FARIDA Episode 75 by Oge’s Stories

FARIDA Episode 75 by Oge’s Stories

So many other events caused Farida to believe Wale. Wale was no more talkative; he more conservative and mindful with his words. It seemed more like a major issue because it caused him lack of sleep. Every night, he had a revelation of what would happen to people around him. Some of them scared Wale and he refused to share while others made him either happy or sad. In all, Wale was not the same.

Farida was worried. Wale hardly ate; he was very skinny that his clothes hung on his body like a hanger. When he went to work, he spent have of the time praying. Interestingly, his staff were shocked when he knew what they did and how they did it. The company was running on its own; the fear of his discovering your intent or what you did was enough to avoid it. There was no hiding place for him.

Wale kept to his words; as long as they were not married, he refused to share a room or have sex with her. He couldn’t even be romantic with her. She longed for him but she wanted the old Wale. She felt this new one was a weirdo who would mess up their love live with rules. She was ok not going there with him.

Monica’s wedding in the village was fast approaching. Hugh and Monica took more than six months to get everybody that mattered on the schedule. She informed Farida her brother, Sam and Idara would be present. Sam had recovered but was not yet 100%. Staying alone with Idara helped his recovery. It also helped them bond and Idara was able to prove her worth. She wanted to attend the wedding but wouldn’t leave Sam behind. His speech, even though more audile and sensible, was still slow. His walking and use of his hand had improved greatly but he was still dependent on his wife. She couldn’t leave him behind.

Farida decided on what she would wear with Wale. She made the outfits. Wale refused to wear anything uniform with her as they were not a couple. This caused them to have their first big quarrel.

“What is wrong with you? What has come over you? Everything is all about what you want. What about what I want Wale? I do not understand what is going on and would not lay claim to it but why do you want to force me into a union I am not sure of? You have changed. You look unhealthy. I agree most of what you see happens but is it worth the sacrifice? You look sick and unkept. I don’t know the spirit that possessed you but personally I do not think it is God”

“Just because I refused to share a bed with you then I am possessed? Farida, I am on a whole different level. If you feel you cannot be with me just as I am, then we can just be civil with each other as we have children together. Forget my physical appearance, I am comfortable with it. I was at the doctor’s and I am physically healthy. The problem now is that I don’t have excess weight. I eat healthy and so will my kids. Junk food is out. We don’t want them coming down with diseases…..”

“Wale, we were first friends before becoming lovers, we can as well go back to being just friends. This is the reason I never wanted to marry again. Everything has to go your way. I can make my own decisions. Maybe I should move out with the children to my own house and you have rights to be with them whenever you want to. That way we remain friends without this bickering. I can move on with my life and you can too.”

“That is not what God told me. Farida, why don’t you pray to God yourself about this union so you don’t make costly mistakes. You are being ruled by the flesh; your flesh has to die for your spirit man to come alive. I have killed my urges until I am with my wife then they would come alive again”

“You are funny. We won’t dress in uniform. I will make my clothes and you will make yours. We don’t even need to go together. We can be stranger to each for all I care”

“I think you need to request for wisdom. You need it to handle situations and you are lacking it right now”

“I don’t care. I’m through with this conversation”

They went separately for the traditional wedding. Farida went to the village with the children and Kufre. Her mother joined her in Uyo. Farida stayed in her apartment. Monica was there with her. She took all the children to see Monica’s father. he was very happy to see them and prayed for them. Then Idara came down. She was happy to see Farida and the children. She appealed to her to allow the twins see their father. Sam’s father said it was ok.

They went to their apartment. Nothing had changed. It was how she had decorated it. Sam was sitting in the parlour watching television when Idara came in and said to him, ‘Guess who came to say hello?”

Sam turned and was shocked to see Farida and the twins. He was so overwhelmed with emotions that he began to shed tears. Idara took the twins to them and Sam held on to them. He stuttered when he spoke. “How can I thank you for this?” he said very slowly.

