’d give me the respect I deserved. It was a matter of
time before I’ll be addressed as Wale’s wife. I’ll get their
attention.
I stood there, staring at Wale as he talked with the Senior

Pastor. My love for him deepened. We’d do ministry to-
gether. We would go global for Christ.
When it was time to leave, Wale’s mentee rolled her eyes

at me when I sat beside Wale and she had to sit in front
with the driver. I was boiling with anger. I’d deal with her
very soon and make sure Wale stopped mentoring her.
Wale leaned close to me as we left the church compound.

“I caught you staring at me several times.”
I turned my face away, embarrassed.
He touched my hand lightly. “It’s okay. I like when you

do that.”
I smiled and relaxed. Before I knew it, I was staring at him

30
again.
When we got to my sister’s house, Wale handed me three

packs of food and some cans of soft drinks.
“I’ll call you.” He said and waved at me. I thanked him

and climbed the steps that led to my sister’s apartment.
**************
My sister, Yewande was in a hot argument with her hus-
band when I entered the house. They were screaming at
the top of their voices in the kitchen. I stood for a while in
the living room that reeked of urine. Toys were scattered
all over the place and grains of rice messed up the centre
table.
“God, please let Wale propose to me so we can get married

this year. I’m tired of this place. I want to be in my hus-
band’s house.” I pleaded quietly.
I entered the bedroom I shared with my nieces. They were

all asleep on a large mattress on the floor. As I set down
the food and drinks on the table, my sister entered the
room, her eyes welled up in tears.
“The only reason I’m still in this marriage is because of my

children!” Yewande shouted.
I glanced at the three girls and back at Yewande. “Stop

shouting. Do you want to wake them up?”
She wiped the tears from her eyes and sat on the bed. “Ye-
misi, I’m tired. Stephen blames me for everything. His
mother was here earlier. She said I was the cause of her
31
son’s misfortune. She said before he married me, he was

doing well financially but immediately after the wedding,
he lost his job and has not gotten a stable one since.”
“But it’s not your fault he lost his job. He defrauded the
company. He should be glad he is not in jail now.”
“Yemisi, If I had a job, Stephen will not have the guts to

talk to me anyhow.”
I touched her shoulder. ‘Everything will be alright. Have a

little more faith sis. Things will get better.”
Her eyes caught the food packs on the table. She reached
for one of the packs. Her eyes lit up as she opened a pack.
“Jollof rice and chicken.” Yewande exclaimed and flashed
me a quick grin. She dug the plastic spoon into it.
“Where did you get this?”
I told her about Wale’s preaching engagement.
She took three quick spoonful. “You are lucky to have a

man like Wale. I don’t know what I was thinking when I
agreed to marry Stephen. There is no love for God in his
heart at all. I asked him why he stopped going to church
and he said churches were full of hypocrites. He’d prefer
to stay at home and read his bible. How did I end up with
a man like that? I asked for ordinary one thousand naira to
get panties because mine were getting torn. My husband
said I was selfish and all I could think about was myself.
Imagine, one thousand naira.”
I loved my sister but I was tired of her complaints. When I

32
suggested we prayed about her marriage, she said prayers

solved nothing. How do I dismiss her now without offend-
ing her?
Yewande continued. “I know Stephen has been giving his

mother the money we should be spending. Imagine, he
was mad at me when I told him I won’t have sex any more
without contraceptives. We are yet to finish paying the
children’s school fees and he is looking for more children.
How can a man be heartless?’
I knew Yewande would not stop talking if I didn’t do

something. I shook my head and made sounds like, ‘uhm-
mm..’ ‘chai..’ as if sympathizing with her while at the same
time flipping through my lesson notes. She got the clue
and stood up.
“Sorry for bothering you with my plenty issues.” She lift-

ed the three plates of food and salad from the table. “I’ll
take these to the kitchen. When your bobo calls, thank him
for us.”
Relieved to be alone, I lay on my back and dialled Wale’s

number. It rang for a while but he didn’t pick up. When
I tried the second time and he didn’t answer the call, I
changed into my nightie and got ready to sleep.
I suddenly began to feel restless. I sat up confused. What

was this heaviness I was feeling?
My eyes went to the wall where I had written out the names
of my SS2 students. When I became their class teacher at
the beginning of the term, I decided I would pray daily for
them. I had written all their names, thirty of them, on two
33
long pieces of paper and pasted them on the wall of my

room. After the first week, I had been too lazy to continue.
I felt strongly that God wanted me to pray for them that
night and I got off my bed and went to the wall. I touched
each name on the list as I prayed. The more I prayed, the
stronger the burden I felt in my heart.
A picture flashed across my mind. Dotun was standing on

the edge of a cliff.
I stopped praying and sat on the floor. What was Dotun

doing on a cliff? I knelt down and continued to pray. Do-
tun appeared in my mind again and this time, he pulled
off a smiling mask to reveal a dark face with blood shot
eyes.
Lord, what’s going on?
My phone rang. I felt a restraint in my spirit not to pick the

call but I couldn’t resist. It was Wale. I decided I’d contin-
ue with the prayers later. I answered the call.
“Hello beautiful. I was in the bathroom when you called.”

Wale said.
I let out a deep breath. “I wanted us to talk. I need to get

some things off my chest.”
“Go ahead sweetheart. I’m all ears.”
There was so much I wanted to say. Where was our re-

lationship headed? Were we even in a relationship? Do
I have to tell him to propose? Who was the woman that
called me at work shouting at me to leave him alone? I
34
wanted an assurance that I was Wale’s girl. I wanted him

to say that I was the lady he wanted to marry.
I let out a deep breath. “Can I ask a question?”
“Of course, you can ask me anything.”
I waited, unsure of how to start the conversation. “When-

ever I bring up the subject of marriage, you push it aside.
I know you really didn’t ask me out or propose to me
but from how close we’ve been, we are more than just
friends.” I paused. “I get confused sometimes and I’d love
to know where we are headed. Is this intimacy leading to
marriage?”
Wale chuckled. “Why are you all about marriage Yemisi?

Is that all there is to life? Let me ask you this, do you even
know what you want to do with your life? I think what
you should be concerned about is getting a better job and
pursuing a viable career path. I don’t mean to hurt you but
you are too complacent.”
My heart stopped at those words. What did Wale just say?

“Please, don’t be offended but I have to tell you the truth.
Right now, I expect to hear you talk passionately about
your life goals, empowerment programmes you want to
attend, business ideas you desire to pursue. Is it this teach-
ing job you want to spend your life doing?”
Tears stung my eyes. I had never felt more humiliated in

my life.
“Listen, Yemisi, women are stepping out of the norm. They

are changing the status quo my dear. Search for Taiwo Ad-
35
eremi on Facebook. She is younger than you are and al-

ready runs two businesses. Just last week, Mercy Thomas
was asked to head a huge project for a Saudi Arabia firm.
That’s a lady who’s not even thirty yet. Aanu Coker now
runs her NGO and just two weeks ago, she was invited to
speak at a UNICEF event.”
I was trembling as I held the phone. “Why are you com-

paring me with these ladies?”
“I’m not! I’m just using their achievements to challenge

you. I can’t allow you live below your capability. You are
very smart and intelligent. Recently, I was invited for a
panel discussion and I was mesmerized by the profile of
one of the speakers. If we take a look at your CV, the only
thing we’d find there is that you were a salesgirl in a su-
permarket and now a secondary school teacher. Can’t you
see ladies getting their MBA and-”
Tears trickled my face. “Why are you doing this?”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I love you Yemisi. I really

do but there are more important things than marriage to
talk about right now. Pursuing our divine assignment is
paramount. We need to fan God’s purpose in our lives into
flames.”
When I didn’t say anything, he continued. “I’m on the

lookout for a job for you. I want you out of that school as
soon as possible. It’s time to fly. I promise I’ll support you
to any length you want to go. You’ll become one of the top
influencers in the world. Yemisi, are you listening to me?”
My throat was dry. No words came out. I felt defeated.
Wale’s words rang in my ears several times.
36
If we should take a look at your CV, the only thing we’d find
there is that you were a salesgirl in a supermarket and now a
secondary school teacher.
“Yemisi, I hurt you right?”
I didn’t answer.
“I’m sorry. I just want the best for you. What would I have
done in this life without you? I love you. Do you love me?”
I was at the brink of tears. “Yeah. I do.”
“When am I seeing you again?”
I didn’t feel like seeing him ever again. “I don’t know.”
“Tomorrow after work. Let me leave you to rest. Good-

night sweetheart.”
Just like that? He was going off again?. “Goodnight.”
I lay on the bed, downcast. The image of Dotun rushed

back to my mind. He had been standing at the top of a cliff.
Had I just been imagining it?
Pray. Yemisi, pray.
I didn’t feel like praying. I was still angry that Wale could
compare me with those ladies on Facebook. How many
of them were really happy? Was it not few days ago that
Abigail narrated how a colleague of hers flooded her Ins-
tagram page with the perfect picture of her family when
in truth she cries almost every night because her husband
37
would not stop cheating on her?
I was so wound up that I could barely think. Maybe I was

complacent. Maybe I was a dummy.
I needed something to make me feel better. I reached for

my laptop in search of comic relief. I settled for a movie
but the scene that usually got me laughing hard irritated
me.
I wasn’t halfway through the movie when I slept off.

Chapter
Three
39
I WAS STANDING WITH THE OTHER TEACHERS

behind the students lined up on the assembly ground
when the vice-principal called out Adesuwa and Daniel.
Surprised, I glanced at Mariam but she turned her face
away. I moved closer to her.
“You reported them to the vice-principal?”
Mariam didn’t answer me. She folded her hands and stared
ahead. I was angry but I kept quiet and moved back to my
position.
The vice-principal shook her head. ‘These foolish students

were caught at the back of the refuse dump at Corner Ma-
salashi kissing and totoring themselves.’
The students laughed and a loud noise rang loud across the
assembly ground. Adesuwa looked down and you could
see she was fighting tears. Daniel kept a straight face.
“Which one is totoring again? This woman sef.” Mr Caleb,

the H.O.D of the Arts department said.
The Vice-principal continued. ‘We are going to make an

example of them. But let me say this. Henceforth, I do not
want to see anybody hanging around the vicinity of the
school after the closing assembly. Go home straight! Is that
clear?”
“Yes ma.” The student chorused.
She turned to the two students. “Hell fire is real in case you
have forgotten. How can you be touching yourselves? If
you die now, the devil will throw you into the hottest part
40
of hellfire because as it is, your bodies are already defiled.

Or you think God will just let you go free for desecrating
your body?”
The chemistry teacher hissed. “What nonsense talk is this?

This SU woman has come again. Abeg she should release
the students jare. I have the first two classes this morning.”
The vice-principal didn’t look ready to release the stu-
dents. “Flee from all immorality. When you have sex, you
invite demons into your life. They will play hide and seek
in all parts of your body until they destroy you. Girls,
don’t let any boy touch any part of your body. If a boy
comes to you and says, ‘hey baby, I love your smile. You
are the most beautiful girl on the face of the earth.’ Run!
What did I say?”
“Run!” the students shouted.
“Any boy that comes to you with those sweet words, do

not listen to him. It is the devil talking to you not the boy.
He is only a vessel that the devil wants to use. There are
demon possessed girls and boys everywhere. For you boys
who like to do tininini with your thing, there are girls Lu-
cifer has assigned from the pit of hell to destroy you. They
will use your brain and your life will just be yamayama.”
A teacher shifted uncomfortably. He turned to the rest of

the teachers.
“Somebody should tell this woman to shut up and let us

get to class. Is this a church?”
“Abi o. rubbish leleyi now.” The chemistry teacher looked

at his wristwatch. “It’s already five minutes into the first
41
period.”
Mr Akin, one of the mathematics teacher laughed. “You

guys should calm down. Hear the word of the Lord.”
“Word of God my foot. This is what the principal will not

take. I just pray he returns from his trip today. I don’t have
time to be listening to jargon every morning.” The chemis-
try teacher retorted.
“Now,” the Vice-principal continued. “Let’s get right to

your punishment. It’s a free day for the school cleaners.
There’ll be no class for two of you. You will clean all the
toilets in the school.”
“Ah!” The students shouted.
“After that, you will clear the weeds growing around the
basketball court. When you are done, you will report back
to my office for further punishments.” She turned to the
students. “File into your classes now!”
When I got to the staffroom, I waited until most of the

teachers had left for their lessons and then I faced Mariam.
“What’s the meaning of what you did this morning? Ade-
suwa is my student and I am responsible for every student
in my class. Why would you go behind my back and re-
port my student to the vice-principal. It’s bad enough that
I was there with you when the incident happened.”
Mariam completely ignored me. She flipped through an

English textbook and began to read a comprehension pas-
sage.

42
“Miss Mariam, what you did was wrong.” Mr Alamu, the

SS3 class teacher said.
“Daniel is in my class. At least I should have been notified

first.”
I was so upset I couldn’t stay still. “I don’t understand her

motive. Something happened yesterday and by this morn-
ing, it’s already in the ears of the Vice-principal. You know
how the VP handles issues.”
I finally got her attention. She raised her head. “I had to do

what was right.”
Mariam was clearly not repentant. “Hogwash! Who does

not know you were trying to get the attention of the VP to
yourself.”
Mariam tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Say

whatever you like, it’s none of my business. I can’t join
you to raise spoilt brats. All you know how to do is laugh
and play with your students. I don’t know who made you
a class teacher. You are not fit to be one!”
I stared at Mariam in disbelief. She hissed and continued

reading.
“So what are you insinuating?” a teacher said. “You think

you are a better class teacher? Was it not you the JSS 3 stu-
dents couldn’t stop complaining about? What will it take
from you to apologize? You didn’t do well Mariam.”
Mariam laughed. “Apologize for what? Over my dead

body. I did not do anything wrong.” She turned to me.
43
“You can go and hit your head against the wall for all I
care.”
I needed to stay calm to teach the class I had that morn-

ing. My emotions were turned upside down and I knew
I couldn’t enter a classroom that way. I went to my table,
fuming.
“Lord, I’m so upset right now.” I prayed silently. “I don’t

want to go to my class like this. Please help my emotions.
I need to be calm to teach properly.”
Nothing changed. Mariam’s words kept flashing across

my mind and I convinced myself that the reason she could
talk to me that way was because of how close we were
at work. Even the students knew that of all the teachers,
Mariam was the closest to me. I guess that was what made
it hurt more. If it had been a neutral person, it wouldn’t
have gotten to me that much.
It’s time to put up some boundaries.
The bell rang. It was time to teach the SS1 class. I began to
mutter tongues quietly, praying for my mind to be calm
enough to teach. As I stood up, I heard a still voice.
Apologize to Mariam.
I shook my head and held the edge of the table. Apologize

for what? Mariam got into my business. She was the one
who said I was not fit to be a class teacher. My own friend
said this to my face. How was it my fault? There was no
way I was going to apologize. Never! Besides, what am I
even apologizing for?
44
I picked my lesson notes and left the staffroom. On my

way to the SS1 class, I stopped by the physics laboratory to
check up on Dotun. I searched from one student to anoth-
er but he was not there. I panicked. Had he hurt himself?
Were the revelations I saw the previous night true?
As I stepped away from the window, he appeared in front

of me. Relief flooded my heart. I searched his face for
something unusual. There was nothing.
“Where are you coming from?”
He grinned. “Restroom. Were you missing me already?”

I raised my hand to smack him in the face, but he laughed
and bounced away from me.
I smiled. “Go into your class my friend.”
“Yes ma’am.” He said and walked into the laboratory.

My eyes caught Adesuwa walking towards the lavatories
holding a toilet brush and a sachet of detergent. I sighed
and decided I’d sit her down and have a long chat with
her.
You won’t believe that twice that day, Mariam and I walked
past each other on the corridor like we were strangers. It
had never happened. Usually, when we bump into each
other like that, I’d pinch her, tickle her or flash her a smile.
The silence was cold. Mr Akin noticed it during the break
time.
“Something is going on between Yemisi and Mariam. The

noisemakers in this staffroom have suddenly gone quiet.”

45
“Oh, you didn’t see the drama that happened this morn-
ing?” A teacher said.
“What happened?”
The teacher narrated the incident. Mr Akin looked at Mari-

am and then at me.
“You ladies are mature. Forget about the incident and

move on. Women sha.”
After my last class that afternoon, I decided to talk to Mari-

am. To be sincere, I didn’t feel like apologizing. I was good
at shutting people out. After all, when I was a teenager, I
didn’t talk to my best friend for almost two years and it
didn’t bother me.
I’m not saying I’m flawless but one of the things I started
learning in my walk with God was the heart to be at peace
with people. I was feeling restless and I knew it wouldn’t
go away until I made amends with her.
Mariam was coming out of one of the classes when I

blocked her path. She glared at me.
“I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you this morning.”
Her expression remained unchanged. “You are in my

way.”
I stood aside for her to pass. She walked away without

saying a word. Anger rose to my throat. What was she
feeling like? Why did I even apologize to her?

46
If she wanted to end the friendship, then so be it. I was not

ready to listen to the Holy Spirit about going to meet her
again. I will not do it!
I was still burning with anger as I returned to the staffroom.

“Miss Yemisi.”
I turned. Phoebe rushed to me with three pieces of paper.

“I found these drawings hidden in Dotun’s locker. I’m re-
ally scared.”
“Thank you Phoebe.” I took the drawings from her and

didn’t look at them. “I’ll go through them and have a chat
with Dotun.”
It was then I remembered I had not looked at the scribbled

note Phoebe had made from Dotun’s journal. A journal she
found lying carelessly on the floor. They were tucked in
the bottom of my drawer. I decided I’d find time to look
through them later.
Mariam walked past me again without saying a word. I

wanted to shake her and tell her she was acting like a child.
Why wouldn’t she just get over what had happened?
I forgot again to go through Phoebe’s notes and Dotun’s

drawings and only remembered when I alighted at my bus
stop. As I walked down the street leading to my sister’s
house, I set a reminder to read through them the following
day.
My sister’s husband was playing games in the living room

when I stepped into the house. He was so engrossed that
he didn’t respond when I greeted him. I didn’t bother to
47
call his attention to my presence. I had a date with Wale at

7p.m and I was too excited to be bothered by his attitude.
Yewande stood at the entrance to my room, her daughter
strapped to her back.
“He has been sitting there playing games since morning.

There is no money at home and the children are hungry. I
don’t understand how a man can be so useless.”
I squeezed a thousand naira into her hands and hugged
her.
“You’ll be fine Yewande. This is just a phase. He’ll come

around.”
*************
“Hi dearie.” I pretended to be annoyed when I en-
tered Wale’s car.
Even though I had forgiven him for speaking so rashly to

me the previous night, I wanted him to know I didn’t like
it. I was his woman and not his protégé. He had to learn to
stop treating me like one.
He pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry about the way I

spoke to you last night. I’m really sorry. You know I love
you right?”
I loved Wale so much. I doubt if there was anything that’d

make me stay angry with him for so long.
“I love you too.”
We drove to our regular suya and barbeque spot. After

making our orders, we settled for one of the empty slabs
48
in the open space.
“I just got off the phone with a buddy of mine.” Wale start-
ed. “There is a job opening in his company. He wants your
CV.”
So fast? Wale had not given me time to think about leaving

my job. I loved working with students very much even
though I earned a meagre sum. I didn’t feel ready to leave.
“Sweetheart, we are in the middle of a term. I can’t just
leave like that. I thought I’d be able to wait till the end of
the term.”
Wale frowned. “There is no time Yemisi. You know how

difficult it is to get a good job like this one. I heard the pay
is a hundred and fifty thousand naira. After a year, the
salary will be reviewed. This is apart from the allowanc-
es you’ll be entitled to. It’s a travel agency and they have
great connections with rich foreigners. This is your key to
greatness, Yemisi. We can’t lose this.”
I told him I’d send the CV to him later.
“Send it to me now. Don’t you have it on your phone?

Don’t play with your life like this Yemisi.”
The suya and barbeque fish arrived as I searched for the

document on my phone. Wale got on the phone with
someone I didn’t know. I was too disturbed to listen to
their conversation. A sudden heaviness hit my chest. I felt
like I was making a wrong decision. I found the curricu-
lum vitae and sent it to Wale.
When he ended the call, I told him I had sent it.

49
His face lit up with excitement. “You won’t believe this.

I just got off the phone with the friend I told you about.
He wants you to come see him tomorrow at the office by
10a.m. I didn’t even know he heads the Human Resource
department. Babe, this job is yours.”
I frowned. “Tomorrow? Honey, I have classes. I can’t just

leave like that.”
I could feel Wale’s anger from where I sat. “Yemisi, be

smart now. Use your brain. Send your principal a note.
Tell him you had to go to the hospital for treatment. Just
say something.”
“Are you asking me to tell a lie?”
Wale didn’t respond. He reached for his phone and began

to play with it. He always did that when he was pissed
about anything.
“Okay. I’ll find a way to leave school. But promise me

you’ll see my mentor this weekend.”
He smiled and pinched my cheeks. “That’s not a problem.

Now that we have that settled, how are you? Any gist for
me?”
The barbeque spot was now crowded and some young

men had taken a platform and were singing Sunny Ade’s
‘Ara ma nfe simi’. Wale unwrapped the suya and held out
a tooth pick to me. The suya looked enticing. I threw a few
pieces into my mouth, savouring the peppery taste that
lingered in my tongue.

50
I told Wale about Mariam and the fracas that happened

that morning. Then I remembered the lady that had called
to threaten me the evening before Wale’s preaching en-
gagement. I told him about that too. Wale stopped listen-
ing at that point.
“A woman called to threaten you?”
“Yes. She kept screaming that I should leave you alone.

Something about being her man. It happened a while ago
but I didn’t want to bring it up then.”
“You should have told me about it. Can I see the number
she called you with?”
I had saved the name as ‘Troublemaker.’ Wale’s eyes flick-

ered for a minute when he saw the number. He shook his
head and gave me back the phone.
“Do you know the person?”
Wale smiled. “There is nothing to worry about. You know

by reason of my calling, I have many ladies flocking around
me. I had lots of them on campus and it took wisdom to be
able to handle them. Don’t let it bother you.”
I wanted an assurance. I wanted to know if I was the only

woman in his life but I remembered how the last discus-
sion on our relationship had gone. I didn’t want to up-
set him again. The fact that Wale said he loved me was
enough.
*************

51
“Please take a seat.”
Wale’s friend said to me when I stepped into his office the

next morning. On his table were flyers with Pavilion Trav-
el Agency boldly written on them. There were pictures of
airplanes, beautiful resorts and fair-skinned ladies relax-
ing on a beach.
My chest heaved up and down in quick beats. What kind

of questions was he going to ask me? I’d never travelled
out of the country and neither did I know anything about
travel agencies.
He smiled and I relaxed a little. Maybe this wasn’t going

to be difficult as I thought. My eyes caught the clock on the
wall. 10.30. I had swapped lessons with a colleague but I
had to be back in school before 1p.m.
“You are very beautiful.” He said as soon as I sat down.

“Thank you sir.”
“My name is Jide and I am the head of the Human Resource

department in this organization.” He reclined in his seat.
“Wale and I go way back. We clubbed and drank together
until he decided to follow Jesus. When he first told me, I
laughed. I thought he’d change his mind. But he didn’t.
My friend went on to become the president of a campus
fellowship and I knew Jesus had clipped his wings. We re-
mained friends anyway and when he told me his girl was
looking for a job, I knew I had to help.”
I smiled. At least, Wale told his friend I was his girl. That
was something.

52
“Don’t worry about getting a job here. I have already sort-

ed that out. All you have to do is apply and show up for
the interview. Just so you know, this is Nigeria’s foremost
travel agency. If you work hard, you can build a successful
career here.”
He passed his business card to me. “If you need anything,

just call me. I’m already working on your employment let-
ter. Relax, this job is yours.”
“Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate your

help.”
He smiled and stretched out his hand. I shook it. “You are
welcome Yemisi.”
On my way out, I passed by the boardroom just as a young

beautiful lady in a short black gown stepped out. She
smiled warmly at me as she entered into another office.
Another fair-skinned came out of another office carrying
a file. She was followed by a man in a black suit, eating
a sandwich at the same time perusing a document in his
hand.
I let out a quick breath. What would it feel like to sit in

board meetings and brainstorm ideas with other people? I
knew I would enjoy my time here. I might not have liked
Wale’s approach but if he hadn’t pushed me that way, I
would have been reluctant to make a move.
My days of sitting down for hours writing lesson notes

was over. I would no longer spend sleepless nights mark-
ing exam scripts. Pavillion Travel Agency was all I thought
of as I returned to my workplace.
53
***************
The principal’s car was parked in front of the school build-
ing. My heart fainted. He had driven out some minutes
before I left for the agency and I had silently prayed he
would not return until I got back.
I decided to take the back gate that led to the Girls hostel.
From the hostel, I would walk down the refectory and en-
ter the staff room through the back of the building. This
was a better option than entering through the main school
gate.
I laughed at myself as I walked quickly. Even as a second-

ary school student, I never sneaked out of school. I couldn’t
believe that I was doing it now as a teacher.
I was close to the two-storey building that housed all the

secondary school classes when I noticed students hanging
around the corridor. It was unusual since it wasn’t break
time. The only time this had happened was when the prin-
cipal addressed the teachers and this didn’t happen often.
I broke into a sweat when I heard the principal’s voice
from the staff room. Nobody had said anything about a
staff meeting holding that day. Slowly, I moved towards
the entrance.
“Where is Miss Yemisi?” The principal said.
I froze. My heart was now thumping loud. I walked brisk-

ly into the staffroom.
The principal frowned. “Where are you coming from?”

54
“Restroom sir.” I lied.
His gaze didn’t leave me. “I’m sure you have heard the
tragic news concerning one of your students.”
I pretended to be aware and I showed this by my sad coun-

tenance. If I acted like I didn’t know, he’d be suspicious
especially if the other teachers had already gotten wind
of it. As I stood there, I wondered what student he was
talking about.
“Miss Yemisi, I want you to put the rest of your classes on

hold for today and pay a condolence visit right away. The
H.O.D and Vice-principal will join you later.”
I raised my head, shocked. Condolence visit? Did any of

my students lose a parent? I tried to figure out who it
could be. Sarah had told me earlier in the month about her
mother’s illness, had she lost her?
When the Principal left the staff room, there was this
gloomy expression on the faces of the teachers. I hurried
to the table of the Accounts teacher, Titi, the lady I had
swapped classes with.
“What’s going on?”I whispered to her. From the corner of

my eye, I saw Mariam staring at me. I ignored her.
“One of your students is dead.” Titi said.
I stared at her, shocked. “Who?”
She let out a deep sigh. “Dotun.”

55
I went numb. “What?”
“His body was found in the bathroom this morning. Ap-

parently, he committed suicide.”
The vision returned. Dotun had been standing on a cliff.

He had removed a smiling mask that revealed dark eyes.
I remembered the instruction again. Pray, the still small
voice had said.
“Oh God.” I blinked back tears and managed to return to

my seat. Dotun? Suicide. How could this have happened?
If I had obeyed, Dotun would still be alive. I disappointed
God. I could have averted his death. My negligence had
cost me a soul.
Dotun was a sweet boy. Why would a boy like that kill
himself? Maybe Titi didn’t hear the principal correctly.
I went out of the staffroom and hurried down the corridor

that led to SS2A.
Dotun had to be somewhere at the back row. He’d make

those funny remarks that sometimes got me laughing very
hard.
A chill crept over me when I saw my students sitting like

they were attending a funeral. No smiles. No jumping
around. No laughter.
Some had swollen eyes and others dabbed handkerchiefs

across their teary faces.
Why didn’t anyone call me to inform me?

56
I stood in front of the class and stared at the empty seat

Dotun usually occupied.
My legs couldn’t carry me any longer. I sat on the teacher’s

chair and stared blankly at my students. They stared back.
I had failed them. I was not worthy to be a class teacher.
Under my watch, my own favourite student had ended his
own life. For a long time we stayed that way, content with
the silence that dragged for a long time.

Chapter
Four
58
I WENT TO DOTUN’S RESIDENCE that afternoon. The

housekeeper, a tall skinny woman led me down a hall
that opened up into a spacious living room. Dotun’s moth-
er was reclining on a luxurious creamy sofa in a black loose
gown. She had a black bonnet on her head and a bible was
opened on her laps.
The atmosphere was thick with an unexplainable darkness.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain behind my head and with it
came a fear that almost ripped my heart apart. What kind
of house was this?
“Good afternoon ma’am.”
Dotun’s mother smiled sadly and cleared the photographs

scattered around the sofa. She placed them on the glass
stool and asked me to sit beside her. My eyes caught a
picture of Dotun in a navy blue suit standing in front of
a church with ‘FISHERS OF MEN BIBLE CHURCH’ in-
scribed boldly on it.
There was another photograph of Dotun in a jersey and a

ball under his arm. There was a younger version of him
standing in front of a birthday cake, smiling with his front
teeth gone. I closed my eyes and fought back tears.
I sat down and clasped my hands in front of me. “I’m Ye-

misi, Dotun’s class teacher.”
Dotun’s mother smiled sadly. She took a long glance at the

bible and I almost thought she wanted to share something
with me from the scriptures she’d been reading.
“I know you. We’ve met once.” She responded, finally.

59
I nodded. We had spoken at length at the open day event

shortly after I was made the class teacher for SS2A.
“Accept my condolence ma’am. The Lord comfort your

heart.”
She smiled sadly. “Thank you Miss Yemisi. I really appre-

ciate this. The principal was here earlier today.”
I looked around the large sitting room and wondered why

she was alone in the house. Where were her friends? What
about her siblings and relatives? Why was there no one
with her to comfort her?
She touched my shoulders lightly. “You are the first per-

son I’ve permitted to see me since I stumbled on my dead
son this morning. A lot of people were here but I told the
housekeeper not to allow anyone in. I just wanted to be
alone for some time.”
I was embarrassed that she had read my thoughts so quick-

ly. “Thank you for letting me in.”
A young lady came out of one of the rooms in torn jeans

and black tank top. She wore heavy makeup and her short
hair was dyed pink. She had a shoulder bag on one arm
and held a small leather box in the other. She stopped in
front of her mother.
“I’m leaving.” She said quietly
Dotun mother’s face hardened at first and then softened.

“Dunni, you can’t leave now. We need you here.”

60
She set the box down and folded her hands. “This place is
shit. I can’t stay here.”
Dotun’s mother frowned. “Mind your language girl. Take

that box back into your room!”
Dunni laughed dryly. “My brother was a sweet and beau-

tiful soul. You didn’t rest until you killed him. You want
me to stay here so you can ruin my life too?”
I wanted to stand up and slap her. What kind of rude child

was this? Why would she talk to her mother like that? Was
she saying her mother had a hand in Dotun’s death? Some
children were impossible.
Dotun’s mother stood up and moved closer to her daugh-

ter, her body vibrating with anger. “I can clearly see that
you are out of your mind. Your brother killed himself even
after we gave him every spiritual and material support a
child could ask for. You have the guts to stand here and
accuse me of killing my own son?”
A tear trickled down Dunni’s face. “I want the world to

know how wicked you are. You ended his life long before
today. You manipulated him! You killed him!”
Her mother slapped her across the face. “I just lost my son.
Dunni, don’t let me lose my temper.”
I didn’t know what to do at that moment. Should I stand

up quietly and leave? Should I try to talk sense into the
girl’s head?
Dunni was not done. Tears poured down her face. She
61
made no attempts to wipe them off. “If nobody will stand

up to you, I will. I regret having you as my mother. My
sister is going through some crazy therapeutic sessions be-
cause of you and now my brother is gone. You are never
satisfied with what we do. How did you even manage to
control all of us? Now I am beginning to doubt if dad’s
death was natural. He might have died from a ghastly mo-
tor accident but you drove him to it.”
Her mother shook her head and slumped into the sofa. She
seemed very weak and tired. She dabbed her eyes with a
white handkerchief. “All I ever did was give you the best
life had to offer. Is this how you repay me?”
Dunni was shaking terribly. She glanced briefly at me.

“This lady will think I’m just one rebellious child who has
no respect for her mother. Mum, you are the best actress
I’ve ever seen. You know how to fit into any role perfectly.
My God! I detest those tears on your face. They are your
weapon to more manipulative schemes. I’m out of here be-
fore you kill me too.”
She grabbed the handle of her box and stormed out of the
house. The house keeper and two other ladies were stand-
ing at the far corner of the living room watching the drama
unfold. One glare from Dotun’s mother and they scuttled
away.
Dotun’s mother wiped her tears and smiled at me. I was

already uncomfortable sitting there, seeking desperately
for something to say but coming up empty. She came to
my rescue.
“Is there any of Dotun’s belonging in school that I need to

62
come for?”
I told her Dotun’s locker would be emptied and his books

sent to the house.
“You can give out his textbooks, but I’d like all his note-
books returned.”
“Alright ma’am.”
The bell rang and I was more than relieved when the
housekeeper rushed to open the door. The vice-principal
and the heads of department of my school filed in. Soon,
other people arrived and by the time I was ready to leave,
the living room was crowded.
****************
4a.m.
I woke with a start, panting heavily. My body was soaked
in sweat. My sister, Yewande was sitting on the edge of the
bed. She looked very worried.
“You had a nightmare.”
I was shaking terribly even though the room was hot. I had
seen Dotun screaming for help. Fire was spreading from
his legs to his body. Instead of helping him, I had ignored
him and right before my eyes, a strange creature appeared.
He had only one enormous eye and sharp talons. His fangs
was enough to send a man’s head rolling in seconds. He
swept Dotun off his feet and flung him across the sky. I
stood there, unable to move. When I would look to my left,
63
Dotun’s mother was staring at me with a self-satisfying

smile on her face. I turned my eyes away from her to the
monster. He laughed and began to walk towards me.
I screamed.
“Are you sure you are okay?” My sister asked.
I moved away from the bed and sat on the edge of the bed.
Yewande’s husband was standing at the entrance. I apolo-
gized and told them it would not happen again.
When they left, I couldn’t sleep. The dream seemed so real.

I wept till the day dawned.
When I woke up much later in the afternoon, I checked my

call history. There were twenty calls I had missed. Wale.
My vice-principal. Teachers from my school.
I didn’t feel like talking to anyone. I sent the vice-principal

a text message. I was not feeling well. I needed a little time
to pull myself together. She called immediately.
“What kind of useless text message did you send to me?”

The vice-principal barked.
I didn’t know how to respond. “I couldn’t get out of bed

this morning.”
“Is that an excuse? We were all affected by Dotun’s death
so don’t give me that crap. Life is not fair. But we can’t
stop living. We move on. Who were you expecting to take
your classes for today? If you are acting like this, how do
you expect your students to behave? What if all of them
had decided not to come to school today. But they are all in
64
school, trying to get past this. My friend! You have no ex-

cuse. Your salary for today has been deducted. You didn’t
show up for work, Period! If you think you can cry to the
principal, just so you know, he left for Ghana this morning
and until he returns I am in charge. I want you back in
school tomorrow morning or else you’ll get a query.”
She hung up. I was too weak to be angry. I turned off the
phone and faced the wall. My sister came into my room
an hour later with a plate of rice and stew. I tried a few
spoons but that was all. I pushed the tray under the bed
and faced the wall again.
Dotun returned to my dreams again. This time, I was in

the class teaching when he walked to his seat and began
to cut himself with a sharp razor blade. Blood oozed out
of his arm. I stopped teaching and fixed my gaze on him,
alarmed. I started to shout at the top of my lungs hoping
the students would stop him but they all kept their gaze at
me. It was if I was standing in front of a class of blind stu-
dents who were also deaf. When I rushed to Dotun’s seat,
he disappeared from sight. I woke up.
I couldn’t sleep again. At day break, I dressed up and

went to school. None of the teachers had arrived. I climbed
the stairs that led to SS2A. I had ten minutes before the
teachers and the boarding house students poured into the
school building.
When I got to SS2A, I stood in front of the class and al-

lowed my eyes travel from one desk to the other. I began
to whisper their names.
“Yemi. Damola. Fisayo. Mary. Adesuwa. Paul. Phoebe.

65
Jide. Hamzat. Folarin. Dunni…” I kept going until I got to

Dotun’s seat. I stopped. Dotun’s voice was ringing in my
head.
Miss Yemisi’s boyfriend is lucky. If I were old enough to be her

boyfriend, I’d kill anyone who came near here. She’d belong to
me alone.
Tears stung my eyes. How did I not detect that something

was wrong? I could have stopped this!
Miss Yemisi, if indeed you say there is a God, then he must be

very cruel. If he was good like you claimed, he wouldn’t have
created my mother.
My heart stopped when I remembered those words. Dotun

had made that statement one afternoon as we stood out-
side the staffroom. Why didn’t I listen?
Miss Yemisi, how can hell be worse than the troubles in

this world. At least the fire, if there is truly a hell fire, will
just burn my skin. Having humans torture your mind is
the worst kind of hell.
I closed my eyes and my lips trembled. I remember Do-

tun’s eyes. I see now how they were pleading for help.
Why was I seeing this now? I felt dizzy and gripped the
sides of one of the lockers.
“Yemisi.”
I turned to the door. Miss Mariam entered the class slowly

and stopped in front of me.

66
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. I wondered how long I’d stayed in the class. I

followed her out. She held my hands.
“I’m sorry about what happened. It’s not your fault Dotun
died. Please don’t take the guilt trip. He made the choice
to end his life.”
But I would have at least tried to stop him, I thought to

myself. I would have made attempts to pray for him. I
would have gone through the notes Phoebe gave me. Do-
tun might still have been alive. When we got to the front
of the vice-principal’s office, I stopped. “Mariam, I need to
see the vice-principal.”
She nodded and gave me a tight hug. “You’ll be fine.”
I forced a smile and waited for her to move away before

stepping into the vice-principal’s office. There was a large
plastic cup filled with pap on the table and beside it was
an oil-smeared newspaper containing akara balls. I won-
dered how the vice-principal could eat comfortably with
sheets of paper scattered all over her table.
“What do you want?” She looked at me frowning.
I pulled out an envelope from my handbag. I had written

my resignation letter early in the morning. My mission at
Cornerstone College was over. I’d sworn never to have
anything to do with teenagers. I placed the envelope gen-
tly in front of her.
“What’s this?” She asked, looking at the envelope but not

67
reaching out to take it.
I didn’t respond. She reached for her glasses and put it

on before taking out the letter from the envelope. I wait-
ed for her to read through the content. She looked at me,
shocked.
“Do you remember the scripture that says, if you fall to

pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first
place?”
Proverbs twenty-four verse ten, message translation. I’d

read the verse many times. I wasn’t denying that there was
anything to me anyway. If a boy could die on my watch,
how could God commit anything to me again?
“Why can’t you just move on with your life for goodness
sake? Think before you take action! Are you a baby? Yemi-
si, you will regret this.” She paused. “Just when the man-
agement planned to pay salary next week with an incre-
ment of five thousand naira for all the employees, you are
backing out. Is that not foolishness?
All these lectures because of an extra five thousand naira

on the forty thousand naira I earn? Will this woman just let
me get out of here before I lose my mind?
“You can leave if that’s what you want but for abruptly
resigning without giving us time to get another teacher,
you’ll be paid nothing. I hope this teaches you that you
are not indispensable.” The conversation was over. The
Vice-principal tore open a sachet of milk with her teeth
and poured it into the cup before stirring it.

