Mara 7

EPISODE 7

My back ached badly as my tummy thumped in pain.

I fell to the ground, holding my tummy in anguish

But I could not lose sight of this weird guy staring at the ground as if he could not see a woman fall right in front of him.

Yet he called me mummy!

Was I really going to die?

Was this a post-delivery trauma?

The guy smiled

I was shocked!

Like, a person could still smile at another’s calamity and pain?

At this moment?…oh No!

The most annoying part was that the guy hadn’t even looked at me since over an hour that I had been staring at him.

“You aren’t gonna die” he said in a distinctive way and I looked at him intently

“What!” I exclaimed

Could he read minds?

How did he probably get what was on my mind precisely?

How?

He smiled again as if he knew exactly what was on my mind.

“Do you read minds? Like, you are an astrologer or astronomer or something?” I was forced to ask and he not only smiled, he burst out laughing

“Oh mummy…!” he exclaimed and I was amazed

Mummy?

He wasn’t looking into my face

Or was it a dream?

Was this person just an angel conversing with me in a dream?

I had to pinch my cheek in a bid to reassure myself before I was convinced that it was real.

“Who are you?” I asked loudly, my heart racing fiercely.

He didn’t answer

He fumbled with his hands and I became charged to talk the more.

Who is this man?

“Why are you not looking at me? Why are you talking to me with your face down?

Why?” I asked, almost angrily

This man had made me to stress myself beyond the limit.

But…just realizing…

My bleeding had stopped!

I checked myself up and started jumping hysterically.

He grinned loudly and clapped his hands.

But he wasn’t looking at me.

I stopped jumping and looked at him

He was absurd

“Look at me for once mister man!” I shouted at him and he shrugged

“Why? Why do you want me to look into your face? Why?” he asked on

Was his face shaking?

“Isn’t it weird that one would be talking to someone and he doesn’t care to maintain eye contact? Isn’t it?” I asked and checked if he would change his mind and look at me but he didn’t.

I continued

“It is even wrong that someone obviously younger than me would not obey a simple request of ‘look at me!’ is it a big deal?”

“No it’s not” he said, he sniffed wetly

Was he crying?

“When I look at you, what would I see?” he asked and I was amazed

Was that supposed to be a question?

“You would see me! Isn’t that supposed to be something?” I was almost screaming

I was going crazy

“No. I would see darkness…stark darkness I mean” he blurted out and I was taken aback

Darkness?

The darkness howling over me was that visible?

Oh my God!

“Not that you are darkness yourself” he said and I sighed

So what?

“When I bend over a piano, I see light…only light. Not even the black and white keys…I see light! That is why I prefer to be bent and glare at the light.”

What?

What a weirdo!

Or did he have an undisclosed spiritual illness?

“But when you look up, you see darkness?” I asked and he nodded

“Stark darkness!” he emphasized

“Why?” I inquired the more

He looked up at me and I looked intently at his face

Handsome!

Good eyes…

Nice lips

“You look really good. You are handsome” I exclaimed and he smiled handsomely

“Thank you mum” he said as he blinked over and over again

So, what’s the problem?

“But I can’t see.” He announced loudly and I frowned a bit

I didn’t understand at all…

“I am blind!” he said slowly as tears ran down his face

He smiled and bent over the piano and started playing “I know who holds tomorrow” rhythmically

My heart leaped and almost jumped out of its cage

He is blind?

OMG!

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know he holds my hands

He sang sonorously as his tears fell to the ground

My heart got swollen within me and I almost wished I had some powers to calm his fears

“What’s your name?” I asked and he stopped playing the keyboard

“I am Jabez Maradene” he said and my eyes widened

Jabez?

Maradene?

Isn’t that Mara?

Those two names, I had never heard anyone being called by them ever!

“Why?” I asked and I realized that I might have asked a very ridiculous question

He smiled ruefully

“I was born in affluence as the only child of my parents.” He explained on and I nodded

He looked really affluent.

Fresh body

Fresh hair style

Fresh spoken English

Fresh everything!

“My dad was the only child of his parents. Both parents of his were also only children” he said and I was speechless

Partial barrenness!

That was the name I gave to such!

“Same thing with my mum.” He said and it really killed it all.

