Hi friends,
it's great to be back again...i missed you all!
I am sure a lot of you are waiting so patiently for THE HEART,you wont have to wait for long!
Dedication
MICHEAL...my brother
I look at you bro and i bless God for your life,you are indeed a blessing from God,I bless the day you were born!I love you like seriously.
I admit that i used to be scared for you,i was always fidgety about the kind of future you would have but GOD hasn't failed to always remind me about the kind of future HE has reserved for you...I believe in you sooooo much kid bro!keep excelling and keep being the best that you are.
STEPHANIE...MY SISTER
I remember how much i prayed for you and i wonder how i could have spent so much of a time doing nothing but doubting God's protection on your life....i look at you and i marvel at how a little girl could be as determined and hardworking as you are,then again i get reminded about how small but mighty you are...i see a smaller version of RUTH in you...I am no longer scared because i can practically see God's MIGHTY HAND hovering over your head,Never doubt God's love for you dearie,your family might not always be there for you but never forget that God would ALWAYS be there for you,anytime ,any day.;..I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!
AMARACHI...THE MIRACLE
You came as a miracle....When i remember the look on dad's face when He found out you were a girl,i wonder how blinded he could have been..i dont blame him,he probably didnt see what i was seeing...THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND PRECIOUS BABY IN THE WORLD!...it seemed like yesterday when i watched them name you...indeed the Grace of God hovers over your life as your name says...when i project into your future,the brightness blinds my eyes...Your future is marvelous and you are worth more than a million boys!i am sooo glad you came at the time you did..I BELIEVE IN YOU BABE!
DESTINY...THE JOY...MY COUSIN
You are indeed a joy not only to your mother but to me as well...i remember waiting outside the compound when i heard my newest cousin was about arriving,i wanted to give you a presidential welcome..i was so filled with joy...you are my cousin but i dont think i ever see you in that light..YOU ARE MY BROTHER,the one i watched grow up...i remember those nights when you wouldn't sleep until i was cuddled beside you on the bed..you were so scared of sleeping alone,i miss those days...now you are such a big boy!a very intelligent big boy..YOUR TEACHERS ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BROTHER AND I AM GLAD YOU CAME INTO OUR LIVES AT THE TIME YOU DID...keep puzzling your teacher's with your knowledge and keep filling your mother's heart with joy!What a wonderful destiny you are!
JESSICA IBAZEBO...MY ARGUMENT PARTNER
i CAN NEVER FORGET THE DAY WE HAD A FIGHT AND I SAID THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING EVER..i said i regretted the day you became my friend,and you also angrily said you had issues with my mouth!it was a turning point in our friendship...I am correcting what i said that day..I AM SOOO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AS MY FRIEND...you have brought a lot of joy in my life and i am saying a big thank you...i called her my argument partner because we can both argue for africa..omo if we start like this,Jessica will pursue me out of her gate just to make sure the issue was resolved,sometimes the issue ended the next time we met!much more than being my friend,YOU ARE MY SISTER,and i love YOU very much...you don't know how much..by the way she is also known as RHEMZ PKAY(that's the most beautiful nickname i have ever heard,well after my own...she's probably laughing now!)..i believe that one day ALL your dreams will be actualised...YOUR MAKE UP AND COSMETICS HOUSE....THE LIST GOES ON...never stop believing in GOD'S PROMISES FOR YOUR LIFE BECAUSE THEY WILL SURELY COME TO MANIFESTATION...I LOVE YOU SISTER.
JERRY IBAZEBO...MY TROUBLE MAKER!
This boy can dusturb me like seriously..but i am used to him sha,not like i have a chioce!
you are not just my trouble maker but my brother as well..those times you disturbed me were not funny at all but i endured it sha,i still didnt have a chioce..i remember those times you didn't use to like me but now we are best of friends...i want you to know that they are a lot of things i admire about you...i believe in your very great future dear..But i still hope you stop disturbing me sha!
MY FATHER..THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
You are the reason i am striking this keyboard right now,you are the reason i have a story to write...THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND STRENGTH....YOU ARE THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED IN MY LIFE...THANK YOU JESUS....I LOVE YOU LIKE SCATTER!
PROLOGUE
The kid watched with rapt attention the scene before her,
She stared on,uncertain about what to do,she watched her palace being engulfed in flames..her palace had become ashes.
she looked on,how a house so big could be buried in something as intangible as fire baffled her!She wasn't sure if it was called fire but that was what her mother called it...
where was her mother?
she looked in between the crowd of people standing,her mom sure had to be somewhere,but at this moment she was nowhere in sight.
she hated being seperated from her mother,it gave her a cold chill,that was when she realised her father was missing as well...where could they be?she wondered
They had to be somewhere in the crowd,but why would they leave her alone?they had never left her like this all her life.
Didnt they realise that thier house was gone?
Why didnt they do anything to stop it?
Several questions ran through her mind.
She felt a tap on her shoulders,she turned hoping to find her mother staring at her,but she was disapponted,
it was her uncle,what did he want this time
"Kemi,where have you being?,I have being looking everywhere for you"he asked dragging her by the hand,she freed herself from his grip.
"i can't find my parents,and i need to find them"she made to move in continuation of her search but was pulled back by her uncle,
"you will find them in the next world,now lets go,you spoilt brat"he spat at her slightly above a whisper to avoid the crowd hearing him
Kemi couldnt decipher what he meant by 'next world' but she wasn't interested in finding out,all she was interested in was finding her parents,and under no circumstance would she leave without them
Her father had taught her to always look out for her loved ones and she was going to do just that no matter what the man standing in front of her was saying!
She released herself from his grip yet again
"I will find my parents no matter what you do,can't you see i have no home and i need my parents to provide me with another home"
He bursted out laughing,one of the things she hated about him was his unnecessary laughter.
what was so funny?
"Most times i forget your age,small girl you can look for your parents how ever you want,when you are done,you know my house.i just hope you dont get missing"he left still laughing unnecessarily,He always wanted to control everyone's life but he couldn't control something as little as his laughter cords!she hissed and went on her way,she was sure her parents were somewhere around looking for a way out of the mess they were in,she asked a few of the onlookers if they had seen her parents but they either shook their heads or exchange glances
They were acting rather strange today!
She kept walking,
she kept searching,
Then she saw her
Standing and talking with some friends in the midst of the crowd,she ran like her life depended on it.
She would give her mother a piece of her mind,how could she leave her all alone and be chatting with some friends,she got closer to the woman and called out to her
Mummy!she said getting closer
Mummy!she called again wondering whuy her mother wasn't answering her.
She tapped the woman at the back of her legs,that was how far her hands could go.
The woman turned..
"Oh I am so sorry,i thought you were my mother"she apologised, her face downcast.The woman shook her head and shared a glance with her friends standing close to her.
Where in God's name were her parents?it was getting late,but she continued,she wasn't done with her search yet...
a kilometer away from home,an idea struck her,
What if her parents were at her uncle's house?
