CHAPTER 43 –
© OPEYEMI OJERINDE AKINTUNDE
“He looks like his father,” Bishop said concerning Daniel. I nodded in agreement.
Amos was everything like Daniel; selfish, over-possessive of me, stubborn.
“That is what the devil does, once you let him into your life a few minutes before your desired miracle manifest, he will add black to your white”. Bishop said
Bishop brought out a ball from his locker. It was a black-and-white ball, half was black, while the other part was white.
“This ball is you and I, but because of our few minutes of dining with the devil, our lives have become a mixture of black & white, but I want to give you a secret I am using”
“What sir?”
“Continue your life and live it prayerfully that this black side of your life will turn white”
“Sir, since he is a part of my life birthed out of mistake and evil association, can’t I cut it off”
“Did God cut off Eve from Adam after she made him sin?”
“No Sir”
“When the weeds grew with the wheat, did God destroy the weeds, instead the farmer was told to leave it, so that in keeping the weeds, the wheat will not be destroyed, so dear daughter do not cut off this weed, trust God to help your wheat”
I wept sore. It was obvious I had to live with the consequences of my mistake forever.
“Daddy, my husband doesn’t love me anymore”
“He is human, and humans can be hurt, commit his heart to God”
Bishop gave me the same advice Amara gave me. I left his office feeling very relieved yet sad. I was returning home to the cold atmosphere of our house.
I went back home and for another six months, my marriage remained the same, which made it one year & seven months since my husband last touched me.
I decided to get serious with God.
“Where are you coming from?” Reuben asked me with the now familiar cold angry voice
“Church”
“You liar, I called the church and I was told you were not there. Let me guess, you went to see Daniel again”
“What?” I didn’t see that coming. Every part of me wanted to scream and shout at him, I wanted to insult him for thinking I was out with Daniel, but there was a restrain in my spirit.
I had grown spiritually in that six months after Bishop’s advice; I decided to do what I ought to have done for years.
I BECAME BORN AGAIN
Reuben, out of love married an unsaved ‘Christian’ girl who still had the grip of the world on her. My life was a round black ball with Daniel, but my mother’s spiritual umbrella shielded me and paved the way for me to marry a good and godly man.
However, I could not sustain the joy of that marriage, because the umbrella of salvation I was under didn’t belong to me. While I was under her, I married right, but the moment I left her home, there was no umbrella again. That was why I was able to fall into Daniel’s revengeful hand.
Therefore after my visit to the Bishop, I decided to get serious with God by getting my own spiritual umbrella. This made me spend more time in church. That particular day, I was actually coming back from church; our own province, so I was a bit shocked Reuben was saying I was lying.
The spirit of God in me restrained me from talking harshly in return.
“Reuben, I was in church, you can ask Pastor Mrs Uloma, we were together in the sanctuary office praying, the choristers were having rehearsal and we didn’t want the twins disturbing their rehearsal that’s why we went underground to pray,” I said with a calm voice.
At this point, I knew I had to play the fool because Reuben was still healing from my Infidelity and I couldn’t blame him for his lack of trust.
“I am sorry that you thought I went somewhere else” I added.
As usual, he took Hezekiah from me, leaving Amos with me.
“Lord, please work on his heart, you said the heart of the kings are in the hands of God, you can turn it in whichever direction you please, lord, by your mercy, turn Reuben’s heart back to me” I prayed silently as I went to my room.
Yes! We had started staying in separate rooms. He wasn’t eating my food, he never carried Amos. He treated Amos as my child and Hezekiah as his.
He sent money into my account and he would often write in the description. “For you and Hezekiah”
I took care of Amos from whatever was given to me.
However, a little turning point came for us. Amos fell ill and the sickness was terrible. I was managing his health at home, but at a point I couldn’t stand it anymore. I took him to the hospital while carrying Hezekiah along too. Reuben joined us in the hospital. He asked to take Hezekiah back home.
Amos and I had already spent 3 days in the hospital and Reuben didn’t show up, however, he would call and send texts asking about my own welfare.
One midnight around 2:15am, Amos started convulsing and I didn’t know what to do, the doctors took him from me and took him to the ER…
The first person I thought of calling was Reuben.
“Hello,” he said with a concerned voice.
“Amos is dying, I think Amos will die,” I said crying. It was the pain of a mother. Although I wanted my loving marriage with Reuben, yet Amos was my child, he was a part of me, he was my past fully present in my present.
“Reuben, please pray I don’t lose Amos, he is my son,” I said emphasizing
“MY SON”.
“Reuben, please if you love me, please pray for my son,” I said weeping
Reuben ended the call…
TO BE CONTINUED