Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 265

Page 1

REFLECTION STORIES BY
DAMILOLA BABS
BEGINNING WITH YOU
Page 2

The name of our writing hub changed


last year. The new name is also inspired
by the Holy Spirit and we hope you
love our stories. Please, do not stop
reading.
Page 3

"And I promise to treat you right, love


you as Christ has loved you and still
loves you, stand by you in good and in
good," the congregation laughed once
she said that, but she was just trying to
be positive. She had heard a lot about
couples divorcing and it was the last
thing on her mind. She didn't ever want
that for herself or Rotimi.

Her man sobbed as she said her vows


looking into his eyes. And then he said
his own vows. It was a perfect moment,
just as they always both imagined it
would be. They were both glad their
Page 4

parents weren't the type hounding them


or forcing them to do things their own
way. For once, the thick african-ness of
parents taking over their children's
wedding was kicked out of the way.

Her wedding gown was the simplest


wedding gown anyone at the wedding
had ever seen. It was straight, long and
had an attachment beneath it that made
it flow. It was sleeveless, yet it exposed
nothing. The warning from the church
was stern and clear, not to mention that
Tosin herself was a guarded woman,
who had faith in God and wouldn't even
Page 5

succumb to the temptation of skin


showing.

Fine coral beads ran through the back of


her dress forming a charade sleeve that
held her arms properly to her body so
that her armpit was well covered. Her
hair was long enough, it needed no
formal attachment as she had given it a
thorough wash a day before and called
the stylist to come in early and style it
up in the morning. She was beautiful,
no doubt and without an iota of ado,
anyone would know she was blessed.
Without asking, her mother in law had
Page 6

gotten her a lady Wang shoe and dress


for her reception party and those
gorgeous babies, she dauntlessly loved.

That was the blissful memory of their


wedding day. They were sure God had a
hand in their marriage. They had prayed,
fasted, gotten different strong
convictions and confirmations about
their future home and had joyfully
shared it. Purity was a pillar they held
on to and indeed, their waiting had not
been in vain.

Rotimi was the most amazing and


Page 7

romantic man on earth, it made Tosin


want to repeat their first night together,
but that was impossible, the first time
was always the first time. Nevertheless,
not being a virgin anymore made love
even sweeter and enjoyable with her
adorable husband. Until after their first
year and no child came. Not that they
thought it was late, but they just wanted
a child badly.

"I am still seeing my period." Tosin told


her husband as she stood in front of the
toilet in their room, her head resting on
a side of the entrance.
Page 8

"My love, don't worry, it has just been a


year and there's nothing impossible for
God to do." He assured her giving her
all his attention even though he had his
glasses on and files scattered in front of
him, he knew better than not to give his
wife his attention at this time.

"But he promised us," she continued.

Rotimi sighed, got up from the fine


leather seat that sat at a corner in their
room and took a short walk to his wife,
dragged her from where she stood and
Page 9

sat her back on his lap on their bed.

"I can't say I know how you feel, at


least I am the man and you are the
woman but one thing I am sure of is
that God does not lie, if he said it then
he will do it." He told her and landed a
kiss on her shoulder. She smiled weakly
and thanked him.

He was the most supportive man she


had ever seen all her life. She had at
first felt inadequate not being able to
give him a child, but his support and the
love that came from his praying parents
Page 10

was too great to be ignored, so she kept


her cool and prayed more.

Two years passed and nothing came.


Tosin felt like she was going to run mad,
she prayed every night, fasted until it
showed in her size, gave herself more to
her husband and even seduced him on
days he wasn't interested, yet, nothing
came. She was getting frustrated and
her husband was beginning to notice.

"God, I have prayed. I have wept every


night for the past two years asking you
for a child, it is going to be my
Page 11

anniversary again, give me this gift,


please." Tosin cried as she knelt beside
her bed and prayed. The door to the
room squeaked from outside and she
knew it was her husband, just returning
from work. He joined her quickly and
responded amen as she prayed.

Then came the third year, the fourth,


and the fifth. She began to change, she
became more quiet, especially in public
functions that had many relatives in
attendance and her husband made them
shamelessly attend.
Page 12

"Ha ha, is that not Rotimi's wife? How


are you and our babies?" Many of them
would ask harmlessly, although Tosin
also knew that some meant harm and
had intentionally passed the statements
as a taunt to frustrate her.

"My dear, my baby was clamouring to


come to your house and play o, but I
couldn't allow her to come, abi which
child is she going to play with?"

It was Ibironke, she was Rotimi's


brother's wife, Gbenga. The only set of
Page 13

people that were not believers by all


standards and did not like the fact that
Tosin and Rotimi were their parents'
favourites. She had thought she was the
only one seeing hell until Sewa, the
family's last born, walked in angrily.
Ibironke left her quickly. She knew the
young lady was the no nonsense type
and her love for Tosin would make her
deal with anyone that crossed her path
ruthlessly. She hissed and passed an
empty wine glass to an usher's tray. It
was their father's 70th birthday and the
house was full.
Page 14

"What is it,Sewa?" Tosin managed to


ask, hiding her own frustration.

"Sebi it is that our elder brother, Brother


Gbenga, how could he just look at
Rotimi and remind him of his age
and...and…"

"She stuttered, not wanting to use the


word childlessness.

" Childlessness," Tosin helped her to


complete what she started.

"No, no, no, don't say that." She


Page 15

rebuked her.

"Ibi … Ibironke just reminded me too,


a…"

"She did what?!" Sewa attempted to


move but Tosin stopped her. She knew
what it meant. The lady would have
said the worse things to her and walked
about without remorse.

She was the man's last child, yet she


was married with three children. Rotimi
married next and then their unbelieving
older brother got married after
Page 16

impregnating Ibironke and making her a


mother outside wedlock, something
they called a mistake but gladly
repeated the second time. Her second
child was a year old recently and the
mere fact that Daddy Ola had compared
them to Tosin and Rotimi who went the
right way, nauseated them. The two
were bent on frustrating them. Although
Rotimi had been in past relationships
before accepting Jesus, his wife on the
other hand had embraced chastity until
marriage

"Sewa," Tosin called calmly. "You don't


Page 17

have to confront her."

"You know I can handle this, Tosin,


right?"

The woman nodded back gently,


pouting her mouth in a futile trial to
fight back the hot tears that now burnt
her eyes.

"Please, don't. She is our senior you


know,"

"Oh, agbaya, you mean?"


Page 18

"And she is right Sewa, she is right."


She let her tears drop freely this time.

"No oo, don't say that." She consoled


the woman dragging her to a quiet
corner of the house. It had a long seat
that could accommodate them both so
she sat next to her.

"Sewa, every time I look at him," her


eyes strolled to her laughing husband
who was bending slightly in front of
their father looking like a man without
worries. "...and remember that I have
not been able to give him a child after
Page 19

six years, my heart, my heart breaks


into a thousand pieces." She sniffed.

"You are not the giver of children Tosin,


God will do your own."

"When Sewa? When? I have prayed,


vigiled, cried, begged, I don't even
know what else to do."

"Wait." Sewa told her.

"I don't want that on my list anymore."

"Then are you sending God out of the


Page 20

plan?"

"Sometimes I wish I could."

"But I know you wouldn't. Trust him, in


and with everything, Tosin. You love
the Lord, perfect. Keep loving him. You
love your husband, great. Love him
more." Sewa told her.

"Sewa, I am happy you are my sister in


law."

"And I am happy you made my brother


the happiest man in the world." She told
Page 21

her. "Okay, you know what, I am


bringing Fiyin over to your place this
weekend. Her brothers are already
spending time with Dare's parents so
they wouldn't be able to join her." She
explained.

"Ha! I would be glad to have Fiyin over,


or should I take her with me from
here?" She asked, lifting her face with a
smile.

"You are such a sweet soul. Okay, let


me tell Dare, if he says yes now, I will
bring a few things to the house
Page 22

tomorrow so she can stay…"

"One month," Tosin interjected.

"One month? What about her school?"


She asked.

"I have a car, I don't work yet, I can


always take care of her, take her to
school in the morning, drive her back in
the afternoon and take care of her
needs."

"Are you sure you want to go through


that stress?"
Page 23

"Stress?" Lai lai! It is not stress oo. It is


not stress at all. I will do it if her father
allows me."

"Awwwnnn, okay, let me ask Dare."


She finally told her.

Dare didn't say no, he put up a randy


show and was glad all the children were
finally leaving the house. It was going
to be another honeymoon in their house.
They were happy the boys were
spending a month away too. Not that
they didn't love their children, but they
Page 24

loved to spend time together and alone.


Fiyin was Four, Roy was six and their
older brother, Richy was nine. They had
been happily married for ten years and
everyday still seemed like their
wedding day.

They had met on campus, married once


they graduated, and had their first child
after service. Although her father had
kicked against it in the first place, the
two obviously knew what they wanted
and prayed their parents into accepting
them.
Page 25

"You can take her." She told the happy


woman who wore a beaming smile as
she spoke.

"Thank you!" She kept yelling happily.

Three weeks felt like three days, Tosin


dreaded the fourth week. She was going
to miss the child. They were very close.
Fiyinfoluwa talked like she was an adult
having answers to her many questions
and even when she wasn't talking, she
Page 26

was acting like she was an adult


daughter of the family. Rotimi loved
spending time with her before bedtime,
he would go to her room, sing her a
lullaby and happily wait for her to sleep
off before exiting her room.

On this night, Fiyin had requested to see


her big mummy and daddy. That was
what she called them. Once her mum
told her, she had never called the couple
anything else.

"Fiyin, you said we should come to


Page 27

your room." Tosin reminded her like


she had forgotten about it.

"Yes big mummy," she playfully


answered back and sat up, adjusting her
clothes like she was a nineteen year old
that had something to hide. The two
chuckled beneath their breath as they
watched the adorable child.

"Knee down mummy, knee down


daddy," she ordered them calmly as
they knelt and then she climbed out of
her bed and knelt with them. The two
mature people marveled but obeyed the
Page 28

special child.

"I pray from my heart for you big daddy


and big mummy, that the joy you have
made me feel these few weeks, the Lord
will multiply and send back to you, next
week I will be going home, I pray for
you that another me will come back
inside your house in Jesus name…" she
prayed and then Rotimi heard his wife
sniffle, he knew she was crying, he
dropped her hand and drew her into his
arms gently stroking her shoulder. By
the time she finished praying even
Rotimi's eyes were red. He couldn't
Page 29

believe it. She even prayed for their


own Roy and Richy.

Tosin mused at the girl beside her in the


car as she returned home on the fourth
week. She had made her hair into a
double pony tail style and then gave her
so many gifts for her parents and
herself.

"Why do people do bad things, big


mummy?" She started asking questions.
Her childish voice denying her the
seriousness she needed to ask the
question.
Page 30

"Emm, I don't know," she shrugged.


"Maybe because they are just naturally
bad people who have not submitted to
Jesus Christ." She told her.

"Okay, so does that mean that God is


bad? If God is not bad, then why do
people die?" She asked again. This time,
Tosin's eyes widened in shock.

"No! God is not bad and God cannot be


bad. Whatever God does is good even
when it looks bad." She told her.
Page 31

"Wow! So God is permanently good?"


She asked again.

"Permanently good, yes, yes, he is."


Tosin drove her home in wonder
wishing the girl could stay longer. Once
her parents saw her, it was obvious they
had missed her too. Dare stepped out in
his short khaki pants and white
sleeveless shirt. Fiyin rushed into her
father's arms as the two waited for Tosin
to bring her things down. Once the baby
box was out, Dare was already standing
next to the car to help her with it.
Page 32

"Thank you so much Tosin," he told her,


trying to collect the bag from her.

"Don't worry, Dare, I will have it." She


told him as she took the bag in,
following behind Dare and his daughter.

Tosin could not deny it, she missed the


child, Fiyin. She was the life of the
house. Her husband was always home
and she herself did nothing but wake up
and sleep. She was a barrister and plans
were already ongoing to open her own
chambers, an idea she dreaded until the
Page 33

ultimate need showed up. She had


nothing to do at home, so once she told
Rotimi, he didn't argue, in fact he was
glad she was finally going to get a
distraction.

Four weeks had passed and Tosin had


been having terrible morning sicknesses.
She was throwing up, feeling faint and
tired plus, she had missed her period.
She was sure this wasn't malaria, she
was either pregnant or pregnant. She
told her husband who thought she was
too anxious and should calm down to
Page 34

avoid purring herself under unnecessary


pressure.

"Calm down Tosin, calm down. What if


it is negative?"

"God forbid!" She yelled to her


husband's face and angrily made for the
toilet where she was going to use a
pregnancy test strip. Once she urinated
on it and waited, the lines showed up
and then stopped right where Tosin
wanted them. She was pregnant.

