THE FIGHT FOR LOVE (A CHRISTIAN STORY BY DE-RACONTEUR) EPISODE FIVE

 

(Did you miss episode 4? Click here)

 

THE FIGHT FOR LOVE (A CHRISTIAN STORY BY DE-RACONTEUR)

EPISODE FIVE

Getting to the front of the Olawuwo’s gate, I sighed deeply and smiled.

 

 

“The day is finally here!” I exclaimed as I adjusted my simple, turquoise Yoruba cap.

 

 

 

“Cover me with Your Favour oh Lord and let everything work out well to Your Glory. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen” I prayed silently, picked up my phone from the pigeon hole and dialed Mo’s number.

 

 

 

“Hello sweetness” Came her luscious voice that tickles my heart.

 

 

 

“Hello Pure Bliss. How was your night?” I asked and she chuckled.

 

 

 

“I kinda like this new name” She giggled shyly. “My night was fine”

 

 

 

“I have loads of names for you my one and only. This is just one in a million! As each morning comes, a new name comes too! You are too much of a gem to be restricted to only one name.” I sang on and she burst out laughing.

 

 

 

“Emmy! C’mon! Thank God you know Jesus! Whaaat!”

 

 

 

“What would have happened, my baby?”

 

 

 

“You are too roman…” She paused and started laughing. “Don’t let me start my Saturday being carnal joor. How was your night?”

 

 

 

“Fine. I dreamt about you” I smiled again, looking to my rare mirror and seeing my milky eyes boiling with love.

 

 

 

“Sweetness, stop joor! What dream…”

 

 

 

“Your Emmy wouldn’t lie, would he?”

 

 

 

“No he wouldn’t. Okay then, tell me.”

 

 

 

“Erm….I won’t tell you anymore because I am angry that you didn’t believe me at first!”

 

 

 

“Oh my God! C’mon!” She screamed lovingly.

 

 

 

“Come and open the gate for me before mummy changes her mind o” I said and she screamed again.

 

 

 

“You are already around?”

 

 

 

“I am too early?”

 

 

 

“This is just 6.30am. You didn’t sleep at all?”

 

 

 

“Oh, I guess I am too early then”

 

 

 

“We haven’t even had family devotion yet.”

 

 

 

“Oh really! This love ehn! See how the thing dey do me o”

 

 

 

“What will you do now?”

 

 

 

“Just come to your window and wave at me. Seeing your image from afar should suffice at least.” I said and she smiled.

 

 

 

“Okay. I am at the window now. Can you see me?” She asked and I opened the car door to look towards the house.

 

 

 

“You look very adorable even in the wee hours of the morning”

 

 

 

“Emmy! God will forgive you” She burst out laughing. “You can’t even see me clearly from there, can you?”

 

 

 

“Well, the little I see is a representation of the much I can’t see and that little alone is explosi….”

 

 

 

“It’s okay my poet. Oya go back home or something. You can come here around nine”

 

 

 

“Alright my pure bliss.”

 

 

 

“And I must say you look so sweet in your buba and soro and the cap sits so well on your head like you were born with it” She complimented and I blinked severally as I felt so sweet.

 

 

 

“Thank you, Her royal majesty. All thanks to the Lord and to YouTube for the amazing tutorials” I joked and we both burst out laughing.

 

 

 

*******************

 

I sat down in one of the settees and waited endlessly to see a soul.

 

 

I had arrived like thirty minutes earlier and the house help who had come to help with some house chores had led me inside, informing me that my future mother-in-law would join me soon.

 

 

 

Mo’s number was no longer reachable too. I sat well, reading a Myles Munroe book on my phone and talking to God intermittently.

 

 

 

Soon, the most gorgeous elderly woman I had ever seen descended the stairs, calling my attention with the clearing of her throat.

 

 

 

I jumped up at once as she walked towards me with the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

 

 

 

‘Immediately you sight my mum, you go flat in prostration’ I recalled Mo telling me and before you count 1 and 2, I was on my face, flat!

 

 

 

She started clapping and laughing as she tried to raise me up. As I stood facing her, she gave me a sweet hug.

 

 

 

“Welcome. Welcome my son” She said and I felt good on the inside.

 

 

 

“I am so delighted to meet you mum” I said and she smiled.