“You don’t have to. Once you are not a threat, we can be civil with each other”

“I am sorry. I am so sorry” Sam said with a struggle

“I have forgiven you. Idara, I will leave the children here with you. Bring them back in the evening; let them stay with Sam for now. What of the children?”

“They are in Germany; I didn’t want to take chances’

“Good. Bring them later”

Wale arrived on the morning of the traditional wedding. He came dressed in Yoruba traditional attire. He went to see the children. Since their fight, he hadn’t spoken to Farida. Farida was stubborn and he had to learn to be patient with her. He had tolerated her stubbornness but he couldn’t just allow it slide anymore. He had to settle down to achieve some of the things revealed to him. Farida had to be on the same page with him. He can’t force her to marry him but he could try to help her see reason.

Papi and Monica’s mother came for the wedding. Monica gave them a room in Farida’s apartment. Her mother refused to stay, instead she left for her family house. Papi was glad to stay with Monica. It was also a new experience for him and he was super excited to be a part of Monica’s big day.

Hugh and his family arrived for the traditional wedding. It was an opportunity to showcase their culture to the world. For his first and only daughter, Monica’s father spared no expense on his daughter’s wedding. She wore the best and he made Hugh’s family know she wasn’t a gold digger. They were enormously impressed.

The wedding went smoothly. Monica didn’t want a white wedding but a civil wedding in the UK. There was so much to eat and drink. Hugh’s family and Papi had the time of their lives watching the cultural dance display and tasting delicacies they had never had before Of course most of the pictures and videos were uploaded on social media.

Farida took her children and maami to Ilorin for Iya Agba to see them and also spend some time with her. Farida also knew she needed words of wisdom as Wale had claimed she lacked it. She hated fighting with Wale but she couldn’t help it. She was just tired of how everything was turning out.

Iya Agba was glad to have them with her. She had prepared for their coming. She made the children have purely local delicacies especially the local cheese which she said was very good for their health. She could also see Farida was troubled. She asked her if she wanted the atmosphere energized, Farida needed it. She did what she was good at.

They rested for two days. Farida used those days to make sense of her current predicament. She remembered the conversation she had with Monica on their way from London. Monica asked her to embrace the new Wale and run with it. She told her the change in Wale was positive so she shouldn’t make any fuss about it. The difference was just that it was overwhelming at first. When she told her Wale said no sex until they got married, Monica told her then he is genuine. Many people claim to be of God but use that to get deeply involved in immorality. For him to insist, he was genuine. As far as Monica was concerned, Farida was the one being difficult.

Eventually, Farida had a deep conversation with Iya Agba. She chose for them to talk at 1am. Iya Agba asked her why she was delaying the marriage. Farida shared her fears with her. She told her all she was experiencing with Wale. She told her she didn’t think she would want to settle down with him as he had changed.

“Did he change for good or bad?” Iya Agba asked.

“I don’t know if it is for good or bad but I don’t like the way he is going about his discovery; it is worrisome. Iya Agba, you need to see Wale now, he is so skinny. I don’t know why he has to be like that. He can’t sleep all through the night. He doesn’t eat. I don’t understand what has possessed him”

“But it is because of you he is doing all that”

“How?”

“He wants to do the right thing. He wants to marry you and legitimatise his children. He loves you and wants you as a wife. What is so difficult for you to understand Farida? Have you tried to find out what God’s will is concerning your marriage to Wale?”

“No. How do I do that?”

“By prayers. You have to learn how to pray and believe in Allah. Have you read the Quran? You need to study the word of Allah and learn how to pray. Say your prayers five times a day and be religious about it. Then you can present your petition before Allah and he will answer you. You have to go back to being a devout Muslim and so much will be revealed to you. Apart from your fashion business, I want to hand down the study of roots and herbs to you. I have been instructed to teach you about them. You will also understudy Iya Agba agbo too. You must be a devout Muslim before I can hand it over to you so it won’t be misused. You will transform lives with your knowledge”

Farida sat quietly. She went to Arabic school as a child and she knew how to pray but maami was not religious and didn’t impose it on them. The reason was the way she was treated when she was a child. She didn’t want same for her children. Even though what Iya Agba said made some sense, she still wasn’t convinced that religion was the way. She didn’t want to be like Wale. Another issue was that Wale was a Christian and Iya Agba was talking about Islam. How would they train their children in different religions? She asked Iya Agba.

