WITH THIS RING – a novel – will be posted all through this month
By: Pastor Taiwo Iredele Odubiyi
Read and be blessed.
Feel free to share it.
(Day 16)
Thinking about Albert’s words made Grace grow hot with anger. Even if he would not marry her, he could have at least been nice and caring. Did he have any idea how she felt? What she was going through … what she would face?
She had half-hoped he would propose marriage to her but now it was clear that he didn’t think much of her. He didn’t even love her. She had been very foolish.
She asked herself if getting married to him would have been the right thing to do. It would certainly help the situation. She had liked him but now, she was getting close to hating him.
She remembered his accusation. How could he? Who did he think he was anyway? She fumed in silence.
At home, she pulled her hair free from the scrunchy that held it together, wore a shower cap and entered the bathroom.
The next day which was Thursday, at about two in the afternoon, while Albert was in his office writing on the issue ‘Social Media: Blessing or curse?’, he received a call from his mother to inform him that the wife of Donald, his brother had just given birth to a baby boy, and he promised to come to the hospital in the evening after work.
He called Donald who was three years older than him to congratulate him.
“Thank you.” Donald said and laughed. “It was as if the baby would come last week on our first wedding anniversary. My wife was in labour but it turned out to be a false one.”
They talked for some minutes.
About an hour after, one of Albert’s colleagues told him that Richard was around and would like to see him.
“Alright.”
Soon, Richard entered.
Albert stood up and walked around his table to shake hands with him.
After discussing official matters, Richard told him, “There’s something else I’d like to discuss with you and I’m hoping you won’t tell me to mind my business.”
“What is it?” Albert asked with a smile.
“It’s about your baby.”
Albert was shocked. His smile turned to a frown. “My baby?”
“Your’s and Grace’s.” Richard said calmly.
Albert’s frown deepened. “Grace told you about it?”
“No. I overheard her talking to you about it on the phone. I asked her and she confessed.” Richard revealed and stopped.
Albert took a deep breath as he waited for him to continue.
“I guess that’s you?” Richard asked, looking at the small photo frame of a baby boy on his table.
Albert didn’t talk as he wondered why Richard suddenly changed the subject.
When Richard didn’t hear a response, he glanced at Albert with raised eyebrows.
Albert nodded.
Richard spoke again. “You were very cute. I’m sure your child is going to be very cute as well. Don’t let Grace terminate the pregnancy. Let the child live. Give your son or daughter a chance.”
“It’s not yet a son or daughter. It hasn’t been formed.” Albert pointed out.
Richard smiled as he shook his head slowly. “It has been formed. Life begins at conception.”
“No. I mean … it’s just a mass of tissue.” Albert argued.
“What you call a mass of tissue is a human being. It has life and grows. That was how we were all formed. If your mother had aborted the mass of tissue then, you would not be alive today. Think about it. When you have time, search the Bible, a pregnant woman is referred to as being with a child. In the book of Luke, chapter one, when Elizabeth became pregnant, the Bible says that she conceived a son, not a mass of tissue.” Richard said, giving him a straight look. “Grace is carrying your son or daughter.”
Albert opened his mouth to talk but then, changed his mind and closed it.
Richard spoke again. “Verse sixteen of chapter three of the book of Job tells us that a stillborn child or an aborted child is a child that is not allowed to live to see the light of day. Let your child live to see the light.”
Albert couldn’t see his point. “But abortion happens everytime and everyday!”
“Yes but that does not make it right. Satan deceives people into thinking that it’s a quick way to fix a pregnancy problem. Albert, accept your baby and support Grace.”
Sensing that his heart was being touched by Richard’s words and his defenses were crumbling, Albert became afraid. A baby? No. He shook his head and drew himself up to his full height as he firmly told Richard, “I’m not ready for that now.”
Richard smiled. “I understand but it has happened. It’s not the end of the world though.”
Albert went to stand by the window and looked out. Then he turned back and said, “This is not going to be easy for me.”
“I know it won’t be easy but it can be done. I’m sure you know that if a man impregnates a woman, he is liable under the law for her upkeep and the total upbringing of the child until the child becomes an adult. You can do this, Albert.”
“Oh my God!” Albert said under his breath.
Richard went to stand by him. “No one is perfect, not even pastors. As I told Grace, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes as well. We shouldn’t make mistakes but if we do, we should learn from them, get up, face the consequences and move forward. We shouldn’t continue to make mistakes. Good guys would face the consequences. From the little I know about you, you have a good heart, you’re a nice person.”
“Don’t patronise me.”
Richard chuckled. “I’m not.”
Albert didn’t want to be pushed into making a decision right away. Walking back to his chair, he said, “I … er … will think of what to do.”
They sat down.
“That’s fair enough. I’d like to pray a short prayer with you.”
“Okay.” Albert said and closed his eyes.
Covering his hand with his, Richard quickly asked God to help Albert make the right decision.
Albert murmured ‘Amen’ even though he hoped God would not interfere.
Richard smiled and shook hands with him. “Thanks for listening. If at any time you feel like talking with me, please don’t hesitate to do so.”
No way, Albert told himself.
When Richard left, Albert pressed his back into his brown leather chair, rested his head and muttered, “I’m finished! Grace has killed me!”
Then, counselling himself to calm down and think, he closed his eyes.
This was his life and the matter on hand was his business. Whatever he would do must be his decision, he should not allow anyone to influence him to do what he didn’t want to do. Why must he listen to Richard? This matter was none of Richard’s business, he thought.
He must do something while he was still ahead. Sitting up, he took his cell phone to call Grace to fix a meeting for the evening. He pressed a button but before it could ring, he stopped it. Would Grace even listen to him? She seemed to have made up her mind. Thanks to Richard.
But they were in a relationship and he should be able to prevail on her, he thought. He dialled again. And again, he stopped it. What was he trying to do, force Grace to abort the pregnancy?
His eyes went to the framed photo on his table that Richard mentioned. The man was right. If his mother had aborted the pregnancy, he would not be alive today. If Grace kept the pregnancy, he would have a baby in about nine months. He would prefer a girl, and in his mind, he could see a beautiful baby girl with chubby cheeks and curly hair.
He suddenly realised where his thoughts were taking him. Have a baby? Oh my God! He exclaimed. What did he know about being a father?
He couldn’t think properly, and definitely couldn’t make a major decision now. He would have to give it some more serious thought later on and also talk to Donald at the hospital in the evening.
He turned to the computer to continue with the article he was working on but found that he could not concentrate. Various thoughts crept to his mind. When about ten minutes had passed and he hadn’t typed a word, he abandoned the computer, got up and left the room. He needed to cool off his head.
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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