Maybe that was why he wanted her to come with him the other time.she had to hurry before her parents began to worry,she didn't like them worrying about her.Deep within her the thought of going to her uncle's place infuriated her but if it meant finding her parents then it was worth the sacrifice
she marched to her uncles place,it wasn't too far from where she was,tired and hungry she sluguishly walked into the sitting room and there he was,staring at her with the most wicked gaze she had ever seen.
a smile played and dangled across his lips,she ignored him ,she was here for a mission,his smile wouldn't stop her from fulfilling it.
She walked straight up the staircase into the bedroom,she checked the bedrooms,
One room after another,but it was empty of a single soul much less her parents,
Then she was struck by reality
.
Not only was her palace buried in flames but so were her parents,
Buried deep down in ashes never to be found again...
She couldn't stop the tears!
CHAPTER ONE
A sigh erupted from the lips of the young woman seated directly opposite her laptop system that was dropped on her reading table right in front of her.She seemed rather upset that it was already four in the morning,because it also meant that she had to shut down and prepare for the day's job.
She decided to type one more paragraph before finally shutting down,but the problem with her was whenever she started writing,one paragraph usually became one page and it just keeps going and going until she remembers to stop...she didn't want that to happen today,she valued her work a whole lot.
She shut down the system and dropped it in it's bag that was at the foot of the table 'she was going to be needing it at work'
Apart from writing,the only thing her life pretty much revolved around was her work.she didn't like the job but her reasons for doing it was very personal and she wasn't interested in divulging it to anyone,not even the love of her life and in actual fact nobody deserved being called that!
She had a quick shower and took a hot cup of tea,she didn't normally take anything before heading for work, but today was going to be an exception,she couldn't imagine going out in a weather as cold as the harrmattan without something hot in her stomach,
It would be unbearable!
She applied finishing touches to her make up,she just couldn't do without them,she would feel so bland and empty,another important reason was the fact that without her make up she couldn't make heads turn like she did.She loved the attention,with her make up well done even the holiest of guys would fall,men were all the same,except for minor differences like their hobbies and their interests and blah blah blah,but they all shared one thing in common:'their love for sex,sex was all they graved,give it to them and they would thank you for the rest of their lives'
Her phone ringing snapped her out of her unplesant thought,
Who could it be at this time of a cold harmattan morning?she checked the callers identity,IT WAS HER BOSS!,
she picked immediately
"Dr Benny,I need you at the hospital in about ten minutes,there is an emergency,don't be a second late"he hung up!
He didnt even wait for her to speak,hwe was aklways like that,straightnto the point,
well only when it comes to business,other matters he wasn't at all straight forward,she packed her well braided hair into a bundle at the center and dashed out of the house with her phone on her right hands and her bag clinging to her left shoulders.
She checked her wrist watch,it was barely five in the morning ,how her boss expected her to get to the office in ten minutes,she didnt know but she was about to figure it out.
She started the engine of her car and was out of the compound in no time...she hoped in her heart that she gets to the hospital in time,but she knew the possibility wasn't there,she really wished she would get to the hospital,maybe not in ten minutes like her boss wanted but IN TIME!
******************
BENITA WILLIAMS got to the hospital at exactly six in the morning,she was fifty minutes out of time,she parked and got down immediately.
Being late was one thing,being sluggish was another,with her stethoscope well hung around her neck and her lab coat well worn she dashed into DISTINCT MEMORIAL CLINIC.
DISTINCT MEMORIAL CLINIC was known for it's high level of excellence with regards to it's services and staff as well,the hospital which has several branches situated in Abuja,Kaduna,Anambra,Abia,and Lagos states,is the most sought after in Nigeria.It's branch in Lagos is situated ihn Victoria island,popularly called VI by it's residents.
This particular branch unlike all other branches has the highest number of well skilled doctors of different fields,as a result it earned the title of best branch,all thanks to it's highly committed and devoted staff.
Benita was stopped by a nurse on her way to the emergency ward"Oh,Dr Benny,thank God you are here,maybe you can be of help,the patient's condition is really critical"
"Where is the patient now?Benny asked,she had no time for chit-chats like this
"He was initially in the emergency room..."
Benny cut in,angrily this time"I said where is the patient presently?"
"He was taken to the operation ward about..."without waiting for her to finish,she ran off straight to the operation room,leaving the nurse standing right there in the passageway,standing and staring....
The operation room like she expected was doctors and nurses packed,she immediately cleaned her hands with the hand steriliser given to her by the nurse standing close to the door"have you been able to detect the extent of the problem?she asked no one in particular.
"He needs to have a neurosurgery,a lot of damage was done to his brain.his mid and hind brain seems to be in wrong positions and if not properly arranged could affect his hypothalamus,infact, the possibility it won't be affected is very low"the new female employee answered. Benita was filled with surprise that other doctors or nurses hadn't gisted the new doc on her kind of personality as it was their job,gossiping,or maybe the young doc was trying to play confidence,Benny shot her a glance,she would figure her out later, it was time to work and she needed to concentrate.She moved to the ceasarian table and examined the man,he was badly injured and handsome too,
she couldn't help noticing!she thoroughly examined his badly affected head and surprisingly the new doc had being right,
'a smart doc' but the problem was she hated smart docs,they challenged her.The possibility of the patient's total recovery was very low,that had to be the reason why they couldn't go on without her.She took a glass of cold water from the water dispenser,switched on the radio that was at the left side of the room,it was on the channel,RADIO CONTINENTAL,they were actually playing her most favourite song, NO AIR by jordan sparks feat. chris brown,music was her greatest inspiration,it made her relaxed.
She shot her boss a glance and with the look on his face she knew it was time to get started..
She hoped the surgery wouldn't be as difficult as it seemed,she deposited the glass cup from where she had taken it and immediately directed her thoughts,her energy and her time towards saving one man
The man laying in front of her at the verge of life and death,
A man whose life depended on no one but her!
**********************************
ANYONE WHO CAME into Distinct memorial clinic at this time wouldn't guess how it was like two hours ago,the hustle and bustle had died down and everyone seemed back to normal again
Benita came out of the operation room,followed by her boss who hadn't sop asking her why she had come at the time she did,she on the other hand hadn't stop explaining why."Dr Benny,you knew we had an emergency yet you chose to come late"he said as she walked to her office,
"I have told you times without number that i was stuck in traffic,there is no way i would have gotten here in ten minutes even if were superman"she opened the door to her office and sat,he followed
"Benny have you thought about my proposal?heaskd sounding a lot casual than usual,now she understood why he followed to her office,,just to ask her if he had thought about his disgusting proposal.
"Dr Musa,i do not understand you"she said pretending not to understand.
"oh c'mon,i have told youtostop calling me that when we are alone.Dont tel me you have forgoten my oproposal already?