68
I left for the staffroom to get the rest of my things. The

students were hurrying towards the assembly ground and
the teachers on duty were stationed at different positions
controlling the movements of the students. The rest of the
teachers shouted in excitement when I stepped into the
staffroom. It was obvious they were glad to see me. I loved
these teachers and I would miss them.
When they left for the assembly, I got to work. I brought

out all the textbooks the school had provided for me and
arranged them neatly on the table. The Economic assign-
ment notes for the SS3 students were stacked beside my
chair. I flipped through the notes and was relieved that I
had marked all the assignments. I placed them beside the
textbooks along with my lesson notes. I trashed the pieces
of paper that I didn’t find useful.
I was afraid to open the lower drawer of my desk. I didn’t

want to see the notes and drawings Phoebe had given to
me. But I had to clear everything out. One after the other I
pulled out the pieces of papers from the drawer. In one of
the drawings, Dotun lay dead on the floor. Beside the dead
body, another Dotun stood with his arms opened wide,
laughing.
I shivered. This wasn’t a caricature at all. The eyes, nostrils,

ears, everything was exactly in perfect shape. The drawing
was not just beautiful, it evoked strong emotions. Dotun
had great talent. What else have I missed about this boy?
I reached for one of the notes.
Mum said artists were the poorest people on earth. She took me
into the torture chambers when she saw a drawing I had made
of my father. I miss dad so much. He’d covered up for me many
69
times. I love to draw. It’s the only thing that makes me happy.
No, scratch that. I love two things actually. Tearing at my chest
with a very sharp razor blade. Oh how I love the pain.
A chill ran down my back. I picked another note.
Death is the path that leads to freedom. I want to be free!
I stopped reading because my hands were shaking so ter-

ribly that the pieces of paper fell from my hand. I shred
them, making no attempt to stop the tears streaming down
my face. I had to get out of the school. I couldn’t stay one
moment there or I’d break down.
I went through the back gate. It was the same gate I had
taken when I returned from the interview at Pavilion Trav-
el Agency. The security guard stationed at the back gate
was curious.
“Aunty Yemisi, shey you dey alright?”
I smiled. “I’m okay sir.”
I didn’t say goodbye to anyone. Not even to my students

who meant so much to me. I loved the time I’d spent with
them but it didn’t change the fact that I’d failed them. I
remember that after a three day retreat during my service
year, I had written in my journal that I perceived God was
calling me to raise teenagers for him. It was clear that I had
been deceiving myself. I had no business with teenagers.
When the bike stopped in front of my house, I saw Abigail
standing in front of my house with Yewande.
“Here she comes!” Abigail exclaimed with arms wide

70
open. I ignored her and paid the bike fare.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Won’t you hug me ni?”
I gave her a quick hug and went into the house with them.
“I resigned.” I said to Abigail as soon as we entered the
room together.
She touched my forehead. “Yewande said you’ve not been

sleeping well.”
I lay on my back, tired and frustrated. Why was my head

banging so loud?
Abigail pulled out an empty travelling bag from the back

of the wardrobe and started to fold some of my clothes
into the bag. Yewande worked with her, arranging my un-
der wears and toiletries beside the folded wears. I lay on
my side, my head resting on my shoulder as I stared at
them. I tried to speak but no words came out.
“I don’t want her to be a burden on you.” My sister said. “I

was just worried about her.”
“Yemisi can never be a burden. My mother loves her very

much. She’ll be fine.”Abigail responded.
When Abigail finished, she zipped the bag and reached for
my hand. I took it, too weak to say anything. We boarded
a taxi that took us to her house. I was glad Abigail didn’t
make attempts to talk to me all through the ride. I needed
the silence.
Abigail made my favourite meal. Rice and fried plantain. I

71
couldn’t get it down my throat. It tasted like paracetamol

on my tongue.
Abigail sounded worried. “Yewande said you’ve hardly

eaten anything since you found out about Dotun’s death.
Please eat something.”
I shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”
She held up a spoonful of rice. “Just one spoon.”
I pushed her hand away and reached for the bottle of cold
Fanta. In one gulp, the 50cl was gone. Abigail left the room
and returned with two sausage rolls. I finished them in no
time. Excited, Abigail stood up.
“Should I get you bread and tea?”
I touched my stomach. “I’m okay.”
Abigail wouldn’t give up. “The bread is very nice. It’s co-
conut bread. I can spread jam over it if you want.”
I shook my head. “No. Thank you.”
She climbed the bed and opened her laptop. “Let’s watch
a movie.”
Halfway into the movie, I got distracted by the thoughts

of Dotun and the tears returned. I tried not to sniff but
I couldn’t hold it. Abigail looked at me and I knew she
didn’t know what to say to make me feel better. The truth
was, I didn’t want her to say anything. I loved the silence.
She squeezed my hand gently. I smiled and tried to focus
72
on the movie. But I couldn’t.
At the end of the movie, Abigail went to get me anoth-

er drink. When she returned, her face was beaming with
smiles.
“Guess who is here to see you.”
My eyes went to the door, Mama D and Abigail’s mother

were standing at the entrance. I flew out of the bed and ran
to hug my spiritual mentor. My hands were still wrapped
around her neck as the tears poured down my face. Tears
were in Mama D’s eyes too.
“I heard.” Mama D said, her hands patting my hair gently.

“I know how you loved that boy. Listen dear, stop allow-
ing the devil weigh you down with condemnation. You
did your best for that boy.”
“You don’t understand. It’s my fault. The signs were there

but I ignored them.”
Mama Deolu held my shoulders. “God is not mad at you.

He loves you and his plans for you has not changed. Cast
your cares on the Lord and see where he takes you from
there.”
My mentor didn’t understand. I had failed God. How

could he still use me to raise a son of his after my negli-
gence? I had preached the love of the Father but right now,
God seemed different to me. I had disobeyed him. I had
let a boy slip into everlasting condemnation. He couldn’t
possibly trust me with someone else.

73
I glanced at Abigail’s mother “Thank you for allowing me

stay here.”
She smiled and turned to her daughter. “Has she eaten?”

“I served rice and plantain but she refused to eat it. She
devoured the two sausage rolls I gave her though. Yewan-
de said she has not been eating or sleeping well in the last
two days.”
“There is a burger in my handbag. Go get it.” Abigail’s

mother said.
Abigail left and slowly I walked back to the bed, with the
women trolling beside me.
“How’s Papa D.” I asked my mentor.
My mentor grinned. “He has returned from the bible col-

lege. He misses you a lot. Don’t be far away from us Ye-
misi.”
I nodded. “Yes ma.”
The two women placed their hands on my head and prayed

for me. Suddenly, I felt the heaviness slowly lift from my
chest. My head also felt lighter. I lay on my back enjoying
the soothing words that flowed from their lips.
I slept off. I didn’t have any nightmare this time. When

I woke up, Abigail was beside me, watching a documen-
tary. I tapped her lightly. She removed her earpiece and
looked at me.
“What’s the time?” I asked.

74
She hesitated for a moment as she tapped the round but-

ton at the bottom of her iPhone. The light came up. “It’s
almost midnight.”
I faced the wall and returned to sleep.

Chapter
Five
76
I RESUMED WORK AT Pavilion Travel Agency a month

after I resigned from my job as a teacher. I drove myself
to work hard and by the end of the first month, I was paid
a hundred and fifty thousand naira as my basic salary. I
also got another hundred thousand naira as commission.
Jide, Wale’s friend and the head of HR gave me a room in

his family house which was just few streets away from my
office. It was a temporary provision until I secure a rented
apartment.
Something happened the day after I informed Wale about

the pay I’d received. He asked that we hang out at a partic-
ular restaurant. I wanted it to be a special date. Of course I
had money now and I could afford something classy. I got
a beautiful navy blue sleeveless gown and a pair of silver
sandals. Both cost me almost forty thousand naira.
At the restaurant, Wale did something I’d been dying for

him to do. He held out a gold engagement ring and pro-
posed to me. I said Yes.
I should have been excited right? I wasn’t and I couldn’t

explain why I felt that way. There were no butterflies in
my stomach. I didn’t have this ‘he finally proposed to me!’
euphoria that ladies expressed when a man they cared
deeply about popped the question. I had other questions
in my mind. Why the proposal after I’d just collected my
salary. Why not before?
I tried to shake off the odd feeling and concentrate on the

delicious meal he ordered. I stared at the ring on my fin-
ger. This was something I’d been looking forward to yet
everything seemed so bland.
77
I convinced myself that it had nothing to do with the mon-

ey in my bank account. Wale was ready to settle down but
somewhere in my heart I could sense something terrible
was coming.
************
I love working with Taiwo. Taiwo and I became buddies

the first week I resumed at Pavilion. He was the first guy
I’ll meet who had pink lips. He was cheerful and always
had my back. The first day at work, I’d been a little dis-
turbed when I found out I’d be posted to the Marketing
department. I didn’t like the fact that I had to be looking
for clients up and down.
Taiwo assured me that I would get a hang of it. He showed

me all I needed to get started. I picked up well and by the
third month of my stay there, my boss was impressed with
my work.
Anyway, something happened few days to my twen-

ty-seventh birthday. I was walking down the corridor to
my office when my boss, the head of the marketing depart-
ment informed me that some big guns were in town from
Abuja. He wanted me to introduce one of our recent travel
packages to them.
“Who is going with me?” I asked.
“Tosin.” My boss responded.
Why would he choose Tosin to go with me? I’d never

78
worked directly with her but the things I heard about her
put me off. I didn’t want a person who did dirty work.
“Sir, why not Taiwo. I work better with him.”
My boss didn’t answer me. He thrust his hands into his

pocket and walked away. I stood there frustrated, won-
dering how I was going to handle the task with Tosin. I
had barely taken a few steps when she came out of the
rest room in a mini gown that had the neck line so low her
breasts were almost popping out.
Her make-up was heavy. At least it covered perfectly the

dark grey spots and the redness on one side of her face.
I remember the day she walked into the office without
make-up, I almost shouted. It was as if I was looking at
a different person. Whoever invented concealer is really
cruel. You can’t even tell people’s real faces again.
I stopped and rolled my eyes at her. “Is this your market-

ing strategy?”
“Do you have a problem with it?” Tosin smirked. “I don’t

even know why Stephen put us together. SU won’t get the
job done. Don’t take all your born-again attitude there o.
This is a huge deal to land. No spoil work for me.”
I stood there and wanted to lash out at her. I wanted to ask

her if she had ever used her brain to get anything in her
life. I was so angry that I hissed and walked away.
All the clients I’d brought to the agency had been through
intelligent persuasions. I was going to win this deal with
my brain.
79
But I was wrong. Who these guys really were and where
they got their money from, I can’t say. They kept licking
their lips and winking at us as I spoke about the travel
packages my office was offering. Tosin leaned seductively
towards one of the guys. While he ogled her, his partner’s
eyes fell to my chest. I was embarrassed. He grinned and I
wondered what was amusing about travel packages.
The guy beside Tosin touched her chin tenderly. “We love
this package and we are ready to pay thirty percent right
away. You’ll get the check tonight at our hotel room with
something extra. There will be a lot of fun.”
Tosin chuckled. “I like the sound of that.”
I was fuming seriously. How can a woman be so cheap?

What nonsense was this?
The guy who had been flirting with her winked at me.
“We’ll be expecting you too.”
They gave us the address to the hotel they were lodged.

We gave them our business cards and returned to the car
park where the driver was waiting for us.
In my few months as a marketer, I had never experienced

anything like this. It’s true that some of my clients had
asked me out on a date but they’d relaxed when they knew
what I stood for. It was enough that I was intelligent and
knew my onions. But this was different. These ones looked
like guys who were either spoilt brats of wealthy fathers or
men who had stolen large sums of money and didn’t know
what to do with it.

80
When we got back to the office, I met Taiwo chatting with

the receptionist. Tosin walked past, flashed them a smile
and said a quick hello. Taiwo wrapped his arm around my
shoulder when I got to the reception desk. A heavily preg-
nant woman sat behind the large brown desk.
“Hi Rebecca.” I said to the receptionist. She smiled warmly

and reclined on her chair.
“Let me guess, you didn’t have a good time.” Rebecca said.

I looked from Taiwo to Rebecca. “Does she always flaunt
her body around clients?”
Taiwo thrust his hands into his pockets. “There are clients
Stephen will never let her talk to. You can never find her at
presentations that require intelligent discussions.”
“Then why did Stephen ask me to go with her. They should

have picked one of the other girls.”
Rebecca smiled. “Stephen wasn’t sure what the clients re-

ally wanted. So he merged body and brains together. If
they wanted sex, Tosin was surely the right pick but if they
were looking for an intelligent deliberation, then you’ll fit
in. Either way, the company does not lose out on the deal.”
I was still upset. “Abeg, they should just leave me out of
any stupid meeting. Imagine, they were asking us to pick
up the check at their hotel room tonight.”
Rebecca and Taiwo laughed. Taiwo reached for a cup

of cold water from the dispenser and handed it to me. I
gulped it down and asked for another.
“You should know they won’t give it to you until sex

81
comes into play.” Rebecca pointed out.
“Of course, I’m not a child. Me like this, open my body to

those dogs. God forbid.”
We chatted briefly about other things and I returned to my

office. I grabbed my purse and left to get something to eat.
That night, I had just fallen asleep when my phone rang.
I looked at the caller ID but the number was unfamiliar. I
answered it.
“Hello, this is Tosin. I’m already at the hotel. Where are

you?”
I stared at the phone screen and placed it back to my ear.

“Are you kidding me? You woke me up from sleep to ask
me this?”
I ended the call and switched off the phone.
The following morning, Tosin stormed into the office,

dropped her handbag on her table and walked to mine.
“You think you are better than some of us. You’ve not seen
anything yet. Life will show you pepper. Nonsense!”
I ignored her and returned to the proposal I was working

on. I was not angry, just irritated. I guessed my silence an-
noyed her more.
“I don’t want to ever work with you again. You are a pain
in the ass!”
I shook my head as she went back to her table. What re-

82
sponsible man would marry a girl like her? How can some-
one jump from one bed to another and still feel normal?
I finished drafting the proposal and printed it out. As I

placed the proposal in a folder, my eyes caught a note un-
derneath it. I reached for it.
Hey babe, Will you go on a date with me, please?

Taiwo.
I smiled. Even if I wasn’t engaged to Wale, Taiwo wasn’t

an option. Apart from the fact that office romance wasn’t
my thing, Taiwo was darkness if you know what I mean.
I wrote a reply note to him. Thankfully, I had an easy way

out of this without hurting him.
Taiwo, I am engaged. I value your friendship a lot. Hope this

doesn’t change anything.
Stephen came out of his office. “Yemisi, come to my office

now.”
I slipped the note into Taiwo’s laptop bag before entering

my boss’ office. I was ready to defend myself if Stephen
asked why I didn’t show up at the hotel. If I had to lose
this job , so be it.
Stephen didn’t bring it up. He gave me a file and asked me

to work on another proposal.
***************

83
There was no week my sister didn’t ask me for money.

It’s not like I’m trying to be tight-fisted with money, I just
didn’t like that she was dependent on me. Besides, I had to
support my parents who lived on the little they got from
their farm. Two weeks ago, mum called asking for some
money for dad’s medical treatment. I felt it’d be nice if we,
my sister and I, send money to them every month.
I shared my concerns with Taiwo. He suggested we get

Yewande a place where she could sell soft drinks. I loved
the idea and jumped at it. At least, she’d have somewhere
to go to everyday.
We drew out a budget. I made enquiries for soft drinks

and contacted a woman who supplied donuts and egg-
rolls. Taiwo sorted out a perfect location close to a busy
construction site. There was only one vacant shop space
left in the shopping complex. Someone had tried to secure
the space by paying half of the rent with a promise to finish
up payment. He hadn’t and the owner was ready to give
the space to anyone who could make the full payment. I
transferred the amount to him that same day.
Excited about securing the place, I went to Yewande’s

house. Since I moved out of her house to the temporary
apartment Wale’s friend offered me, I’d not visited her.
Yewande was watching a Yoruba movie on African magic

when I entered her house that Saturday morning. One of
her daughter slept beside her on the sofa while the other
two played with their toys. Yewande screamed for joy and
ran to hug me. The girls left their toys and squealed in
delight. The noise woke my sleeping niece up. I gave them
the biscuits and sweets I’d gotten for them. Yewande told
84
them to go into their room.
I settled on the sofa with my sister. I told her about the

business. I had paid for the shop and it was the drinks
and snacks that needed to be settled. Someone was ready
to sell his refrigerator to us. I had contacted an electrician
that’d help with the electrical wirings. I assured her that
she’d be able to make lot of sales.
My sister frowned. “So you are saying that I’ll be selling

soft drinks and snacks.” She sighed. “I don’t know if I can
do it.”
I wanted to shake her and tell her she’d be foolish to lose

an opportunity like that “Yewande, you’ll make a lot of
money in that place.”
Yewande folded her hands. “I’m not interested jare. I want

to open a restaurant. Not buka o. I mean a proper restau-
rant with nice tables and fine cutlery. How can I be selling
soft drinks? Yemisi, think about it too. Graduate like me
selling snacks. I deserve something good too. I’m really
sorry about the rent you’ve already paid.”
The curtain to Yewande’s room opened. Yewande’s hus-

band appeared in a singlet and knickers ready to explode.
He glared at his wife and I was wondering if I was again
going to be in the middle of another drama.
“Just look at you.” Her husband started. “Lazy old brat!

What about the money I gave you for the restaurant busi-
ness? Where is it? Today you want to start a foundation.
Next tomorrow a consultancy firm. The other time it was
baby wears you wanted to sell. Last year, you said you’d
85
open a shop to sell foodstuffs in bulk. The money I gave

you disappeared into thin air.”
He looked at me. “Your sister is all talk and no action. All

she knows how to do is build castles in the air. I want to do
this, I want to do that, na only mouth she get.”
Yewande flared up. “If you were man enough, would we

still be living in this dilapidated two bedroom flat?” She
pointed at the wall. “Just look at the cracks everywhere.
Imagine the kind of life you brought us into.”
Her husband fired back. “Nonsense! Don’t turn the search-

light on me. At least, I’m trying. You are not living under
the bridge, are you? If I knew you were this lazy, I swear
I would not have married you. For seven years, you have
never brought anything good to this marriage.”
Yewande clapped her hands. ‘Stupid man. Do you think

I’d have married you if I knew you would drag me into
poverty? This wasn’t the life I planned for myself. I had
enough as a single lady. Every weekends, I had dates.
Men picked me up in expensive cars for dinner dates. I ate
whatever I wanted. I-“
“And you think they would have stayed if they discovered

you were just a pretty woman with an empty head? The
only good thing you know how to do is pop out babies.
I wish you could be productive the way you handle the
baby factory.”
I stood up. “Please, you guys should stop.”
Yewande’s husband hissed as he picked his shirt from the

86
chair and walked towards the door.. “You should be hap-

py I’m still stuck with you. I’m not sure how long I can
take this.”
The three children stood together watching their parents.

Yewande kept shouting at her husband. “Go if you want
to go! I don’t even need you in my life!”
She sat down, fuming. Her body was trembling. “Non-

sense. Did you hear him? The only good thing I know how
to do is pop out babies. Is he not the one that will not allow
me rest every night? He should come and meet me again. I
am baby factory abi? Okay. If I allow him touch me again,
my name is not Yewande.
“He’ll sleep out if you deprive him of sex.” I said.
“Who says he isn’t already having an affair. Is it because

I’m not saying anything?”
I looked at my wristwatch. “Yewande, I’m seeing Wale in

a couple of minutes. I have to go.”
“What about the money?”
I frowned. “Which money?’
“The money for the business. Give it to me. I’ll determine

what to do with it.”
“I’m not giving you any money. Your husband has a point.
You are always in love with everything and you can nev-
er make progress that way. You start something and back
out when it gets tough. Results are birthed by commitment
87
and consistency. You can’t live a successful life by depend-

ing on your feelings.”
“I can’t believe my own sister is taking sides with my

husband. You know what, I don’t need your money and I
don’t need your help. Let God strike me if I ever ask any-
thing from you again. Get out of my house!”
I was exasperated by my sister’s outburst. I should be

the one boiling with anger. Did she think I had money to
waste?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”
“Get out!”
I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the house. I vowed

never to help my sister again.

Chapter
Six
89
W ALE PICKED ME UP at Adiat bus stop. He had fi-

nally agreed to see my spiritual parents and I was
already having mixed feelings about the meeting.
There was something I noticed with Wale after we offi-

cially kicked off the relationship. He showed a commit-
ment that was beyond my expectation. He called at least
twice a day. He ensured we prayed together every night.
Wale never withheld affirmations, especially when he dis-

covered that words of affirmation was my primary love
language. Although I still didn’t like that he sometimes
compared me with some of the young ladies in the busi-
ness circle, I convinced myself that it was the push I need-
ed.
“My beautiful wife. I’ve missed seeing your sweet face.”

Wale said when I climbed into his car. He wrapped an arm
around my shoulder and pulled me gently against him. I
sunk into his warmth and pinched his stomach playfully.
“I missed you too.” I whispered.
When we pulled into the express, traffic had crawled to

a standstill on our lane, but the other lane was free and
cars sped past without any hitch. I immediately wished we
were on the other lane. It was a hot sunny day and Wale’s
car didn’t have an air-conditioner. I fanned myself with a
handkerchief already soaked with my sweat.
“I’ve gotten the name for our church.” Wale said, excitedly
It didn’t click at first and when it did, the smile disap-
peared from my face. Church? Wale never discussed any-
thing about starting a church. I mean, he’d spoken so much
90
about going into full time ministry but he had mentioned

not once or twice that he was not ready to start out until
the next five years.
I still remember that we talked about the structure of the

ministry. Wale said he wanted a forum where young peo-
ple could flow in the things of the spirit and the minis-
try would be non-denominational. Which one is church
again? Who would be the members?
Still, I needed to tread softly and not come off as unsup-

portive. “How are you going to combine your job with
running a church?”
He smiled. “I’ll be resigning by the end of the month.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
Wale squeezed my hand briefly before reaching for the

steering. The traffic had eased off. He gave the road his full
concentration until he took the bend that led to Maryland.
He kept driving in silence until we were halted by a traffic
light ahead. It was then Wale finally gave me his attention.
“Yemisi, as I speak to you now, God is upset with me. He

has been nudging me to step out long before now but I’ve
been struggling with it. He reminded me again last week. I
can’t keep disobeying the instructions of God.”
I stared at him, baffled. “I don’t get you. Few weeks ago,

you said you were not ready to step out. You told me it
was a non-denominational ministry you planned to run.
Why are you now starting a church?”

91
Wale smiled. “The path of the just is like a shining light

that shines more and more until the perfect day. Sweet-
heart, you can’t just hear instruction once without checking
again in your spirit. Sometimes, the things you hear might
not be God. Mine has been drawn out of fear. I didn’t want
to go through the rigours of starting a church. Yet that was
what God really wanted me to do.”
I let out a deep breath. “Do you have plans on ground?”
He said he did. He had a solid team. Seven of his mentees

are joining him in starting the church. They were work-
ing on strategies to get members. Flyers would be released
before the end of the month. Two of those mentees were
digital marketers. They knew how to pull a crowd.
I was really angry that preparations had been going on

without my knowledge.
“Do you have a venue yet?”
He nodded. “A tentative one though. If we are going to

attract the kind of members we desire, we have to do this
big. It has to be classy and top-notch. When people step
into Pure Heaven Assembly, they’ll know that we are
unique.”
Pure Heaven Assembly. What a name. It sounded like my

favourite biscuit, Pure Bliss. The name didn’t seem spiritu-
al. Was there a heaven that was not pure?
Wale continued. “We’ll be using the conference hall of Te-

lilah Resorts temporarily until we move to our permanent
site. I love that hall! There is a nice conference hall there.
92
Fully air-conditioned. Nice atmosphere. There is no way

the presence of God will not flow heavily in that hall.”
I stared at my fiancé with my mouth wide opened. “How

much will it cost you to rent the hall every Sunday?”
“Thirty thousand naira.’ He smiled. “Why are you sur-

prised? With God everything is possible.”
I didn’t know how to respond. We were close to my men-

tor’s house. I pointed at a large brown gate with AKANBI
ESTATE inscribed on an arch above the gate. We drove in
and continued several streets until we got to an unpainted
fence covered with barbed wires.
Wale turned off the engine and leaned towards me. “Ye-
misi, we are going to reach the four corners of the earth.
Anointing attracts men. As the Lord gives to me, I release
to the people of God.”
Wasn’t this the kind of man I’d been praying for? A man
committed to the work of the ministry? I should be happy
he was determined to obey God. After all, my duty was to
support the work in his hands. The proof that I truly loved
him would be my commitment to his ministerial assign-
ment.
“I want us to get married next month Yemisi. The work

ahead is huge. If we are married, ministry will be less
stressful for me. Together we will bring nations to their
knees.”
I sighed deeply. “Next month is just two weeks away.

Wale that’s too close.”
93
He weaved his fingers into mine. “We don’t need a big

wedding. Just something small. Last weekend in March is
perfect Yemisi. We could travel next weekend to see your
parents in Ijebu-igbo. Besides, your mum is eager to see
me. Remember the first time we spoke on the phone, she
kept asking when we’ll be travelling down to see her. This
could just be an opportunity to put a smile on her face.”
My heart bubbled with joy at the thought of getting mar-

ried. Still, I didn’t show my excitement. I didn’t want Wale
feeling like I wanted more than anything to get married to
him.
“I’ll have to talk to my Pastor and my mentor about it.”
Wale frowned. “I am your Pastor. I hope you know you’ll

have to leave your church once ours kick off. Our first ser-
vice will be in March and you must be by my side. No ex-
cuses. We’ll inform your mentor about our wedding plans
today. We are not seeking for permission. We are inform-
ing them. Nothing stands against our union.”
We entered my mentor’s house. I flew into the arms of my

mentor’s husband. Papa D looked so robust and healthy
even with a fringe of grey-white hair gathered on the side
of his head. His eyes lit up as I gaze into them. I had seen
Papa only once in two years. He’d been running a course in
South Africa for a year and attended another short course
for six months.
Wale prostrated flat before my mentors. Papa looked

down at him, frowning. I stood beside Papa wondering
what was going through his mind.

94
“Finally, Wale shows up in our house.” Mama D said,

pulling Wale to his feet.
I was worried. “Papa, why are you looking at him like

that?” I whispered.
He quickly flashed me a smile and reached for my hand

as we walked into the living room. I took the beverages
Wale had brought to the kitchen. When I returned, Wale
was talking to them.
“I’m not trying to boast, but the anointing of God upon

my life has liberated many people from the claws of the
devil.” Wale said. “I flow in the supernatural flawlessly.”
He talked about the woman who had been instantly healed

of fibroid after prayers. He spoke about the demonstration
of the power of God during his ministrations. Quietly I
watched the reactions of my spiritual parents. Would they
be impressed by his accomplishments? Papa D interrupted
him at a point.
“Who is your Pastor?”
Wale laughed. “I have many mentors I learn from. If you

know Apostle Teri Sanusi, one of the renowned ministers
of God in this country, I have worked personally with
him.”
“You haven’t answered my question.” Papa D pressed.

“Who are you accountable to? What local church do you
attend?”
“Sometimes I attend The Lord’s Army Bible Church and at

95
other times, Fullness of Grace Assembly.”
Papa D was not satisfied. “Do you have anyone who over-
sees your life? Are you a lone ranger? I really want to
know, who are you accountable to?”
Wale was getting upset. “I don’t have that time. Besides

I’ve not seen anybody that understands in full details the
nature of my call. The truth is, I’m always busy with the
work of the ministry. I had to cancel an important engage-
ment just to be here. Ministerial assignment saps most of
my time.”
The couple sat there listening as Wale continued to talk

about himself. I wanted him to stop talking because he
wasn’t making sense again.
Wale broke the news. “Yemisi and I are planning to get

married next month. It’s going to be a small wedding with
just family and friends.”
Colour drained from my face. I could see the shock on

their faces. I wished Wale had allowed me to inform them
first, it’d have been easier for them to deal with the news.
The house help walked into the dining room with a food
warmer. Plates and cutlery were already neatly arranged
on the table.
Mama D stood up. “Lunch is ready.”
We ate lunch in silence, except for the clinking sound

made by our spoons and forks. When Papa D finished his
meal, he wiped his mouth with a clean towel napkin and
turned to Wale.
96
“You are a powerful vessel for this generation but you have
to calm down. Don’t jump ahead of the process God wants
you to go through. Get your foundation right and follow
the Lord step by step. There are instructions the Lord will
give to you that are not for the moment. It’s important you
only move with God at his pace.”
Wale placed his spoon gently on the empty plate. “Sir, I

understand all you have said. I know what God is saying
to me per time and I am following him as he leads.”
Papa shrugged. “Alright. I wish you all the best. It was

great having you around.”
Wale smiled and looked at Mama. “Thanks for the meal.

I really enjoyed it. It reminds me of my mum’s delicious
meals.”
“You are welcome to join us anytime.” Mama said.
I cleared the dishes and joined Kudirat to wash and dry

them. When I was done, Wale was ready to leave. I saw
him off to the gate.
“I can’t leave now Wale.” I said. “I need to stay around for

a while.”
Wale thrust his hands in his pocket and looked back at the
house. “Mama D is accommodating but her husband re-
minds me of my former Pastor. I detest men like that who
enjoy breathing down the necks of young ministers. Why
are they unhappy that we are zealous for the work of God?
How many people can throw away enviable careers for
full time ministries? No matter what anyone says, we have
97
counted everything as dung for the sake of Christ. Nobody

will clip my wings.”
He pulled me close to his side. “Don’t let them put ideas

into your head.”
I nodded and waited until his car disappeared out of sight.

Back in the living room, Papa was reading a newspaper
while Mama watched a documentary on TV. Mama D was
clearly unhappy. She turned off the TV before I had the
chance to sit down. Papa also put down the newspaper he
was reading.
“Yemisi, do you really know what you are getting yourself

into? That man answers to nobody. He clearly will not lis-
ten to anyone.” Mama D said.
Papa D patted the space beside him. “Sit here.”
I sat down quietly and waited for their reprimands. It was

clear they didn’t approve of Wale. I wish they had attend-
ed meetings where Wale moved in the supernatural and
preached with so much fire. Wale may have some flaws
but there was no doubt that he exudes the power of God.
“Why did you leave Cornerstone College?” Papa asked.

I hesitated, wondering how to answer the question. Do-
tun’s death had hit me hard. I had left because I wanted to
shut out any memory of my fondness of him. I wanted to
kill the thoughts that reminded me of my failure in stop-
ping his death. I had to leave for my own mental health.
“I perceived my time at the school was over. I needed to
move on to other things.”

98
“Are you sure?” Mama said. “I thought your leaving was

tied to your student’s death.”
I wished I had left with Wale. I sighed. “That was part of

it. I believe it was time for me to leave.”
Papa kept quiet for a long time. That’s how I’d come to
know him. He was a deep thinker and there were times
his silence bothered me. You’d raise an issue with Papa
expecting to receive a quick counsel and Papa would not
say anything until after a while.
Finally, he patted my back gently. “Yemisi, we love you. I

hope you know we can’t choose your spouse for you but
we can guide you into making the right decisions. Your
mother here prays for you every night. You should see her
groaning in prayers. Her desire is for God’s plan to be ful-
filled in your life. We have nothing else to do than to pray
for all the children the Lord has placed in our care. Our
heart cry is that the divine will of God would be birthed
in your life.”
“Thank you so much.” I looked from Papa to Mama and

bowed slightly.
“Now to the other important matter.” Papa continued.

“You have not told us anything that shows that you are
led to this brother. My wife has been keeping me up to
date. All you have informed us so far are emotional jargon
that holds no stamina. In light of the facts we have before
us, you are going to take a break from this relationship.’
I looked at Papa D, shocked. “Sir?”

99
“You heard me. You will pray one hour daily for the next
forty days. I want a weekly report sent to my mail. In the
body of the mail, you will state the time you started each
day and the time you finished. During this time too, you
will stop every communication with Wale until the end
of the prayers. You need to come to a point where your
emotions are not influencing what God has to say about
this issue.”
I’d lose my mind before the end of the first week if I didn’t
talk to Wale. “Papa what you are asking me to do is really
difficult.”
“There is nothing difficult about taking a temporary

break!” Mama snapped. “Get a grip on your emotions for
goodness sake.”
Papa tapped my shoulders. “At first it might be difficult

to stay away from him. But as you keep praying, it’ll be-
come a lot easier. Listen, we are not saying you should not
marry. Let me repeat what I said earlier. We can’t choose
a spouse for you. If at the end of the prayers, you return
to tell us you are convinced about him, then we’ll accept
your decision. You can be sure we’ll also be praying along
with you.”
Papa’s words stayed on my mind after I left his house. I

walked down my street, my mind torn in different direc-
tions.
Maybe this was what I needed to get my heart at peace. I

said this because there were times I feared I was walking
out of God’s will and there were other times I was excited
about the relationship. There were days I had to convince
100
myself that no marriage was perfect. Wale was human like

anyone else. I had my flaws too. I convinced myself that
by the wisdom of God, we’d be able to sort out our differ-
ences.
When I told Wale about the assignment my spiritual par-

ents had given me, he was so angry that I could feel him
vibrating even though it was a phone call.
“I said it. That man does not like me. What did I do wrong?
Why is he jealous of the grace of God upon my life? Is it
wrong for a young man to flow in the power of God?”
I was puzzled at Wale’s words. “What does jealousy have

to do with this Wale? We just need to be convinced about
what we are doing.”
“What other conviction do we need Yemisi! We are doing

fine. Our dreams align well. We are passionate about the
work of God. What else do you want? How else does God
speak? They just want to drag this matter unnecessarily.
I’m sorry to say this, but choosing a spouse is not as dif-
ficult as people make it to be. Where in the bible did God
say we have to pray for forty days to get convinced about
our spouse?”
I stopped by a shop on my street to get a cold drink. “Wale,

I think they-”
“Don’t make excuses for them please. If you want to fol-

low their instructions, fine. But listen to me, if you take
a break from this relationship, that’s the end. Don’t ever
come back to me because I will not take you back. I need
a woman who is stable and not tossed to and fro by every
101
wind of opinion. Let me know what your decision is be-

fore the end of today.”
Wale ended the call. Panic overwhelmed me so much that

sweat broke out on my forehead. I collected the bottle of
fanta and my four hundred change from the seller and
continued my journey home.
I was torn between obeying my spiritual parents and

keeping the relationship going. Were Papa and Mama be-
ing heartless? Were they really doing this to get me to stay
away from Wale? What should I do? I didn’t want to lose
my fiancé. My heart was already broken with the way he
yelled at me over the phone. Maybe I was wrong to have
agreed to a temporal break-up. It was my responsibility to
stay by my man.
A black tinted car stopped beside me, hooting continuous-

ly. I stopped to see who it was. The man behind the wheels
rolled down the car window.
Jide. Wale’s friend. He was the man who’d helped me se-

cure the job at Pavilion. He’d also provided a temporary
accommodation in a four-bedroom flat built by his father. I
wondered if he had come to chase me out of the house. Of
course, he had every right to do so.
I’d spent enough time in my new job to get my own apart-

ment. I had no right to take his kindness for granted but
the fact remained that there was no money to rent an
apartment and I did not want to return to my sister’s place.
“Hop in.” Jide said and opened the passenger door. I
obeyed.

102
He smiled. “You need to get a car soon. A beautiful lady

like you should not be trekking.”
I smiled. “Thank you sir.”
We got to the house and I immediately apologized for not

moving out yet. I asked for more time to get enough mon-
ey to rent my apartment. Jide waited until we were settled
in the bigger sitting room before responding.
“Yemisi, you can stay here for as long as you want. My fa-
ther knows you are here and he is comfortable with it. We
don’t want to rent this house out because my dad and my
siblings stay here whenever they come into the country.
Don’t get another apartment. Be comfortable here.” He
moved a step away. “I’ll be right back.”
Jide went into his father’s room, while I entered my room

and pulled off my gown. I changed into jeans and a white
t-shirt and waited for him in the living room. He came out
moments later, holding a blue clear bag that had docu-
ments neatly arranged in it.
I served him a cup of yoghurt. “Forgive my curiosity. Why

did you choose to reside in Festac when you have access to
a four-bedroom apartment just thirty minutes away from
work?”
Jide put the half-filled cup on the Center table and smiled.
He sat on the arm of one of the sofas.
“My mum asked the same question after I got married. It’s
complicated. My wife does not want to have anything to
do with my father’s properties. There is another one just
103
few streets away from this place that we sold to a business

tycoon. Dad wanted us to stay there but she vehemently
refused. She preferred we rented our apartment with our
own money.”
“That’s incredible.” I stood up to go to the kitchen. “What

would you like to eat? There is vegetable soup in the
freezer.”
“Don’t bother jare. My wife was preparing dinner when I

left the house. I dare not eat anything until I get home or
else we’ll fight again tonight.” He shook his head. “Wom-
en. Even a four year course is not enough to understand
you.”
I laughed. “That’s why we are special.”
“That’s true. Women are special. I can’t trade my wife for

anything. She is my best friend. We may not agree on ev-
erything but I love her very much.”
“I’ll love to meet her someday.”
“Hopefully.” He stood up. “I came to get some documents

for my father. I should get going before my wife calls me.”
He motioned for me to follow him. “I got bread for you.
It’s in the car.”
We went out of the house together. Jide reached into his

car and brought out a loaf of coconut bread.
I took it from him. “Thank you so much Jide.”
He started the engine. “How’s Wale?”

104
“He’s fine.”
“You guys should do and marry o. The Yoruba demons

are waiting eagerly. We want to storm that wedding in our
correct agbada and please we are not taking malt drinks at
the party. Tell Wale to make an exception for us. Gulder
and Heineken all the way. We are coming to scatter that
place.”
It is not at my wedding you will display your madness. I chuck-

led. “The date will be communicated to you.”
Jide shot his head out of the window as he drove out of

the compound. “If you need anything, let me know okay?”
“Definitely.”
Wale didn’t pick my call that night. I tried it a couple of

times, he still didn’t answer it. I was worried. I decided to
leave him a message.
I love you Wale. I’m not letting you go. Don’t be angry with me
please. I love you so much.
My phone beeped.
I love you too Yemisi. I’ve not stopped thinking about you since
our last discussion. What can I do without you? I want you by
my side always. I want you to be the mother of my children. I
want us together to fulfil God’s plan for our lives. We’ll talk once
I’m done with my bible study. I love you my queen.
Those words were a balm to my soul. Butterflies danced in

105
my stomach and I couldn’t stay still. I was obsessed about

Wale’s text and even after I lay down on the bed waiting
for his call, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
We would get married in March as planned. After the wed-

ding, I’ll apologize to my spiritual parents. They’ll have no
choice but to forgive me. You don’t throw a baby out with
the bathwater right?

Chapter
Seven
107
W ALE AND I TRAVELLED TO IJEBU-IGBO to see my

parents. I had informed them about the proposed
date for the wedding. Dad had kicked against it at first
but mum had convinced him there was no need to waste
any more time. The trip was for two purposes. One was to
formally introduce him to my parents as the man I wanted
to marry and the other was to fix a convenient time for the
introduction ceremony.
Yewande refused to come with me. She was still angry

over the money for the soft drink business. My Pastor had
no idea I was planning any wedding. I had deliberately
kept it away from him. If he knew my plans, he’d insist
I put the wedding plans on hold and serve disciplinary
action for six months for not informing the marriage com-
mittee of the church about the proposal.
I could not ask Abigail to come with me. She’d have to

tell her mum who would inform my mentor and I’d be in
trouble.
Mum came out of the small bungalow where I’d been

raised. The walls were still not cemented and the nets were
torn and patched. At the back of the building was the bath-
room. A chicken pen had been erected beside it. Two goats
and a few hen loitered around the frontage of the house.
“Welcome my children.” My mum said, dancing excitedly.
“We have been expecting you. Come in.”
My dad was sitting on a cane chair by the window. He

had aged greatly and my heart broke seeing how weak he
looked. We had almost lost him four years ago and since
he got out of the hospital, he had not been his usual cheer-
ful self. He still went to the farm but he could hardly do
108
much. Akin, my younger brother and the first son of the

family had taken over the affairs of the farm and the home.
Wale prostrated before my father. Dad patted him gently
on the back. I went to hug my father and kissed his fore-
head. The drinks arrived just as I left the living room for
my mother’s room.
“Have you bought your wedding gown?” My mother

asked as we sat on the bed.
“Not yet. I should do that soon.”
Mum went to an iron box and fished out a clean blue aso-
oke and white lace material.
“Is this okay for your introduction ceremony?” She asked,

holding them out for me to see.
My mum never ceased to amaze me. I wouldn’t be sur-

prised if she already bought the lace she’d wear for my
wedding.
“Sure. It’s perfect.” I said.
Mum began to dance in a circle. “My daughter is getting

married. I’m so happy. Wale looks very responsible. I like
him very much.”
“Where are my brothers?” I asked.
“They are on the farm. They’ll join us later.” She sat back
beside me. “Let’s talk about your sister. I don’t even un-
derstand her again. She acts as if she is not part of this fam-
ily. I hope you will not marry and abandon us. Imagine, I
109
asked her to send twenty thousand naira. She said she had
no money. She has not sent anything to us this year.”
“Mum, things are a little difficult for her. Just be patient

with her.”
Before we left the room to join the others, I looked around

my parents’ room. Nothing had changed. The floor was
the way it had been years ago. The curtains were old. Mum
still folded her clothes in locally made iron boxes. Lizards
still habited the walls. Everywhere looked the same.
My parents deserved better. Even if I didn’t have the re-

sources to give them the best of life, I could at least make
life more comfortable for them. I decided to send twenty
thousand naira home monthly. I’d also tell Akin to get a
carpenter to make a wardrobe for mum.
Wale enjoyed the wraps of amala and gbegiri he was served.

I sat there giggling and watching him lick his fingers and
sweat profusely. My mother was the best cook in town. I
took out a clean handkerchief from my bag and wiped the
sweat from his face.
My brothers arrived. Akin seemed taller and darker. Seyi

had not changed much. He had dropped out of school be-
cause there was no money to continue. I told him I’d see
that he returned to complete his studies.
My mother asked the question that scattered the whole

visit.
“What do you do for a living?” My mother asked.

