Simon laid on his bed but he couldn’t sleep. He kept pondering on what his mother had shared with him earlier in the day. The look his mother had was so surreal, something he cannot remember having.
These past months have been heavy on him. His emotions have been here and there, nothing near peacefulness.
Honestly, he does not want to have anything to do with his father. Simon sees his father as a hypocrite and seeing his mother and how his father’s hypocrisy can break her and steal that peace away from her, he hurts in his heart. ‘I must protect my mum’, Simon said to himself.
Vera had come to meet him where he sat by the water fountain at Some Peace and Quiet after she was done in their booked lounge. She knew Simon was already into her story and he surely wanted to know the end of it. He didn’t ask her anything but there was anticipation in his eyes.
Simon recalled how his mum started smiling so beautifully when she began to talk about her experiences after giving her life to Christ. Papa and Mama had received her with such open hearts that it did not take long for Vera to tell them who she was and all the circumstances that surrounded her.
They had both shown Vera great compassion; they said and did nothing judgmental. But they had one task in mind. They were going to look for her aunt and uncle in the town she had moved away from.
Accepting that as the rightful thing to do, Vera agreed and in a couple of days, they were standing at the entrance of her aunt Vivian and uncle Tim’s home.
Neither of them was there!
Another family had moved in and they have no knowledge of the previous occupants. Papa and Mama followed her to her aunt’s workplace, they were told that she had resigned! Uncle Tim? He had transferred to another town.
Thinking about it for a brief moment, Papa asked that they return to their own home. It was not worth looking for uncle Tim. Mama agreed and Vera said she was so joyful that they did not go to look for Uncle Tim.
She was not sure she wanted to have anything to do again with the man. And so they returned and Vera became their adopted daughter though unofficially.
With time, Vera saw that Papa was not in any way like uncle Tim and he proved to her in many ways that he was deserving of her respect and that he had Christ at the center of his life, guiding his every decision.
He made sure she was enrolled in a school to continue her education and in time, she was preparing to write national exams and to go to the university. Vera was a bright student and she put in so much efforts so as not to disappoint Papa and Mama.
In all these, Papa and Mama rarely spoke about David, their son, but they always prayed for him. Their prayers were simple, never elaborate: ‘Lord, save David. Call him by Your name. Make his life beautiful in Your will’.
His mum, Vera, mentioned that she had always wondered what kind of son their David was and how hold he was.
Soon enough, she met him. That day, Papa and Mama were not home and won’t be back till the next day. Vera heard a knock at the front door and opening it, she finds a young man who might only be older than her by 6-7 years. He definitely is not a member of their church as she had never seen him before.
‘Good afternoon, sir’, Vera greeted him. ‘Who do you seek?’. Dave looked lost at first, wondering who this lady was. ‘Are my parents home?’ he responded.
Oh! So this is the mysterious David! She thought. ‘No they are not. They travelled out of town and won’t be back until tomorrow. Come in’. She stepped aside to let him in.
‘Are you home alone?’ He asked her. She nodded affirmatively.
‘Don’t worry, come open the Church for me. I will stay there till they arrive tomorrow and they let me in.’ Glad with this arrangement, Vera grabbed the keys and let him into the Church. She offered a mat, a wrapper, and dinner which he all accepted.
She did not hear from him until Papa and Mama returned. He had asked her not to make him breakfast the next day. God so good, Papa and Mama returned before noon the next day.
When Vera told them that David was around, there was a shocking look on their face but Mama’s shock soon turned to joy that she dashed off to the church to see her son.
Papa waited for the two to return and soon they were both back. David gave his father a full prostration on the floor to honour him.
Vera exited the living room to give them privacy in their reunion but she kept wondering what happened that might have estranged David from his parents.
Vera shared with Simon that she later found out that Dave had sent a letter to his parents during his service year after the University education that he would not be returning from there.
His reason was that he liked the life he was able to live over there, away from their watchful eyes and constant dictating of how he should live his life.
He wanted freedom from them.
His parents never got to know the kind of life he lived in the University nor during his service year but while courting Vera, he shared those details with her.
Vera did not go into detail about David’s past life to Simon but Simon could not care less.
David moved back home from the town where he had served far away in the North. He got a job in a bigger town close to where his parents lived. He gave his life to Jesus shortly before he moved back home to be closer to his parents.
God had instructed him to return and be near his parents. He started coming around his parents home more often and became the son they had always prayed he would be.
Not quite long, Vera also gained admission to a university under Papa and Mama’s sponsorship. It was at her graduation ceremony that she found out that Dave had been the one paying her school fees. His parents only settled her rent fees and feeding money.
Over the years, she had come to respect David a lot as her elder brother and they had grown very close. It took Vera a lot of private time with God in prayers to be sure that God was leading her to Dave as her future husband after he had proposed just when she was leaving for her service year.
By that time, David too was already in Pastor’s school. Papa and Mama were both so glad that their David found a wife for himself in Vera.
They had seen Vera grow in the Lord and they had seen David equally soar in his faith in Jesus. They were convinced neither of them will pursue marriage out of mere affections.
Vera and Dave were both too God-driven to do that.
Simon reflected on what his mum shared last as she wrapped up her story to him. She had told him that his father, Dave, is a child of God and he loved the Lord. He might have many innumerable faults but God loves him like that and will keep working on him till the final day Christ comes.
She said, ‘I shared this part of my life with you because I don’t know what is going on with you these past months. You have not been the same you, my son. I hope that you will share what is on your mind with me and let’s both ask the Lord for help.
Your daddy is concerned as I am. See how life started out for me but my Lord turned it around by making all things work together for my good.
Why don’t you let Jesus work things out for you too instead of letting it weigh heavy on your mind. Why don’t you share what is going on, Simon?’
Simon, seeing the direction the discussion had turned to, he was so moved by his mother’s gentle and soft voice that he almost gave in to spill the beans to his mother. But, briefly remembering how his mother can be, he hesitated and said nothing. He simply hugged Vera and suggested they prayed and leave.
Vera simply had this helpless look of defeat on her face and after a deep sign, she lead them in prayers.
As Simon kept turning on his bed, he had to sit up and he wondered what to do. The more he thought about it, the more confused he felt.
‘I have to go find that senior after my suspension.’
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Wheeeeew!
I sincerely apologise, dear reader, for not posting new episodes for some two weeks. It was not deliberate. I believe I am back. Do not forget to share your views in the comment section. It’s just a click away.
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Checkmate Episode 21
