HEART MENDER (A Christian story)

 

THE HEART MENDER
Written By: Lizzy Oyebola Oyekunle

My head spun around for a minute before settling down!

“Dennis, tell me again!” I said, my hand holding the phone firmly against my ear.

“Remi, I just said its over! Is it hard to comprehend?” He said, so firmly that I started chuckling furiously.

“So, you can still repeat it, huh? How can you say it so calmly like I mean nothing to you?” I asked, tears already forming in my eyes.

“I regret it too Remi but I am not interested anymore! I can’t seem to love you again! Plus, I find you burdensome in recent times!” He broke my heart further.

My jaws were suspended as tears plus mucus met at the tip of my mouth. It felt like my world had collapsed!

“Dennis, this is not true right? You are just joking, shae? Tell me its not true! Just tell me its not true!” I broke down in tears despite my resolve not to weep.

My phone beeped and I realized that he had dropped the call.

“Ah Jesus! I can’t believe this is happening to me! Dennis can’t be gone! Our friendship can’t just end! It can’t!” I wept on, shaking vehemently.

Picking up my phone, I dialled his line again. Over the seven months of my courtship, I had come to love him deeper than the four years we had even spent as friends.

He dropped the call. I tried again. He dropped it. I tried yet again. He picked.

“Dennis, you went on your knees in front of our friends to propose to me, face to face, not on phone. If you want to end it, why not do it publicly too, telling me to my face?” I asked, fuming with suppressed anger.

He started laughing.

“Would you like it if I call every of my friends, go on my knees and tell you, ‘Remi, its over!’ Won’t you faint?” He said and I gasped irritatedly. Why would he think so highly of himself?

The whole situation felt so weird.

“Remi, I enjoyed the times I was with you. Now, its over. I have moved on, please move on too” He said again and I couldn’t even think of what to do at that point again.

My eyes reddened as I swallowed.

“Dennis, you wouldn’t even tell me why?” I asked and the call dropped at that. My heart dropped with it!

When it resumed beating, I walked to my bed, jumped on it, pushed my laptop aside, picked my blanket and buried my face in it, crying so loudly!

It felt like I had been smeared with poop!

Everyone knew we were getting married!- Just everyone!

I rubbed the sides of my head when it felt like my head was swollen that it would burst! I tried consoling myself, asking the Holy Spirit to calm me down.

“Remi, you shouldn’t cry over a guy! You shouldn’t” I said to myself severally, smiled ruefully and my heart quaked again, tears gushing out of my eyes.

“God, its not easy! Ah! I have never loved any guy like I love him Lord! How could this be happening? Isn’t it Your Will Lord?” I wept on and on till I lacked strength and just laid in my bed, sobbing with self pity enveloping me like my mother.

_______
I moved to the mirror to style my hair when I saw my eyes!- they were as swollen as an ‘Agege bread’ each!

“I can’t believe this is me” I said again as I picked the mirror and moved to my bed. I looked at myself and the weakness on my face, tapped my tearduct as tears ran down my face again.

“Remi, pele (Sorry). Pele Remi. It is well with you.” I told myself in the mirror. “Even when no one is there for you, it is well. It is….” I resumed my tears again.

“Aunty Remi, ekaaro o (Good morning) Its past 9 o’clock and I’ve not heard your door open this morning. Are you not going to work?” My neighbor knocked at the door. I jumped up.

I would normally leave home around 6am to beat the traffic but I woke up around 4am and couldn’t even pray or read my Bible or even drag myself from the bed. I was so weak!

“Ese (Thanks) Mummy TJ. I will be out soon” I replied as I walked to the bathroom, splashed water at my face and moved out again. I slipped into a very simple gown, and packed my hair. I opened my drawer and reached for one of my dark specs. I wore it and dashed out of my room.

I was locking my door when Mummy TJ talked again. How I wished I could be left alone!

“Aunty Remi, you are wearing bathroom slippers to work?” She asked and I looked down at my legs- I had never been that ungathered in my entire life! Tears rushed to my eyes again as I opened the door and entered. I couldn’t even say ‘Thank you’ to my neighbor.

I got to the office around 11am and received verbal spankings from my boss. But for the fact that she saw my swollen eyes and red nose did she release me.

While settling down in my swivel chair , Debby my friend rushed to my side.

“What’s wrong with you? Have you heard too?” She asked almost together that I didn’t know which one to answer first.

“Tell me you haven’t seen it” She said and I sighed.