110
Wale grinned, hoping he’d impress my parents with his

spiritual accolades. “I am the General Overseer of Pure
Heaven Assembly.”
The smile on my mother’s face disappeared. “You are a

Pastor?”
Wale nodded. “Yes I am. My church is committed to rais-

ing men and women who’ll become great influencers all
over the world.”
“Hmmm.” My mother sighed and looked at me. I under-

stood that expression. She didn’t like this one. Akin must
have noticed my worried countenance.
“Calm down.” He mouthed. “Everything will be fine.”
“When are we meeting your people?” My father asked, his

voice a little shaky.
“I was telling Yemisi on my way here that next weekend

would be a perfect time. I’ve already spoken to my parents
and they are eager to meet you.”
My mother stared at the ground. “They cannot come next

weekend. We have a major meeting in the community.”
Wale looked frustrated, “What about two weeks from
now. I believe that should work out fine.”
Racked with coughing spasms, my father held a small

cloth to his mouth. No one said anything until the spasm
passed. “What date did you fix for the wedding again?”
“Last weekend in March.” Wale answered.

111
My father sat back and was silent. “Why the rush?”
“I wonder.” My mother muttered. She was clearly no lon-

ger interested in the wedding.
“We are just seeing you for the first time and in a month,
you want to marry our daughter. We don’t do things like
that here.”
I was surprised to hear my mother say this. When I’d told

her about the plans, she had been excited and had en-
couraged me to get the wedding rolling. She said she had
married my father six weeks after they met. Why did she
suddenly change her mind now? What grievance does she
have against Pastors?
“Can I have a word with you?” My mother beckoned on

me. We went to her room. As we entered, she faced me.
“What kind of man did you bring home?”
I was confused. What kind of man did my mother expect

me to bring? “Mum, what are you talking about?”
“Of all the men in the city of Lagos, it was a Pastor you
brought to us.”
I was puzzled. “What do you have against Pastors for

goodness sake?”
“I hate them! They are thieves. All they do is manipulate

you until they suck you dry. The ones that we know to be
real Pastors are roaming the town in torn suits. You need
to see their shoes Yemisi. Their wives go around town beg-
ging for food. A man that does not have a job cannot marry
112
my daughter.”
I wanted to remind my mother that Yewande married a

man who had a car and a good job but at the moment he
had nothing to show for it. How do people even judge a
man by what he has at the moment? Don’t they know that
things change?
“Mum, not all Pastors are like that.”
“Shut up! What do you know? Send that man away and
bring me a proper son-in-law. I am not putting you under
any pressure. Take your time and get a man with correct
sense and money. You are not marrying that man. Don’t
you even pity your father? We suffered to put you in
school. It’s your time to take care of us!”
I left the house with Wale disturbed and confused. At

the motor park, as we waited for the bus to get filled up,
Wale stared out of the window with his hand on his chin. I
didn’t know what to say. We had no support. My spiritual
parents didn’t want us together and now my own mother
had rejected him. I reached for his palm and pressed it to
my face.
“Baby, everything will be fine. I’ll find a way to convince

my mother. It might take some time but I’m sure she’ll
change her mind. Akin has promised to talk to her. She
listens to my brother more than she does my father. She’ll
agree, you’ll see.”
Wale glanced at me and my heart broke to see the sadness

in his eyes. “I love you.”

113
My heart melted for him. “I love you too. We’ll get past
this.”
Wale smiled sadly and squeezed my hand. I rested my

head gently on his shoulder.
*****************
I walked into Telilah Resorts in my smashing tomato red

dress. It was the first Sunday service at Pure Heaven As-
sembly.
One of Wale’s mentee was arranging the chairs in the ho-

tel’s conference hall when I got there. Remember the lady
I said rolled her eyes at me one time I followed Wale for a
ministration? The one I perceived was having a crush on
my man? Oh yes, she was the first person to show up at
the service. She looked unhappy to see me and mumbled a
greeting before pulling out some chairs stacked against the
wall. When I reached for a chair, she stopped me.
“You don’t have to do anything. Just sit somewhere at the

back. I got this.”
I ignored her and joined in the arrangement of the chairs.

I was not going to let anybody upset me, definitely not a
girl who, if given the chance would ruin Wale’s ministry.
Of course, she has nothing to offer my man. I would be a
fool to feel threatened. She was just one cheap conceited
lady looking for a well-made man to jump on. She’d better
get it into her thick skull that I belong to Wale.
I imagined her mad with jealousy, eyes welled up in tears

when Wale announces our wedding date to the church.
114
Once I get married to Wale, I’ll put her in her place. No

lady dare disrespect me.
“Rubbish.” I didn’t realize I had spoken out aloud. She

glanced at me and continued with her work.
“What’s that your name?” I said, looking at her disgusted-

ly. “Elizabeth, can I get a rag to clean this place?” I said,
pointing at a table close to the entrance. She reached into a
white nylon bag and passed an old towel to me.
We worked in silence. When we were done, I stood aside

and glanced around the conference room of the hotel.
Two air-conditioners hung towards the front of the hall.

There was another one behind. A podium had been mount-
ed with brown rug covering the entire stage. My eyes went
to the front row where four luxurious leather chairs were
arranged. They were different from the other chairs in the
hall. I smiled. Soon, I’ll be sitting right beside my husband
in one of those chairs.
Wale arrived few minutes into the service time in a well-

ironed navy blue suit followed by another man who car-
ried his bible. I sat behind Wale smiling, my heart full of
joy. Ten people showed up. Two of them were newcomers.
At the end of the service, Wale was furious.
“Who were you expecting to fill up the empty spaces? An-

gels? This is not good enough. Only ten persons were in
attendance today. Do you know how heavily we paid for
this place?”
Wale faced a man wearing round spectacles. He had a

115
laptop in front of him. “Bro Yemi, what happened? It was

your duty to create awareness for this service. Today’s at-
tendance was nothing to write home about.”
Yemi cleared his throat. “We tried our best sir. We’ve been
sharing the church flyers around since Monday. I even
sponsored an ad for our services on Instagram.”
Wale settled into a chair in front of us. “This can’t happen

next week. We must engage in massive publicity. Every
evening this week, we’ll be going out to talk to people. If
we want this church to grow, it will require our commit-
ment and sacrifice.”
Elizabeth and I counted the offering. Three thousand nai-

ra. Wale demanded for the money and when I gave it to
him, his countenance fell.
“Yemisi you know we can’t give to this work the same

way our members do. We must surpass them. We are the
leadership of this church, we must task ourselves more.”
Wale said he’d drop me at home. He was quiet behind
the wheels and it made me uncomfortable. I touched his
shoulders.
“Wale, what’s wrong? I know you expected more from to-

day’s service but remember that seeds grow. Deeper life,
Winners, Redeemed Christian Church of God, all these
great ministries started small. Their numerical strength
didn’t happen in one Sunday.”
He glanced briefly at me. “That’s not what is bothering

me. We need funds. Can I get some money from you? I’m
expecting some money soon. I’ll return it once the cash
116
comes in.”
“How much are we talking about?” I asked.
“One hundred and fifty thousand naira.”
What! That was all of my salary. If I emptied my account,

how would I survive for the month? “I don’t have that
kind of money Wale.”
“What about hundred thousand naira. Listen, I promise

I’ll pay you back.”
I sighed. “That’s fine. Do you want me to send it to your

account?”
I typed in the code for the transfer. I remembered I had

saved Wale’s account number when he pleaded I send him
some money while I was still at Cornerstone.
“Yes.” Wale answered. I sent the hundred thousand naira

to him. My heart cut when I saw that I just had fifty thou-
sand naira left. I comforted myself with the fact that my
office still owed me forty thousand naira for commission
on the sales I made in the month.
Wale’s phone beeped. He smiled as he stared at the credit

alert on his phone. He parked by the side of the road and
hugged me tight.
“Thank you Yemisi. God bless you. I feel so relieved.”

Wale said, laughing. I was glad that he was happy. What-
ever it would cost me, I’d see that his ministry progresses.
As he pulled back into the road, he looked at me. “You left
117
your Pastor thirsty today.”
At first I didn’t understand what he meant. Then it oc-

curred to me what Wale was saying. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. It’s a learning process. Anyway, every Sunday,

make sure that there are two bottles of water for the Pas-
tor and possibly snacks. You can get these small cupcakes
they sell in eateries. Just something for the Pastor to nibble
at.”
I nodded. “Noted sir.”
I was melancholic after Wale dropped me at home. Again,

I felt used. I knew I shouldn’t feel that way. After all, if
the man you are in a relationship with needs help, wasn’t
it expected for his sweetheart to support him? Why was I
feeling like the support I was rendering Wale was a bur-
den.
I lay on my bed and the emptiness in my heart wouldn’t

go away. I didn’t have the strength to cook so I took garri
flakes topped with groundnut. That too didn’t go down
my throat well.
I was washing my cup under the kitchen sink when Ye-

wande called me. I hissed and rejected the call. Why was
she calling me after she’d decided to stay away from me?
The phone rang again. I still did not answer it. When it
rang the third time, I sensed something was wrong.
“Yes, what can I do for you?”
“Yemisi, Dad has been rushed to the hospital. Mum said

118
she tried reaching you earlier in the day.”
So now that money was involved, my sister knew how to

contact me. “I was in the church. My phone was switched
off.”
“We have to send money to mummy urgently. Dad is in a

coma.”
Fear gripped my heart. I moved away from the kitchen to

the living room and settled into one of the sofas. “Coma?”
Tears welled my eyes and I wished I’d not given Wale the
hundred thousand naira.
“How much does mum need?”
“A hundred thousand naira will do for now. He may likely

be transferred to a teaching hospital.”
I closed my eyes. “I don’t have that kind of money.”
“Yemisi, this is serious. You can’t be hoarding money at

this time. This is our father we are talking about.”
I flared up. “I said I don’t have that amount of money!” I

ended the call and paced the house thinking of what to do.
I imagined my father lying helplessly in the hospital and
the nurses shouting at my mother to get the bills paid
or they would throw him out. My phone started ringing
again. This time it was my mother. I couldn’t answer it
knowing I’d break down in tears. I had to figure out how
to get the money.
I felt depressed when I checked the amount I had as my

119
savings. I’d worked in Pavilion for three months and at

least each month I went home with nothing less than two
hundred thousand naira. I did not pay for rent. I didn’t
buy designer shoes or clothes. It was true that in the first
month, I’d sent fifty thousand naira home and thirty thou-
sand at another time.
How did money disappear from my hands?
That didn’t matter at the moment. It was how to raise a

hundred thousand naira for my father’s treatment I should
be concerned about. I emptied my account and savings
and sent eighty thousand naira to my mother promising to
send the balance. I was relieved when mum said Yewan-
de’s husband had sent twenty thousand to her earlier that
day.
The last one thousand naira I had got me to work the fol-
lowing day.
I refused to pick Wale’s call. I just didn’t feel like talking

to him. Taiwo noticed I was withdrawn and came to my
table. He closed my laptop and pulled me to my feet.
“Let’s go and have lunch.” He said. I wanted to refuse but

he wouldn’t hear it. I followed him to our regular lunch
spot.
“You’ve been quiet since morning.” He said, after we

placed our orders. “What’s wrong?”
I fought tears and tried to smile. “My father is in the hos-

pital and I am broke.”

120
He looked at me with love in his eyes. I wondered when

he’d get over the fact that we could never be together.
“Why didn’t you tell me Yemisi? You shouldn’t be going

through this alone.” He reached into his wallet and pulled
out his ATM. “How much do you need?”
I let out a deep breath. A part of me wanted to tell him not

to bother but I was too broke to refuse. “Just enough to
sustain me until we are paid our commission.”
“I heard we’ll be paid next week.” He held out the ATM to

me. “When we leave here, you can stop to withdraw some
money before going back to the office.” he paused.
“Don’t worry, dad will be fine.”
“Thank you.” I nodded.
So you can imagine how upset I was when Wale called at

the end of the following month to ask for fifty thousand
naira. He had not returned the hundred thousand naira he
borrowed yet he had the guts to ask me for another mon-
ey. If indeed he wanted to live by faith in his ministry, was
that faith connected with borrowing money everywhere?
Was that how men of God built their ministries?
I wanted to tell Wale to get a job and run the church along-
side. I wondered how a person could sit at home all day
and all he does is read his bible and pray.
“Wale, I don’t have any money to give to you! I pay my

tithe to your church. I contributed twenty thousand naira
just last week. My father is still recuperating and I have to
121
send him some money.”
“Is that why you are raising your voice at me Yemisi?”

Wale said, coolly.
I felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed by

all the numerous needs before me.”
Wale was clearly angry. “I’m asking you to support me

while I solidify the foundation for our ministry. This is not
going to continue forever. Do you think I’m comfortable
asking you for money? You know what, you can keep your
money. God will take care of his work.”
I was restless all night. I tried calling Wale in the morning

to apologize but he didn’t answer my call. For several min-
utes, I sat on my bed, my head aching badly. Where was I
getting things wrong? What exactly was wrong with me?

Chapter
Eight
123
A BIGAIL AND I FIXED Saturday morning for shop-

ping. Earlier in the week, Stephen, my boss had given
me twenty thousand naira as commission for a deal we
pulled off. I decided to spend the money wisely. On my
long list, I had foodstuff, beverages and toiletries. I figured
that if I have those items at home, even when I ‘m down on
cash, there’d be something to fall back on.
I got to the front door of Abigail’s house and heard Mama

D’s voice. I froze. I tip-toed away from the entrance.
There was no way I was going to walk in that door. The

other option was to go through the back door of the kitch-
en but still my mentor would see me because I’d have to
pass by the side of the sitting room to Abigail’s room. I
leaned on the wall, thinking of what to do.
My forty days prayer had elapsed and I’d not kept to even
a single day. The last time Mama called to ask why I had
not sent any report to Papa, I immediately pretended like
I couldn’t hear her and ended the call. I sent her a text that
I could not hear her properly and that I’d call her when I
had access to better signals. I felt really bad telling that lie
and it dampened my mood throughout that day. If I went
in now, she’d want a detailed report and I had none to
give.
I called Abigail. “Babe, I’m waiting outside for you.”
“You are waiting outside keh?”Abigail said. “Come inside

the house jare. I’ve not taken my bath yet.”
I heard Mama D’s voice in the background and she was

asking if I was the one on the other line. My heart almost
124
fainted when Abigail told her I was.
“Mama D is here.” Abigail said. “Come inside the house

my friend. I don’t know why you are in such a hurry.”
I had no choice now that Mama knew I was around. Every
step I took towards the front door made my heart beat fast-
er. If Mama asks if I was still communicating with Wale,
what would I say?
God, please don’t let Mama ask me any questions about

Wale. Please Lord, I prayed quietly.
The door opened before I reached the veranda and Abi-

gail leaned at the entrance in a camisole and knickers. Her
hairnet hung loosely on her head.
“Here she comes.” She said and hugged me as I climbed

the wide veranda. I pushed her away playfully.
“Smelling somebody. Go and take your bath.”
Abigail pulled my hand into the living room. Her mother

lay on one of the sofas with a pillow behind her head while
my mentor sat with her legs on a stool, eating from a plate
of fruit salad.
I went down on my knees and greeted them. “Ekaro ma.”

“Ka ro o. Bawoni.” Abigail’s mother asked how I was do-
ing. I responded that I was fine and reached for an empty
seat.
“I’ll be with you shortly. Time for a hot shower.” Abigail

said as she moved away from me. I wish I could go with
her.
125
She stopped and turned. “You want anything? There is

moi-moi in the kitchen.”
I shook my head, “I’m fine. I ate before leaving the house.”

Abigail left me in the hands of the two women. I sat there,
nervous. Mama D stared long at me and I knew I couldn’t
run away from answering questions about Wale.
“Why didn’t you want to come into the house?” Abigail’s

mother asked.
Before I could respond, my mentor cut in. “She is running

away from me.”
I frowned. “No mama, how can you say that?”
Mama raised her nose. “You young people think you can
be very smart. We may be getting old but it never affects
our spiritual sight. Did you obey the instruction we gave
to you?”
I didn’t answer. Mama waited for my response. When I

looked at her and said nothing, she smiled sadly.
“You didn’t end the relationship with him right?”
“Mama, I-”
Mama D raised her hand. “You don’t have to tell me. The
answer is clear enough. I hope you come to understand
that all we are doing is for your good. We don’t have any
ulterior motive. Have I ever tried to match make you with
any brother?”

126
I shook my head. “No ma.”
“Is there any brother we are trying to push in your face?”

“No, mama.”
“All we desire is that you birth the right conviction by

bringing your emotions under control in the place of
prayers. That’s all we seek. Well, we can’t force you to do
what you don’t want to do.”
Abigail’s mother just lay there watching us. Finally she sat
up and looked at me
“I’ll be organizing a two-day retreat for single ladies in

August. You are invited.”
My mentor’s eyes widened and her face broke into a wide

grin. She clapped her hands as she went over to sit with
her friend. “Bunmi this is interesting. So finally this meet-
ing is going to take place. I’m so happy.”
Abigail’s mother chuckled. “Sometimes, I feel I should

have done this long before now. I was busy pursuing a
career in a bank. I have risen to the position of a branch
manager but what significant impact have I made in peo-
ple’s lives?”
I was glad that the conversation had shifted away from

Wale. I stared admiringly at the beautiful woman who had
mothered my friend. The woman had refused to marry af-
ter giving birth to Abigail out of wedlock. Rather she’d
pursued her career and had become top in her field.
“Don’t talk like that.” My mentor said. “Your resources

127
have gone to places you couldn’t reach. Besides, you’ve

been a very active steward in the church for many years
now. When I see you working so diligently in the ushering
unit, I’m always impressed. Even with your tight schedule,
you don’t joke with your spiritual commitments. If God is
bringing this nudge to impact single ladies, it means you
have stepped into another season of your life. It doesn’t
change the fact that other seasons have been fruitful in
their own ways.”
I looked in the direction of Abigail’s room, waiting impa-

tiently for her to come out. The two women were engrossed
in discussion of their past exploits, while I sat there forgot-
ten. It was time to disappear before Mama raised ques-
tions I’ll not be able to answer.
As I stood up to go to Abigail’s room, my friend burst out

of her room in a long blouse over black leggings.
“I’m ready. Let’s go.” She took the car keys from the TV
stand and planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Don’t
miss me too much mum.”
Abigail’s mother smiled and slapped her daughter play-

fully on her back. “Drive carefully. Don’t bash my car
please.”
Mama D looked at me again. “Omo, I want to hear from

you.”
I bowed slightly. “Yes ma.”
*************
128
We walked from one shop to shop ticking our list and

dropping the items we had purchased into a big sac. When
the sac got filled, we opened another and by the time we
were done, we could hardly carry the heavy sacs.
On our way out of the market, I remembered I needed

some under wears. Instead of going out of the gate, we
crossed to the section of the market where underwear sell-
ers had their wares displayed in small narrow shops. We
stopped at the first shop. A fair skinned woman with thick
ibo accent reached for transparent nylon bag containing
different colours of brassiere. As I picked one that I liked,
someone shouted my name.
Abigail and I turned towards the voice. From a distance I

saw one of my students from Cornerstone College running
towards me. She flew into my arms and we almost top-
pled to the floor had Abigail and the underwear seller not
grabbed me from behind.
“Phoebe!” I said, pulling away enough to look at her face

and then drawing her into my arms again.
Tears filled Phoebe’s eyes. “Miss Yemisi, we miss you.

Please come back.”
My eyes were teary too. Memories that I’d buried resur-

rected. Holding Phoebe close took me back to Cornerstone
College. I was back there laughing with my students and
talking to them about life. With the beautiful memory
came the pain of losing Dotun.
“What are you doing here?”

129
She turned and pointed to a slender woman standing in

front of a shop negotiating the price of stockings. “I came
with my mother to the market.”
Phoebe’s mother turned in our direction and waved at me.

I waved back.
“We’ve been trying to reach you. Can I have your new

number?”
I punched my number into Phoebe’s phone and took hers.

I promised to give her a call before the end of the week.
I must confess, seeing Phoebe again stirred up emotions

I wanted buried. As much as I tried to act like everything
was fine, Abigail could tell that something was wrong.
“Something is bothering you.” Abigail said when we ar-

rived at my place.
I wrapped my fingers around a chilled bottle of pepsi on

the kitchen table. “I think I’m confused about myself, work
and relationship.”
Abigail squeezed my shoulders. “You can’t be confused

Yemisi. You may not know what to do yet but there is
light. There is clarity girl. We could pray together next
weekend.”
I folded my hands. “I’d love that so much. I need the clarity

badly.” I wrapped my hand around Abigail’s waist. “You
should get going now so you don’t get stuck in traffic.”
Abigail had barely driven away from the compound, when

130
calls began to flood my phone. My SS 2A students.
“Miss Yemisi, I can’t believe I’m speaking with you. Oh

my God! I’ve missed you.”
“Miss Yemisi, we need you. Nothing has been the same

since you left. Please come back.”
“At least come and say hi to us. Please Miss Yemisi.”
“We’ve not had any class teacher like you. We want you
back please.”
That night, I rolled restlessly on the bed. I miss them and

it made my heart ache badly. Even if I decide to go back
there, there was no way I’d be accepted, not with the way
I had left abruptly. There was no going back. I’d have to
look past the pain and face the future.
For a long time, I stayed awake.

Chapter
Nine
132
A BIGAIL SUGGESTED WE PRAY Friday night. The

plan was that I’d go straight to her place from work
and then leave for home on Saturday morning. But that
evening, as I left the office, I completely lost interest in
praying. Wale was still not talking to me and my boss, Ste-
phen had reprimanded me for a fundamental error I made
while drafting a proposal for one of the senator’s sons.
I was not in the mood for any kind of prayers. What I

wanted to do was go home, lock myself up in my room
and not talk to anyone.
I called Abigail to inform her I’d not be able to make it to

her house because I wasn’t feeling too well. I pleaded that
we move the prayers to the following weekend.
“I’m sorry about your health. You are healed in Jesus

name.” Abigail said. “Have you used any medication?”
“Abigail, it’s not that type of sickness. I just feel emotion-

ally down. Wale is not talking to me and I had a bad day
at work today.”
Abigail hissed. “Get down here my friend! I’m waiting for

you.”
Abigail ended the call before I had any chance to convince

her that I desperately needed to be alone. I stood at the bus
stop for almost thirty minutes torn between going home
and travelling to Abigail’s house. It would take me 4 to
5 hours to get to her house and it wasn’t as if she lived
outside Lagos. The traffic to her place was something else.
Anyway, I chose the latter.

133
It was almost 11p.m when I got to Abigail’s place, no

thanks to the heavy traffic.
Her mother was not back from work, so we sat in the liv-
ing room and waited for her to get home.
Abigail turned off the TV and looked at me. “Yemi-

si, I know God gave you a picture of the nature of your
spouse’s assignment but the fact that Wale is in full time
ministry is not enough to jump into conclusion on God’s
leading. Listen, I’m not saying he is not the one. I just want
to be sure you know what you are doing.”
I stared at the blank TV and at my friend. Was there any-

thing in my life that I was sure of? “I don’t even under-
stand myself any more. Right now, I’m more concerned
about my spiritual growth. I’m tired of struggling.”
“Your relationship is supposed to draw you closer to God.”
“Exactly!” I exclaimed. “Instead I feel drained out. It’s like

Wale does not really love me for who I am but because of
what he can get from me. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know.
But I have that feeling somewhere in my heart that I need
to take a step backward. It’s just so difficult to tear myself
away.”
“We’ll pray and seek God’s mind concerning this situa-

tion.”
I sighed. “Abigail, I’ve been praying. I can’t hear anything.

God just seem so far away from me.”
Abigail leaned forward. “God never leaves. You are his

134
daughter. You should know this basic truth already. He is

always with us, nudging us towards his will and purpose
but the problem is our receptivity to the instructions from
the Holy Spirit. God’s voice becomes clear to us to the de-
gree that our minds are available to receive. At this point,
you need extra help. You can’t handle this alone because
your mind is very much wrapped around Wale. I believe
when I join you to pray, I’ll be helping you create an at-
mosphere to clear the channel that’ll open you up to more
clarity.”
A car horn sounded. Abigail went to the window and

pulled back the curtain.
“Mum is back.” Abigail said, her face beaming with

smiles. We went outside and waited at the veranda as the
car pulled into the compound.
Abigail’s mum stepped out of the car. I could see her tired
face from the light that shone from the garage. She pointed
to the back seat and asked that we take in the things she
had bought.
I took her handbag and high heels while Abigail carried

two loaves of bread and two black nylon bags containing
wrapped akara balls. We got into the living room and im-
mediately dug into the akara.
“Oh my God! This is heavenly.” Abigail exclaimed as she

bit into one of the akara balls. I took one and chewed slow-
ly. We tore open a loaf of bread and ate it alongside the
akara.
“Remember we are going to pray tonight. Let’s eat small

135
small o.” Abigail said as she reached for the fourth ball. I
laughed. My stomach was already getting heavy but the
akara was so delicious that I didn’t want to stop.
We had finished one pack and were about to unwrap the

second nylon bag of akara when Abigail’s mother shouted
from the dining table.
“That’s enough! Don’t open that pack. Haba! Are you sure
you’ll be able to pray with the way you are eating like this?
If I had remembered that you had a prayer vigil, I wouldn’t
have bought the bean cakes.”
Abigail spoke with her mouth full. “Mummy, we will

pray. The Lord is our strength.”
Abigail’s mother was right. Five minutes into our prayer, I

could barely walk because my stomach was so heavy it felt
ready to burst. I was staggering around the living room
like a drunk woman. Abigail was also having a hard time
praying on her knees. She lay flat on the floor, praying in
tongues and gradually, her voice died down and was re-
placed by heavy snores.
I didn’t even bother waking her up. I jumped on the sofa

and slept off.
A loud voice woke me up. When I opened my eyes, Abi-

gail’s mother was standing behind the sofa holding a cup
of coffee. I yawned and rose to my feet. With the back of
my hand, I blocked the light streaming into my eyes from
the window. I turned and saw Abigail in the same position
as I had left her. She opened her eyes, closed them and
opened them again. Then she sat up.
136
“What time is it?” She said, rubbing the sleep from her
eyes.
Abigail’s mother sipped her coffee. “How was your prayer

meeting?”
Abigail frowned as she looked towards the window. “It’s

day already?”
“I can’t believe we didn’t pray.” I said. I checked the time.

It was few minutes past seven a.m.
Abigail’s mother came around to sit in front of the TV.

Andrew Wommack was on the screen, sitting with his bi-
ble opened on a table. I couldn’t hear what he was say-
ing because the volume was turned low. Abigail’s mother
looked at us. “When you were devouring akara and bread
anyhow, you did not remember that praying effectively
goes with having a light stomach.”
Abigail sighed and looked at me. “If you are not in a hur-
ry, we can still pray after I’m done with the house chores.”
I was already on my feet. I had to be home early to clean
up my place. “How can I help?”
Abigail looked around the living room. “I’ll put the dirty
clothes in the machine and clean up the kitchen. You can
help sweep the living room and veranda.”
Abigail’s mother put down the cup on a stool beside the

sofa. “Leave everything and go into your room and pray.
The chores can wait. Go and pray first.”
When we started praying, my mind wandered to Wale.

137
There was this deep love for him that consumed my heart.
I remembered the nice things we did together. I felt con-
vinced that Wale was the man for me and that I was just
looking for excuses to push a good man away. I pulled my
mind back to the prayers. I told God I couldn’t do anything
without him. I assured myself that I was his daughter and
that I had the boldness to stand in his presence without
fear or inferiority. I confessed that I knew what to do and
that my eyes are enlightened to know the will of God.
My mind wandered again to Pavilion and how that if I

continued to work there, I might one day take over from
Stephen. It wandered to Taiwo and to my other colleagues.
I was greatly distracted. I kept pulling my mind back to
the place of prayer. One minute, I’d be enjoying fellow-
ship. The next, my mind would be playing back annoying
images and thoughts.
Abigail stopped the prayer. “I feel the Lord will have us

pray some scriptural prayers right now as we also pray in
the spirit. We will take hold of our emotions and deliber-
ately bring it under the obedience of Christ.”
My phone rang. I had forgotten to turn off the ring vol-

ume. My heart jumped when I saw it was Wale. I wanted
so badly to pick it up. Abigail saw my facial expression
and knew who it was. She snatched the phone from my
hand and declined the call before switching off the phone.
We paced the bedroom as we prayed in tongues. I sudden-
ly felt energy coursing through my body.
“We cast down imaginations and every high thing that

exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We bring into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
138
Tongues.
“I have the mind of Christ. I cannot be confused because

I am in union with Christ. I know what to do. I know the
thoughts of the Lord.”
Tongues.
“My mind is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I have

accurate understanding into the mind of God. My eyes are
enlightened.”
Tongues.
“My spirit dominates my thought life. Oh I have a sound

mind. I do not have the spirit of fear, but of power and
discipline and of a sound mind.”
My mind became calm and quiet. The distractions stopped.

In a flash, I saw that I was sitting with some of my stu-
dents from Cornerstone College but they were not dressed
in their uniforms. We were sitting in front of a building
that didn’t look like the school building. As I talked to my
students, I noticed that one of them, Adesuwa was peep-
ing from behind the building. I stood up to go to her and
she ran. When I called her name and she turned, I saw that
she was pregnant.
I stopped praying. God, what am I seeing? Was Adesuwa

really pregnant?
My mind flashed back to the day Mariam and I had caught

her with the games prefect romancing behind an uncom-
pleted building. The following day, Mariam had report-
139
ed to the vice-principal who called the two of them out

during the school assembly.
God, what exactly are you saying? I muttered as I rested

my head on the wall.
Yemisi, I am your father. I know what is best for you. You

have to trust that I have great plans for you. Stop trying
to bring to pass the instructions I have given to you. If I
gave you those instructions, I know the right timing and
process when they’ll come into reality. Just walk with me.
Stay in the process. Don’t make any move until I have giv-
en you further instructions on the things I’ve said concern-
ing your future.
My heart trembled as I wrote down the words I was hear-

ing in my spirit. Just then, Abigail stopped praying and
looked at me.
“It seems I’m hearing that you still have work to do with
your students in Cornerstone College. I don’t see it like
you’ll be going back there to teach but I sense that an op-
portunity will be created that’ll connect you to them.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was blessed to have a

friend who was sensitive to the spirit of God. Abigail had
confirmed the words God was saying to me.
“I heard something about Wale.” Abigail started. My eyes

opened wide in anticipation. I was eager to know exactly
what to do about Wale.
“God says, you should listen closely. He is speaking to you

right now about your relationship.”
140
My hopes fell. I thought she’d give me exact words on the

matter. As I closed my eyes, I knew immediately what I
was supposed to do.
Let him go.
I knew in my spirit God wanted me to walk away from

the relationship. At first, I thought it was my mind, but the
more I prayed, the stronger it stayed on my heart.
“Abigail, what God is asking me to do is difficult. He

wants me to let Wale go. How am I supposed to do that?”
Abigail gave me a look that said, ‘I feel like slapping you
right now.’ Abigail could not understand how much I
loved Wale. How was I supposed to end the relationship
like that?
“Yemisi, if God is asking you to do this, then you can trust

your future into his hands.”
I wasn’t convinced. This could be my mind at work. “I’ll

still pray about it Abigail. I just need to be sure I’m taking
the right step.”
Abigail shrugged. We prayed about other things and end-

ed the prayers. Her mother had prepared yam porridge
that had chunks of stock fish scattered inside it. I was al-
ready salivating as Abigail packed my portion into a plas-
tic container.
****************
It was at the gate of my house that I remembered my phone

was still turned off. Immediately I turned it on, my phone
141
beeped. A text message from Wale.
Yemisi, what’s this shakara about? Why did you reject my call?
Oh you are angry with me because I haven’t called you in a
while? I’m sorry okay. I’ll explain when we see. Guess what? I
have moved to a three bedroom apartment. Yes, girl we are set
for family life. We’ll go together to see the place after service
tomorrow. I miss you sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you in the
service tomorrow.
What kind of guy was this? We were cool just like that?
It was fine for him to just withdraw and not pick my calls
while I couldn’t do same?
That night, for several hours, I battled between attending

my former church and going for service at Wale’s church.
When I sent a message to my Pastor that I had moved to
a new assembly, he’d called to ask why I made the move.
I told him I was led to do so. He had not called me after
that time.
I went to Pure Heaven Assembly the following day. What

I saw at the service made me doubt what I had heard in
prayers.
It was a special service and the hall was packed full. Wale
ministered in such supernatural dimensions that I con-
cluded I had heard wrongly. The prophetic words that
flowed from his mouth shook me to my bones. The atmo-
sphere was charged. You could literally feel the power of
God in that hall. During the prayers, I landed flat on the
floor and began to laugh with such joy that burst through
my heart. Then we sat to listen to Wale preach and again it
was as if I was looking at a different man.
142
It was not God who said those words to me in Abigail’s

house. My prayer must have been influenced by fear, I
concluded.
At the end of the church service, as we drove to Wale’s

house, I couldn’t take my gaze away from him. If truly
God didn’t want me to marry Wale, then I wouldn’t have
connected with him the way I did in church today. I could
still feel strongly the effect of the service.
Wale glanced at me. “I’m very happy with the way the
church is growing so fast. By August, our membership
should hit a hundred. I’m aiming at two thousand consis-
tent members by our second anniversary.”
I smiled. Wale touched my hand. “I’m sorry about the

way our conversation ended the last time we spoke. It was
good you didn’t give me that money. God wanted me to
stop depending on you.”
So why didn’t he pick my calls, I wanted to ask but I

changed my mind. There was no point going back to the
past.
“Guess what?” Wale said, “I got a mail from a lady who

has decided to support my ministry.”
A lady? I didn’t like what I was hearing. “Was she in

church today?”
Wale grinned. “Yes, she was. She sat just behind you. One
pretty classy lady like that. She paid for the conference
hall for the month. I was so surprised and amazed.”
“Why would she do that?” I asked.
143
“She was at a meeting I was invited to minister few months

ago. She said she was blessed by my ministration.” Wale
laughed. “Imagine having ten people like that committed
to this ministry. I don blow finish. You see why I was par-
ticular about stepping up our game from the beginning.
We are not paying heavily at Telilah for nothing. It is our
way of attracting the right kind of members.”
Wale continued. “In fact I spoke to the head of the music

team few weeks ago. We are planning to hire a drummer,
pianist and three choristers with great voices.”
I looked at him, shocked. “Do you know the people you

are hiring?”
“Does it matter? We want the best. Service has to be top-

notch. We’ll pay them at the end of every month. Just
watch, they’ll join the church eventually because they
won’t be able to resist the word of God in my mouth. I’m
also hiring a music director. I found a guy who has agreed
to take eighty thousand naira every month.”
My mouth flew opened. This didn’t sound like the man I

listened to few hours ago. Were there two personalities in
one body? For goodness sake, who hires a music director?
I’d thought men chosen for such positions were pulled out
of faithful stewards in a local assembly.
“What happened to Paul?” I asked. “You made him the

head of the music team. Why do you need a music direc-
tor?”
“To be candid, Paul is not my spec. The music isn’t as great

as I’d want it to be. When he told me he’d be leaving next
144
month for a master program at the Obafemi Awolowo

University, in a way I was happy. We need class and ex-
cellence in this church.”
I stared long at my fiancé, unable to believe the things he

had said. Pure Heaven Assembly seemed more like a busi-
ness organization than a church founded on Christ. Do I
really want to go on this journey with a man like this? But
we just saw the move of God during the service this morn-
ing. What exactly was going on?
My mum called me when Wale stopped in front of his new

apartment. He turned off the car engine and sat back wait-
ing.
“Ekasan ma.” I greeted.
“Omo, bawoni?” Mum’s voice seemed cheerful.
“I’m fine ma. How’s dad?”
“He’s getting better. We thank God for healing him but

I’ve been telling him to stop going to the farm. He will not
listen. I told him Akin is capable of taking care of things.
When he was still in the hospital, we got great harvest at
the farm.” She stopped to catch her breath. “Just yester-
day, your brother was selected by the federal government
for a three month agriculture program. I hear he will not
only be trained but a large sum of money will be given to
him after the training.”
“Mum, I’m happy to hear this. God is faithful.”
“Ehn, Yemisi, I called to talk to you concerning Wale.”

145
My heart skipped a beat. I closed my eyes, listening to

my pounding heart. If she kicked against our relationship
again, I’d be convinced that God wanted me to leave this
man.
“If you are sure this is the man you want to spend your life
with, you have my full support. You can ask Wale to bring
his family down to see us. We are ready to receive them
and any day you fix for your wedding is fine by us. Apol-
ogize to Wale. Tell him I’m sorry about the way I treated
him the last time you brought him home. I’ll make it up to
him when he shows up here again.”
I held the phone to my ear, disappointed. There was still

that nudging to end the relationship with Wale. It was as
if I was expecting my mother to confirm what was in my
heart and what I had heard during the prayers with Abi-
gail.
I turned towards Wale and could see him staring at me

with hope in his eyes. When the call ended, I rested my
head on the car’s headrest and stared back at him.
“That call was from mum right?” Wale asked.
I nodded and looked down at my phone praying silently

that he would not ask if mum had finally approved our
plans to get married.
Wale pressed. “What did she say?”
I sighed, wondering what response to give him. I didn’t

understand why I was afraid to tell him what mum had
said. Was this not the good news I prayed for?
146
My eyes fell on his and I could see how much he wanted

us to settle down. I wanted that too but something kept
holding me back.
“Mum just called to let me know Dad is getting better. She

said Akin got an opportunity to attend a training spon-
sored by the Federal Government.” I stopped talking.
Wale waited to hear more. When I didn’t say anything, he
looked away and drummed gently on the steering.
“She is still kicking against our relationship right?” Wale

said without looking at me.
I let out a deep breath and touched his hand. “We’ll keep
praying Wale.”
He pulled his hand away and reached for the door. At first,
I thought he was annoyed but I relaxed when he waited
for me to alight and then he took my hand and led me into
the house.
There were eight flats in Wale’s compound. Four on the

ground floor and four on the first floor. Even though there
were cars parked in the compound, the surrounding was
serene and it made me wonder if the neigbours ever gath-
ered for small talks. As we approached Wale’s apartment,
a slender girl, possibly in her early teens descended the
stairs with a little boy who held hundred naira note firmly
in his hand. She greeted us before leading the boy out of
the gate.
Wale opened the door to his apartment and we stepped in.

“O boy!” I muttered.

147
The sitting room was not big but it was neat and cozy. I
loved the dark coffee settee and the frames on the wall.
One frame carried the picture of Wale’s graduation from
the WCA Bible Seminary. There was also a picture of Wale
and his two sisters. Two frames with scriptural verses
boldly inscribed on them stood above the TV set.
I pointed at the picture of Wale and his siblings. “Do you

realize I’ve not spoken to your sisters before? I was think-
ing since you are their only brother, they should be curi-
ous about the woman you’d be getting married to.”
Wale folded his hands, his gaze fixed on the picture frame.
He smiled and looked at me. “I’ve had a lot of heartbreaks
from ladies. Each time I decide to get serious with one,
I always introduce them to my sisters. But somehow, we
break up. The last one that happened, my sisters said I
must not introduce any lady to them until I was sure the
lady was not going to leave me.”
I looked away from Wale. He stood in front of me and held

my waist. “That’s the reason I was afraid of committing
to a relationship with you. Since the last lady left…” He
paused. “I don’t know why they always leave and now
with your family not accepting me, I’m already scared I’ll
lose you. So you see why I can’t introduce you to them
yet.”
He pulled his hands away from my waist and thrust them

into his pockets. “How do you like this place?”
I scanned the living room, my eyes stopping at the large

TV screen with big speakers on each side. There was a new
water dispenser on one side of the living room and an air
148
cooler at another end.
“It’s beautiful.” I said and ran my fingers over the arm

of the three-seater sofa. My eyes moved to the TV. “Your
television is something else. It’s so big.”
He pointed at it. “I bought that TV because of football. You

should see how clear the pictures are. O boy!” He glanced
at me. “You know I don’t joke with football especially
when my team is playing a game. Once there is a match,
no distraction.”
I chuckled. “I’ve known that for a long time. Wale will

never pick my call once there is a football match. What if I
go into labour on the day of Champions League?”
Wale laughed. “In the name of Jesus, you will not be in

labour on any of those days. Champions League keh. God
will not even let that happen. I will count nine months to
that time and ensure safe sex is enforced or we will even
go on sex sabbatical sef. It can either fall before or after.
Not during the game.”
I crackled with laughter. “What if it happens?”
“It cannot happen Yemisi. It won’t.” He laughed again.

“Do you know what you are saying at all?”
He held my hand. “Let me show you the kitchen.”
The kitchen was in dire need of a woman’s touch, my

touch actually. There was an empty deep freezer standing
against the wall. Opposite the freezer was a gas cooker.
Cartons of glass cups, cutlery and plates were stacked on
149
the kitchen table. I opened each of the kitchen cabinets.

Most of them were empty but I knew when I moved in, it
wouldn’t take a week before they were occupied.
I stood back and felt like getting married immediately. It

was as if I was already in my husband’s house preparing
meals and taking charge of kitchen affairs.
Wale brought out his Samsung phone. “I think you should

take pictures and send to mummy. Tell her this pastor
you are getting married to is not like the ones they have
in Ijebu-igbo. Not all pastors are called to suffer. A man
called of God who knows his onions should not start his
ministry as a pauper. That’s not God’s will for us.”
As I took the pictures, Wale received a call from the rich

lady he spoke about earlier. The one who paid a month’s
fee for the church venue. She wanted him to attend a
birthday bash she was organizing for her younger sister.
She said she’d love to introduce her Pastor to some of her
friends.
I was not comfortable with Wale attending the function.

