MY BABY HUSBAND
Episode 17
© Ayo Omolayo
I was completely shocked by how Chris recognized my mentor immediately he saw her. I was only planning to introduce her as a friend of mine who was concerned about him and wanted to pray for him. I remembered when I told him about Mrs Juliet Thompson. Despite all my attempts to describe her, still, he didn’t know her.
So how was he finally able to recognize her without any introduction. I was still asking myself these questions, when Chris asked me a question.
“I guess she must have told you by now? She must have painted a terrible image of me just to turn you against me. She must have told you to make you quit the relationship!” He said and I was completely lost in the conversation.
What’s going on here? Who’s keeping a secret from me?
I turned to my mentor and found a warm smile on her face. What’s going on here?
“Chris, what did you do that she’s not telling me?”
Chris paused and looked like a defeated lamb. First, he looked at me and confirmed my ignorance. Then he turned to my mentor and met a friendly smile. To him, he saw it as a threatening one. It appeared she held an information that could lead to the end of our relationship.
“You mean she didn’t tell you anything about me?” He asked.
“No! She didn’t! Please tell me! What happened?” I asked.
He lowered his head and tried to hide his remorse from me.
“So who’s the evil woman? Who’s evil between the two of us?” I heard him say in whispers.
I turned to my mentor and met the same smiles I saw earlier.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Forget about it Cris! It’s nothing serious!” My boyfriend said and tried to pull me from getting close to my mentor.
I shook off his hand and walked up to her.
“Mummy! Please tell me? What is Chris hiding from me?” I asked.
She smiled and turned to look at Chris.
“Chris! What’s wrong with you? Why are you overreacting?” She asked grinning.
I turned to look at Chris and saw the confusion on his face. He looked like he had no clue to what my mentor was talking about. It seemed our relationship anchored on whatever she was about to say.
“If you can’t tell your true love about the visit you paid me and my family, then I would do so myself”, she said and his shoulders went up.
“Cris! She turned to me.
“Three days ago, we had a visitor. It was your boyfriend. He came to persuade me to allow you marry him. He’s such a lover boy”, she said grinning.
“Why were you so ashamed to tell her yourself?” She asked looking at Cris.
The shock had not left Chris’ face. I looked at him and almost laughed at how funny he looked.
“You mean you went to persuade my mentor to allow our marriage?” I asked smiling.
“Ye….ye….yes!” He stammered.
Chris is such a baby! Can you imagine he did that? What did he offer her? Money I guess.
I turned and looked at my mentor.
“Was that the reason why you agreed to allow me wed Chris?” I asked.
“Definitely not!” Came her response.
“So, what made you change your mind?” I asked.
I knew I was bound to ask that question sooner or later. I was just glad I had the opportunity to do so and it came so early.
She smiled and took my hands in hers.
“Cris, you’re not anybody’s puppet. You’re not anybody’s slave. You should be given the complete freedom to chose what you want and decide for yourself. You’re the master of your own destiny. You are to decide who to follow. You are to decide that for yourself.
And whether you chose God or your own path, it wouldn’t change my love for you. I’ll always love you no matter what. I’ll never hate you or abandon you. I’ll keep praying for you”.
She gave me a hug and patted me gently on the back.
“You’ll always be my baby girl!” She whispered into my ears and loosened from the hug.
“So, we were here to pray for a dying man. A man so in love and almost dying because of it!” She said grinning.
“I’m not a dying man!” Chris replied with a frown.
“I’m sorry about that. It was just a joke”.
She gave me a nudge on my stomach.
“Cris! Didn’t you tell your boyfriend I’m so good at making jokes?” She asked.
“I’m sorry about that! I didn’t do an introduction in the first place. Chris, meet my mentor, Mrs Thompson. Over here is her daughter, Tina Thompson”.
“Nice meeting you both! Though I would say this is not the first time!” He said and forced out a smile.
I knew that smile wasn’t genuine, but I pretended not to notice.
“So can we pray for him now?” My mentor asked.
“Of course!” I said, taking Chris’ hand and placing it on hers. I saw a negative reaction. He almost took off his hand immediately, but managed to stop when he saw I was watching.
“Lord! I commit your son into your hands. First I want to thank you for the salvation of his soul. I thank you for that dream he dreamt that led to his salvation. I thank you for using your daughter Cris to win back this lost sheep. I thank you for making Chris one of your beloved children. I thank you for reaching out to him through your daughter Cris”.
The prayers were still going on, but my eyes were already opened. If this woman knew all the lies she was telling God right now, she would stop the prayers. I can’t believe I lied to a soul that trusted me completely. Now, she’s making prayers to god with the lies I gave her. It was not supposed to be so. It was time I told her the truth.
