NWALA ; The Bittersweet Story (Part 19&20) – Opeyemi Akintunde

Part 19
NWALA ; THE BITTERSWEET STORY
Opeyemi Akintunde

I didn’t speak to Reuben for three months but he made it a duty to send me messages on the first of every month and the fifteen of the month. He was using an unknown number; he must have guessed I blocked his line…

Daniel, on the other hand was beginning to take God seriously, or that was what he told me. According to Him, he had started attending a campus fellowship in his school.

‘This Your Bishop’s son is fineeee” June said one quiet evening

I noticed June had started wearing her headphones frequently. I didn’t know why, until that day.

“We must push for him to come to our school and ignite God’s fire here”

June said

“Who?” I asked

“Your Bishop’s Son, Pastor Reuben, he is trending now, that guy is fire, his messages are trending”

“Trending where?” I asked

June looked at me like I just asked a dumb question…

“You don’t follow him online?” She eventually asked…

“You know I have been off social media for a while”

“Yeah, so you can concentrate on your relationship” She answered sarcastically. She didn’t like Daniel one bit. She felt he was too possessive for a boyfriend.

“Yeah! I replied

She however had piqued my interest. I brought out my laptop and connected it to the internet. I searched for his name online and Oh my World! Quite a large number of videos popped up with hundreds of thousands of views. I began to read comments of how people treasured his messages

“Where have I been?” I asked myself

********

I became addicted to watching his videos. It became so obviously addictive that whenever I wasn’t studying I was listening to his messages.

Eventually, June suggested to the Student’s council to bring Reuben to our Spiritual week of Fire, and she mentioned my name as a member of Reuben’s church, hence I was given the assignment to contact him to ask for his availability…

“Why would you do that? The student council can contact them on their own” I said to June

“I am sorry if it is a big deal, I thought it would be easier & faster with you as a church member”

“I will try my best”

A part of me wanted to see him. I actually missed him. I was also curious about Timo…

I waited for June to leave the room, before dialing his number… I unblocked his contact first before dialing…

He picked up and for the first time ever, he was silent after picking up. Before then, he always had the cheerful “Hello” on his lips as soon as he picked up…

“Hello Pastor Reuben” I managed to say

“Hi Nwala” he replied

“I am sorry for calling, my school made me reach out to you, they would like to invite you for our spiritual week of fire”

“Oh… ok… when is it?”

“Next month, 1st – 4th, but you will be ministering on the 3rd and 4th”

“Ok…”

“Ok…so can the school can send an official letter?”

“Yes…”

“Can I have your email sir?”

“I will send to you as a text, I believe you should receive it since you have unblocked me” Reuben said

“Sure!”

“Nwala!”

“Yes sir” I replied with my heart racing, I didn’t know what to expect.

“What’s with the ‘sir’, are you in a meeting?’

“No, I am the only one in my room”

“So why the Sir?” he said with a more relaxed voice

“I am actually honouring God’s Grace in your life, I don’t see you the same ever since I started watching your online fire programmes”

“Oh… well, Reuben your friend is different from Reuben the minister… Please feel free to still call me Reuben”

“I will try” I said “How is Timo?” I asked

“Great… He now lives with me” Reuben said and I can’t say exactly what he did to my heart with those words. I was touched.

“What?” I asked

“I decided to adopt him as a son”

“Wow… Are you serious?”

“Yes…”

I was beyond shocked. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“A lot has happened in three months” I said

“Yeah, but some things remain as they are” He said…

“Like?” I asked

“How I feel about You” Reuben said sweetly and calmly. I felt the Words. The five words were intentionally and deliberately said.

“Good night, Pastor Reuben” I said quickly hanging up…

I was still thinking about how He must have adopted Timo and how clean Timo would be looking, when his text came in…

“My email is [email protected]. It was fulfilling speaking to you tonight, it feels like having ice cream after a long while… I Can’t wait to see you next month… Timo sends his love…”

Reuben, Your Friend.

“God how can someone be almost perfect like this?” I asked the Lord…

Part 20
NWALA ; THE BITTERSWEET STORY
Opeyemi Akintunde

The next few weeks leading to the Fire week had me in mixed feeling I was chosen as the head of his protocol since I was a member of his church; I was to book his hotel accommodation, take care of his welfare as they believed I knew him better.

The mixed feelings was that of fear of seeing him after shunning him off, and on the side I was excited.

The D-day came and I was literally shaking when he stepped out of his car. He had driven himself and I could see the way two of the protocol ladies were in awe of him, same with the two male protocol officers…

“We are so happy to have you here” I said trying to sound as official as possible.

“Thank you Nwala” There was no hiding with Reuben, he made it known right there, that we were familiar with each other.

“We will like to take you to your hotel to relax before the evening service”

“Ok” He replied

“The student bus will go ahead and you can follow us” I said trying to run away as far as I could

“Ok” He replied again

We; the protocol officers rushed towards the bus, but Reuben was not planning to let go of me easily.