"Rotimi, Rotimi, Rotimi," she kept


Page 35

calling. The man answered each time


she called.

"Yes babe, babe, babe are you okay?"


He asked from outside the toilet.

"Rotimi, we are pregnant." She told him.


He couldn't believe his ears. He threw
the door wide open and found his wife
there on the floor crying. He picked her
up from the floor and sat her on the WC
before squatting in front of her.

"Let me see." He told her quickly and


she handed it over without arguments.
Page 36

"Jesus, Jesus," Rotimi whispered, his


own tears gathering. His wife held his
hands as they both wept, not wanting to
believe what had just happened. They
wept for joy and sang hymns thanking
God for what he had just done in their
lives.

The next day, Tosin could not hide her


joy. She drove herself to Sewa's house
with plenty of gifts for Fiyin. Her
parents were surprised since she had
just recently bought the girl a lot of
gifts.
Page 37

"I just felt like doing something for my


baby." She told them as she handed her
the toys, chocolates, dresses, pants, hair
bands, spectacles and the rest. She even
stayed behind with the family. Dare was
a tech guy who hardly left the house.
He was an ardent forex trader while his
wife was the barrister that had not
started practicing. They stayed at home
often, but were often lost in their
laptops.

Rotimi kept calling to find out how his


wife was doing, sent her text messages
Page 38

to make sure she was fine, asked if she


had eaten and wasn't having too much
cravings. Sewa mused at his brother's
wife. A certain glow had come on her
and it just could not be hidden.

"I go love o," Sewa teased as she served


the woman a cold drink and some
snacks.

"Abegi. You and Dare that kill us with


your love in public nko?"

"Thank God you said in public because


in private, we seldom have time. But
Page 39

last month was beautiful. He had


simply announced to his clients that we
were taking four weeks off and none of
them objected. God! I can remember
every moment we shared alone in this
house. Ha!"

"Eh! Don't spoil me oo. How old am I?"

"Eh, Tosin, abegi, you think I don't


know that my brother is one romantic
dude that can kill in bed." She teased
her.

"Eh, Jesus! Sewa, leave me alone."


Page 40

"Ehn, Tosin, I was praying for you last


night and I know I heard in my spirit
that it is settled. I was so happy when
the Holy Spirit gave me those words.
My sister, go and package your things
oo, we will soon start calling you
mummy somebody." She told her and
they both laughed.

Although Tosin was older than the


woman, the women connected from the
first day Rotimi introduced her to the
family. Before the marriage, Sewa
would call her aunty Tosin and that
Page 41

would be it, they would quarrel for days


about it until Rotimi or Dare settled
them. Finally, they both resolved to call
each other by their names and it was the
best decision they ever made. It broke
the barrier of age and the two could talk
about deeper things than ever. The only
problem they sometimes had was their
uncouth sister-in-law, Ibironke and her
husband who thought life was always
about competing and not loving each
other. Nevertheless, the women loved
Ibironke when she was normal and days
she wasn't, they avoided her like
plague.
Page 42

"Hey," it was Kendra, she had just seen


Gbenga for the first time in a long while
and could not believe her eyes. She was
Rotimi's ex, way back before he became
born again and his brother knew just
how much she lusted after him before
they broke up.
Page 43

They were in Naija Cuisines, one of the


biggest restaurants in the town.
Although Gbenga had come for
business, he thought of it as an avenue
to bring his wife out after a long period
of time.

"Jesus, eh! Kendra!" Gbenga shouted as


he rose to his feet in a pleasant surprise.
The man was tall and chubby. His dark
face was fully bearded and his eyes
were big and fine.

"Yes oo, how have you been now?" She


asked.
Page 44

"I have been fine o, you?" He asked her.

"Tor, I am still here o, I am where your


brother left me." She told him wearing a
pitiful look.

"Ah ahn, it's been a long time now


Kendra, you should have forgotten
about him now."

"Forgotten ke, eh, who would forget


that your hot brother? Hot in look and
hot in bed." She gave Ibironke a quick
look because of what she just said.
Page 45

Gbenga knew she was about to feel


embarrassed and so he introduced them
quickly.

"Sorry my love, meet Kendra, Roimi's


ex while we were in school and Kendra,
here, meet my wife, Ibironke."

"Eh!! Nice meeting you oo," Kendra


greeted, stretching her hand out for a
hand shake. "

"Nice meeting you too my dear. How


are you?" She asked her.
Page 46

"I am fine, but still single and


searching." She told her and laughed.

"Yeah, don't worry, the right man will


come." She assured her. "Honey, give
her your number, let her come over to
the house tomorrow, we might just be
able to hook her up." Ibironke told her
husband who stood amazed watching
his wife.

"Ha! Thank you, kai! You are a good


person o, I swear." She told her and then
sat on a chair in the circle of seats.
Page 47

"O...okay … " Gbenga reluctantly


answered, giving his wife a disbelieving
look. "0902744… " he began to call the
number. Once Kendra had gone, he
couldn't hold back his shock. "What did
you just do Ronke? Who are we
hooking her up with? The last time I
checked, you didn't have a brother and
the only brother I have is married." He
told her.

"Married but childless Gbenga. Don't


you want your brother to have children
in life? Wo, we will hook her back up
with your brother and make her go to
Page 48

him."

"Go to him, I don't understand." Gbenga


told her.

"What don't you understand now? We


will give her his number and house
address."

"But that would mean trouble between


Tosin and Rotimi." He told her.

"Ehn, how is that your business? Abi is


that not the plan? Gbenga, Gbenga, why
do you always think backward like this?
Page 49

See this from my perspective. Once


your brother falls for this lady, your
father will never compare your brother
and his wife with us, ever again. We
will be on the same level of stupidity
now and maybe the man will finally be
able to trust us with as much as he has
trusted your brother."

"Wow! Ronke, you are brilliant. I never


thought of it that way. Kai! You are a
genius. You are a genius." He hailed her
as they continued their long wait for the
client that was never to show up.
Page 50

"Hey, hello," Kendra's voice came up


on the phone. Rotimi was at work and
he didn't have the time for worthless
talks so he hurried the person thinking it
was his sister, Sewa doing her usual
time wasting pranks.

"Yes, yes, hello." He answered.

"Ah ahn, are we fighting?"

"No we are not, I just don't have time


Page 51

for a banter, Sewa."

"Sewa? Eh, so we are even many. I am


not Sewa o."

"Excuse me, who is this?"

"So you don't remember me again. Tor,


this is Kendra, Kendra Allison."

"What?!" He yelled in shock. "Who


gave you my number?"

"So you won't even tell me you missed


me, you are starting with
Page 52

interrogations."

"Miss you," he smirked his lips and


turned uncomfortably in his seat.

"Anyway, I heard you are married but


childless and so I came to change your
story, if you are interested, call me back
on this number." She told him.

"Hey, hey, hold on one second. I beg


you in the name of God, madam, don't
you ever, ever in your life call this
number again or else, you will hate me
and hate yourself." He warned her and
Page 53

then cut the call.

"What rubbish!" He muttered to himself


and then continued his work. She was
in his past and he would still have been
willing to talk her back into Christ but
for a clueless statement about him being
childless. He knew what she was
offering and wasn't interested. He
wasn't going to keep her around himself
and wait until he is tempted and falls
into sin.
Page 54

"Yes, I am coming." Tosin's voice came


from inside the gigantic house. Kendra
tilted back to help get a good view of
the house. The door soon opened and
two women stood face to face.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?"


Tosin greeted and asked the stranger.

"Good afternoon oo. You must be Tosin,


if you are, then you cannot help me, it is
me that will help you."

"Umm, I don't understand you ma."


Page 55

"Eh, no be you marry wey no fit born?


Which is why you cannot help me.
Have you helped yourself?"

"Excuse me, who are you?"

"My name na Kendra, the woman wey


don come to born for your husband."

"Wait, I don't understand what you just


said, come again please."

"Are you deaf? Look, me I don't have


time for all this rubbish English that
you are speaking. Are you going to let
Page 56

me in or not?"

"What if I say no?"

Kendra simply hissed and pushed her


out of the way.

"He be like say your head no correct.


Person dey respect you since, small
pinch of respect like this you no fit cut
am back give me. You get problem o.
Look at you! Comot for road!" She
finally told her after clicking her tongue
a number of times like she was going to
daze her with a slap across the face.
Page 57

Tosin stood there, her mouth wide open


with surprise. The woman simply
tossed aside as if she was smaller than a
coin and made her way into the house.
She mused at the interior, not knowing
where to start from.

"Jesus is Lord! Jesus is Lord! Eh! See


house, see heaven for earth! My senior
wife una dey enjoy oo."

Tosin kept looking at her in shock. She


wanted to call her husband, but she
thought it wasn't necessary. She was
sure Rotimi could not even know
Page 58

someone like her not to talk of bringing


her to his house to be his baby mama.
She excused herself and went into their
room.

"Senior wife! Please, I want water oo."


She told her already holding the remote
control to the TV.
Page 59

"My love, I am home!" Rotimi


announced happily.

"Hey sweetness." Kendra's voice made


him stop. He turned around to see if he
was in the right place.

"Kendra," he called out in shock.

"So you know her." It was his wife this


time around, standing behind him. Her
eyes were swollen. It was obvious she
had been crying all day.

"Tosin, I can explain, it is not what you


Page 60

think, I am not cheating and I will never


cheat on you."

"Then who is she?"

"I said I am the woman that has come to


bear him children." Kendra yelled
before he could say anything.

"Are you mad?!" Rotimi yelled to her


face.

"Perfect." Tosin said and grabbed her


car keys that rested on a side stood
nearby. She rushed out of the house in
Page 61

pain.

"Tosin! Tosin! Oh Jesus! Jesus!" He


brought his phone out from his pocket
and dialed Sewa's number.

"Hey big brother_"

"Sewa listen, call my wife right now,


please, just make sure you know where
she is going to, I beg you in the name of
God." He told his sister apprehensively
and dropped the call. "Now you, get out
of my house!" He yelled to her face
again. This time, Rotimi was
Page 62

suppressing the temptation to deck her a


dirty slap.

"Baby, I have missed you," she told him,


attempting to close the gap between
them.

"Don't even dare! Don't try it Kendra, I


may kill you if you do. Pick up your
cheap bag and please, get out of my
house." He told her.

"Relax, relax Roe,"

"Don't call me that, don't. Roe is dead,


Page 63

this is Rotimi, a new creature, old


things have passed away, behold, all
things have become new."

"Shoo! Relax now, I no be evil spirit


now."

"Well, right now you are. Get yourself


out of my house." Rotimi told her, this
time he advanced towards her angrily
and she quickly picked her bag up.

"Them say you need pikin, na hin make


me come."
Page 64

"Thank you, I don't want a child from


you." He began to push her out until he
pushed her out of his gate.

"Patrick! Patrick!" He shouted. The boy


was his gateman who only worked on
weekdays and returned to his family on
weekends.

"Sir!" He appeared adjusting his


trousers.

"Did you open the gate for my wife?"


He asked.
Page 65

"Yes sir, I did sir."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No sir, she just rushed out sir."

"Oh my God. Open the gate for me,


please. And this one, throw her out!"

He rushed back into the house, picked


his own key and rushed out of the
house.

"What is going on here?" The boy


wondered. Unfortunately, there was
Page 66

nobody to ask.

"Sewa, how far, do you know where my


wife is?" He asked as he drove without
a destination in mind.

"The gulf house." She told him.

"Oh!" He sighed, closing his eyes in


relief. "Thank you Sewa, thank you."

"Is everything okay, Rotimi? She wasn't


sounding good at all."
Page 67

"Kendra was in the house. She claimed


she came to give us, apparently, me, a
child."

"What?! Gbenga!"

"We can't be sure of anything now


Sewa. Gbenga wouldn't be that
heartless."

"There you go again trying to defend


him. Who else knew about Kendra?
Those were days you lived without
Christ and Ken, your friend, Gbenga
Page 68

and myself were the only people that


knew her back then. Ken lives in
Norway, Norway Rotimi, who else
would have seen her here in Abeokuta
and given her your number and house
address and even told her that you are
married without a child?"

"I know, I know all fingers are pointing


at Gbenga right now, but I want to give
him the benefit of doubt. Right now, I
just want my peace back, my woman."

"You will get her there, at the gulf


house. She said she just needed to be
Page 69

alone."

"Okay, Sewa, thank you."

"Love you big brother."

"Love you right back sis." He told her


and dropped the call. "Oh God, please,
make her forgive me, please." He
prayed quietly as he drove to his father's
gulf house where any of his children
could go at any time.
Page 70

"My love," Rotimi called very quietly


once he sighted her at the gulf house.
He knew her favourite spot was the lake
at the far end of the main field. She
didn't like the game, but the serenity
that came with the water always
attracted her.

