Sharp Tongue

Episode 19

Daniel battled with the urge to go after his
wife.

But he decided to look for Sheila. He would
deal with his wife later. If Sheila had called her
parents, they would be on their way. He saw
her the moment he stepped out of the house.
She was lying on the ground. His heart skipped
a beat. What happened to her?

“Sheila?” He hurried to her side. She looked
unconscious. His heart raced. “Sheila… ” He
shook her by the shoulder. She made no
response. His heart beat quickened. He
pulled out his phone from his pocket and dailed his father-in- law’s number.

The security guard opened the gate. John
drove the car into the large compound and
packed it.

Eureka screamed when she saw her
daughter lying on the ground. She dashed out of the car, followed by her husband. She sunk to her
kneels and touched her face.
“Sheila… Baby… Sheila… ”
“What happened?”

Daniel met his brother-in-law’s gaze.
Martha walked out of the house. Her sister-in-law’s scream had alerted.

“Let us take her to the hospital at once,”
she pulled at her husband’s trouser. He knelt
down and carried her. Daniel tried to help him,
but he declined.

John placed his daughter on the back seat
of his car while Eureka sat beside her.
“What happened?” Martha tugged at her
husband’s shirt.

“Get my car keys, we need to follow them.”
“Honey… ”
“Get the keys Martha!”

She frozed. He had never raised his voice at
her before. Why was he staring and talking to
her as if she had anything to do with Sheila’s
condition.

“Get going woman!”

She backed away and returned to the house.
What was wrong with her husband? She
doubted if she wanted to follow him to the hospital.

She would rather stay at home than stand
beside him in the state of mind he was in. Where was his car keys?

John drove out and began to pray. It was
only God that could heal his daughter
completely.

Eureka called her father-in-law and Sheila’s
doctor.

John and Eureka sat in the waiting room.
Charles, Sheila’s doctor and a team of medics were attending to their daughter. They held each
others hands and prayed silently. Daniel
and Martha approached them. They took the
seats opposite the couple and waited.

“What happened to my daughter? What led
to her unconsciousness?” John faced his
brother-in- law. Daniel swallowed hard. Martha folded her hands across her chest and avoided looking at her brother and his wife. Her husband had not spoken a word to her since they left home.

She had no intention of following him to the
hospital, but he turned deaf ears to her pleas and
arguments.

“John… Sheila wasn’t comfortable with her
visit, she decided to leave… I found her
unconscious.”

“Just like that!” He voice rose.
“Look John… ”

“No,” he shook his head, “I should have
listened to her in the first place,” he turned to look at his sister, “She didn’t want to visit because of her aunt’s hostile attitude.”

Martha met her brother’s glare. “Don’t look
at me like that. I am not responsible for your
daughter’s
condition.”

“Really? Do you want to bet on that?”
She hissed and looked away. She didn’t
care what he thought. Charles approached them.

Eureka got up when she saw him.
“She has gained consciousness.”
“Thank you Jesus!” She held her husband.
He made a sigh of relief.

“Her memories are back… We will like to
examine her and run a test or two, but, as far as I
am concerned, she is out of the woods.”

Eureka began to cry. John shook hands
with his father. He was glad that the three weeks
nightmare was over. God had answered
their prayers.

“I am so happy for you.”

John patted his brother-in-law on the
shoulder, “Thank you.”

“When can we see her?” Eureka could hardly
wait to see her daughter.

“Right now. Please come with me.”

John and Eureka followed Charles. Daniel
turned to look at his wife.

“Do you realize what your bitterness for
Sheila caused today?”

She frowned and refused to look at him.
“What kind of a Christian are you if you
cannot forgive the person that offended you?”
Her frown deepened.

“It makes me begin to wonder, what if I
offended you? Will you ever forgive me? Will you
treat me the same way you have treated Sheila?”

Her frown faded, she met her husband’s sad
gaze.

“It makes me wonder, what kind of a
woman did I marry?”

His words pierced at her heart. She tried to
speak, but her throat tightened.

“It doesn’t matter what Sheila said or did
to you or us or anybody. All that matters is your
reaction. Haven’t you heard of the phrase,
‘loving the unlovable’? That is the true test of your so called faith in Christ Jesus. If God can
forgive you,
why can’t you forgive someone else?” He
shook his head at her and walked away.
Martha felt as if she had been drenched
with cold water. Had she been so blinded by
bitterness that she couldn’t draw Sheila close and win her over with love? What kind of examples had she la!d
down for others to follow? What had she
done?

What had she been thinking? Her actions
had made her husband to question their
marriage. It was obvious that if she didn’t let go and forgive Sheila, her bitterness will cost her
everything she held dear to her heart.

She stood on shaky legs, tried to steady
herself and walked out of the hospital. She found
her husband’s car, unlocked one of the doors
and got in.

Every tear she had been holding back
gushed out and bathed her face. She bowed her
head and asked God to forgive her and give her
strength to forgive her neice. They both
needed a second chance.