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 18)
The next morning, Albert had a quick bite and left the house at seven-thirty. He had a media function to attend but he planned to stop at Grace’s office. He got there but didn’t meet her. He left.
On the way, his phone began to ring. Using his right hand to take the handset, he glanced at the number. It was unknown. He picked it anyway.
“Hey, it’s me, Patience.” The female voice called out cheerily.
“Patience?”
“Yes. I attended to you when you came to Chumsey Restaurant.”
“Oh, Patience. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you. I will be bringing my CV to your office today.”
“Er, I’m not in the office -”
“You’re not in the office?”
“No but that’s not a problem. Give it to the receptionist, I’ll get it.”
“Er, well, I’m thinking … I could bring it to your house if you like.” She suggested and giggled.
Albert was surprised. “My house?”
“Yes.”
Hmm.
He heard her voice again as she said, “Or … are you married?”
He giggled. “No no, I’m not. Do I seem like a married man?”
She laughed. “I just wanted to be sure. So, will you text your address to me?”
Greatly tempted, he said, “Look Patience, let me call you back. I’m actually driving.”
“Okay. I’ll expect your call.”
He dropped his handset on the passenger seat and smiled. He could still remember the way Patience was smiling at him that day. He knew her type. And he knew what she wanted.
His mind went to Chike. What would he do? He would oblige her. Well, he would do the same thing. He would text his address to her later, he decided.
When he reached the venue of the event, he parked and took his cell phone. Within a minute, he had sent his address to Patience.
He got down and on his way inside the white building; his handset alerted him of a text message. He opened it.
Received. Will be there in the evening. See ya – Patience.
Albert smiled.
On Saturday, Ibie was at home alone. Grace had left the house at ten in the morning to see her friend, Ayoade.
Ibie had ironed some of the clothes she washed the previous weekend and hung them neatly in her closet before proceeding to clean up her room.
It was now noon, and as she got ready to go to the salon in the neighbourhood to get her hair done, her phone began ringing. Her screen showed the name ‘printer’.
“I have just delivered the fliers and banners to the church administrator.” The man informed her when she picked the call.
“Thank you. I will arrange for the balance to be paid into your account on Monday.” She assured him.
Shortly before twelve-thirty, she left the house.
As Ibie sat under a hair dryer later while her finger nails were been done by one of the girls in the salon, she couldn’t help feeling that there probably was something going on with Grace. She seemed a little withdrawn and occupied, aside the fact that she had come home early from work twice within the week. Was she having some issues with Albert or at work? She had asked Grace and though she said everything was fine, Ibie doubted her.
She finished doing her hair and got home at about two. She went straight to the kitchen and put the turkey she had roasted in the morning in a plastic bag to give to her parents.
In her room, she walked to her closet and brought out the yellow blouse and a pair of black jeans she had selected to wear. She put them on her bed and went into the bathroom for a quick shower. Some minutes after, she was back in the room. She dressed up and went out of the room. She carried the plastic bag in the kitchen and left.
It was a clear day and the sun shone brightly. In the car, she called Grace to let her know she had left the house. The drive to her parents’ house took about forty minutes.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James were in the living room of their four-bedroom rented apartment. They had been married for fifty five years, and Ibie was their fourth child and the youngest. Their first child lived in Spain with her family. The second child, another female had died at the age of thirty one in an accident, leaving behind three children who grew up living with Mr. and Mrs. James as their father had remarried. Two of them were now married with children, living not too far from their grandparents.
Their third child, Joel was a dentist.
Mr. and Mrs. James had turned Ibie’s room into a playroom for their great-grandchildren who they looked after every week, Monday to Friday.
Ibie told her parents that she would not be able to spend time with them as she still had to see Lizzy.
She eventually got to Lizzy’s house and parked her car beside Lizzy’s. At the front door, she knocked as there was no doorbell. While she waited for the door to be opened, she glanced at her watch; the time was four-twenty five.
Femi, who arrived at Lizzy and Jaye’s house at three-thirty five, glanced at his watch and announced, “It’s four.”
“I’m sure she will be here soon.” Jaye said. The tall man was in his late forties and balding.
Femi and Jaye were seated on a soft beige three seater sofa while Lizzy sat across, on a double seater. She was tall and dark-skinned.
“I’m looking forward to seeing this person whom Lizzy says is perfect for me.” Femi said, mimicking Lizzy’s voice.
Jaye laughed.
Femi spoke again. “She needs to get here on time so we can eat.”
They all laughed.
At four-ten, there was a knock on the door.
“That must be her.” Lizzy said happily and stood up.
Femi and Jaye’s eyes went with her to the door.
Lizzy opened the door and a teenage girl entered. She was her neighbour’s daughter.
“How are you?” Lizzy asked her.
“I’m fine. My mother asked me to return this DVD to you.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Lizzy collected the DVD and the girl left.
“When I saw the girl, I was going to ask, is that the cousin you were talking about?” Femi remarked jokingly.
They laughed.
About fifteen minutes after, they heard a knock on the door again, and again, Lizzy got up.
“That must be her now.” She said.
“It’d better be.” Femi said. “I don’t have all day. I need to get home on time to prepare for tomorrow.”
Soon, the door was opened.
“Look at you! I’ve been expecting you.” Lizzy said.
“Hey Lizzy! How are you? You’re looking good.”
Femi thought the female voice sounded familiar and he looked toward the door.
Lizzy moved back and the person came in.
Pastor Ibie! “Wha-t?” Femi exclaimed.
Jaye looked at him. “You know her?”
Just then, Ibie’s eyes fell on Femi and she exclaimed. “Pastor Femi?”
Smiling broadly, Femi got up and came to greet her.
“You know each other?” Lizzy asked, surprised.
“Yes. He’s my pastor.” Ibie answered. Then she went to Jaye to greet him.
Femi quickly pulled Lizzy’s hand back to stop her. “Your cousin?” He asked in a whisper.
“Yes.” She answered, also in a whisper. She wanted to ask a question but Femi had turned away.
Ibie turned back to Femi. “Pastor Femi, I didn’t know you knew them.”
“I do.” He said as his eyes took in her dressing. “This is a surprise.”
“My husband and Pastor Femi have known each other for years.” Lizzy supplied.
Ibie sat on the two-seater and Lizzy sat beside her. The men sat on the three-seater.
“We grew up in the same neighbourhood and went to the same University.” Jaye said. Then he asked Femi, “Are you in her church?”
“Yes. I told you some months ago that I was being transferred to a parish.”
“Yes, you did. Wow!”
“It’s a small world.” Ibie exclaimed.
“It really is a small world.” Lizzy agreed.
(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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