She didn't turn. She just remained


where she stood, her hands folded
beneath her breasts. Rotimi walked up
to her, closing the long distance
between the two of them. He held her
from behind, resting his chin on her
Page 71

shoulder.

"Kendra is my ex. She was my ex


before we met and got married and I
don't even know how she got my
contact." He tried explaining, but his
wife remained quiet. Rotimi walked
away from behind her and put himself
right in front of her.

"Rotimi, you should have told me about


her before now."

"I know and I am sorry, very sorry. That


was my mistake and I swear, it will
Page 72

never repeat itself. Baby." He called,


pulling her gently into his arms. He was
relieved she didn't struggle to leave his
arms. It was a good signal.

"Sorry I ran off like that, I just thought


you both would need space to talk." She
apologised.

"No, no, you did nothing wrong,


nothing. I would just like to say, next
time, give me the benefit of doubt and
fight for me, for us."

"I couldn't fight her dirty for any


Page 73

reason." She told her husband.

"Believing me in front of her would


have been a good fight." He told her
and she sighed.

"I am sorry." She apologised.

"And I am sorry too, my love." He


finally told her and drew her into his
arms in a warm embrace.
Page 74

Rotimi and his wife talked and laughed


together as they drove home in his own
car. They were both happy, having each
other was peaceful and blissful. He
lifted his wife's hand to his face and
kissed her hand.

"I love you babe." He told her for the


umpteenth time since he the ride began

"And I love you too, my love." She


responded and then, there came the
nightmare that turned their lives around
completely. From nowhere a loud honk
blared at them, Rotimi tried to twirl his
Page 75

hand away from the direction the noise


was coming from, unfortunately, the
next turn landed them in a large ditch
and there was an accident. It was an
emergency, no doubt.

Sewa kept giving Gbenga and his wife


an angry look from where she sat in the
hospital. Dare held her tight in his arms
to avoid all hell from letting loose. It
had been six hours since the accident
Page 76

and all they had heard was "calm down,


calm down." It annoyed Sewa and the
arrival of the two family serpents
irritated her the most.

"Are you here to see if they are dead?


Well news flash, they are not!" She told
Gbenga to his face."

"Will you just stop being stupid,


Sewa?" Gbenga told her in a thick
voice.

"Oh, you think we don't know that you


gave Kendra their address? You think
Page 77

we are daft? We know what you did,


and you know what? Thank you very
much. We are very grateful, now go!"
She yelled in his face.

"Eh, all these girls sef, they will not stay


in one place." It was Ibironke. Her
voice alone made Sewa want to puke.
The woman gave her a sarcastic look
and then laughed out loud. "And here
you are blaming us like we caused the
whole matter." She added.

"Eh! Who is this one? See this snake. I


am sure you must have encouraged your
Page 78

husband to do what he did, but it is okay.


Come in your thousands, and God's
standard will be raised against you over
and over again." Sewa told them.

"Sewa, otito now. That's enough!" Her


husband told her, almost sounding
angry. "My in-laws, I am sorry." He
apologised on her behalf.

"We understand," Ronke answered


again and everywhere was quiet. In a
few minutes, the two of them
announced they wanted to be on their
way. Only Dare bade them goodbye and
Page 79

even saw them off. Sewa maintained


her silence as she watched them leave.

"My in-law we are leaving o," Ronke


announced standing in front of her.

"Bye," Sewa parched harshly and then


maintained silence.

Dare was soon back and the doctor was


out explaining to them that Tosin lost
her baby but she was in a more stable
condition than her husband.

"Doctor, she was pregnant?" Sewa


Page 80

asked the man, looking up to his large


figure.

"Yes, she was but now it is gone. And


ermm … " the doctor pursed a bit
looking at both husband and wife from
the corners of his eyes.

"Dare, what is it doctor? You can trust


us to handle it well." Dare told the
doctor.

"Ermm, I am really sorry about this, but


umm, to save your sister in-law's life,
we urgently have to perform a
Page 81

hysterectomy, and someone close to her


needs to sign because it is a major
surgery." He told them.

"Emm, what does that mean again?"


She asked and looked at her husband.
The man bowed his head and looked
away from her quickly. He knew what
the doctor meant, but he wasn't going to
answer for him.

"It is the total removal of the uterus


from a woman's body."

"Eh! Jesus! Jesus!" She began to cry out


Page 82

loud. She thought she had heard the


worse until the doctor started explaining
her brother's condition. He said so
many things she didn't understand, but
if there was one thing she understood, it
was the part where the doctor told them
that her brother may never walk again
once he gets out of coma.

Sewa could not believe her ears. How


was she supposed to announce this to
anybody? How? She just passed out
into her husband's hands in shock.
Page 83

Tosin wished she could be alone, she


wanted to commit suicide. She
wondered why she even left the house
in the first place. Why didn't she just
stay and fight for them like he said?
Sewa was there taking care of her, she
wanted to rush off and take care of her
brother, but today, Tosin declined. She
was strong enough, although not
discharged yet. She wanted to take care
of her husband herself. She had a
bandage wrapped around her head and
left feet and her left hand was
completely covered with a plaster of
Page 84

Paris, but she was fine. She had lost her


child and the thought of that alone was
killing, then knowing that her husband
may never walk again was another hard
truth but the hardest truth was when the
doctor told her that, bearing children for
them was also going to be an
impossible feat. Tosin could not believe
her ears. Why was God so cruel? Why
had he forgotten to bless them but
remembered to punish them at the
slightest opportunity?

Tosin limped slowly round her


husband's bed. She couldn't believe her
Page 85

eyes, it was the first time she was seeing


her husband after one month of staying
confined to a bed. Her arm was still
held in a POP, but she was sure she
could use her right hand for many
things. The man had an oxygen pipe
passed through his nose, his mouth was
slightly open, his head was held in a
bandage, his legs to his hips were well
wrapped up in the POP, so were his
hands. He was well tucked into the bed
as he stayed still on the bed. Tosin could
hear him breathing in and out. It
sounded to her like he was doing hard
work to keep breathing. The machine
Page 86

next to him kept beeping.

She just broke down in tears and cried


sour. She wept like she had never done
before.

"Rotimi, Rotimi, we lost our baby after


six years of asking God, they say we
can't have another and they say you may
never be able to walk again." She
explained like he could hear her.
"Rotimi, I don't know what we have
done, but I am sure I can't beg him
alone. Please wake up, wake up, let's
beg God together." She cried out loud.
Page 87

In all her full length speech, she was


careful not to mention something more
vital she had just lost in the accident.
She thought telling him was going to be
the end of him. She just sat next to him
sobbing and explaining more, like she
needed to. There was no way she was
going to add that her womb had been
removed and that Sewa had signed the
papers to keep her alive.

Tosin kept talking, but no response


came from the man. It was obvious all
his energy was concentrated on
breathing well, even while he slept in
Page 88

coma, he fought hard to remain alive.


She just sat there and cried like a baby.
Once Sewa showed up, she broke down
into the woman's good arm and they
both cried.

"Mum and dad called. They are praying


for you both." She told her. "They
couldn't take the news, dad went into
shock but he would be fine, I am sure."
She told her and helped with dry
bathing her husband.
Page 89

Rotimi's healing process was tiringly


slow. At one point, the doctor had asked
to remove his oxygen machine and let
him die since he wasn't responding to
treatment for about two weeks. Tosin
refused. She wouldn't let them kill her
husband in front of her. Even her
mother had suggested it when she
visited.

"My dear, you are still young o, let them


remove this oxygen. So that you can
remarry." The woman told her.
Page 90

"And start from where? With who?"


She asked her mother in a teary whisper.
"Ejo mummy, if you don't have any
encouraging words to dish out to me
now, just go." She finally told her
mother and successfully, those words
sent her mother away. Although she
was offended, Tosin thought it was
better than letting her husband hear all
her negative words to them. She
wondered at how believers easily lose
their faith once trouble showed up. It
had just been three months and they
were already clamouring for a
remarriage.
Page 91

Finally, three months later, Rotimi woke


up from a coma. Sewa and Tosin held
each other and cried. The man
recognised them, but then, when the
news of his dead baby, and none
functioning system reached him, he
sank into depression. His health
deteriorated quickly, he got worse. His
immune system refused to work and it
looked like he was going to die. Tosin
and Sewa began to pray, they prayed
and played messages around his room.
Page 92

On this faithful, while no one was there


in the room, Rotimi gathered strength,
with his working arms, he dragged the
wheel chair next to himself until it
settled right beside the bed. He knew it
was dangerous and he could slip off, but
his adrenalines were charged. The
message about faith in God exasperated
him and every sound from the preacher
on the radio recorder or whatever it was,
made him want to puke. He had to shut
it up at all costs. With one hand, he
rested his stamina against the wall while
slowly lifting his legs with the other.
His back was fully turned to the waiting
Page 93

seat. He adjusted gradually and steadily


until his butt rested at the brink of the
bed. His hands grabbed the handles of
the chair and then closing his eyes in
fear of what might happen, Rotimi
dragged himself slowly and fell into the
uncomfortable mobile prison. As far as
he was concerned, that was what it was.
He sighed in relief and went for the
device. It was a damn Bluetooth speaker.
He was going to make it stop normally
but it was too stubborn, the man ran out
of patience and flung it to the wall, it
came crashing into countless pieces.
Tosin rushed in from where she was
Page 94

sitting outside the ward.

"What did you just do?" Tosin


questioned running into the ward.

"I don't want to hear anything about


God, I don't want to see you around any
more, just go. What else are you
waiting here for? What? I can't even
make you happy, I can't make you a
mother, I am going to be a liability to
you." He told her harshly.

Tosin's heart hit the rock. She couldn't


believe her ears, but she summoned up
Page 95

courage all the same and spoke.

"Then let me worry about all that


Rotimi. You are not a liability"

"Oh please, there would be no need to


patronize me and make me feel better. I
am damaged already. I mean what is the
usefulness of a man who cannot walk,
make love to his wife, sleep and wake
up with and in peace."

"Where is your faith in God Rotimi?"


She told him, her shoulder dropping in
tiredness.
Page 96

"I lost it in the car accident." He told


her and hoisted himself back to the bed.
Climbing back was way easier. His
hands worked more and then in a
minute he was back up lying on his
back. At least his wounds were healing
and that was a great relief except that
more damage had been done
emotionally to the man than usual.
Tosin knew better than to say more. She
just watched him and helped him adjust
the overly rumpled sheet.
Page 97

Finally, Rotimi was discharged. His


family was home waiting for him, Sewa
and Dare brought him home from the
hospital. The man was apparently angry,
he said nothing to no one, prevented
everyone from coming close and then at
the sight of Gbenga and his wife, the
man said his first words.

"Did you give Kendra my contact?" He


asked in front of his mother. It was
obvious he did not care if they knew
about her or not, it was nobody's
business but his as far as he was
concerned.
Page 98

"No, no, no," I didn't. Gbenga answered


too quickly. Fear gripped the man, his
younger brother had never looked so
mean and although he sat on a
wheelchair, the fear of his eyes was
wisdom.

"Good, good. It must not be you. Now


if you all may excuse me, I want to
sleep." He told them, sounding very
cold. Without asking for help, Rotimi
wheeled himself into one of the rooms
in the house and struggled out of his
chair to his comfortable bed. A knock
Page 99

came on the door, but he didn't respond,


his wife entered all the same, limping.

"Emm, I was thinking you would love


to shower, eat, take your medications
and then sleep." She told him.

"Get all those people out of my house


first!" He ordered her.

"Rotimi, I can't send them out, they are


your family."

"I don't care, just get them out of my


house!" He thundered at her and they
Page 100

heard. His mother rushed into the room


in fear.

"Rotimi, what is it?"

"Since you can't say it, I will help you


say it. I want you all to get out of my
house! Now!"

"Rotimi!" Tosin shouted in objection.


She knew how he revered his parents,
watching him talk to his mother the way
he now did was heartbreaking. "That is
your mother."
Page 101

He didn't respond, he just closed his


eyes and feigned sleep.

"I am very sorry ma," Tosin pleaded


with the woman.

"Tosin, it's okay. Rotimi, your father


and I love you. We love you so much
and we know that what is happening to
you is not palatable, but listen son, God
is never too late. Never. We will leave
now." She told him.

"Thank you." He opened his eyes and


responded without an iota of care in his
Page 102

voice.

"Rotimi, please, let us not make things


worse for ourselves, God is still God."

"Thank you." He told her too and


watched her exit.

