WITH THIS RING – a novel – will be posted all through this month
By: Pastor Taiwo Iredele Odubiyi
Read and be blessed.
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(Day 9)
After exchanging pleasantries, Jaye told Femi, “Hold on for Lizzy.”
“Is she back from her trip?”
“Yes. She returned last night.”
“Oh, that’s good.” Femi said.
“Hold on. She wants to talk to you.”
“What about?”
Jaye laughed. “Hold on for her. She will explain.”
“Jaye, just a second.” Femi quickly said.
If his wife was trying to fix him up with a woman, he wasn’t interested.
When he had just returned to Nigeria and told Jaye of his plan to remarry, Jaye had told him that he would like him to meet one of his mature female church members who was also his neighbour. Although Femi told him he could get his own woman, he eventually agreed to come to Jaye’s church and see the lady, after all it wasn’t as if he had found someone else at that time. He had told Jaye not to discuss anything with the lady. If he would like to pursue a relationship, he would then make his intentions known to the lady.
On the agreed day, he went to the church. The lady seemed good enough and as Femi chatted with her, he checked his spirit. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d like to spend the rest of his life attached to her. She appeared very desperate to get married. He invited her to lunch the next Saturday so he could ask further questions and know for sure whether or not she was right for him.
On the day, they met at a small restaurant. After two questions from Femi, the lady asked her own question. “When would you like to marry?”
While Femi was thinking of an appropriate answer, she spoke again. “If you’d like to marry me, it has to be as soon as possible because my biological clock is ticking away.”
That put Femi off. He knew he had been right about what he felt in his spirit yesterday that she was not the one for him.
He was still wondering how to respond to her statement when he heard her speak again.
“We were taught in church that intended couples should discuss the number of children they intend to have. How many will you like to have?”
“I already have two. Er,” he shrugged and paused.
What was she driving at anyway? He wondered. He had not even proposed to her. Her question was not appropriate.
He decided to throw the question back to her. “How many will you like to have?”
“I’d like to have at least three, two girls and a boy.” She said matter-of-factly. “And if that is going to happen, I need to get started on time. I’m thirty five years old.”
Is she serious? Femi thought. He immediately began to think of how to end this outing quickly.
When they finished eating and Femi had paid, he told her he’d like to leave. They left and he saw her off to her car. When she asked when she would be seeing Femi again, he was forced to tell her that he didn’t think they were suitable.
She was clearly disappointed but he was relieved that the awkward evening had ended.
Femi didn’t like such a situation and wouldn’t want a repeat of it for two reasons: one, he hated to hurt people, and two, it had made going to Jaye’s house a little awkward for him. Since that day, whenever he had to go to Jaye’s house, he prayed he would not run into the lady.
“Jaye?” Femi called his friend.
Jaye laughed.
Femi started again, “Jaye look -”
But Jaye had given the phone to his wife. “Hello, Pastor Femi.”
Femi laughed. “Hello, Lizzy. You’re welcome back.”
“Thank you, Pastor Femi. It really is good to be back. There’s no place like home.” She was Jaye’s wife of seventeen years.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed by now, resting?” Femi asked her.
She laughed. “I will, as soon as I’m through with you. I want you to come to our house on Saturday.”
“What’s happening on Saturday?”
“Nothing. I just want to see you.”
He could hear Jaye’s laughter in the background and he said, “I can hear your husband laughing. What exactly is it?”
“Don’t mind him. I just want us to spend some time together.”
“Lizzy?”
“Don’t eat before you come because I will feed you. I’m cooking fried rice.”
“Lizzy?”
“Fried rice with snails. You know how much you like snail. There will also be fish peppersoup.”
“Lizzy! I want the real reason. You know I will ask your husband.”
Laughing, she told him, “It’s true. I haven’t lied. I’m going to feed you if you come. But I have a second reason.”
“That’s what I want to know.”
“Pastor Femi, I’d like you to meet a lady.”
“Thanks but no, thanks.” He said immediately.
“No, hold on. She’s a wonderful woman.”
“Lizzy look, one, I don’t need help to get my own woman. And two, your husband introduced your neighbour to me some time ago. I’m sure you knew about it.”
“Yes. I knew about it but I wasn’t involved. I wasn’t really in support of that lady but you know your friend, he didn’t listen. This is different.”
“How?”
“I’m involved in this, and I wouldn’t do that if I wasn’t sure she’d be perfect for you. Besides, I prayed.”
“You prayed? To get a wife for me? Very interesting. Well, I’ll have you know that I have found someone.” Femi revealed.
“That’s good, but still, I’d like you to meet this person and pray about it.” She insisted. “She’s just perfect for you.”
Femi laughed. He tried again to get out of the plan. “I said I have found my own person.”
“I know but … Pastor Femi … just meet this person, that’s all. Besides, you have nothing to lose by coming, you will eat.”
“And who is this wonderful person you are talking about? How well do you know her?”
“I know her very well. She’s my cousin.”
Femi laughed. “This is becoming more interesting. Your cousin? Are you serious?”
“Yeah. What’s bad in that? The fact that she’s my cousin doesn’t mean a thing if -”
“Can I talk to your husband?”
“No, not yet. Promise me you’ll come. Pleeeease?”
“Alright, I’ll come but I haven’t promised anything. I will say hello to your cousin, eat your food and leave. And please, don’t say anything to the woman about me. Is that okay?”
“Okay.”
“Can I talk to your husband now?”
“Yes.”
When Jaye came on the line, Femi asked him, “What part of ‘I have found my own woman’ does your wife not understand?”
“Look Femi, please just come or she won’t let me rest.”
“I’ve told her I will be there.”
To be continued.
You will learn about the mercy of God and that there is hope for you, in this novel.
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