“Do you have to go?”
Wale shrugged. “I should. I’ll just breeze in and out.”

“This party is holding in a club. Wale I don’t think you
should go. Just tell her you can’t make it.”
Wale didn’t respond as he took me on a tour to the other

parts of the house. When we finished, we returned to the
living room where Wale handed me a can of cold malt. I
took it and popped it open even though I was still upset
that he ignored my suggestion about the party.
150
“So you’ll still go for the birthday party?”
Wale was clearly irritated. “What is your problem Yemisi?

What is wrong with going for a birthday party? If the par-
ty is going to hold in a club, so what?”
I felt hurt. Couldn’t he see that I was just looking out for
him? “I’m just thinking about the kind of songs they’ll sing
and the skimpy dresses the ladies will wear. That kind of
environment does not befit a person like you.”
“I’ve told you I’m honouring a member’s invitation to a

function. Simple!” He sat and crossed his legs. “Let me
teach you this vital lesson in the school of ministry. You do
not only minister to the spiritual needs of your members,
you must also be concerned about their day to day life. “
“And attending a birthday party is one of them?”
Wale stood up. “Yemisi, I don’t have time for this baseless
argument this afternoon. I have only slept for three hours
in the last twenty-four hours because I had to prepare for
today’s service. Can we just be on the same page today?”
“I’m sorry.” I said and tossed the empty can of malt into a
dustbin at the entrance.

Chapter
Ten
152
I COULDN’T STOP THINKING about the lady that in-

vited Wale for a birthday party. She had already paid
advance rent to Tehila Resort on behalf of Pure Heaven
Assembly? Was she just being nice or was there something
else going on that I wasn’t aware of? The way he spoke to
me at his place showed that he honoured her words more
than he did mine. I wished I had asked for her name. I’d
have traced her to Facebook or Instagram.
Wale had said the lady sat behind me during the service.
For several minutes, I tried to place the faces of those that
sat around me in church but no picture came to my head. I
decided I was going to be at alert at the next service.
Adesuwa flashed across my mind that night. I had com-

pletely forgotten about the image I had seen while pray-
ing with Abigail. She had been hiding behind a building
while I spoke to her classmates. It also occurred to me that
night that Adesuwa did not call me when my other stu-
dents reached out to me after my meeting with Phoebe at
the market
Was it possible that she was pregnant? There was one way
to find out. Phoebe. I reached for my phone and dialed
Phoebe’s number.
“Hello Miss Yemisi.” Phoebe said in a cheerful voice.
“Please tell me that you have decided to come see us.”
“Phoebe, that’s not why I called.” I could hear disappoint-

ment in her voice.
“How’s Adesuwa?”
153
“She is fine. We were together at the Physics lab on Friday

when we went to collect our exam scripts. Miss Yemisi,
Adesuwa is something else now. The way she digs into
her books is scary. At least when you were still around,
she played and had fun with us. But now, it is only book o.
She is definitely going to win most of the prizes this year.”
“So Adesuwa is not pregnant.”
“What?” Phoebe exclaimed.
My hand flew to my mouth. I didn’t know I had spoken

my thoughts aloud.
“Hey Phoebe, It’s just a rumor okay. I just wanted to be

sure whoever gave me that information was referring to
someone else.”
“I understand ma’am.” Phoebe said. “Adesuwa cannot be

pregnant. It’s not even a possibility. Since Daniel’s case,
she has been aversive to boys. She doesn’t even look at
them. All she does is read her books. After our exams, she
went to one corner of the classroom and buried her head
in the biography of Oprah Winfrey. She is so boring to be
with.”
I laughed. So much like the girl I know. Adesuwa had al-

most fallen down the staircase because she was engrossed
in reading a novel. “Tell her I asked after her welfare. One
of these days, I’ll come around. My love to all your class-
mates.”
“I’ll deliver your message ma. We look forward to having

you around.”
154
When I ended the call, I felt stupid. If I had heard wrongly

about Adesuwa, then definitely it wasn’t God who asked
me to let go of Wale. All of those things must have hap-
pened in my mind. I was again confused. How then does
God speak? Why would I believe that I received an infor-
mation while praying and yet it turned out to be wrong?
I dialled Wale’s number, deciding to break the news to

him about mum’s approval of our relationship. I was tired
of having my mind deceive me. The day I prayed with Ab-
igail, I had heard ‘Let him go.’ but right now, it was clear
my mind had played a fast one on me. At least Adesuwa’s
case proved it.
Wale didn’t answer his call. I tried his line again and this
time he rejected the call. Was he still at the party? I imag-
ined Wale sitting comfortably with the rich lady at the par-
ty laughing and looking into her eyes and right there on
my bed, I felt a sharp pang of jealousy.
****************
Wednesday evening. I got close to my house after a hectic

day at work and found Wale’s car parked in front of my
gate.
Why should he appear on the day my boss transferred

twenty thousand naira to my account as commission for a
travel package I sold? You can call me a ‘bad wife material’
for thinking this way but for goodness sake, I needed this
money badly. How long would I continue to wear fairly
used dresses and shoes?
You know, I had thought that since this philanthropist

155
lady throws money around Pure Heaven Assembly, I’d be

free to enjoy my money. Remember the lady whose sister’s
birthday party my fiancé attended? By the way, I finally
got to meet her at a Sunday service. What’s that her name
again? Victoria. The moment I saw her, I sighed in relief. I
had just wasted my energy worrying for nothing.
Victoria was obviously older than Wale. I’m sorry but the
concealer did not conceal anything. It was glaring that the
babe was clearly not in our age group. She should be some-
where in her late thirties or early forties. As I was saying, I
thought the new supply of cash from this lady would shift
his interest from my purse, but it didn’t. Wale still asked
for ten thousand two weeks ago.
I wished I could find a place to hide but then I knew Wale

would have seen me through the mirror. I sighed in frus-
tration remembering how my mum had called earlier in the
day to inform me that one of my nieces had been rushed
to the hospital. I had sent Yewande fifteen thousand naira
as my contribution for the hospital bills. Before leaving the
office, Yewande had called pleading with me to get fruits
and beverages on my way to her place this weekend.
God, Wale must not ask me for money today.
When I got close to the car, Wale was jotting on a notepad

and a bible was opened on the steering wheel.
“Na wa o. Is it only reading the bible this guy knows how

to do?” I muttered quietly as I tapped on his window. He
smiled and motioned for me to get into the car.
“What a surprise.” I said, pretending to be excited. “You

156
didn’t tell me you were coming to see me.”
Wale closed his bible. “I’m sorry. I wanted to see your face
before leaving for my ministration tomorrow morning.”
“Oh that’s true.” I remembered he had told me the previ-

ous night about two ministrations he had outside town.
One in Ondo and another in Ibadan.
“I’ll be back Saturday evening.” He said. “Are you going

to miss me?”
I chuckled. “Of course. Just make sure you bring some-

thing back for me.”
It suddenly occurred to me that it had been a long time

Wale got me anything. Not even five hundred naira air-
time. I was always the one giving to him. I’m not saying he
should get the whole world for me but at least something
nice wouldn’t be bad. I can’t remember the last time we
hung out in one of those nice places in Lagos.
Discussions had become boring too. We were either talking

about ministerial expansion or strategies to get more mem-
bers. There was nothing about our future or the family we
were going to raise.
“I don’t trust Seun anymore.” Wale said to me
Seun was the church’s financial officer. “What did he do?”

“I asked him to send the financial statement for last month
and I was shocked when I saw that we have only one thou-
sand naira in our account. I asked him for the one million
naira I sent to him at the beginning of the month, he start-
157
ed giving me some useless excuses. I remember that we

talked about the expenses we needed to settle but I spe-
cifically told him to put the rest of the cash in the church’s
account. He must cough out that money!”
I was upset. Where did Wale get one million naira from?
Why didn’t he tell me? Who knows how much he had
locked up somewhere that I had no knowledge about and
he had the guts to still drag the little money I was manag-
ing with me?
Wale looked at me, concerned. “Are you okay?”
I flashed him a smile. “Nothing.”
He continued. “I don’t trust Williams too. Last week, he

said I knew nothing about starting a church. Can you
imagine? He said that to my face. I don’t know what’s
wrong with him these days. He talks to me anyhow.”
I couldn’t hold back my anger. “When you hired choris-

ters and a music director, how do you expect Williams and
Seun to feel? They want salary too.”
Wale flared up. “To hell with them! If they want to leave,
they should go! The church will do well without them.”
I shook my head. Wale didn’t know what he was saying

at all. These guys had been with him from the first day he
started the church. They were the ones who believed in his
vision and sacrificed to see it come into reality. Wale had
better tread carefully.
“Can I get some money from you please?”

158
The moment I heard that, a nut loose in my head but I

pushed the anger down and kept a steady gaze on Wale.
He continued, his eyes pleading. I was not moved at all.
“Someone promised to send some money to support our
work. I’m still expecting his call. But as it is, I don’t even
have the money that’ll take me for my ministrations. I’m
expecting a huge honorarium from Ibadan. I’ll pay you
back when I return.”
I opened my purse and brought out two thousand naira.

“That’s all I have for now.”
Wale looked from me to the money. “Am I a beggar?

What’s wrong with you? You are giving me two thousand
naira Yemisi. How much fuel will it buy? I’m not even ask-
ing for money for my own personal needs. This is the work
of God for goodness sake. I must confess, the way you’ve
been holding your money so tightly I don’t understand
you any more.”
I lost it at that moment. If Wale thought I was a fool, he

messed with the wrong person. “Wale, I am not father
Christmas! Be reasonable for goodness sake. I send mon-
ey home every month. As I speak, my sister’s child has
been admitted in the hospital and you know that she is not
working. This is all I can afford to give you.”
“Spare me that trash.” Wale barked. “How much do you

send to your parents? How much does the hospital bill
cost? You don’t pay rent. Your office is just a stone throw
from your house. At most, your monthly transport fare
is six thousand naira. Your feeding can’t be more than
twenty thousand naira monthly. You earn one hundred
and fifty naira Yemisi. Your commission every month is
159
between twenty and forty thousand naira. That’s almost

two hundred thousand naira monthly. Don’t give me that
bullshit. Just say you don’t want to support my ministry
rather than stretch out a miserly two thousand naira to me.
Get out of my car!”
I grabbed my handbag and stepped down from the car,

tears welling up my eyes. Wale drove away angrily, leav-
ing dust behind as he sped away from sight. I wiped my
tears and entered the house. I couldn’t eat the food I had
bought. I left it on the kitchen sink and went to my room.
Wale was cruel, that was my conclusion. I was still owing

a colleague a hundred thousand naira because Wale need-
ed money urgently to settle ‘ministerial needs.’ Why had
he forgotten the times I emptied my account to see to the
progress of the church? I remember the time Wale invited
a guest minister to the church. I’d kicked against that deci-
sion but Wale convinced me that inviting the man would
make the church grow numerically. He said it would bring
the right people to our church.
We spent almost four hundred thousand naira on the

guest minister. At the hotel room, when the Pastor saw the
honorarium, there was a look of dissatisfaction on his face.
After counting the money, he said the only reason he’d
come back if we invited him was because we were a grow-
ing church and he loved Wale very much. But on a normal
day if the two hundred thousand naira had been given to
him elsewhere, he’d never set his feet there again.
He looked at my fiancé and said,
“Be wise where your ministerial call is concerned. Forget

160
all the nonsense some of those preachers say about taking

whatever is offered you when you are invited to preach.
I’m not saying you should argue with them over the hon-
orarium given to you but have a standard. From the hon-
orarium, you should be able to tell if you’ll accept another
invitation from them.”
Wale had stood there smiling. He bowed slightly. I was

fuming seriously. Whoever this guest minister was, did he
know how we got the money?
“Yes sir. Your words are duly noted sir.” Wale said.
The man was not done. “If you are not wise, people will
use and dump you. Have you not seen pastors who walk
around in rags begging for food? Ignorance caused it. We
are not asking people to pay for the anointing of God over
our lives. Of course that’s a gift but preachers should be
paid properly for their sacrifice and diligence to the word.
Do you know how many hours it takes a preacher to pre-
pare a sermon?’
“Exactly sir.” Wale said. “Even the bible says we should

not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. A labourer is
worthy of his reward.”
I stood beside Wale, stunned for words.
“As you grow in ministry,” the man continued. “Raise

your standard for honorarium. The more your name is
fanned abroad, the greater your value increases. That’s the
first lesson in ministerial prosperity.”
Wale prostrated on the floor. “Thank you sir.”

161
I went on my knees too even though what I wanted to

do was walk out of the man’s hotel room. While we knelt
down in front of him and he prayed for us, I wondered
how Wale would return the money he borrowed to take
care of the guest minister. You won’t believe I was the one
he ran to when the lenders came after him. I had to empty
my account again and pleaded with Taiwo for another one
fifty thousand naira.
Wale didn’t remember all this before making calculations

on how I spend my monthly income.
I opened my wardrobe and poured out all my bags and

shoes on the floor, standing over them while my blood
boiled. I couldn’t even buy new shoes and bags because
the bulk of my money went to Wale’s ministry.
I was done with the relationship. Yes, it was freaking me

out! If this was what it took to be a Pastor’s wife, I wasn’t
interested again. This was my fault. If I had listened to my
mentor, maybe I wouldn’t be going through this.
I felt cheated and used. I sent Wale a text message that

night and told him I was tired of the relationship and
wanted out.
After I did that, I cried myself to sleep.
******************
Wale was in my house Saturday night. I’d just returned

from my sister’s place and was sorting out my clothes for
the week when I heard the knock. Standing at the door
was Wale holding a gift box.
162
“What do you want?” I said, frowning.
“Can I come in?”
When I didn’t move away from the entrance, he dropped

the wrapped gift on the floor and moved closer to me. “Ye-
misi, please. Just hear me out.”
I allowed him in and led him to the inner sitting room. He

dropped the gift on the table and sat beside me and then
reached for my hands.
“I’m very sorry for all I said to you before my trip to Ondo.
I shouldn’t have taken my frustration out on you. I’m sor-
ry Yemisi. You have been there for me. You believed in my
dreams and visions yet I took you for granted. What will
my life have become without you by my side?” He paused.
“Yemisi, I didn’t expect this turn of events in my life. I
thought with the kind of influence I had, my first service
would have hundreds of people trooping in. I have been
asking myself questions. Many of them I’ve been unable to
answer. I’m really sorry about the things I said.”
I looked into his eyes and knew I couldn’t let him go. We
are not without flaws right? What was important was that
we own up to them and trust God to work in us. I was
happy I sent that text. It had got me a repentant man and
a gift too.
“Will you forgive me?”
I had already forgiven him but I didn’t want to sound ex-

cited. “Yes I have. It’s fine.”

163
“We are still together?”
“Yeah.” I said. “So how did the ministration go?”
He stood up and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s hang out

somewhere. I want to give my girl a real treat.”
It was then I spilled the news I’d been hiding for a long
time. I told him mum had approved our relationship. I
said we could fix any date we wanted for our wedding and
my family was looking forward to receiving his family.
Wale’s eyes widened in surprise but behind them was a

doleful look. I wasn’t sure if I was just thinking it. I expect-
ed him to jump for joy or shout ‘glory!’or do a ‘dance in the
Holy Ghost’ like he usually did when he was excited about
anything. Wale just grinned and said,
“We have to celebrate this.”
I wasn’t convinced that Wale was happy about the news.

No matter how much he tried to hide it, I could tell. If
he didn’t want the relationship, why did he come back
seeking to mend our relationship? Why would he ask me
to take pictures of his apartment and send them to my
mother? Was I just assuming things? I looked at his face
again and noticed the worried lines on his face. He quickly
flashed me a smile and began to talk about his trips.
Something wasn’t right here. But what could it be?
Just as we got to the eatery, a text message appeared on my

notification screen. I tapped to read the message.

164
Miss Yemisi, I miss you. I just wish I could talk to you but
Phoebe tells me you are always very busy. I miss you. Adesuwa.
At that same moment, Wale tapped the table to get my

attention.
“What will you like to eat?”
As I stare blankly at his face, my heart pounding from the

words I’d read, Abigail’s words returned to me.
Yemisi, it is by obedience that we step into the things God has

planned to do with our lives. If you continue to disobey the lead-
ing of the Holy Spirit, you will not be entrusted with kingdom
work. You have to let go of sentiments and step into the instruc-
tions He is laying down for you.
I swallowed hard, remembering how my negligence to

God’s instructions had dulled out my sensitivity to see that
Dotun wasn’t in the right state of mind. He had slipped
right from my hand into eternity. Would I lose Adesuwa
too?
“Yemisi, are you okay?” Wale asked. He was looking very

worried.
I shook my head. Wale leaned forward, waiting for my

response. “No, I’m not. I’m not feeling too well. I want to
go home.”

Chapter
Eleven
166
I CALLED ADESUWA IMMEDIATELY I got home. She

didn’t pick my call the first time and I tried it a second
time. She answered it.
“Hello Miss Yemisi.”
She sounded like she had been crying.
“Adesuwa.”
“Yes ma. I-” She stopped talking and burst into tears. I told
her to let the tears out and waited until she was calm.
“What’s going on?” I asked finally.
“Please don’t be angry with me. I know I’m a failure. God

must hate me right now. I know he doesn’t want to have
anything to do with me anymore. My life is a mess.”
“Adesuwa, God does not hate you. I don’t know what is

going on, but one thing I’m sure of is that God loves you
very much and he wants to help you.”
She didn’t say anything. I waited again while I prayed si-

lently. I was not going to lose this one. Whatever was go-
ing on, we would get to the end of it together.
“For a week now, I’ve been feeling quite ill. Mum travelled
to Aba to get wears to stock her shop. My elder sister had
to take me to the clinic.” Adesuwa paused. ”They ran tests
on me. I’m pregnant.”
“Oh no.” I muttered underneath my breath. I didn’t know

when I stood up and began to pace the room. I had seen
167
this coming. I had seen Adesuwa pregnant in that revela-

tion.
Oh Jesus.
“I don’t know what to do Miss Yemisi. My sister has been

sad since we returned from the clinic and she is afraid of
telling my parents. My father will kill me if he finds out
about this. I can’t even tell my friends. They’ve been com-
plaining that I am too serious with my studies. I can’t even
imagine the shock on their faces when they discover I’ve
been messing around in secret. I don’t know what to do. I
wish this could all go away.”
I was muttering tongues as I paced the room. I needed wis-

dom to handle this. There had to be a way out.
Lord, teach me what to do. Help us Lord.
“Who is the guy responsible for this?” I asked.
“Samuel. He lives with us but he’ll be returning to school

very soon. When he came into Lagos, he couldn’t get a
place for his one year industrial training. His father plead-
ed with my dad to take him in his farm. Dad agreed and
said he could stay with us.”
I remembered the presents Adesuwa’s mother gave me

during the open day at Corner Stone College. Harvest
from her father’s farm. Large tubers of yam, potatoes, on-
ions, a bag of rice, beans, two live chickens. I had shared
the gifts with some of the teachers.
“Does he know about this?”

168
“I told him this morning.” Adesuwa replied. “He said we

have to get rid of it. I don’t want to do this. I’m afraid. What
if I die while the doctor cut me open? I’m really scared.”
I sat down on the bed. “Adesuwa, stay calm okay. Don’t

go anywhere with that guy. If he keeps threatening you,
call me. I’ll come over this weekend to see you. I know
your mother very well. I’ll speak with her.”
“I want this to go away. I’ll never allow any man touch me

again.”
“The painful truth is that it can’t go away. However, God

has a great plan for you as much as he does for the life
growing in your womb.”
“I love you Miss Yemisi.”
“I love you too dear. I’ll be praying for you and I’ll call you
again.”
When I ended the call, I went on my knees and prayed. My

heart not only ached for Adesuwa, it cried for the woman
I had become.
“God, please.” I started and couldn’t get any more words

out. Right there on my knees, I decided I was done trying
to do things myself. I have had enough of doing things my
own way. I would trust God and just allow him do what-
ever he wanted with me.
“Oh dear Father.” I said, with tears running down my face.

“Help me Lord.”

169
********************
During the week, I had gotten two packs of soft drinks and
biscuits for the love feast at Pure Heaven Assembly. I’d
also bought envelopes for the church and made custom-
ized pens for the first timers.
I decided that the following Sunday would be my last day

in that church. I would tell Wale I was done with the rela-
tionship. Even though the future seemed bleak, I decided
I’d trust God and allow him take charge of my life.
My phone rang. Wale.
I turned off my ring volume and prayed. The more I

prayed, the more I felt new strength envelope me. An hour
passed while I continued to pace my room, praying and
singing.
When I got ready to sleep, I checked my call history. Wale

had called seven times. Someone else called. The Pastor of
my former church. I was surprised. He had not called since
I told him I had left for Pure Heaven Assembly. I noticed
there was a text message from him.
Yemisi, how are you? I just want to check up on you and see
how you are doing. This scripture comes to mind as I prayed for
you. Proverbs 4 verse 8. The way of the righteous is like the first
gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of
day. Take one step after the other towards the light and every
other thing will align. Goodnight daughter.
I had a sound sleep that night. I dreamt I was running on

170
a beach, screaming excitedly. I heard a voice behind me,

laughing. The voice said,
“Go daughter. I’ve got you.”
I woke up laughing.
***************
Sunday Service. Pure Heaven Assembly.
Something happened in church while the worship session

was going on. I sincerely believe that God prepared me
ahead for what I was going to discover that day.
I sat in my usual place behind the Pastor’s ‘throne.’ Eliz-

abeth was sitting beside me. She looked agitated as she
muttered words that I couldn’t exactly place. She kept
looking back at the entrance. It was clear she was obsessed
about Wale. From the day she rolled her eyes at me at the
ministration I followed Wale, I already knew she saw me
as an obstacle to getting the attention of the man of God.
She’ll be free to have him, I whispered. I couldn’t wait for

the service to end so I could get out of the church.
As the service progressed, I noticed that the other seats be-

hind us were filled up and the ushers wouldn’t let anyone
sit on the last seat on our row. The evangelism co-ordina-
tor wanted to sit there but the usher directed him to a seat
behind me. I kept wondering who they were reserving the
last seat for. Wale never said anything to me about inviting
a guest. Anyway did he really tell me anything anymore?
Just as the church secretary climbed the auditorium to give
171
the announcements, Pastor Wale walked into the church

followed by his usher who carried his bible. Then I saw
Victoria walking briskly behind them holding a lunch bag.
I noticed that the usher smiled at her and made way for
her to sit beside Elizabeth.
She was the person the seat was reserved for. Why?
Guess what Victoria did. The moment she sat down, she
pulled out two bottles of water from the lunch bag, re-
moved the bottles of water I had already placed on the
stool for the Pastor and placed hers there. I saw that she
took the cupcakes I had packed for the Pastor and dumped
them into the lunch bag while she arranged her chocolate
mixed with velvet cupcakes on a tray. She slid the tray into
the lower layer of the stool. Even the sweets I had bought,
she poured everything out of the bowl and replaced with
hers. I was surprised that Wale saw what she was doing
and didn’t say anything.
Lizzy clapped her hands and shook her head. She looked
at me. “Are you just going to sit down there and allow this
useless woman do whatever she likes here?”
In my mind I thought, how was I supposed to react? Cre-

ate a scene? Interestingly I was calm but still curious. I
didn’t immediately understand why she went through all
that trouble. For me it was very immature. Even if you are
trying to get the attention of a man, there is a way to go
about it.
Elizabeth hissed. “Even old women, awon sugar aunties

will still be dragging a young pastor with people like us.
Wonders shall never end.”
172
Victoria must have heard that. She glared at Lizzy who

started laughing hysterically. Pastor Wale shot her an an-
gry glance and Elizabeth returned the glare.
I wanted to be done with the service. I was not comfortable

there anymore. When Pastor Wale mounted the podium,
Elizabeth leaned towards me.
“I will treat this man’s fuck up. He thinks he can play

games with me. I will show him pepper.”
What was she talking about? I tried to concentrate on what

the Pastor was saying but Elizabeth kept interrupting me.
She hit my shoulder gently and held her phone to me. Re-
luctantly, I took it from her. It was a screenshot of a con-
versation from WhatsApp. I could see Victoria’s picture
on the display icon and the name saved as ‘My beloveth.’
Hello sweetheart.
Hey Pastor Wale.
Don’t call me Pastor. I’m a Pastor to every other person, but not
to you. You are the woman that makes my heart beat for joy.
Shocked, I raised my head and looked at Elizabeth, She

laughed bitterly.
“You have not seen anything. Swipe to your right. There

are more screenshots.”
I swiped to the next slide.

173
There was a picture of a finger with an engagement ring.

Under the picture was a text.
I will never put off this ring. I’m getting married to Pastor Wale.
Wale replied. I don’t want you to wear the ring around yet.
We’ll do this officially when the time is right. I gave you the ring
so you can know I’m serious.
“What?” I stared at the phone, shocked at what I was read-

ing. Wale had given me a ring too but he’d stopped me
from wearing it. He said he wanted my parents to approve
our relationship first. I continued reading.
Fine if that’s what you want. I can’t wait! My dreams are finally
coming to pass. Wale, I promise I’m going to respect you all the
days of my life. Age is never going to be a barrier to submission.
We will grow old together.
Baby, I’ve completed the necessary documentation. You are so

lucky. You are a Nigerian and also a citizen of the United States.
I can’t wait to be married to you.
Every process will go smoothly once we get married. I have al-

ready booked our tickets to Texas.
Oh really!!! Last week when we had that quarrel, I thought I had

lost you. I couldn’t sleep.
I’m sorry. I just didn’t like the way you are close to that Yemisi
lady.
Believe me Victoria, Yemisi and I had something together but
there is nothing anymore. She just likes to cling to me. I wanted
to be sure our tickets were ready before I tell all those sisters to
174
back off.
And that small girl that is so obsessed about you. Elizabeth.

Mehn, you have crazy people in your church. So what are you
going to do about the Pure Heaven Assembly?
I’m already tired of the place jare. I just want to be with you.
Let’s get married and leave this goddamn country. I love you so
much Victoria. You are everything to me. Gush! I’m so happy.
Can we just get married already?
I was literally shaking where I sat. I looked at Wale behind

the pulpit, flipping from one scripture to another. My eyes
fell on Elizabeth.
“How did you get hold of his phone?”
Elizabeth gave me a mocking smile. “Before both of you

came on the scene, I was Wale’s girl. He couldn’t do with-
out me. There is barely a week he does not come to my
house. I know his mumu button. But Wale is covetous. I’ve
always known that. Apparently I didn’t have the money
he needed to run his ministry so I wasn’t wife material
enough. He is looking for a smart wife with lots of cash he
can control. I may not be that kind of wife but I know how
to handle that man. I am not called a witch for nothing.
Legions of demons live inside this body and I’ll unleash
them on whoever stands in my way.”
I felt a chill run through my spine. Elizabeth suddenly

looked different from the lady I had known to be Wale’s
mentee. With all the power Wale demonstrated, why
couldn’t he discern that this lady was evil?

175
Elizabeth giggled and took the phone from me. “Stay out
of my way so you don’t get hurt.”
My heart was pounding very hard. I could literally feel

fear descend on me. I had to get out of that church. I didn’t
want to be part of whatever was going on there anymore.
I stared at Wale again. He was such a wonderful orator. He
knew how to command attention and you could tell from
the reaction of the members who were jumping and shout-
ing for joy when he made some proclamations.
Wale removed his suit and went from row to row, laying
hands on the congregation. I could see a glow on Victoria’s
face. She really must adore him.
How did I get into this mess, I asked myself for the ump-
teenth time. I felt a strong urge to leave.
“I’m leaving. Goodbye.” I said to Elizabeth.
“I hope we don’t meet again.” Elizabeth said, looking at

me fully in the eyes. The same chill ran through my body.
I stepped past some of the people who had fallen on the
floor from the Pastor’s touch and hurried out of the resort.
I ordered a taxi with one address in mind.
The Transformation Church, Gbagada.
I was ready to see my mentors. The prodigal child was

ready to come home.
In the taxi, I sent a message to Wale.
I’m no longer interested in this relationship. Wale, this time I

176
mean it. It’s over between us. I wish you a nice life.
*************
Service had just ended when I got to my mentor’s church.

I searched for their car hoping to wait for them till they
were ready to leave. I was trying to locate the car when
someone grabbed my hand from behind.
“Aunty!”
It was Kudirat, my mentor’s house-help.
“How are you Kudirat?” I asked, rubbing her shoulders

gently
“I’m fine. I’m so happy to see you. Why have you not been
coming to our house?”
How was I supposed to answer that question? “Where is

Mama D?”
“They had to rush home immediately after service. We

have visitors. Mama insisted I wait for the youth meeting.
We are through with the meeting. If you are ready, we can
go home together ma’am.”
I was scared of seeing my spiritual parents. Would they

accept me back? Would mummy lash out at me? Whatever
she says, I was ready to take it.
We got to my mentor’s house and the living room was

packed full with people. They looked like campus stu-
dents. Young and full of life. There were about four young
177
men sitting in the living room. Three other men were in

the dining area laughing and talking. One of them reached
for a guitar leaning against the wall and began to strum it.
The Hymn, ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand’ rented the air
and I felt joy welling up in my heart.
Papa D was saying something to a fine young man sitting

beside him. He looked older than the rest, maybe some-
where in his early thirties. Papa stopped talking when he
saw me.
“Who do we have here? Yemisi!” Papa exclaimed.
When I got to him, I immediately went down on my knees.

Papa D placed his hand on his chin and shook his head.
“Yemisi.” Papa repeated.
“I’m so sorry.” I said quietly. The man Papa had been

talking with smiled at me. His face was familiar but I
couldn’t place where I’d met him.
Papa pointed at the man. “Yemisi, do you know him?”
I stared long at his face. “Papa, he looks familiar but I can’t

exactly place where we met.”
Papa slapped him gently on his back as he introduced him

to me. “This is Ayomide, my wonderful spiritual son. He
is a medical doctor and the leader of the Zion medical out-
reach.” He pointed at the guys sitting in the living room.
“Those are the sons he has raised in his ministry.”
I stood up and greeted the others. The name of the minis-
try rang a bell. I turned swiftly to Ayomide. “I remember
now. We met once. You spent a night here early last year.”
178
Ayomide grinned. “Sharp memory.” He stretched out his

hand. “Good to meet you again Yemisi.”
I shook it. “Same here. Welcome.”
Mama came out of the kitchen and put her hands on her
waist. “Yemisi, you are here. Come to the kitchen my
friend! We have plenty of stomachs to feed.”
Papa held my hand as I left to join Mama in the kitchen.

“When you are done, get ready for your twelve strokes of
cane.”
I looked down. “Yes sir. I-”
He smiled. “Go and help your mother. We’ll talk about

that later.”
As I left the living room, I remembered one of the pun-

ishments Papa had given one of his mentees. We called
the punishment, weekend lockdown. That Saturday, Papa
ushered Deji into the guest room and told him not to come
out of the room throughout the day. A schedule had been
drawn.
3 hours prayer.
2 hours study of the word.
Another 3 hours prayer.
4 hours of listening to sermon.
2 hours of prayer.
No breakfast. No lunch.
Papa said he’d consider if Deji would get to eat dinner.
“If you like sleep all through today. You will repeat the
179
same process tomorrow. I know you cannot lie to me. I did

not raise sons who are liars.” Papa had said before leaving
the guest room. That day, I stood at the entrance thanking
God I didn’t have to serve the punishment.
Papa continued. “I don’t want to see your leg outside. The

bathroom is in here. I’ll leave you half bag of water. I’ll be
checking up on your progress. Except it’s an emergency,
don’t step out of that door.”
I wondered what twelve strokes of cane Papa would give

to me. He might ask me to fast and pray for three days.
Even if he says one week, I was ready for whatever disci-
pline would be meted.
In the kitchen, I joined some of the ladies from the medical

outreach to prepare lunch. It felt like I was home. I could
see that Mama D was excited to see me. When we finished
serving and the team left to continue their journey, she
hugged me close and pecked me on my cheek.
“I have missed you so much.”
Tears welled up my eyes. “I missed you too.”
The punishment came that night after I opened up about

Wale and all that had happened. I told them everything.
‘”For the next three months, I want you here in this house
every weekend.” Papa said. “If you miss a weekend with-
out any cogent reason, you’ll be in trouble. You are go-
ing to study the epistles of Paul starting from tomorrow. I
want a daily report of your study sent to my email every
day. No excuses.”
180
“Can I add mine?” Mama D said.
“Sure.” Papa looked at me. “Don’t think that’s all o.

There’ll be more details this weekend.”
My eyes widened. “Please Papa.”
Papa D turned his gaze from me. “My dear wife, you have
the floor.”
Mama D placed her hand gently on her laps. “When Dad

returned from his trip, he gave you an assignment to pray
one hour every day for forty days. You didn’t do it. You
are repeating that task and I’m tripling it.”
“That’s my wife.” Papa grinned.
Mama D continued. “For the next one hundred and twen-

ty days, you will pray one hour daily and produce a week-
ly report of the time you started praying and when you
finished.”
My eyes welled up in tears. Why were they doing this

to me? I could not remember the last time I prayed thir-
ty minutes talk less of an hour. When would I have time
to study for an hour every day and still pray for another
one hour daily? Couldn’t they just forget about what I had
done and move on?
When they finished, you won’t believe they started talking

about something entirely different. Papa brought up a gist
that was really funny. I tried not to laugh because I want-
ed them to see that I was upset but I couldn’t help it. I
181
laughed so hard my body shook. How could this people

be stern one minute and be so warm the next?
On my way home that night, Wale called me. I rejected the

call and blocked his line. This was a new start and whatev-
er it would take, I was going to get this right.

Chapter
Twelve
183
A FTER WORK ON FRIDAY, I went straight to my

mentor’s place to get ready for my Saturday prayer
and bible study marathon. To be candid, I was expecting
the schedule to run like this;
4 hours prayers
5 hours study
3 hours of listening to sermons
4 hours prayers.
But early on Saturday morning, Papa called me into the

living room and said I’d pray three hours and study for
two hours and that would be it. I wondered if this was
because I’d sought permission to see Adesuwa or if for
subsequent lock downs, the schedule would change. Any-
way, that morning, Mama and I walked down the corridor
that led to the guest room. She opened the door and we
stepped into the room and then she stood in front of me.
“Have a beautiful time with the Lord.” Mama said and left
the room.
I didn’t know how to start. I dropped my bible and note-

pad on the floor and sat with my knees raised to my chin.
I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth. Images from my
past clogged my mind and with it came such indescribable
pain. Let me just say I spent the lockdown crying.
I tried to stop the tears and concentrate on the prayer

points I had scribbled down in my notepad but I couldn’t.
Oh, I felt so hurt and revengeful. I prayed Elizabeth would
unleash her demons to deal with Wale, that’s if she truly
housed demons like she claimed. I wanted to see him suf-
fer. I wished I could see him one last time and curse him.
184
I wanted to scream at him and tell him he’d never prosper

in life. I’d say to his face that he’d roam the streets like a
vagabond.
Horrible thoughts, I know, but I just couldn’t stop them. I

was filled with rage and the only thing I could think about
was how I had given Wale my heart and he had smashed
it against the wall.
Believe me Victoria, Yemisi and I had something together but

there is nothing anymore. She just likes to cling to me. I wanted
to be sure our tickets were ready before I tell all those sisters to
back off.
Those words stung again. I was the biggest fool on earth.

Wale squeezed the substance out of me like hurriedly
chopped pineapple thrown into a juicer. Wasn’t the pulp
usually emptied into the refuse bin? Pulp. That was what I
had ended up becoming. He drank the juice. All of it. What
was left of my life?
“God, I hate him!”
Forgive, as I have forgiven you.
How could I possibly do that? All my investments, my

commitment to the relationship, my desire to stand by
him and see him prosper- everything had gone down the
drain. For goodness sake, I was willing to let go of my own
needs just to see that he was fine. I was ready to stay with
him through thick and thin. How could he repay this way?
Let him go.

185
I wept until I had no strength in me. I opened my bible but

nothing made sense. At a point, I just sat there in silence. I
couldn’t open my mouth to pray, I couldn’t do anything. I
was just weak. I lay on the floor and slept off.
Mama’s voice woke me up. She noticed my swollen eyes

and was filled with compassion for me. I followed her to
the sitting room where Papa D and Abigail were having a
chit-chat.
I didn’t wait to sit down before confessing the truth. “Papa,

I didn’t pray. I didn’t read my bible either.”
Papa smiled sadly. “So you cried all through?”
“I couldn’t help it.” I said and sat beside Abigail who pat-
ted my shoulder gently.
“How do you feel now?’”Abigail asked. I yawned and re-

clined on the sofa. The truth was, I felt better. I’d pretend-
ed to be strong all through the week and had buried my-
self into work but spending time alone with God brought
up all the emotions
“Yemisi, keep the communion with your heavenly father

intact.” Mama said. “Do whatever the Holy Spirit instructs
you to do. You’ll heal faster that way. Leave whatever
happened in the past and let’s focus on the way forward.”
I nodded my head. “Thank you ma.”
My eyes went to the wall clock. 12.40p.m. It was time to

see Adesuwa and have a talk with her parents concern-
ing their pregnant daughter. Abigail had agreed to come
with me and her mother had assured us that her house
186
was open to the teenage girl in case things didn’t go well

with her parents.
While I got dressed, Abigail paced the room praying. I

prayed quietly too. We asked for wisdom to address the
issue. We asked God to touch her parents and to grant us
favour. We didn’t stop praying even when we boarded a
taxi that took us to her house.
Adesuwa’s house was still the same since the last time I
paid her a visit. Her brother opened the gate for us. He led
us past a Toyota Camry parked beside a small truck into a
bungalow that had potted plants line the veranda. As we
got close, I heard the loud angry voice of a man coming
from inside the house.
“I said l don’t want you in my house anymore!” The man

was shouting. “Right under my roof, you slept with that
vagabond. Adesuwa! You did not see any responsible boy
around, it is that stupid, good for nothing misfit who is
as useless on my farm as he is to his life that you chose to
mess up with. Didn’t they teach you how to use condom?
Adesuwa! You sabi book nah. Why you behave like mumu
like this? See, you no be my pikin again, you hear me so?”
We entered the living room. Adesuwa was on her knees
crying. Two of her sisters sat in the dining area, their faces
sullen. Beside them was a black box and a travelling bag.
Adesuwa’s mother held her husband’s legs. “My husband,
please. Have mercy on her. Remember all the good things
she has done in the past. Where do you want her to go to?”
“Woman! Let go of my leg!” The man tried to pull her
hands away but she held on firmly. He raised his head and
saw us standing close to the boy who had brought us in.
He frowned, obviously annoyed at our presence. “Who be
187
this people?”
His wife released her grip on his leg and turned towards
us. She recognized me immediately and jumped to her
feet.
“Miss Yemisi.” She said and ran towards me. “You came
at the right time.”
Her hand trembled as she led me towards the center of

the living room. “Help me beg my husband. I don’t know
where he wants my daughter to go.”
Abigail and I went down on our knees. The man looked

closely at me. He put his hands on his waist without tak-
ing his gaze away from me.
“No be Adesuwa former class teacher be this?”
I nodded quickly, my hands clasped in front of me. “Please

sir. Adesuwa is a good girl. This is a mistake and I’m very
sure she has learnt her lesson.”
He shook his head and I was a little annoyed that a man

could be this stubborn where his own blood was con-
cerned. Who throws a baby out with the bathwater? He
seemed to enjoy the attention. We were all on our knees in-
cluding Adesuwa’s sisters and two other young boys and
yet he wouldn’t budge.
“I don’t want to see her again. Period!” He turned to his

wife. “You know me. I don’t go back on my words. Get her
out of my house!”

188
As he walked out, he stopped at the entrance and turned

to Adesuwa.
“I had so much plans for you. I have already started sav-
ing money to send you abroad for a graduate programme.
I just spoke to my friend two days ago about getting you
into one of the Ivy League schools. You ruined everything.
Adesuwa, you fall my hand big time.”
When he left, Abigail suggested we wait until he returned.