Tosin ran her chores, and retired quickly


to bed. She brought in her pillow to
sleep next to her husband. Once her
body hit the bed, it woke him up. The
man slowly rolled to her side of the bed
until there was no space for her to sleep
Page 103

again.

"What is it, Rotimi? I thought we have


now changed the location of our room."

"I changed the location of my room


because I don't have legs. You have legs
so climb up the staircase and sleep in
your bed upstairs."

"Rotimi, what is wrong with you? Why


are you doing this?"

"You can't stay here in bed with me


reminding me of my impotency and
Page 104

inability to feel my wife's body over


mine."

"But the doctor said it may be


temporal."

"Maybe, maybe, they are not sure of


anything just as God isn't."

"Don't say that about God!"

"And why shouldn't I?" He asked, tears


gathering in his unremorseful eyes.
"Didn't he see when we met? Didn't he
see when we began to pray about each
Page 105

other? If he wasn't sure about us


together then tell me, tell me, why is he
running an hypothesis with our lives
together?"

"He is not running an hypothesis. That


things are bad does not mean God is not
God."

"No, it does not mean God is not God, it


just means that God is asleep!"

"Rotimi!" She yelped out helplessly, her


own tears gathering too.
Page 106

"Don't Rotimi me, just get out of my


room. And remember to close the door
after yourself."

Tosin stood there and watched her


husband sadly.

"I said go!" He roared at her again.

She walked out of the room to the living


room. She couldn't take it anymore, she
broke down and cried, but tried not to
make a sound. She couldn't believe this
was the same man she married, she
remembered how they started, as
Page 107

believers. They prayed, they were sure,


they got convictions, she had peace
about the man she married, how could
God be so cruel to forget his promises.
Here she was, seven years without a
child, and then the best he could do was
dash her only hope of having one. He
took her husband's potency and made
her wombless. Why does God treat his
children like that? What kind of father
was he really? So many thoughts went
through Tosin's mind at once, but then
she knew she couldn't be as crazy as her
husband, someone's faith had to hold
them up and it was obviously going to
Page 108

be hers.

"Good morning dear, I hope you slept


well?" Tosin greeted her husband
cheerfully, hiding her swollen face. She
had cried herself to sleep the previous
night and resumed once she woke up
in prayer of mercy for herself and her
husband.

"You know you can go back to your


parents house if you want. There is
Page 109

nothing here for you anymore, you


know." He told her in a cold tone.

"Excuse me, what did you just say to


me?" She asked, finally letting him see
her face. She adjusted a fallen strand of
hair off her face.

"I said go home, Tosin, just go, leave


me alone." He told her and wheeled
himself back into his room.

Tosin knew it was the time to endure, it


was time to do what she preached. She
sighed and proceeded to the kitchen to
Page 110

cook breakfast. Once the food was


ready, she served him inside his room.

"Eat up, the physiotherapist will soon


be here to check you."

"What?! How dare you Tosin?!" He


shouted at her. It was obvious she was
trying to suppress her anger this time.

"What is it this time around, Rotimi?"


She asked.

"I said I don't want anybody in my


house!" He shouted again.
Page 111

"Okay," she replied and continued to


arrange the tray of food in front of him.

"Take this shit out of my face!" He


cursed and pushed the food away so that
it poured out of the plate to the floor.
The floor was messed up, Tosin was
angry. She couldn't take it anymore, she
had hit the peak of it all.

"Fine, you know what? I will leave,


take care of the house, cook your food
and look after yourself, but remember,
you are not the only person who is
Page 112

overwhelmed and adjusting here, I am


too! And thank you for making all of
this difficult." She told him and walked
out of his room.

"Sewa, I am sorry, but I am done here,


if you can, come and take care of him.
For now, I need to leave this place." It
was Tosin, she had called Sewa to tell
her the situation. She was tired. She
could not believe how they had gone
from marital bliss to marital nonsense.
From the shock of Kendra, to the
accident, to losing her baby, her womb,
Page 113

and now, she was losing her husband,


her only hope of having another child.

"Yes, who is there?" Rotimi kept asking


as he wheeled himself to the door. It
wasn't locked but he was sure he heard
a car enter into the compound. The door
squeaked and there was his younger
sister coming into his house.

"Ehn, what are you doing here?!" He


angrily inquired.
Page 114

"Ehn ehn oo, don't even try that with me.


I am not your wife o, I am another
man's wife, here to help a married man
who has chosen not to see his wife's
effort."

"Will you shut up or get out of my


house?"

"Look, if not for your wife that called


me, I will just gladly go." She told him
and dropped her bag in anger.

"Whatever." He told her and attempted


Page 115

to wheel himself back into the room.

"I hope you know you owe that woman


an apology."

"I owe nobody an apology, rather God


owes me an apology."

"For?"

"For lying to me. Was this what he


promised me? Is this how I am
supposed to be? Impotent, invalid and
useless."
Page 116

"Haba egbon, Haba now. These things


are for a while. If you would just allow
your physiotherapist come in and
begin_"

"Stop it! Stop! Nobody is coming into


my house."

"Rotimi, do you even realize that your


wife also suffered. That woman wanted
a child so badly, waited so many years,
God finally answered her prayers and
then boom! Your ex shows up, she runs
off to allow you both resolve your
issues and then on her way back, there
Page 117

was an accident, she lost her baby


Rotimi. Her baby died. And then not
wanting to lose you, from the time she
gained consciousness, she stood by you.
Six months in the hospital, six whole
months and she stayed. Just for you to
wake up and rubbish every single effort
she has put into making you better."

"Sewa," he called her in a warning tone.

"Did you even remember to say thank


you to her? Oh, no, no, hold on," she
dramatically waddled to another part of
the gigantic living room.
Page 118

"You are learning to adjust to your new


life. Look at me Rotimi, she is also
adjusting to this new life, this new life
of seeing her husband in a wheelchair,
she badly wanted and waited six whole
years for, she is adjusting to seeing her
once loving husband treat her with so
much hate and disrespect. We are all
adjusting Rotimi and I hope you see it.
Especially your wife!" She finally
landed, tears flowing down her own
cheek.

Her brother said nothing, he wheeled


Page 119

himself back to the room and faced his


window. So many thoughts flying
through his mind. Flashbacks of how
they both started, came back strongly.

Rotimi broke down in tears and wept.


He went close to the wall and stared at
his wedding picture. He was angry.
How could God be so mean to them?
What did they do? How did they come
from being the perfect couple to facing
a perfect crumble?

"I know you can hear me even though


Page 120

you've been quiet about this...this...this


whole mess… we looked for that child
for six years, six whole years and then
came the baby, what happens? You, you
God, you open your eyes wide and
watch us lose everything, everything,
and worse still, you made me lose my
potency. What kind of God are you?"

"The kind of God that shows up and is


never late." Sewa told him standing at
the door.

"Not now Sewa, I just want to be


alone."
Page 121

"And do what Rotimi? Brood and ask


God questions you should not?"

"Well, he should have answered them


earlier when it made more sense."

"This might make no sense to you now


Rotimi, but do you remember what the
bible tells us in Proverbs 24: 10?" She
asked him, leaving the door and
walking into his room. "If you fail in
the day of adversity, then your strength
is small."
Page 122

"I don't care, Sewa. Look at me? Just


look at me? Do you know what it feels
like to be here and...an...and feeling
useless? Six whole years, I couldn't
make my wife a mother and just when a
baby arrived, he, God, deemed it fit to
take the baby and my only hope of
making another one.

"Be still and know that he is God,


Rotimi. I may not know how it feels to
be stuck in that seat and brood over a
dead baby and a dead body, but I tell
you, God feels you, always."
Page 123

"Then let him take this pain away! It


hurts Sewa, it hurts. I feel so small,
inadequate, useless! I have never
needed help so much in my life yet I
can't even take it because it makes me
feel so ashamed." He broke down in
tears and wept like Sewa had never seen
before. She was also crying hard by this
time.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of


Rotimi, Nothing, I am your blood, your
wife is deeper than that to you and only
us can hold your hands through this,
allow us." She told him and held his
Page 124

hand.

"If you can, tell Tosin that I love her, but


I am not just ready to face her yet." He
told his sister in a stern voice and
wheeled himself away from her to his
window side again.

Sewa wanted badly to stay away yet,


she knew she needed to stay and help
her brother. They could afford a maid,
but she couldn't trust him alone with
anybody. His state was traumatic and it
was apparent how hard the tragedy had
Page 125

hit him. He had grown thinner, and his


beard had grown thicker, he was most
times lost in thoughts and sometimes,
he just cried all night. At those times,
Sewa wished there was something she
could do to help, but there was nothing.
She couldn't even put him to sleep to
prevent him from violently refusing her
help.

She had spent three weeks in the house


and her children had come over
countless times. Rotimi would watch
them play from his window, shouting
Page 126

happily and taunting each other.


Sometimes, he tried to laugh, but he just
couldn't. He had lost interest in
everything. Tosin was away, it was
obvious she also had a lot to settle. He
missed her but felt too much like a
failure and couldn't face his wife again.
This was nothing close to the life he had
promised her, nothing.

"Yes, hello," Sewa picked her phone. It


was a strange number calling and she
Page 127

had hoped it wasn't the network


providers as they now called with
reasonable numbers these days, but she
was sure it wasn't them when a sob
came up. It was Tosin, her brother's
heartbeat on the line.

"Sewa," she called slowly.

"Tosin," tears swelled up in eyes as she


spoke. "Where are you?" She
whispered.

"Hale and hearty." She responded on


the phone trying to fight back tears that
Page 128

were already dropping.

"How is he?" She asked.

"Worse without you."

"Oh, please," she pleaded like it was the


reason she was crying.

"Trust me, he is miserable. Tosin, where


are you? He needs you and you need
him too. You both need each other to
survive."

"I am at Kofo's place. I couldn't go


Page 129

home, mum and dad would have


bombarded me with questions."

"Then come back home Tosin."

"I can't Sewa, home is no longer home,


it feels like just a building without our
normal lives."

"I don't know what that feels like, but


you must know that you are not
returning to do this by your power nor
by your might, but by the spirit of the
living God."
Page 130

"Sewa, it is not so easy," she cried. The


sound stopped in her throat and it
almost made a squeal. "I feel like I have
failed him. I couldn't give him kids for
six years and now, he would never have
one. Look at him, was that the man I
married? No. I know that I have failed
and nothing can be done to amend this
mess."

"This is what the devil wants you both


to see, but think about it, somehow, you
both are still alive, you have survived
all the way and trust me, it is not just a
normal thing, God is involved."
Page 131

"I believe, but for now, he doesn't need


me."

"Tosin, can I call you on video?" She


asked.

"I don't want him to see my face."

"No, no, he won't but I want you to see


him."

"This is not necessary Sewa,"

"I beg you in the name of the God you


Page 132

serve, don't do this."

"No, I will Tosin, because it is so tiring


to see two people who are madly in love
deny their feelings for each other." She
told her and put a video call through.
Once Tosin picked and her pretty sullen
face was on the screen. Sewa walked
fearlessly into her brother's room and
stood right over him where he laid on
the bed. It was all he spent time doing.
If he wasn't looking forlorn outside his
window, he was either eating,
swallowing some necessary pills or
sleeping. Everywhere was quiet,
Page 133

extremely quiet. Tosin saw his face and


cried. She looked away, closed her eyes
and wept. The man was asleep, but even
in his sleep, he looked tired.

"We need this time away from each


other, Sewa." She managed to tell her.

"No, you don't need time away from


each other, you need each other now
more than ever. You need all the
strength you can get from your partner
now."

"Not when none of us have no strength


Page 134

to give."

"That is not true Tomi," she told her and


turned the phone to her face. "You are
the strongest woman I have seen after
my mother. I don't know how you cope,
but I am not sure I can cope with all
you've coped with. And you know you
love your husband so much that you
don't want to be away."

"Sometimes, love needs space to grow."

"No, not this one. How do I convince


you now?"
Page 135

"Sewa, I love my husband, but we are


both hurting. Staying away for me,
might be the wrong decision to make
right now."

"Coming back home will be the best


decision you will ever make, Tosin."
Sewa told her and sighed.

"How are you?" She finally asked her


brother's wife."

"Not good, but I am trying."


Page 136

"All is well. Please, your home is still


intact and your door is still open, you
are still married, Tomisin, married to
Rotimi and if not you, nobody else can
do this with him."

Tosin did not say anything, she just


nodded back before they said their final
greetings to each other. Sewa was
extremely happy, she couldn't wait for
her brother to wake up so she could tell
him all about her phone call with Tosin.
Once she served him dinner, she
thought it was a good time to throw in a
discussion. At least he would stay quiet
Page 137

while she spoke. The man hated to talk


and eat at the same time.

