HIM HER & I (Part 31&32) – OPEYEMI AKINTUNDE

PART 31
“HIM HER & I”
(A love Triangle)
©️Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde

We spent 4 hours at his place before leaving and all I did in the cab was shed tears.

Jadesola knew what was going on, and her words made me know her time with the

prophetess was not a waste…

“When I was kidnapped my little mind thought that was the end for me, but I didn’t know

it was a time of transitioning. Grandma was doing a good job with me before she died,

and God knew you didn’t have the time for me, so through His divine design, he passed

me to another mother. Mummy, Sometimes God can bring out good things from bad

things that we might encounter. Don’t regret the fact that you are not married to Uncle

Stephen, God can still give you a good husband… Mummy Prophetess used to say this

a lot whenever she was preaching “A lot of people underestimate God, They call God a

God of Second chance, But He is much more than that. God is a God of Many

chances… Mummy, you may have missed the chance with Uncle Stephen, but God is a

God of Mercy who is a God of many chances.”

I forged ahead with life, I didn’t have the strength to fight for Brother Stephen the way I

fought other ladies in the past, I just wanted God…

I started a crèche business as I had a longing for children. I named it after Iremide.

Jadesola was growing into a fine lady though she was still in secondary school at age

19. She had missed three years of school, when she was with the prophetess.

About 6 months later, Bro Stephen called to invite me for His wedding.

Funny Enough, I didn’t feel bad about it, because at that point I was already fulfilling

purpose. I was preoccupied with the little babies I had in my crèche. I had made up my

mind that without marriage, my life would still be meaningful.

Mmesoma and I were still catching up few times a month. I only got to see Bro Kennedy

once and I felt nothing for him again. Mmesoma had gone with me for the wedding and

Brother Stephen was pleased to see us…

On returning home, I shed a few tears but later I pushed his thought off my mind. Bro

Stephen was gone.

One day, Jadesola had rushed to my room, crying that one of her cousins that lived with

us had taken a new shoe I bought for her…

“Mummy, Pelumi has taken my purple shoe to Jos, I saw her admiring the show

yesterday “

“Well, that’s your fault, you were careless with the shoe, everyone in this house knows

Pelumi has stealing issues, so why would you leave your stuff lying around where it can

be easily picked by someone else.”

“ But must she pick what doesn’t belong to her, oh my God, and I know that shoe will

not remain the same when she returns it, besides I don’t like sharing shoes” Jadesola

said really angry…

“Slow down, I will get you another shoe”

“It can’t be like that one, Mum you got it from the USA, remember… I don’t think you

can find it on the street of Lagos anytime soon”

“I know, but I promise to get it for you on my next trip…”

“Mum, I planned on wearing it to my graduation next week” Jadesola was emotionally

disturbed….

I put a call through to Pelumi and Pelumi apologized telling me she had sold the shoe

on her way to Jos. She said she needed money for her upkeep. I asked her to send me

the number of her friend who bought it, she reluctantly gave me the number. I was able

to reach her friend who agreed to resell the shoe back to me, but she warned me that

she had worn it to a function already.

The shoe returned four days to Jadesola’s graduation. When we opened the parcel, I

knew Jadesola could not wear the shoe again, it would be a spoiler. Her gown was too

pretty to be matched with the shoe that had been worn recklessly by the last owner in

just one outing.

Jadesola wept till she slept off. We had agreed she would wear one of her other shoes.

As I laid down to sleep, I heard the Voice of the Holy Spirit…

“Why don’t you order a new shoe for Jadesola, that’s what a good mother should do?”

I jumped from the bed and reached out for my phone, it never occurred to me that I

could order the shoe from the US. I located the store online and fortunately for me, the

show was still in stock. I ordered the shoe, but I was told it will take 7 working days. I

only had three days. I asked them to do an express delivery to me which was quite

expensive. The delivery fee was way higher than the price of the shoe.

