Jasmine - Episode 9

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It was so nice to see Dave again, after a very long time. If someone had told me earlier that day
that I would see Dave during the day, I would never have believed it. He was my crush and best
friend during my childhood years.
Lying on my bed and thinking about how the day went, from the gossips about me, to meeting
Dave, I knew God brought him there for a reason.
It was in the middle of my meditation that I heard my phone ring.
“Hey Kemi, how are you doing?” I asked when I picked.
“I am not fine at all”, she was sobbing as she spoke.
“Babe what is wrong, are you okay?” I asked.
Kemi had never sounded as distressed as she did on the phone.
“Talk to me why are you crying, did something happen?” I asked anxiously.
“It’s Jacob” she said, still sobbing.
“Jacob? What happened to Bro Jacob?” I asked.
“You remember I told you when he proposed to me three months ago right?”
“Yes I remember, what about it?”
“He said he doesn’t love me again, and I found out that he is engaged to someone else.” Kemi
explained and cried.
“What?! That is ridiculous, but you guys have been friends for a while, he has given you green
lights before he even proposed, so why did he change his mind all of a sudden?” I asked.
“I really don’t understand too, I called him today after a while and before I could even say Jack
Robinson, he told me that he doesn’t want to hear from me again, he said he is now engaged to
someone else” she said.
“Oh Lord! I can’t believe this, what is happening in our generation especially among believers?”
I was surprised and disappointed.
“Do you think it is my fault? Do you think three months was too much for me to pray and be
convinced before I make my decision…? Jasmine, tell me, is it my fault?” she couldn’t keep the
sobs from her voice.
“No dear, it’s not your fault, time is a way of testing if anything will last, I don’t think three
months is too much for you to pray and confirm first”, I answered.
“Are you sure? It took me three month to reply him because I didn’t want my emotions to get in
the way just like you advised, so I told him not to call me for like a month so that I can really get
things right“, She explained.
“You did the right thing Kemi, don’t blame yourself and stop crying too. Sometimes, God allows
some things to happen so that he can show us that he is always there to protect us

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. If you didn’t
take time to pray for that long, you wouldn’t have known that you were just an option on his list,
this is the kind of people who cheat on their spouse when they get married and they will still
make flimsy excuse to justify their actions.”
“Really? Are you sure, Jasmine?” she asked.
“Yes, I am sure. You should clean your tears now and thank God instead. God just rescued you
from a wrong relationship that would have led to a catastrophic marriage” I assured her.
“Okay Jasmine, thank you.”
“I can’t believe you too can cry like a baby, and to think you are crying for a guy is just
incredulous” I said, laughing.
“You are not serious Jasmine, if I catch you ehn” she said and I heard a smile in her voice.
“You must really love this Jacob guy for you to be crying, but just clean your tears dear. They
are too expensive to be shed for a person like him. God will lead the right men to us at the right
time…okay?”
“Thanks so much, I wish I could give you a hug from here. So how are the twins doing?” Kemi
asked.
“Which twins? If I give birth to twins, just know I will give you one out of the two… Naughty
girl” I replied.
We discussed some other trivial things for a while and wished each other a wonderful night rest.
I could not stop thinking about what that Jacob did; how could someone be so impatient? I was
so sure he had proposed to more than two sisters at a time. The respect and high esteem I held
Bro Jacob crumbled that moment.
A week after I reconnected with Dave, I already knew he was heaven-sent. I never had any dull
moment and when I told him about the rumours and gossip people kept spreading about me, his
words helped me keep calm and feel more secured.
We often went for lunch and dinner together, and whenever he closed from his office, he would
always come to mine so he could walk me to my room.
I’d wanted to ask him about his faith for a while but I kept forgetting so I decided to do so at one
of our lunches.
“So how was your day today Jas, hope there were no gossips about you today” he asked. He was
the first friend that shortened my name to Jas several years back.
“My day has been good, and the gossip trend is changing from my pregnancy, to me and you
now. People are wondering why we are so close and all that”, I replied and smiled.
“Let them say what they want, it is the way of the world”, Dave didn’t seem perturbed.
“Exactly, that was my thought too”, I said.
“Don’t mind humans, they will never allow God judge a man before they do.”
When he mentioned God and judgment, I saw an opportunity to ask him about his faith and I
took it.
“So, Dave, are you born again? I know you were born in a Christian home, but have you had an
encounter with Christ” I asked him.
“Hmmm… Well, yes, I am a born again Christian as people say, even though the word
‘Christian’ should be enough, but because Christianity is now something else, we need adjectives
to describe it”
“So yes; I am a genuinely born again Christian” he added laughing
“I am happy for you. So, when and how did it happen?” I asked.
“It’s a long story o”, he said and smiled.
“I have all the time to spare, so talk on.”
“Okay. We got to London when I was around 11 years old and my parents registered me in a
nearby school along with my siblings. The school had almost 80% white students, and the rest
were from other races. The blacks had a small group within the school; so, you either join this
group or be bullied by every other students, including non-whites.”