"Tosin called and we really talked. It


was deep." She told him.

"Okay." He responded coldly and


swallowed another full spoon of the
coconut rice in front of him.

"I asked her to come back home. You


two really need to get back together. Get
issues sorted and…"

"I have no issues with my wife!" He


Page 138

told his sister trying to suppress his


anger.

"But she isn't here and you aren't happy


about her absence."

"She chose to leave, I didn't send her


out."

"Well, you told her to leave if she


wanted to. Subjecting her to such
mental stress meant that she needed to
be away and rest, besides her things are
still intact here and she hasn't even
picked a pin out of your house." Sewa
Page 139

tried to explain.

"Well congratulations to her and you! I


hope you both enjoy the trophy you just
won." He lashed again.

"What is wrong with you Rotimi? What?


Your wife did not put you in that seat
you know."

"Yes! Yes! Remind me that nobody is


responsible for my failure." He yelled,
dumping his fork on his plate. "Remind
me that I put myself here after being
unable to get my wife pregnant all the
Page 140

time I had the opportunity to, remind


me that I need help to move about all
my life and do things that I could
ordinarily do all by myself, remind me
that I am the pathetic married man who
can no longer satisfy his wife in bed and
make her feel like a woman…!" He kept
yelling.

"And so what?! And so what Rotimi?


Your case is not the worst on earth and
even if it is, Jesus can fix it, Jesus can
fix you. You are not too damaged to be
fixed. Everything you think you had,
have and will have was just by grace
Page 141

and if he deems it fit to now take it from


you, then so be it! Why can't you be
grateful for this miracle he is about to
perform? Why?" Sewa yelled at her
brother angrily in tears and regretted it
once she landed. She held onto the
dining table and panted as she watched
her brother wheel himself back to his
room. She rushed to help him but he
objected. She let him be and began to
cry. What had she just done? Another
part of her told her. She had just told
him the truth, but he didn't need to hear
it like that. Another part of her said to
her.
Page 142

She felt bad and hurt. She didn't know


what to do, so she just called her
husband and cried. In less than an hour,
Dare was in the house. He got worked
up and rushed down to check on his
wife. He found her curled up on the
chair in the living room. He just bent
over, picked her up and took her to the
room where she stayed in the house.
Once her back touched the bed, she
opened her eyes and held on to her
husband as she cried like a baby.

"Sweetheart, what is it?" He asked her


Page 143

in the calmest voice she had heard in a


long while.

"I am sorry, I couldn't control it. I said


too much to him and got him angry. He
would not even let me touch him." She
explained and cried.

"What did you say to him?" Dare asked,


wondering at his wife.

"I told him that his case is not the worst


on earth, I told him harshly that God
can fix him, he got angry babe, he was
so angry."
Page 144

Dare sighed and held on to his wife. He


wasn't going to tell her she had done
right or wrong, he was just going to be
there for her.

"It's okay my love, it is okay, he is


going to be fine. He will get through
this … " as he spoke, a loud noise
interrupted him. It was Rotimi, he just
shouted out in pain.

Sewa took the lead, she ran off to his


room and opened the door wide, so that
her husband did not need to open the
Page 145

door before rushing in.

"Rotimi! Rotimi!" Sewa stubbled on the


bottle of shaving powder and fell.

"Call doctor Doyin! Call doctor Doyin."


Sewa chided her husband like it was his
fault. The man brought out his phone
with speed and searched for the
woman's number.

"He...hell...hello, hello," he kept


repeating. His wife shouted again and
this time, the man spoke, he told the
doctor there was trouble and they were
Page 146

coming over to the hospital. She told


him she wasn't on duty but her
colleague, doctor Ray, would be
available.

Soon, they were in the hospital, waiting


on the doctors to flush his system and
declare him fine. It wasn't long before
his wife arrived with her younger sister,
Kofo. She was younger, but beautiful.
She was in her early twenties and was
about to be married too, but what she
saw her sister go through even after all
her prayers and preparation had begun
to scare her.
Page 147

"How is he? What happened?" Tosin


asked. Her baby face raised to Dare
inquisitively like he was the doctor.

"He tried to kill himself, Tosin. Rotimi


tried to kill himself." Dare told her
gently rubbing his wife's shoulder to
comfort her.

"Jesus, Jesus," Tosin kept mumbling to


herself and pacing up and down.

"Sister mi, ewa joko, come and sit


down." Her sister told her, following her
Page 148

behind.

"Just let me pace Kofo, I will be fine."

"You know your condition too, come


and sit down." She insisted.

"Tosin, what is she talking about? What


condition is she talking about?"

Tosin gave her sister the worst look, her


tears dripping, her mouth lacking words
to say. Her sister looked away quickly
in fear. She was sorry, it was a slip of
tongue, but Sewa wasn't going to let it
Page 149

slide.

"I am fine, there is nothing wrong."

"You will not lie to me, none of you


will make me feel helpless anymore.
What is happening?" Sewa yelled at her
and the patients and nurses turned
around, some tilted to know what was
happening. Sewa noticed their
inquisitiveness and stayed quiet until
they all turned back.

"After the accident and the


hysterectomy, I have been having this
Page 150

severe stomach ache and sometimes


bleeding. The doctors think the
hysterectomy process wasn't done right
and umm, they want to open me up
again.

"What?" Tosin whispered, looking at


her without blinking

"Calm down, baby, calm down." Her


husband soothed her gently.

"Wait, have you even told your husband


about it?" Sewa asked her. "No," she
responded in a low whisper.
Page 151

"And now they are talking about


reopening?" Sewa asked, still shocked.

She couldn't believe her ears. What did


they ever do to deserve this kind of pain
and ill treatment? She thought, but kept
mute and let her pain make her body
vibrate. Dare held her down, kissed her
hair and held down again. He knew she
could have an outburst right there and
then.

"Was that why you left?" Sewa


managed to ask.
Page 152

Tosin could not talk, she just nodded


back to the woman.

"Sister mi," Kofo touched her crying


sister.

"Don't touch me! Don't! I should never


have brought you here in the first
place!" She yelled at her sister and
walked out angrily.

At this point, Dare was shocked to his


bone, how could two people who love
God and keep his commandment suffer
Page 153

so much? Yes, they weren't poor, but


where was the peace God promised
them? He just sat there in wonder,
allowing his saliva to help him swallow
his own pain and shove it down his
throat. His wife needed him more at that
point. He was glad his children were
safe with his younger sister at home.

Tosin knew coming back to the hospital


was a must, she needed to see her
husband, the man she loved, but she
could not bring herself to tell him the
Page 154

truth about her womb. She entered and


asked questions until she finally found
his room. He was put in a private ward
that was very comfortable. Everything
was neatly arranged and there was a TV
on the wall. It didn't make sense to
Tosin that they would be a working TV
in a sick man's room, she ignored it and
kept staring at the man on the bed.

"Jesus, you are the son of the living


God and I know that in your
name, about this man. I got a definite
yes, oh I was so sure you said yes." She
said amidst tears and smiled.
Page 155

"The same you put your word in the


mouth of three witnesses and gave me
peace. Why then are we dying loving
each other? Why aren't we happy with
children around our table? Did I do
something wrong? Did my husband do
something wrong? Please, just, let us
know, please." She cried and then rested
her head on her husband's stomach. She
stayed there and wept until she heard
him groan. Tosin could not stop the joy
that came from inside her. She rushed
out to the doctor and returned with him
and a nurse. She was soon asked to
Page 156

excuse them as they checked the man.


Once they were done, she was back
inside sitting beside him.

"Tosin," he called her name slowly.

"Shhh...you don't have to say anything.


She told him, placing her finger on his
mouth.

"I have to. I am sorry I have been very


insensitive and angry at you for nothing,
but you see, after I emptied that bottle
of shaving powder in my mouth, I
thought of you, Tosin. I thought of the
Page 157

pain you would go through hearing of


my death and at that point, I didn't want
to die anymore. If I don't have anything
to live for, Tosin, I will live for you."

"And we will live for God together, my


husband." She told him, squeezing his
hands softly in hers.

"Yeah, God," he told her with a tone of


non-challancy. "I don't know about him,
but I love you, that is one thing I am
sure of." He told her.

Tosin did not want them quarreling so


Page 158

she just rested her head on his chest and


sang the song that had become her
solace since their lives stopped being
alright and took a left turn.

"Even if you slay me


Or seem to delay me,
I will never let go *2
Even if I'm lost, at any cost,
I will never let go *2"

Rotimi was not going to stop her, she


could love God all she wanted, but not
him. As far as he was concerned, he
Page 159

was done with God.

The house was warm, clean and comfy.


Sewa had made all the necessary
arrangements for the couple since Tosin
had announced they were coming back
home for their honeymoon. She didn't
understand until they arrived with
doctor Derek, a physiotherapist, that
was supposed to help Rotimi start his
therapy process. A process Tosin had to
Page 160

promise would only last thirty minutes


daily. Somehow, Derek was the
definition of amazing. He could make
anybody laugh and not be restrained
about their personality, he was a
believer Tomisin liked doctor Ray's
choice. The man had empathy, he was
always around and he ensured that the
nicest nurses came around too. He had
carefully picked Derek and asked him
to become the man's therapist.

"Welcome home, lovebirds." Sewa


greeted them and stretched two glasses
to their faces. Dare approached them
Page 161

with a bottle of wine and then popped it


open. Once he served them, they all
lifted their cups to cheer.

"To a long lasting life with God and in


Christ and we all say," they were all
meant to repeat it and they all did,
except Rotimi. He looked away and
waited till they were done saying what
they had to say. For the first time in a
long while, Rotimi dined with his
family. What was more shocking was
when he asked his wife to join him in
his room downstairs. They knew how
discomforting it could be to wheel her
Page 162

husband upstairs and bring him back


down, plus they were expecting doctor
Derek the next day and they just needed
to cancel the distance struggle. Happily,
Tosin agreed to join her husband only
yet, the thought of the last discussion
she had with her sister in-law troubled
her.

"When do you intend to tell him?" Sewa


started once they were alone in the
kitchen.

"I can't Sewa. Have you heard him talk


about God lately? Telling him this
Page 163

would just be adding to his feud with


God."

"Tosin, can a man fight God? No. You


see all these things he is doing ehn, he
will soon relax, you just must find a
way to tell him that you are going under
the knife and why."

Tosin did not know what to say or do so


she just stood there and resolved in her
heart not to tell him.
Page 164

She bade Sewa and her husband


goodnight and snuck back into the
bedroom next to Rotimi. She didn't
want to wake him up from his sleep.
She climbed into the bed gently and
covered herself up.

"Tosin," his thick baritone voice called,


his hand resting in her chest.

"My love," she answered without


turning.

"I know this isn't the life I promised you,


I know I have failed you as your
Page 165

husband … " he sniffed and tried to


continue but his wife stopped him. She
didn't want him to say one more thing.

"Every life is in the hands of God and


only he can determine how any man
will live. Yes, you promised me a good
life but it is in God's disposition to give
it. I loved you when you had everything
to give and I still love you even now
that you think you have nothing to give.
You are enough for me my love, more
than enough." She told him and laid her
head gently on her husband's chest. The
man was still crying, he stroked her hair
Page 166

gently as she wiped his face dry.

Three months later, Rotimi was


beginning to lose interest in the therapy.
It wasn't working as far as he was
concerned but his wife insisted that he
continued. He listened to her and
endured the dummy process. Then they
got the most unexpected guest in their
house that morning and Tosin knew for
the first time in a long while, she was
mad at Gbenga and Ibironke.
Kendra walked right through the
Page 167

opened gate and made her way to where


Derek and Rotimi were in the garden,
just at the same time, Tosin walked in
holding a plate of fruit. She recognised
the woman and was not going to take it
easy with her this time.

"Yes, what do you want?" Tosin asked,


her tone depicting anger.

"You heard my wife, what do you


want?" Rotimi's voice followed.

Kendra burst into tears and knelt down


in front of them, Ray adjusted so that he
Page 168

now stood behind the couple. He


obviously did not know what was going
on and so he thought they should
handle their problems.

"Rotimi, Tosin, I am really sorry. I am.


You see ehn, when I saw Gbenga and
his wife in an eatery twelve months ago,
they told me to come by the house that
you two needed a child. They gave me
your address and even Rotimi's phone
number. That was why I came, but since
I heard what happened that night
because of me, my conscience has not
been letting me rest, I have been seeing
Page 169

you in my dreams," she pointed at Tosin.


"Ha! In the form of a warrior." She
continued. "It has persisted till now and
I really need my peace back, please, I
am sorry."