“Start and Allah will direct. Everything will be revealed to you. I wish you can just trust me and do what I say. Have I ever led you astray? Learn the ways of Allah and follow it and you will live a fulfilled life”

There was no harm in trying. She went back to the UK with her family and began to practice Islam. She met an Islam scholar who helped her understand the Quran better. She started her prayers and researched about her religion. She was back with Iya Agbae after three months for further lessons. She had questions which needed answers. The more she drew closer to Allah the better she felt about herself.

One month with Iya Agba and her life changed completely. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and all she desired to achieve. Iya Agba began to teach her about herbs, roots and spices. She chose a herb and explained to her the uses. It took Farida a month to learn about the herb. The first herb was the one which was burnt as incense which had a relaxing effect and reduces stress. Farida packed some samples and travelled to the UK with them. She gave out some of the samples to their clients and showed them how to use them the local way. They came back with positive reviews but there was a problem, they couldn’t do it the local way. Farida complained to her grandmother. She told her to pray about it and she will know what to do. She did just that. Early the next morning, she woke up, did her first prayers and then went online. The first thing she sees is a censer. She researched some more and asked her Chinese contact if she could have a special shape made for her company. They did and within a week, a sample was sent. Farida sold her herbs with the censers; it was a hit back to back.

The more she went into the Quran the more she discovered herself. Wale had stopped talking to her. When he came around, she was either out of the country or too busy. He stayed in his room and she stayed in hers. She didn’t like their current situation but she needed to know she was making the right decision. her worry was their different beliefs. The more she grew in Islam, the more her faith in Allah grew. What would happen to the children. She had been praying and she knew Wale was the man for her. She was convinced in her spirit he was. Her issue now was the varying beliefs. She talked to Wale about it.

“We can’t force our beliefs on our children. They will experience the two religions and decide which they want to belong to when they are older. I don’t care what religion you practice; it is you I am interested in. think about it and decide”

“If I accept, where are we getting married?”

“In the registry of course. It will be a civil wedding. Let’s not complicate things”

“We will still have an engagement?”

“Whatever you want”

“Let me thing about it further”

Farida went back to Iya Agba to learn about another herb. A few days before she was to leave, at night, Iya Agba gave her a root and asked her to sleep with it under her pillow. She did that and by the next morning, she was in Abuja. She met Wale at home because it was a public holiday.

Wale was shocked to see her. She went straight to the point, “I am ready to get married. How soon can we get it done?”

Wale had to be sure he was the one she was talking to. He looked around to be sure no one was with them. Then he gestured with his hand if she was talking to him. when she nodded he replied calmly in other not to show her how excited he was ,“It depends on your family. Once they give a date we will be there”

‘I want a small engagement ceremony and registry wedding. Your mother would want a small wedding and it will cause a lot of brouhaha. It’s your first wedding. A big celebration will set us back ten years. We will suffer for those ten years before we recover. I don’t want us to experience such. So please let’s keep it lowkey”

“God, you are wonderful. So it was also revealed to you? This couldn’t have been revealed to you by any man but by God. Anything else I should know?”

“Yes. We have to live together. The children and I might have to relocate to Nigeria. We have to live with you in Abuja. This house seems small for our large family”

“I will get a bigger house”

“We can’t share our plans with anyone until we implement them”

‘I agreed”

“I will let my uncle know I am ready for the engagement. I will get you a date soon”

“Is that all?”

“For now”

#OpraDre FARIDA 75

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