“Wow!” I spat out

He gave me a ‘You have not heard anything look’

I listened

“I had achieved a lot of feat all my days on earth. At 8, I won the America’s got talent show and it was a really great wonderment” he said

“I was called Daniel Williams then” he said.
So what made him change his name?
Daniel and Williams are very great combinations of names

“I am a Pilot. I studied Aeronautics in the university and it’s been great until last year” he breathed heavily as tears rolled down his face

I felt like holding him in a very warm embrace but how could I hold someone else’s husband close to my chest?

I felt weird about the slightest thought of that.

But what could have happened over the year?

What could have made him to go blind suddenly?

“But you must understand the braille well?” I asked and he shook his head

“How?” he burst out crying, holding firm the keyboard stand

“I became blind last year…late last year!” he added and I shook my head in grief

“What happened?”

He explained how his wealthy father was assassinated and as they mourned his death, his mother was killed in chemical air pollution in their home a week later. His mother had died protecting him.

Tears ran down his face uncontrollably

“She bent over me, covering my nose with a wet cloth so I could still breathe while she inhaled the murderous substance” he said in a shaky voice

Did he know Jesus then?

“Yes we were saved. We all trusted and believed Jesus but we must have been careless that we didn’t notice that there had been an intrusion of a devil incarnate. It would be the handiwork of a close acquaintance who seeks to inherit my father’s estate. I am sure of that” he said further

I wondered how he got the sight loss then

“I lost my sight…”

How comes this guy knows and answers every questions in my heart that I hadn’t even asked for?

How?

“That was the gift God gave me immediately I realized that I was blind. The gift of revelation” he said again and I was amazed

“So as I was saying, before my mum covered my face with the wet cloth, I had inhaled some of the substance. So, in the process of covering my eyes with a wet cloth, I exhaled the chemicals and I choked, my eyes watered and I was there for like 45 minutes before my mother’s hands slipped off me and she gave up the ghost” he cried as he completed the story.

I had started crying too

What motherly love!

I couldn’t hold it again as his story sunk in my skull.

I went close to him and gave him a very large hug.

He held me tightly as if I shouldn’t go again and we wept together

Many questions ran through my mind.

We were just so the same.

We had lots of similarities

But who named him Mara?

How did he get back to Nigeria?

“I didn’t see her face. I didn’t see her face. Before she died” he lamented

“Awwwww” I uttered silently as my face hugged his, feeling his thumping, hot head against mine

“As I noticed that she had slumped, I removed the clothes to check her and then I felt it against my skin- her very cold and stiff body. As I groped in the darkness of my misfortune, someone covered my face with a towel and dragged me away while I screamed and fought for my life. I thought I was going to die but I woke up to find myself at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, still blind” he narrated on, still in my embrace.

Wow!

Which is worse- mine or his?

“A man told me that he was going to Nasarawa and asked for my destination and I quickly said that where was I going to Nasarawa too. He gave me a lift to Nasarawa and I alighted. I found help to the nearest church and that was how I found myself here two days ago. I had been praying since then” he said and I heaved a loud sigh before we disengaged from the hug

But how did he possibly get that name?

“Jabez Maradene was the name on the passport with which I travelled back to Nigeria. It was a really planned job by whoever did it and ….” He covered his face.

“And you have come to accept the name? Is that it?” I asked again

“I have just come to accept reality. But God has consoled me though. He told me that someone who could relate with my problems would come to me and that from her, I would rise again.” He said and I paused

“And that person is me?” I asked

“Yes. He said I would became even greater than I have ever been” he said and I looked away in doubt

He must have heard God wrongly.

Me?

Even I need help

Exactly what is he saying now?

What is this?

My breasts became fuller, very heavy and I quickly held them in pain

My hands became wet.

I looked at my blouse and it was soaked

Breast-milk?

Don’t remind me of my pains oh Lord

“Madam Glory!” I heard a familiar voice call from outside

My doctor!

Then I had the ‘wien wien wien’ sound

“A baby?” I asked suddenly, pulling at Daniel’s hands

Daniel smiled as he looked at me as if he could see me

“Let’s go home with our baby mum” he said and I withdrew from him quickly

He knew about this too?