"Kendra, get up and get out of my


house!" Rotimi yelled to her face
without pity. And then he attempted to
wheel himself out of her face but for
Tosin, her hand rested on his shoulder
and her eyes questioned him. They were
believers, Christ wouldn't send her
away without forgiving her. Rotimi
knew he was done with Christ,
Page 170

Christianity and all of that philosophy,


but he loved his wife so he stayed back.

"Kendra, we forgave you a long time


ago, we hold nothing against you. It is
okay, but we can't give you back your
peace, only God can. You must ask him
to forgive you and come to him. Then,
you will find peace." She told her.

"How do I do that? Tosin, how? Help


me." She wept.

Tosin raised her to her feet and wiped


her tears.
Page 171

"Accept him, tell him to forgive you,


tell him to wipe your sins and give you
a new life. Repeat whatever I say … "
Tosin said the prayer of forgiveness and
Kendra repeated and then she prayed
with her. The woman felt relieved. She
was even more relieved when Tosin
handed her a bible and read to her from
John 14:27 and explained to her how
God has given her peace, not the type
that comes from the world but the type
that comes from God himself, that
makes fear disappear." She was relieved
and then went on her own way.
Page 172

Tosin kept quiet about Kendra's matter


but it was obvious Ronke and her
husband were bent on frustrating them.
They sent them the most ridiculous gift
ever.

The morning was going well until there


was a knock on their gate, Tosin rushed
there to see who it was. She had sent
Patrick packing since there wasn't much
for him to do around the house any
more. And then right in front of her was
a man she had never seen before
holding two crutches that were well
Page 173

wrapped.

"Good morning aunty, how you dey?"


He greeted quickly, smiling sheepishly.

"Good morning." Tosin answered back.


"How may I help you?" She asked,
squinting from the morning sun that
was hitting her face.

"Dem say make I give you this gift, say


how far, oga don dey waka?" He asked,
still smiling sheepishly and stretching a
note to her face.
Page 174

Tosin scoffed and collected the note


from him. It had Ibironke and Gbenga
names boldly written on it.

"From our heart, we really wish your


entire family a quick recovery and
sanity from this madness that has held
you down for some time now, please
accept our token that came with this
heartfelt note.

Yours-in-lov
e
Page 175

Ibironke and
Gbenga."

It was the craziest thing anybody could


ever do to them at that point in their
lives and she knew how much her
husband was going to be upset seeing
the gift.

"Do you have a pen?" Tosin asked the


man in front of her turning the paper the
other way round

"Yes ma, I get o." He handed her a


black pen from his pocket. Tosin
Page 176

collected it and thanked him.

"May the Lord reward your labour of


love. We are grateful for the gift, but
you will need it more. If not now,
maybe later.

Your
s Sincerely,

Tosin
and Rotimi."

She wrote and then handed it back to


Page 177

him.

"My dear, you will do me a favour. How


much were you paid to deliver this?"
She asked the man standing in front of
her.

"Na 10k ma,"

"Oh, okay. I will give you 20k, you will


return this gift to the people that sent
you ehn and then this note, please help
me attach it to it too."

"Aunty, you wan give me 20k, on top


Page 178

this delivery? Abeg, na moon you wan


send me? I go go. Na on top sun? I go
climb…" he kept blabbing.

"Give me your account number, I will


send you 10k now, when you reach
there, call me and send me proof of
delivery, I will send the remaining 10k."

"Wawoo! Wawoo! Unbelievable! I


couldn't believe this!" He kept yelling
as he called his account number out.
Tomisin transferred half of the money
and took his phone number. The man
was soon on his way. She turned and
Page 179

walked back briskly like she wasn't


affected, she broke down in tears once
she entered the house. She couldn't
believe that Ibironke and her husband
would be this heartless.

"Oh God! Oh God, wipe away this


mockery and give us joy, replace our
insults with testimonies that will shut
men up. This is too much! I kept myself,
I kept my body, I kept even my soul
away from sin, unto you I have lifted
my eyes, from who else should my help
come from? Heal my marriage, heal my
body, heal my husband. Please, please, I
Page 180

am tired. I am tired!" She cried and


finally shouted.

She held her lips quickly thinking she


had woken her husband up. Apparently,
the man had been up since a while. He
wheeled himself out of the room into
the living room where his wife was, his
eyes red like he had been crying. She
hurried to him and rested her head on
his lap.

"He will not hear you, Tosin, forget


him." He told her.
Page 181

"Rotimi, he will, he always does."

"I don't want you to get hurt like me,


Tosin. Tosin, I prayed, I prayed every
night and day in the hospital once I
woke up, Dare prayed, Pastor West,
everybody, my mother, yet, yet, he left
us like this. Can't you see how terrible
he is?" He asked his wife. "A God that
is always quick to leave those he calls
children." Pastor West was their church
pastor, the man had been there for them
all the while as well.

"Rotimi, if he hasn't helped us yet, it is


Page 182

not because he has not heard us, he


must be waiting for the appropriate
time."

"Appropriate time?" Is it till we die and


have no breath or hope? Is it till we are
buried and we stand before his so-called
judgment throne? You just said Tosin,
you are tired and just like you, I am
tired." He told his wife and returned to
his room.

Tosin began to ask God for forgiveness,


she was sorry for saying she was tired,
Page 183

it had dampened her husband's spirit


and she didn't even know what else to
say to him. She just let him rest while
she made him dinner.

Rotimi was drowning, yet he couldn't


breathe, he thought it was the wrongest
time for his breath to cease he panicked,
but could not shout. The wave of the
water in front of him wasn't friendly
and death was unavoidably knocking.
Page 184

"Look at me Rotimi, this is not real, I


am." A loud voice spoke. It was louder
than the wave from the ocean, but
Rotimi still wasn't paying him attention,
he was bent on saving himself.
Something he apparently couldn't do.

"Whatever you are, whoever you are, I


don't want to hear you now, I just want
to live so just go!" Rotimi struggled and
spoke back.

"I am your breath Rotimi, I am your life,


come, hold my hand and I will quiet the
Page 185

storm."

"Were you not here when this storm


started, couldn't you have stopped it
then? Why did you choose me to be
here, right now, helpless, I am not
interested in this charade of love. Just
go!" He yelled, his head almost sinking
now.

"I choose you to prevent a disaster,


other sons would not survive this, not
up till now, but you, you are strong
enough, just take my hand and I will
make you stronger."
Page 186

"What about Tosin, you know how


fragile she is yet, you let her go through
this, this raging storm."

"Look, she survived." He saw the slim


figure of his wife walking on the water
and smiling happily.

"Why is she walking as if there is no


storm?"

"She was almost drowning too, until she


saw me and not the storm."
Page 187

"Then, let me see you, help thou my


unbelief." Rotimi said, but he sank into
the water before he could continue. A
hand reached him and pulled him up.
He shook miserably on the water.

"Help my unbelief, help my unbelief,


help…my...unbelief." He repeated more
slowly as he gradually stabilized on the
water.

"Do you now see me?" The voice asked


again.

"Yes, Lord, I do." He said and wept.


Page 188

The resounding slap that hit Rotimi's


face came from nowhere, he turned and
turned but saw nobody. He was sure he
wasn't sleeping, but he didn't know
what had just happened or what he had
just seen. The sweat that had drenched
his cloth made the dream feel so real.
Was he in an open vision or sort of.
Whatever it was called. His heart was
Page 189

beating faster than usual.

"You dey craze abi? You no hear say we


dey ask you questions since?" Rotimi
finally saw where the slap came from.
Three heavy men stood in front of him,
another one stood beside his bleeding
wife. Her face was wounded.

"Please don't hurt us, please." Rotimi


begged.

"Hurt una. No be you we dey here they


hala since say we don come, you just
dey, dey use us form die, so you fit talk?
Page 190

We beat beat your madam for your front,


you no still see us. You don mend." One
of the guys spoke.

"I am sorry, I didn't see you, I am sorry,


my health makes it like that
sometimes." He explained.

"Ehn ehn, okay. We need money, cool


cash wey go plenty. Your house big,
your cars fine, that is why we say make
we branch here see." They told him.

"There is money, there is money


upstairs. I have $2000 upstairs." He
Page 191

panicked and told them.

"The money small now, e too small.


How much be that one for Nigeria
currency, currently?" He asked, looking
at one of his boys.

"Hmmm, boss, close to 800k sha."

"Wawoo! E small sha, but no p, oya,


where e dey?" He yelled and pointed a
gun to Rotimi's nose. "Tell your wife
make she show us, now!"

"The thing is that, I can't specifically


Page 192

remember, if your boys can help me up,


then I will go and look for it."

"Eh, no go dey try play smart oo, I go


shoot you without mercy oo, I no be
angel of God for heaven oo." He told
him.

"I am not playing funny, I am telling


you the truth. She does not know where
it is. Just help me upstairs and I will
look for it." He told him, sweating.

"Ehn ehn, Spiro, Stainless, oya, make


una come help am upstairs. Rattle you
Page 193

stay with the wife, me I go guard them


go come." He announced and the boys
set to work. It took them close to ten
minutes to climb the long staircase with
Rotimi. Once they disappeared, Rattle
could not take his eyes off the woman in
front of him. He licked his lips too
many times staring at her. She had been
quiet since their arrival and had not
even said where her husband was until
they opened the door to his room and
found him there. Tosin wished she had
locked the door behind her, but she had
only left it ajar and now the rest was
history.
Page 194

Rattle waited patiently, not wanting to


anger his boss, he tried taking his eyes
off the woman in front of him. She did
not lift her head, she just bowed and
muttered words even he could not hear.
Her curvy behind unintentionally lifted
to his eyes.

"Come, wetin you dey talk since?"

"Nothing…" she answered quickly.

"Why you dey make small small noise,


come, stop to dey shake mouth for
Page 195

there?"

"Nothing, I am just praying that you


will not kill us." She told him.

"So you be Christian?"

"Yes, yes sir, we are believers."

"Which one be Christian, which one be


believer."

"They are the same sir. They are the


same."
Page 196

"Which one you be now?" He asked,


touching her back with the gun.

"A, a believing Christian sir..."

"Wait, na your back soft like that?" He


asked, pressing the gun to her back all
the way to her hips. "Wow! I want some
of you babe. " He got up and began to
lose his belt. "Turn around! Turn
around!" He yelled at her, pulling his
trousers beneath his knees.

"Sir, sir, I am actually on my period,


please." She pleaded in tears.
Page 197

"Which kind lie be that one now?"

"Ha, me, lying, I am not lying."

He pushed her to the floor and turned


her around with full energy, then, he
discovered she was stained. It meant
that she wasn't lying. Just then, his boss
returned with the rest, Rotimi could not
take the sight of a half naked man
standing so close to his wife. He yelled
out loud in anger. Their boss pushed
him from the staircase down. This time,
Tosin shouted, she jerked up like she
Page 198

could do something to stop them, the


man standing next to Tosin dazed her a
slap on the wounded side of her face,
gave her a death-meeting punch on her
stomach and sat her back on the floor.
She was stained, her sanitary pad had
been displaced from the excessive
movements and pushing, she couldn't
move, the pain she felt from the punch
increased and moved to her chest. She
felt an organ leap inside of her and
more blood gushed out of her body.

"Ohhhh, Rattle! Rattle, dem swear for


you? Dem swear for you?! Wetin be the
Page 199

meaning of this nonsense now? Wetin


be all this bull shit now?"

"Boss no vex, I say make I run do, but


the woman dey on. Make we go.,"

"You dey mad, na part of the plan? You


wan rape person wife."

"Na today? Boss make we go, this


woman na bad luck, if I touch her, dem
go catch us." Rattle told the rest,
adjusting his belt.

"Oya, everybody, exit, exit now!" Their


Page 200

boss yelled and they ran out one after


the other, each watching the other's
back.

Once they were gone, Tosin crawled on


her hands and knelt next to her
husband's unconscious body quickly.
The man was unconscious, he was
bleeding from his left ear and his
wheelchair laid on him. Tosin got up
quickly ignoring the pain that cruised
her whole body. She searched the
dining table for her phone, but it was
gone, she needed to call Sewa or Dare.
She checked her husband's room, his
Page 201

phone was gone too. She flung the


wardrobe open and picked a red long
nighty. What was supposed to be a
naughty gift from her husband to make
her look sexy for him had turned big
and shapeless, Tosin had lost a lot of
weight and she didn't even notice. She
checked for her car keys. She couldn't
find hers, but the key to Rotimi's other
car was there, she picked it and rushed
back to the living room shaking. The
key fell from her hand, she picked it up
and dragged her husband on the floor
since she couldn't carry him. The man
groaned in pain and it gave her joy, at
Page 202

least he was alive. Once she had


dragged him to the door, she rushed into
the car and packed it close to the
entrance of the house before pulling her
husband into the car. His weight was
killing but strength came from nowhere
as she helped her husband. The wound
on her head gave her a headache, but it
was well ignored, she couldn't care
about it until she was sure her husband
was fine. She drove the man straight to
the hospital panicking.