 

 

 

“So, you already know that I am mum?”

 

 

 

“Sure ma. I can see who Mo and her sister picked their flowery beauties from ma. You are a garden of beauty!” I said and she started laughing seriously.

 

 

 

“You are too funny son! Oh my!” She laughed some more and I joined too, feeling really awesome. She looked really different from what I had had in mind about her.

 

 

 

“Erm….Mo!” She called out loudly after a while.

 

 

 

“Yes mum! I will be out in a jiffy” I heard the voice. But it sounded kinda different.

 

 

 

Soon, Mo came out of the room looking all radiant in a white silky gown reaching down to her knees. A blue belt held it at the waist. Her hair was well pulled into some plaits and her eyes glowed.

 

 

 

I stood up, smiling largely to welcome her.

 

 

 

“Hey sweetness” She smiled but I noticed some kind of uneasiness as she did.

 

 

 

‘Is she not happy?’

 

 

 

‘Why doesn’t she look great?’

 

 

 

After exchanging some pleasantries, she sits beside me and smiles severally. It was my turn to be uneasy. There used to be a mole on my Mo’s neck, it wasn’t there.

 

 

 

And she smells different too.

 

 

 

I giggled all of a sudden.

 

 

 

It wasn’t Mo! It was her twin sister that acted like Mo!

 

 

 

“What’s the matter, sweetness?” She asked and I burst out laughing, clapping my hands as I did.

 

 

 

“I refuse to be fooled. No, I refuse to be fooled. You try, you try” I laughed the more, still clapping.

 

 

 

The two ladies in the sitting room joined me in the laughter spree. They knew I had caught them.

 

 

 

Soon, the door flung open and Mo jumped out, looking extraordinarily elegant.

 

 

 

“I knew he could tell! I knew it! My sweetness is a genius!” She started screaming and jumping up. It was the first time I would see her that really hyper.

 

 

 

Mola stood up from beside me and smiled.

 

 

 

“I didn’t act well, did I?” She asked, smiling graciously.

 

 

 

“You did! You almost fooled me!” I laughed thunderously.

 

 

 

“Mo’s mum asked me to do this o. I was going to be on my way to work when she brought up the ridiculous suggestion. I congratulate you for really knowing what you want” She extended her hand and I shook them gladly.

 

 

 

“It’s my idea that is ridiculous abi?” Mummy said and we all laughed.

 

 

 

“Mummy, you and your beloved daughter shouldn’t start in front of our visitor o” My Mo said.

 

 

 

“Go away jor. Your visitor must know that your mum and your sister have issues every day ba?” Mummy asked and Mola clapped her hands together.

 

 

 

“I wonder o” She said and we laughed some more.

 

 

 

“This is such a happy family” I noted and they all nodded, somewhat awkwardly.

 

 

 

“It’s nice meeting the man that makes my sister’s heart race. The man all the way from Germany!” Mola greeted so courteously. I smiled widely.

 

 

 

“It is nice meeting the lady that shares almost all attributes and features with my pure bliss. The pleasure is mine” I said and bowed slightly.

 

 

 

“Don’t say you are going to work now o. Eat with us before you go” Mummy called after Mola and she looked back at her in a weird way.

 

 

 

“Well, that would be a first time in a long while but because of Emmy, I can spare a few minutes” She said.

 

 

 

“I am honored” I smiled.

 

 

 

“You’ve been giving my twin all the attention that I am seriously envious right now” Came Mo’s voice and everyone burst into laughter again.

 

 

 

“I am so sorry Her royal highness” I said and bowed again.

 

 

 

“So, mummy, this is Emmy. You know, few days back, my mum asked me. ‘Do you really love that guy?’ and I was like, oh yes, yes, yes!’ This is the guy mum” She said sweetly yet shyly. I looked at mummy’s face and she started to smile.

 

 

 

“He is a charming, sweet, lovable guy, who won’t love him? You should thank goodness I am married; I would have found him before you” Mummy joked and we started another round of laughter.

 

 

 

“Mummy, don’t start with me o” Mo joked.

 

 

 

“Better stop me” Mum went on with the banter.

 

 

 

“And this is Mosunmola Olawuwo my only sister! She’s the best sister in the world” Mo said and Mola started smiling.

