Checkmate Episode 13 (By Adeyoola Ojemola)

Bisi gently closed the book. There was more in the book but she felt that was enough for her at the moment. She remembered going on her knees right there, just by her bedside, she could not bring her thoughts to words.

She simply knelt right there and communicated with the Lord with her silence, her thoughts still running through. If she said anything at all, it was ‘Lord…’.

The next thing she knew was her name being called from the living room, she realised she had slept off. She wondered what was wrong with her. She had many things to say to the Lord, she said none of it and there she slept off!

Hurrying off to attend to her mother’s voice, she soon returned as her mother had gone out for an impromptu meeting and she was home alone. Hence she sat up on a chair, wondering what to make of the recent turn of events in her life.

Not that she had not had previous advances from men, even brothers in her church, campus fellowship, and even service year, but she always felt off in her spirit about them. They just never seemed right for her.

Honestly, a friend had once told her she was proud. Why? Because most times, she does not bother with spending prayers on some brothers. She was hundred percent sure they were not for her. Sometimes, the knowing was very strong within her especially when she was tempted by some likeable traits in the brother.

Her response to the supposed friend then was that marriage was very important to her. If she is ever getting married, she has to get it right and only God can choose for her because He knows her future and all about her. He alone knows the right man that will be best for her.

The said friend gave some grunted response to her words. Bisi later found out that the friend had simply been jealous that the brother she liked had professed love to Bisi. The friendship surely did not last long.

Bisi’s beliefs about marriage were strongly influenced by her parents. Not that their marriage was perfect but she saw how attentive her father was to her mother and she saw how her mother would never make a decision unless her husband was in on the matter.

When she was a teenager, she was often irritated by both of them. Her mother seemed so reliant on her father and Bisi’s father, he seemed to be in possession of their mother. When he is back from work, he alone has to have his wife’s attention. He seemed talkative to Bisi. How can a man talk so much?

Older now, she realised how naive she was. She has come to realise that her mother never lost herself to the care of her three children, she always made their father a priority above them and her father had made his wife his best friend. He was never chatty among his male friends, only with her mother.

Now, as the only child presently home with them, sometimes, they forget she was home. Bisi has learnt to retreat to her room, by herself, not bothering about the both of them.

Bisi’s service year as a secondary school teacher also exposed her to many marriages as she took time to relate with her students and some of them opened up to her about their families. Some of those students had it ugly at home.

Once, a mother came to pick up her son from her class. Not long after, the father came too. Seeing the boy’s mother at the class entrance, the student’s father gave her multiple slaps, right there, in public! It took three male teachers to hold the man away from the woman as he had begun to rough handle her.

Bisi had already taken off her scarf to cover the woman’s blouse as it had torn in the front, exposing her underwear. By then, all the students were standing outside. Bisi’s student had never been more ashamed.

The boy later shared that his mom had come over to take him away from the schools and run away from home with him because his father was always beating his mother and sometimes brought his girlfriends home with him. His mother was often at home when he did that! The student’s mom eventually left home but without her son. She ran for her life!

Remembering that incident gave Bisi a shiver down her spine.

She stood up from the chair she sat on and blurted out to her Father in heaven, ‘I can’t afford to choose for myself in marriage.

Please choose for me.

I have asked in Jesus name multiple times that You tell me about the man I should marry, but You only told me that I will know when it is time. You gave me a Bible verse and that was it.

Daddy, is it brother Gideon? I can’t say yes to him unless I am certain You have orchestrated it. He did not share anything about the verse you gave me as my confirmation in his letter. As sweet as his convictions are, Lord, I will have to say no!

I also told You that I would like the man I will marry to ask my father first for my hand in marriage before he asks me. I don’t think Baba Bisi got any such letter for he has said nothing to me about it.

But if I am wrong about this, please don’t let me use my human formula to miss Your will for my life! Override my will and let Yours alone prevail!

In Jesus name, Amen!’

Bisi finished praying about Gideon’s marriage proposal to her. She felt she still had some free time before her mom returned home. It was still going to be a while before her father returned from work. She picked up Gideon’s journal just to keep busy instead of sleeping.

It was an interesting read for her because Gideon kept writing about various things on missions, evangelism and related matters. Soon she was at the last page of the journal and at the very last lines, her eyes caught the verse! The very verse she knew by heart already!

Gideon’s handwriting seemed neater and clearer when he wrote the verse, the prayer of Jabez ‘Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!’ And God granted what he asked” (1 Chronicles 4:10).

Bisi jumped out of her bed because this felt unreal!

That year’s retreat when she prayed about her marriage, God gave her this verse and told her not to worry for He will give her a blessed marriage, enlarge her border in marriage, His hand will be upon her in her marriage, He will be with her in her marriage, keep her in her marriage, and her marriage will not bring her any pain!

This was only four years ago!

Bisi prostrated before her God, right there in worship for He had proven Himself as One who keeps His Word. She need not doubt Him! Bisi worshipped and wept before God!

Just as she was rounding off her prayers, her parents returned at the same time. She had told herself not to get ahead of herself. There is still one more confirmation she had to receive if it was really Bro Gideon.

Bisi could never forget that day in her entire life! Never!!

Bisi wondered to see her father return so early. It was three hours earlier than he would return. She asked her mom why he was home so early and where they had met to arrive home together. Her mom only casually responded that he wanted to take a rest.