"Well,if I havn't I wont be asking you,or would I?"She replied,going throug her files,He looked behind him,to be certain the door was closed"I asked you to meet me at sheraton hotel this weekend,if you do you get a promotion and you promised to think about it,do you remember now?she looked up at him,he looked like a jerk from where he was sitting and she was going to treat him just the way he was.she stood up and walked up to him,she sat at the edge of the table directly opposite him,she looked straight into his eyes and gave him a seductive look,the kind that brought men in between her thighs.She bent down and planted a kiss on his lips,she lingered a little and released his lips gently..she felt his resolve melt
"I cant forget a proposal as such"she planted another kiss,slowly at first,then it went deep,deeper,realising his had began working on the buttons of her dress ,she withdrew.
"Dont rush honey,let's leave what 's for the weekend in the weekend"she liked the disappointment written all over his face,she knew exactly how to play her game.
"So I take that as a yes"he said kissing her,she didn't resist
She walked back to her seat"expect me at two in the afternoon on friday"Benny said without looking at him
"Alright,till then"he stood up and left,shutting the door behind him
She smiled
"All men are the same,just give them what they want and you will have them right where you want them"the wordsof Mac played in her head,
Sometimes she really wished those words were not true,but she knew it was as true as her breath,
she had a new catch,not only was she going to teach him the lesson of his life,she was going to suck the life out of him!she smiled again,loudly this time.
Her thoughts drifted back to the surgery,the patient was still unconscious,until he wakes will they be able to fully say the surgery went well,she hope against hope that their efforts would not be in vain..it was in times like this she was remind she was still human,at least she wished someone good
A knock interrupted her?who could it be,she hardly had visitors
"Come in!"she said reluctantly
"hello Benny!"
The new doctor!what kind f bad luck was this?
"Shut the door behind you if you dont mind"Benny said without replying her greetings.
"May I sit?"
"Not yet,what can i do for you?"
"I just came to say hi,and to compliment you on the good job you did regarding the surgery,i think we have a lot to learn from each other;I am Stephanie Maja by name but i will appreciate it if you would just call me Steph"Benny studied her as she spoke,beautiful and spotless skin,rich parents,polite,a christian probably."my hands are hanging"Steph said,looking at Benny who seemed rather carried away.Benny took her hands and gave her a firm handshake
"And what exactly do I have to learn from you,young lady?"Benny spat back
The question disarmed Steph,she obviously wasn't expecting it"well,I guess as time goes on we will find out"
'nice answer' Benny thought
"Allright, thanks for the compliment but I have lots of work to do and I don't think I have time to spare"
"No problem,i understand what it's like to be a doctor,maybe some other time"she turned and walked to the door
"I doubt if there would be another time"Benny said not minding how rude she sounded
"i hope so"Steph said shutting the door behind her
Benny rested her back on her chair,'life would be a lot better if everyone understands once and for all that she was nobody's friend,because nobody was worth it'
She retrieved her laptop from it's bag,it was time to do what she loved doing best,she hoped people like the new doc wouldn't disturb her peace.Her fingers rested on the keys of the keyboard and she started typing,continuing her story from where she stopped in the morning,she was certain the remaining parts of her morning would be spent with her system,eyes glued,fingers moving swiftly,why this story was so important,only she could understand,it wasn't just any story,it was her story.
A story she would never bring herself to tell anybody...
HER LIFE STORY!
********************************
Steph had never being this humuliated in her entire twenty two years on planet Earth.All that she had heard about this particular lady had proved very true,she had initially thought it was just mere gossip,she had never met a woman this rude before,what she couldn't get off her head was the simple reason why a woman as beautiful and intelligent as Benita Williams wouldn't want to have friends.
It baffled her!
She greeted a few nurses on her way to her office ,'they couldnt stop talking' they spent every of their time moving from one gossip to another
They needed to be reminded why they were being paid,to work not talk
Sh entered into her office,poured herself a glass of cold juice,Her muscles needed to relax.After a surgery as tedious as the last one which was her first experienced surgery in this hospital. No matter how difficult being a doctor might seem,she enjoyed every bit of it,it gave her a sense of meaning and purpose.
While in medical school,getting a good job had being her greatest worry but looking at where she is right now she couldn't have asked Gd for more
Indeed God has being more than amazing
Her thoughts moved back to her rude collegue,even if her comment hadn't being accepted she had meant it,The lady did her job with so much enthusiasm ,strength and passion,like there was something driving her!
what could it be?
She still didn't understand why someone who seems to have the world at her fingertips would act so bitter and aggressive towards everyone.She even had the friendship of the boss,that was something no other person in the hospital has an access to;
Or was she just being rude because she feels indispensible?
if that was her notion then Steph was ready to change it, or cold there be more to it than meets the eye?
Stephanie chose the former,there could never be anything more to a cold attitude than puffed-up shoulders,otherwise known a PRIDE
**********************
The sun had began to set,the evening was so cool and breezy that Benita thought of nothing other than sleep all through her drive home.It took a miracle for her to keep her eyes open behind the steering wheel,she was really tired.
She opened the door to her three bedrom flat,it looked like it hadn't being occupied in months ,with the the chairs resting on different parts of the sitting room,and pillows scattered all over her bedroom.She went to the kitchen and found nylons she used in purchasing snacks a few days ago lying lazily on the floor,waiting for someone to come pick them,she ignored them,she was lucky gas hadn't being exhausted,otherwise she would have gone to bed without a hot bath after a stressful day at work.
She lit the gas cooker and placed a kettle of water ion it,the extreme cold wouldn't allow her bathe cold water,she would freeze to death!that was one of the things she hated about the harmattan season,it gave her the stress of having to wait for some minutes before having her bath,it wasted he time and what ever wasted her time was an enemy.she strolled back to her bedroom with her bag in hand and shoes tightly fitted in her legs,on her way she caught sight of her sitting room,it was so dirty
,she hadn't cleaned it in months
She was the most dis-organised person in the world,it was a good thing she didn't entertain visitors as she kept no friends,it saved her the trouble of cleaning her home
She didn't see the point!
The only thing she cared most about were her make up kit and her cosmetics,there was always kept in a safe place,she couldn't afford going out without them,she would look extremely horrible..
She threw her bag on the bed the moment she got to the bedroom and immediately reached for the refrigerator,she was glad to find two slices of bread in it,it was the last remaining from the last time she ate which was two days ago,with her busy life as a writer and a neurosurgeon,eating was usually the last thing on her mind.there was always something to do besides this two things.she flinged her shoes to different parts of the room,she would look for it later,she found the can of blue band resting on her dinning table,she was lucky it hadn't been covered by ants and cockroaches,they were her roommates since she had none.
She had being living all alone for the past ten years of being in Nigeria,the house had being her only companion,t was given to her two years back as part of the benefit for her promotion,she spread the butterr on the bread while she ate,it was such a relief eating something after two days of eating nothing.she picked up her laptop and typed in her username and password and went straight for her blog,she had five thousand comments!
She didn't expect less,,she scanned through them,she would read them later.they were questions and comments on the last book she wrote,titled 'THE BITE',it was a story about Adam and Eve written in a mordenized form,the story centered around a man named Maza and a woman named Salaya,The difference between her version and the version the Bible gave was the fact that she portrayed the story in a way that told her readers that what Adam and Eve did was a blessing rather than a curse,at least thanks to them we won't have to walk around naked!,and we now understand the the difference between right and wrong.To her that wasn't just a blessing,it was a deliverance from an invisible and non-existent God,who would do anything to keep humans as slaves forever.her eyes caught a question,it was from a girl named Cynthia,she lived in Texas,tit read:"Hi Benny,I love your books,but why do you always portray men like they were devils?"
