Beautifully ugly episode 27
Beautifully Ugly
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Episode 27
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“What do you want from me?” I asked horrifiedly but instead of giving a response to my question,
He raised the shiny axe and forcefully directed it toward me to strike.
“Nooo.” I shrieked to the top of my voice as the axe was just to pierce through my skin, the whole environment changed instantaneously.
I discovered I was lying on the mat in our house.
The pounding of my heart was such that couldn’t be measured with a stethoscope.
I touched my clothes and discovered the wetness was still there.
What is really happening, if this was a hallucination and imagination as my mum tagged it, why then am I still feeling wet, but what is really happening? “I was still in utmost confusion when I heard a familiar voice;
“Prosper! prosper! are you there? ” I knew assuredly that I didn’t mistake the owner,
So I slowly stood up, the kind of dizziness I felt when I got up was totally different,
The feeling was as if I wasn’t the owner of my body,
I felt so woozy as everywhere spun like a ceiling fan, The viral reflection of vestibular nerve made me feel like a new blind victim and I had to wave my hands here and there to even locate the entrance of our house.
“Prosper!” Can you hear me?
The voice sounded again but to even open my mouth and respond to the call was a very big deal for me.
I finally located the door and searched for the bolt which took me a while to locate.
“Ah ah, what happened to you?” Her voice sounded and I could picture a look of astonishment on her face even though I wasn’t physically seeing her.
“Welcome back mama, good evening.”I greeted but got no response,
I needed no interpreter to tell why she said nothing in response to my compliment.
Who won’t be left struck dumb after going out, only to come back and find someone you adore so much in great distress, only a heartless person does that.
She held my wrist and led me to sit where I letter learned to be on the edge of the mat.
I sighed quietly in relief after emptying the cup of water she gave me to drink.
“Thank you, mama, I feel better now. ”
“What really happened?” She asked inquisitively,
“It’s the same thing ” I replied calmly,
” Don’t tell me that you allowed mere hallucination and imagination damn on you this much. ” She demanded and firmly fixed her gaze on me,
I slowly looked down and a strand of tear dropped from my eye.
I wished there was a way I could transfer what is inside me to my mum so she could validate and verify that I wasn’t hallucinating or imagining anything.
but there wasn’t and that was my utmost fear.
“Mama, I called soberly, do you still love me?
” Yes. “She replied expectantly,
” Mama, do you still love me? “I asked again,
“Of course you know I can never stop loving you, my son.” She confessed truthfully,
” Mama, if you truly love me, why don’t you listen to my heart? why don’t you believe my story?
I have been repeatedly telling you this Same thing right from the day we parked in this place, and you keep saying I’m just hallucinating.
“Mama please, hear me out before it’s too late……..
Looked like my words touched her that Day,
“She remained mute for getting to 5 minutes after I was done speaking,
“Don’t worry Prosper, We’ll go see the pastor for him to pray for you tomorrow at Sunday service,
Meanwhile, I got you something to eat. “She removed nylon from the bag she returned with and handed it to me.
I checked it and it was an
eat & dump plate popularly known as take_away in Nigeria.
I opened it and my nose was welcomed by a savory smell that sent an instant alert to my empty stomach making it rumble loudly.
The kind of hunger I was feeling then was such that I could swallow even the plate like Patrick always do in SpongeBob SquarePants movie, but just needed to compose and act like a responsible child.
“How did you get this?” I asked with much concern,
” One of our church members specially prepared it for all the church cleaners, so that’s my own share. “She elucidated and I became a bit calm in mind,
But my skepticism suddenly rose again.
“If I finish it, what are you going to eat? “I asked worriedly.
” Oh no, don’t bother about me, I’m ok. “She feigned a smile and I could see she was just pretending.
We did justice to the food left in the house in the morning which she only had a few spoons and said she was ok ignoring all my persuasions to eat more.
I wasn’t cool with the idea but there was nothing I could do then, I vowed I was never going to repeat the same mistake.
“Mama, either you eat with me or I’m not eating,” I announced firmly and she stared at me steadily.
” I said am ok.
” Fine if you’re ok, then me too I’m ok “I closed back the plate and stretched it to her.
Truly I was hungry but the emotion was something that has the ability to control everything, I totally lost my appetite at that very juncture.
When my mum realized I meant what I said, she accepted to eat with me but only took a few spoons then announced she was ok
Mothers should be accredited wholesomely for their huge love toward their children…
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The next day was Sunday, we woke very early in the morning cuz we needed to go to the church in time, the distance was far and called for using of Commercial bus but we’d completely run out of funds and had to trek all the way.
