I don’t know how it happened but my conclusion was that God decided to have mercy on me. As the woman came closer and was about forcing me to eat the food, I shouted Jesus and woke up.

I was shaking and heat filled my body. I felled on my knees and prayed fervently, asking God for forgiveness and promising that nothing will ever make me to be far from him.

I continued my normal activities in church but I was really lonely. Pastor and his family were trying for me but I needed other people to treat me as one of their own. It wasn’t forth coming. I suspected that Gift was threatening and bulling any girl that came closer to me.

Joy was the only person that dared her. But her stay was short because she came for her one year National Youth Service.

I started praying that God should give me a life partner. Some men have indicated interest to marry me. But their lifestyles was my challenge. Some smoke, others take alcohol and womanize. These are lifestyles I detest since I repented.

I kept believing that one of the young men in church will consider me. But it seemed that they didn’t even notice that I exist.

One day, I was in Pastor’s office when a dark handsome young man came in. He was one of the new members that just joined our church . Pastor introduced me to him as his daughter. I greeted him and left. From that day, he started drawing close to me.
He also collected my phone number and always call to know how I was faring.

He invited me severally to an eatery to have discussion with me but I failed to show up. I was afraid of starting any journey that would end in disappointment. He saw me in the church the next day and started asking what happened.

“Judy, why did you fail to honour my invitation? This is the third time you kept me waiting at an eatery without showing up. I don’t have any evil intention. I neither invited you to my house nor a hotel. An eatery is an open place.”

“I’m sorry for not honouring your invitation please forgive me. We have met now, you can as well tell me your reason for the invitation.”

John was silent for a while.

“Judy, I love you and will want to marry you.”

“Is this brother for real,” I thought to myself. I was sure that no young man in that church would want to have anything to do with me, not after that scandal. Anyway I decided to give him a benefit of the doubt.

“Bro John, if you are serious about what you said, go and inform Pastor.”

The next day, Pastor invited me to his office.

“Sister Judy, do you know Brother John Peter?”

Immediately Pastor mentioned his name, I sensed the direction of the discussion.

“Yes daddy, I knew him,” I answered excitedly.

“He told me that he wants to marry you. I want you to pray about the proposal and get back to me.”

“It’s okay daddy.”

I left daddy’s office full of smiles and appreciation to God. I never knew that any man from that church would want to marry me. Though Pastor asked me to go and pray, I knew that I was not going to do that. It was obvious that God wanted to use John to wipe away my tears so, there was no need asking for his will anymore.

“John must be the perfect will of God,” I concluded. My plan was to wait for a week after which I would go and tell Pastor that I will marry John. Of course that was exactly what I did. When John heard that I have agreed to marry him, he was so happy.

“Judy, I don’t want long courtship. In the next 4 months, I want us to be done with the engagement and church wedding,” he told me. That was a perfect idea for me; I couldn’t wait to be addressed as Mrs. John.

He told me about going to meet his parents and I agreed. Though his parents were not members of the church, They lived not far from the church street.

As we were going, I felt agitated , not knowing what his parents reactions were going to be. The first person we met at the front of their house when we drove in was her twin sister. She ran to hug me, “Wow! John, she is so pretty,” she complimented me.

“What were you expecting? You should know that I have a taste for good thing” John told her with smiles.

“Please meet my twin sister Joan,” John told me. He turned and said to Joan, ” Please meet Judy my heart throb. I have told you lots of things about her”

Joan hugged me again and I felt on top of the world. As we stepped inside the house. Smiling faces greeted me. As I was trying to bow and greet them, his mum quickly got up and came to meet me.

“John is she my daughter in law?”she asked in excitement

“Yes mummy,” John answered.

“You are welcome my daughter.”

“Thank you mummy.”

She kept looking at me and smiling,”My daughter, you are so pretty.”

“Thanks mummy.”

“My dear please allow her to sit. She must be tired ,” John’s father said with smiles.

I tried to pinch myself to be sure that what was happening was real. It was too real to be true. I was treated with a sumptuous meal and afterwards we left.

“Do you know that I was agitated when we were going. I was wondering what I was going to face. Ah! Your parents are so nice,” I told John.

John laughed,’ I noticed it. I was just laughing within me. But now you are free. It’s now my turn to start thinking of how to meet your parents. I may need to declare fasting and prayers before that day.”

When he said that, I started laughing. Though I didn’t tell him what was in my mind. He didn’t know that my parents would be so happy that someone agreed to marry me.

When we came back, we planned of when to go and visit my parents. I was also updating Pastor of everything that was going on.

A day before the day that we agreed to meet my parents, John had an urgent need to travelled out of town. I tried reaching him on phone but his phone was switched off. At first, I thought it was network issue.But I kept trying his phone number till evening. At that point, I couldn’t endure it any more. I had to tell Pastor what was going on.

Pastor promised to reach him and get back to me.

“Daddy, are you sure that John is alive?” I asked in tears.

“Why would you talk like that? He is fine. I didn’t see any sign that evil has befallen him.” He tried to comfort me but it wasn’t working so he told me to go and meet his wife at home.

I cried all the way from my house to Pastor’s house. His wife was surprised when she saw me.

“Sister, what is going on?”

“Mummy it is John. I have not heard from John since morning. We planned to visit my parents tomorrow but John is not back from his journey till now. I have called his friend on phone and he told me that John is not in his house. I thought that God want to use John to wipe my tears,” I cried.

“It’s okay sis. If John is meant for you, no power will take him away from you. Remember that he went on a journey. The battery of his phone might have gone down. I trust that he will reach you as soon as he can”

“Mummy that is my prayer. Nothing should happen to John. If evil befall John, I don’t think that I will survive it.”

“No don’t talk like that. No evil will befall him.”

As were still talking pastor’s wife’s phone rang .

“My husband is calling me,” she announce d.

“Hello dear. ,” She said and paused to listen.

“Information about John? Okay I’m listening” She said

Immediately I heard John my ears became widely opened.

“What!”pastor’s wife exclaimed and I felled from the chair I was sitting.

Watch out for the next episode.