I opened my eyes and looked at Chris. He was also staring at my mentor while the prayers were going on. We both knew these prayers were lies. We decieved her and she believed us.
As soon as she was done praying, she patted him on the shoulder.
“I’ll be praying for you Chris!” She said and turned to leave. I wanted to call her back and confess to her, but fear engulfed me.
I was too scared of how she would react to the news. Hmmm! Was this how I was going to continue struggling with everything God wanted me to do? This is so frustrating. I’m tired of living this way, but the more I wanted freedom, the more I was entangled.
I kept watching her till she was out of the ward. I ran after her.
“Cris you can’t miss this opportunity!” I said as I ran.
“Mummy! Please wait! I said as I ran.
“What is it?” She asked and I didn’t know where the fear I started feeling came from.
For 2 minutes I was unable to say anything.
” Is there anything you want to tell me?” She asked.
“Yes ma! I mean, no ma! I just wanted to say thank you for being there for Chris and I. I’m so glad you sacrificed your time and sweat for us!”
“Am I sweating?” She asked looking herself all over.
“No!” I replied giggling.
“Then why are you thanking me for sweat?”
“No! I meant your labour of love!”
“Oh! But I’m not coming from the labour room ooo!”
Even Tina started laughing.
“It’s alright Cris!” She said, when we were done laughing.
“That’s why I’m here for you! Feel free to call for my help when you need it. I’ll be right here to help you. That’s what mothers are meant for”, she said and gave me a hug.
I wanted to say it, but I just couldn’t say it. She turned and left.
I stood for a few seconds watching the exit door. My thoughts took me out of the hospital to the scene where Chris and I lost control and ate the forbidden fruit. Then the scene of me on the phone lying to my mentor came up next.
“I’ll always love you!”
Those words echoed in my head. It was a nurse who brushed pass me that brought me back to the hospital.
I turned and returned to Chris’ ward.
“I was getting worried already! What took you so long?” He asked.
“Are you afraid she told me everything?” I threatened.
I had the feeling my mentor was covering up for Chris. Why would she have an information that could lead to the end of our relationship and refuse to use it. Isn’t that what she always wanted? She was the one who kept resounding it in my ears that Chris wasn’t my man. Why was she protecting him now? I was confused.
Chris looked at me and bowed his head.
“Whatever I did was out of love for you!”
“Oh stop that trash! How could you do something like that?” I threatened as if I knew what he did. I was playing my cards very well to force out the information I needed out of him.
“I didn’t do anything!” He replied.
“Stop pretending! You went there and disgraced me in front of her!”
“What did she tell you?”
“Non of your business! Are you going to defend yourself by telling me your own side of the story or not?”
He was silent for a while. I kept watching him until I saw tears dropping out of his eyes.
I felt for him and quickly sat beside him.
“Chris why are you doing this to me? Stop all these”.
“It’s alright! No matter what I do! You’re going to leave me. It doesn’t matter if I die now. You’re just here because you feel it’s going to make you a good person. Soon or later you are still going to leave me!”
“Oh Chris! Why are you saying that? I’m here for you!” I replied.
My eyes were getting blurry at each ticking second.
“No you’re not! You’ve already made up your mind to leave me. All you’re doing right now is looking for the right offence to pick on so you can use it as a good reason to leave me”.
“Chris stop! I’m here because I love you. I’m here because I care about you. And I’m here because no matter what, I’m going to be your wife!”
Wait, did I just say that? Someone help me rewind the tape. Did I just tell him all these or something else did?
“Thank you so much!” He said smiling and pulled me into a hug.
I remembered how my mentor defended Chris and remained baffled. I was stuck with Chris. I was no longer the happy person I once was. I wanted Chris and here I was, free to marry him. My mentor had given her consent. What was the reason for these strange feelings and signals?
Why wasn’t I feeling the usual excitement I expected? I wanted Chris and here he was! Why am I not happy? Everyone who stood in my way had concurred. Even pastor Kunle said he was ready to go ahead with the wedding plans. Now my mentor promised to be present at my wedding.
But why was I feeling sad about everything? What’s wrong with me? Wasn’t this what I’ve always wanted?
To be continued…….
Never marry a man out of pity for him.
You’re going to end up regretting you did.
Mrs Thompson had the information to pay Chris back for the evil he did to her, but choose not to revenge.
Proverbs 25:21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
25:22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
INSPIRED BY THE BREAD OF LIFE
WRITTEN BY AYO OMOLAYO
YOUR BROTHER IN CHRIST 🙏