“Nwala, ride with me”

I wanted to say No, but that would be raising too much eyebrow.

‘Ok sir”

I got into the vehicle, and his first question amazed me.

“How is Daniel?”

“He…He is fine”

“I am trying to move on”

“Good to know” I replied swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

“I pray Daniel makes you happy” He said

“Amen”

“Your mum keeps asking how it is going between us and just to save your neck, I keep telling her we are still getting to know each other”

“Thanks, no wonder she never ask me about Daniel”

“I gat you” he said smiling. Those three words felt like promissory words to me like the Vow couples exchange during their wedding.

There was a moment of Silence after that, but Reuben was not ready to waste any minute we were spending together.

“I hope Daniel grows in the Lord, so Mum’s fear about him will not materialize”

“He is growing, he now attends church” I said eagerly…

“Good to know”

We got to the hotel and I led him to his suite. From that moment, I saw a shift, he started treating me very official. I believe the conversation we had in the car had shown him there was nothing that could blossom between us.

*****

The two days Reuben ministered were FIRE in capitals. He taught on “KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD” and he connected it with aligning with God. He set the campus on fire. I saw things clearly. I wasn’t aligning with God. If I was in alignment with God, I wouldn’t be with Daniel. Daniel didn’t see the point in Christianity. He believed Christianity was just an ideology. He believed in God the supreme being, but he didn’t believe he needed an intermediary in the person of Jesus.

Reuben taught us the need to align with God, so we may know his plan and purpose for us…

On the last night, he told us all to spend thirty minutes in the presence of God asking HIM for His will for us as regards any area of our lives.

There was a sentence that stuck with me…

“It’s okay for your pastor, your parents to receive God’s will for you in career, marriage, business, but what makes you at peace with that choice, is hearing from God yourself”

I felt like he was talking to me about us… I took the session of prayer seriously…

“God, what is your will for me in marriage, is it Daniel or Reuben or none of the above?”

“HONOUR THY FATHER & THY MOTHER, THAT YOUR DAYS MAY BE LONG”

I heard the words clearly.

That was probably the first time, I would get an express answer from God.

There was no b€ating about the bush, if I were to honour my parents in the relationship matter, it would be to go for Reuben…

I stood up from the service, I didn’t want to hear it. How could I leave Daniel? No, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair, why continue the circle of rich marrying rich…

“This is not about class, but beliefs” I heard another response in my heart…

“Abraham sent his servant to look for a wife for his son from among his people, Abraham wanted a wife for Isaac that shared his beliefs… Daniel doesn’t share in your beliefs, but your mother knows Reuben does. Just like Abraham, your mother has chosen rightly for you” I heard these words as I paced angrily in front of the chapel…

No! I didn’t want to let Daniel go…

“Nwala, are you okay?” I heard my Service Unit leader in school say

“Bro Jeff, is it right for God to tell you to leave a man you love and marry a man your family loves…”

“Yes… He is God and He knows the end from the beginning. He sees what your future with the two men hold for you…” Bro Jeff touched my shoulder, and it felt like he threw me into a vision.

*****

I saw myself in a small apartment. I saw our wedding pictures; Daniel and I, hanging on the wall… I saw Daniel coming in very drunk.

“Daniel…” I rushed towards him

“Get your hands off me, you unfortunate human being, I thought marrying you will give me a life God never gave me, but no, I am back to where I never wanted to find myself. Your useless parents are of no good, they can’t even give you money…”

“That’s because they never supported our union”. I heard myself saying

“Then poverty will kill us and the children. Stupid girl! And yet she will keep shouting ‘God! God’

Can you imagine your mother has not been here to see your twins…” Daniel kept ranting

******

I found myself racing swiftly to a new place and I found myself in a beautiful house. I saw the wedding pictures… It was Reuben & Amara.

I saw Reuben carrying Amara. Amara was heavily pr€gnant…

“Don’t let me fall” Amara said laughing

“How can you fall when you are in my hands?” His smile was genuine, loving and sweet.

“I am just saying”

“How can I let my babies fall… The big baby and two small babies”

“Reuben, you keep prophesying babies, please I don’t want two” Amara said happily like a child.

They were so beautiful to watch.

“God told me they are two, he told me our first fruit will have two seeds…”

“Well, we will split the responsibility, you will carry one, while I carry the other”

“No problem, I gat you”

The ‘I gat you’ had a deja vu feeling. He had said that to me in reality and now in the future, he was saying it to Amara.

That made me realize that Regardless of Who Reuben married, he was going to have the woman’s back. Tears poured out of my eyes as it looked so real and I felt a great pain of loss in my heart…

“I love you darling” He said to Amara.

*****

I jerked back to the present with tears in my eyes..

“So what’s your choice? Bro Jeff said like he knew what I had seen…

I opened my mouth, but couldn’t find my voice…

CLICK HERE TO READ “NWALA ; THE BITTERSWEET STORY” (PART 21&22) – OPEYEMI AKINTUNDE.