The morning of Jadesola’s graduation, I was yet to get the shoe, and as I saw Jadesola

coming out of her room, she looked really beautiful but very unhappy. Though she tried

to fake a smile, I knew she didn’t want the shoe she wore…

“Hey look who’s beautiful “I said trying to make her smile…

“Thanks Mum…” She said

“Jadesola, we sometimes get to lose what we have dreamt of having, but we must

never let that put us down, Jadesola, though you don’t have your pretty shoe, but you

should be grateful that you have shoes on your feet. Some people do not have shoes,

some don’t have legs but you have both, so you should be grateful…”

I drove Jadesola to her school for her Secondary school graduation. I kept checking my

phone for any new phone number or text, but I got nothing.

When Jadesola got to school, she joined her friends as I looked around for a good seat.

My phone beeped…

Yes! The shoe had arrived, and on checking the message, I had to pick up from their

office which was 30 minutes’ drive away from Jadesola’s school…

I was beaming with smiles, I was beyond elated, I was happy I got my daughter a new

shoe, just the one she wanted…

I jumped into my vehicle and raced like a crazy Lady. I got the shoe and got back on the

road, but out of nowhere I saw a huge traffic ahead of me… I asked around what had

caused the traffic, and I was told a Petrol tanker had broken down ahead, so other cars

were gently driving past it so as not to cause any form of explosion. I knew if I stayed in

the traffic, I would miss my daughter’s graduation. I drove my car to the front of a bank

and approached the security…

“Sir, I need a big favor, Today is my daughter’s graduation, and I must tell you she has

been a good girl, so this shoe just came in from the US and she needs to wear it today,

so please I need to drop my car here and take a bike down to her school. I promise to

be back in the next 3 hours to pick up my car” I said

“No problem madam, ensure you bring my own graduation package” the security man

said with a smile

“Sure, Sure!” I said and raced to where I could get a bike. I was able to get a bike who

charged me such an exorbitant amount…

“Anything for Jadesola” I said to myself

I got to her school in 15 minutes, the students were already being called out to receive

their certificates, for the first time in my life I was happy Jadesola’s father’s surname

started with an “S”. Thankfully, they were still calling names starting with letter “O”.

I tried looking for Jadesola among the grandaunts and I found her heavy mass of hair

looking around for me as well. I hurried walked towards her and I got different looks, but

I cared less, this was about making my daughter happy. I got to her and dropped the

package with her. I turned back to get back to my seat, but her scream told me I had

done something fantastic….

“Mummy!” She screamed….

She couldn’t contain her joy, I am sure at that point, she forgot there were over 500

people in that hall, as she ran from her seat towards me and hugged me tight….

“Mummy, you got me a new shoe” Oh my God, that point was Epic, I cried and I was

happy I had made my daughter happy….

“Yes sweetie, that’s because you are my daughter and I can go any length for you”

“Thank you mummy, thank you…” We had stopped the graduation ceremony and a lot

of people didn’t understand, so I gently apologized and pulled Jadesola out of the

hall….

I knelt down before her as she tried to pull off her shoe, I told her not to bother so as not

to get her cloth rumpled. I pull off her shoe and wore the new one for her, and in that

same instant, I heard this unforgettable words…

“Though you have lost the shoe I wanted to give you, Do you think I am not a

good father who can get you another new shoe?” I got struck with those word….

The dream of my mother sending someone to give me a shoe in my dream flashed

before me… Bro Stephen getting marriage flashed before me…. What was God

saying…?

“Mummy…Mummy, my name has been called” Jadesola tapped me…

“Yes” I Jolted back to the present as I walked as a dummy behind Jadesola as she

rushed to the podium to receive her certificate.

I stood at the back lost in thoughts, I heard nothing going on in the hall, despite the loud

speakers…

“Could God be saying that despite I had lost several opportunities with good men and

most especially missing Bro Stephen who would have been the best shoe for me, He

was able to give me another man that would equal Brother Stephen?”

PART 32
“HIM HER & I”
(A love Triangle)
©️Opeyemi Ojerinde Akintunde

Jadesola’s graduation had passed but the lesson I learnt from the shoe experience was

not an unforgettable one. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, rather I started praying for

mercy and using these Prayer points;

 Oh God that restores, please restore my lost opportunities in Jesus name

 Thou God of Many Chances, Give me another chance to get it right…

 Oh Lord, though I may have lost the best you had for me through my

carelessness and nonchalant attitude, by your mercy as my father, give me

another BEST…

I kept praying this prayer daily, God had showed me He was my Heavenly Father and

even if I had lost a great opportunity maritally through wrong choices or mistakes, He

who is GOD, can give me another opportunity.

