When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful
Words alone will not discipline a servant;
The words may be understood, but they are not heeded…
-Proverbs 29:18-19
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“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you
must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Make
allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who
offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you
much forgive others” Jadesola read out loud for the fifth
time…the Holy Spirit had laid it on her heart to study
Colossians chapter three. She didn’t have an idea of what
was there, but she now knew what the Holy Spirit was
teaching her in plain words.
“Am not sure am ready for this”, she said, taking a deep
sigh… She had to visit Busayo in the hospital today and
she was not sure she wanted to meet that man yet. He
destroyed her life for Christ sake. She should have been
married already, she thought deep within her.
“Please help me to do your will, I am ready to let go of
this hurt within me”, she said going on her knees to pray.
She prayed for close to thirty minutes before dressing up.
She had cooked delicious jollof rice with chicken for
Busayo, she knew he loved her cooking.
“Good morning Jadesola”, doctor Paul said to her. She
came in while he was administering some medication to
Busayo’s arm…
“Good morning…”, she muttered as a reply not looking at
him. It was a lot easier to think of doing it than actually
doing it.
“Erhm, can you spare me few minutes of your time, I will
be waiting under the tree outside”, he said and left
without waiting for her response.
“He is still as commanding as usual, so he thinks he still
has the right to boss her around, who does he think he
is?”, she thought to herself, while her face showed
something different she was faking a smile at Busayo.
“Am very sorry… It was a mistake I regretted for the rest
of my life”, doctor Paul said as soon as Jadesola joined
him under the tree.
“Sorry!! You mean you are sorry…do you think sorry will
take back the hurt, pain, hardship, tears I had faced all
these years?”, She snapped back at him in anger.
“I know…I am…”, he tried to say more…before Jadesola
interjected.
“No you don’t know,don’t tell me you know…if you knew
you wouldn’t have taken advantage of your own protegee.
You knew my weakness, and you didn’t even care about
the consequences. You were supposed to be a spiritual
father, not a life destroyer that you are.” she spit it all out
in few seconds. She definitely had held it in for years. She
was in tears, she couldn’t stop herself.
“Am sorry dear…”, he moved closer to where she was
standing.
“I don’t think I have a choice but to forgive you, I know it
won’t change what has happened but at least I will have
peace within myself”, she finally said after calming herself
and cleaning her wet face with her handkerchief. She had
seen the remorse in his eyes. her heart melted.
“How are you doing now?”, she added to break the
silence between them. Doctor Paul never thought she
could forgive him this easily, he was still “processing” the
words she said.
“Hmmh… I went through hell after that night, and my life
hasn’t been the same so far”, he said when he finally
found his voice.
——————————–
“What was the first thing I told you, when you first entered
this house?”, Chief Bassey asked Paul.
“You said you are a staunch Catholic sir and erhmmm…no
pregnancy before marriage.”, he said scratching his head.
If only he had listened. He blamed his stubborn nature
and disobedient attitude to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
“Paul, I think you should listen to the Holy Spirit.”
Kolawole said, Paul had told him the dream he had and
what the Holy Spirit had told him when he woke up.
“See Kola, it is just a dream, and am sure the Holy Spirit
was not talking about this journey, maybe its the
ministration I have next month”, Paul said as he packed
his gadgets into his bag. He wasn’t going to cancel his
self made appointment, he wanted to see his protegee.
The poor girl had been asking him to visit, though jokingly,
and on the other hand, it was an avenue for him to visit
his fiancee, who was working in Akure.
“He who, being often reproved, hardens his neck shall
suddenly be destroyed—and that without remedy”, his
roommate said without looking at him..
“Na you go be destroyed, silly guy”, he threw a book at his
roommate who dodged it, laughing at the impact of his
words.
He had traveled to Ondo town with a heavy heart. He
knew him going was wrong. The Holy Spirit kept
convincing him to go back and memories from the dream
where he jumped into the mud without no one pushing
him came rushing back into his mind.
“These dreams can be funny atimes”, he said to himself,
no matter what happens, he is strong enough to face it, he
is not a baby in Christianity, he finally made peace within
himself.
“Am sorry sir, I slept off” Jadesola said to him after five
minutes of continuous knocking on her door, he had
easily located the place of residence from the description
she sent to him.
“This is a lovely meal, your husband will be blessed to
have you”, he said cleaning his mouth with his
handkerchief, he had just tasted one of the greatest meal
in his lifetime.
She packed the plates before him and took it to the
kitchen. As she walked past him, he noticed her features.
