Saved by Love - Episode 4

 

     Six months after Akinlolu started teaching at Daylight College, he was in SSS 3 class one Wednesday morning when he heard that still little voice, 

“Tender your resignation letter tomorrow. Your life will receive a turnaround.” 

He looked around the class, the students were doing the exercise he had given to them, he asked, 

“Did someone say anything?” 

The students looked up while some shook their heads and the others said, 

“No Sir.” 

Akinlolu turned back to the note he was making and he heard the voice say the same thing again and again. Then he knew it must be the voice of the Supreme Being, God. 

' But really, God has started again, if I resign now, what will we eat? How will we survive? The rent of the house has just a month to get due, how will we pay? We barely have enough to eat!' He thought, then that scripture came to mind “For after all these things do the gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things . Another scripture also dropped into his mind that goes thus; that God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 

  He decided to obey the voice because God is not a man that he should lie, if he says he will do something, he will do it. 

  So, he tendered his resignation letter the next day to the Principal. The man tried to convince him otherwise because Akinlolu had become one of the best teachers in the school but he refused and he left with the salary of the day's he worked since it was not up to a month. 

...... 

     The next day around 09:00 am, Akinlolu woke up and he went into the kitchen to see Adara crying, 

“Adara, what's this? Why are you crying?” 

She turned to him and he took her in his arms and hugged her

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. After a while, the tears subsided and he asked again,

“What happened?”

“The headteacher at Teal Schools said I should stop bringing doughnut to the school and that is the place I make the most of my sales.”

“Ah-ha, but why did he say that?” Akinlolu asked and she looked away uncomfortably, 

Akinlolu asked, “Adara, what did you do?” Akinlolu asked, 

“He wanted to sleep with me. I refused.”

“Seriously? That old smelling man! He needs to be given a good beating. Dear, just calm down. All will be well.”

“Why aren't you at work anyway?”

“I stopped working yesterday.”

“You stopped working? Tell me that is a joke. How can you stop working? We barely have enough to eat and then you stopped working?”

“God told me to stop working.”

“What! How will God tell you to stop working? Can't he see what we are passing through? You didn't tell me Christianity is all about hardship and poverty.”

“Shhh. Do not say that. Christianity is not about hardship or poverty. In fact, Jesus died so we can be poverty free. We are rich Adara even if we do not have those material things like flashy cars, fat bank accounts and gigantic houses that make up the wealth of this world, that is only a matter of time. All these can't go on forever. God is just trying to break us, process us and make us for the time to come. If I had given up, you would not have met me. Stay firm, okay?”

“Okay.”

...... 

     The next two months that followed were really harsh on Adara and Akinlolu, things couldn't have been worse, Akinlolu had to sell his gadgets just for them to eat. At a point, whenever there was no food, they would automatically turn it into fasting, the most they ate was twice a day. During these times, Akinlolu still went in search of jobs and did interviews but with no fruitful result. Their landlord had already given them the normal three months extension before getting their belongings out if they do not pay within or after the three months. 

  After two months, God smiled on them. 

One night while they were playing scrabble on Adara's system, Akinlolu's phone rang and he picked it, 

“Hello... Yes, I am Akinlolu Coker... Yes?.... Oh! Good evening.... Oh my God!... Thank you so much... I will be there first thing on Monday morning... The same as discussed?... Wow... All right... Good night... Thank you.”

“What happened? Who was that?”

“Wonders shall never end, that was Pacesetters Construction Company's CEO's Secretary. Adara, he has finally done it.”

“What did the Secretary say? Talk to me.”

“She said they just reviewed their interview that was done three weeks ago due to the absence of the CEO and after going through all the candidates' prospectus, she was told to call me to come start work as the man that got the job.”

“Wow! Praise God!”

“Hallelujah.

Read " Meant To Be " by the same author ( Olufunlola Adeola )

. Only God could have done this. Do you know the best part?”

“No, tell me please.”

“My salary would be 200,000 naira for a start!”

“200,000 naira? Oh my God! That's huge. Oh my God!”

“We are indeed blessed and in a season of turnaround.”

“Do you know what this means, Akinlolu?”

“No more outstanding bills, no more worries, no more starving.”

“God is great!”

“All the time.”Akinlolu replied and they kept appreciating the Lord for his good deeds. 

........

    Akinlolu started work at Pacesetters the following Monday by eight o'clock and his boss, Mr. Cole, a nice middle-aged man took a liking to him instantly and even the rest of the staff accepted him. 

  Slowly and steadily, 29th of his first month at Pacesetters arrived and the CEO's Secretary, Bidemi Williams came by his office some minutes before five, which was the closing time, to drop a manila envelope for him, he checked it out, saw his boss and made his way home. 

  As Adara opened the door for him, he pulled her to himself and held her tight, a confused Adara managed to say, 

“You are choking me man.” Akinlolu knew but he was overwhelmed with happiness and something more he had been keeping at bay, he released her and apologized, 

“Sorry, I am just excited. Come on, get dressed, we are eating out.”

“Eating out? Like seriously? Like that's what we need right now. The landlord just left some minutes ago after he embarrassed the life out of me.”

“Forget that! Go get dressed, we are going out for dinner...in twenty minutes.” Akinlolu said glancing at his well-worn wristwatch as he made his way to his room leaving Adara all jaw dropped and gaping at his retreating back. 

  In twenty minutes, time, Adara walked into the sitting room, she had drawn her brows, applied powder on her face, used pink lipstick to go with her sleeveless V-neck shaped blue patterned gown and blue accessories. She met Akinlolu waiting for her. He was garbed in his only proper black shirt and his well ironed ashes colored material trouser. And they proceeded outside, as he locked the main door to their apartment. 

  Adara kept looking at him curiously as he motioned for her to come along. Adara started moving towards the gate but Akinlolu pulled her towards the garage that housed their neighbours two cars and a new black Toyota Camry car. Akinlolu walked ahead towards the black Camry and he inserted the keys, opening the front passenger's door and holding it out for her, she did not move,

“Adara come over please, I am starving.”

“Akinlolu who owns this car?”

“I will gist you about it later, just come sit so we can be on our way.”

“Okay.” She agreed and went to sit in the vehicle after which he closed the door and got into the car from the driver's side.