 

 

 

“Yeah, that’s who am I” She jokingly boasted, raising her shoulders.

 

 

 

“It’s so nice meeting you sweet sis”

 

 

 

“The pleasure is mine brother” She said and faced mummy almost immediately. “I guess we should eat now very quickly. I need to be at work”

 

 

 

“Right!” Mummy said, jumping to her feet. “Shall we all move to the dining please?”

 

 

 

We moved to the well laid dining table which looked like the widest I had ever seen. Different kinds of fries, fishes, meat, veggies and salad, rice and mound foods, sauces and soups and so many bottles of wines and juice decorated the table.

 

 

 

It was my first-time dining with the family and it felt really wonderful as we laughed a lot, ate a lot, drank a lot and got to know ourselves better.

 

 

It was really a moment, unforgettable!

 

 

 

******************

Mum slotted in a DVD and soon the whole dim-lit sitting room was covered with some amazing bright motion colors.

 

 

The telephone started ringing all of a sudden.

 

 

 

Mummy picked the remote control and paused the movie as Mo went over to the desk beside the TV to pick the call.

 

 

 

“Mummy, the egg supplier is at the gate of the estate. Are you buying eggs?”

 

 

 

“Of course, I am buying. We need eggs” Mummy replied

 

 

 

“But why won’t she drive inside the estate as she does? Who will go and collect the eggs now?” Mo asked.

 

 

 

“You of course”

 

 

 

“Mum, I have a visitor”

 

 

 

“So, I should go myself and bring the…” Mum was asking, sounding almost angry when I jumped up.

 

 

 

“I will go. Describe the person to me. I will go and use my car to bring the…”

 

 

 

“Never mind sweetness. I will go.” Mo said calmly. Turning to her mum, she said “I am sorry mum” will a small pout.

 

 

 

“Better. If it is because of the movie, we will pause it. Quickly go now. You know how Dennis’ mother can be. People rush her eggs anyhow. Before she tells us stories that tickles the bombom, quickly go and meet her now.” She said and soon, Mo was set.

 

 

 

“Mum, take care of Emmy for me”

 

 

 

“Who am I that I won’t?” She asked and I smiled.

 

 

 

“I will be fine” I said reassuringly.

 

 

 

“Ok, thanks. I will be back shortly. Please feel at home.” She said as she left.

 

 

 

As soon as we heard the closing of the gate and I turned to meet Mo’s mum’s eyes, fear gripped me! She looked at me with so much intent that I shivered at once.

 

 

 

“Emmanuel?”

 

 

 

“Ma?”

 

 

“As I ask you these questions, answer me quickly and carefully okay?”

 

 

 

“Okay ma”

 

 

 

“What is your full name?”

 

 

 

“Emmanuel Chika Brown”

 

 

 

“You are Igbo?” She asked with her nose raised in contempt.

 

 

 

“Yes ma.” I said and she giggled in a kinda absurd way.

 

 

 

“What do you do?”

 

 

 

“I am a software Engineer”

 

 

 

“You work with which company?”

 

 

 

“Euro-eng. It’s a world-class tech company in Germany”

 

 

 

“How much do you earn per month?”

 

 

 

“2500 Euros”

 

 

 

“In naira please?”

 

 

 

“About 1.2million naira ma”

 

 

 

“You don’t think that’s too small to take care of my daughter?”

 

 

 

“Erm….we will grow together ma”

 

 

 

 

“Why do you want my daughter?”

 

 

 

“God led me to….”

 

 

 

“Apart from God’s leading!”

 

 

 

“Erm…she is a very special lady. She is beautiful, courteous, prayerful, consistent and hardworking. I really can’t say why I love her without mentioning God. Because God is involved, I am really so in love with her than you can imagine ma”

 

 

 

“Did she tell you that I said you people can’t be together?”

 

 

 

 

“Yes ma”

 

 

 

“So, why are you here?”

 

 

 

“She told me you invited me ma”

 

 

 

“Alright. Do you know Mo has had tuberculosis before?” She asked and I smiled.

 

 

 

“She told me it happened when she was small….”

 

 

 

“Even though! The thing is actually hereditary. My grandmum had it, my mum had it, I had it, she had it and we don’t know about her unborn….”

