WITH THIS RING – a novel – will be posted all through this month
By: Pastor Taiwo Iredele Odubiyi
Read and be blessed.
(Day 21)
Grace remained in her room until she was certain that her mother had left. She came out to the living room with her robe wrapped around her slender body. Taking the control, she flipped on the TV and sat down with her feet propped comfortably on a stool in front of her. Her eyes were glued on the TV but her mind was far from it as she tried to clear her mind.
Some minutes after, deciding it was time to have her bath, she entered the bathroom. About twenty minutes after, she was back in her room, and standing in front of the full length mirror, she looked at her tummy. There was no baby bump yet. She removed a pair of jeans from the hanger and selected a white top which she wore.
About half an hour later, she was seated in the living room, having breakfast as she watched TV. Afterward, she lay on the sofa and made a couple of phone calls after which she continued watching TV until she drifted off to sleep.
As Ibie parked her car in the nearly full parking lot of the church, she could hear the voice of the woman leading the opening prayers. She got down, and walking between the parked cars, she made her way toward the offices.
She went to the church administrator’s office, collected the printed materials and gave him some copies of the flier so he could announce the singles’ programme. She handed the materials over to the Singles’ Head before heading inside the church hall.
The choir had started singing praises when Ibie walked through the door of the hall and she went straight to the ministers’ assigned place.
The large hall which was painted white and had clear glass windows was filled with stackable padded single chairs. The floor was tiled.
People around her sang happily as they danced and clapped. Ibie was singing but she didn’t dance as she usually did. What was there to dance about? Her heart was heavy. She felt disgraced. Very soon, everyone in the church would know that her daughter was pregnant. People who had respected her would now be talking about her.
She saw Femi as he entered through a side door and went to his place in front.
When the worship session began and the choir started to sing ‘I’ve come to say how much I love You,’ tears gathered in Ibie’s eyes but she tried to hold them back as she sang along.
When they reached the line, “Lord I’m not here to complain,” she lost control and began to weep. With trembling voice and a palm covering her face, she continued singing.
About my many problems,
By Your Spirit and Your grace,
I’m confident You’ll solve them,
I’m here to say I love You,
I’m here to say I adore You,
I’m here to say I love You, Lord,
I love to love You, Lord.
When Femi took his place in front, he prayed briefly as he always did and then joined the congregation in singing. He allowed his gaze to go to the ministers’ side. All of them were there including Ibie. He was happy to see her. She was singing but not dancing which was unlike her. The Ibie he knew liked dancing. He looked away but soon returned his gaze to that side. He took a second look at Ibie and felt she didn’t seem like her normal self, she looked dull. What could the matter be?
During the worship session, he looked in her direction again and saw tears running down her face. Were they tears induced by the awesomeness of God or sadness? He wondered. Then he noticed that her hands were not lifted in worship and she looked really sad. So different from the lively woman he saw yesterday. He felt concerned. What could be troubling her?
When it was time for the sermon, he came up on the altar with his cordless microphone in his hand. “Good morning, church.”
“Good morning, Pastor.” The congregation replied in unison.
Ibie’s lips were pressed together as she looked up at him. He wore a crisp white shirt and a sleek tailored black suit with a good tie.
He did not look in Ibie’s direction as he announced, “This is the day that the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it! The devil is a liar!”
“Halleluyah!” Some people responded with a shout while some clapped.
“Child of God, relax for God is in control! And He is faithful!”
“Halleluyah!” The people responded.
Ibie nodded.
Then he asked the choir to sing Kirk Franklin’s song – My life is in Your hands.
As the choir began to sing, the congregation sang along.
When the music began to subside and the audience settled into their seats, Femi shouted, “Halleluyah! God wants me to tell you that you can make it!”
“Amen!”
“Don’t let circumstances determine your joy. No matter what you are going through, I declare – you will testify at the end in Jesus’ name!”
By the end of the sermon, Ibie was feeling much better. After the service, as she walked to the side where the singles were gathering for their meeting, Femi’s personal assistant and secretary, Daniel came and told her that Femi would like to see her before she left church.
“Alright.”
When she was through at the meeting, she went to Femi’s office. She opened the door and entered the reception. There were comfortable couches and chairs in the room. Magazines were on the end tables, and right in the center of the room was a tall artificial tree.
Daniel greeted her and called Femi on the intercom.
A couple who came to the church for the first time was with Femi when his intercom buzzed.
“Excuse me,” he told the couple as he picked it up. “Yes, Daniel?”
“Pastor Ibie is here sir.”
“Ask her to come in.”
There was a brief knock after which the door opened and Ibie entered the large office.
Femi asked her to sit down, gesturing to the three single chairs on a side. “I’ll soon be with you.”
Seated, she looked at the beautiful framed photos on the walls. There was a potted plant in a corner, a TV, DVD player, and a bookshelf.
About five minutes after, the couple got up to leave. Femi saw them off to the door, and then he returned.
Ibie came to sit where the couple had been seated.
“How are you today, Pastor Ibie?”
“I’m fine, Pastor. Thank you.”
“Er … you didn’t seem to be yourself during the service.” He said. “I noticed that you were weeping.”
She pressed her lips together.
He spoke again. “I’m not sure I saw your daughter. Was she in church?”
“No.”
He leaned forward and asked, “Is anything the matter?”
(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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