"You will also be admitted." The doctor


told her after an hour of tending to her
Page 203

husband, she knew it was going to


come to this. Although she had
pretended to be well, Doctor Doyin
would not have it. She looked at the
woman like she was going to fall and
die at any moment.

"Could you help me call Sewa?" She


asked the doctor who was already very
familiar with the entire family.

"I did already." She responded.

"When?"
Page 204

"As soon as I saw you cry in."

"Tosin," Sewa's voice calmly called


from behind her. She dropped into the
woman's hand and wept sour then
passed out. Doctor Doyin ordered a
stretcher without thinking twice. The
nurses rushed in and she was taken to a
room.

Sewa couldn't take the sight she saw of


her brother in his ward. The man's legs
were completely wrapped up again, like
they were about to start the whole
process again from the beginning.
Page 205

Doctor Ray was already available in


case the man woke up and needed him
around. Doctor Derek was also waiting.

Sewa took a lone stroll outside the


hospital, she was angry at God and she
could not deny how she felt this time
around. How could he be so wicked?
Just how?

Her hands rested in her back pocket, it


was cold outside the hospital, the night
breeze blew gently but rather than
making Sewa feel good, she felt choked
and she was going to say a lot of things
Page 206

to God. She sobbed, cried like a baby


without shame until she finally found a
good place to rest her back.

"Why? Why? Why is all these nonsense


happening?" She sobbed and adjusted
herself. "Did these people not serve you?
A … an...and...and even if you feel you
are testing them, isn't it fine, isn't it
okay? E never do you? Ha! What? What
did they do? Ha! What!" She yelled and
this time, it was obvious she had
attracted Doctor Derek. He was a fine
happy man and he had a consistent
record of showing up where he was not
Page 207

wanted. At this point, it seemed to Sewa


like it was a hobby and not a mistake.

"Hi," he greeted and she wondered at


him. He was holding a bottle of Coca
Cola and Gala and she wondered where
he got it from since she had seen him
walk into the hospital not holding a
thing . "Are you okay?" He asked her,
watching her wipe her face quickly.

"Yes, yes, I am fine, just go on." She


told him hurriedly trying to send him
off, but the man was adamant. He stood
there and rested his back on the board
Page 208

that had a comfortable seating space for


two people

"Hmm, I don't know why, but I really


just need to pour my heart out."

Sewa turned her eyes in frustration.


Was he blind? Did he not see that she
had her own problems? What was his
problem? She thought, but then, she
smiled and nudged him to go on. She
was going to listen anyway since her
listening to others was slowly becoming
a ministry.
Page 209

"Has God ever failed you?" He asked.

Many times, Sewa answered in her


heart and regretted it immediately, she
bowed her head and asked for mercy in
her heart while he talked.

I mean has God ever let you down so


hard that you feel you will die from the
fall?" He asked her again.

"No, why do you ask?" she asked,


trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, no wonder."
Page 210

"No wonder what?" Sewa asked, her


forehead folding in confusion.

"No, wonder you still serve him


passionately, but I hope you know it is
in his record to fail those he claims he
loves?"

"What kind of gospel is that?"

"The kind of gospel that should be


heard." He continued aggressively.

"No," she told him. "Nobody should


Page 211

hear that gospel.

"Yes, yes, you are right, I am sorry." He


told her in a soft voice like he had not
just aggressively spoken with his eyes
bulging.

"Are you okay?" She asked him,


musing at his inconsistent character.

"Erm, I am fine, it happens sometimes,


it just comes and goes. It's just been too
frequent these days." He told her and
scoffed before looking away and wiping
a tear.
Page 212

"Are you crying? Oh mine! Talk to me.


What is going on?"

"I am a doctor, a physiotherapist, but


somehow, I have this pain I may never
be able to fix, never. I believed in God, I
have served him and I am still serving
him and I've a whole lot of questions in
my heart about if God is still up there."
He broke down in tears. Sewa brought
out her handkerchief quickly and
handed him the white piece.

"Thanks," he whispered and sniffled but


Page 213

it was obvious he had not even started.


Sewa wondered what would make a
dashing looking young doctor cry this
much. He looked too good to have
problems. Good accent, a decent job,
good looks and he just said that he
believed God, the dude was a total
package as far as Sewa was concerned.

"All I have done all my life is to save


lives, why can't he save me? Why?"

"We all ask God that question


sometimes." She said softly.
Page 214

"You know what he said to me, he


said...he said if not you then who? But
hey, this pain, this pain is excruciating.
My wife and I escaped a fire outbreak
four years ago, but right now, I wish we
both died in that fire."

"No, no, you can't say that, you have to


be grateful to God, he saved you both."

"But left us with conditions that we will


never recover from. I...I have bipolar."

"What?!" She was shocked to her bones,


she couldn't believe her brother's
Page 215

physiotherapist is a psychic. "And the


hospital allowed you to work here?
How?"

"Don't worry, being a doctor doesn't


leave me at any time. I am still a doctor,
the best around here." He told her and
she sighed. "But my wife, my wife, she
was amputated, both legs from her hip
and you know what? I haven't seen my
wife in three years."

"Why? Did she leave?"

"No, no, we stay in the same house,


Page 216

she...she is just too ashamed to see me


after the surgery that took her legs away,
she thinks I will hate her, she thinks I
wouldn't be able to stand her. Today,
today is our son's birthday, he is seven
and I can't even spend time with him
because of the frequency of this bipolar
attack." He told her and smiled staring
into space. He told her and broke down.

Sewa sighed, she didn't know what to


say. "Why are you telling me this? You
barely even know me." She told him,
stroking his shoulder gently.
Page 217

"I don't know, but then God knows,


doesn't he? He asked her like it was
supposed to be her business. Maybe he
is sending me comfort through you,
right? Is that possible? He asked,
looking into her eyes. Then suddenly he
stopped crying, his wet eyes wore a
creepy grin like he was now happy. He
took her wrist and in his hand as he
grinned and began to laugh, Sewa felt
her hand trembling, where was the pain
coming from? She couldn't tell, her eyes
flinched to the man holding her hand,
he was twisting it, almost as if he was
inflicting the same measure of pain he
Page 218

was feeling, on her. Sewa let out a loud


shout and sprang back to reality.

It was a dream, but someone was really


squeezing her hand and the shout hadn't
been from her. It was coming from
Tosin, the woman was shouting out
painfully, something was definitely
wrong. Sewa jumped out of the chair
she sat on close to her sister in-law and
sprang out of the ward hysterically.

"Doctor! Doctor! Help! Nurse!" Two


nurses and a doctor showed up. It
wasn't Doctor Doyin, but Sewa couldn't
Page 219

care less. By the time they entered the


room, her bed was soaked with her own
blood. Sewa couldn't stand it. She ran
back out and almost fell to the ground
but for her husband that caught her half
way.

"What is it?!"
"It's Tosin, I don't know what is wrong
any more. I don't. Call mummy, call
daddy. Call somebody." She lamented
back.

"Okay, okay, I will call daddy." He


responded and fled to a corner in the
Page 220

hospital. He saw more doctors run in


and out. It looked like one doctor
couldn't handle it anymore. Soon, she
was wheeled out on a bed, the sight of
her drenched in so much blood made
Dare's eyes watery, but he knew he had
to control himself while he spoke.

"Yes, hello, Dare, what is it?" His father


in-law's voice came up. Dare explained
the current situation of things. He knew
the man had a big heart and could take
the news, so he spoke expressly without
restraints. The man sighed, sobbed,
thanked him and cut the call. Dare
Page 221

walked back to his wife and held her in


his arms as he quietly began to pray, she
soon found comfort and prayed along.

*** ***
*** ***

"Um, I am sorry but we have to open


her up now, we don't know exactly what
is wrong, we can't pinpoint it, but to
save her life, we must do the needful.".
Doctor Doyin told Sewa and her
Page 222

husband who couldn't believe their ears.


Yes, she had said it, but then, so soon?

" But her husband isn't sane enough to


sign an agreement paper for you to open
her up and neither I nor my wife would
do this again" Dare lamented.

"If we don't start the operation in less


than an hour, she will die." It was the
hardest thing she had said to anyone
that day, but they needed to know it was
that severe.

Dare and Sewa gave each other a long


Page 223

stare and then they nodded and agreed


that Dare should sign the papers. For
the first time since the whole saga, Dare
excused himself and cried out loud
before rushing back in. As soon as he
signed the papers, the doctors set to
action. Doctor Ray, and another doctor
joined them. His name was Doctor
Kumar, he was Indian, notwithstanding,
the man was the best at the job. While
Ray was a General doctor, skillful in
almost all fields, thus he headed the
physiotherapists in the hospital.

Sewa looked from North to west, as


Page 224

nurses went in and out. Their children


were safe with Aunty Flora, a married
neighbour that had gotten used to
staying with the children since the
drama began.

"Do you think she will make it?" Sewa


asked her husband like his answer was
supposed to be an assurance she wasn't
going to die.

"I don't know. Let's just pray for her."

Sewa broke down and cried until she


slept off in her husband's arms, there,
Page 225

on the seat.

"Hello, hello…" a voice kept repeating,


then a gentle tap followed. It was
Doctor Doyin. Dare sprang up, helping
his wife rest her back on the seat. She
got up slowly, yawning to the woman's
face.

"There's been a new development." She


announced. Their hearts began to race.
They were used to bad news. Each time
the doctor had walked up to them, it had
Page 226

been bad news.

"Okay, what is it this time? What? She


is going to die? He is not going to make
it? Her back bone is broken? You are
going to perform another operation?
What?"

"No," it was doctor Kumar, approaching


them with his hands in his pocket. The
man was short but handsome. Anyone
would consider him cute, but not Sewa
and especially not now.

"So what is it this time?"


Page 227

"Your sister in-law was in labour." He


told them.

Sewa scoffed, strolled away from them


and then came back. Her hands crossed
on her head in frustration.

"What are you saying? From bleeding


to needing to open her up and do a
proper check to her being in labour,
what is going on?" When did she get
pregnant? How? She had no symptoms,
her stomach didn't protrude, she was
bleeding at intervals for months, she
Page 228

doesn't have a womb, her husband


hasn't touched her in months, what are
you saying?" Sewa asked.

"Presently, her condition has left us


stunned, we are as shocked as you both
are. Funny, but, ermm, good news is
that the baby was not growing in the
womb." Doctor Doyin added.

"Eh!" Sewa yelled out in shock.


"Baby!"

"So where was it growing?" Dare asked


not moving his eyes away from any of
Page 229

the doctors.

"We Found a small sack carrying the


baby, the sack had been carefully forged
from her stomach wall, next to the wall
where her uterus would have been. We
can't explain why there wasn't a
protrusion, plus, Conception is showing
that the mm... is u well over nine
months old and that, science has cannot
explain. That defiles medical terms. We
carefully carried the baby out and we
are glad to announce to you that he is
alive, but for now, has been put under
intensive care because of some organ
Page 230

defects, but they are not beyond


medical care and treatments." Doctor
Kumar explained further.

"But wait, wait, it's been more than nine


months since the incidence that caused
her miscarriage." Dare told them.

"Um, two things we aren't sure of now


is first, when the conception really
happened and two is if there was really
a miscarriage. We intend to find out a
lot of things. For now, this is nothing
short of a miracle.
Page 231

Sewa sat back in shock. She couldn't


believe her ears. Her tears dropped
freely, but she couldn't even tell if they
were of joy or sorrow. She just sat on
the bare floor, her legs swung open and
her hands on her head. She continued to
stare at her husband in wonder. A nurse
rushed in hurriedly, once she sighted
them, she moved closer and whispered
into Doctor Doyin's ear, she ran after
the nurse immediately. In suspicion,
Sewa got up and followed. Doctor
Kumar followed last. She was right,
they were heading towards her brother's
ward.
Page 232

"Doctor Doyin, kilode? Sewa inquired


but the doctor gently closed the door to
her face. Soon the nurses were out
including doctor Doyin and doctor
Kumar. The Lady doctor hastened her
footsteps leaving them with the doctor
Kumar, she just couldn't face Sewa at
that moment. She knew her world was
about to stop, Tosin's world too. What
now? Why was it at the arrival of the
world 's cutest a baby? What was
Tosin ever going to say to them?

"I am sorry, but we lost him." Doctor


Page 233

Kumar told them both. Dare didn't wait,


he grabbed his wife immediately and
held her down. She yelled, fought, cried,
but doctor Kumar didn't wait, he left.
She rushed into the room once it was
accessible. The man was stiff, quiet,
gone. How? How? Sewa question in her
heart. Her faith grew weary, yet at this
point, she made no sound. She just let
her husband do the needful so that he
was kept in the hospital movie.