 

 

 

“They can’t have it ma! For me, when anyone tells me ‘It runs in the blood, in the family’ and so on, I will look on boldly and tell them ‘It gets to me and it runs out completely!”

 

 

 

“Hmmm…you are not bothered?”

 

 

 

“Why should I ma? We have all had our share of life’s troubles. Thank God we do not look like what we’ve been through”

 

 

 

“So, you really want to marry my daughter?”

 

 

 

“I sincerely would want to marry her ma”

 

 

 

“What is the name of your church again?”

 

 

 

“The Way of the Cross Ministry”

 

 

 

“What are the doctrines of your church about marriage?”

 

 

 

“We believe that God leads in marriage. We believe that a man should have only one wife all his life till death do them part. We believe in sexual purity before and in marriage. We believe that none of the spouses should deny the other of his or her body. We believe that marriage between a man and a woman is a representation of the relationship between Christ and the church. And therefore, a man must love his wife as his own self and she in turn must submit to him”

 

 

 

“Hmmmm” She sighed. “Impressive”

 

 

 

“What church do you attend over there in Germany”

 

 

 

“The Way of the Cross Ministry ma”

 

 

 

“Still the same church? You have a branch there?”

 

 

 

“Yes ma. I was commissioned to start the German branch two years ago”

 

 

 

“So, you are a pastor?”

 

 

 

“Yes ma”

 

 

 

“Hmmmm” She nods on. I really tried to search her face to know where she was headed but I just couldn’t arrive at any conclusion.

 

 

 

“Do you know why I sent for you?” She asked.

 

 

 

“No ma”

 

 

 

“Okay. I will tell you.”

 

 

 

 

“When you entered here, what did I call you?”

 

 

 

“Son, ma”

 

 

 

“From today, I am taking you as a son” She said and smiled largely. I smiled too, rubbing my palms together gratefully.

 

 

 

“Now, the point I am making is this my dear son. If you are my son and Mo is my daughter, what kind of relationship can be between you two? How can a brother and a daughter get married to each other?” She asked and my heart stopped almost immediately.

 

 

 

“Ma?” I asked to test my eardrums.

 

 

 

“You cannot marry my daughter!” She said with a finality.

 

 

 

“If not that Mo is daft, she would understand what I meant when I said it would be over my dead body for her to get married to you. Did she think I was joking or making some empty threats?” She said again and the whole world seemed to be spinning really fast- too fast!

 

 

 

 

“Mummy, but why?”

 

 

 

“I don’t like you! If the mother doesn’t like you, how would you marry the daughter then?” She asked and I shook my head.

 

 

 

“I will learn mummy. Whatever it is that you want me to do, I will learn. I am so sorry for not being my best” I said, my throat suddenly losing its moisture.

 

 

“Son, you can’t change a whole lot of things about yourself just to please me”

 

 

 

“Mum, just tell me what it is. Please tell me”

 

 

 

 

“Okay I will tell you. Can two work together except they agree?”

 

 

 

“No ma”

 

 

 

“The Bible says do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather….”

 

 

 

“Reprove them” I completed for her.

 

 

 

“You and Mo are two completely different human beings. She was raised in the way of the Lord since she was a child”

 

 

 

“I was too ma!”

 

 

 

“In that your Cross or what church?”

 

 

 

“Yes ma” I said and she burst out laughing.

 

 

 

 

“I don’t like you! You are a good boy, you are funny, you are handsome, I can see you know the Scriptures, you love my daughter, thank you! You have a manageable job, glory to God but I don’t like you! Not for my daughter”

 

 

 

Tears rushed to my eyes as I threw my head backwards.

 

 

 

“I don’t like your church! My experience with your church members has been really negative”

 

 

 

“Oh, really ma?”

 

 

 

“Really!”

 

 

 

“Also, I hate Igbos generally! I hate everything about that tribe. All they know is money. They won’t take care of one’s daughter.”

 

 

 

“Ah!”

 

 

 

“I told you! There is nothing you can do about those two things. Nothing!”

 

 

 

“But mummy, the Lord is the one bringing us together. The leading is so clear that…” I was saying when she went on her knees and started crying.

