Abba

She had been weeping every night
for several weeks before she summoned
the courage to go and wake her father
up at 2AM on morning
Her father was a pastor
Her Father was a "big" pastor
She grew up seeing the good deeds of
her father and how much he invested
in other people and their children
Her mother used to say her father
was unduly sentimental
The type that would spend a pound
for other people's children before
spending a penny for his own
She knew her father for herself and
could testify that this was not true
Her older siblings were all academically
sound
They gained admission into the University
with ease
She was the last child
Everything about her was dull and slow
She repeated three classes in both 
primary and secondary school
She failed her University entrance
examination several times
Her father eventually got her into
a private university
She graduated with a pass after
spending six years on a four years
course
That had been her pattern from
the beginning
Her father was always patient
with her, encouraging her
Of course, her mother was tough
on her for being such a dunce
But she was always assured of
her father's support and love
After she graduated, she couldn't
get a job
Her grades were too poor
She couldn't even get admitted for
a Masters degree in any university
She opted to go into business
She told her father
He supported her
Gave her some money to get
a shop and travel to Dubai to
get goods
Helped her get a loan in a microfinance
bank he had shares in
The business took off very well
Surprisingly, she found out she
was quite good at managing the
business and turning a profit
She was able to employ some
marketers who visited offices with
her wares and helped her push
her goods
Finally, she found something she
was quite excellent at
Her mother was very proud of her
She was making so much money
and investing the money into
the business
She kept expanding
She eventually got despatch riders
and branded vans for her wares
Her goods were listed on all the
online shopping platforms
She was also making a lot of sales
through social media
It was a miracle of miracles
The failure was finally able to lift
up her head and rub shoulders with
her siblings and friends
Nobody looked down on her anymore
She had made her own success story!
She had never been in a relationship
because of her slow academic progress
She was always in class with students
much younger than her
Secondly, she was scared of combining
a relationship with her academics
She always told herself she could barely
cope when she was fully committed to
her studies
What would she do when she had to
combine an emotional distraction
with it
So she set her eyes like flint on
making something of herself first
It was a target that somehow paid off
bu then she couldn't get a man to
pay her any attention
It was a problem she couldn't run to
her father for
She waited and waited
She went to churches
She joined several choirs
It was said that choir members of
many churches engage in a lot of
ungodly relationships
She was willing to test out that
myth
The myth was a lie for her
The instrumentalists didn't look
her way as popularly believed
When she tried to make friends
with any guy, she would be given 
the cold shoulder
At first, she didn't drive anywhere
hoping some guy will notice her
later, she started driving, hoping
it will draw attention to her
She was dying of loneliness
She wanted to get married
She decided she was at a disadvantage
by living with her parents at the age
of thirty-two
She got an apartment and moved out
Still, nobody came calling
She made friends with some ladies
hoping their company would bring
some attention to her
All the ladies got married one by one
She was there to celebrate and hope
but it never happened
Her father clocked seventy
The children threw a party for him
Many relatives came calling
It was a glorious party
Later that night, her father called
her and told her he had a heart
condition that ought to have
killed him in his sixties
Doctors didn't know how he had
survived to make it to seventy
But he knew God preserved him
so that he can train all his children
and see them become a success
Her father said his heart has been
drawing closer to His home above
He would soon go home to be with
the Lord
He just wanted to let her know he
would soon be gone
She should "man" up and be strong!
That was the day she started
feeling sad
She was thrity-five and she was still
single
Her father had done everything to
ensure she was a success in life
He invested ten million Naira
in her business directly apart
from the loan he secured for her
through the bank
He had done more than most fathers
would do for a child
She wished he would be at her
wedding
She desired to be given away
in marriage by her father
She desired to see him carry her
children
Why was she delayed
Why was she alone
Why was no one interested in her
How could she always be the 
slowest one to achieve anything 
of all her peers
That was the question she went 
to ask her father
She wanted to know why her own
"head" was not working without
his constant assistance and push
And if after he died, he would still
be helping her push her head and 
deatiny from heaven!
She cried so much
Her father began to cry with her
He had never seen her so broken,
so sad and unhappy
That morning, her father told her
not to worry
He was sure God would keep him
alive a while longer until he settled
her in her own home
Her father called the Brother in Jeans
and T-shirt
He said "Son, can you see me at home
by 11AM"
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt said
"Yes sir"
Her father was the first Pastor the 
Brother in Jeans and T-shirt learned
the realities of the power of God from!
He was a humble man who lived a
majestic life in Christ
Though not known for extraordinary
or spectacular spiritual exploits,
he was a man of the Word, a "discipler"
and a teacher of many teachers
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt got
to their house by 9AM
A good father does not call his 
children twice
Her father was in his sitting room
She was with him
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
was ushered in
Her father explained the issue
He said "I want to go home soon, 
this is my desire and I have seen
my home above!
I am drawn to it day by day
but I do not want to leave anything
undone as I put my house in order!
I want my daughter married within
six months!
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt 
looked at the young lady
She was on her knees, her eyes 
streaming with tears
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
fell on his knees too
He said "Daddy, you have issued a
decree, I am a witness sir!
It shall be so!"
Her father nodded
She wiped her tears
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt left
Two weeks later, when she returned
home from a business trip to China
She discovered that she had picked
the wrong hand luggage
She called the airline immediately
Three hours later, in the middle
of the night, she got a phone call
The person with her hand luggage
was on the line
The man wanted to know how they
could meet to exchange the mixed
up luggage
She told him where she was
He said he would drive down to
her house early the next morning
He came as promised
they talked a bit
She told him her business
He told her he was working on a deal
with a production company in China
He was also a businessman
He said he could get her goods for
cheaper
They became fast friends
One month later, he asked her
out
Two weeks after that, he proposed
He was forty-two years old
He had never been married
He had spent the last twelve years 
building his business
He met her parents and she met his
The two families agreed on a month
Exactly six months to the day
she went to rouse her father from
sleep with her tears of sorrow
She got married!
Her father gave her away as she 
had prayed
One year later, she delivered a set
of twins
Her father was there to bless them
Her joy was full!
Her father died while she was pregnant
with her second set of twins
The pregnancy was four months gone
He died at the age of Seventy-three!

PS: She lives in Lagos with her
husband and her two sets of twins
The second set of twins are eight 
months old now
The Lord turned again the captivity
of her Zion, she is like one that
dream!
Glory be to God!

GSW's notes:
There are Fathers of our flesh
Whose walk with God has made 
their lives an epistle of who and
how God is in our realities
Not many people are privileged 
to have such a father
I celebrate such fathers with
all gladness
Some of them would call my phone
and I will fall on my knees wherever
I am
They had done so much for my 
walk in Christ that all those who
I am walking with "in" Christ today
also owe them a huge debt of gratitude
God bless you, sirs, for your labour
of love over your children