Episode 26
The breaking of a new dawn
âIn the soon unfolding year, I decree that light will pop out of darkness for you in Jesus name. Lines are falling for you and yours in pleasant places⊠A lot of packages⊠hits you from all corners⊠Receive! Receive! Good measuresâŠâ Pastor Ameh Enemona of the Covenant Glory Assembly, Lokoja, blared out thunderously through the microphone; his voice was already beginning to crack from excessive continuous screams as he jumped from one part of the blue-coloured rugged elevated podium. Recurring choruses and screams of âAmenâ filled the whole church auditorium which is one of the largest auditoriums in the area. The monthly prayer vigil was more or less a tradition here as it is in most churches, bringing people of various tribes, ages and sizes into this church till it is filled up to the brim. Water-proof canopies would then be mounted outside, a place they refer to as âoverflowâ, with large televisions displaying every single activity going on inside. Todayâs crowd is so remarkable because tonight is âcrossing overâ into a new year. Brethren are expectant, eagerly awaiting Godâs directives and instructions for their lives in the New Year that will kick start just in a matter of few minutes from now. The choristers dressed in white pla!d shirts on flowered flare skirts added melody to the strong backup sounds by the instrumentalists, the keyboardist, the guitarist, the dark young man on the drums and the organists as they re-echoed each prophetic release from the man of God.
âBe it sickness, terminal diseases or whatsoever you came here with tonight, you arenât leaving with it ⊠So check your body⊠confirm your healing and rush forward for your testimonyâŠâ The pastor announced. The young men and women of the protocol team, dressed elegantly in different colours of attractive suits came to file out in front of the altar, before the pastor could barely finish his statement, to take down testimonies from the long queue already emanating from the congregation.
âHoney, do you think we made a mistake by letting Tonia go?â Abigail Abuh plunged upward because of her height and practically screamed into the ears of her husband amidst the loud claps and responses of âAmenâ from every corner of the church. He in turn courteously lowered his shoulders a little amidst the loud screams.
âHow do you mean?â he asked looking confused at first but continued almost immediately with his head nodding from side to side after his brain simulated what she meant, âNo Darling, I donât think so. Last moments are priceless and shouldnât be denied anyone. And you remember the appeal was made by the Doctor herselfâ
âI was only saying, perhaps if she came here, God could be merciful onto us and heal her. We need miracles, right? We wonât have to continue in this nightmare waiting for a kidney donor any longerâŠâ she tried to scream as before but her voice started breaking along the line.
Her husband held her hands tightly locked in his,
âDonât begin a new year with tears Honey. Some questions in life never get answers.â He said slowly, trying to pacify her. âMoreover Godâs ways arenât ours. It takes him barely split seconds to take action when he wills and distance is never a barrier. Just believe.â
Abigail smiled. The smile wasnât real but she had to. It was still a blank cheque for the New Year and she wouldnât let tears ruin it all. Her husbandâs words did wonders to her inner strength and no matter how dim it seemed she saw some light at the end of this tunnel.
She readjusted her head tie more firmly over her head. She looked up and forward at the altar as a pastor narrated mind-blowing testimonies to the awe of the whole congregation.
âLord, I believe. Help my unbelief.â she voiced out in a tone of helplessness and total surrender.
âFive⊠four⊠three⊠two⊠one⊠Happy New Year!â
Everyone cheered excitedly as tumblers clicked each other to a toast in the wide spaced dining hall of Dr Waleâs house. They have been patiently awaiting the second hand of the large golden wall clock to tick the twelve point..
âHappy New Year Darling Tosin⊠I wish you better and more fruitful days ahead this year.â Dr Bukky said as she hugged her son.
âThank you mum. I wish you more of Godâs grace and strength in this new year tooâŠâ Tosin replied still in his motherâs arms
âAnd you too Moppet⊠Happy new year, I wish you fulfilment of your lifeâs dream.â Dr Wale said, drawing closer and hugging me warmly,
âThatâs my gorgeous daughter. I wish you happiness and fulfilment too this year.â Dr Bukky left Tosin and joined her husband in hugging me.
I felt so loved. I guess it wasnât a mistake after all joining the Adewale family in their New Year eve celebration at home, inasmuch as I would have loved to also attend the vigil in church with my family.
âThank you sir and thank you maâŠâ I replied politely, almost at loss for words
âCall me the correct thing, câmon!â Dr Bukky attacked me, in a playful manner.
âOoh! Iâm so sorry ma⊠erhm⊠I mean ⊠am so sorry mummy⊠Thank you mummy.â I said, gesticulating with my hands.
Everyone including Tosin burst into laughter. I think he loved it that his mother is extremely fond of and free with me. Though it wasnât all he wished for⊠but he could at least do with this. Who gets all he wishes for nowadays, anyway?