I looked towards the door and there was my doctor smiling graciously with her pastor behind her with a baby wrapped in a shawl in his arms

My heart leapt for joy

I placed that aside as I faced the budding issue at hand.

But how do I house a fully grown man in my house?

How?

How do we get food and all?

“He works in way, we cannot see, he will make a way for us, he will be our guide, holds us closely to his side, with love and strength for each new day…” he started singing again, sonorously as he stood up

What an elegant height!

I surrender to you Lord.

“Let’s go home son” I said and he smiled widely as I held his hands warmly

I felt like he was a part of me that had been long lost.

I felt like he was just a part of me

God will take care of us.

He will!

As I held my baby in my arms, I pecked his small face and he smiled

“I name him Daniel. My Daniel” Daniel said and I laughed

“Yes Daniel!” I agreed as I smiled again

As we were set to leave, I placed Daniel’s hand in Doctor Flora’s hand and she looked into my face, giving me a shy look

“What?” I asked and she looked away

I was confused

“Is she a doctor?” Daniel asked and I smiled, looking awe

“Yes she is” I replied

Flora smiled

“Are you from America?” she asked and he nodded

“Yes. You know me?” he asked

“Daniel Williams right?” she asked again and I looked into Daniel’s face.

He looked perplexed

“Yes that’s my name. You know me?” he asked again

Doctor Flora shrugged

“Somehow. But the last time I knew about you, you could see. What happened to your sight?” she asked and I gave her ‘You shouldn’t have asked jare’ look

“You know me?” that was what he asked again

She smiled

“It seems so. But we’ve got to do something about your sight first. Madam, go home and let me meet with certain optician friends in Abuja. This has to be attended too” she said, left his hand and walked out of the church hurriedly

I was dazed

“Have you been to Nigeria before?” I asked him and he shook his head

“God is great” Pastor said and that was when I realized that he was still standing with us.

I looked into his face and he was grinning happily

Was there something I didn’t know about?

“Is her name Flora?” Daniel asked again and I could only nod

How did he know?

“You know her from somewhere?” I asked

He shook his head

“I just guessed” he shrugged

“Let’s go home boy” the pastor said as he held his hand, looking so excited

I followed behind foolishly and wondered what everything was all about

“The Lord is just too great. Miracles falling upon miracles, all in a day!” he exclaimed happily

“Halleluyah!” Daniel said too

I became jealous

“I thought he said I was his mother” I whispered to myself

“I love you mum” he grinned

I gasped

I had totally forgotten that I had a mind reader beside me

It sucks!

….but in a cool way!

I smiled

>>>>>>>>>>>>
I opened the freezer and my heart jumped into my mouth

“Oluwa ooo” I exclaimed and my husband jumped in

“What’s it?” he asked and I stood with my arms akimbo

“Jare, I placed four cartons of fish here yesterday so the caterers would work with them today but now it’s three I can find in here. Oh my God!” I exclaimed loudly and my husband smiled as he clapped his hands together in a mocking manner

“Ololufe mi, don’t kill yourself with hypertension o” he said and I became infuriated

“Do you know how much the fish costs? The fish are not the Nigerian type. They are shipped in from Brazil” I explained on and Adejare looked on in awe

“Madam Story! Were you not the one that asked me to take a carton out so I could boil and grind for you to make Moin-moin this morning?” he asked and I opened my eyes wide

I had totally forgotten

“Sorry” I said, smiling sheepishly

He brushed my nose with the tip of his index finger

I was tickled

“You are already growing old” he said and I smiled

“Then you are growing older” I said

“Really!”

“Really!” I replied

“Well, the older we go together, the greater our love would be” he said and I looked into his face amazingly

This obviously couldn’t be my husband

“Amen” I said slowly and he pulled me closer to himself

He planted a kiss on my forehead

“I thank God for your life. This past one year have really been like a honeymoon to me” he said and I smiled great peace in my soul.

“Glory to God alone. If not God, who could it be?” I asked

Daniel ran inside and came directly to me.
He tugged at my wrapper and I picked him up.