She initially had no intention to reply any comment or question but this particular one had to be answered very quickly,she scrolled to the comment box and typed:"Hello Cynthia,thanks for the compliment,I portray men as devils because that's what they really are,DEVILS!,THEY ARE ALL THE SAME,ALL THEY WANT IS TO GET A GLIMPSE OF YOU AND AND OFF INTO THIN AIR THEY VANISH.An advise,treat them just like they are,VULTURES!"
She clicked the send button,the earler ladies began to understand the nature of men the better for them.She threw the last crump of bread into her mouth mnad headed for the kitchen
Her water should be ready,and it was
In about twenty minutes ,she had her pajamas on ,she went into her study,
It was time to work.Her eyes caught the wall clock on entering the room,it was barely twenty minutes past nine,she couldn't sleep now,she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for wasting so much time on bed doing nothing but sleeping,
She needed to meet the expectations of her fans and she could do that only with her fingers moving on her system and not with her butts grazing the warmth of her bed .Only lazy people did that with the excuse of resting,that word was not anywhere in her dictionary,she didn't become the famous writer and the most qualified neurosurgeon in Distinct Memorial Clinic by sleeping,she achieved all this by working really hard
Certain she had succeeded in pushing the sleep out of her body system,she did the only thing that brought a smile to her face,the story she was typing gives her nothing but sorrow,but the fact that she was typing at all brought her a lot of joy,she sat down directly opposite her laptop system and was typing before she knew it,
A clock in the another room ticked!
CHAPTER TWO
"Honey! it's time for breakfast"Funke called her son from the dinning,he was usually the last to be at the table for breakfast,he spent his mornings with his nose stuck in his bible.According to him spending time with God in the early hours of the morning guaranteed him a beautiful day.
He walked slugguishly down the stairs anfd joined the family at the tabe,
"Good morning mum and dad"he aid sitting,he shot his elder sister a glance ,her eyes wer looking right into his,he knew exactly why but he wasn't going to do anything about it ,he wanted to look for her trouble,it had being a long time since he did that.
"Jerry didnt you see me,i'm i that smalll?Kemi said looking at her father, hoping he would scold Jerry
"probably"jerry answered as he opened the plates to be sure what as for breakfast,plantain and beans!this has to be Kemi's doing!
"Dad did you hear that?"
Daniel looked at his children ,they sure needed a lot of coaching on humility and courtesy ,he looked at his son sternly as if saying 'do what's right man'
Jerry understanding the look on his father's face,sighed ansd said"okay,Good morning elder sister!"he said sarcastically
"Good morning younger brother!"Kemi answered with a grin,they both busted into an unexpected laughter
Daniel called them to order,he knew if he laft them they would play and forget the reason they wee at the table,BREAKFAST"Alright hat is eniough,Kemi please do the honours"
Kemi got herself in order and said a brief prayer.According to her father,the effectiveness of a prayer lies in the heart behind it not the length.
For a few minuts the only sound that ws heard wee that of the cutlery until her father broke the silence"How was your night son?"Daniel asked taking a sip of wae from his cup,which had one-third of it filld with water...he loved water!
Jerry chewed and swallowed the food in his mouth before answering"it as beatiul nad relieving,after yesterday's rehearsals at church,i was really exhausted"
"how about you dear?"he asked directing his gaze at his daughter.
"it was nice,i slept well"she p0ut a spoonful of food in her mouth,the breakfast was her favourite,and she was determined to eat every single bite of it,she checked her wristwatch,she still had about ten minutes before heading to work.
"Hon,how was yours?"Daniel asked his wife who seemed carried away;
"it was fruitful though i didn't sleep much"Funke spoke for the first time since breakfast kicked off,
Daniel digested her words,knowing his wife,he was sure those words had depths,he would find how deep they were later.
"So how was the sermon yesterday in one word?"Daniel asked looking at no one in particular.Kemi answered first"it was challenging"she threw the last plantain in her plate into her mouth,it was for her sake he asked his wife to prepare plantain and fried egg.it was her favourite meal.
He looked at his son,it was his time to answer,
"well dad,i think the sermon yesterday was .."Kemi cut in"he said one word"'he ignored her and continued"it was a defence breaking sermon for me,it further reminded me that i have a lot to improve in my relationship with God"
Daniel listened as his son spoke,Jerry was the most spiritual of his children,hearing him say he still had a long way to go in his raport with God brought joy to his heart.Kemi on theother hand loved God,but a part of her was still kept away from Him,he wishes so much that a time would come when she would give herself to God,
completely..
'"I felt the same way son,no matter how spiritual we think we are, we can never get enough of God"he saw the surprise look on Kemi's face and immediately knew he had some explaining to do
"But dad,it was your sermon,how come you felt that way?"Kemi said puting the last spoon of egg into her mouth,she as the first to finish
No one was surprised!
"Well you're wrong about that,it wasn't my sermon,it was God's this was one part of being a pastor that had never stopped amazing him,how a message he preached could affect him like it did to those listening,God was indeed awesome
"over to you kemi,what as the most striking thing to you about the sermon?"
she weighed his question before answering"The fact that God wants our best and our all and nothing less"she finally answered.
"over to you jerry"he answered quicker than his sister"i guess it was our level importance to God"
Brief but deep!Daniel thought about his words for a few seconds,he hadn't thought about the sermon in that light before.
"honey,whjat do you have to say?"he asked Funke who had barely gone half way through her meal.
Something was certainly bordering her,he couldn't wait for the meal to be finally over.
"what baffled me most was the fact that a God so big would be a lot more interested in having a relationship with us than we are in having one with him"she said slowly as if trying to taste her words,that was one of the numerous things he adores bout his wife,her slow and calm way of speaking
'what hit me most about yesterday's sermon was how God values us,he wants our heart to be in tune with his,he wants us to know his thoughts,he wants to be the love of our life" he had to stop himself before he turned breakfast into another sermon time.he looked at his wristwatch,it was time for Kemi to head for work,his job was right here in the house,
In his study!
He didn't like having to end breakfast,everytime he spends with his family is always treasured in his heart but he had to else his daughter wopuld loose hjer job and that was the very last thing the family needed atthe moment.
He bowed his head and said a quick prayer,immediately after his prayer,Amens sounded from different parts of the table...
"mu,dad,i am off"kemi said carrying hr blue bag in her left hand and her cell phone in her right palms
'Good bye honey1take care'Daniel shouted a hos daughte dwhjed out of th house
Jerry cleared he plates and headed for his room,while Funke walked towards the direction of their bedroom with Daniel following closely behind...whatever was eating her up,he had to find out immeditely,
He couldn't stand seeing his wife like this!
it's great to be back again...i missed you all!