She believed his heart would soften after a while but Ade-
suwa’s mother didn’t think her husband would change his
mind.
“I know my husband, he doesn’t go back on his words and

he won’t at least for now. I wish there is a place I can keep
her until he calms down.”
Abigail looked from me to the distressed woman. “She can

come with me. My mother is willing to take care of her.”
Adesuwa’s mother wasn’t comfortable with the arrange-

ment. She folded her hands and shook her head.
I went to her. “Abigail is my best friend and her moth-

er has a beautiful heart. Your daughter will be safe with
them. Please let Adesuwa come with us. It’ll just be for a
short time until her father’s anger dissipates. Please.”
Adesuwa’s mother held her head in her hands and my

heart broke for the pain her daughter was making her go
through. She let out a deep sigh. “What about her studies?
That means she won’t graduate with her mates.”
She glanced at her daughter. “Adesuwa, why? You had

189
a bright future ahead of you. From JSS 1, you’ve been re-

ceiving awards and prizes. I have seen parents look at me
with envy because many of them wished they had a child
like you. Can you remember the year the principal called
me out and introduced me as the mother to the most intel-
ligent student in Cornerstone College? Couldn’t you even
think of the reputation you have built before making that
stupid decision? What is even in the sex sef? In three min-
utes you ruined everything! You ruined your life.”
Adesuwa burst into tears. “Mummy, I’m sorry. Please for-

give me.”
Her mother ignored her and stood up. She turned to Ab-
igail. “Can I go with you to the place? I just need to see
where she’ll be staying and also thank your mother.”
“Sure.” Abigail said and ordered a taxi. When the car ar-
rived, Abigail sat in front with the driver while the three of
us got into the back seat.
Adesuwa wouldn’t stop crying. Her mother wrapped

her hand around her shoulder. “Don’t go and be think-
ing about it o. I’m begging you Adesuwa. Remember that
boy that killed himself in your class. It was because he was
thinking too much. Please don’t listen to the devil, you
hear? You can see how God provided these wonderful
aunties to help you. God will take care of you. Are you
listening to me?”
Adesuwa nodded. I passed her a clean handkerchief. She

blew her nose into it and started crying again.
Her mother tapped her. “Wetin dey do you? Stop crying. I

190
dey warn you. Don’t go and drink poison abeg. I have told
you that God will take care of you and the baby. His plan
for your life will come to pass.” She clapped her hands.
“All those your father people that say you will not suc-
ceed, God will destroy them. The way God will expose
them ehn.”
Adesuwa’s head fell on my shoulder. I patted her gently.

Adesuwa’s mother began to sing and her voice cracked
with tears.
All my enemies, dem go perish o

All my enemies, dem go die o
The people wey wan put me to shame
Dem go die o
Halleluyah, with God I dey kampe
*****************
Abigail’s mother came out of the house as the taxi pulled

into the compound. I introduced the visitors to her and I
noticed that Adesuwa’s mother became relaxed when Abi-
gail’s mother drew her into her arms. Abigail’s mother can
be warm like that.
We carried Adesuwa’s belonging into the house as the

women walked in front of us.
“I hope your husband is cool with this arrangement. We

don’t want to be a burden.” Adesuwa’s mother said.
Abigail’s mother gave her a warm smile. She didn’t say

anything until they got to the living room. “I’m not mar-
191
ried.”
Adesuwa’s mother sat down. “You lost your husband?”
“No. I have never been married. I am a single mother.”
Her mouth flew opened. “I’m sorry I don’t mean to probe

but did you rent this beautiful place by yourself?”
“I didn’t rent it. I own it.”
“Osanobua!What do you do?”
We left the women to get Adesuwa settled into her new

room. The bed had already been dressed with a beauti-
ful flowery pink bed sheet. There was a bible in front of
a white furry teddy bear with a red bow tied around the
neck.
Adesuwa sat on the bed and reached for the teddy bear.
She placed it close to her chest. “I like it.”
“I am happy you like it. It’s yours.” Abigail said.
Adesuwa smiled at us. “Thank you very much for allow-

ing me stay here. I promise to be of good behaviour.”
Abigail went to the switch and turned on the ceiling fan.

“If you need anything, my room is just down the corri-
dor.”
Adesuwa smiled and turned to Abigail. “I heard your
mum say she never got married. So you live here alone
with her?”

192
“Not always.” Abigail said. “I have a sister but at the mo-

ment she is studying medicine in the university. She is
rarely home though but she should be home for Christ-
mas.”
I knew Abigail didn’t like to tell people her sister was ad-
opted. Ten years after Abigail was born, her mother had
gone with a team on an evangelistic outreach and had re-
turned with a baby abandoned in the bush. The child was
so sick, she had to be rushed to the intensive care unit. The
doctors had thought she wouldn’t live.
A frown appeared on Adesuwa’s face. “I feel terrible. This

is all my fault. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Once
a guy shows interest in me, different images runs through
my mind and at night, I’ll imagine him touching and do-
ing things to me. Even if he doesn’t want to touch me, I’ll
plead with him until he does.” She stopped. “My parents
do not know about this battle I’ve been facing. I’ve had
boys and men fondle with my body since I was seven. I
have cried and prayed to God but nothing has changed.”
I sat beside her. “There is a lot you’re going to learn here.
I might not come often because my house is miles away
from here but I’ll speak to you every day. You have an el-
der sister in Abigail. She can answer the questions burning
in your heart.”
Abigail sat at the other side and held her hand. “We are
sure going to have a good time together.”
“Adesuwa,” I said. “Jesus died to set you free from the

power of sin. Romans six verse six says, Knowing this that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin.”
193
“Who’s the old man?” Adesuwa asked.
“It is the nature of sin we received through Adam’s fall.”

“I remember the story of Adam’s fall.” Adesuwa said.
“The devil deceived his wife and she ate a fruit God said
she should not eat. She also gave her husband to eat. That
was the way sin came into the world right?”
“Yes. Romans four verse eighteen says based on Adam’s

choice, we all came into condemnation. We became sin-
ners and enemies of God. We carried the nature of the dev-
il but because God loves man intensely, Jesus came to take
that nature from us so we can be restored to a relationship
with God.
“Adesuwa, the life God gives is beautiful. You know why?

It is eternal. It is a never-ending incorruptible life. But then
that horrible nature in man must be completely destroyed
if we must receive this eternal life. The only way that could
happen was by death. Jesus became sin for us and died
and then was buried. When he resurrected, we were not
just free from the power of sin, the nature of God became
ours.” Yemisi explained.
Adesuwa sighed. “This nature, how can someone get it? Is

there something I’m supposed to do?”
“Believe.” Abigail chipped in. “If you will confess with

your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with your heart
that God raised Christ from the dead, you will be saved.
That’s what Romans 10 verse 9 says.”
“Listen to this dear.” I said. “For God so loved the world

194
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be-

lieves in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The only condition is faith in what Christ has done. When
you believe, the nature of Christ becomes yours. Satan will
have no hold over you anymore.”
Tears poured down Adesuwa’s face. “Lord I believe. I be-

lieve you died and was raised for me. I confess you as my
Lord and savior. Oh Jesus, I believe. Thank you for forgiv-
ing me. Thank you for giving me this new nature. Thank
you for delivering me from Satan.”
We held Adesuwa’s hands and prayed with her. My heart

surged with joy that day. For the first time in a long time,
I felt really fulfilled.
The door opened and the two women entered the room.
They asked to speak to Adesuwa alone. We left the room
and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. While I pre-
pared amala, Abigail made the ewedu soup.
“There are many teenagers battling with lust.” Abigail

said as she added bicarbonate to the steaming ewedu on
the gas cooker.
“True.” I responded. “For introverted teenagers like Ade-

suwa, it’s difficult to tell unless they are caught red hand-
ed. I remember one of my students who just couldn’t get
his eyes off a girl with big buttocks. It was easy for me
to deal with his case because he talks a lot and somehow
what was in his heart came out.”
We took the food to the dining room. “Imagine Adesuwa

telling me she’d been like this since she was seven. I could
195
almost not believe it. You should see this girl in class. She
reads her bible and many times lead the class fellowship.
To think she wasn’t even saved. It’s very deceptive for
a believer to assume someone is saved by their outward
moral disposition.”
Abigail sighed. “While we were in the room, I saw an im-

age of Adesuwa standing before a crowd and ministering
God’s word. There is something about her. She has a mis-
sion to fulfill.”
I smiled and placed two folded napkins at the center of the

table. “There is plenty of work to do. We start by praying
intensely for her.”
About thirty minutes later, Adesuwa and the two women

came out of the guest room. Adesuwa’s mother was in a
hurry to leave.
“We’d love you to join us for dinner.” Abigail said to Ade-

suwa’s mother.
Adesuwa’s mother shook her head. “I’m so sorry I won’t

be able to stay any longer. It’s already 9p.m. I should go
now.”
We tried to convince her to call her husband and explain

that it was already late. Abigail promised to drop her off at
home the following morning.
“You don’t know my husband.” She said. “Please allow

me go. I’ll come another time.” She turned to Abigail’s
mother. “Thank you for everything. The Lord bless you.”

196
And then she was gone. Adesuwa sat at the dining table
and stared at her meal. Her eyes were filled with tears and
I knew she was already missing her mother. For a fifteen
year old girl who had never been away from home, this
was all strange to her. It’d take some time for her to adjust
to the new environment.
Abigail’s mother touched her hand tenderly. Adesuwa

closed her eyes and slowly tears trickled down her face.
She sighed deeply and smiled at her new host and slowly
she began to eat.

Chapter
Thirteen
198
T HE WEEK WE GOT PAID our salary, I walked into the

office excited that finally I’d settle the last of the debt
I took for Wale.
That man dealt with me sha!
Guy was gone from my life while I was still settling gbese.
What kind of mumu love be that sef? I wondered what had
become of Pure Heaven Assembly. Was it still existing?
I bumped into Taiwo at the corridor.
“Here you are.” I said, excited to see him. “I’m sending

the balance to you now. My days of gbese are over. Amen!”
Taiwo didn’t smile. He seemed restless. He grabbed my

hand and pulled me into the boardroom. Even though the
air-conditioner was turned on, Taiwo was sweating pro-
fusely.
I was worried. “What’s going on?”
He placed his hands on his waist and looked at me. “To-

day, I will know if we are truly friends.”
I stared at him, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

He stopped in front of me. “You remember that deal we
had with Mr Olowolagba?”
I nodded. I remembered the deal very well. The man was

blind and had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer.
We had to complete the deal through his personal assis-
tant.
“What we presented to the office here was ten million nai-

199
ra.”
I shook my head. “That’s not possible. We sealed that deal

at thirteen million naira”
Taiwo looked at me impatiently. “Three million is off the

record. Our share has been sent to my account. I’ll transfer
it to you later. Myself, Stephen and you are entitled to sev-
en hundred thousand naira each.”
I looked at him stunned. “What?”
“Don’t worry, nobody will suspect anything. The old man

can’t remember anything anymore. His son stepped into
the business two days ago. What I don’t understand is
why the M.D is pestering us about the deal. We told him
already but he is not satisfied. Don’t be afraid, we have
covered all our tracks. If he calls you, just tell him we
closed the deal at ten million naira.”
I couldn’t believe what Taiwo was asking me to do.
How was I supposed to do that?
I was still trying to make a sense of the fraud when Ste-

phen shot his head into the boardroom. He grinned at me.
“It’s good you learn early how business is done here. If
you want to make it in this life, you have to play smart. I
hear the M.D is looking for you.” He gave Taiwo a quick
glance. “Leave her for a couple of minutes, let her put her-
self together. If she goes in like this, the M.D will know
there is something fishy.”
Taiwo squeezed my shoulders and whispered into my

200
ears. “I love you Yemisi. You know I’ve stood by you since
you joined this company. Our job is on the line.”
I watched Taiwo leave the boardroom and for several min-

utes, I stood there, confused.
Jesus, what kind of fix am I in like this?
My mind went numb the moment I stepped into the M.D’s

office. This was my second time in his office. The first was
the week I resumed work at Pavilion and Jide had to intro-
duce the new employees to him.
My eyes widened with fear when I saw the M.D’s wife

sitting on his chair. The only time I had seen her was when
she barked out orders at the receptionist. My colleagues
told horrible tales of their close encounter with Mabel.
Some said she was more subtle than the devil and that she
controlled her husband. I remember Taiwo had once said
the M.D rescued her from penury.
Now that I was within close range, I saw she was striking-
ly beautiful. Her pretty face could make men gasp when
she appeared in a room. Her black skin was completely
flawless!
I tried to imagine her life before she got married to her rich
husband. Black spots covering her skin. Meals so infre-
quent her stomach growled for more after a plate of soggy
rice and watery stew. Who knows, her mother might have
filled an empty milk can with ori as body cream because
vaseline was expensive. Had Mabel refused to discard her
hair extensions after several use because she couldn’t af-
ford another one? Had this woman ever hawked sweets
201
and biscuits at the motor parks in Lagos?
The M.D’s wife looked up from a travel magazine she was

engrossed in and pointed to a chair across her table. I sat
down.
She pushed the magazine aside. “Where on earth have you

been? The secretary has been trying to reach you on the
phone.”
“I’m sorry ma’am.” I said. “I was away from my phone.

I’m just seeing the calls I missed.”
She sat back and stared long at me. Her penetrating gaze
disturbed me. I almost screamed,
Can we get this meeting over with please?
Where for goodness sake was the M.D and why was I hav-
ing this conversation with his wife?
Yemisi, relax, this might not be about that deal, I said to

myself. She might need your help with something else.
“How much was the deal with Mr Olowolagba?”Mabel

blurted out.
I stared at her surprised. So it really was about the deal.

Mabel thought I had forgotten and went on to describe vi-
tal details of the transaction. Every word she said was ac-
curate. Was this how she monitored everything that went
on here? The wives of rich men that I know stayed at home
to tend to their kids and cook for their husband.

202
When she finished, she reclined on her seat and folded her
hands.
“You remember the deal now?”
My heart was pounding. The conversation I had with Tai-

wo flashed across my mind.
I love you Yemisi. You know I’ve stood by you since you joined
this company. Our job is on the line. I need you now.
There had to be a way out of this.
“I remember the deal ma’am. The truth is, I just started

working here over a year ago. Stephen and Taiwo know
more about this contract than I do. I only followed them
that day to learn how to negotiate properly. In fact before
I joined the company, I heard they’ve been working on the
proposal. They are in the best position to answer the ques-
tion ma’am. The M.D knows this too.”
Mabel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and chuck-

led. I got more uncomfortable and you could tell from my
sweaty palms.
“What a smart way of avoiding my question.” She

frowned. “Let me put it straight to you and please do not
beat around the bush. I don’t have time to waste here.” She
paused. “Were you there when the contract was signed
with Mr. Olowolagba? Secondly, has Stephen or Taiwo at
any time sent you a mail or document regarding this trans-
action?”
I let out a deep sigh. I had been boxed into a corner. It was
203
either I told a lie or I lose my friendship with Taiwo. But

then, I do not owe her any explanation. I was only answer-
able to the M.D.
Her eyes were hard as they bore into mine. “Listen here, I
run this place now. When my husband returns, a general
meeting will be called and the announcement made. Tell
me what I need to know about this transaction. My hus-
band has asked the other men involved, they’ve tried to
convince us that ten million naira was the deal. We just
want your own side of the story since you witnessed the
signing and you saw the document.”
I sighed and looked away from her.
These six things the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination
unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue…
I had read that scripture this morning. Had God been try-
ing to speak to me ahead of this situation?
A false balance is abomination to the Lord; but a just weight is

his delight.
Why were these scriptures rushing into my head? My

mind went to Taiwo and how he’d feel if he discovered I’d
said the truth. But I loved the Lord. This was a test of my
loyalty. Would I disappoint God?
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing….
Oh I had prayed Colossians one verse nine to eleven last

night. I had confessed several times that I was the righ-
teousness of God in Christ. I had shouted and screamed
204
for joy when the realization dawned on me that I had truly

been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the king-
dom of Christ. Was telling a lie not a trait of darkness?
Would my answer reflect my true nature or would I em-
brace the pattern of the world that I had been delivered
from?
“Yemisi.”
I shifted my thoughts back to the room. “Thirteen million

naira.’”
She looked at me, shocked. “Are you serious?”
I nodded my head. “Yes ma’am.”
She shook her head. “I knew there was something wrong

when Mr Olowolagba’s son called last night.” She paused.
“My husband has been too lenient with Stephen. How can
your own brother connive with a staff to perpetrate fraud?
I’ve told him his brother needs to learn a lesson otherwise
he’d wreck this company.”
She returned her gaze to me and scribbled down an email

address on a sticky note. She passed the note to me. “I want
every document or mail you have regarding this transac-
tion. I must get to the bottom of this.”
She dismissed me. As I left the office, I stopped to plead

with her to take it easy on Taiwo but she had rolled the
chair towards the wall. Her shoulders drooped as she
stared blankly into space. I didn’t bother to say anything.
I just left.

205
Taiwo was standing impatiently by my table. I was irri-

tated by his sight and wished we had never met. What
kind of man defrauds his employer? Why do people think
they’ll prosper with this kind of wicked heart?
“How did it go?” Taiwo said, his hands thrust into his
pockets.
“Please I don’t want to talk right now.” I said and opened

my laptop.
He closed the laptop. “What do you mean you don’t want

to talk? My friend, talk to me.”
I glared at him and anger rose to my throat. “Taiwo, I have

work to do. Please leave here.”
His phone rang. He looked at his phone and then at me.

“Mabel is calling me. Is she around?”
I nodded. “Yes, she is.”
Taiwo spat out a foul word. “What the hell is she doing
here? Where is the M.D?”
“I don’t know. I’ve not seen him today.”
Taiwo held the edge of my table. ‘”Wait a minute. Are you

saying she interrogated you about the deal?”
I hissed and punched furiously on my laptop. “Just go

away please. I’m not answering any question.”
Taiwo rubbed his head and stamped his feet. His phone
206
rang again. “She’s calling me again. This had better be

good.” He said and left my table.
When I opened my mailbox, Stephen had left me a mes-
sage.
Delete every document and mail you have on the deal with Mr
Olowolagba.
I ignored the message and forwarded the mails and doc-

uments to Mabel including a scanned copy of the thirteen
million naira contract.
Few minutes later, my phone rang. The M.D’s Secretary.
“Oh God!” I said aloud, frustrated. Two of my colleagues

looked up from their work and glanced at me, curious. I
apologized and picked the call.
Mabel wanted me in the M.D’s office immediately. My

heart pounded with each step that I took to her office.
Stephen and Taiwo were already here and I wished the
ground could open up and swallow me.
Stephen looked down at the laptop opened in front of

Mabel. “This proves nothing! I have told you that initial-
ly when we went to see him, he agreed to close the deal
for thirteen million. But later he changed his mind and re-
scheduled a meeting with us.
Mabel was boiling with rage. “You are saying you didn’t
sign the documents that day?”
“No we didn’t. The contract was concluded on a later

date. Yemisi didn’t go with us the second time.” Taiwo
207
answered.
Stephen laughed sardonically. “Mabel, but you claim to be

a smart woman, why are you acting like this?” He pointed
at a document on the table. “The only agreement before
you clearly states that the deal was for ten million nai-
ra. Why are you dragging this matter? Why are we even
talking to you? Where is my brother? For one, I know he
has no time for irrelevancies. How dare you accuse me of
stealing my brother’s money?”
Mabel smiled sadly and returned her attention to the lap-

top. “I’m sure you don’t know anything about this. Take
a look.”
Reluctantly, Stephen’s eyes went to the screen of the Mac

system and immediately colour drained from his face. I
could guess what he had seen. The scanned copy of the
thirteen million naira contract I’d sent to her. Stephen shot
me an angry glare. He looked ready to punch me in the
face.
Mabel folded her hands. “We travelled out of the country

for a couple of months and my own brother-in-law swin-
dles us of three million naira.” She looked from Taiwo
to Stephen. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on in Mr
Olowolagba’s firm but since his son took over as the CEO,
he’s been digging into the books. Of course you might
want to know that he worked for ten years as an auditor
in one of the country’s best audit firm. You guys had bet-
ter start talking because if any part of this document was
forged, you are both going down.”
Stephen looked frustrated and ashamed. Taiwo stood

208
there, fear written all over his face.
“Mabel, please.” Stephen pleaded.
“Why are you calling my name? Few minutes ago, your

shoulders were high and you were forming James Bond.
Oya now! Save yourself. I don’t know when it will sink
into your skull that deceit only brings temporary gain.
You have a beautiful well-furnished apartment, you have
a nice car, my husband sponsors your vacation trip yearly.
Even after you squandered the money your late father left
you, at least you have a job here. Why can’t you be satis-
fied! Why can’t you even be like your twin brother?”
Stephen flared up. “Mabel, stop it. I’ve told you. Don’t
ever compare me to my twin. I don’t like it!”
Mabel was still fuming. “Unfortunately today, you have

no choice but to listen to me if you want me to save your
ass.”
Stephen walked away. Mabel stood up.
“You are walking away?”
Stephen turned swiftly. “Why won’t I? If you want to

prosecute, then go ahead! What I will not do is stand there
and have you compare me to my brother. I don’t care what
you do!”
Mabel shook her head. “Your pride has always been your
undoing. Maybe you really need to spend a few days be-
hind bars. I think a little torture will do you some good.”

209
The door opened and a short pot-bellied man with a tooth-

pick hanging on one side of his lips entered the office. The
M.D had arrived. The man could hardly carry himself as
he walked towards the center of the room.
Mabel left the table and stood beside her husband. “Honey,
I have a scanned copy of the thirteen million naira contract
agreement, thanks to Yemisi. So right now we have two
documents on the same transaction. You should have seen
your brother’s face when he saw the other document.”
The M.D faced his brother. “Stephen.”
“Let me explain. I-” Stephen started.
The M.D pointed a finger at him, “If you say one more
word!’ He paused, his gaze still fixed on his brother. “Both
of you leave us.”
Taiwo and I stepped out. I didn’t bother to return to my

office. My head was spinning and I wanted to be alone.
When I walked past the reception, Rebecca, the reception-
ist was leaning on the reception desk talking with Taiwo.
She rolled her eyes at me and spat out a foul word. I left
the building and wished I didn’t have to return.
There was a confectionery just down the street. I went in

and ordered whipped cream on lemon cake. I stared at it
but lacked strength to even take a bite.
God, I’m tired of that office, I muttered. Will you please

get me out?
*******************
210
Taiwo was fired two days after the meeting with Mabel. I
leaned against the wall, watching as he cleared his belong-
ings into a laptop bag. You know what made his departure
more difficult for me? My colleagues. I’m talking about the
other employees in the advertising and marketing depart-
ment. They were all looking at me like I was some devil.
Everyone liked Taiwo but then who wouldn’t? He was in-

teresting to be with. You can’t even be sad around him
because by the time he cracks those his funny jokes, you’d
be laughing hard. He was the kind of guy who could take
the bullet for anyone.
I felt horrible. I mean I was literally fighting tears. Taiwo

had been there for me and just once when he needed me,
I had failed him. When I first got to Pavilion and was con-
fused about how to carry on with some of my tasks, Tai-
wo had come to my rescue. He taught me how to write a
proposal, he gave me the confidence I needed to approach
clients and he never complained when I kept borrowing
money from him.
That morning, Taiwo was surrounded by sympathizers.

The men assured him that he’d get a better job. Three la-
dies hung on to him, tears running down their faces.
Rebecca wrapped her hand around his neck and wept. To-
sin, the lady who slept with clients to get deals, looked at
me and hissed.
“Backstabber! How could you do this to your friend? You

are wicked!”

211
Taiwo turned slightly in my direction and laughed sar-

donically. “Did you just call us friends?” He glared at me.
“God forbid it.”
Those words hit me. When Taiwo bounced out of our of-
fice with the ladies, I ran to the rest room and fell on the
floor and wept. Taiwo was gone, just like that? How would
Pavilion be without him? I felt alone. Nobody in the office
would ever talk to me. If Stephen remained my boss, he’d
frustrate my life.
Help me Lord. Please get me out of here.

Chapter
Fourteen
213
I WOKE UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, feeling de-

pressed. From three a.m, my eyes were opened till about
five-thirty a.m when I got ready for work.
I dreaded going back to my place of work. I wished I could

call in sick or find an excuse not to go work. I imagined
Stephen stepping out of his office and yelling orders at me.
Not one person would take my side, I concluded.
My head ached badly. I sat in front of the mirror and no-

ticed there were still bags under my eyes. I rubbed them
gently.
“Lord Jesus, strengthen me. I do not regret standing for the

truth. If I have to do this again, I’ll stand by your word. All
I ask is for strength and boldness.” I whispered and placed
my head on the table. I didn’t know when I slept off.
A call woke me up. I jumped to my feet and glanced at my

wristwatch.
8.35a.m
I gasped. I had just given Stephen enough reason to nail

me. There was no way I was going to avoid answering a
query.
My phone started ringing again but I ignored it and ran

out of the house as if chased by a dog. I flagged down a
bike, jumped on it and gave the bike man directions to my
office.
The attack started right from the reception. Rebecca hit me

with her shoulder as she walked past to get water from the
214
dispenser. She didn’t apologize or look my way. I knew

more was coming. I was going to get it hot in the Agency.
I entered my office, relieved to be welcomed by empty
chairs. The others must have gone out in search of clients.
There was only a lady at the far corner, flipping through
some documents. I greeted her. Not like I was expecting a
response, but she did respond.
“Stephen has been posted to the research and develop-

ment department.” The lady said from across the room.
At least there was someone willing to hold a conversation
with me. That was something.
I turned to her, surprised. “Who is our new boss?”
“Stephen’s twin brother.”
It was as if cold water had been poured on my head. I

bowed my head and giggled silently. “Jesus, thank you for
making life easier for me.”
I didn’t have to face Stephen’s fury. But who knows what

this new guy would demand?
What if this man craved sex the way the head of the Res-
ervation and Tour department pressurized me until he got
bored when I kept declining his offer? He’d shifted his at-
tention to a new staff in his department. I remember the
lady had met me in the canteen, her eyes filled with tears.
“I am tired of having sex with my boss but I don’t know
how to stop.” She said. “Every time I stand to lead wor-
ship in church and I see my fiancé smiling with admiration
in his eyes, I feel very bad.”

215
When her boss had made the move, she had at first stood
her ground until he threatened to put up a negative report
about her work to the M.D. She had given in finally.
“God forbid.” I said to myself. “The day this new boss,

whoever he is, demands for sex is the day I’ll resign.”
Tosin walked into the office in a mini gown with a low-

cut top that revealed too much of her cleavages and heels
high enough to break a woman’s ankles if she dared slip. I
opened my mouth, speechless. This was not my first time
she’d be dressing this way, I wondered why I couldn’t get
used to it.
How can a grown woman dress like this for Christ sake!
Her friends followed behind. Chidinma and Moyo giggled

and slapped each other’s back playfully. It wasn’t hard to
tell that Tosin had just returned from a ‘meeting’ with a
client. As usual, she’d change to a proper corporate outfit.
Not proper really, but with less exposure.
Tosin stood at the center of the room and turned her gaze
towards my boss’ office. “I hear that our new boss is the
definition of handsome.” Tosin said, giggling. “This is
fresh bread straight from the oven. I was already tired of
Stephen anyway.”
I stared at her irritated. Doesn’t she get tired of jumping

from one man to another?
“When I am done with this one, Oh my God!” She rolled

her eyes and turned to her friends. “Stay away from this
man. He is mine.”
216
Chidinma and Moyo were laughing and hailing her. I sat

there watching them with disgust.
“It’s time to meet Mr Handsome.” She said and cat-walked

towards my boss’ office. She opened the door slowly.
Delilah, I muttered under my breath.
I hissed and began to scribble down questions for the cli-

ents I had to meet later in the day. I had barely gotten to
the second question when I heard the loud voice of a man
coming from my boss’ office.
“Will you get out of my office now!” The man shouted.
Everybody stopped what they were doing. Our attention

was directed to the door.
“I said Get out!” He repeated. Tosin scrambled out of the

office, embarrassed. Laughter almost escaped my mouth.
He followed her out of the office, boiling with anger. My
new boss was nothing compared to Stephen when it came
to physical appearance.
Heavens! such fineness in one body.
He looked from one person to another and stopped at To-

sin who was now seated behind her table, fuming.
“Don’t ever come to the office dressed like that. Where do

you think you are? A club house? You came into my office
to seduce me? You are very foolish, really. You know noth-
ing about me and the first thing that came to your mind
was to show me your breast and flabby laps. Don’t you
217
have dignity of any sort? Listen, I’m saying this in front of

every one of you. Don’t try to make any dirty moves or I’ll
embarrass you openly.”
He paused. “We’ll be having a departmental meeting

tomorrow afternoon. Tell the others when they return. I
think we need to set some things straight if we are going
to work together without stepping on each other’s toes.”
He walked back into his office. We sat in silence as if wait-

ing for him to return for another tirade. Tosin broke the
silence.
“I’ll frustrate this guy in this office. He doesn’t know me

yet.” She said in a low tone and marched out of the office.
Her friends burst into laughter and for a moment I was
confused. Why were they laughing?
Moyo hissed. “Finally, the harlot meets her waterloo. I like

this.”
I glanced at her shocked. I couldn’t believe the same peo-

ple who hailed Tosin few minutes ago could do this behind
her. Moyo was Tosin’s closest friend for goodness sake.
How can a person have a friend like this?
I made a silent prayer to God. May I never meet a friend

who’d see me treading the wrong path and keep silent but
behind me laugh at my foolishness.
My boss came out again. “Who is Yemisi?”
My heart fainted. What have I done again?

218
I raised my hand. Was this about the query? Was he mad

at me because of his brother?
“Come to my office immediately.” He said and shut the

door.
I let out a deep breath. Maybe my time was over. Maybe

my new boss wanted to inform me to stop by the HR office
to pick my sack letter. Whatever it was, I was ready to say
goodbye to Pavilion Travel Agency.
“Have a seat.” My new boss said when I entered his office.

When I sat down, he fixed his gaze on me and broke into
a smile.
“My name is Simeon. It’s good to finally meet you.”
I was puzzled. What was this man saying and why was he
looking at me like that? Fear caught my throat. My eyes
went to his finger and I relaxed when I saw a wedding
band.
Simeon laughed. “Oh my God! You thought I wanted to

flirt with you. I could see the relief in your eyes when you
saw a wedding band on my finger.”
Embarrassed, I put up a defence. “I didn’t mean to do that.

It’s just that-”
“I understand.” Simeon interrupted. “It’s okay to be care-

ful. I have no intention of wooing you even though I know
some married people do that, but you see, the reason
people like us don’t cheat on our wives is far beyond our
commitment and love for them. Our devotion is first to the
219
Lord.”
My eyes widened. “You are a Christian?”
He smiled and leaned forward. “Let’s get to the reason I

called you. Does the name, Abeo ring a bell?”
Abeo. The name was familiar. I muttered the name under

my breath as if by doing so, it would trigger a memory.
“I have heard the name before but I-” I remembered. When

Mama D returned from omugwu in Kaduna, she’d spoken
highly of one Abeo who visited her daughter’s family fre-
quently. Mama wouldn’t stop talking about his large heart.
“I heard my mentor talk about Abeo.” I said. Could this
be the man?
“Mama D.” we chorused and laughed at the same time. I

almost screamed for joy.
“Oh my God! You know Mama D.”
He nodded his head. “Yes I do. She is such a wonderful

woman. Her daughter and my wife are close buddies.
When I informed her yesterday that we had moved from
Kaduna and I mentioned kicking off work in my broth-
er’s company, she told me you were here as a staff. This
morning, I asked Mabel what department you were and
she said you were right under my nose.”
I smiled. “This is interesting. So your other name is Abeo.”

“Don’t call me that in the office. I prefer to stick with Sim-
eon.”

220
“Noted sir.”
Simeon pushed his chair backward and crossed one leg

over the other. “I heard what you did here last week. Ma-
bel speaks so highly of you and it makes me happy when I
meet one more believer who refuses to bow to the system
of the world.”
Simeon was so easy to talk with. For over an hour we dab-

bled in and out of different topics. I didn’t know when I
began to share my worries with him. He just sat there and
listened. There was this connection I felt with him. This
wasn’t romantic in any way.
When I stopped talking, Simeon didn’t say anything. He

seemed like a guy who weighed his thoughts before spill-
ing them out.
“Do you love what you are doing? Do you think this place
is where you should be?”
I shrugged. How many times have I asked myself that

question? “I enjoy it sometimes. At least, it pays my bills.”
“Let me ask you this. If you were to be paid a hundred
thousand naira monthly to do anything you choose, what
would that be?”
My eyes lightened up. Only one thing came to my mind.

“I’d be a teens coach. I’d love to lead teenagers into God’s
plan for their lives.”
I talked about my experiences with my students at Cor-

nerstone College. I told him about Dotun’s death and how
I’d convinced myself that getting involved in the lives of
221
teenagers was not God’s purpose for my life. I shared my

escapades with Wale and the many regrets I had in the
relationship. I also shared my recent burden to return to
Cornerstone College. At a point, I stopped talking.
“Are you a Pastor or a therapist? The way you listen, you

make me want to talk more.”
Simeon laughed. “I am an associate Pastor. Although I

don’t know if it has anything to do with that. My wife tells
me I’m a great listener.”
I decided it was time to stop talking about myself. The

last thing I wanted was to sound like a whining old hag.
“Thank you for listening. I feel better. This week has been
depressing, really.”
He passed me a paper towel and it was then I realized I’d

been crying. Why do I keep embarrassing myself like this?
“I’ll say two things quickly before I allow you return to
work. One, you should go to Cornerstone College and see
the principal. I’ll give you some hours off work. Just let me
know when you are ready.”
I threw the rumpled wet towel into a refuse bin under the
table. “I don’t know what I’m going to do there. What will
I say to him?”
“You will know when you get there.” He paused. “Sec-

ondly, I think it’s time you meet my wife.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“This week will be pretty busy for us. Our church conven-
222
tion starts tomorrow. Let’s see how next week goes.”
I thanked him and stood up to return to my office. When I

got to the door, he called my name. I turned.
“Yemisi.” he repeated. “I understand you were not delib-

erate about Dotun but you cannot change what has hap-
pened. The boy is dead. Let the guilt go. You can’t bring
him back but you can save thousands of teenagers from
making an attempt at suicide. Your heavenly father loves
you. He is waiting for you to respond to him.”
I thanked him again and stepped into my office. Tosin was

sitting on her table flanked by her two fake friends. Yes, I
call them fake. How can she have friends who won’t tell
her the truth? Their faces were set in a scowl but I didn’t
care.
Tosin stormed out of the office again with her friends, but
this time she stopped at the entrance and turned in my
direction.
“All these church people that will be deceiving us. They

are worse than we are. One day, your secrets will be ex-
posed. You cannot sleep with clients but your boss is an
exception. Nonsense!” She hissed and left the office.
I was pissed. I wondered how long she’d last in Pavilion

before Mabel kicked her out.

Chapter
Fifteen
224
M Y HEART POUNDED FAST as I approached Cor-

nerstone College. I was nervous and had to stop at
the gate to catch my breath. When I pushed the gate, I saw
some students standing with a teacher on the ground floor
of the school building. Quickly I stepped away from the
gate and decided to go through the back entrance.
This was the plan I had in mind. Get into the school com-
pound through the back gate, pass the girls’ hostel, refecto-
ry and school hall and then take the back stairs to the prin-
cipal’s office. After the meeting, I’d take the same route
out of school before any of the students catch a glimpse of
me.
The gateman, a middle aged dark man with brown teeth

and buggy eyes, was leaning against the fence, holding a
transistor radio. His eyes lit up when he saw me.
“Aunty Yemisi!” He shouted in excitement. “Na your face

be this?”
“Yes o. Oga Rafiu, how is everything?”
“My sister, we dey where you leave us.”
“I want to see the principal but I don’t want to go through

the main gate. You know how these students can be some-
times. I don’t want to distract them from their lessons.”
He moved away from the fence and opened the gate for
me. “Sure. You are still part of our family.” He stared at
my bag. “Nothing for the old man?”
I smiled and reached into my bag. I pulled out two thou-

225
sand naira note and gave him. He raised his hands to

the air, laughing. I waved at him and proceeded into the
school.
I got close to the refectory and heard familiar voices.

I froze.
My students.
I tip-toed towards the corridor of the refectory and hid

against the wall. Thankfully, the place was quiet and none
of the cooks were around. I peeped and saw three of my
students sitting on a concrete slab that faced the entrance
to the refectory. Textbooks were opened in front of them.
Were they preparing for an exam?
Then I remembered SSCE and it hit me that in a couple of

months, they’d be graduating from the school. How time
flies. I looked ahead and saw more students scattered out-
side the school hall, reading. Some boys were sitting under
a mango tree, bent over textbooks.
Oh God, I miss my students.
When I looked closely, I saw it was Phoebe sitting on the

slab with two other girls. They were reading out multiple
choice questions from a book. I heard Phoebe ask a ques-
tion on where Aerobic respiration takes place. The girls
argued over the answer and when they couldn’t come to
a conclusion, they rushed to the back page to check the
answer.
How do I get to the principal’s office without drawing

their attention? The truth was, I wanted to draw them
226
into my arms and tell them how much I loved them, but
then why should they believe my words? I wouldn’t be
surprised if they ignored me. I had left the school without
telling them. They had pleaded with me to come see them
but I had turned down their offer. I had also failed to keep
my promise that I wasn’t going to leave them until they all
graduated.
A girl stepped out of the school hall and began to dance

shaku shaku. I shook my head.
Debby!
I wondered if her father still made her memorize five

memory verses every day. Her friends were showering her
with praise and the boys under the tree were now staring
at her. Where for goodness sake had she learnt all these
dance moves?
“Miss Yemisi!” Somebody screamed my name. My heart

fainted. My hide-out had been discovered. I looked behind
me to find a girl gaping at me, shocked. I stepped away
from the wall. Phoebe and the two girls flew at me.
“Miss Yemisi is here!” One of the girls shouted at the oth-

ers. Debby stopped dancing and ran towards me, followed
by some of the girls. The boys also hurried in my direc-
tion. I saw students coming out of different corners, all
charging at me.
Some of the girls started crying. The boys stood there,

mesmerized. They were all talking at the same time.
“Miss Yemisi, you left without a word.”

227
“You promised to be with us till we graduate.”
“Miss Yemisi, we miss you.”
I had to hold myself from crying in front of my students.

Oh how I loved them.
Dotun’s best friend stood aloof with his hands folded. He

didn’t look cheerful at all and it made me wonder if he
had healed from the loss of his friend. I looked from one
face to the other. Only two students were missing from the
bunch. Dotun and Adesuwa.
“I miss you and I’m sorry for disappearing like that.” I

said. My chest was tight with emotions.
“How’s Adesuwa?” One of the boys asked. The others

were looking at me, waiting for a response.
“She is doing fine.”
Somebody whispered something to Phoebe and she ran to-

wards the school hall.
It was time to go see the Principal. They pleaded with me

to give them a few minutes. I saw Phoebe running back
in our direction, holding three large greeting cards. She
handed me the cards.
“Please tell Adesuwa that we love her.” Phoebe said.

In front of the card was boldly written,
For Adesuwa
Because we love and cherish you.
228
When I opened one of the cards, I saw on the top, ‘CLASS

OF 2014’
All over the cards were handwritten notes by Adesuwa’s

classmates.
Adesuwa, don’t ever give up, you hear me! I love you and I miss
you. Phoebe.
Tell our little princess that were all waiting to receive her. (Yeah,
you are going to have a girl. The boys don’t think so. We made
a bet. lol.) Toyin.
You are dear to our hearts. John
Do you know I’ve had a crush on you since JSS 1? You are an
amazing girl. I miss you. Emmanuel
You will be fine. Your baby will be fine. We love you. Yomi.
Do you still chew your fingernails…hehehe…I still remember
how I slapped your finger off your mouth. You chased me round
the class that day. Baby girl, I miss you. Sandra.
I just learnt a new dance step. I wish you could see it. I love you
Adesuwa. Debby.
I stopped reading because my eyes were blurred with

tears. When I raised my head, a tear trickled down my face.
“This is beautiful. I’ll make sure she reads this.” I looked

at the cards again. “But how were you planning to get this
across to her? You didn’t know I was coming.”
“We just filled the cards yesterday after our meeting with
the principal.” Phoebe answered. “They’ve been in my
229
school bag since then. I knew somehow we’d get her to

read it.”
“Miss Yemisi,” Debby called. “Will you attend our vale-

dictory service?”
I wouldn’t miss it for anything. “Sure. Now, go prepare for

your exam.”
They didn’t want to leave and some of the girls kept hold-
ing on to my waist until I finally whisked myself away.
I was crying as I walked away from them. By now you
should know I cry a lot. Anyway, I got to the front of the
Principal’s office and pulled myself together.
“Who am I seeing free of charge like this?” The principal

said as I entered his office. There was nothing in his ex-
pression that showed he was upset with me. He gave me a
side hug and led me to a chair.
“This is wonderful. I’m so happy to see you.”
I clasped my hands in front of me. “I’m very sorry the way

I left, I should have informed you or waited till the end of
the term.”
“It’s okay. That boy’s death must have shaken you so bad-
ly. You look really good.”
I bowed slightly. “Thank you sir.”
“What happened to your phone number? I tried it several

times.”