He paused, took a sip of water and continued, “I was new in that environment, and I never knew
what was going on. So, I was bullied constantly for up to six months, sometimes I didn’t even go
to the class room, I just lock myself in the toilet from morning till the end of the day” he
explained.
“So why not report to your parent or the school authority?”, I cut in.
“Be patient, let me continue. I reported to the school authority several times but there was no
action taken, it was as if that is the norm in that school, and my parents were too busy struggling
to get a job to provide food and warmth. So after six months, I had no choice but to join the
black gangs. I thought it was just going to be a group of student hanging around and moving
together, but it was far deeper than that. This gang that I joined was affiliated to a street gang that
sold drugs, so they used us to distribute and sell drugs because the police will be less suspicious
of us. To cut the long story short, I was exposed to a lot of things like drugs, sex, rape and even
murder” he said.
“What! You have raped someone before? And murder too?” I shouted.
“Keep your voice down, I didn’t rape or kill anybody but I have witnessed rape and murder
several times” he replied.
“Okay” I sighed.
“I was addicted to drug, and was involved in sex as early as the age of 14. I was later caught by
the police in one of their raids, and I was sent to a correctional facility for a year and also spent
six months at the Rehab. It was during this time that I met a preacher that led me to Christ, I had
been attending church every Sunday before, but it was in the rehab centre that I gave my life to
Christ. Though the journey has not been easy but it has been worth it”, he concluded.
“Wow! This is a wonderful transformation story, thank God for your life” I said, staring at him.
“So, what about you? Are you saved too or should I preach to you?” he asked jokingly.
I narrated my own salvation experience too and though it wasn’t as intriguing as his, I was glad
to share it.
We finished our lunch and went back to our offices. As usual, he saw me off after we closed that
day, but just before I could enter my room, he held my hands and after pulling me to himself, he
gave me a hug and kissed me on my forehead.
”I am glad I found you”, he said softly.
For hours after I left office, that statement ‘I am glad I found you’ kept ringing in my head,
“What does that even mean?” I asked myself, it wasn’t as if I couldn’t comprehend it but I
needed to be sure. My mum called me that night to ask about my wellbeing, she wanted to be
sure I was taking care of myself and the baby. She asked when last I visited the hospital and I
couldn’t even answer.
“Answer me Jasmine, when last did you go for antenatal?” She asked.
“I haven’t gone to the hospital since I came here” I replied reluctantly.
“What! Don’t you know you are putting the life of the baby and yours at risk, I can’t believe
this.” she sounded disappointed.
“I will have to tell your dad about this when he comes back from work today” she said, knowing
full well that I wouldn’t want him to hear about it.
“No, no, no; please don’t tell daddy, I promise to go first thing tomorrow morning” I assured her.
“Are you sure, is it a promise?” she asked.
“Yes mum” I replied and then we wished each other a wonderful night rest.
After I dropped the call and was still thinking about my hatred for hospitals, Dave called.
“Hello Jas, how are you doing?” he asked.
“I am fine, thanks” I replied, wondering why he was calling to ask about my wellbeing when we
just left each other’s company less than two hours ago.
“Just wanted to make sure you are fine” he said.
“Okay. Thanks, that Is so thoughtful of you” I replied, still wondering.
“You are welcome, do have a wonderful night rest and remember to pray before you sleep” he
said.
“Alright, I will do just that, sweet dreams too” I dropped the phone after he ended the call.
I woke up the next morning feeling weak and tired, and the usual back pains were also there, I
dressed up and went to the office to take permission from my supervisor to go out to the hospital.
He gave me the day off and asked me to take as many rest as possible if I needed it.
As I was going back to my office, I met Dave in the walkway and he noticed that I was looking
disturbed.
“Hey Jas, what’s up” he asked after we exchanged greetings.
“I am fine” I replied and tried to avoid his questioning look.
“Wait, you don’t look good” he said as he took a closer look at me.
“Your face looks dull and you look disturbed too, what is the problem?” he asked.
“Nothing much, don’t worry yourself”, I said.
“Let me worry o, please. At least it is my worry not yours. Now tell me, what is disturbing you?”
he asked again and smiled.
Knowing full well that he would not take a ‘No’ for answer, I told him about how I hated
hospitals so much and how my mum made me promised to visit one.
“Is that all?” he asked and looked doubtful.
“Yes that is all, I already told you it is nothing so important” I said as I tried to walk away.
“You can’t go yet miss, we aren’t done talking” he said and pulled me back.
“What else now, or do you want to carry the baby in my tummy for me and visit the hospital in
my stead?” I asked jokingly.
“I wish I could, but the least I can do is to follow you there, a company will help you feel less
nervous.“ He said.
I was feeling very excited that I wouldn’t have to go to the hospital alone, my problem will be
half solved
“Really?” I asked, trying to hide my excitement.
“Yes, I can follow you if you don’t mind.” he said and looked at me for confirmation.
“Oh no, it’s okay, you can follow me, but where will you tell your supervisor you are going to?”
I asked curiously.
“I will just tell him I want to take my wife for antenatal” he replied jokingly.