I am sure a lot of you are waiting so patiently for THE HEART,you wont have to wait for long!
Dedication
MICHEAL...my brother
I look at you bro and i bless God for your life,you are indeed a blessing from God,I bless the day you were born!I love you like seriously.
I admit that i used to be scared for you,i was always fidgety about the kind of future you would have but GOD hasn't failed to always remind me about the kind of future HE has reserved for you...I believe in you sooooo much kid bro!keep excelling and keep being the best that you are.
STEPHANIE...MY SISTER
I remember how much i prayed for you and i wonder how i could have spent so much of a time doing nothing but doubting God's protection on your life....i look at you and i marvel at how a little girl could be as determined and hardworking as you are,then again i get reminded about how small but mighty you are...i see a smaller version of RUTH in you...I am no longer scared because i can practically see God's MIGHTY HAND hovering over your head,Never doubt God's love for you dearie,your family might not always be there for you but never forget that God would ALWAYS be there for you,anytime ,any day.;..I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!
AMARACHI...THE MIRACLE
You came as a miracle....When i remember the look on dad's face when He found out you were a girl,i wonder how blinded he could have been..i dont blame him,he probably didnt see what i was seeing...THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND PRECIOUS BABY IN THE WORLD!...it seemed like yesterday when i watched them name you...indeed the Grace of God hovers over your life as your name says...when i project into your future,the brightness blinds my eyes...Your future is marvelous and you are worth more than a million boys!i am sooo glad you came at the time you did..I BELIEVE IN YOU BABE!
DESTINY...THE JOY...MY COUSIN
You are indeed a joy not only to your mother but to me as well...i remember waiting outside the compound when i heard my newest cousin was about arriving,i wanted to give you a presidential welcome..i was so filled with joy...you are my cousin but i dont think i ever see you in that light..YOU ARE MY BROTHER,the one i watched grow up...i remember those nights when you wouldn't sleep until i was cuddled beside you on the bed..you were so scared of sleeping alone,i miss those days...now you are such a big boy!a very intelligent big boy..YOUR TEACHERS ARE IN BIG TROUBLE!I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BROTHER AND I AM GLAD YOU CAME INTO OUR LIVES AT THE TIME YOU DID...keep puzzling your teacher's with your knowledge and keep filling your mother's heart with joy!What a wonderful destiny you are!
JESSICA IBAZEBO...MY ARGUMENT PARTNER
i CAN NEVER FORGET THE DAY WE HAD A FIGHT AND I SAID THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING EVER..i said i regretted the day you became my friend,and you also angrily said you had issues with my mouth!it was a turning point in our friendship...I am correcting what i said that day..I AM SOOO BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AS MY FRIEND...you have brought a lot of joy in my life and i am saying a big thank you...i called her my argument partner because we can both argue for africa..omo if we start like this,Jessica will pursue me out of her gate just to make sure the issue was resolved,sometimes the issue ended the next time we met!much more than being my friend,YOU ARE MY SISTER,and i love YOU very much...you don't know how much..by the way she is also known as RHEMZ PKAY(that's the most beautiful nickname i have ever heard,well after my own...she's probably laughing now!)..i believe that one day ALL your dreams will be actualised...YOUR MAKE UP AND COSMETICS HOUSE....THE LIST GOES ON...never stop believing in GOD'S PROMISES FOR YOUR LIFE BECAUSE THEY WILL SURELY COME TO MANIFESTATION...I LOVE YOU SISTER.
JERRY IBAZEBO...MY TROUBLE MAKER!
This boy can dusturb me like seriously..but i am used to him sha,not like i have a chioce!
you are not just my trouble maker but my brother as well..those times you disturbed me were not funny at all but i endured it sha,i still didnt have a chioce..i remember those times you didn't use to like me but now we are best of friends...i want you to know that they are a lot of things i admire about you...i believe in your very great future dear..But i still hope you stop disturbing me sha!
MY FATHER..THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
You are the reason i am striking this keyboard right now,you are the reason i have a story to write...THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND STRENGTH....YOU ARE THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED IN MY LIFE...THANK YOU JESUS....I LOVE YOU LIKE SCATTER!
PROLOGUE
The kid watched with rapt attention the scene before her,
She stared on,uncertain about what to do,she watched her palace being engulfed in flames..her palace had become ashes.
she looked on,how a house so big could be buried in something as intangible as fire baffled her!She wasn't sure if it was called fire but that was what her mother called it...
where was her mother?
she looked in between the crowd of people standing,her mom sure had to be somewhere,but at this moment she was nowhere in sight.
she hated being seperated from her mother,it gave her a cold chill,that was when she realised her father was missing as well...where could they be?she wondered
They had to be somewhere in the crowd,but why would they leave her alone?they had never left her like this all her life.
Didnt they realise that thier house was gone?
Why didnt they do anything to stop it?
Several questions ran through her mind.
She felt a tap on her shoulders,she turned hoping to find her mother staring at her,but she was disapponted,
it was her uncle,what did he want this time
"Kemi,where have you being?,I have being looking everywhere for you"he asked dragging her by the hand,she freed herself from his grip.
"i can't find my parents,and i need to find them"she made to move in continuation of her search but was pulled back by her uncle,
"you will find them in the next world,now lets go,you spoilt brat"he spat at her slightly above a whisper to avoid the crowd hearing him
Kemi couldnt decipher what he meant by 'next world' but she wasn't interested in finding out,all she was interested in was finding her parents,and under no circumstance would she leave without them
Her father had taught her to always look out for her loved ones and she was going to do just that no matter what the man standing in front of her was saying!
She released herself from his grip yet again
"I will find my parents no matter what you do,can't you see i have no home and i need my parents to provide me with another home"
He bursted out laughing,one of the things she hated about him was his unnecessary laughter.
what was so funny?
"Most times i forget your age,small girl you can look for your parents how ever you want,when you are done,you know my house.i just hope you dont get missing"he left still laughing unnecessarily,He always wanted to control everyone's life but he couldn't control something as little as his laughter cords!she hissed and went on her way,she was sure her parents were somewhere around looking for a way out of the mess they were in,she asked a few of the onlookers if they had seen her parents but they either shook their heads or exchange glances
They were acting rather strange today!
She kept walking,
she kept searching,
Then she saw her
Standing and talking with some friends in the midst of the crowd,she ran like her life depended on it.
She would give her mother a piece of her mind,how could she leave her all alone and be chatting with some friends,she got closer to the woman and called out to her
Mummy!she said getting closer
Mummy!she called again wondering whuy her mother wasn't answering her.
She tapped the woman at the back of her legs,that was how far her hands could go.
The woman turned..
"Oh I am so sorry,i thought you were my mother"she apologised, her face downcast.The woman shook her head and shared a glance with her friends standing close to her.
Where in God's name were her parents?it was getting late,but she continued,she wasn't done with her search yet...
a kilometer away from home,an idea struck her,
What if her parents were at her uncle's house?
