Illusion

Her Father came to her room the night before she was to resume in the university

He came to have a heart to heart talk with her

He spoke with her like an adult

He started by telling her for the thousandth time the circumstances surrounding her birth

Her mother had wanted a boy desperately

Her mother already had three girls

He begged her to let it go

He was fine with his chromosome donations and the end results

But she wouldn’t let it go

Seven years after their last child, she got pregnant again

She delivered a set of twins

A boy and a girl

That night, she was sure her mother was with her brother

Having the same talk

She had always been daddy’s girl

She doesn’t know why but she understood her daddy better

And her daddy understood her too

Her daddy had been telling her about her husband since she was five years old

Her mother never ever understood it

Her daddy would say

“Go and wear a proper skirt, we might meet your husband to be in the mall”

Or

“Darling, please don’t let her powder be too much, her husband may not recognize her”

She always laughed at such teases

But he was serious

He told her the very day she was born that she would get married at 23

Her mother gave up at that point

Her mother didn’t understand why her husband talked like that to the children

He would ask their son as a ten year old

“Have you met your wife yet? It is never too early to pay attention to the Holy Spirit and His leadings”

10 years old!

Of course the children didn’t take him serious

But it somehow worked out perfectly

None of their children had issues relating with members of their own sex or the opposite sex

They were also very discerning

They know dangerous friends and they know how to say NO! Without any sentiment.

She looked into her father’s eyes that night

She could guess what he was going to say

He said: You are never going to be in need of a job, you are going to the university to compete only with yourself. The only reason I didn’t keep you at home was for your own good. You need to meet people and you need to leave the nest. 

When you get to school you will meet all sorts of men. Young men, the fancy, the rich, the proud, the poor, the wretched and the complicated.

They are all good people.

Some ladies like bad guys, you will never turn out to be one of those!

But look out for the boy full of the Holy Ghost. The boy lost in his love Jesus. Not the smooth preacher or the one whose words were the echo of another preacher or general overseer. This boy will be original, you will know he has the ears of Christ and the wisdom of God! That is your guy.

How do I know?

Well, I just described you!

You will see yourself in him and that is all you will ever need to see!!!

She hugged her daddy

A boy was the last thing on her mind!

She was just seventeen!!!

She planned to enjoy her life, meet new people, make new friends and do spinter stuffs before thinking of a husband!

She met the boy the very next day!

When they got to school, they waited at the cafeteria. 

Their parents went into the Bank to get their bank drafts.

She prayed silently as she had taught herself to do anytime she had some down time! Plus she was a bit nervous and praying the spirit helps to calm her nerves

She saw the boy, sitting quietly in one corner speaking inaudibly

She paid attention

He was praying in the spirit, just like her!

The only other person doing that in the cafeteria was her twin brother. They had been prayer partners since forever and did many things in common.

Her parents settled their fees and waved them goodbye

She settled in to the hostel and promptly slept off

The next day they started their fresher’s orientation week and registration

The young man she saw praying at the cafeteria the day before walked up to her and introduced himself.

He said, “I will like to know your name, one of the fellowship leaders said they need a female fresh student to lead the fifteen minutes prayer session and you are the only one I know for now”

She gave him her name

After the programme she walked up to him and asked him how he knew she could lead prayers

“I saw you skabashing in the cafeteria yesterday”

She laughed “You know this scene was in the Bible”

“I know” he said “The discussion between Jesus and Nataniel”

They laughed

And that was that!

He never declared his love verbally or anything like that.

They also didn’t define their relationship like everybody insisted should be done nowadays!

He had eyes only for her and He was in her heart!

They went through the university without any storms whatsoever! He never cheated, she never lost her concentration and their lives was full of great adventures.

They went on excursions with other students to many historical sites, ministered together in many campus fellowships, their parents on both sides accepted them seamlessly (His Father was also a preacher), and life was perfect!

A few weeks after they resumed their final year on campus, he fell ill. They prayed, he was taken to the hospital, the doctor diagnosed him of meningitis and acute malaria! He was treated! The disease persisted, he was rushed from the campus hospital to a general hospital! He was tested, diagnosed with paralysis-taken to a specialist hospital!

This was a young man who had never drank or smoked in his life!  A born again Christian. Her parents and His parents ran around to gather money. The school’s fellowship and well-wishers also pitched in. Doctors were suggesting medical tourism! India or Uk! Something to do with his nerves and the spinal cord!

What sort of strange affliction was this?

She didn’t understand it

They had prayed together for years, interceding and ministering to others.

She had prayed for him, but prayer had failed!

She crumbled!

God please, please, spare him. Please….

Her twin brother had been part of an exchange programme to the USA since his third session. He was an engineering student and they had spared him the details of the developments at home so as not to distract him from his studies.

She called him

Apart from her sick “Friend”, her brother had always been her partner from the womb.

Her brother was spiritually cocky

It works for him!

He took the next available flight

Got to the hospital

He didn’t greet anybody

He looked at their parents (All preachers!), he looked her! He walked into her “Friends” room

He shouted “So and So, Jesus of Nazareth has made you whole, stand up right now and walk away from that bed!”

Her ‘Friend’ opened his eyes and got up slowly

A nurse wanted to touch him (nobody knew if she wanted to lay him back down or help him up) her brothers’ glare froze the nurse’s hands

Her “Friend” got down from the bed and started walking with wobbling legs

His parents, her parents and her all looked on from the window

Her “friend” fell

Her brother did not move to help him

He friend pulled himself up and started laughing

Oh God!!!

It was as if he saw something or realized something!

Whatever it was, it worked!

His legs became strong and he started walking steadily

30 minutes later, her brother walked out of the room with his hands in his pocket.

He looked at her and her said “See?”

His cockiness sometimes put her off, but not this time

She flung herself on his neck and cried

He held her

He said: Sis, I didn’t heal him! He was never sick!! It was all an illusion!!! Have you forgotten the life of God is in Him? He just needed to be reminded, that’s all!

She didn’t care

Jesus had come through for her!

PS: She married her “Friend” at 23 as her father always confessed

They have three children

They are ministers of the gospel, located at the eastern part of Nigeria

Her brother is an evangelist

He also owns his own engineering firm

He is married with one child