 

 

 

 

“Leave my daughter alone! Is it by force? Leave my family alone! Our family has been in peace before your coming. You came and like a bad omen, you disrupted out peace and are about stealing our joy”

 

 

 

 

“God forbid! Me?”

 

 

 

 

“My great grandmother, grandmother, mother and myself got married in Bible Life Church and till our generation would be over, we won’t stop being members of that church! You cannot come now and take my daughter away”

 

 

 

“Mummy, but…” I was saying against when she placed her hands on her head and wailed loudly.

 

 

 

 

“If you love my daughter, you will leave us alone! You will not want to hurt her mum. Leave us alone Emmanuel or what is your name! Go and look for another lady for yourself! Don’t bring my family to shame! Other families get their daughters to get married in the church, mine will not be a different case. Leave me alone!” She wailed on, making the whole house shake really badly.

 

 

 

“I told you she has had tuberculosis before, you still want to go on. You can see how hard and evil her mum is, you still want to go on?” She asked.

 

 

 

“It is not even about my love for her alone mummy. This is the Lord’s bidding”

 

 

 

“Stop it! The Lord said we should get married in Israel and never go to Egypt.”

 

 

 

“Of course, mummy. We are all Israelites. We shouldn’t have any fellowship with unbelievers…”

 

 

 

“Like you! Don’t try to justify your own church” She stands up, moved to a settee, brought out a brown envelope and threw it on my laps.

 

 

 

“That is a million naira that I borrowed from the cooperative society. Please go back to your Germany and leave my daughter alone”

 

 

 

I placed the money on the table and shook my head.

 

 

 

“You shouldn’t go this far mummy”

 

 

 

“Insult me! Get angry and insult me!”

 

 

 

“I can never ever do that mummy”

 

 

 

“DO that! I am giving you a go ahead! Do that!”

 

 

 

“Mummy, I can see that you are determined to see the end of us” I said, standing straight, fumbling with my car key. “But I will tell you ma that no man can stop the Work of the Lord! No man whatsoever can meddle with the works of the Living God. I believe that. I believe that.”

 

 

 

“Preach to me! Preach on! Throw the little knowledge of the Bible you have in my face and preach on! I have been in the Lord for about forty years now. You weren’t even born then. But that is not even the case now. Just leave us alone in peace!”

 

 

 

“I will take my leave now ma. Immediately you change your mind….” I was saying when she slapped the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

“Give your phone to me! Give me your phone!” She screamed scarily and I gave the phone to her. She typed something very quickly and gave it back to me.

 

 

“What did you do ma?” I asked when I couldn’t find the last visited app in the cache.

 

 

 

“Do not worry about what I did on your phone! But see, boy, if I ever see you round my daughter, no, if you ever call, text or keep in touch with my daughter Mopelola or her sister Mosunmola or you come near this place, the Holy Ghost Fire will burn you to ashes! Destiny destroyers, Holy Ghost fire burn you!” She shouted into my face as she started to push me away from the house.

 

 

 

 

“But I can chat them up on…”

 

 

 

“If you do anything like that, you will die young! Your parents will mourn you! You will amount to nothing in this…”

 

 

 

“Ma! You are a woman of God ma!”

 

 

 

“Remind me! Please remind me!” She shouted on, snatched my car key from me, unlocked my car, pushed me into the car and banged the door after me.

 

 

 

“May we never meet again!” She said calmly through the window. “If ever you contact my girls or come close to this gate, you will lose your life!”

 

 

 

I looked up into the once angelic face I had seen in the morning. She had become so fierce- fiercely dark!

 

 

 

I bowed my head in silence on the steering. Just then, I heard the door open and she threw in the brown envelope.

 

 

 

“Don’t ever return that money to me or anybody. Use it to leave the country! Go and marry your church girls! Go in the Name of Jesus” She continued and I was really aghast!

 

 

 

It felt like I was dreaming!

 

 

 

I hoped that Mo would come around and meet me in front of their gate, being insulted! If she was only going to bring in eggs from the Estate gate, she should have returned.

 

 

 

“Lord Jesus!” I exclaimed for the umpteenth time as the gate was banged against me.

 

 

 

I had serious heartburn at once as I constipated too.

 

 

 

Tears welled up in my eyes and as they rained down my face, I broke down into serious tears.

 

 

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WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 4.

 

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