Maybe that was why he wanted her to come with him the other time.she had to hurry before her parents began to worry,she didn't like them worrying about her.Deep within her the thought of going to her uncle's place infuriated her but if it meant finding her parents then it was worth the sacrifice
she marched to her uncles place,it wasn't too far from where she was,tired and hungry she sluguishly walked into the sitting room and there he was,staring at her with the most wicked gaze she had ever seen.
a smile played and dangled across his lips,she ignored him ,she was here for a mission,his smile wouldn't stop her from fulfilling it.
She walked straight up the staircase into the bedroom,she checked the bedrooms,
One room after another,but it was empty of a single soul much less her parents,
Then she was struck by reality
.
Not only was her palace buried in flames but so were her parents,
Buried deep down in ashes never to be found again...
She couldn't stop the tears!
CHAPTER ONE
A sigh erupted from the lips of the young woman seated directly opposite her laptop system that was dropped on her reading table right in front of her.She seemed rather upset that it was already four in the morning,because it also meant that she had to shut down and prepare for the day's job.
She decided to type one more paragraph before finally shutting down,but the problem with her was whenever she started writing,one paragraph usually became one page and it just keeps going and going until she remembers to stop...she didn't want that to happen today,she valued her work a whole lot.
She shut down the system and dropped it in it's bag that was at the foot of the table 'she was going to be needing it at work'
Apart from writing,the only thing her life pretty much revolved around was her work.she didn't like the job but her reasons for doing it was very personal and she wasn't interested in divulging it to anyone,not even the love of her life and in actual fact nobody deserved being called that!
She had a quick shower and took a hot cup of tea,she didn't normally take anything before heading for work, but today was going to be an exception,she couldn't imagine going out in a weather as cold as the harrmattan without something hot in her stomach,
It would be unbearable!
She applied finishing touches to her make up,she just couldn't do without them,she would feel so bland and empty,another important reason was the fact that without her make up she couldn't make heads turn like she did.She loved the attention,with her make up well done even the holiest of guys would fall,men were all the same,except for minor differences like their hobbies and their interests and blah blah blah,but they all shared one thing in common:'their love for sex,sex was all they graved,give it to them and they would thank you for the rest of their lives'
Her phone ringing snapped her out of her unplesant thought,
Who could it be at this time of a cold harmattan morning?she checked the callers identity,IT WAS HER BOSS!,
she picked immediately
"Dr Benny,I need you at the hospital in about ten minutes,there is an emergency,don't be a second late"he hung up!
He didnt even wait for her to speak,hwe was aklways like that,straightnto the point,
well only when it comes to business,other matters he wasn't at all straight forward,she packed her well braided hair into a bundle at the center and dashed out of the house with her phone on her right hands and her bag clinging to her left shoulders.
She checked her wrist watch,it was barely five in the morning ,how her boss expected her to get to the office in ten minutes,she didnt know but she was about to figure it out.
She started the engine of her car and was out of the compound in no time...she hoped in her heart that she gets to the hospital in time,but she knew the possibility wasn't there,she really wished she would get to the hospital,maybe not in ten minutes like her boss wanted but IN TIME!
******************
BENITA WILLIAMS got to the hospital at exactly six in the morning,she was fifty minutes out of time,she parked and got down immediately.
Being late was one thing,being sluggish was another,with her stethoscope well hung around her neck and her lab coat well worn she dashed into DISTINCT MEMORIAL CLINIC.
DISTINCT MEMORIAL CLINIC was known for it's high level of excellence with regards to it's services and staff as well,the hospital which has several branches situated in Abuja,Kaduna,Anambra,Abia,and Lagos states,is the most sought after in Nigeria.It's branch in Lagos is situated ihn Victoria island,popularly called VI by it's residents.
This particular branch unlike all other branches has the highest number of well skilled doctors of different fields,as a result it earned the title of best branch,all thanks to it's highly committed and devoted staff.
Benita was stopped by a nurse on her way to the emergency ward"Oh,Dr Benny,thank God you are here,maybe you can be of help,the patient's condition is really critical"
"Where is the patient now?Benny asked,she had no time for chit-chats like this
"He was initially in the emergency room..."
Benny cut in,angrily this time"I said where is the patient presently?"
"He was taken to the operation ward about..."without waiting for her to finish,she ran off straight to the operation room,leaving the nurse standing right there in the passageway,standing and staring....
The operation room like she expected was doctors and nurses packed,she immediately cleaned her hands with the hand steriliser given to her by the nurse standing close to the door"have you been able to detect the extent of the problem?she asked no one in particular.
"He needs to have a neurosurgery,a lot of damage was done to his brain.his mid and hind brain seems to be in wrong positions and if not properly arranged could affect his hypothalamus,infact, the possibility it won't be affected is very low"the new female employee answered. Benita was filled with surprise that other doctors or nurses hadn't gisted the new doc on her kind of personality as it was their job,gossiping,or maybe the young doc was trying to play confidence,Benny shot her a glance,she would figure her out later, it was time to work and she needed to concentrate.She moved to the ceasarian table and examined the man,he was badly injured and handsome too,
she couldn't help noticing!she thoroughly examined his badly affected head and surprisingly the new doc had being right,
'a smart doc' but the problem was she hated smart docs,they challenged her.The possibility of the patient's total recovery was very low,that had to be the reason why they couldn't go on without her.She took a glass of cold water from the water dispenser,switched on the radio that was at the left side of the room,it was on the channel,RADIO CONTINENTAL,they were actually playing her most favourite song, NO AIR by jordan sparks feat. chris brown,music was her greatest inspiration,it made her relaxed.
She shot her boss a glance and with the look on his face she knew it was time to get started..
She hoped the surgery wouldn't be as difficult as it seemed,she deposited the glass cup from where she had taken it and immediately directed her thoughts,her energy and her time towards saving one man
The man laying in front of her at the verge of life and death,
A man whose life depended on no one but her!
**********************************
ANYONE WHO CAME into Distinct memorial clinic at this time wouldn't guess how it was like two hours ago,the hustle and bustle had died down and everyone seemed back to normal again
Benita came out of the operation room,followed by her boss who hadn't sop asking her why she had come at the time she did,she on the other hand hadn't stop explaining why."Dr Benny,you knew we had an emergency yet you chose to come late"he said as she walked to her office,
"I have told you times without number that i was stuck in traffic,there is no way i would have gotten here in ten minutes even if were superman"she opened the door to her office and sat,he followed
"Benny have you thought about my proposal?heaskd sounding a lot casual than usual,now she understood why he followed to her office,,just to ask her if he had thought about his disgusting proposal.
"Dr Musa,i do not understand you"she said pretending not to understand.
"oh c'mon,i have told youtostop calling me that when we are alone.Dont tel me you have forgoten my oproposal already?