âTee, can we go sit outside?â Tosin interrupted our prolonged laughter.
His parents moved their gaze from Tosin to me then turned to face each other and thereafter started laughing again. I stood fixed unable to see whatever was hilarious. Tosinâs request? Or was there something else I didnât know about this time?
We strolled out hand-in-hand towards the fountain at the centre of the compound. The moon was out and outside shone like daylight with the extremely chilly harmattan air. We walked in silence, everyone deep in thoughts. Until I become a sorcerer, I canât tell yet what was going on in his mind, I could only tell mine- Iâm losing another dear friend. My consolation has remained the fact that social media makes far away people come so close to us in that when I see him off to the airport later on this morning, I can still keep my constant communication with him.
He released my hands and came to stand tall in front of me. I stared at him trying not to imagine what he was up to as diverse thoughts flashed through my mind. âI hope he wouldnât be asking for a New Year kiss under this leering moonlight and soft breeze atmosphere?â I was just thinking⊠Or raising me up as he did on Monday? I got into the house that day to see on the TV that the wife of the governor of the Central bank of Nigeria was kidnapped. That was startling and strange to me, frankly.
âWhat?â He asked with his mouth opening widely to the centre, ââŠyou donât have to stare at me like that, like I was going to do somin evil to you. Oh oh! And now she is pantingâŠâ he mocked, laughing out, âRelax please⊠Câmon, you know you can think aloud around me.â
I heaved a deep sigh and pulled back my popping eyeballs a little in.
âWhat do you want Tosin?â I was beginning to get impatient.
âIâll be going back this morning. Iâll stay with elder bro for some weeks because mum has sold back our house since I didnât plan leaving here soonâŠâ he chuckled lightly before continuing, ââŠbut canât we elope? As we see in Korean and Mexican movies, let us elope right away.â
Has something come lose in his head? I looked at him with my shocked eyes begging him to seal his mouth but he wore a confusing serious look.
âThis is no time for jokes right?â I asked,
âI have something to give to you. And am giving it nowâŠâ
I smiled. That sounds dramatic,
âOK?â I raised my left eyebrow and lowered the other one beckoning him to continue.
âSo are you ready to receive it?â He questioned again.
âAs long as I donât get to close my eyes firstâŠâ I retorted eagerly
âNah! You wouldnât have to. Just keep your eyes open while you take it straight from me.â He said in a calm sultry tone.
I looked on at him expectantly as my heart beat fast against my ribcage, not knowing exactly what to expect.
âOne of the plenty benefits of getting a woman in your life⊠See how your tummy has started protruding in just two days.â Jerry teased Simon as they both sat on the rugged floor of Simonâs sitting room playing chess. Though Jerry had been defeated in two consecutive rounds, he isnât losing hope even with Simonâs rants and mockeries.
âSeriously guy, she is⊠I donât even know what to say. I am just beginning to realise how true the adage about the way to a manâs heart isâŠâ Simon replied after laughing heavily as he drew on the chess board.
âSo the way to yours too is food, huh? You have seen chef!â Grace said, joining them from the kitchen with a tray in her hands.
âWell, am only responsible for what I say not how you read it. Help me God!â Simon exclaimed stretching up from the game as he greedily sipped in the aroma coming from the plates of hot pepper soup Grace neatly set on the centre table beside them.
âComot! What is God helping you with? E sure me pieces say if we leave you, you go lick the three plates in one minute.â Jerry jeered again in pidgin language and everybody started laughing,
âWhat is your problem this morning nau! Early hours of a new year and you are just finishing me up? Why you carry your âcoconut headâ come my house abeg? Your mates dey do vigil for church. At least start the year on a good note for once.â Simon scoffed, picking up his own plate and starting to bite hastily at the meat.
âGood note huh? We should be preaching that to you⊠Come please, Gracey, my head and your oga own, which one resemble coconut?â Jerry asked beckoning to Grace who sat comfortably on her chair, eating in silence.
She let out a mild chuckle, shaking her head alongside,
âPlease the both of you should leave me alone⊠There is so much pepper in this food.â she responded, waving him off.
Jerry and Simon wouldnât bulge. They continued with their teases and mockeries but were careful so as not to get choked with the over peppered meat soup. Itâs typical of them when they are both together. Grace was beginning to think that her stomach would burst from excessive laugher over the past two days.
âNna, you said you were still confused because you donât know why that your babe left youâŠâ Simon changed the topic immediately he was done with his food and dropped his plate back in the tray.
âJerry? Which girl please?â Grace asked, looking curious.
âHaba, how many girls do this one have in his life? He is also an ideal man like me.â Simon rubbed his chest proudly as he said those words.