Sewa felt like she was in a movie, shot


by the Bamiloyes' or even Tyler Perry
or better still, the Kendrick brothers
Page 234

shot it. The suffering and pain, she felt


it was too much to be real. How was she
going to explain to Tosin that she
had a baby, but lost the most precious
thing to her? Food tasted like Holy
communion, tasteless, water made her
sick, the hospital nauseated her. Dare
knew this was his call, his
announcement to make. How was he
ever supposed to say all these? He felt
older than Daddy Ola all of a sudden. It
was what they all called his father-in
law, who had just lost a son.

Dare sat there and watched Tosin muse


Page 235

at the news of her baby. She cried,


laughed, cried more and then finally
asked the question he revered.

"Does my husband know already?

"Hmmm," Dare answered and then


from nowhere, he laughed stupidly and
looked away in a hurry. Tears had
gathered up in his eyes.

"Dare are you crying?" Tosin asked,


trying to turn the man to face her, but he
wouldn't budge. "Please Dare, look at
me and tell me what is going on? What
Page 236

is it?" She asked again, her own tears


gathering now.

"I am sorry Tosin, Rotimi couldn't make


it, he...he...passed on."

"What do you mean he passed on?"


Tosin asked. Her lips trembled.
Her body ached differently.

"I am sorry Tosin, he died." He repeated


in simpler English.

"What? How could he? How could he?


How could he?! Tosin yelled so loud
Page 237

that two nurses rushed in to see what


was happening. They attempted to
touch her but Dare stopped them.

"No please, please, just let her, allow


her please."

"Dare, I want to see his body, please let


me see his body." She pleaded, mucus
and tears dropping at once. She was
dragging the sheet and it was almost
going into her mouth. Dare stopped her
and sobbed.

"I will try. I will try. He...he is in the


Page 238

mortuary already."

"What, is he really dead?" Tosin asked,


looking at Dare intensely and smiling.

"Please, we need to see her late


husband's body, please." Dare pleaded,
looking at the nurses inquisitively.

"But she isn't strong enough and...and


the doctor's may not approve of it."

"We don't need a doctor's permission,


do we? The matron on duty at the hour
of death can grant us access, right?"
Page 239

"Ye...yes," one of the nurses answered.

"So why are you hesitating?" Dare


asked.

"Because she isn't strong enough. We


can't let her walk about, her stitches
may tear."

"Then put her in a wheelchair, do


something, do anything, just let her see
her husband's body, please." Dare
pleaded with his teary eyes staring at
them both.
Page 240

The nurses couldn't resist; they knew


they had to do something. Who
wouldn't? The woman definitely had to
see her husband's body. They knew the
procedure. They had simply gone to
doctor Doyin and explained. The
woman did not waste time. She
marched to the table and took care of
everything necessary before proceeding
to Tosin's room. The family had
frequented the hospital so much that
even the lady doctor felt like a part of
their home already. Her eyes were
Page 241

watery. What a story! She thought. A


painful one with a mixed ending. She
sighed and shook her head as she
entered the room.

"Tosin," she called quietly. The


woman's English accent gave her away
even as she called the woman's name.
Yes, she was Yoruba, but growing up
and studying Medicine in the UK took
its toll on her.

Without talking much, she gave the


woman a warm embrace and let her cry
for a few minutes before helping her up.
Page 242

Dare was strong enough. Once she sat


up, he scooped her out of the bed and
sat her down on the wheelchair that had
been waiting patiently to recieve her.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked her


and she nodded back. Doctor Tosin led
the way as they walked to the Mortuary.
With Doctor Doyin's presence and
explanations, they were allowed in
without much ado. Once they reached,
they were lucky a pathologist was on
ground. He helped them identify the
man's place and dragged his body out.
Tosin didn't shout, she just held the
Page 243

dead man's feet and wept.

"God, this wasn't what you promised us.


I don't know if this a test from you or a
temptation from the devil, but here is
what I will say irrespective. Lord, I
thank you. For the privilege to have
been married to this man, I am grateful,
for the privilege to have been loved and
touched by this man, I am grateful and
even for this moment when I feel
nothing but pain, I am grateful. Thank
you Jesus, now and forever, amen."
Tosin prayed and then asked to be
returned to her room. Doctor Doyin and
Page 244

Dare took her back and she slept like a


baby. Was she done mourning him or
was something else coming up? Dare
watched the woman from afar as she
slept peacefully.

"Do you think all is well?" Dare asked


Doctor Doyin as if she was supposed to
know.

"I can't say myself,"

"Why is she sleeping that much?" He


asked again.
Page 245

"Maybe that is just her way of


mourning her husband."

"Who mourns by sleeping off?"

"You can never tell." She responded


and then walked away to avoid further
questions from Dare.

It was past 2am in the midnight, the


hospital was still busy though, nurses
walked around checking patients in
wards, ensuring nothing went wrong in
any room. Suddenly, a pathologist
Page 246

rushed in. He didn't say much to


anybody, he headed straight to Doctor
Doyin's office, once he found her, she
rushed out after him and then stopped
by Doctor Kumar's office. The two
doctors followed the pathologist with
speed, but said nothing to no one. The
mortuary attendant, Umar, waited
patiently outside the mortuary, his chin
resting on his hand. Once he saw them,
he jerked up and started explaining like
someone asked him.

"Doctors, me I never see this kind thing


for my life oo, small clean make I clean
Page 247

like this, dead body just dey turn turn,


no be only one oo, even the one wey I
put close to the one wey dey turn turn,
himself wake up."

"Umar, I don't understand a thing you


are saying, but please, would you let me
into the morgue without these boring
tales?" Doyin finally stopped him from
saying more.

Dr. Doyin was shocked at the sight she


saw. Rotimi sat up facing a man that
had been dead for six days, Mr. Akuma,
an evangelist that had died of food
Page 248

poisoning. He sat there crying and


insisting that Rotimi had died because
of him.

"Did you hear what that mortuary


attendant said? He said as soon as my
hand touched yours by mistake, I
inhaled and opened my eyes. Ha! You
carry the life of God young, man, you
do." The man kept talking and testifying.
As soon as Rotimi saw Doctor Doyin,
he attempted to stand on his own, but
fell back.

"Mr. Rotimi, can you feel your legs?"


Page 249

She asked him in shock. The man


nodded back and attempted again to
stand. "No, ni, don't stand, don't worry.
Ha!" Jesus! I can't believe this. You
were dead, just yesterday, you were
dead. I proclaimed you dead."

"But Jesus has proclaimed us living."


Mr. Akuma interrupted.

"Mr. Akuma." Doctor Doyin called out


in shock.

"Yes, I am alive. I am well. I am fine! I


can breathe." He jumped up and kept
Page 250

stretching and stretching. Doctor Kumar


was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe
his eyes. Even his god Shiva couldn't
have done this.

"Who is Jesus?" Doctor Kumar asked


and they all went silent.

The evangelist tapped Rotimi slightly


on his leg and he lifted his head to him.

"This is your testimony to give. Tell


him who Jesus is." The man tod him
laughing hysterically at the end of his
talk.
Page 251

"Je…" Rotimi muttered.

"Is that how you will talk about him?


He doesn't raise timid sons." He told
him again hitting his knee harder.
Rotimi looked at his leg and then raised
his head slowly to the man, his eyes
filled with tears as looked at the older
man chiding him to speak. The man
nodded happily, his eyes bright with so
much joy. Rotimi snickered in tears and
then he broke down and wept. The
evangelist held him closely.
Page 252

"Just say it, that is why you are alive."

"He saved me, he is my saviour."


Rotimi managed to tell him. Kumar
nodded, his own eyes red with tears.

"Rotimi," Tosin's voice called quietly.


She was sitting in a wheel chair,
wheeled in by Dare. Her eyes had tears
too. She stared at the man and said no
word. Rotimi staggered out of the
miserable bed and stood shaking.
Doctor Doyin wanted to hold him, but
the excited evangelist stood in her way.
Page 253

"God doesn't work halfway." He told


her. She looked at him and sighed.

"Relax." He told her. Rotimi staggered


slowly to his wife, he fell forward and
Dare caught him, so that generated his
weight on the man.

"Easy man, I got you." He told him and


slowly knelt beside him seat on the
floor in front of his wife. Doctor Doyin
gave Umar a bad look knowing that he
must have spread the news so fast that
even Tosin heard.
Page 254

"Sorry I said God is asleep, sorry I ever


thought he didn't care, sorry I hated him
at some point. If he did nothing before,
then he has done everything now, he
brought me back to life. I don’t deserve
this miracle.”

"Shhhh…" Tosin shushed him up softly,


her head going through his head gently.
His hair was full and thick, time had
passed that much. "We have a baby, it's
a boy." She told him almost whispering,
her tears dropping and falling on her
husband. She bent slightly and Doyin
rushed to her.
Page 255

"Your stitches, please."

"I am fine." She told the doctor and


smiled at her husband.

Doctor Derek walked in clapping his


hands, Sewa stood beside him in shock,
she saw her brother and went stiff. Dare
went to her side and held her tight.
Doctor Derek excused them and left
back into the hospital. Soon he was
back, this time he had too many people
following him with their phone cameras
flashing at the couple. Doctor Doyin
Page 256

brawled angrily at Derek, but he


seemed not affected. He stood there
laughing hysterically and talking out of
context.

"Here! Here is my dream of becoming a


journalist, finding things out and
bringing it to the world … " he kept
talking. Sewa wondered if her dream of
the doctor was true after all? Was he
really sick? She thought, but said
nothing.

"Umar, get me the security now!"


Doctor Doyin yelled. It was obvious
Page 257

Kumar had not recovered from the


shock of all he had seen within a brief
moment. He just stood there and
watched it all.

Tosin sat on her bed and watched her


baby crawl around their room upstairs.
She had just finished folding her clothes
and putting them in a bag. She inhaled,
savouring every bit of the baby smell
that occupied the room. She heard her
husband's car zooming in from outside.
One year had passed and their lives had
Page 258

been so peaceful, like nothing happened


over the years. She got up slowly and
opened the door in anticipation for her
husband. She wanted to see him walk
up the staircase into the room. It was a
sight she could never get tired of seeing.
Rotimi was getting used to his wife
waiting by the door just to see him walk.
They were more grateful for every
single thing they had, even breathe.

"Baby," his masculine voice called once


he saw her. They both laughed and he
held her to himself in a warm embrace.
Tosin stretched herself and landed a
Page 259

peck on his cheek. They entered the


room and he was more than glad to see
their son. They had named him Alex
and then added a Yoruba name,
Fiyinfoluwa, give God thanks. That was
the meaning. They wanted her to
remind God everyday of how grateful
they were and his grateful they would
forever be. Rotimi lifted her off the
floor and hugged her tightly. The
teeth-less child titled happily at her
father. The landline in the room rang
and Tosin rushed to pick it up.

"Yes, who is there?" She asked, calmly.


Page 260

"Good afternoon ma, my name is Ajayi


Pedro, a journalist from PurityTV. We
read about your story and we thought it
worse to invite you for an interview…"
The man talked and talked. Tosin turned
to her husband and chuckled.

"Another invite?" He asked in his


baritone voice.

"Yes." She answered him.

"If their schedule is suitable, then we


are in."
Page 261

"Tosin put the phone back to her ear


and asked about the schedule before
agreeing to it. Rotimi stood next to his
wife, swaying Alex from side to side
above his head.

" Thank you," Tosin rounded up the


phone and rested her hand on her
husband's back. She touched a scar, but
didn't mind. Their scars were their
testimonies as far as they were
concerned.

"Thank you," she told him.


Page 262

"For?" He asked, looking away from


Alex almost immediately. They had a
testimony and were grateful to God.
They did not know if he would give
them more children, but they trusted
him either ways. If he did it before, they
were sure, he would do it again. They
were grateful they had began with Jesus,
and now even their very end was going
to be with him.

“ I love you Tomosin. ” He told her,


holding her with one hand and carrying
his child with the other.
Page 263

“ I love you too Rotimi. I love you. ”


She told him and rested her head on his
shoulder. It was going to be her bosom
forever.
Page 264

Next Story is TVS (The Virgin’s Slot).


It is an amazing Christian story that we
cannot wait for you to read.
You can follow Damilola Babs on
Facebook for more.
To my amazing Reflectors, I love you.
Thanks for the love and consistency.
Join Reflection WhatsApp group and
enjoy more of God. We shall be many.
Ko part of this book should be
published elsewhere without
permission. Thank you.

Contact author
@sarahaiyedero@gmail.com
Page 265

You might also like