I had stayed in doors
for weeks.
I had cried my eyes
out.
Was God punishing me?
Was God trying to get back at me? Was I paying for my past? What had I done? I
tossed and turned in my bed. I had lost my boyfriend, I had lost my
best-friend, and now I had lost my job. Then I blew into another wrap of
tissues and tossed it into the litter at the foot of my bed.
My mother walked in
again.
She did not breathe a
word. She dutifully cleaned my room, cleared the tissues into the bin and left
to discard the waste. She returned wuth a tray of food and added casually.
Happy New Year Laura.
I didn’t hear that
right. I tried to speak, but was only able to manage a croak.
My mother said, You
have successfully cried yourself into 2016. I think you may want to drink to
that.
I was ashamed of
myself.
I sniffed and pulled my
feet under the duvet. Mum knew she had me where she wanted me, but I wasn’t
going to budge.
I know you did not like
me preaching to you, but you are my child and I will not stop telling you about
God’s word.
She pulled the Bible
she had given me from the dresser and opened it as she sat by my bed.
She handed it over to
me and spoke as firmly as a teacher speaking to a stubborn Junior Secondary
School student. Turn to Revelation 21:5.
Revelations? I never
liked that book. I knew it was filed with stories of hell and doom, and I did
not want any of that.
Mummy, I know what is
there.
Really? She mocked.
It is about hell fire.
You are telling me that if I don’t stop havings, I will go to hell. I know.
Okay, madam know it
all, just humor me and turn to the book of Revelations.
Reluctantly, I turned
there, slowly, I read out what I saw.
“Then He who sat on the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me: write, for these
words are true and faithful.
I didn’t expect that.
I was relieved.
Stop crying over any
one that left you. If they left your life, it is an opportunity for God to do
something new in your life. She began.
I nodded sheepishly.
Charles couldn’t have been
the best person for you. If he could leave with your best friend, you should be
happy you did not get married to him. I do not know how you kids choose your
friends, but Sophie does not qualify to be called a friend. If she has run off
with your boyfriend, then good riddance!
I had not felt so
foolish all my life. Here I was, a postgraduate with two masters degree crying
over a guy and a girl who only proved they were traitors and did not deserve a
place in my life.
I hugged my mother as
she kept talking.
You never get to
outgrow your parents, especially when you are blessed with good ones.
God will give you a
good, Christian man. He will give you new friends. And as for your job, I do
not know why you resigned. You have to go back there.
I looked at my mum like
she was kidding. Her face was resolute. There was no way I was going back to
that place to beg Mr. Phillips and to ask for my job back. Or to work under
Charles for that matter. I looked pleadingly at mum, but she would not budge.
Make the call. Make it
now. My mum was insistent, and her insistence brooked no further arguments.
I reached for my phone
grudgingly. This was going to be a crazy ride.
To be
continued on next part………
EXTRACT
FROM: JOYFUL NOISE PUBLICATIONS,,, A
PRODUCTION OF COZA, ABUJA
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