230
“I changed it.”
He sighed. “You just didn’t want to have anything to do

with us.”
“That’s not the case. A lot was going on at that time. I’m
really sorry sir.”
“It’s fine.” He paused. “So what can we do for you or did

you stop by to pay us a visit? ‘cos I heard you now work in
one of those big firms.”
Lord, what am I supposed to say? Why am I really here?
Immediately, a picture flashed across my mind. It was

quick and very clear. I was sitting with my students in De-
suite Event Center and we were eating and chatting. It was
a very relaxed atmosphere but I noticed it switched to a
more serious meeting. Some of them began to cry. Others
pleaded with me to help them find meaning for their lives.
I saw a date too. 28th July.
I knew exactly what I was supposed to say.
“Sir, I want to request for a hangout session with my stu-

dents on the 28th July at the Desuite Event Center. This is
their final year and after they graduate, I may never see
some of them again. I perceive God would have me reach
out to them this last time.”
The principal smiled. “You’ve always had a heart for teen-

agers.” He reached for the calendar hung at the corner of
his office. “Great! They would have completed their exams
by then. I’ll bring it up at the next PTA meeting.”
231
Did I just say I was going to host my students on the 28th

July? Where did that come from? How was I supposed to
get the funds for a place like Desuite Event Center?
“Yemisi, there is something I’d love you to think about.”

My principal said.
I looked at my principal, praying he would not ask me to

return to Cornerstone College as a teacher.
“You have a lot to offer these students. Some of them don’t

even know their left from their right. Depression is rav-
aging their lives. Just yesterday, I heard that one of our
former students was almost killed in a cult attack. There is
so much you can do here Yemisi.”
He continued. “Back when I taught in a school in the north,

we had a student fellowship we called the Fellowship of
Christian Students. FCS. It is scattered all around many
secondary schools in the North. I remember the corps
member who coordinated the fellowship in my school, oh
my God! That brother carried power. There was one stu-
dent who was a terror in the school. When God arrested
his heart, he became a radical evangelist. Yemisi, you can
start a weekly meeting here and spread it to other schools
in Lagos.”
My heart jumped in excitement. It was as if the principal

was saying something I already nursed in my heart even
though I’d never given voice to it. I told the principal I
would pray about it.
On my way back to Pavilion Travel Agency, ideas poured

into my head. I brought out a notepad and scribbled them
232
down. By the time I got to the office, I had drafted the

activities for the meeting, ideas for summer camp, bible
study topics and ice-breakers.
Oh God, I am so excited, please make me calm.
This was worse than a sugar rush. Throughout that week,

I could hardly concentrate on my work. Simeon laughed
and said,
“You are leaving Pavilion soon.”
I didn’t argue with him when he said that. It was clear

my days were almost over at Pavilion. Every night when
I returned home, I’d open the journal in front of me and
pray intensely. Papa D had taught me one of the greatest
principles in life.
“Never rush into any venture out of sheer excitement. No

matter how much you are bursting with joy over an idea
or ministerial assignment, birth it first in prayers for two
reasons. One, to identify divine timing and two, to receive
instructions on the next step God would have you take re-
garding it.”
The more I stayed in prayers, the stronger the conviction

was that I had been called to set teenagers towards the
light.
Help me Lord. I will not disappoint you. By your grace at work

in me, I will finish my course. Lord, I am ready.

Chapter
Sixteen
234
S IMEON’S WIFE IS SO SMALL. I felt like I could lift her

with one hand and suspend her in the air for at least
two minutes without my hand feeling any pain. After she
welcomed me to their beautiful home with a cup of apple
juice and cookies, she went to her husband and sat on his
laps.
“ Baby, sit on the sofa.” Simeon said, pointing to the

empty space beside him.
She shook her head and jumped up and down on his laps.
“This is my special cushion. I’m fine here.”
I tried to hold back my smile as I watched them. One of

Simeon’s friends, Festus, sat across from me, laughing
hardheartedly at the couple but his gaze was turned in my
direction. I met his stare and he turned his face away.
When Simeon’s wife finally got up, her husband pinned

her down.
“Where are you going to?’ he asked.
“I want to sit on the sofa.” she responded.
“Sit where? Few minutes ago you were jumping up and

down my laps. Is it not comfortable again? You are going
nowhere.”
She tried to get away. Simeon pulled her to him and held
tightly to her waist. She struggled, flipping her legs in an
attempt to get away.
“Baby, you are embarrassing me before our visitor.” Sim-

235
eon finally released her. She stuck out her tongue and
pinched him. Before he’d grab her, she’d scuttled away to
the back of the sofa.
Simeon looked at me. “Yemisi, sorry. Sometimes, she

doesn’t know when to play and when to be serious. That’s
my wife, Ebun.”
Ebun giggled and moved over to sit beside me. What sur-
prised me was the way she switched so quickly to a serious
mood. She talked about her involvement with teenagers in
the north and showed me pictures of the ladies who had
not just been won to Christ but had been given a chance at
formal education. Some of them were as young as twelve
years, some were already taking responsibilities of moth-
erhood at such a tender age. I was amazed. Her intellect
was in no way comparable to her size.
“Presently, I work with Zion Missions.” She continued.

“Under this mission, we have the Zion Medical Outreach,
Hope for children, Zion advocacy, Zion Girls, Zion Teen-
age Outreach and also Zion Outreach to Brothels. I worked
with the Zion Girls before moving to the Hope for Chil-
dren.”
“Zion Medical Outreach sounds familiar.” I said, trying to

remember where I’d heard the name.
“It should.” Simeon responded. “Papa D mentors the head

of the Zion Medical Outreach.”
Ebun nodded her head. “Yeah. Ayomide. Such a wonder-

ful brother.”

236
Ayo. Zion Medical Outreach.
I took a trip down memory lane when I left Pure Heavens

Assembly for my mentors’ church. The service had closed
and when I got to my mentor’s house, I met the team from
the Zion Medical Outreach. Papa D had introduced Ayo-
mide as their leader.
Ebun wasn’t done. “Zion Teenage outreach is our latest

sub-division and we’ve been trusting God for men who’d
serve in that capacity. There is so much we want to explore
in that area. Our goal is to have sound knowledgeable teen
coaches and workers who will teach and disciple teen-
agers. We look forward to having summer camps, Holy
Ghost meetings, Teens summit.”
“This is great!” Festus said, speaking for the first time since
I got there. “When we stand before God, all the wealth we
have acquired will be useless. It is the souls we present to
the Lord that’ll count.”
I turned to him, smiling. “Exactly! I’m excited already.”
I shared some of the ideas I’d been nursing for days. I was
more than convinced that this was what God wanted me
to do. I remembered sharing some of the ideas with Papa
D. He’d prayed for me that night.
“Wow!” Ebun exclaimed after I showed her a folder on my

phone full of ideas. “This is amazing. I’ll connect you with
the team head in Osogbo. You can pray more to know if
God will have you serve with us. In a couple of months,
the Zion Teenage Outreach Team will be having a prayer
retreat at Ede.”
237
“I’ll pray.” I said. “Thank you for fanning this fire.”
Ebun smiled. “Secondly, there is an online course you

might want to take. It’s not free but it’s affordable. It’s a
basic and advance course for teen coaches.”
“Please text me the link to the website.” I said. Over a week

ago, I felt God nudging my heart to find courses on teen
coaching and psychology. It was amazing to see how God
was working things out for me.
If there was anything I learnt since my restoration, it was

that there was no point fretting over anything. As long as
I was yielded to the Holy Spirit, everything I needed for
each season of my life would be revealed to me. I had no
business worrying over what I didn’t know yet.
The online courses Ebun introduced me to had objectives

that detailed everything my heart yearned for. I almost
screamed aloud as I scrolled down the website.
“I told you that your days in Pavilion Travel Agency are

over.” Simeon said.
Festus looked at me. “Wait a minute. You mean you work

in Simeon’s office?”
I nodded, laughing. My heart was bubbling with joy at the

images dancing in my mind. My dreams were finally com-
ing to reality!
“What department are you?” Festus asked.
“Advertising and Marketing.” I replied.

238
His eyes widened. “For goodness sake what are you look-
ing for there? You need to leave that place and focus on
this. Just look at how your eyes are so lit up. You should
be impacting these teenagers!’
I smiled and nodded my head. “Thank you.”
I caught Festus staring at me again while we had lunch. He

didn’t talk much but I noticed he observed my every move
and that made me feel awkward. I was not surprised after
I left and Simeon called to say Festus wanted my number.
Festus called me an hour after I left Simeon’s house. “Hey

Yemisi. This is Festus. We met at Simeon’s place.”
I chuckled. “Of course, I remember.”
“I’d love to have lunch with you tomorrow afternoon. Just

want to know you more.”
I sighed. I’d have to check my spirit on this one. “Sunday

won’t be feasible. Possibly, Tuesday or Wednesday.”
“Perfect.”
“Not so fast. I’m not promising that I’ll see you. I’ll have to
get back to you.”
“I see. You want to check your spirit right? Is this guy a

beast? Is he a wolf in sheep clothing?”
I smiled. “Like I said, I’ll get back to you.”
“Thank you Yemisi. I look forward to a favourable re-

239
sponse.”
When I ended the call, I stared out the window of the taxi.
God, is he the one?

Chapter
Seventeen
241
I T WAS ALMOST 6P.M when I got to Abigail’s house.

From the time I left Simeon’s house to my friend’s place,
Festus called me three times. I really tried not to get pissed.
He kept asking questions after questions and I almost
screamed at him in frustration. His questions went in this
order;
“Are you at your friend’s place?”
“It was great seeing you today.”
“You have great dreams. I’m so amazed at your ideas. You

really know what you want in life.”
“Do you live with your parents?”
“How many siblings do you have?”
I stopped picking his call and turned off the ring volume of
my phone when I approached the front door.
I let myself into the living room. It was empty. As I opened

my mouth to call my friend’s name, I heard her voice from
the corridor that led to the three bedrooms.
“Please open this door.” Abigail was saying.
Who was she talking to? I increased my pace, pushing the

curtain aside and hurrying down the corridor. I stopped
when I saw Abigail sitting in front of Adesuwa’s room
with a tray of food on the floor in front of her. She leaped
to her feet when she saw me.
“Thank God you are here. Your girl has refused to come
242
out of the room since morning. She didn’t take breakfast,

and this is lunch. She still doesn’t want to let me in.”
I rapped on the door. “Adesuwa, It’s Miss Yemisi. Open

the door.” No answer. “Adesuwa, please.”
We knocked several times. No response. I pushed the tray

aside and sat in front of my friend.
“What do you think is wrong?”
“I don’t know.” Abigail responded. “Yesterday afternoon,

we had a beautiful time reading the book of Colossians
and we shared lessons from scriptures but before we went
to bed, her mood changed. I asked her what the problem
was, she said nothing was wrong.”
“Where is mum?” I asked.
“She went out with Mama D very early this morning. They
took some clothing items and toiletries to one of the slums
in the outskirt of Lagos.” She paused. “I was so worried
that I called mum. She said Adesuwa will come around.
What if she hurts herself?”
I smiled. “She’ll be fine. Relax.”
Abigail let out a deep sigh. “It’s so good to have you

around. How far your new boss?”
I was still bursting with excitement over my meeting with

Simeon’s wife.
“Abigail, my life is taking a new turn. Right now, I’m so

243
confident of the path God wants me to take. I know im-

pacting the lives of teens is some serious labour but I’m
assured I have the capacity to do everything God is calling
me to do.”
Abigail held out her palm. I slapped her a Hi five. “That’s

my friend. I’m happy for you. If God has called you to do
this, he’ll provide the resources you need.”
“Yeah, right.” I was ready to dive into ‘man’ gist. “Guess

what? I met a guy in my boss’ house. He asked to lunch
tomorrow.”
Abigail clapped her hands. ‘Na this kain gist I dey like. Tell
me about him. Is he gorgeous?”
I poked her side playfully. “You are too carnal. He is just

an okay guy. He is nowhere near my boss when it comes
to physique.”
“You are going to have lunch with him?”
“I might, not tomorrow though.”
Abigail countenance changed. She sighed sadly. I glanced

at her, concerned.
“What was that sigh for? What’s going on?”
“Nothing much. I was just thinking about my own life and

how-” She paused. “Forget it.”
I could immediately guess what was bothering her. “Abi-

gail, please don’t tell me you are still waiting for Victor to
244
propose to you?”
She pulled her knees up and rested her head on them. “Ye-
misi, I don’t know.”
It was time to talk sense into my friend’s head. She was

there for me when I was stupid enough to allow Wale
walk all over me. It was my turn to get her out of this fan-
tasy. We deserved men who respected us, men who knew
our worth, men who believed strongly in our roles in their
lives. We were God’s daughters and we deserved the best.
I pushed her head up and held up her chin. “Abigail, why
are you doing this to yourself? Victor is in a relationship
for goodness sake. I get it that before he kicked off the re-
lationship with that lady, you were convinced he was the
one but right now, you have to let him go! There is a good
man out there who values the grace of God on your life.”
Abigail stood up and paced the corridor in silence. She

stopped in front of me. “Do you really think I don’t want
to move on?”
I went to her. “Babe, it’s been four years since you’ve held
on to Victor. You did your best to make him see that you
were available. We both know he saw the green light and
still he chose someone else! Can’t you see that you are
wasting your time? I’m not saying your conviction was
wrong, but it takes two to be in a relationship. There is
someone else who will fit into God’s plan for your life.”
Abigail blinked back tears. “I really want to let him go. I

wish you can see my heart but I don’t know why it’s so dif-
ficult. I was so sure about him Yemisi. I really was. What
about the things God said to me in prayers about my place
245
in his life. What am I supposed to do with those notes?

Sometimes I feel like, getting married to someone else
would mean I’m not aligning with God’s original plan.”
“You see what I’m saying? Abigail! You must break this
stronghold in your mind. That a relationship between you
and Victor didn’t work out does not mean you can’t have
a beautiful marriage with someone else. We must pray to-
gether this weekend. There is wisdom to break that emo-
tional attachment you have with him.”
We went to the door and knocked again.
“Adesuwa, please open the door.”
Still no response.
We sat back on the floor. I said to myself that I’d wait

for another twenty minutes and if Adesuwa still refuses
to open the door, we’d get a carpenter to break open the
door. Well, I didn’t understand why I felt so peaceful. I
just sensed there was no urgency to save Adesuwa from
doing anything stupid.
“There is a brother in my church who is seriously interest-

ed in me.” Abigail said. “I told my Pastor I wasn’t interest-
ed but the truth is, I still have this tiny spark of light that
Victor will come back.”
I shook my head. “You are indirectly saying, Victor should

break up with his girl so he can choose you.”
Abigail laughed sadly. “That’s so selfish.” she rubbed her

forehead. “My emotions…Oh God!”
246
The door to Adesuwa’s room finally opened. Adesuwa

stood there, eyes swollen, her protruding stomach filling
the entrance. It was obvious she had been crying.
We rushed into the room before she changed her mind and
lock herself in again.
Abigail faced the distraught teenage girl, clearly upset.

“Adesuwa, what is wrong with you? I’ve been knocking
on this door since morning! At least you would have ac-
corded me some respect and opened the door. Why would
you do such a thing?”
Adesuwa started to cry. “I’m sorry.”
I went to her and led her to the bed. “It’s okay. Stop cry-
ing.”
Abigail served rice and vegetable into a plate and placed it

in front of Adesuwa. She wiped her tears and began to eat
slowly at first and then ravenously. The rice disappeared
before our eyes and we had to plead with her to slow down
when the food choked her throat.
When she pounced on the pomo with two hands, Abigail

and I started laughing. Adesuwa didn’t even look at us.
She finished everything on the plate and stood up to take
the tray to the kitchen.
Abigail stopped her. “Don’t worry. I’ll take it.”
She gulped down water from her water bottle before look-
ing in our direction. “Yesterday night, I saw a chat on 2go
about the ongoing SSCE exams. I felt really bad because I
247
know I should be writing the exams now but here I am-”

She rubbed her stomach. “I won’t be graduating with my
mates.”
I rubbed her back gently. “Adesuwa, by God’s grace, you

will write your final exams next year. Don’t allow any-
thing bother you okay?”
“Thank you, Miss Yemisi.”
We heard voices in the living room. The women were back.

I could hear Mama D singing ‘Jesu o, se b’oun lo n gbani’ in a
bass voice that rented the air. Abigail’s mother backed her
up with some very funny beats. We burst into laughter.
Even Adesuwa couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Will mum be upset with me?” Adesuwa said. “I heard

her knock on the door this morning but I didn’t want to
talk with anyone.”
Abigail smiled. “No she won’t. Rest a while and join us in

the living room.”
As I rose to follow Abigail out, Adesuwa held my hand.

“Will you be staying over?”
I sat back on the bed and squeezed her hand. “Sure. I’ll be
here till tomorrow evening.”
A smile broke across her face. “I’ve missed you. Yesterday,

I was thinking about my classmates. I can’t believe I won’t
graduate this year.”
I drew her into my arms. The cards her classmates had

248
given me were in my bag but I wasn’t sure it was the best

time to give them to her. With the way she’d been acting
since morning, the last thing I wanted was for her to break
down again.
She pulled away and looked at my face. “If my classmates

should see me now, they’ll jeer at me. Philip will raise
his hands and say, ‘How hath the mighty fallen.’ Debby
will hiss at me and call me a naïve girl who knew nothing
about safe sex. I don’t want to ever stumble on any of my
classmates. The shame will be too much to bear.”
I reached into my bag and brought out three cards. “These

cards are from your classmates. You are wrong Adesuwa.
They love you.”
She hesitated, afraid of touching the cards. I dropped them

on the bed.
“I’ll be back.” I said and left the room to see my spiritual

mentor.
Mama D was seated at a corner of the kitchen chatting with

her friend. They always had something to talk about. Ab-
igail’s mother was the only woman I’d seen Mama speak
so freely with. There were times I’ve stopped to wonder
if this was really my mentor. They behaved like teenagers
sometimes and it fascinated me.
Abigail was offloading sacks of yam and onions the wom-

en had brought home. Mama D held out her arms to me
when I entered the kitchen. I knelt down and wrapped my
hand around her waist.

249
“My beautiful daughter.” Mama D said, patting my shoul-

der gently. I greeted Abigail’s mother too.
“How’s Abeo and his lovely wife?’ Mama asked, when I

joined Abigail to arrange the yams into the store. “They
are doing well.” I answered. ‘They sent their greetings.’
Abigail raised her head. “Who is Abeo?”
“My boss. That’s his other name.” I responded.
Abigail’s mother remembered something and sprang to

her feet. “Imagine, I’ve not seen Adesuwa today. Has she
finally come out of her confinement?”
Abigail poured out the onions on a sack flattened on the

floor. “Yes, she has. If you see the way she finished that
food I gave her.”
Abigail’s mother laughed. “I told you she will come

around. A day after my parents dropped me off at my
grandmother’s place, I refused to eat. My grandma plead-
ed with me but I was adamant. When she left for the farm,
I grabbed the pot of ewa agoyin and finished everything in
the pot.”
“I think we should check up on her.” Mama stood up and

reached for my hand. She held my hand tightly as if I was
a little stubborn child to be monitored.
When we got to Adesuwa’s room, she was looking at the

cards and tears were pouring down her face. She didn’t
even notice when we came in. Quietly, we stepped away
from the room and shut the door.
250
Abigail shook her head. “The tears that girl has shed to-
day, it’ll fill a bucket.”
Abigail’s mother turned to her daughter. “I’ve told you the

story before. I did worse when I carried you in my womb.
I wept for several nights. I couldn’t understand why my
parents dumped me in the village with my grandmother.
I was angry because I didn’t get pregnant by choice. They
refused to believe I was raped. It’s a tough journey. Ade-
suwa will be fine.”
I knew the details of the intense suffering Abigail’s moth-

er went through when she found out she was pregnant.
Thanks to a grandmother who gave her reason to hope.
I went back to Adesuwa’s room shortly before we started

preparing dinner. I just wanted to be with her and to let
her know again, she was not alone. I opened the door and
there she was, kneeling beside her bed, praying, a bible
opened in front of her.
*****************
Tosin was fired today. I had left the office early to catch up
with a client on the Island. I returned to find her crying.
This time, her so-called friends were nowhere to be found.
“Why is she crying?” I whispered to a guy whose table
was next to mine.
“Mabel fired her.” He responded.
“What happened?” I asked. He said he didn’t know the

details only that she had gotten on Mabel’s bad side. I felt
251
pity for her. When I looked at her again, she was pulling a
make-up kit out of her drawer. Two employees had been
fired since Mabel took over. Who was next?
Simeon entered and stood in front of us. His attention was

directed at Tosin.
“Tosin, see me in my office now.” Simeon said and walked

into the inner room that served as his office.
My eyes went to Tosin again. The high-class, I-can-get-

whatever-client-I-want looked so defeated. Was it not last
week she bragged about clients pleading with her to come
work for them? Why didn’t she just walk out boldly when
Mabel asked her to leave?
Tosin wiped her tears with a face towel and went to see
my boss. A minute later, Tosin and my boss came out and
went out of the office.
As I started writing my report on the business meeting I

had that morning, Jide came to my table.
“Hey Yemisi, is your boss around?”
I shook my head. “He just stepped out.”
“If you are not so busy, come over to my office. There is a

letter for you.”
I looked at him surprised. A letter for me?
I left what I was doing and immediately followed Jide. Ev-

erything could wait until I read the content of the letter.
“How are you?” Jide said, smiling as we walked down the
252
corridor. I couldn’t believe we worked in the same place

and rarely saw each other.
I shrugged. If Jide was sounding this cool, then the letter

must be a good one.
“You’ve been very busy.” I said. “I’ve checked up on you

a couple of times.”
We came to a glass door that had ‘Human Resource depart-

ment’ written boldly on it. He pushed it open. We walked
past a big room with people working on their computers
and entered a smaller office. He pointed to a chair across
from his. I sat down.
He smiled broadly. “Hope there’s no problem with the

house?”
“Not really.” I responded. Since Jide assured me it was

fine staying in his family house, I’d not bothered looking
for an apartment to rent. “The kitchen sink is leaking but
it’s a manageable situation.”
“I’ll ask the family plumber to check it out this weekend.”

I clasped my hands on the table. “Thank you so much for
everything.”
Jide smiled and reached into his drawer. He brought out

a letter and pushed it towards me. I took it from him but
didn’t open it.
“Go ahead. Open it.” He said.
What I saw made me gasp. My salary has been upgraded.

253
From one hundred and fifty thousand naira, I now earned

two hundred and eighty thousand naira. I did a quick cal-
culation of my commission and bonuses. Monthly, I’d be
going home with over three hundred thousand naira.
Jide said something but I didn’t hear clearly because I was

carried away by the figures before me.
“Can you drive?” He repeated.
I shook my head. “Not yet. Although, I have plans for that

later this year.”
“You should start immediately. Mabel is giving out official

cars to you and two other staff.”
I opened my mouth. “What!”
He nodded. “I’ll recommend two driving schools. I can

also come over to teach you on weekends.”
I was mesmerized. Why would good things be happening
when I felt an urge to leave Pavilion?
I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave again. Life here was sweet.

I had a boss who had become a friend. Mabel and I were
on a good page unlike her relationship with some of my
colleagues. My salary has just been increased and now I
have a car.
I started a bargain with God right there in Jide’s office.
Lord, do I really have to leave Pavilion? Can’t I do the teens

work alongside this? At least Simeon is a Pastor even though he
works in a corporate organization. I can combine both perfectly
254
well.
I got no response. God went quiet on me.
“Yemisi.”
I jolted out of my thoughts. “Sir?”
“I was asking what really happened between you and

Wale. I’ve not had time to talk about it in details with you.”
I sighed. “It didn’t work out. Apparently, he liked some
other lady and was already making travel plans with her
even while we were together.”
“Oh!” Jide exclaimed.
“How’s he doing? Have you heard from him?”
Jide shook his head. “I have not been able to reach him
since you told me you guys broke up. His line isn’t going
through.”
“He must have travelled out of the country with the lady.
That was their plan.”
Jide leaned forward. “How are you faring?”
“I’m fine now. All things work together for good to those
who love the Lord and who are the called according to his
purpose.”
Jide laughed. “Christian sister.”
A call came into Jide’s phone. I took the opportunity to

255
return to my office and finish up my report.
When I got there, my colleagues were in a joyous mood.

Tosin was smiling and serving everybody cupcakes. Sime-
on had pleaded for her and she had been restored.
I went into Simeon’s office. “Thank you for speaking to

Mabel about Tosin.”
Simeon folded his hands. “She is an intelligent lady.

Last week, I gave her two assignments and the result she
brought back was just amazing. She has an unusual cre-
ative mind. I’m moving her to the advertising team.” He
let out a deep breath. “We have another mission though.
We are going to get her saved. There is no mess God can’t
fix.”
I was about asking him what he knew about Tosin and

what mess he was referring to when he looked at the paper
in my hand.
“What’s that?”
“My salary has been upgraded. I am also entitled to an

official car.”
Simeon laughed out loud. “What a temptation. Mabel

didn’t tell me about this.” He took the letter from me and
read the content. He looked at me. “I hope somebody is
not changing her mind?”
I exhaled. “Simeon, are you sure God wants me to leave

Pavilion? I mean, you are the head of the advertising and
marketing department. You are also in the Pastoral office.
256
Who says I can’t combine my work here and my ministry

to teenagers?”
Simeon just fixed his gaze at me without saying anything.

“Simeon, please say something.”
He folded his hands. “As far as I am concerned, right now,

it’s your flesh speaking. Spend more time in prayers. You
can’t be moved by ephemeral things.”
My phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw that it

was Festus. By this time I was really tired of the guy and I
didn’t hide it from Simeon.
“What’s wrong with your friend?” I said, showing him the

phone screen. “Simeon, please tell this guy to slow down.
He calls me every day.”
Jide chuckled. “The guy likes you a lot. He is a wonderful

brother, Yemisi.”
What for goodness sake was my boss saying. Why would

he be pitching this man to me?
“I can vouch for him.” Simeon continued. “We’ve known

each other since uni days. We were pastored by the same
man and ran a pastoral course together. He was so happy
when he heard I had moved to Lagos.”
Simeon leaned forward. “It’s true he knows close to noth-

ing about wooing a woman, but he is teachable. Festus is a
man of good character although he can be narrow-minded
sometimes but trust me, he loves God. Yemisi, he is worth
praying about.”
257
When I stepped out of the office and walked to my table,

I was very upset. Festus was still calling me even though
I was not answering the call. When a lady’s phone rings
twice and she does not pick up, wasn’t that enough reason
to relax until she returns the call?
My phone beeped. It was a text message from him
Hello Yemisi. I was calling to check up on you. How’s work go-

ing? You are always in my heart and I can’t wait to have you by
my side forever. I love you very much.
I stared at the message. Love! Abi what’s this man saying?

Which one is ‘I can’t wait to have you by my side forever?’
I grabbed my phone and went to the rest room. As far as
I was concerned, it was either his spiritual father was not
training him well on how to approach a lady or he was
simply not listening. I dialed Festus’ number.
“Hello dear.” He said on the other end.
“Festus, I don’t understand the text message you sent to

me. You don’t even know me and you are talking about
love. For goodness sake, we just met last weekend!”
“Does it matter, Yemisi?” Festus said. “We are spirit be-

ings, have you forgotten? The moment you started talking,
my spirit connected with you straightaway and by the
following morning, I knew what God was saying to me
about you. Yes, we may live in this world but we are not
citizens of this world. It is the world system that tries out
everything before making moves. We carry the Holy Spirit
and we know exactly what the Father is saying at every
moment.”
258
I was shocked listening to Festus spill those words. Where

for goodness sake did Simeon get a friend like this?
He continued. “There is so much I’d love to say but I’ll

wait till we have lunch together. We are meeting this week
right?’
“Festus, I’m not having lunch with you. Since we are spirit
beings and we know exactly what the Spirit is saying. Lis-
ten to what the spirit has to say. I cannot be by your side
forever.”
“Yemisi, don’t-”
“I have to get back to work now. Please don’t call my line

again. Leave me alone. Thank you.”
I hung up and held the edges of the hand basin while I

stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Some Christian brothers sha,
I felt guilty almost immediately. Was my response to Fes-

tus harsh?

Chapter
Eighteen
260
M AMA D’S BIRTHDAY WAS ON A TUESDAY. Since

it was a work day, I could not go over to her place.
I was surprised when that evening, one of her daughters
called to inform me she was in town. She was making plans
for a birthday party for Mama that weekend and wanted
me to invite as many people as I could.
Simeon jumped into action when I informed him of the

birthday plans. We started thinking of contributing money
to use an event center close to Mama’s house.
I don’t know how Mama got wind of our plans. She ve-
hemently kicked against them. She said she didn’t want a
party and pleaded with us not to use the event center.
But sixty years was no small feat for goodness sake.
Finally, we settled for a small party in Mama’s house.

The eve to the celebration, I slept over at Simeon’s house.
His wife, Ebun wanted us to take cookies and spring rolls
along with us. She had already gotten bottles for zobo
drink and each of the bottle had this beautifully designed
glossy paper with the inscription ‘Mama D at 60’ wrapped
around it.
It was a busy night. We didn’t finish making the snacks

until about 4 a.m. I was so tired and didn’t know how I
slept off on the sofa.
Few hours later, we got up to prepare for the party.
Ebun received a call while we were arranging the chilled

zobo drinks into a big cooler. She stepped away from the
dining area and entered the kitchen.
261
“Mummy, not this morning, please.” Ebun was saying. “Is

it my fault that I don’t have a child yet? My mother-in-law
does not even stress me out the way you do. Please, just
stop.”
She came out of the kitchen and stopped at the entrance,

listening to the conversation at the other end.
“Mummy!” Ebun exclaimed and walked back into the

kitchen. “We have gone to the hospital already. They’ve
run different tests on me and my husband. Nothing is
wrong with us. Our organs are perfectly fine.” She paused.
“I don’t have answers for that! For goodness sake, am I
God? Mummy, please, don’t ask me about this again. Ev-
ery time you call, this is all you talk about. You don’t even
want to know how I’m faring.”
Ebun ended the call and joined me in the dining room.

She pretended everything was fine but it was clear she was
upset. Simeon came out of his room, his gaze fixed on his
wife. It was obvious he’d heard part of the conversation.
He came towards her and pulled her away from our work.
“Yemisi, give us a few minutes. We’ll be back.”
I watched Simeon lead his wife into the bedroom. There

was this tenderness about the way he held her and at that
moment I wished I had a guy in my life.
I had almost finished packing the drinks into the cool-

er when the couple came out of the room, laughing as if
nothing had happened. I was greatly relieved to see Ebun
in her cheerful self again. This was a day of laughter and
rejoicing for us. We were celebrating our Mama who had
turned sixty.
262
“I’m so sorry Yemisi. I got worked up by that call.” Ebun

said as she pushed the already filled cooler against the
wall.
Simeon lifted the lid of one of the cooler and pulled out a
bottle of zobo. He opened it and drained it down his throat
in one gulp. Ebun faced her husband.
“How many bottles have you taken today?”
He flashed her a grin as he threw the empty bottle into a

waste bin. “Just seven bottles.”
When he reached for another bottle, Ebun flew at him and

blocked his hand from taking another one. He laughed
and with his free hand pulled her away easily and then
he lifted her and whirled her around like a little child. She
fluttered her legs, shouting to be put down. Simeon started
singing a lullaby. I was laughing so hard. When he finally
put her down, she punched him playfully on his stomach.
“Is it because I am small that you think you can handle me
the way you like?” Ebun said, panting hard.
He made another attempt to lift her again but she retreated

quickly. He winked at her and reached for another bottle
“My wife, my wife.” He said and moved towards the large
tray of cookies. Ebun shouted and ran to stand in front
of the tray. This time their struggle ended when he car-
ried her to the bedroom. Whatever happened there I don’t
know, but it took a whooping fifteen minutes before they
returned to the living room. By this time, I was done pack-
ing the drinks and snacks.
Ebun apologized. “I’m so sorry Yemisi. I don’t know-”

263
“It’s fine.” I interrupted. It was enough that she was look-

ing radiant again and the sad countenance she put up ear-
lier was gone.
We got into Simeon’s car and drove to Mama D’s place.

I was quiet and didn’t want to join in their conversation.
Many thoughts kept running through my mind.
I wanted to get married. I craved the bonding Simeon

and his wife had. Would I ever meet a man who’d love
me selflessly? Was there such a man who’d be comfortable
with my desire to work full-time in an outreach that paid
stipends? Aren’t most men like Wale who aimed for boss
ladies a.k.a career madams as wives?
Festus. I’d hoped something would work out between us. I

had this picture of me and Festus in a relationship like that
of Simeon and Ebun. Simeon was a corporate guy, Festus
was a tech guy. Ebun was changing the narrative for girls
and leading them to Christ, I was also planning to pursue
a similar path.
But Festus…Oh my hope had been crushed. That guy was

just one desperate brother looking for a christian sister to
hook up with. I wasn’t that kind of woman. I was not go-
ing to fall for a man who merely saw me as a marital goal.
God, if I’m not asking for too much, please send this brother my
way soon.
Maybe, I’d meet him at Mama D’s birthday ceremony, I

thought. With God all things are possible abi?
“Yemisi,” Ebun called out. I pushed the romantic thoughts

264
aside and turned my attention to her. She pointed at a

supermarket in front of us. “We want to get presents for
Mama.”
I remembered I didn’t have any gift for Mama. “I’ll get

something for her too.”
There was barely any space at the car park of the super-
market. Simeon drove some miles away and pulled up in
front of a church. We walked back to the supermarket to
get our presents. Ebun bought a travel leather homemade
scrapbook, Simeon, an expensive antique mug cup and I a
wool throw.
As we returned to the place where the car was parked, a

hungry-looking man with unkempt hair dressed in a fad-
ed white shirt and dirty jean hurried towards us.
“Please help me with any money you have. My brother is

on the hospital bed and the doctor said if we don’t pro-
duce money for the surgery, he will die. Please I beg you
in the name of the Lord, help me.”
Ebun pulled out two five hundred naira notes from her
purse to give the man. Simeon looked hard at him. “You
always have one tale to tell. Last time, you said the money
for your transport fare was not complete. Another time, it
was your sister that had an accident.”
I know this face.
“I know him.” I muttered.
The man took the money from Ebun and bounced away
265
gaily as if he had just received a million dollar. He stopped

and turned in our direction, waving at us.
I froze.
Who was I seeing? This couldn’t be possible.
This could not be Wale.
No!
Simeon folded his hand and was staring at the man.

“Whenever I come around this place and this man ap-
proaches me for money, I always sense something very
dark about him. He speaks intelligently and it makes me
wonder where things went wrong for him.”
The man laughed and rubbed his finger over the tip of
his tongue and started to count the money. He tucked
the notes into his back pocket and went to a fair skin lady
standing beside a Benz.
I still couldn’t take away my gaze from him. The lady

shushed him and waved him away with a look of disgust
on her face. He scratched his head and scanned around for
the next person he’d approach.
This can’t be Wale. It cannot be him, I thought.
We were about getting into the car when Simeon slammed

the door shut and turned in the direction of the man who
was now sitting on a bench, staring at the moving traffic.
“Why do I perceive his name is Wale and God would have
me get him out of here?”
266
I broke down in tears. If Simeon had not been sensitive to

the Holy Spirit, I would never have believed it was Wale
I was seeing in rags. This picture of Wale messed with the
confident man I dated few years ago.
Simeon and Ebun glanced at me, puzzled.
“Wale.” I said, pointing at him. “That’s his name. Simeon,

please help him.”
Simeon’s eyes widened. “You know him?”
I dried my eyes quickly when I saw he was walking to-

wards us, absentmindedly tearing at a loaf of bread.
“My ex. I told you about him.”
“Oh my God!” Ebun exclaimed.
Simeon smiled. “I just heard what I’m supposed to say to

him. He is coming with us.”
Simeon went to him. He looked him straight in the face

as he spoke. My heart broke for Wale. What would have
happened to him? I remember that Elizabeth, one of the
ladies in the church had sworn to deal with him. Had she
really meant it? What happened to his plans to travel out
of the country? The wedding didn’t hold again? What for
goodness sake happened to the Pastor of Pure Heavens
Assembly?
Simeon returned with Wale. I had no doubt it was my ex.

He frowned and stared hard at me.
267
“Yemisi!” Wale said and ran into my arms.
Wale stank. He reeked of urine and bad breath that almost

choked me. Instead of pushing him away, I patted his
head gently. When he raised his head, there were tears in
his eyes. Simeon opened the passenger door.
“Wale, come with us. We are going somewhere to have a

good time.”
Ebun flashed him a broad grin. “We have lots of food and
drinks. You will eat as much as you want.”
Wale’s eyes brightened at the mention of food. He ap-

peared starved and I hoped he caught the bait.
He looked from me to Simeon and to Ebun, shook his head

and began to walk away.
“Wale, please.” I pleaded again.
He turned towards us again. He shook his head. “I don’t

belong in your circle anymore. I’m far gone.”
Simeon frowned. “Wale, Get into the car now!”
Ebun and I glanced at her husband in surprise. As if con-

trolled by a remote button, Wale tottered into the car.
I sat beside Wale, my thoughts torn in different directions.

I was scared a little and confused too.
When Simeon turned on the car stereo and played Sinach’s

268
‘I know who I am’, Wale became restless. His fingers be-

gan to twitch and he shifted restlessly in his seat. My heart
pounded so hard and different images attacked my mind.
Wale was acting like he was under a demonic influence.
What if he made an attempt to strangulate me?
“I want to come down, please. I don’t want to go with you

again!” He shouted.
He tried opening the door with so much force. When it

wouldn’t budge, he pounded on the car window so hard I
thought he’d break it. I’d never been afraid like that in my
life. His eyes were blood shot and when he glared at me,
I almost peed in my panties. I started praying in tongues,
fear almost ripping my heart out.
Ebun was so calm and that made me jealous. Wale began

to clap his hands and sing.
I see darkness everywhere.

I see darkness everywhere
I see darkness everywhere.
Ebun turned to him. “No, what you see is light. The light
of Christ shines upon you.”
He looked around the car as if in search of the light Ebun

was talking about and then he fell quiet. Thankfully, the
traffic had eased up. I couldn’t wait to get to Mama’s place.
A hand touched me. I jumped. Wale was smiling broadly.
“I scared you?” He said.
I was panting so fast I couldn’t respond immediately. He

turned his attention away from me and began to hum
269
slowly.
“I’m hungry.” He announced.
Ebun passed him her food warmer containing the rice and
plantain we prepared that morning. He ate with his bare
hand even when Ebun offered him a spoon. I sat there
watching him, my heart full of compassion for him. He
caught me staring at him. I quickly turned my face away
and stared out the window.
Four hours in that car with Wale seemed like forever.

Finally, we got to Mama D’s house. I jumped out of the
car and went straight to the trunk for the cooler of zobo.
I wanted to get as far away from this ‘stranger’ as fast as
possible.
******************
Mama D’s house was packed full with people. The living
room had been rearranged to accommodate more chairs. I
knew most of the people present although there were few
unfamiliar faces.
“Yemisi is here!” One of Mama’s mentees, Bimbo, shouted

and rushed to help me with the heavy cooler. Together, we
carried it into the kitchen and dropped it on the kitchen
table.
I hugged her. “Bimbo, it’s been ages. You just forgot about
us. How is Abeokuta?”
She grinned. “Abeokuta is fine. I’m so happy to be here. I

270
have missed you.”

Bimbo had not changed. She was still short and plump
with ‘yam’ legs. I loved to see her smile because then I get
to see her cute gap tooth. The last time I saw Bimbo was
four years ago when Mama organized a weekend retreat
for some of her mentees.
“I’m getting married next month.” She announced, flut-

tering the bright silver ring on her fourth finger.
“Your ring is lovely.” I said.
“Thank you.” Bimbo responded.
Some ladies came in with more food warmers. Abigail fol-

lowed behind with a large metal can of cookies. She wait-
ed until Bimbo and the other ladies left the kitchen before
turning to me.
“Who did I just see in the living room?” She said, her eyes
full of surprise.
“Wale.”
She opened her mouth. “What happened to him? Why is

he looking so…horrible?”
Somebody screamed. Abigail and I rushed out of the kitch-

en to see what had happened. Wale was on the floor roll-
ing from one side to the other.
“He is under an attack.” Abigail whispered to me as we

moved closer to him.