“Leave me Debby. I am actually not in the mood” I said and she held my shoulder warmly

“I know you’ve seen it my friend. May God help us and save us from evil friends in Jesus Name. The Lord will comfort you. I have just sent an e-mail to oga so she won’t sanction you if she finds you uncoordinated today. Even if it were to be me too, I would have even gone crazy sef!” She blabbled on and I kept wondering what it was that she knew that I probably didn’t.

“What’s the matter?” I looked up then. She pulled a chair to my side and dropped her phone in front of me.

My eyes became darkened completely when I saw the image on her phone.

“What invite is this?” I asked like I was going to finally go crazy like she had recommended earlier.

“That was exactly what I asked your friend when I saw it. Come and see our chats sef” She said and started scrolling down her phone.

I kept sighing and rubbing the sides of my head, not getting the right way for me to even react.

DEBBY: Temmy, I saw your wedding invitation but the name of the guy shocked me. Isn’t that Dennis, Remi’s fiancee?

TEMMY: Ex-fiancee you mean?

DEBBY: Ex- fiancee what way? Till yesterday when I saw Remi, she was in a relationship with him.

TEMMY: You think I will allow Remi get married to Dennis? They don’t even fit! And as her best friend, I know how promiscuous she is! She has even committed abortion three times!

DEBBY: Ah! Abortions?! Stop making things up! Temmy, so, that means, you’d been in a relationship with Dennis for long or why is there a wedding invite on your wall?

TEMMY: He saw me as a trustworthy friend after explaining how dubious Remi is to him. We became friends three months back. He proposed two months ago and our rings day is almost here!

DEBBY: This is sad! This isn’t how to treat a friend. You are even in a rush to get it done. That should tell you how unwise that step is! And Remi trusted you enough to even choose you as a Chief Bridesmaid!

TEMMY: I am expecting Dennis’ child! What about that?

DEBBY: What! This is wickedness of the highe…

I kept reading when I suddenly lost control of my mind and started throwing away all that was on my table.

The mouse. Then the keyboard. Then the cup of coffee left on my table.

I was about pushing off the computer when Debby held me from behind. I struggled with her, talking incoherently when I looked up and saw my boss’ face.

“Sack me already! Sack me!” I screamed at the top of my voice, pushing Debby off and throwing my hands in the air.

“Bode and Samuel, bring Remi to my office and call the nurse for me. Tell her to get some dose of tranquilizer while coming.” Our boss said and as the strong guys overpowered me, I felt like dying from their grip!

“Throw me! Throw me!” I kept crying. After losing both parents, I had felt that Dennis was the answer to my prayers! How wrong I was!

As soon as the nurse come over to my side, I felt a piercing on my right hand and suddenly started feeling dizzy!

Is that poison?

“It should be poison because I want to die! I want to seriously die!” I said as I felt my voice slurring till I couldn’t hear it anymore.

“Ma, my thought as regards this project is this: First, the target audience has to be streamlined to the youths; Second, the mode of communication should be majorly the social media; Also, enough fund should be pumped into advertisement; I will also encourage a simple and easy feedback mechanism so that people who get interested in the service could get it after just a click. This is my submission ma” I said and nodded as I waited for my boss’ response.

“I love that suggestion. Let’s appreciate her” She said and I smiled as my colleagues clapped.

“One more question before you sit down.” She said and I nodded.

“How do you feel today?” She asked and it felt so weird as all eyes was on me in a way so different than the way they’d been looking earlier.

“I feel sweet…”I said and paused. “…haha…today is my birthday and all the surprises from all of you and even my husband is making me feel all beautiful right now” I said shyly.

They had greeted me with a very large, pink cake, two pairs of shoes, a big card, a big portrait painting when I got to work- all at the request of my husband- Temitide!

My boss started laughing.

“You don’t want to die again?” She asked and I frowned a bit, trying to understand what she meant.

““It should be poison because I want to die! I want to seriously die!” She started mimicking me and all of us seated round the meeting table burst out laughing.

“How time flies! So, its been a year since I carried Remi like she was a piece of paper?” Bode teased and we laughed again.

“Oh my! It felt like I would die that day o.” I said and we started laughing again. “But I thank The Heart Mender for you ma. I mean the Lord Jesus. He led you to take me home and He took over from there till I healed!”

“Ma, I was in your house for three good days and you forcefully fed me when I wasn’t even ready to bulge! You prayed with me and consoled me! You even took me along for his wedding! I would never have believed that I would be there without anger and hatred in my heart but God used you for me! Ah…I can’t explain it all” I said and chuckled thereafter.