I wasn’t desperate, but I was deliberate in my prayer. My confidence in God had

skyrocketed. I had gotten to that point Mmesoma was when we were in school. Now, I

understood why she didn’t break down when Bro Kennedy left her for me. She knew her

God, that even if she didn’t marry Brother Kennedy, God Could give her another Better

man.

“God is my Father!” I remembered Mmesoma saying that … I remembered Mmesoma

saying she is the daughter of the King of Kings and as Royalty, she couldn’t stay

unmarried…

I didn’t know how God was going to do it, but I knew He was going to get me a new

shoe….

In the midst of this, I got a shocking call from Azuka, Papa’s Wife…

After the kidnapping saga, I had kept off their family, so I didn’t know what was going on

with them.

“Hello, Sis Timi, Good Afternoon… How are you ma?” Azuka had said

“I am fine Pastor Azuka, so good to hear your voice” I said

“Hmm… Thanks, just wanted to let you know My Husband passed away last Saturday”

Azuka had said and I froze.

I wasn’t sure if I had heard correctly…

“What did you say?” I asked

“He was involved in a ghastly motor accident that claimed his life. He was in the hospital

for 5 days before he eventually passed on. Before he passed on, he asked me to reach

out to people he felt were not happy with him and ask they forgive him, he mentioned

your name among those people, so I am calling to extend his apologies to you that you

find it in your heart to forgive him…” Azuka said crying

“Forgive him…He didn’t offend me, I was just caught up in my fantasies” I said as I

broke down in tears

“Papa was gone?” I said to myself, “So this was the short time Papa had to spend here

on earth and I was desperate about having him to myself”

“You were made for Him” I heard the words again after so many years…

“Timi, you never asked me how you were made for Him, you were made to be a

supporter in his ministry. You were made to intercede on his behalf, you were just

meant to be a covenant friend to Him” I heard His voice clearly

I wept uncontrollably as I dropped my phone. Guilt had me buried in my room for days. I

had assumed for God, I had heard from God but I did not wait on Him to hear in details.

As I laid on my bed, the picture became clearer…

I felt like the Holy Spirit sat beside me explaining what God’s plan was; , Papa and I

were to be friends, Bro Stephen was helping Papa through his books that papa read,

while Papa was helping me grow from what he had gleaned from Bro Stephen. By

divine arrangement, I was meant to marry Bro Stephen which would have given Papa a

closer relationship with Bro Stephen, but I disrupted God’s plan…. I was made for Him

to move Him close to his destiny prophet.

I wept and wept for days especially when I paid Azuka a visit and she kept

emphasizing…

“He had no spiritual mentor, no one he prayed with, He was only always reading the

book of that Brother Stephen A.A, who I told him to reach out to, but he kept telling me

that he was told he was a private person. He kept saying he was looking for someone

who had a close relationship with the man so he will be formally introduced to him…”

Azuka said and I couldn’t help my wailing…

I had misheard God!

I knew I owed Azuka and Papa’s kids a lot. I drew close to them especially because of

Azuka’s medical condition and her unbearable in laws…

We became best of friends and highly inseparable. At some point, Jadesola saw

Azuka’s kids as her younger ones.

Two years after Papa’s death, Azuka told me she wanted to do a Remembrance party

in Honor of her husband. I gave her my support as something spectacular had

happened.

She had met with her childhood sweetheart who she ought to have gotten married to,

but because the man’s family were not in support of Him marrying a sickle cell patient,

he had married another lady. The woman had died after delivery leaving a son with the

man. He and Azuka had met again at a function and the butterflies they felt in their belly

for each other in the past was still much alive.

The man proposed to Azuka asking that he wanted to have her as his wife. Azuka

prayed about it and accepted his proposal, so she wanted to do a Remembrance for

Papa as a way of her saying her final goodbye…

For two years, I had prayed to God to give me the type of shoe He wanted to give me

initially which I carelessly threw away. I kept using Jadesola’s shoe incident as a point

of reference to God. I kept telling God to give me another shoe, just like Bro Stephen.. I

never knew my order was about to be delivered to me at Papa’s Remembrance party

and Azuka’s wedding.