“You are not serious, be serious for once joor” I said.
“Okay okay. Let’s go during the lunch break, and on our way back from the hospital we will
have our lunch.”
“Okay, that is a good idea. Thank you very much” I was very grateful to God for giving me a
friend at such a trying time.
I searched the internet for the best maternity hospital in town, especially the ones close to my
office and I found one named ‘Queens Maternity Hospital’.
We took a cab to the hospital and it didn’t take more than 10 minutes. The hospital was modern
and well-structured with a very neat and serene environment. It was the first time I would be in a
hospital with such a nice environment that made me feel very comfortable. They had enough
staff and I didn’t have to wait for hours before being attended to.
In less than 15 minutes, we were in the doctor’s office.
“Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Adeleke” The Doctor said after looking at my card to confirm the
name.
“No we are not mar….” I was about to correct him when Dave cut in.
“Good morning Doctor, my wife and I are here for antenatal check-up” Dave spoke and held my
elbow.
I wasn’t comfortable with the pretence but I didn’t speak up either.
“So how long is your wife?” the doctor asked.
“How long…” Dave said feeling lost and looked at me.
“I mean how many months is her pregnancy?” The doctor explained when he noticed he didn’t
quite understand his first question.
“Oh…okay, she is…emmmm…” Dave stammered as he stared into my eyes and begged me to
answer.
“Almost 5 months sir” I replied, staring back at Dave.
“Is this your first time of visiting the hospital for antenatal?” The doctor directed the question at
me.
“No, this is the second after about 3 months” I replied.
“Ok” he said.
“Come and lie down here” he said and pointed to the stretcher in his office.
“You can come and join her too.” He said as he gestured to Dave.
The doctor did the ultrasound scan and took a picture of the baby; he also did some other
physical examinations. I complained about the back pains and the abdominal pain and he
prescribed some drugs and asked me to do some lab tests.
“Come back after you get the result of the lab test” he instructed me.
“Okay sir”
“I really love it when I see couples together for check-ups like this, I always encourage men to
follow their wives every step along the way when their wives are pregnant, being a father is more
than just impregnating a woman” The doctor commended us.
Dave and I looked at each other and smiled.
We went for the laboratory test and were asked to come back in one hour’s time for the results;
so we decided to have lunch within that period. We took a cab to the nearest restaurant.
I requested for my favourite Amala and Ewedu while Dave ordered for fried rice and salad.
“Why did you play along with the doctor and pretended as if we are married” I asked
immediately we settled to eat.
“I really don’t know; it was just an impulse” he answered, avoiding my eyes.
“I hope it is not a pity-impulse” I asked.
“Of course not, I just thought it would make you feel better, I am sorry if I made you
uncomfortable instead” he explained.
“Okay, no problem” I decided to let it go.
It was actually nice to have him by my side throughout the check-up and I wished it was as the
doctor thought. My face became gloomy as I realized the real father of the child already rejected
it.
”Who will even want to marry a rape victim with a bastard child like me” I thought and shook
my head.
Dave looked at me curiously but didn’t ask any questions.
After we finished lunch, we went back to the hospital, collected the result of the test and went
back to see the doctor, he assured us that the baby was okay and prescribed some additional
drugs.
We got back to the office one hour after lunch break and I didn’t bother returning to the office.
I thanked Dave for his help and went straight to my room to rest.
I couldn’t go to work the next day, I felt so weak and tired that rising from bed became a very
difficult task for me. And since my supervisor already told me to rest for as long as I needed, I
decided to and stay back in my room. My roommate, Eniola was kind enough to help me get my
breakfast from the cafeteria before she left for office. Eniola was a very nice and disciplined girl;
though she was born in a Christian home where they were taught to live in the way of the Lord, I
noticed that she had never had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. She was more moral and
disciplined than some Christians, but Jesus was lacking in her life. I tried many times to make
her understand that attending Sunday services and being born in a Christian home would not
make one a Christian but a relationship with Christ, believing and living by faith rather than
works. I also told her no human can do anything of his own power and will unless God helped,
and I kept praying and hoping she met Jesus.
When Eniola left, I ate my breakfast, took my bath, had my quiet time and then played a message
through my phone but I slept off while it was on. My phone’s ringtone woke me up some
minutes later.
“Hey Jas, how are you doing? Hope everything is okay, your colleagues said you didn’t show up
today” Dave’s voice spoke through the phone.
“I am fine, don’t worry yourself. I just decided to rest today” I answered and put the phone on
Loudspeaker.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Of course I am sure, don’t worry yourself”
“Have you eaten? And have you taken your drugs?”
“I have eaten but I forgot to take those drugs, thanks for reminding me” I answered.
“Make sure you use the drugs, okay” he sounded like a man talking to his daughter.
“Okay sir”
“I will come see you after I close from work, bye till then.“ He said.
“Alright, bye” I returned.

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  • Olaleye Adedamola picture
    Olaleye Adedamola
    Welldone Janet but ur story is delay too Much before upload next episode. Anyway happy for Jasmine for btw Dave who can help her.... Next
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