I SEE YOU!

Alighting from the car, Tiffi walked towards Temilade and gave her a long, warm hug. She was not expecting that from Tiffy. Tiffy wouldn’t have done that a day ago for ego. A woman is indeed the best confidant for another woman, if only they can be true to each other. Just before she let go of Temilade, she whispered, ‘Thank you, Temilade!’ and looked into her eyes – a confirmation of her thanks to her. Temilade was all smiles; nobody had called her by name with so much love in a very long time. She stretched and placed her neck on Tiffi’s shoulder. Her long human hair shared both her back and Tiffi’s shoulder. She knew somehow that she had found a friend in Tiffi. ‘Thank you for allowing me into your home and sharing your very busy time and delicious meal with me. I pray that God puts a smile on your face, Lady Rev,’ Tiffi ended as she squeezed Temilade and both women separated.

‘Deaconess T, I love you!’ Temilade confessed with a smile as she watched Tiffi walk to her car parked behind a post that read, Ministers Only! She entered the car and drove off, unwilling to sit for the reception. She needed to return home and unpark. After the time she spent with Temilade, she decided to have faith in the prayer of her senior pastor’s wife, that things would get better and her marriage would become sweet again. She called Mr. Samson, the agent who found the house she intended moving into. She wanted him to put it up for rent again. He was positive someone was going to pay for it that week. He promised to give her a call as soon as he gets someone. She drove home happily but still worried about Temilade.

‘Lady Rev, please may I help with your bag?’ Suzzy, a member of the pastoral team asked Temilade with a smile as she walked into the reception venue behind the church. She smiled and Suzzy understood what it meant; Temilade was known to never give her bag to anyone. However, Minister Olanna, the minister in charge of the pastoral team, had warned that they continuously asked her for it. She said it was a sign of respect to carry a minister’s bag. As they walked to the space reserved for pastors and ministers, Temilade could not help but notice the elaborate decoration. The bride, Adora was an interior decorator so Temilade was not expecting less but maybe she didn’t think Adora was that good. The venue of the reception spoke of elegance and utmost sophistication.

On the table she sat, she couldn’t help but notice that the centerpiece had it’s original qualities unimpaired with fine china, everything was carefully chosen. She was not worried because the couple could easily afford it. As she looked round the table, sending smiles and warm greeting to the ministers and Pastors around, she couldn’t help but notice Lady Rev Bella’s face. The only spiritual Lady Rev who was always in the spirit even in the toilet. For Rev Bella, the spirit speaks every second. She is always praying and speaking in tongues. Rumors had it that her husband died of starvation because the Rev. Mrs. never cooked or blessed her husband in the bedroom. It was her husband who preached on the Thanksgiving of Women of Understanding, the finial service for last year’s Women’s Day celebration in The Word Makes and Breaks Cathedral. That was his last message before his death two months later. His message made the headlines of various newspapers and church magazines for he spoke about ‘spiritual’ women who starved their husbands in bed. The most hilarious was the ‘spiritual’ woman who gave her husband the opportunity to spin a wheel for a ‘yes sex or no sex’ night with her, once every month. The husband had a bonus round in August, which was his birth month, to spin twice. He explained how that the wheel had five ‘no sex’ columns and just one ‘yes sex’ column and how slim the chances were for the husband to win in just one round.

Temilade was just about to let a loud laugh when the couple kissed each other and Rev Bella shut her eyes and busted out in tongues but Suzzy tapped her on her laps. She was forced to take off her gaze from the Rev. Mrs. to Suzzy who seemed to have something important to say. She was holding a tray of something rapped in foil. Temilade lowered herself to hear what Suzzy had to say. Suzzy was speaking at the top of her voice now, as the crowd was clamouring at the couple’s very long kiss. She needed the key to the Bishop’s house. According to her, the Bishop was on his way back from his trip and had asked for fried rice and chicken. She wanted to go drop the meal and set the table before he returned. Immediately, Temilade boiled with anger. Her husband was on his way home and she didn’t know. She was finding it difficult to hear even a sound. She just sat silent and numb. ‘Mama, mama, mama!’ Suzzy called to no response. It took Mama Rhoda’s striking voice to wake her up.

‘You didn’t tell me that the Bishop is coming back today now,’ Mama Rhoda patted her friend at the back and asked Suzzy to give them some time. She walked up to her, dragged an empty seat from a different table and sat close to Temilade who was trying to conceal her pain and smiled as she watched Suzzy go. When she couldn’t see her anymore, she stood up and picked her bag, car keys and phone.

‘I have to go now, Mama Rhoda. The Bishop would be home soon and I need to fix something for him,’ she responded with a smile.

‘Something like what?’ Mama Rhoda asked with some sarcasm in her voice. ‘L.R, are you ignoring me? The bishop had asked for fried rice and it has been made…’ Temilade would not allow her finish. She lowered herself, hugged Mama Rhoda and walked up to Rev. Kel. They spoke for about a minute or two and she gave him an envelop for the newly weds and walked to her car.

*

On her bed, she sat and wallowed in thoughts. ‘Why would he travel without telling me, stay away for four days without a word to me, announce his return to everyone but me, ask another woman to prepare meals for him and no one thinks it is wrong?’ Everyone thinks I am happy. They don’t see how hurt I am. How long would this continue, Jesus… Hot tears ran down her eyes buried between her legs. Someone tapped her from behind and whispered, ‘I SEE YOU!’

……….To be CONTINUED……….

 

I SEE YOU!

To all the women going through a time right now,

right there where you are drowning yourself in your own tears, God sees you!

There is a woman who has to deal with a special needs child alone, God sees you!

Girl, you may have been molested and abused and cannot speak to anyone,

Baby, you are struggling with drugs. You cannot even bring yourself to speak to anybody,

You dress so nicely and people envy you but you know you are broken, God sees you!

You have too many people around you but you are lonely, God sees you!

You might have been diagnosed of a disease,

getting ready to go for an operation, God sees you!

You work really hard and someone else takes the praise, God sees you!

You are at the verge of giving up, tired of pretending to be strong, God sees you!

You feel like you are standing in the middle of the road screaming and no one cares,

God said to tell you this, ‘I See You!’

Listen, you’ve got the attention of the King of kings, baby.

This is what He’ll do, He’ll make good things happen for you despite all the terrible things that has happened to you!

God sees you! God sees you! God sees you!

You are somebody great, going somewhere great, to do something great!

If you would like to speak to me, send me a mail, connectwithjace@gmail.com

I would love to walk with you through this time.

Remember, GOD SEES YOU!

Put it up in your room to remind you daily that He sees you!

Love,

𝓙𝓪𝓬𝓮