"Well,if I havn't I wont be asking you,or would I?"She replied,going throug her files,He looked behind him,to be certain the door was closed"I asked you to meet me at sheraton hotel this weekend,if you do you get a promotion and you promised to think about it,do you remember now?she looked up at him,he looked like a jerk from where he was sitting and she was going to treat him just the way he was.she stood up and walked up to him,she sat at the edge of the table directly opposite him,she looked straight into his eyes and gave him a seductive look,the kind that brought men in between her thighs.She bent down and planted a kiss on his lips,she lingered a little and released his lips gently..she felt his resolve melt
"I cant forget a proposal as such"she planted another kiss,slowly at first,then it went deep,deeper,realising his had began working on the buttons of her dress ,she withdrew.
"Dont rush honey,let's leave what 's for the weekend in the weekend"she liked the disappointment written all over his face,she knew exactly how to play her game.
"So I take that as a yes"he said kissing her,she didn't resist
She walked back to her seat"expect me at two in the afternoon on friday"Benny said without looking at him
"Alright,till then"he stood up and left,shutting the door behind him
She smiled
"All men are the same,just give them what they want and you will have them right where you want them"the wordsof Mac played in her head,
Sometimes she really wished those words were not true,but she knew it was as true as her breath,
she had a new catch,not only was she going to teach him the lesson of his life,she was going to suck the life out of him!she smiled again,loudly this time.
Her thoughts drifted back to the surgery,the patient was still unconscious,until he wakes will they be able to fully say the surgery went well,she hope against hope that their efforts would not be in vain..it was in times like this she was remind she was still human,at least she wished someone good
A knock interrupted her?who could it be,she hardly had visitors
"Come in!"she said reluctantly
"hello Benny!"
The new doctor!what kind f bad luck was this?
"Shut the door behind you if you dont mind"Benny said without replying her greetings.
"May I sit?"
"Not yet,what can i do for you?"
"I just came to say hi,and to compliment you on the good job you did regarding the surgery,i think we have a lot to learn from each other;I am Stephanie Maja by name but i will appreciate it if you would just call me Steph"Benny studied her as she spoke,beautiful and spotless skin,rich parents,polite,a christian probably."my hands are hanging"Steph said,looking at Benny who seemed rather carried away.Benny took her hands and gave her a firm handshake
"And what exactly do I have to learn from you,young lady?"Benny spat back
The question disarmed Steph,she obviously wasn't expecting it"well,I guess as time goes on we will find out"
'nice answer' Benny thought
"Allright, thanks for the compliment but I have lots of work to do and I don't think I have time to spare"
"No problem,i understand what it's like to be a doctor,maybe some other time"she turned and walked to the door
"I doubt if there would be another time"Benny said not minding how rude she sounded
"i hope so"Steph said shutting the door behind her
Benny rested her back on her chair,'life would be a lot better if everyone understands once and for all that she was nobody's friend,because nobody was worth it'
She retrieved her laptop from it's bag,it was time to do what she loved doing best,she hoped people like the new doc wouldn't disturb her peace.Her fingers rested on the keys of the keyboard and she started typing,continuing her story from where she stopped in the morning,she was certain the remaining parts of her morning would be spent with her system,eyes glued,fingers moving swiftly,why this story was so important,only she could understand,it wasn't just any story,it was her story.
A story she would never bring herself to tell anybody...
HER LIFE STORY!
********************************
Steph had never being this humuliated in her entire twenty two years on planet Earth.All that she had heard about this particular lady had proved very true,she had initially thought it was just mere gossip,she had never met a woman this rude before,what she couldn't get off her head was the simple reason why a woman as beautiful and intelligent as Benita Williams wouldn't want to have friends.
It baffled her!
She greeted a few nurses on her way to her office ,'they couldnt stop talking' they spent every of their time moving from one gossip to another
They needed to be reminded why they were being paid,to work not talk
Sh entered into her office,poured herself a glass of cold juice,Her muscles needed to relax.After a surgery as tedious as the last one which was her first experienced surgery in this hospital. No matter how difficult being a doctor might seem,she enjoyed every bit of it,it gave her a sense of meaning and purpose.
While in medical school,getting a good job had being her greatest worry but looking at where she is right now she couldn't have asked Gd for more
Indeed God has being more than amazing
Her thoughts moved back to her rude collegue,even if her comment hadn't being accepted she had meant it,The lady did her job with so much enthusiasm ,strength and passion,like there was something driving her!
what could it be?
She still didn't understand why someone who seems to have the world at her fingertips would act so bitter and aggressive towards everyone.She even had the friendship of the boss,that was something no other person in the hospital has an access to;
Or was she just being rude because she feels indispensible?
if that was her notion then Steph was ready to change it, or cold there be more to it than meets the eye?
Stephanie chose the former,there could never be anything more to a cold attitude than puffed-up shoulders,otherwise known a PRIDE
**********************
The sun had began to set,the evening was so cool and breezy that Benita thought of nothing other than sleep all through her drive home.It took a miracle for her to keep her eyes open behind the steering wheel,she was really tired.
She opened the door to her three bedrom flat,it looked like it hadn't being occupied in months ,with the the chairs resting on different parts of the sitting room,and pillows scattered all over her bedroom.She went to the kitchen and found nylons she used in purchasing snacks a few days ago lying lazily on the floor,waiting for someone to come pick them,she ignored them,she was lucky gas hadn't being exhausted,otherwise she would have gone to bed without a hot bath after a stressful day at work.
She lit the gas cooker and placed a kettle of water ion it,the extreme cold wouldn't allow her bathe cold water,she would freeze to death!that was one of the things she hated about the harmattan season,it gave her the stress of having to wait for some minutes before having her bath,it wasted he time and what ever wasted her time was an enemy.she strolled back to her bedroom with her bag in hand and shoes tightly fitted in her legs,on her way she caught sight of her sitting room,it was so dirty
,she hadn't cleaned it in months
She was the most dis-organised person in the world,it was a good thing she didn't entertain visitors as she kept no friends,it saved her the trouble of cleaning her home
She didn't see the point!
The only thing she cared most about were her make up kit and her cosmetics,there was always kept in a safe place,she couldn't afford going out without them,she would look extremely horrible..
She threw her bag on the bed the moment she got to the bedroom and immediately reached for the refrigerator,she was glad to find two slices of bread in it,it was the last remaining from the last time she ate which was two days ago,with her busy life as a writer and a neurosurgeon,eating was usually the last thing on her mind.there was always something to do besides this two things.she flinged her shoes to different parts of the room,she would look for it later,she found the can of blue band resting on her dinning table,she was lucky it hadn't been covered by ants and cockroaches,they were her roommates since she had none.
She had being living all alone for the past ten years of being in Nigeria,the house had being her only companion,t was given to her two years back as part of the benefit for her promotion,she spread the butterr on the bread while she ate,it was such a relief eating something after two days of eating nothing.she picked up her laptop and typed in her username and password and went straight for her blog,she had five thousand comments!
She didn't expect less,,she scanned through them,she would read them later.they were questions and comments on the last book she wrote,titled 'THE BITE',it was a story about Adam and Eve written in a mordenized form,the story centered around a man named Maza and a woman named Salaya,The difference between her version and the version the Bible gave was the fact that she portrayed the story in a way that told her readers that what Adam and Eve did was a blessing rather than a curse,at least thanks to them we won't have to walk around naked!,and we now understand the the difference between right and wrong.To her that wasn't just a blessing,it was a deliverance from an invisible and non-existent God,who would do anything to keep humans as slaves forever.her eyes caught a question,it was from a girl named Cynthia,she lived in Texas,tit read:"Hi Benny,I love your books,but why do you always portray men like they were devils?"