271
Wale stood up and vomited right at the center of the liv-

ing room. Some of the mess splashed on Papa D’s trouser.
Two men led him quickly towards a sink at the side of the
living room but already he had left a pool of puke behind.
On the floor were worms mixed with blood and a white
foamy substance.
The men led him back to Papa who placed his hand on him
and began to pray for him. Mama was also standing by
Abigail’s mother, muttering words of prayer.
“I break every hold of the devil over your life. You are set
free in the name of Jesus! Every voice that is not of God is
silenced right now.”
Wale went on his knees and cried loudly. He reached for

Papa D’s feet and placed his face on it. The people gath-
ered in the living room began to sing in unison.
That wonderful name, Jesus

There is no other name I know.
Somebody grabbed my waist. I turned to see Adesuwa

trembling beside me.
“Miss Yemisi, I’m scared.”
Quickly, I led her away from the scene to the guest room.
She was still trembling. I held her close.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.” She said when we sat
together on the bed. “Miss Yemisi, I think I have seen his
272
face before. Has he come to pick you up from Cornerstone

College?”
I nodded. “You are right.”
“Why is he like this? Is he not a christian?”
I sat close to her. “Adesuwa, I have not seen Wale in two

years. I don’t know what he opened himself up to that
gave room for the devil to deal with him this way.”
She looked at me confused. “I don’t understand what you

are saying.”
I sat gently beside her, praying for the right words to say
to her. “Listen, when a man becomes born-again, he re-
ceives the perfect nature of God in his spirit. I Peter one
verse twenty-three says, that nature is incorruptible. It is
perfect and in oneness with our spirit. It is the nature of
Christ. However a man who has received this nature still
possesses an unrenewed mind. It is his responsibility to
reprogram that mind so that it can reflect the character of
his true nature. If he doesn’t, he’ll become an easy target
for the operations of the devil in his life.”
Adesuwa nodded slowly. “Renewing the mind means I

must spend time with the word regularly right?”
“Yes. A believer is not properly renewing his mind if he is

vibrant with communion with God one month and ignores
it the next. As he keeps his gaze on his right standing with
God, he’ll draw strength to stand against the flesh.”
Adesuwa closed her eyes and opened them. “I don’t want

273
to ever lose the hunger for my heavenly father. I don’t

want to sin against God too.”
I smiled. I had one more thing to say. “Adesuwa, you can’t

stand against sin by trying not to sin or calling into ac-
count the sins you are battling with.”
“Yes! Aunty Abigail said something like that. She said, the
more we consistently focus on what the word says about
our nature, the more disengaged we’ll be towards sin. She
said it is impossible to be yielded to the Holy Spirit and
live in the flesh.”
I slapped her a hi five. “Good! You are really learning a

lot.”
Adesuwa sighs. “I hope Uncle Wale will be fine.”
“I believe so. He has a father who loves him dearly. Christ

has delivered him from the grip of the devil.”
Adesuwa hesitated. “Are you saying, it was not God who

sent the devil to punish him?”
I shook my head. “No. God does not punish his children

with evil. You know why? God has no capacity to do evil.
He does not also collaborate with Satan to punish us when
we err. That would go against his nature. God is love and
he is good always. The devil is the author of evil. God will
not force his son to stay with any instruction he gives but
when he steps out of that instruction, he walks right into
the enemy’s camp. My bumping into Wale today was the
Father’s way of rescuing his son. Wale will be restored.”
“Amen.” Adesuwa muttered.
274
From the living room, we heard loud voices chanting the

Happy birthday song.
“Do you want to rest a little?” I asked.
She shook her head and stretched out her hand. “I’m fine.
I feel much better.”
I pulled her up and together we walked out of the bed-

room.
In the living room, the mess had been cleaned up but I

couldn’t find Wale anywhere. I figured he must have re-
treated to the men’s room to shower and change his clothes.
The celebration went well. Prayers were said for Mama.
Ladies who had been mentored shared testimonies of how
Mama had greatly affected their lives.
Camera lights from phones blinked from all corners.

Drinks and small chops were passed around. There was so
much laughter and more people kept pouring in.
“Please, can I have a can of malt?” Someone said from be-

hind me. I was holding a pack of malt cans, scanning the
room to see those who had not been served.
I pulled out a can and was about giving it to the person

who had asked when my eyes caught the face.
“Ayomide.”
He smiled and took the drink from my hand. “Yemisi.”

“Oh! I didn’t know you were around. You came in today?”
275
He nodded and popped the can open. “This morning.”

“I’m very sure you’ll be running off again.” I said.
He shook his head. “Not this time. I’m here for a retreat.
I’ve been on the mission field since the first day in January
and I figured I needed some time off before setting out to
work again. I’ll be around here for a while.” He looked
towards the dining table. “Who is that girl?”
I followed his eyes. Adesuwa was sitting at a corner away

from others, tapping furiously on her phone. “She is one
of my teenage girls.”
He looked away from her and brought his gaze back to

me. I held my breath and released it slowly.
“Can I have a chat with her?”
“Sure.”
He smiled. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I watched Ayomide grab a chair and move over to where

Adesuwa was seated. She recoiled at first but when he
started talking, she relaxed and even laughed at some-
thing he said. I went back into the kitchen to help and
when I returned to the sitting room, I was surprised to see
Ayomide still talking with Adesuwa. The girl didn’t even
notice when I walked past her. She was so engrossed in the
discussion with him.
Adesuwa had been munching cake since the celebration

began. There was a large piece on a plate in front of her. I
went to her.
276
“Adesuwa, after this piece, no more cakes. You’ve eaten

enough.”
She frowned and pretended to cry. “Miss Yemisi, please.”
“Miss Yemisi, it’s just cake.” Ayomide said, looking at me
with pleading eyes.
“It’s…cake.” He repeated.
She looked from Ayomide to me. “Exactly, I don’t know
when I’ll eat anything this delicious again.”
“Abi?” Ayomide added. “Let’s enjoy while it last.”
I opened my mouth to say something to Ayo but I shut my
mouth.
He winked at me and turned to Adesuwa “On a serious
note, no more cake after this.”
Adesuwa frowned. “I thought you had my back.”
He reclined in his seat. “Somebody cannot play with you
again. No more cakes so eat this piece very slowly.”
She cried. “Uncle Ayo, it’s not fair.”
I laughed and walked away from them. I looked around
for any sign of Wale. I still didn’t see him.
*****************
It was almost eight p.m by the time we finished tidying

up the living room. After everyone retired to bed, I dished
out fried rice and two laps of fried turkey and went to the
dining table. Ayomide was there nibbling at cookies.
“What a day.” I said, pulling out a chair and settling into
it.
“Thank God I didn’t miss it.” Ayo said, rubbing his hand
around his stomach. “I can’t remember when last I ate this
much.”
I laughed. We ate in silence.
“Mum said you work with a Travel Agency.” Ayomide
277
said.
I nodded. “Yes. But I’ll be resigning soon.”
He stopped eating and looked at me. “Why?”
“I’m volunteering with Zion Teens full-time. I can’t work

and still go through series of training required to join the
ministry. I didn’t know Zion Mission had such strict pro-
cedures but I’m ready for it. I know that’s where God will
have me serve.”
He stared at me and said nothing. Ayomide threw the last

cookie into his mouth.
“I remember the first time God began to speak to me about

Zion Missions.” Ayomide started. “I had completed my
medical training in the United States, stayed back for my
residency and had no plans of returning to Nigeria. I had a
job too. Mehn, I struggled with that decision.”
I giggled. “That’s exactly the way I feel right now. I’m

very comfortable at Pavilion. Good salary. Great ambi-
ence. Awesome boss. I almost doubted if God wanted me
to leave.”
I plunged my fork into the turkey and tore out a small

part. “So how did you step out?”
He smiled. “I was restless. I mean very restless. The in-

struction to return to Nigeria was very clear. It was dis-
turbing because God didn’t say exactly what I was sup-
posed to do when I returned. The only instruction was for
me to come home. I told my parents. They didn’t even de-
278
bate my decision. It was as if God had reached them first.

Anyway, I packed my things and came home. Two weeks
after I arrived Nigeria, I went to see my mentor.”
“You’ve known Papa D for a long time?” I asked.
“Oh yes! I got born-again in JSS 2. Papa was my physics

teacher then. We’ve come a long way.”
Ayomide folded his hands. “I can never forget the day I

knelt down in Papa’s living room after I got back into the
country and I saw a vision of myself and a team driving
into a particular village in a bus filled with medical sup-
plies. Immediately, the Lord told me that I would meet
someone the following day and I would work with him on
my new assignment.”
I was enjoying the discussion, my food forgotten. I didn’t

want Ayo to stop talking.
Ayomide continued “The next day, the founder of Zion

Missions visited Papa D. He talked about plans to start a
medical outreach as a sub division of the ministry. That
day, I was helping Mama in the kitchen when I heard him
say that. I just started laughing.”
I wiped my palms on a serviette. “Don’t you miss the days

before you joined the mission? I mean you were in the
United States.”
He asked me to pass him a bottle of water from a pack

close to where I was sitting. I did.
“I know it seem so hard to believe but I don’t. I am very

279
happy with my work here. I am content with God’s plans

for my life.”
We talked at length. I shared some of the things God had

been saying to me. He also shared some difficult instruc-
tions he had received when he started work as a mission-
ary. There was this intense passion for God that Ayomide
exuded that stirred in me a determination to do God’s will.
I told him about the school fellowship and my proposed

meeting with some of my students. He gave me some ideas
on what to do and then he folded his hand and said,
“Yemisi, take that meeting seriously. Get on your knees
and spend time praying about it. Hear what God wants
you to say to those students. Trust me, whether it will be a
success or not depends on how intentional you are about
it. I sense strongly it will be the beginning of a new era for
some of those students.”
I let out a deep breath. “Amen.”
“Two of my friends are here with me for the retreat. One of

them is from the Zion Medical Outreach. The other works
with Ebun at the Zion Girls. We’ll be glad to help in any
way possible. If you need people to stretch in prayers with
you or to help with preparation, let me know.”
Just few hours of conversing with this brother and I felt so

rejuvenated. Why had I not met Ayo earlier?
As I stood up to take my plate to the kitchen, I saw Wale

standing at the entrance to the men’s room. When our eyes
met, he moved away and went back into the room.

Chapter
Nineteen
281
I RESIGNED FROM Pavilion Travel Agency.The night

before that happened, I couldn’t sleep until 4a.m. The
head of Zion Teens had called earlier with a very depress-
ing news.
“Yemisi, we are happy that you have decided to serve

with us but I must let you know that until you are done
with the stipulated training and workshops, you’ll only
be paid a stipend of ten thousand naira monthly. Again,
Zion Teens is a new project of the Zion Mission and while
the headquarters will be giving us the support they can,
we’ll be handling the financial expenses to a large extent.
As a team, we’ll have to trust God for funds for all our
outreaches.”
I panicked at first. Training was for three months and an-

other three months for probation before I became a full-
fledged member? How do I survive with ten thousand
naira?
My fear dissipated when I calculated my savings.

Two million naira.
That was more than enough to hold me for a while. If I

managed the money well, I might still have enough to last
me even when the drills were over.
As I knelt beside my bed to pray before going to bed, I

heard a voice
Send one million naira to Hope for Girls and forward an-
other one million to Andrew for Zion Teens.
What!
282
I stopped praying and sat on my bed, puzzled.
This cannot be God. How can God ask me to take that kind
of money and give it out? Am I Father Christmas? If I re-
moved that huge sum, how much would be left in my ac-
count?
I paced the room, muttering words to myself.
God cannot ask me to do this, I concluded. For goodness

sake, I just sent almost a million naira home for dad’s
treatment and another fifty thousand naira to my sister,
Yewande.
Tears burned my eyes as I lay on that bed. I tried to sleep

but I couldn’t. I was restless. No matter how much I tried
to argue with what I’d heard, I knew it was what God
wanted me to do.
If I took out the two million naira from my account, I’d

just have three hundred and seventy thousand naira left.
Since I’d decided to resign abruptly, I had to pay in lieu of
notice. That means three hundred thousand naira had to
be returned to the office. I’d be left with seventy thousand
naira. My brother was getting married and I’d promised to
send the balance of forty thousand naira as my contribu-
tion for the wedding.
How was I going to survive three months on ten thousand

naira monthly? How do I even tell my parents that I was
leaving a paid job for a ministerial assignment?
When I woke up and dressed up for my last day at work,

I reassured myself that God would take care of my needs.
283
It worked for a few minutes, but when I stepped out of the

house, worry and anxiety consumed my heart again.
I couldn’t even change my mind because I’d look stupid to

my colleagues. I had already informed Mabel and the HR
about my decision to resign. Almost everyone in the office
knew I was leaving. There was no turning back.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jide asked as I sat in

his office that morning.
I nodded. “Yes, Jide. I want to pursue what I have been

called to do.”
“That’s good.” He leaned forward. “You can still stay in

the family house for as long as you want. Although my
parents will be coming in for a wedding next month, they’ll
just be at the house for a week before returning to the US.”
I longed to stay in Jide’s family house until my training in
November. Andrew had sent me the schedule for the three
months training; long stretches of prayers, bible studies,
trips to communities, in house facilitations, online teens
coaching courses, participation in teen camp meetings,
brainstorming on creative ideas with the secondary school
educators of the ministry… the list was endless.
When I told Mama D about my decision to resign, she in-

structed that I pack all my belongings and come over to her
house immediately. The thought of staying four months
in Mama’s house didn’t settle well with me. I craved my
quiet space at Jide’s family house. It was my safe haven. I
loved that I could cook when I wanted and on days when
I didn’t feel like, I’d get snacks and drinks.

284
All that would change once I move into Mama’s house.

Since Mama’s birthday, some of the mentees had stayed
back. There were now three ladies and five brothers. I
would be sharing a room with the ladies. No privacy.
“Thank you.” I said to Jide. “But I’ll be moving to my men-

tor’s house tomorrow.”
He clapped his hands. “Okay, if you say so.”
Back in my office, I saw a wrapped gift on the side of my

table with an inscription on it.
From the Advertising and Marketing department.
I was shocked. I mean, they had been mad at me since the

incident with Taiwo. Why were they doing this?
They gathered around my table and I stared from one per-

son to another, speechless. My heart was already damp-
ened. This was my last day here. I picked up the wrapped
package.
“Thank you so much.” I said.
Simeon was not in when I got ready to leave. I gave a last

wave to my colleagues and walked out of Pavilion.
****************
“Yemisi, what’s wrong?” Abigail asked as I arranged my

stuff into my boxes. It was my last night at Jide’s family
house. No matter how much she tried to cheer me up, it
285
was just so hard to be excited.
“I’m running out of cash Abigail. Very soon, my mum will

call to ask for more money. Besides, I don’t like the fact
that I’ll have to depend on Mama for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Right now, I’m fighting not to question if God re-
ally sent me to this.”
Abigail pulled me away from the box. “Where is your

journal?”
I went to get it from my wardrobe and dropped it on the

bed.
Abigail held the journal without opening it. “When you

notice that doubts are beginning to creep into your heart,
learn to go through the instructions and promises God
gave to you.”
I shook my head. “I’m well aware of what you are saying. I

know the way to strengthen conviction is by praying over
the things God has said. How did I forget so quickly.”
Abigail rubbed my shoulder. “I forget too. There were

times I have taught boldly spiritual realities but when
storms surrounded me, you rang God’s word into my ears
again.”
I knelt with the journal opened in front of me and tears

streamed down my face. Abigail knelt beside me. I prayed.
I wept. I asked God for strength.
Now he that ministers seed to the sower both minister bread for
your food, and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits
286
of your righteousness.
Oh how 2 Corinthians nine verse ten always brought com-

fort to my heart since the day I knew God wanted me to
leave Pavilion.
I laid on the floor and started laughing out loud. Abigail

pulled me up and we danced round the room, singing at
the top of our voices.
My phone rang. Festus.
“Why is he calling me?” I said to Abigail.
“Pick the call and find out.” She said.
When I did, Festus’ voice sounded low. He asked how I

was doing. I told him I was fine. Then he said,
“Yemisi, I know I’ve been a jerk. I am very sorry. I didn’t

mean to be so forward like I did the last time. I was just too
excited to meet you and lost control of my manners. Sime-
on reprimanded me and I’ve repented. Please forgive me.”
I sighed. “I’m not holding anything against you Festus.”
“Thank you very much.” He paused. “Will you still give

me another chance to at least get to know you? Just lunch
please.”
For some reason I couldn’t explain, I felt at peace. “Fine,

I’ll let you know when I’m free.”
“I look forward to seeing you again.”

287
When I ended the call, I lay beside Abigail, staring at the

ceiling.
“He apologized.” I said without looking at her. “He wants

to have lunch with me.”
“Hmmm…” Abigail muttered.
Festus filled my thoughts that night. I thought about the

ease marrying him would bring to my ministry. If we got
married, I wouldn’t have to think about resources or mon-
ey especially now that Simeon informed me Festus had
landed a huge partnership deal with a Chinese company.
This might just be God rewarding me for giving out the
two million naira in my account. I smiled and searched
Instagram for his pictures.
***************
I moved out of Jide’s house to Mama D’s house. I had been

pushed out of my comfort zone. Oh, how I loved my space.
How I wanted to live alone and do stuff whenever I want-
ed. But now, I’d have to live with Mama D until I resume
work at Zion Teens. For me, that seemed like eternity.
When the taxi pulled into Mama’s compound, one of Pa-

pa’s mentees was sitting on the veranda reading his bible.
I saw Wale pacing the compound praying with another
brother. I could hear laughter coming from the house and
that brought a soothing relief to my heart. Moving into
Mama’s house might not be a bad idea after all.

288
The man at the veranda helped me with my boxes. Wale

and his partner joined him too. When I got into the house,
Ayomide was sitting in the living room talking with Papa
D. Papa smiled and I went to greet him.
I went down on my knees. “Good evening Papa.”
“My girl is here.” Papa said, his hands patting my back

gently. He glanced briefly at the men pulling my boxes
towards the ladies room. “Somebody is about to get into
some serious preparation for kingdom assignment. Wel-
come.”
Ayomide folded his hand and crossed his leg over the arm
of the sofa. He winked at me. I winked back.
“Ayo will give you proper training of what ministry life

entails.” Papa added.
Ayomide laughed. “We’ve started the training sessions al-

ready. She has been a diligent student.”
I raised my hand in mock joy before turning to Papa.

“Where is Mummy?”
“Kitchen.” Papa said.
I hurried to the kitchen. Kudirat and another lady were

plucking out ewedu leaves from the stem. Mama was tell-
ing them a story and they were all listening with rapt at-
tention. Wale peeled oranges and I was surprised how he
had quickly moved from pacing the compound praying to
helping me with my boxes to peeling oranges in the kitch-
en.
289
“Omo mi ti de o.” Mama exclaimed, dancing as I approached

her. She pulled me into her arms, patted my back a little
hard, shook my shoulders and hugged me again.
She looked at the other lady and back at me. “I think it’s
time I leave this kitchen for you ladies. Someone should
prepare the stew for tomorrow’s rice. Another person
should get the ewedu ready. When you are done, make the
eguisi for tonight. Kudirat, come and get something for me
at the junction.”
She left the kitchen with Kudirat and we got to work. Wale
didn’t leave the kitchen. I believe he was deliberately peel-
ing the oranges slowly just so he could remain there. How
long does it take to peel twenty oranges?
Even when we finished preparing the stew and eguisi and

the other lady left, he was still there with the knife, steal-
ing glances at me.
Ayomide entered the kitchen and went into an inner room

that served as the store. He brought out a pack of semovita
and half-filled a large pot with water. As he placed the pot
on the gas cooker, two ladies entered the kitchen, carrying
a large tray of smoked fish.
“Ayo, the best semovita maker! He has a Ph.D in prepar-

ing semovita without lumps.” One of the ladies said after
they dropped the tray in the store.
The second lady turned to me. “Pounded yam too. If you

see the yam Ayo pounded for us last week...very smooth.”
Ayomide bowed playfully, turning his head from one side
to another. “Merci beacoup. Thank you.”
290
I faced him. “I thought you were ajebutter. Why are you

acting like one pako child?’
Ayo giggled as he poured a little quantity of the semoli-

na into a bowl. “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.”
The ladies left and I was left alone with him. I helped in
dishing the prepared semolina into small transparent ny-
lon bags.
“How does it feel leaving your job?” Ayo said as he

scrubbed off crumbs from the side of the pot he’d used to
prepare the semovita.
I let out a deep sigh. “Happy. Nervous. Hopeful. Curious.”

He glanced at me. “Soon, all of those feelings will merge
into one. Satisfaction.”
Kudirat came into the kitchen and it was then I noticed

that Wale had been leaning on the kitchen table, staring
at me. Sincerely, I had completely forgotten he was in the
kitchen.
“Yemisi, please can I have a word with you?” Wale said.

I was not sure I wanted to talk. “Now?”
He shrugged. “If you are not busy, yeah.”
Ayo smiled at me. “You can go. Kudirat will help me with
whatever I need.”
Mama’s eyes followed us as we walked out of the house.

Wale suggested we sit in the open space shaded by a large
291
blue umbrella. It was a beautiful place to relax on a cool

evening. I remembered Papa and Mama having lunch
with their children under the umbrella. I always looked
forward to days like that.
I pulled out a plushly padded bamboo chair and sat down.

I waited for Wale to start the conversation. There was so
much I wanted to know. What happened to him? Why did
he end up in the streets? What had gone wrong?
“I’m sorry for the way I treated you. You deserved better.”
Wale started.
I shrugged. “It’s fine Wale. Let’s leave all that in the past.
But I’m curious, what happened to you?”
Wale turned his face away. I could see he was in so much

pain. He brought his gaze to rest on me. “You don’t know
this. Apart from the money I took from you, I borrowed
more to keep the church going. I wanted it to be top notch.
I wanted my church to be a class of its own. But I couldn’t
pay my debts and one morning I was arrested and taken
to the police station.”
He continued. “Those men beat the hell out of me. I told

them I didn’t have any money. I tried to seek help from
Victoria. She didn’t pick my call.”
Victoria. That name was familiar.
I remembered who Victoria was. “That was the lady you

were seeing while we were still together? The one you
wanted to travel overseas with.”

292
“You knew about it. That was why you left.” He rubbed
his hand over his face and let out a deep breath. “I feel so
ashamed of myself.”
“Go on, Wale. I’m listening.”
“I was so frustrated. I tried her line several times, she still

didn’t answer me. Thirty minutes later, she sent me a text
message saying I was a fraudster. Obviously she heard all
that happened. Yemisi, I had no one. I was too ashamed
to call Jide. All my church people disappeared. Even the
leaders of the church that I thought had my back didn’t
show up. I had no ministry, no money, nothing. Then Liz-
zy came to my rescue.”
“Lizzy has always been there for you.” I said, smiling re-
membering how I thought she was obsessed about him.
Wale looked down. “Elizabeth. I regret the day I met her.

I wish I refused the invitation to minister at her school fel-
lowship where we first had a conversation.” He sighed.
“She paid my debts. I don’t know how she got the money
to do that but I knew that day that I’d just signed off my
freedom.”
I considered what he said for a moment. “I always thought

she loved you. Well, it looked more like an obsession to
me.”
Wale began to unbutton his shirt. At first, I was scared he

was having a relapse. I sat straight, ready to run if he tried
anything funny but then a part of me was calm. He re-
moved the shirt to reveal a white singlet. He pulled off the
singlet.
293
I gasped when I saw marks covering different parts of his

body. It was as if someone had patiently used a hot knife to
create patterned lines on his back. There were deep scars
covering his chest. I covered my mouth and tears began to
pour down my face.
“Stop crying Yemisi,” Wale said and wrapped his palm

around my fingers. “I brought this upon myself. I was
chasing shadows. I learnt the hard way.”
“Are you saying she did this to you?”
Wale nodded. “Somebody must have been praying for me.

I am very sure of that. I should be dead by now but God
had mercy on me. Every night, Lizzy tortured me. I saw
her in my dreams, she sent men to deal with me right in
our bedroom, we had sex when she wanted it and I dared
not refuse it. When I wake up bleeding, she’d tend to my
wounds like a good nurse and remind me I brought it on
myself. Oh that lady almost killed me.”
I tried to picture Lizzy doing all of the things he had said.

The girl had seemed so young and naïve. I’d thought she
was just a mentee crushing on her mentor. I also remember
her livid face the day we accompanied Wale for a ministra-
tion. I remember sitting beside her at Pure Heaven Assem-
bly, reading the screenshots that proved Wale was seeing
Victoria.
“What about your apartment? The one you took me to see

after one of the Sunday services.”
Wale shook his head. “She didn’t allow me go back there.

Not like I had anything left there anyway. My furniture,
294
freezer, kitchen utensils, almost all my belongings had

gone into the payment of my debt.”
“Wale you’ve gone through a lot.” I said, my heart full of

compassion for him.
“God rescued me.” Wale said, his eyes brimmed with

tears. “I remember one afternoon, I sat on the floor crying
to God to deliver me from the bondage, and just then, the
entrance door opened. Initially, I thought Lizzy was back
until I heard a voice say, ‘Get out of here as fast as you
can!’ I ran away and didn’t look back. But she had already
messed with my head. I was hearing voices. I was seeing
men in dark hoods chasing me. It was crazy.
“We have a Father.” I said quietly.
Wale blocked his eyes with his clenched fist but I knew he
was crying. When he raised his head, tears glittered his
eyes. “I don’t know why God will love me this much.” He
hesitated. “I’m here to learn. I told Papa D already that I
would submit to him and do whatever he says. I’m ready
to do things right.”
Wale went on his knees before I had the chance of stop-

ping him. “I’m sorry Yemisi. I’m really sorry.”
I pulled him back up and held his chin. We gazed into each
other’s eyes and I had one resolve within me. I was going
to be there for him. Wale was different now. I was going
to prove that I was not a fair-weathered Christian woman.
This would be a new beginning for us.

295
“Will you forgive me Yemisi?”
“I have forgiven you already.” I said. “I don’t have any-

thing against you anymore.”
Wale hesitated. “Do you think I’m still worth a second

chance?”
I didn’t expect the question to come out so fast. I folded

my hands. “Wale, I-”
“You can take as much time as you want to pray about

this. I have not given you what you deserve. If I get an-
other chance to make things right, I’ll treat you like the
woman you are. I really love you Yemisi.”
One of the guys in the house interrupted our deep mo-

ment. Dinner had been served and Mama wanted both of
us to come into the house. We told him we’d joining them
soon.
“I’ll pray about it.” I said to Wale when the man left.
“Thank you very much.” Wale said.
I had two men to pray about. Wale. Festus. Who would

God lead me to choose? It was clear that Wale had changed.
I’d seen how he submitted to Papa’s instructions.
One of the weekends I came over to Mama’s house, Papa

had organized an evening fellowship in the compound.
After the meeting, a Pastor had invited Wale to minister
at the youth fellowship of his church. Wale had been ex-
cited but Papa had said No. It was not time for him to take
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preaching engagements. There was still some more work

to be done. I was surprised to see how well he took Papa’s
refusal. Immediately, he called the Pastor and rejected the
invitation.
As we walked back in, Wale held my hand, smiling.
“You are a blessed woman. With you, a man has rest of

mind.”
I didn’t respond but my heart soared at those words
Was God asking me to get back with Wale? What about

Festus? That man knew what God had called me to do and
he seemed ready to support me. He had a thriving busi-
ness and I wouldn’t have to think about money to pursue
my passions.
God, I need clarity.

Chapter
Twenty
298
M UM CAME TO LAGOS TO SEE YEWANDE. When

I heard she was around, I left my online class and
rushed over to Yewande’s place.
“Yemisi, so you know the way to my house.” My sister

said sarcastically.
It’d been a long time I paid my sister a visit but at least

we’d been talking on the phone.
“Ma binu. I have been so busy.” I said and went to greet my

mother. She answered coldly and I wondered what was
wrong.
Mum faced my sister. “You must go to Benin to meet him.”

Yewande looked at her defiantly. “Mummy, I am not go-
ing anywhere!”
I looked from my mother to my sister. “What’s going on?”

Yewande was clearly upset. “My husband got a job in Be-
nin.”
I smiled. “That’s so beautiful. Finally, he has a stable job.”

“Fara bale and hear the rest of the news!” My mother
shouted aloud, her eyes fixed on Yewande. “Tell her ev-
erything!”
Whatever was getting my mother this angry had to be se-

rious.
Yewande looked at me. “When I asked when he was com-

ing to get us, he said, he wasn’t.”
“What!” I looked at her shocked. “Why?”

299
“He lives with his boss. Let me put it out plainly. He is

rendering home services to his boss in her bedroom.”
“Home service? What’s that?”
“Are you really asking me that?” She rolled her eyes at me.
“Have you heard of sugar mummy before?”
“Yewande-”
Yewande was in tears. “What do you call a man who has

an arranged sexual relationship with a woman outside
of his wife? For the woman I know she is called mistress.
What-” Yewande stopped talking and covered her face.
My mother was on her feet. “Go to Benin and confront that

man! You can’t just sit down here and watch your mar-
riage die! Fight for this marriage!”
“How am I supposed to do that mum? I don’t even know

where he is in Benin. Am I supposed to just take a bus
down there and ask every stranger on the street if they
know where to find my husband?”
My mother kept quiet and stared at the TV screen. I pulled

my sister to her feet.
“Mum, we’ll be back.” I looked around the living room.

“Where are the kids?”
“I sent them over to Iya Hannah’s house. I don’t want

them to see me like this.” Yewande said, breaking into
more tears.

300
As we walked into the room, Mum called me back.
“Ehen, now that Wale is out of the picture, what man is on

ground?”
“Mummy!” My sister and I chorused.
My mum stretched out her legs on the sofa. “Keep shout-

ing ‘mummy’. Just know that time has gone Yemisi.” She
stood up. “Let me go and get my grandchildren.”
Yewande hissed and pulled me into the bedroom. She

turned to me.
“Don’t let anybody put pressure on you! It’s not worth it.
It is you who will live with this man. They won’t be there
when things turn sour.”
We sat on the floor with our back against the wall. We

were comfortable with the silence.
Yewande broke it. “You were right. I should have listened

to you. If I had agreed to sell soft drinks and snacks, may-
be I’ll still have a home. It’s my fault.”
“Don’t say that!” I exclaimed. “It’s not enough reason for

him to be a sex slave to his boss.”
Yewande shook her head, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Every night I sleep, I imagine my husband in bed with
that woman and-” she stopped to hold back more tears.
“It’d have been better if I didn’t know he was sleeping with
her. He said he would leave once he gets another job.”

301
I waited for her to continue. “I just got a place in a primary

school. The pay is small but it’s something. I don’t want
any of his filthy money.”
She burst into tears again. I drew her into my arms and
cried with her.
**************
The meeting with my Cornerstone College students was

awesome!
It went far better than I expected. Come to think of it, a

week before the meeting, I didn’t have the balance pay-
ment for the hall we were to use. We had only sorted out
drinks and snacks. Every time I went into my place of
prayer, God kept reminding me of the words I was to say
to the students and at a point, I almost wanted to scream,
‘God! we don’t have money!’
Why would God keep pouring words into my heart while I

was having sleepless nights thinking of how to raise mon-
ey to pay that mean manager at Desuite Event Center? I
tried not to be anxious but as the day drew near, I couldn’t
help it.
The mentees at Mama’s place were supportive. The female

mentees had all gone and I was the only lady amidst men
organizing prayer vigils and making strategic plans for the
meeting. One would think we were preparing an event for
a thousand participants.

302
Daniel, one of Ayomide’s guys made beautiful ‘Permis-

sion for release’ cards for the parents of the students. I love
those cards. The principal of Cornerstone College loved
them too.
Yes, we had a breakthrough with their parents, but the

question still remained. What about the balance fee for the
venue? Would I have to send another message saying the
meeting wouldn’t hold again at Desuite? But God had giv-
en me the specific location for the meeting. Had I heard
wrongly?
I remember sitting outside thinking of every possible way

to raise the balance fee when Ayomide came to sit beside
me.
I turned to him. “How do you guys do this? How do you

raise money to run your projects? How do you survive
with the stipend Zion Mission pay monthly?”
Ayo chuckled. “We trust God. He has never for once dis-
appointed us.”
I wished he could say something more practical. Some-

times I got tired of hearing same line of, ‘trust God.’
His steady gaze met mine. “Zion Missions will train you to
depend on God for your needs.”
I’d not even started fully with Zion Missions and I was
already feeling overwhelmed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Ayo smiled. “Yemisi, when you are in God’s will, He’ll
provide for your needs. You need to learn how to trust
God absolutely. Yeah, there will be rough times but they
303
never last for long. God will take care of you.”
I sighed. “I believe.”
Ayo continued. “The Toyota Camry I used two years back

was given to me when I least expected it. The medical sup-
plies for the last outreach, a man I had never met called
to say he was praying and the Lord asked him to contact
Zion Medical Outreach. He gave us the exact amount we
needed. Since I got here, we’ve been praying for funds for
our next outreach. As I speak, we’ve gotten half of our
budget sorted out already.”
“I wish I had that kind of faith.” I muttered.
Ayo looked at me and didn’t say anything for a while.

“You have the faith of Christ. It’s at work in you. Relax Ye-
misi. We’ve been praying about this meeting. We cannot
be stranded.”
As he stood up to leave, I pulled his hand back. “Can we

pray together again?”
He smiled. “Sure.”
You won’t believe the balance came in the next day. I was
mopping the bedroom floor when I received a call from
one of the parents of my students. He had read the note on
the permission for release card and felt led to send some
money to support the meeting. He transferred the exact
amount we needed to complete the payment for the hall.
I’d screamed in excitement and dashed out of the room to
look for Ayo.

304
I found him outside the house cleaning Papa’s shoes. I

ran into his arms and stayed there, tears pouring down
my face. When I finally pulled away, I couldn’t speak. I
showed him the credit alert.
Ayo grinned broadly. “You’ve not seen anything yet. This

is just the beginning.”
On the morning scheduled for the meeting, I had an ex-

tra hundred thousand naira sitting in my account. We got
more than what we needed. I couldn’t believe it. That ex-
perience would be my first big move of faith. It gave me
confidence to trust God for other things.
The meeting took another dimension. Many of my stu-

dents got saved. There was wisdom to answer every ques-
tion they asked and at the end of the meeting, we agreed
to open a WhatsApp group to keep in touch and follow up
on their growth.
You remember Debby the Pastor’s kid who was a pro at

dancing shaku shaku? Oh yes, she got saved too. At the end
of the meeting, as we got ready to leave, Debby came to
meet me.
“Miss Yemisi, thank you for organizing this meeting. My

parents will scream for joy when I tell them I’ve accepted
Christ. Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
She looked in Ayo’s direction. Ayomide was discussing

with two boys and they were engrossed in whatever he
was saying. “Are you going to marry Uncle Ayo?”
305
I laughed. “No! He is a very good friend of mine.”
She folded her hands and looked at him again. “I see. There
is something about him that is so powerful. He makes me
want to know more about God.”
I touched her shoulder. “Once we kick off that group, we’ll

be sharing resources that will help you grow spiritually.
Believe me, there is so much to learn.”
“I can’t wait!” She exclaimed as we walked towards the

other team members who were already getting into the
bus. It was time to go home.
I was so exhausted when we finally left Desuite Event

Center. The guys were at the back laughing while I sat in
front with Ayo and the driver.
“You must really be tired.” Ayo said, passing me a bottle

of cold pepsi.
I took a few gulps and covered the bottle before reclining

on the head rest. “Virtue has left me. I feel very happy and
fulfilled.” I turned to Ayo. “I don’t know how I’d have
handled this meeting without your help. Thank you.”
Ayo smiled. “You are welcome.”
I looked him over. Ayo needed to add some flesh to his

slender body. “You’ve only eaten two slices of bread to-
day.”
He rolled his eyes playfully. “I’m fine. I’ll eat when I get
home.”
306
I didn’t know exactly when I slept off but when I woke up,
we were close to the house. Papa, Mama and Wale were
standing on the veranda as the bus sped in. The man who
had driven us was Papa’s mentee. He got down quickly
and prostrated before Papa. The others got down from the
bus.
I was about stepping down when Ayo stopped me. I sat

back and waited for him to speak.
Ayo sighed. “We are leaving tomorrow morning.”
I stared at him in unbelief. “What? Why are you just telling

me?”
“I’m so sorry Yemisi. Our initial plan was to return to the

base next week, but an urgent instruction came from the
headquarters. Some of our missionaries are in Onagunte
right now and they need help with medical services.”
Wherever Onagunte was, I really didn’t want to know. I

just felt unhappy that Ayomide was leaving Mama’s place.
I imagined how boring the house would be without him
and the other guys that had come with him.
“Will you be coming back soon?” I asked him, praying

he’d say Yes.
He shook his head. “I won’t be coming back anytime soon.”

I climbed down from the car, heartbroken. Ayomide came
to my side and held my hand.
“I’m sorry. If I knew earlier, I’d have told you.”

307
I told him I understood. When ministry calls, how dare we

disobey. As we walked together to join the others at the
veranda, my eyes caught Wale looking in our direction.
I waved at him and he hurried quickly towards us. He
shook Ayo’s hand and pulled me close to his side. When
Ayo was out of earshot, Wale touched my chin.
“Just few hours away from you, and I’ve missed you this
much.”
I chuckled. “I missed you too.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t go with you.” Wale said.
“You already told me you had to attend a ministration

with Papa this morning.” I said, although I wished he had
seen me preach to the students.
“How was it?” Wale asked.
“Awesome. I’ll chat you up later at night.”
He grinned. “I can’t wait. You are a powerful woman. I’m

so proud of you.”
I smiled and snuggled closer to him until I caught Mama

frowning at me. Slowly, I pulled away from him.
***************
Ayomide left Papa’s house early the next morning. I cried

when he got ready to leave with his other team members.
308
Ayo had become my support system. There was barely

any decision I made without his input. He was my friend.
He was one of the highlights of my stay at Mama’s place.
“I’ll call you Yemisi.” He said as he stood beside Papa’s

car, holding my hands.
I hugged him and tears ran down my face. I made no at-

tempt to stop them. I was going to miss my friend. I held
on to him and wouldn’t let him go.
“Yemisi, I have to go now.” Ayomide said, softly. “The

others are in the car already.”
I turned towards the car. Wale was behind the wheels

watching us. Ayo’s team members were clustered at the
back seat, talking to Mama D.
I released him. He squeezed my hands gently and climbed

into the car. I stood with Mama, Papa and Kudirat, my
heart was torn as the car sped out of the house. Suddenly
the house felt empty. Mama held my hand and together
we walked back into the house. Mama was unusually qui-
et and I could tell she was already missing her boys.
Festus called me an hour later while I prepared for church.

He wanted to remind me of the lunch I promised to have
with him. In his words, I had no excuse anymore. The
meeting with the students was over.
“When are we seeing?” Festus said.
Call me carnal if you like but I felt no connection with this

guy. I couldn’t even imagine Festus kissing or cuddling me
309
in bed if we ended up getting married. The very thought of

it was repulsive.
His jokes were not funny and many times I’ve had to force
myself to laugh just so he doesn’t feel bad. Each time his
call came in, I was restless and unhappy. The only comfort
was that he had the resources I needed for my ministry,
but was that enough reason to marry a man?
Festus kept talking and since I had to prepare for church, I

left the phone on speaker and continued to brush my hair.
“I’m sure you pulled off that meeting powerfully.” He
said. “Women like you are scarce in our society. When I
told my friends about a woman of God I cherish, I could
tell how much they longed to meet you. You are a mother
in Israel. I’m super sure that when you stood in front of
those students to release God’s word, they couldn’t resist
the word in your mouth. You see…..”
I was bored. That’s the truth. I don’t know if Festus expect-

ed the accolades to get to my head. If that was his inten-
tion, he simply had poured water into a basket. I was tired
of listening to him. There was no way I was marrying this
kind of man.
“So let me ask again, when are we having the lunch we

talked about?”
My eyes fell on an expensive perfume he’d sent through

Ebun. On the table was a beautiful journal he had gotten
for me from his trip to China. Even the wristwatch in my
jewelry box was a gift from him. I got gifts delivered to
Mama’s house almost every week.

310
Mama was unhappy when I told her who the gifts were
from. She ordered me to stop collecting them.
I told her Festus and I were just friends but Mama didn’t
agree.
“Can’t you see the way he is treating you specially? Would

he do that to every other friend he has?”
I pleaded with Festus to stop sending the gifts but he

didn’t. He insisted he had no ulterior motive and we were
just friends.
I decided to come out bluntly. I had to let him know I was

not interested in a relationship with him.
“Festus, I just want to say I’m sorting things out with my

ex. We are getting back together.”
Festus went quiet. I could tell he was struggling with the

information I’d just given him. It was better to let it out
now and allow him move on to some other lady.
“Why did you break up with him if… Are you really say-
ing, both of you are getting back together?”
“Yes. I just got reconnected with him recently. We’ve been

talking and ironing out things.”
Festus sighed. “Why are you just saying this?”
I threw up a defence. “I didn’t think the relationship could

be mended until the recent events in his life. I’m sorry if
I led you on but a relationship between us cannot work.”
311
He sounded frustrated. “Okay. Thank you for letting me

know.”
“The lunch won’t be necessary, I guess.” I said.
“No it won’t.” Festus answered coldly and ended the call.