Hearing that, Bisi went off to her parent’s bedroom. She gently asked her father from the door if he was alright, if his health was fine? He responded with a calm voice that he was healthy so she should not worry. He requested that she fetch some fresh water from the well so he can take a cool bath.

She did his bidding and went off to help her mother in the kitchen. She noticed that her mom was making more meal portions and she asked why? Her mother gave her no verbal reply but a simple shrug of her shoulders.

She didn’t bother. She continued with grinding the pepper on the stone and minded her business.

Bisi then guessed they were going to be having a visitor as her mother began to peel yam for pounded yam. They only ate that on Sundays after church and that day was only a Thursday.

Or was it Bayo, her older brother, who was coming home? She doubted that because he was no special visitor unless he was bringing a woman home to show the family. She laughed at the possibility!

Neither can it be her younger brother, Bade. He had only left home for school recently.

She minded her business. After they had finished with meal prepping, she went off to take a shower as she had felt smoky from manning the firewood cooking stand. She was dressing up after her shower when she heard her mom welcome someone to their living room.

She could not pick the voice so she continued dressing. Soon, she will meet the mysterious guest she had been cooking for. Her dad soon joined the guest and her mom came to knock on her door that they had a guest. Not long after she came out.

Just as she stepped out from behind the curtain to greet her parent’s guest, she stopped in her tracks and her jaw felt like it would drop!

Gideon was sitting there in their living room!! What was he doing here? How did he get here?

She swallowed her shock and greeted him cheerfully. Gideon was also on his feet already, giving her the brightest smile she had ever seen on his face!

After exchanging pleasantries, she was about to walk away towards the kitchen so she can quietly make sense of what just happened when her father called her back to come sit.

‘Bisi’, he said, ‘I believe you know Gideon. So no need for the introductions. I received a letter from him at my work place about two months ago.

He requested for your hand in marriage.

He shared his convictions with me in the letter’.

Bisi’s heart missed a beat or two then it began to race, fast. ‘I replied to him’, her father continued ‘about a month later and I gave him the permission to tell you.

I also let him know that it was your choice to make and we cannot influence anything. Two weeks later, I invited him over to come and speak with you physically considering that he honoured me first. I should also honour him.

But he shared with me at the office today that he had sent you a letter immediately after he got my first letter. Did you get any letter from him recently?’

Bisi responded, ‘Yes sir, just this morning. The parcel came in this morning’.

He continued, ‘Well then, we will leave you both to talk. He has lodged at the pastorium but I told him he will eat dinner here. So when you are done, let us know so we all eat together. Bisi, take your time, no rush. Just listen to him’. Then it was just Bisi and Gideon in the living room.

Bisi saw Gideon rubbing his palms together on his seat. She laughed within her at how nervous he was. Then, Gideon cleared his throat and asked, ‘Have you gone through the letter and the journal?’ He finally looked up at Bisi and saw her smiling at him, nodding her head.

He continued, ‘ I will like to tell you something else that was not in the letter. I began to get attracted to you when you came over to my workplace as an intern. I consulted God about it and if you really were for me.

I had to be sure that what you said that day in your church about being a missionary’s wife was meant for me, that you will be my wife, by my side.

Apart from that, I had wanted to tell you about my feelings back then when we worked on the same team but God told me the time was not right. I finally got the go ahead about two months ago and I just knew to reach out to your father first. When he gave the go ahead, then I sent the letter you got today.

If you check the date, you will see that it was written just about a month ago. I did not know it just got to you today.

This is me telling you, Adebisi, that I love you. I want to marry you as my other half, the strength for my weak points and I want to be the strength for your own weak points. I want you to complete me, make me a complete man.

Please, prayerfully consider being my wife.

That’s all I came to tell you.

The entire room was super silent! Then Bisi spoke, ‘When will you be leaving?’ ‘First thing tomorrow morning’, he replied. ‘Alright, then. I have heard all you have to say. Please let me keep your journal till tomorrow morning.

When you are leaving, you can pass by to collect it’. Bisi stood up and called her parents from their room for dinner.

They all ate and the table seemed merry. Bisi was also cheerful but her heart was singing merrily to her Lord for He had fulfilled His Word. Gideon soon left for the night.

Bisi requested an audience with her parents. She thanked them for having her best interest at heart. Then she shared her own convictions with them that Gideon was God’s choice for her.

They did not need any convincing for they had also received from God concerning her. Her mom stood up, hugged her and her father prayed for her.

Bisi, filled with joy, wrote a long letter for Gideon, giving him a very big YES to his marriage proposal.

When Gideon came over the next morning to pick up his journal, Bisi had slipped her letter into it.

Gideon opened the journal when he sat in the vehicle, waiting for it to be filled. He saw her letter first and was surprised. He opened it and all that she said made him shed a tear.

She had given him a YES!!!!

Gideon alighted from the bus and headed back to Bisi’s house. Seeing her open the door when he knocked made him know that she was expecting him to come back.

Bisi’s mom was also eagerly waiting.

She seemed to love love stories. Within a year, they were married and their life-long commitment to each other began, twenty seven years and still counting…

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Bisi kept turning on her bed. Something’s not right with Theresa.

She stood up from her bed and began to pray. Since she did not know what exactly she should pray for, She simply prayed in tongues for Theresa…

After a while, she headed out to the village square to meet Gideon. She still can’t shake off the feeling but as she walked on, she kept on saying,

‘Jesus, please be with Theresa. Keep her. Don’t leave her…’

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