It was a very stressful journey, we left as early as 7:30 am and arrived at the church by 8:35 am,
The pastor was already ministering when we got there.
An usher directed me to a seat which I gently sat on and listened to the pastor.
We shall be taking our memory verse from the book of proverbs chapter 16 verse 3.
The first person to see it should read for us, he noted as he flipped the page of his bible.
“Praise the Lord.” one light-skinned young man of average height stood up.
“Ok bro Marcus go ahead ” the pastor consented,
“Proverbs 16:3, I read:
“Commit Thy works unto the LORD, So brethren, just like I said earlier, our topic today is:
PRAY & WORK
What do we mean by pray & work?
it simply refers to its original meaning which is praying for grace before engaging in any form of activity.
A science report from the University of Scranton, USA, showed that 92% of people who set goals never actually achieve them.
Take a minute to reflect on your own life to see if this finding is true.
Almost everyone makes plans but how many of these plans get executed and achieved? Obviously, the majority of these plans get aborted along the way due to unforeseen circumstances and life’s challenges.
Let’s open to the book of Genesis 37:5-36.
The stories of Jacob, Joseph, and Moses show us how hard one can work and yet have nothing to show for it. Joseph had dreams which he may have assumed would come to pass by his own making but he consistently got into troubles for those dreams.
In the book of Genesis 31:36-41.
Jacob worked for 20 years and yet had nothing that he could boast of as belonging to him independently,
Moses imagined that Israel’s deliverance would come by his own hands, his imagination and human effort only caused him 40 years of his life hiding as a fugitive in Midian let’s confirm that in the book of Acts 7:25-36.
Does it then mean that we should not strive to get things that we want achieved?
No, that is far from it. It simply means that as we put in much effort; we should learn to first commit our work unto the Lord and believe solely on Him to bless the works of our hands Jeremiah 17:5-8, Luke 12:16-21.
In the book of John 5:19:
Jesus Christ had Known of this, that’s why he confessed that He could not do anything of Himself
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The pastor closed his bible and looked up.
“How accomplished our lives would be if only we can trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.
We do not have all it takes to achieve all our elaborate plans.
That’s why we need to always ask Him for grace as we go about our daily activities.
“Let’s rise to pray.” He announced and closed his bible.
The prayer we’re going to make is a very simple one.
Just Tell God that you have come to realize that you cannot achieve anything without His help. Then ask Him for grace and strength to carry out your daily activities.
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The church service was later concluded with the church’s dismissal anthem and people started trooping out,
I remained in my seat with the thought that I was going to see the pastor for him to pray for me.
“bro Prosper.” I heard a familiar voice from behind and looked back, wow, just as I thought.
“Sister Joy ” I proclaimed with a cute smile.
“How are you doing?” She asked,
“By God’s grace, I’m fine, and how are you doing too?
” I’m also fine, I didn’t see you in youth class today, what happened? “She asked with concern.
“well, we have an appointment with the pastor so my mum told me to stay in the adult class today. “I elucidated amid smiles.
That’s me, I never joked with the quote: Cover the pain with a smile.
It had been my all-time favorite quote.
The only person that got to see my pain was my mum, apart from her, no one else, I would always smile as if all was well, some parties even wished they were like me.
“Ok, I was just wondering Why you didn’t come around, but now I know, let me be going, hope you’ll come for charismatic hours on Tuesday?
“Not sure but I’ll try and see if I can.
Please try and come oo, see you later, my dad is waiting for me.” She turned and left immediately.
“Alright, thanks a lot for your concern. “I said and I watched as she ambled away.
Joy was my classmate in my formal school back then when my dad was still alive.
But her parents later relocated to another town.
I never set my eyes on her again since then till my father’s death brought us to our current residence as of then.
I saw her in the church the first day we came and that was how we got to see each other again.
“Prosper let’s go.” My mum tapped me and I quickly got up and followed her.
” Good afternoon pastor. “My mum greeted.
“Good afternoon sir” I joined.
As we settled down, my mum narrated everything to him and he gave me some words of advice.
“Let us pray,” he said and held my wrist and my mum’s too.
“In Jesus na….” He meant to say but stopped abruptly,
“Madam, do you know anyone by the name Nimue?” The pastor asked and faced my mum.
I glared at my mum and could see a reaction I couldn’t explain.
Wait does it mean, my mum has something she isn’t telling me?”
I cerebrated in confusion.
“I..I.” my mum stammered,
To be continued.