As much as I hated seeing Festus’ heart break, I felt re-
lieved.
My phone beeped. It was a message from Wale.
Hi dear. Where are you? It’s almost time for church. Just wanted
to let you know that I’m back from dropping off Ayomide and
the others.
I smiled as I typed on my phone. I’ll be out soon.
Wale was leaning on the dining table dressed in a clean

black suit. His gaze was fixed in the direction of my room
when I came out in a knee-length Ankara gown over black
heels. He straightened and walked towards me.
“You are beautiful.” He said and gave me a side hug.
How many times have I longed to hear Wale say those

words every night? I only got to hear sweet words from
him when he was in the mood and that wasn’t frequent. I
still remember days when I had to beg Wale to affirm his
love for me. Since we got talking again, guy had spilled
romantic words like a running tap that has lost its cap.
The way Wale looked at me was different. I saw love. I saw

respect. I saw a man who would allow me be the woman I
was called to be.
312
I looked him over. “Nice suit.”
He bowed slightly. “Thank you ma’am.”
While we waited for Mama and Papa to come out of their

room, we talked more about my meeting with the teenag-
ers. He narrated the lessons he got from Papa’s ministra-
tion in the church he was invited to. We were so engrossed
in our discussion that we didn’t notice our mentors had
come out of the room and were watching us.
When we got into the car, Papa told me to see him in his
study room when we return from church. My mind went
in different directions. Why would Papa ask to see me?
Did it have to do with Wale? I was searching for a clue
when I received a text message from Wale.
Hey Yemisi, Just thought you should know this. I told Papa I
loved you very much and that I still felt led to you. I think that’s
what he wants to talk to you about.
If Papa asked me if I wanted to get back in a relationship

with Wale, was I ready to say Yes? I knew I wanted to get
back with Wale but somewhere in my heart, there was still
this image of the old Wale that made me afraid.
**************
Papa D’s study was the biggest room in the house, or so I

thought. I’d never entered my mentors’ bedroom before so
I couldn’t say specifically if it was bigger than the study.
313
Rows of shelves lined one side of the room and close to

the window was a high rolling chair. Many times I’d seen
Papa sitting there, praying. That spot was his ‘war room.’
At another side of the room was a large polished table
where Papa did most of his writing. Bibles and commen-
taries were arranged on one side of the table. A clean grey
furry sofa stood close to the entrance while on the other
side of the entrance were few white chairs stacked against
the wall.
This was Papa’s sanctuary. At least every week, Papa had

private discussions with me. I loved those sessions but this
time, I sensed it won’t be relaxing moments as usual.
When I entered, Papa was sitting on the sofa reading E.M
Bounds’ book on Prayer. He closed the book and tapped
the empty space beside him.
“Sit.”
“How are you?” Papa said. I laughed.
“What’s funny?” Papa had a curious expression on his

face.
“Papa, we both know you didn’t call me here to ask about

my welfare. Okay, I’m sorry I laughed. To answer your
question, I’m fine.”
Papa leaned forward, smiling. “Since you prefer that I go

straight to the point, let me throw the preliminaries aside.
Is there any brother you are interested in? Someone you
want to get into a relationship with?”
I placed my head on the sofa and folded my hands. “Papa,

314
I still think Wale and I can work things out. He is a differ-

ent person now and we have talked a lot about the past.
There is a chance for us. I still love him.”
Papa didn’t say anything for a while. He stood up from his

chair and went out. He returned with Wale.
“Pick two chairs over there.” Papa said, pointing to the

white chairs. When Mama entered, I knew this meeting
was going to be a serious one.
I got up from the sofa and settled into a chair beside Wale.
Mama sat beside her husband. I was tensed even before
Papa opened his mouth to say anything.
Papa looked from me to Wale. “My wife and I have been

watching the two of you for a while. We think we have to
make a quick move before things get messy again.” Papa
paused and glanced briefly at his wife. “Apart from the
normal perfunctory greetings, I don’t want to see both of
you talking alone again. This includes calls and whatsapp
chats.”
Mama turned her attention at me. “No hangout. Don’t

come and tell me you are going out with him to a nearby
eatery. I will not allow that.”
I looked at Wale. Had he told them about our plans to

spend time away outside the house next week? He smiled
sadly and returned his attention to Mama who was still
talking.
“Both of you shouldn’t even be talking about relationship

now. Concentrate on the spiritual training we are giving to
315
you. This is the time you need to develop yourself spiritu-

ally.” Mama aid, sounding rather harsh.
I was annoyed. When will my mentors ever understand

boundaries? Why were they treating us like horny teenag-
ers? We were both of marriageable age for goodness sake.
Papa clapped his hands slowly. “We love you both and we
are praying for you. God will perfect all that concerns you.
Please, stay with the instructions we have given you.”
I raised my hand. “After now, please can I have just one

more call with Wale?”
Mum frowned. “Why? What do you want to tell him that

you can’t say here?”
Papa touched Mama’s arm, while he addressed me. “Ye-

misi, It’s fine. You can go ahead and give him that one
call.”
I was still boiling with anger when the meeting ended. I

couldn’t sit still in my room. If I was still staying at Jide’s
place, this wouldn’t be happening.
Nothing will destroy the love I have for Wale, I muttered.

I dialed Wale’s number. I didn’t even wait for him to speak
before I started ranting.
“Why are they doing this to us? It’s clear they are rubbing
your past in your face. For goodness sake, we are different
now. Can’t they just forget the past and allow us move on?
Where’s the place of forgiveness? I don’t like this!”

316
Wale sighed. “Yemisi, I don’t think they are deliberately

coming at us for selfish reasons. I know Papa loves us. I am
very sure about that. I just think they are watching out for
our emotions and don’t want us to get hurt again.”
He hesitated. “Now that I think about it, we didn’t consult

God before dating. Yeah, we are cool with each other but
only God knows what’s ahead. Let’s just be grateful we
have people to call us to order. I think about you every
night Yemisi. I really care about you but feelings can’t sus-
tain a marriage. We need to know if God is in this so we
don’t get bitten a second time.”
Those words quenched the anger in my heart. I felt

ashamed of myself. The outburst was unnecessary.
“Thank you Wale.” I told him I’d apologize to Mama. It

was wrong for me to have stormed out of that meeting the
way I did.
I had just ended the call with Wale when Mama D rushed
into my room, laughing and dancing. She held my waist.
“Adesuwa has given birth to a baby boy!”
Mama. That woman would never stop to amaze me. One

minute, we would be having a hot disagreement and the
next time, she’d be laughing with me as if it never hap-
pened. It was one attribute I prayed to God daily: for a
heart like Mama’s that forgave easily.
“Get dressed. I’m leaving for the hospital in thirty min-

utes.” Mama said.
Three mentees showed up in the house when we got ready

317
to leave. Two ladies and one man. I had never met them
before but I was not surprised to see them anyway. That’s
how Mama’s house was. People appeared unannounced at
the house at anytime of the day.
Wale smiled as I walked past him to the car. Who wouldn’t

want a man like this? He had gone to hell and back and
returned a different man.
“Let’s go!” Mama barked at me at the same time dishing

out instructions to Kudirat on what to prepare for dinner.
When we got to the express road, I turned to Mama D.
“Mummy, I’m sorry for acting disrespectfully at the meet-

ing this evening.”
She glanced briefly at me. “Ehn..Omo mi…You have no

idea how much I love Wale. I love you too. Right now,
there are wounds that must heal. There is a growth pro-
cess to be followed. You are stepping into full ministry in a
short time. Yemisi, ministry is no child’s play. You should
be agonizing in prayers and birthing things forth. If God
says Wale is your husband, who are we to stop it? But all
these emotional gummy-gummy that both of you have
started playing, we won’t take it.”
“Thank you Mama.” I said.
I sat back enjoying Bola Are’s collection playing on the ste-

reo and allowing my mind drift to different things.
Ayomide. He had not called me since the morning he left.

I overheard Papa saying they had arrived safely at their
destination.
318
Why has he not called me? Has he forgotten about me?

Chapter
Twenty-One
320
A DESUWA’S BABY is beautiful. I wished I was the one

sitting with my legs stretched out on the hospital bed,
having my child culled up in my bosom sucking hungrily.
Adesuwa looked radiant even though she also seemed

tired. The three women – Mama D, Abigail’s mother and
Adesuwa’s mother – began to chat at once saying words
like ‘Jesu seun o’ ‘Ayo a kari o.’ ‘Olorun a bawa wo o.’
Abigail didn’t see me at first. She was engrossed in a con-

versation with the new mother. When she finally did, she
grinned and stretched out her hands to hug me.
“Yemisi! Here you are!” Abigail said.
I rolled my eyes and pushed her hand away. I turned to

Adesuwa and danced on my feet. “Latest mother in the
house.”
Adesuwa smiled. “Miss Yemisi, I’m so happy you are

here.”
Abigail held my neck in her hands. “How dare you ignore

me?”
I pinched her arm. She cringed in pain and released my

neck.
“What was that for?” Abigail said, slapping my shoulder.

I returned the slap. She hit me again.
I hit her back. “Why didn’t you tell me she was going into
labour today?”

321
Abigail slapped my face and when I wanted to slap her

back, she held my hand mid-way. Adesuwa was watching
us and giggling. I struggled to pull my hand away but she
held on tightly.
“I’ll pinch you again.”
Abigail finally let go of my hand. “I don’t know what you

are learning in Mama’s house. In your discipleship meet-
ings, didn’t Mama teach you to say thank you when some-
one slaps you?”
I pointed a finger at her. “You know what I would have

done if we were alone in this room. I would have beaten
shege out of your body. Why did I have to hear this news
from Mama, eh!”
She wrapped her hand around my waist. “Ma binu. I want-

ed to call you when we left for the hospital this morning,
but mum didn’t want you to panic. I tried calling again
later this afternoon, but your line was busy. I’m sure you
were talking with a man.”
Wale. She must have called while I was still talking to

Wale.
“Miss Yemisi. Labour is painful. God! I felt like I was go-

ing to die.” Adesuwa lamented.
I was about to ask for details of her labour experience

when the women turned their attention to us. Soon, they
were sharing funny experiences of their pregnancy and
child birth days.

322
My eyes went to the child in Adesuwa’s arms. How many

pregnant teenagers receive the kind of love Adesuwa had
been showered with? These women had made the delivery
easy for her. They had given her the support she needed to
transit to a normal life.
Abigail said she had gist for me. We sneaked out of the
room and went to the reception.
Abigail couldn’t contain her excitement. “Can you remem-

ber the last time we met, I told you my youth president
grouped us into committees for the preparation of the
youth convention? I also told you I was made the assistant
leader of the committee.”
I nodded. “Yes I remember.”
“Yemisi, hmm.” Abigail sighed. “The committee mem-

bers had a meeting where we brainstormed on ideas for
the convention and after the meeting, my leader called me
aside and said he wanted us to put the suggestions into
workable plans. Babe, that’s how we had a long call that
led to other discussions. Oh boy! That guy literally spat
out the things I’ve been nursing in my heart. There was
just this connection with him.”
I laughed. “It’s about time we had another brother on the

stage. Thank God! What’s his name?”
“Ibrahim.”
My eyes widened. “Ibra what? Where for goodness sake

is he from?”

323
“Kastina. He’s been coming to my church for almost seven

years now. His mum was the third wife of one Alhaji and
after she got saved, she moved down with her kids to La-
gos. He has two sisters. Hadiza and Khadijat. One works
in the children department, the other is in the choir.”
“Ibrahim.” I muttered underneath my breath.
“You know how I am with guys. Victor was the only guy
I ever thought I’d marry. The short time I’ve spent with
Ibrahim is just changing everything. I’m like, God, I have
been in the same church with this guy for years, how did
I not see this?”
Sincerely, I was happy to hear this from Abigail. I have

never met a more stubborn and rigid lady like my friend.
All the years she held on to Victor even when the guy was
not interested in her, she never for once gave another man
her attention. I remember about four guys or even more
who pleaded with me to talk to my friend. In fact for more
than two years, one of the guys stayed in pursuit until he
got tired.
What did I not say to Abigail? Even her mother couldn’t

change her mind. We talked and advised and cajoled. Babe
just looked at us and said she wasn’t making a move until
she heard God.
Oya, take the suitors to God abi? At least just give them a
chance.
Abigail refused. The only leading she’d received was for

Victor. She was not making any move until God pointed
her in another direction.
324
Now to hear that she was already considering brother

Ibrahim from Kastina. I felt like jumping up and dancing
around.
Again, I was afraid for my friend. What if this guy was just
being friendly? The last thing I wanted was for my friend
to cuddle another ‘ghost’ who knew nothing about how
she felt.
“Do you think he is interested in you? I know you guys

have been talking but you can’t just assume he wants to be
in a relationship with you.”
Abigail smiled. “He has informed my Pastor about his in-

tention.”
My eyes widened. “Sharp brother! He does not want to

waste time at all.”
“I guess he made that move after one night we spoke for

five hours. Yemisi, me like this, talk to a brother for five
hours. I’ve already told him I need time to pray more
about this. It just seem too real to be true. I can’t explain
the peace I feel right now.”
I raised my hands in thanksgiving. “Thank you Jesus. I

can’t wait to meet this Ibrahim to give him a firm hand-
shake. Finally…”
I told Abigail about Wale and how I wanted the relation-

ship to work. The response Abigail gave me was exactly
what I needed to hear.
“I know Wale is a changed man now.” Abigail started.

325
“I’m not saying, God can’t lead you to him. But there is a
question we are not asking here. Why do you want to get
back in a relationship with him? Are you sure you are not
doing this out of pity? Wale has gone through a lot, yes.
You saw the scars. But really, is that not what is fueling
your interest? Babe, you need to let the Word dissect the
intent of your heart. It’s important we do marriage with a
right motive.”
I kept thinking of those words as I left the hospital with

Mama. Why did I really want to marry Wale? When I
searched for a reason, what I kept seeing was Wale wan-
dering around the supermarket, Wale with scars on his
back, the promise I made to stay with him no matter what
happened. Somewhere in my heart, I felt it was my duty to
take care of him. Was that a good reason to get married?
“Are you okay?” Mama asked me as we pulled into traffic.

“I’m fine ma.” I replied. I wished I could talk to her about
how I felt but she might get upset that I was still holding
on to Wale. I closed my eyes and prayed silently.
Dear Father, Your daughter needs help. I have clarity concern-

ing this. Help me see the truth. If I’m going the wrong path,
please call me to order.
I prayed until we got home and by then, my mind was

calm and the anxiety had cleared off.
Papa was having a bible study in the living room with

some of his mentees. Mama and I joined them and as my
eyes caught Wale listening intently to Papa, I knew in my
heart that he was not the one.

326
It was as if a scale had dropped from my eyes. This was not

my man. My lips re-echoed my thoughts and then the fear
returned. How do I tell him without breaking his heart?
I didn’t concentrate all through the bible study meeting.

Even when I sat in the dining room to eat dinner, I was still
struggling with the thoughts. Will Mama agree to tell him
on my behalf? I already knew the answer to that. Mama
would never do that.
“Are you sure you are fine?” Mama asked again.
I flashed her a smile. “Yes I am.”
I prayed more that night, hoping to hear a different re-

sponse. Instead, it became stronger in my heart that Wale
wasn’t the guy.
So, who for goodness sake was this person? I kept praying
until I slept off on the floor.
I had a dream that night.
I was in a hall filled with people. I saw Ebun sitting some-

where in the congregation. The head of the Zion Teens was
seated at the front row. Some of the guys who had stayed
with Ayo in Mama’s house were present. On the podium,
the founder of the Zion Missions, Elder Makinde, a man
in his fifties, held a microphone. I’d not met him in person
but I’d seen his picture several times.
In the dream, I walked behind a man who held my hand

and led me towards the podium. There was a wedding
ring on my finger. It was clear that the man was my hus-
327
band. We got to the front of the podium and knelt down.

The founder of the Zion Missions prayed for us.
I woke up, annoyed.
I tried to go back to sleep so I could see the face of the

brother. But sleep didn’t come. I tried and tried again.
Who could this person be?
Rest in me and wait patiently for me.
“God, at least just reveal the face of this brother.” I prayed

quietly. “I promise I’ll wait for as long as you want me to.
I just want to see his face.”
When I slept back, I saw that I was sitting under a tree

with some teenagers sharing God’s word with them. No
brother showed up.
I remained on the bed, daydreaming of the brother with-

out a face. Maybe I’d meet him at my training sessions.
Maybe he was also a worker at the Zion Teens.
I sighed in frustration when I remembered the training

was still three months away. I was so eager to meet this
person.
Mama’s voice pushed me out of my thoughts. I didn’t

know when she entered my room. She sat on my bed.
“It’s almost eight o’clock and you are still on the bed.
That’s unusual. What is the matter?”
I finally told her how I felt about Wale and the dream I
had. I told her I wanted to meet the man I’d seen in the
328
dream.”
“Yemisi, calm down. God has already told you what you
should be doing now. Rest and wait. Put the dream aside
and keep doing what you’ve been called to do. When it’s
time, God will bring the right person.”
I slid my feet into my slippers. “Do you think I should

break the news to Wale?”
“Yes.” Mama said as we walked out of the room together.

I was too scared to talk to him. I keep postponing until
almost two weeks when I finally took the courage to tell
him what I sensed God was saying. That morning, I stood
on the veranda waiting for him to return from his usual
prayer walk.
My heart skipped when I heard the gate opened. He was

smiling as he bounced towards the house.
“Daughter of the most high.” Wale said. “Hope you slept

well?”
“Wale, can we talk?” I said quickly before I change my

mind. Don’t worry, I’ve taken permission from Mama. She
says it’s fine.”
He stared at me for a while and together we went to the

spot where he had pulled his shirt and showed me his
scars. I didn’t know how to start.
“Okay, Wale, I’ve been praying about us.” I hesitated.

Lord, help me through this. “You asked for another chance.
I really want it but God is not giving me a go-ahead.”
329
When Wale didn’t say anything, I became worried. “I have

prayed. I mean I struggled but still I heard the same thing.”
Wale let out a deep breath. “I told Papa exactly what you
just said. I told him I didn’t know how to tell you that we
weren’t meant to be in a relationship. I didn’t want to hurt
your feelings.”
My hand flew to my mouth. “What! To think I’ve been so

worried about how to say this to you.”
He smiled. “I told God to put us both on the same page.”

I bent my head and chuckled, “This God ehn.”
“Your husband is close Yemisi.” Wale said. “I was praying

for you this morning and I sense very strongly that God
would have you stay focused on the assignment before
you. There is no need to be anxious or worried. He is sort-
ing things out.”
“Thank you Wale. God has been speaking in that light too.
But what about you? Have you sensed any leading to any-
one?”
Wale rubbed his knees. “I’m not sure I’ll be married till the
next three to four years. There is a lot of training and work
I have to do. Right now, God is prompting me to pick a
master’s degree form and just when I wondered how I was
going to pay my way through it, Papa called me to his
room to tell me about a professor friend of his who need-
ed a part-time research assistant. I’ll be seeing him next
week.”
My mouth opened in surprise. “Wow!”

330
“One of Papa’s mentees wants me to facilitate some classes

in real estate for his online business academy. You know
real estate is all I did after school. The pay is cool. There
is also ministry to learn, evangelistic outreaches to plan.
Marriage is not in my schedule for now. I know when it’s
time God will bring her.”
He winked at me. “We shall come for your wedding. I’m

not going to eat rice o. I want amala and gbegiri with plenty
shaki.”
I laughed. We talked about other things until it was almost

dark. After we returned to the main house, I went straight
into the room and fell on my knees.
“Lord, you keep in perfect peace whose heart is stayed on

you. I trust my future into your hands. Help me Lord to
stay focused on what you’ll have me do this season. My
heart is at peace trusting the Lord.”
My phone beeped. Reluctantly, I took it from under my

pillow. It was a text message from Ayomide.
Hi Yemisi, sorry I’ve not called. Hope you are good? I’ll reach
you soon.
I hissed and threw my phone to the bed and continued

with my prayers.
“God, please when are you going to lead me to this broth-

er? Why is it so difficult for me to get clarity in this area? Is
there something I’m not getting right? Oh Lord!”
Yemisi, keep your focus on what I’ve called you to do, the
331
man will meet you on your way.
Those words were clear in my spirit. The man would meet

me while I’m busy with my Father’s assignment.

Chapter
Twenty-Two
333
I TRAVELLED HOME WITH YEWANDE and her kids

for Akin’s wedding. Yeah, my brother is a big boy. The
guy has created a niche for himself in the agricultural sec-
tor. The last time mum came to Lagos, she told me he’d
been selected for a nine month training in Netherlands
and she had insisted on having the wedding before he left
the country.
The taxi that took us from the park stopped in front of my

parent’s house. I was annoyed to see our open compound
crowded with people.
“What are they all doing here? For goodness sake, the
wedding is still a week away.” I said to my sister as we
pulled our belongings out of the trunk.
Yewande grinned. “This week is going to be fun!”
I noticed a three legged pot standing on pieces of firewood

at one corner of the house. Two young women with wrap-
per tied around their chest were squatting and using torn
carton papers to fan the fire from the wood. Some of my
cousin were playing football at the back of the house. Some
girls played ‘ten-ten’ close to Akin’s car.
The moment they noticed our arrival, shouts of joy rang

everywhere. My cousins were all over us, clapping and
dancing. One of my favourite cousins heard the shout and
ran out of the kitchen with a small tuber of yam in one
hand and a knife in another. When she charged at me, I
shouted at her to put the knife down.
I grew up here with all of these people. They slept in my

house and I did in theirs. The bond between my dad’s sib-
334
lings had spread to their kids and grand kids. We were one
big family. My mother’s extended family was the oppo-
site. Mum and her siblings rarely saw eye to eye. It was no
surprise that she became closer to my father’s sisters than
she did with her own blood relations.
The only thing that bothered me about dad’s family was

my cousin sisters who never saw beyond marriage. As far
as they were concerned, getting married and having chil-
dren was the definition of life. How do you finish second-
ary school and the only thing you think about is marriage?
Anyway, I was not surprised when later that evening,
three of them surrounded me, their faces full of pity.
“Yemisi, kilo nsele.Where’s your boyfriend?” One of them

asked.
“Hope you are not doing like all these Lagos people that
want to make plenty money before they marry. Egbon, ko
le pay eh o. It’s not good at all.” Another one added “Time
is going o. We are your sisters and we have to tell you the
truth.” The third one said. She pointed to her son playing
with some of his cousins. “My son is eight years old and
just look at me, at twenty-eight, I still dey kampe!”
My other cousin slapped her playfully. “Awon fine chic.

Omo to fine. Omo to set.”
She turned 360 degree slowly with her hands on her waist.
The other two ladies chanted praises at her. She stopped
in front of me.
“I have four children and the last of them has started

school already. When I go to the market to sell my wares,
335
I have rest of mind. Get a man and give birth to healthy

children now that you have the strength.” She responded
in yoruba.
“Be deceiving yourself, another boy is coming. You will

soon tell us that you are pregnant.” One of my cousins said
to her.
She snapped her fingers over her head. “Eleda mi ko! I reject
it in Jesus name. Baby keh? If Baba Ade wants more chil-
dren, he should go somewhere else. Not this body.”
I stood there irritated as they gabbled here and there in

yoruba. When I couldn’t stand their chatters, I quietly
moved away from them. My aunts also would not let me
rest.
‘What’s the matter?’ ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘When are we com-

ing to eat rice?’ Time is going o.’
For goodness sake, how does my not being in a relation-

ship translate to a problem? One of my aunts said she
heard what happened between me and Wale. She said, all
men were stupid like that. Did they even know that Wale
was ready to dump me for another lady because of green
card?
An older cousin said, I wouldn’t find a man who did not

cheat and I had better come to terms with that truth.
One even had the guts to say that when her husband shouts
and orders her around, it was an evidence of his manhood.
I was so disgusted as I hurried to my parents’ room. I was
about to start ranting when I entered the room to find my
336
sister shouting at my mother.
“Why will you tell my aunts about my family? Why?”
My mother didn’t answer her. She sat on the bed and con-
tinued to fold the aso-oke and lace she planned to use for
the wedding. Dad was on the bed, his hands lay weak by
his side.
“Mummy, It’s not fair. This is my life. Everybody now

knows that my husband has refused to let me go to Benin.
Did they need that information?”
My mother stopped what she was doing and looked at her

daughter. “At least I didn’t tell them what your husband
is doing in Benin.”
“Whatever! They don’t have a right to know about my life

without my permission. I don’t need any self-pity glanc-
es from them. Is their family perfect? They are just low
life people who do nothing but pop out babies. They can’t
even hold an intelligent conversation.”
I glanced at my sister with an expression that says, ‘so how

are they different from you?’
Mum stood up. “You don’t talk about our family like that,
Yewande. I know everything that goes on in their families.
We don’t keep secrets from each other. We pray together.
We cry together. I didn’t do anything wrong.” My mother
walked slowly to her box. “In fact, just go away from my
room if you don’t have anything reasonable to say.”
Yewande stormed out of the room. I sat on the edge of

337
the bed and touched my father’s legs. He gave me a weak

smile. Mum was obviously still seething and I wondered
if this was the best time to tell her about my resignation
from Pavilion.
“Abi, are you here to shout at me too?” My mother turned

slightly towards me as she placed the clothes in her box.
Mum and her clothes sha. She can arrange that box like
hundred times a day.
Mum looked at me, angry. “Ba egbon e soro. She should not
be talking to me like that!”
I went to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. “E ma

binu ma. Don’t be angry. Just forgive her.”
Mum pulled my hand away as if my hand on her skin ir-

ritated her. “We told her not to marry that man but she
insisted. She brought this upon herself.”
I stared at my mother, shocked. What was my mother say-

ing? She had been bugging my sister to bring a man home
from the time she got her NYSC posting letter to Nasara-
wa. It was true my mother didn’t like him but she hadn’t
objected.
“Why are you looking at me like that!”
I moved away from her. “Nothing. I’ll just go and help out
with dinner.”
Later that week, I told my parents about leaving Pavilion

for a mission agency. The first question Mum asked me
was ‘how much is the pay?’
338
I told her once I join the team fully, I’d be paid thirty thou-
sand naira monthly. My mother started shouting at the top
of her voice.
“Yemisi, you left a job that paid you three hundred thou-
sand naira for thirty thousand. Omo yin, Ooo gbon! You
don’t have sense. Ni bo lo fi opolo e si? Are you okay at all?”
“Mummy, that’s what God wants me to do. I want to serve

God.”
My mother almost slapped me. She left her room and I

knew she had gone to report me to my aunts. I sat on their
bed, frustrated. Dad was still in the same position and this
time his gaze was fixed on me. I climbed the bed, wrapped
my hands around him and placed my head on his chest.
Dad had not said a word since I got there. I wanted him to
say something. I wanted to hear his voice. I raised my head
and touched his cheeks tenderly.
“Dad, you are healed in Jesus name. Every organ in your

body functions to the perfection God ordained them to
function.”
Dad nodded his head slowly. I placed my head on his chest

and allowed the tears trickle down my face.
An emergency meeting was called that night. Four of my

father’s sisters sat in the small living room while Yewande
and Akin stood at a corner with some of my cousins. My
aunties started to talk one after the other. One told the sto-
ry of a woman who was beaten to death by her evangelist
husband. Another one said the former Pastor of her church
339
raped the house help for years even though his wife knew
about it. One said, her neighour’s brother, a missionary,
died of poverty. They were making so much effort to dis-
courage me.
Mum looked sternly at me. “Have you heard what every-

body has said? When you return to Lagos, look for another
job! Stop the-”
She was interrupted by the eldest sibling of my father.

“Leave her to do what she wants. If she wants to serve
the Lord, He will take care of her.” The old woman said
in Yoruba.
That ended the meeting. I mean nobody objected, not even

my mother. It was always like that. Once Mama Ijebu
spoke, no one dared argue with her. I wanted to run to
hug her but I restrained myself.
My mum kept snapping at me at any slight provocation.

She kept saying that they trained us to support the fam-
ily but my sister and I were now irresponsible children.
We didn’t care about them and only my brother had great
prospects. She said if she had known, she’d not have wast-
ed her money after our secondary school education. We’d
have ended up selling fish or tomatoes in the market like
my cousins.
I tried not to get angry and to prevent that, I stayed out of

her way.
Two days before Akin’s wedding, Simeon called and said

while he was praying, God told him I needed some mon-
ey. He sent me a hundred thousand naira. Immediately, I
340
went to the bank and withdrew the money.
The night after the wedding, I handed my mother an en-

velope. Reluctantly, she opened it. When she saw the one
thousand naira notes in the envelope, she gasped and
stared at me.
“Where did you get this from? I thought you said you’ve
resigned from your job.”
“I didn’t steal it.”
“I’m not saying you stole it. Owo re…But how?”
I touched my mother’s shoulder. “God takes care of his

own and you can be sure I’ll take care of you.”
Mum’s attitude towards me changed after that day.
***************
Time ran so fast. Even though Andrew had called to in-

form me that the training had been postponed to Decem-
ber, it didn’t slow down anything.
I spent a lot of time with Ebun learning to bake cake and

small chops. Yeah, that was part of the instructions I re-
ceived after I returned from my brother’s wedding. I didn’t
even know Ebun was skillful in those areas. I thought she
only knew how to make cookies and spring rolls. She
taught me how to make bags, throw pillows, liquid soap
and disinfectants.
“I have trained lots of girls in the North with this.” Ebun

341
said. “Skills like these are always useful on the mission

field.”
I was so busy that I didn’t even have time to think about

getting into a relationship. Yeah, once in a while, I brood-
ed over it but tasks snapped me out of those thoughts.
There was just so much to do. Apart from the skill acqui-
sition programs, I had retreats with Ebun, personal retreat
for myself, a three week rigorous online coaching class to
attend, online discipleship meetings with my Cornerstone
College students, prayers with Mama, private meetings
with Papa. I’d never been busy like that in my life.
Even Wale got really busy too. We hardly saw and when
we did, we talked for long about ministry, career and our
walk with God.
I was happy with my progress although I was still look-

ing forward to meeting my husband at the training cen-
ter. I had different pictures in my head. Maybe he’d be a
new member like me, a banker maybe, who had obeyed
instructions to leave the job and join the mission. Could he
be one of the facilitators? Like I said earlier, those thoughts
didn’t stay long in my head, because there was so much to
do.
Two days before my trip to Osogbo, I made muffins and

throw pillows for Simeon and Ebun. It was a thank you
gift for their support in helping me step into the fulfill-
ment of God’s for my life.
I was almost in tears as I presented the gift to them. I would

miss them for the months I’d be away. I wasn’t even sure
I’d have the opportunity to see them again when I return
342
to get the rest of my things. Andrew had said there were
outreaches already lined out for the coming year. I was
a soldier waiting to be posted wherever God needed my
service.
We had a nice time that afternoon. Simeon took us to a fine

restaurant in town. We got ice-cream, barbeque, rice. I ate
until my stomach couldn’t take in any more food.
When we finally parted, I cried. Ebun cried too.
“Thank you for everything.” I said to Ebun before hugging

her husband.
“If you need anything, we are just a call away.” Simeon

said.
I nodded. “Greet everyone at Pavilion Agency especially

Jide.”
“Sure.” He said.
I couldn’t stop crying in the cab Simeon ordered to take me

home. I thought of the new life ahead and wished things
could remain as they were.
God, I trust you. Help me to always stay at the center of your

will.
**************
When I returned from Simeon’s place, I stepped into my

room to see that my clothes had been ironed and neatly

343
folded on the ironing table. I stood there speechless, look-

ing at Mama’s mentees who had occupied the room with
me for some months now. They were grinning from ear to
ear.
“Thank you so much. You guys are amazing.” I said as I

hugged them.
Mama D entered the room, her eyes moving from one part
of the room to the other.
“Somebody is getting ready for the work of the ministry.”

I smiled. “Mum, you won’t believe this. They ironed my
clothes. I was already thinking of doing that tonight.”
Mama D winked at them. “I gave birth to correct chil-

dren.” She faced me. “Someone is waiting for you in Pa-
pa’s study.”
I looked at her, puzzled. “Who?”
“Go and find out.” She responded.
I looked from the mentees to my mentor and hurried out

of the room. As I entered the study, a man was sitting on
the sofa, bent over a book.
The dream I had where I knelt down with a man in front of

the founder of Zion Missions returned.
The face.
This was the man.

I knew it for sure.
344
It was as if I was in a moment when an unveiling was to be

done. The man raised his head and looked at me.
I gasped and covered my mouth. “Oh my God! Ayo!”
He grinned and came to me. My hands were trembling. I

couldn’t move from the spot where I was. I couldn’t be-
lieve the images playing in my head.
Ayo led me to the sofa and sat beside me. “Yemisi, I’m sor-
ry for the silence. Papa wanted me to stop communicating
with you for a while until I was convinced of what I’d told
him.”
“What did you tell him?” I already knew the answer to the
question. My heart was already telling me what it was he
wanted to say. I stayed quiet and listened.
“Yemisi, I believe you are my wife. I know in my heart that

we have a mission together and…” He paused and sighed.
“I’m convinced about us.”
When he stopped talking, I couldn’t say anything for a

while. Everything was making sense. It was as if the an-
gels were standing behind me clapping and singing.
“I’m kicking off training in two days.” I said, finally.
“I know. Whenever you are done praying about it, Let me

know your response.”
We sat there in silence and I was so overwhelmed by my

345
emotions that I had to excuse myself from the study. I was

bursting with excitement and when I slept later that night,
I saw that I was standing before the mirror, rehearsing my
wedding dance steps. Abigail was sitting on the bed, clap-
ping as I danced.

Present
Day
347
A YOMIDE AND I HAVE BEEN MARRIED a year and

six months. Today is the last day of the Zion Mission
Stewards Conference in Jos. Elder Makinde called both of
us to the altar and commissioned us to take over the work
in Ghana. It was exactly as I had seen before I got married
to Ayo.
Interestingly, from the first week of our marriage, we had

known we would be sent to Ghana, we just didn’t know
when. We had been prepared for it. We’d also seen that
we’d be returning to Nigeria to organize secondary school
fellowships across Lagos. We also don’t know when that
would happen. We knew a lot of things but we are sensi-
tive to God’s timing.
So right now, I’m sitting in our hotel room. The conference

is over and we’ll be travelling back home tomorrow. I’ll
have to break the news to Mama and Papa.
And…yeah, Mama and Papa are still in Lagos raising more

disciples. I have found a way to push Yewande to them.
Her husband is still hooked up with that woman in Benin.
Abigail is married. My friend is in Lagos with her hus-
band, Ibrahim.
My parents are doing well. I’m particularly happy with

the progress of my father’s health. God is faithful! Dad
has started walking again. The day he spoke to me on the
phone, I cried with joy. He is insisting on returning to the
farm. Mum didn’t agree until Akin reassured her that he’d
always watch out for dad.
The love my mother has for my husband, I don’t under-

stand. I’m beginning to think she loves him more than she
348
loves me.
I heard from Adesuwa last week. She just got admission

into the University of Ibadan. She is studying Psychology.
That was surprising for me though because since I knew
her, she’d always wanted to study medicine. Before she
filled her JAMB form, she said this to me,
“Miss Yemisi, I know exactly what God wants me to do.

When I’m done with my first degree in Psychology, I will
travel out of this country to do my MSc in Clinical Pyschol-
ogy. I’ll also run a course in Guidance and Counselling.”
Did I tell you she had distinctions in all the subjects she
took in her West African Certificate Examination? I still
remember visiting her before I started my training at Zion
Teens. I met her sitting on the veranda weeping. She didn’t
want to be in the same class with her juniors in SS3 and
her father was insisting she returned to Cornerstone Col-
lege. The Principal had pleaded to have her back in his
school. After nursing the child for some months, she hand-
ed the boy over to her mother and moved into the board-
ing house.
Ebun is pregnant. She told me when we met on the first

day of the conference. I almost screamed. Simeon will be a
father soon. At least, her mother would stop pressurizing
her.
My Cornerstone college disciples are doing so well. I am

amazed at their spiritual progress. Few weeks ago, Do-
tun’s best friend informed me that he had been appointed
the assistant bible study co-ordinator of his campus fel-
lowship. My eyes welled up in tears when he said;
349
“Aunty Yemisi, I wish Dotun was still alive, maybe we’d

be serving God together.”
He also told me about an urge to start a prayer group with

some of the Cornerstone College disciples for depressed
teenagers. I’m so excited at what God is doing with those
students. Some of them are scattered across universities in
Nigeria.
I’d have to send a message to them once I return home

from the conference. I’ll miss all my family in Nigeria but
then the work of God must go on.
I have to stop now. Jason is crying again. Chei! My son

loves food ehn…
THE END.

350
A Note
From The
Author

351
Dear reader,
The diary of a Nigerian Christian Girl 1 is the first among

many diaries to come. Each diary tells the story of a Nige-
rian christian girl, the challenges she faces and the wisdom
employed to solve the problems she is faced with I look
forward to sharing series of diaries with you.
The journey into writing the story of Yemisi was an inter-

esting one. I’ve had flows of creativity while writing my
other books but this seemed exceptional. It started as a
blog story series with each episode shared on Mondays
and ran for seventeen weeks. We had records of thousands
of viewership reading this story weekly.
I believe that beyond enjoying the plot of thisthe story,

you were stirred to make the right decisions in alignment
with the will of the Father. I pray for every one reading
this that your gaze remains fixed on the Father and that
you would give him the room to lead you in the best path
for your life.
I’d love to hear from you. Send your comments and testi-
monies to [email protected].

352
About the
Author

353
About The Author
I fe Grace is a graduate of law from the University of Be-

nin. She is a faith-based blogger, a platform where she
shares biblical principles through the medium of storytell-
ing. She is also the founder of Elevate Transformation Clin-
ic, a faith-based nonprofit organization where she equips
and stirs men and women towards the kingdom agenda.
Ife Grace loves to tell stories. She is a scriptwriter and the

author of four books; The Reunion, Spring, Before we got
married and Lekki Sisi. She is the publisher of the pop-
ular acclaimed blog story series, The Diary of a Nigerian
Christian Girl. Her stories inspire, uplift and communicate
meaningful life lessons through the eye of God’s word.

354
STORIES
BY IFE GRACE
E-BOOK TITLES
The Reunion
Spring
Before we got married
Lekki Sisi
The Single Lady And Her Dreams
BLOG STORY SERIES

You are beautiful
The Pastor’s wife
Valley of Debt
The diary of a Nigerian Christian Girl
To purchase a copy of my books, visit www.ifegrace.com or

send a Whatsapp chat to 09050732673
For more stories and spirit-filled articles,visit

www.ifegrace.com
Facebook: Ife Grace
Instagram: @ife_grace
Telegram: Ife Grace Network
Website: www.ifegrace.com

355

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The diary of a Nigerian Christian Girl is a work of fiction where

S OMETIMES, MAMA D PISSES ME OFF with her in-

I wished I had stayed back at home instead of going over

“Yemisi,” my mentor said, her gaze fixed on me. I avoid-

I stared at my feet. “Mama, we are fine.”

Mama D hissed. “What kind of answer is that?”

What else was she expecting me to say? That I no longer

I wonder how I ended up with a fifty-five year old woman

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have learnt a lot from Mama

D. There were days I’ve been blessed by her deep insight

“I’m talking to you Yemisi. From everything you have told

“He is.” I answered abruptly and stayed silent.

Just yesterday evening, Wale cupped my face in his strong

Mama D was not ready to drop the subject. “I asked you

At that moment, I wished I had stayed back in my room

My mentor folded her hands and looked at me for a long

Thankfully at that moment, the house-help, Kudirat came

“I’ll prepare the stew.”

I shook my head. Mama! Even when you prepare meals

Mama D turned to the house-help. “Kudirat, pour the rice

I went into the kitchen. Mama followed me. She stood at

“Make sure you rinse the pot first.” Mama said.

I rolled my eyes playfully at her. “Mama, I know.”

She pointed at a set of white aprons neatly folded in the

store. “Get a clean apron and please don’t put maggi. I

She stepped away from the entrance. “I meant what I said

The front door opened and a familiar laughter filled the

We hugged. “Virtuous woman. Correct wife material.”

I laughed. “It’s good to see you again. How are you?

Mama clicked her fingers. “Save your chit-chat for anoth-

“Who is sick?” I asked.

Abigail smiled sadly. “My mum. She slumped to the bath-

and the doctor said she’ll be discharged soon.”

I reached for the onions and began to chop them slowly.

“How’s Wale?” Abigail whispered.

I was about responding when Mama D entered the kitchen

Wale refused to see my mentor and it bothered me. Well,

I didn’t push but I wasn’t happy either. He noticed when

6a.m on Monday morning, Wale called. On my way to

“My sweetheart. The woman that holds my heart in her

I couldn’t hold back the laughter. The anger was gone.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. I wish I could see you

“That’s not possible. I am at work.”

“I know jare. I’ll be seeing you this evening right?”

I decided to do small shakara for him. I wanted to know

“Maybe another time.” I said. “I’ll be tired by the time I get

“Babe, you can’t do that! I have a ministration at Jesus As-

I chuckled. Those words made me feel like I was his wife

I had always known I’d marry someone actively involved

band. I knew he’d be committed to ministry full time. He’d

“Okay, fine. We’ll go together.”

Wale shouted in excitement. “Thank you! I love you so

One of my students Dotun, a tall dark teenager with play-

“Miss Yemisi, pick up your phone. That might be your

Two boys sitting beside him chuckled. One slapped him

“How can you tell it’s Miss Yemisi’s boyfriend? It could be