She initially had no intention to reply any comment or question but this particular one had to be answered very quickly,she scrolled to the comment box and typed:"Hello Cynthia,thanks for the compliment,I portray men as devils because that's what they really are,DEVILS!,THEY ARE ALL THE SAME,ALL THEY WANT IS TO GET A GLIMPSE OF YOU AND AND OFF INTO THIN AIR THEY VANISH.An advise,treat them just like they are,VULTURES!"
She clicked the send button,the earler ladies began to understand the nature of men the better for them.She threw the last crump of bread into her mouth mnad headed for the kitchen
Her water should be ready,and it was
In about twenty minutes ,she had her pajamas on ,she went into her study,
It was time to work.Her eyes caught the wall clock on entering the room,it was barely twenty minutes past nine,she couldn't sleep now,she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for wasting so much time on bed doing nothing but sleeping,
She needed to meet the expectations of her fans and she could do that only with her fingers moving on her system and not with her butts grazing the warmth of her bed .Only lazy people did that with the excuse of resting,that word was not anywhere in her dictionary,she didn't become the famous writer and the most qualified neurosurgeon in Distinct Memorial Clinic by sleeping,she achieved all this by working really hard
Certain she had succeeded in pushing the sleep out of her body system,she did the only thing that brought a smile to her face,the story she was typing gives her nothing but sorrow,but the fact that she was typing at all brought her a lot of joy,she sat down directly opposite her laptop system and was typing before she knew it,
A clock in the another room ticked!
CHAPTER TWO
"Honey! it's time for breakfast"Funke called her son from the dinning,he was usually the last to be at the table for breakfast,he spent his mornings with his nose stuck in his bible.According to him spending time with God in the early hours of the morning guaranteed him a beautiful day.
He walked slugguishly down the stairs anfd joined the family at the tabe,
"Good morning mum and dad"he aid sitting,he shot his elder sister a glance ,her eyes wer looking right into his,he knew exactly why but he wasn't going to do anything about it ,he wanted to look for her trouble,it had being a long time since he did that.
"Jerry didnt you see me,i'm i that smalll?Kemi said looking at her father, hoping he would scold Jerry
"probably"jerry answered as he opened the plates to be sure what as for breakfast,plantain and beans!this has to be Kemi's doing!
"Dad did you hear that?"
Daniel looked at his children ,they sure needed a lot of coaching on humility and courtesy ,he looked at his son sternly as if saying 'do what's right man'
Jerry understanding the look on his father's face,sighed ansd said"okay,Good morning elder sister!"he said sarcastically
"Good morning younger brother!"Kemi answered with a grin,they both busted into an unexpected laughter
Daniel called them to order,he knew if he laft them they would play and forget the reason they wee at the table,BREAKFAST"Alright hat is eniough,Kemi please do the honours"
Kemi got herself in order and said a brief prayer.According to her father,the effectiveness of a prayer lies in the heart behind it not the length.
For a few minuts the only sound that ws heard wee that of the cutlery until her father broke the silence"How was your night son?"Daniel asked taking a sip of wae from his cup,which had one-third of it filld with water...he loved water!
Jerry chewed and swallowed the food in his mouth before answering"it as beatiul nad relieving,after yesterday's rehearsals at church,i was really exhausted"
"how about you dear?"he asked directing his gaze at his daughter.
"it was nice,i slept well"she p0ut a spoonful of food in her mouth,the breakfast was her favourite,and she was determined to eat every single bite of it,she checked her wristwatch,she still had about ten minutes before heading to work.
"Hon,how was yours?"Daniel asked his wife who seemed carried away;
"it was fruitful though i didn't sleep much"Funke spoke for the first time since breakfast kicked off,
Daniel digested her words,knowing his wife,he was sure those words had depths,he would find how deep they were later.
"So how was the sermon yesterday in one word?"Daniel asked looking at no one in particular.Kemi answered first"it was challenging"she threw the last plantain in her plate into her mouth,it was for her sake he asked his wife to prepare plantain and fried egg.it was her favourite meal.
He looked at his son,it was his time to answer,
"well dad,i think the sermon yesterday was .."Kemi cut in"he said one word"'he ignored her and continued"it was a defence breaking sermon for me,it further reminded me that i have a lot to improve in my relationship with God"
Daniel listened as his son spoke,Jerry was the most spiritual of his children,hearing him say he still had a long way to go in his raport with God brought joy to his heart.Kemi on theother hand loved God,but a part of her was still kept away from Him,he wishes so much that a time would come when she would give herself to God,
completely..
'"I felt the same way son,no matter how spiritual we think we are, we can never get enough of God"he saw the surprise look on Kemi's face and immediately knew he had some explaining to do
"But dad,it was your sermon,how come you felt that way?"Kemi said puting the last spoon of egg into her mouth,she as the first to finish
No one was surprised!
"Well you're wrong about that,it wasn't my sermon,it was God's this was one part of being a pastor that had never stopped amazing him,how a message he preached could affect him like it did to those listening,God was indeed awesome
"over to you kemi,what as the most striking thing to you about the sermon?"
she weighed his question before answering"The fact that God wants our best and our all and nothing less"she finally answered.
"over to you jerry"he answered quicker than his sister"i guess it was our level importance to God"
Brief but deep!Daniel thought about his words for a few seconds,he hadn't thought about the sermon in that light before.
"honey,whjat do you have to say?"he asked Funke who had barely gone half way through her meal.
Something was certainly bordering her,he couldn't wait for the meal to be finally over.
"what baffled me most was the fact that a God so big would be a lot more interested in having a relationship with us than we are in having one with him"she said slowly as if trying to taste her words,that was one of the numerous things he adores bout his wife,her slow and calm way of speaking
'what hit me most about yesterday's sermon was how God values us,he wants our heart to be in tune with his,he wants us to know his thoughts,he wants to be the love of our life" he had to stop himself before he turned breakfast into another sermon time.he looked at his wristwatch,it was time for Kemi to head for work,his job was right here in the house,
In his study!
He didn't like having to end breakfast,everytime he spends with his family is always treasured in his heart but he had to else his daughter wopuld loose hjer job and that was the very last thing the family needed atthe moment.
He bowed his head and said a quick prayer,immediately after his prayer,Amens sounded from different parts of the table...
"mu,dad,i am off"kemi said carrying hr blue bag in her left hand and her cell phone in her right palms
'Good bye honey1take care'Daniel shouted a hos daughte dwhjed out of th house
Jerry cleared he plates and headed for his room,while Funke walked towards the direction of their bedroom with Daniel following closely behind...whatever was eating her up,he had to find out immeditely,
He couldn't stand seeing his wife like this!
This is off da hook! Can't wait to read the concluding parts
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