Jerry threw the remote in his hand at Simon, but he caught it before it would hit him and replaced it on the table.
âSimon, what kind of creature are you nau? Eje mi nmin?â Jerry yelled, asking Simon to let him be.
âJerry did you just speak Igala? Oh my God, my guy is learning fast!â Grace interjected with sarcasm in her voice.
âCâmon nau! What do you mean by that? I am a full born Igala⊠my both parents for that matter, why shouldnât I speak my language?â Jerry defended himself.
Simon cleared his throat⊠âOya make una no change topic⊠Una be Igala and I be Igbo, we are all Nigerians⊠Donât bring tribalism into my house⊠There is unity in diversity, bikoâ Simon pleaded facetiously. It happened yesterday afternoon, unnecessary arguments about who speaks the language better, Jerry and Grace blocked him out of their conversation completely because he didnât know how to get in, and he wasnât going to let that start again today.
They both laughed and readjusted.
âI think Tonia still believes you are in a relationship with Lara.â Grace said in a rather calm way
Jerry dropped his empty plate in the tray also and moved back to lean against the chair behind him,
âThe funny thing was that, before Laraâs show in their class; I havenât asked her for anything yet. It was later when I thought I needed sanity that I proposed relationship to Lara. But we had to break up, about a week ago. Obviously, I couldnât get over Tonia and there was no need wasting Laraâs timeâŠâ he said giving a knowing look to Simon who confirmed by nodding in the affirmative.
âSo why wonât you just open up once and for all to her? Tell her exactly how it is deep down and how you are not willing to let her goâŠâ Simon admonished in a very serious tone for the first time.
âThat girl can be crazy at times. I donât want her rendering me into pieces like she did to me August 15th last year. Ha! She just started it like joke, like joke o, after returning from home one weekend. And right there in their room she broke us up and walked me outâŠâ he sighed deeply, placing his gaze on Grace⊠âI think she gets inconsiderate only when she realises someone loves her so deeply⊠And apart from that, she is always with this cute guy, so much so that they play childishly in the public without shame. One time, I even called her house and they said she was out with the same guy.â He mumbled on, drawing out a long hiss in spite, unable to hide the jealousy in his voice as much as he hid the one on his face.
âHa! Jerry, you canât even hide your jealousy? Itâs a new year o. Jealous people are wizardsâ Simon interrupted jokingly. Someone needed to lighten up the tense atmosphere that was beginning to cover the whole room.
âYeah, I guess am tired of pretending after all.â Jerry voiced out in frustration, blowing out hot air through his mouth âI love that girl like my life depends on it. My parents will feel like they have succeeded in their choice for me, so I canât let them know this truth. I would rather keep acting to frustrate their efforts. Tonia herself too should be shut out, I donât want a replay of the last scene neither do I need a âdrama queenâ to again shatter my entirety as it were.â he said dejectedly.
âSo what do we do now? New Year resolutions. At least itâs only 3am, January 1â Simon asked, forming his lips into a tight slit.
âShe used to tease me then that I should come marry her immediately after law school. I wanna live out that plan, regardless of our present situation. Though I made it sound like it was our parentsâ idea the last time I told her about it but she gave one of those her ridiculous responses again. Tonia can be really frustratingâŠâ He confessed
âWhat are you talking about, Jerry?â Simon asked, feeling the hurt in his friendâs sober voice.
Jerry cleared his throat. âShe said she hope she is still alive till then. Can you imagine that?â
Grace sat up on the settee and sighed,
âIâve seen Tonia turn people down in that room, Iâve seen how guys fall over themselves to be in a relationship with her and she keeps rejecting them, you know she is smart and fun to be with. I was even surprised when she wouldnât let me be with tales about Jerry this, Jerry that. At a point, I became very curious and eager to meet the Jerry potent enough to steal my roomieâs heart that much, which I eventually did. But then I was still hoping her emotional insecurity, which wasnât her fault but part of the social symptoms of her condition, wouldnât set in between you two.â
Jerry and Simonâs eyes popped wide open as Grace spoke, as if they wanted to âseeâ her voice.
âWhat condition is that, Graceyâ Jerry asked with curiosity.
Grace ignored him and just continued,
âI know she loved you truly and I kept encouraging her to hold on to the love. She promised me she would, but she couldnât keep to her promise after all. The mere fact that you cherished her so much was enough to scare the living daylight out of her, so much she drowned in those fears.â
âReally? Who has allergy for love and care? What exactly are you saying, Grace?â Jerry asked unable to control himself anymoreâŠ
âTonia has been battling with sickle cell disease all her lifeâŠâ Grace responded firmly.
Jerry stared blankly at the framed picture on the wall opposite him as though addressing it. So much news to start a promising new year with.
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