“Praise be to Jesus the Lord that we can talk over it now and laugh out loud.” My boss said

“Halleluyah!” Debby exclaimed too loudly and we laughed again.

“Heartbreak doesn’t actually kill! It leaves a hole in your heart and you decide whether to fall into it or just fill it up! I filled mine up! Mr. Heart Mender was by me all along. He filled it up for me! Glory!” I was excited talking about me in front of my colleagues-turned family instead of a staff meeting.

“And the Heart Mender as you call Him gave you a sweeter man than Dennis, whose name is…” Samuel conducted the seating and everyone including my boss exclaimed.

“Temitide!” (Mine is here) I felt so touched and tears rushed in my eyes.

“What tears is that in your eyes?” My boss asked and I laughed out loudly.

“Of joy!” I said, gleefully.

“The cameraman is here” A man with a face cap covering his head entered and announced. On a closer look, he looked so familiar.

“Temitide?” I called out and everyone started clapping as I rushed at him!

“Happy birthday to you love!” He said as he pulled me into an tight embrace. I felt so homely in his large arms!

There was silence.

“Abeg, my husband is in Ghana, don’t let me start to miss him!” My boss said and there was laughter once again. I faced everyone, holding Temi’s hands and blew them a kiss. They raised their noses at me like it was planned and clapped thereafter.

We were dining when Debby suddenly cleared her throat.

“You have a message” Debby said and we all turned to look at her. The way she announced it was so urgent.

“Who is it?” I asked and she stood up.

“Dennis”

There was silence.

“Happy birthday to the best woman in the world! Your husband is the most blessed man on earth. Temmy gave birth in the early hours of today and I am so happy she’s sharing the same day as you! I will live with the guilt all my life! Temmy is a thorn in my flesh!” Debby read out and when she was done, there were different reactions from everyone.

“Nonsense! So, he knows now!” Bode exclaimed.

“Reply him. Send ‘How is that my business? Live with the pain, rot in hell! Bastard!’” Samuel said too and we burst out laughing.

“God will forgive you!” I said.

“I guess you should just ignore him” Debby said and Temitide smiled.

“No, we aren’t doing that. I will reply the message.” He said and I looked at him with a funny face. All eyes was on him as he held my phone.

“Thanks for wishing my love a happy birthday. The Lord will mend your home too. And yes, I am a very blessed man, all the Glory to God! Congrats on the safe delivery of your baby. God bless and keep you! Stay in Christ!” He said calmly and Bode hissed thereafter.

“That’s too cold! Chai, if it were to be me, ehn…” He was saying when my boss cut in.

“Thank God its not you! Go away jare” She said, raising her nose at him. We all laughed at the funny way her face looked.

I looked into Temitide’s face and smiled. I found peace of mind in there.

IT took time before I say ‘Yes’ to his proposal but I thank the Lord I did!

Time indeed heals any broken heart!

It would feel like death at first, but you won’t die actually! You will heal!

———-
Thanks for the admonition Remi.

Hey sister and brother, your broken heart is just like an headache, it will pass! You shouldn’t beat yourself too much over that issue.

When you take painkillers to cure a headache, it usually subsides! If it doesn’t subside after three days of using the painkillers, what do you do? You see the doctor. The doctor then prescribes some antibiotics, antimalaria and other drugs for you. After using it, you should be fine. If you aren’t, further tests are done then and then enventually, you just would heal!

That’s how the matter of the heart is also. As Remi cried that she would die, everyone should feel that way when the person you love throws your love in the bin, says bad stuffs about you or even doesn’t want to have anything to do with you again.

I am not talking about your fiance or fiancee alone here. Your parents, siblings, friends, neighbour, pal, and all can throw the dagger at your heart or they could even die! At that point, don’t die! Just ensure you drag yourself to the Heart Mender. You will heal!

Even God is aware of the fact that our hearts can be broken and that is why Psalms 147:3 explains to us that we can come to the Power of the Spirit of God who ALONE “….heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds!”

David had a frind called Ahithophel. He trusted him so much! David had a double heart break from him and his son! His son overthrew his government and sought his life! Ahithophel joined the team of Absalom and planned together with him against his friend. A strong friend and a well beloved son, how painful could that be!

Yet, David healed and said in Psalms 34:18 that ‘…the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in Spirit!”

He ended it all with this verse in verse 19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all”

I hope you have gotten an assurance to hold on to? It will surely pass!

Your heart might have been stabbed mercilessly, don’t worry, it could be God’s way of saving you from endless fire! You never can say!

Bring your broken heart to Jesus! He is the heart mender!