“Oh my God this lady is beautiful, with nice curves, well
endowed. If not because am engaged I would have
prayed her into being God’s will.”, his inner voice said to
him, but he quickly dismissed it. Why would he be thinking
like that, his fiancee was more than enough.
After a long discussion, she started crying, she was
depressed, her dad was on the hospital bed, she needed
comfort, a part of him wanted to go over to sit beside her
on the bed and a part of him was warning him not to, but
he did the former. As he placed his arms around her, he
felt the warmth on her body, as electric pulses surged
through him, she was irresistible. Then, the opportunity
came. He held her chin and looking into her eyes, he just
couldn’t stop his lips from engaging hers in a passionate
kiss.
Just then the door opened and he heard…”Jadesola!!!,
Doctor Paul, no!!!! This can’t be happening…”
He was jolted back to reality. He had done the
irreversible. Jadesola ran out to meet the young man who
just came in, he guessed he was her fiancee..
He quickly packed his bags and made for the door, he
definitely couldn’t face her, after what he had just done…
“Why is this happening to me, what came over me? The
devil is stupid…!”, he said to himself as he sat in the bus
going to Akure. He was the first person to enter the bus.
“Hello, where are you, I am in front of your house. Okay…
alright” he dropped the call he had just put through to his
fiancée. He couldn’t bear the burning sensations of anger
and guilt he had within himself.. He needed to see his
fiancee and explain everything to her, she would
understand and tell him what to do..
“What happened, you took so long to get here”, he asked
her after she finally appeared at her doorstep,
“You didn’t tell me you were coming, and I was at the
saloon when you called, I needed to make my hair
today”, she said while searching for the key to her room
in her bag.
“So is this a surprise visit or something happened?” she
asked Paul who had been standing after she had opened
the door, he didn’t answer but kept staring at her, in a
quick moment, he moved towards her and kissed her, she
struggled at first but later kissed him back. They ravished
the moment and got lost in it…
“Oh no!! I should have listened…I just should have
listened…I am in trouble”, Paul said sweating. He was
only clad in his boxers while Doris was weeping at the
other side of the bed, she was holding the blanket that
covered her nakedness.
“See as the mighty have fallen and the weapons of fall
are scattered abroad”, he finally said as he picked his
clothes, wore them, and made his way to the door
without even looking back to see his devastated fiancee.
Doris too was too busy crying that she didn’t notice him
leave her room…
“Kolawole am in trouble”, he said to his roommate when
he finally got to his room in the night.
“The die is cast, what do you want to do now?”, Kolawole
who was not surprised at the news his roommate was
sharing, asked with deep concern.
“I don’t know, I really don’t know”, he said as he picked
his phone and sent a message to Doris stating they
needed to stay away from each other for awhile because
of the incident.
“Doctor Paul, I think you need a month leave, you look
stressed up and unhealthy”, his chief medical director told
him as he was walking down the hospital hallway.
He decided to take the one month leave since he really
needed it. It had been three months after the incident and
it was taking a toll on him. He would travel on a retreat
and maybe he could get things back to normal…
“I am pregnant we need to talk”, Paul almost fainted. he
had been on the retreat ground for almost two weeks and
today he had an awesome encounter with God. He felt at
peace, only to see ten missed calls and one message
from Doris when he checked his phone.
“But why Lord, it was just once…It was a mistake…I
thought you have forgiven me…. Why didn’t you let go of
this…”, he cried effortlessly like a baby.
He knew he had to journey to Akure, and when he saw
her, he knew he was in a better condition than she was.
She looked so haggard and sick. Her friend that was with
her looked at him with contempt.
Here he was in his in-law’s sitting room with his parents,
after several pleas, he had no other option but to do a
quick wedding before she started becoming heavy and
people started noticing her pregnancy.
“So, you think you will default in that one condition I gave
you, and I will still give you my daughter’s hand in
marriage?”, the old man ask. He was a retired military
man.
“Sir, we are very sorry, the kids have made a terrible
mistake, but notwithstanding, it is our duty as parents to
help them correct this mistake”, Paul’s father said trying
to save his son from further hits from the man.
“Okay, I have heard you”, Doris’s father replied, stood up
and walked towards the stairs that led to his room,
everyone in the sitting room was scared…
Gbam!! Kpara pata…. They all ran upstairs to see where
the sound came from, and as they opened his door,
Paul’s eyes caught the blood flowing from his in-law’s
hand, and he screamed…Jesus!!!