“Mamma mamma…” he repeated as he pulled at my blouse

“Suckie suckie” I played with his mouth

My husband shook his head as he twisted his mouth to a side

“This old man isn’t even shy to start sucking… zame on you” he joked and we laughed about it as my baby boy feasted on his fleshy food while my husband looked away shyly

“Na you sabi” I said, smiling as I backed him

I heard some clapping and the curtain was drawn

It was Doctor Flora

“Amairiya!” we echoed together as she entered, beautifully clad in very nice traditional attire

She blushed and covered her face

“I go love o…see my old papa and mama playing love here ooo”

“Isn’t it starting already? Isn’t the loving loving thing starting already ni sister!” I said and my husband frowned as he faced her

“Never you call us old o. Never ever !” he said, seriously

We all laughed

“Yes sir” Doctor Flora said as she saluted like an army woman.

We laughed again

“The programme would start anytime soon”

My husband said

I laughed

“Are you so much in a hurry? Isn’t this just an introduction ceremony? What if its the D-day? Its just 7am and the programme is slated for 1pm” I said and he scratched his head

“Don’t mind me. I just love ‘Love stories’” he said and we laughed

“Hmmm…that’s a really great testimony” I said and he pecked me again

I slapped him playfully

“There are little children around please” I said and he smiled

“Where is Dan please?” he asked and I smiled

“I am sure he is peeping from behind one of the curtains to behold his beauty queen” I said, winking at the glowing wife to be of my son!

We laughed again

Doctor Flora smiled

“God works in mysterious ways” she started and I listened

Whenever she talked, it was always meaningful

“God brought pains your ways in order for you to understand Dan’s pains. God brought Dan pains so that he could come back home and be established…” she was saying

“And meet you!” My husband glowed with excitement as he talked and we laughed happily

“I am happy for you guys” I said and she genuflected

“Thank you so much mum. Thank you for taking care of him and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit!” she said, hugging me

The curtain was drawn and there, behind the curtain was Daniel, his face laced up in tears.

I smiled

“I knew he was behind one of the curtains” I said as I grinned happily.

“Come boy” my husband said and he walked into his embrace as they hit each other in the guy way.

I watched on

Doctor Flora’s face was down as she appeared so shy.

He knelt before her and held her legs

“Thanks for saying you would marry me especially when I had nothing. Thanks for obeying God’s will”

“Thank God you have everything now and even perhaps still have nothing, it would have been you yet! I love you” She confessed poetically and my husband clapped as he snapped the duo.

“I love this! Oh my my my!” he sang on

I was excited.

“This lesson I learnt immediately I became healed from my illness and I met Christ.You were created by LOVE to be loved
You were created by ONE to be one!” my husband said and I clapped my hands

“That’s beautiful…. One, Love…. That’s God!”

Hmmmmm… Marriage is a sweet thing

The past one year made me forget all the suffering I had ever gone through

As I pondered on all that had happened to this point, the telephone on the living room rang and my husband ran to the receive it.

“Those workers are already expecting their alerts o… It’s month end… It’s must be the manager” I smiled

Our company workers could be very funny and they love money like kilode!

“Daniel, it’s your call.” My husband announced and Dan stood up to look at him.

“My call?” He asked as he walked doubtfully to the phone

“It’s an international call” He said further

We started walking into the room as I strapped my sleeping baby to my back

He collected the receiver

“Hello”

“Darling Dan”

“Mum?” he almost shouted

“Hold on for your dad dear” we heard and we were awed.

“Son!”

He laughed as tears ran down his face

“That’s my dad. That’s his voice. But you were dead dad! You were dead. Both of you” he exclaimed loudly, obviously happy.

“Where do you stay in Nigeria?”

“Nasarawa State dad”

“Isn’t the Book Haram insurgencies there?”

“No dad”

“OK son. We are coming back home”

“What!”

“No place like home… Expect us next week by His grace”

“Jesus! This can’t be real. It can’t be!” he cried as we all went down on our knees to pray.

“The Lord that turns Mara into Joy, you are our God, the Lord that answers our cries… You are our God” MY husband started the prayer session as we looked up to the heavens with out hands raised high to him
The End!

Hallelujah!

Thanks for staying Tuned

I so love you guys and there is nothing you or anybody can do about it…. Lol!

Catch yah later!

 

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