NYSC WITH ALICE ©Tomisin E. AdebisiEPISODE 64 (Not edited)

NYSC WITH ALICE 

©Tomisin E. Adebisi

EPISODE 64 (Not edited) 

Tola saw Sarah lying on the bed with her face down, covering herself with a wrapper, she heard her sobbing under the wrapper. 

Tola stood behind the door for some time, then she moved closer and sat beside her on the bed,

"Sarah," She called.

Sarah removed the wrapper and wiped her tears, then she sat up.

"Tola," She called and sobbed on her shoulder.

"It's okay," Tola said petting her on her back, Sarah cried for a long time then wiped her tears and rested on the back of the bed.

"What would you like to eat?" Tola asked

"I'm fine," Sarah answered 

"Sarah you need to eat something please," Tola pleaded

"Tola, I'm not hungry I just want to cry," She said and burst into tears again.

"It's okay, but I thought you loved Sam, Why did you say No?" Tola asked.

"Because I love him, I love him so much,  I don't want to lose him," She cried.

"I don't get you?" Tola asked confused, 

"Tola, you can't understand," She answered.

"Do you mind sharing?" 

"It's a long story,"

"Can we talk about it? Problem shared is half solved," Tola said. Sarah was quiet.

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine, but I just want you to take things easy with yourself, you will be fine, okay?" Tola assured her.

Sarah looked at Tola for some time, then she sat up, wiped her tears and started,

"I was born into a family, or should I say a community where every female child gets married once she sees her first menstrual flow," Sarah said.

"What?!" Tola covered her mouth,

"Surprised right," Sarah smiled,

"Alhaji Nuhu was my father's friend, he was a very rich man. He had told my parents he wanted me to marry Shehu his son who was ten years older than me, and my parents accepted their proposal, and I was betrothed to him. Shehu didn't wait till I saw my first period, he died when I was eight after a little illness," She paused 

"Oh!" Tola said 

"After the news of Shehu's death went round the village, new men came to ask for her hand in marriage and my father decided to give me to Alhaji Kazeem who was the richest among them. I wasn't happy about it because Alhaji Kazeem is old enough to be my grandfather, but there was nothing I could do about it.," She paused, "Alhaji Kazeem died in his sleep a few days before my 10th birthday," she said

"Wow!" Tola said 

"Yes. Well, that came as good news to me, because it saved me from marrying an old man. A year later, Danjuma came to my father to ask for my hand in marriage, Danjuma was a son to one of my father's friends, he was in his early 20s then. My father accepted him and I was immediately betrothed to him.," She paused again 

"Two years later, a few days after my thirteenth birthday, I saw my first menstrual flow and my father sent for

Danjuma and the wedding day was fixed," She paused again

"So you got married to Danjuma?" Tola asked

"No. He died a day before the wedding," Sarah answered.

"My God!" 

"Yeah. He was knocked down by a moving truck," Sarah answered.

"Oh!"

"Danjuma's death caused a great problem for me, the villagers saw me as a cursed child, so men stopped coming to ask for my hand in marriage. My parents became ashamed because all my mates were already married with children When I was 16 no man came for me. My parents saw me as a cursed child and decided to send me out of the village. 

Madam Kefi came to our village in need of a maid and my parents gave me to her so I moved to Lagos and started a new life. Luckily for me, my boss is a school proprietress so she enrolled me in her school I entered JSS 1. At the age of sixteen, when I got to JSS 2, I met Kingsley, he was the oldest boy in JSS3 we were almost the same age he asked me out for a relationship, it was strange to me because that was the first time a man was coming to me for a relationship unlike my village where they go to my father, all the same, I gave him a yes and we started a relationship I was a very brilliant child like I am still brilliant," she smiled.

"So my boss registered me for junior WAEC in JSS2,"

"Wow! She's a very nice woman," Tola said

"Yeah, I owe that woman a lot," She smiled, "I wait for junior WAEC lesson after school every day so I walk home with Kingsley after the lesson every day. One day, we were coming back from school when Kingsley got into a fight with a student in another school the boy stabbed him on his side and he was rushed to the hospital but he didn't make it. News got to school the next day that Kingsley was dead,"

"Hmm..." Tola sighed

"When I got to SS2 my boss registered me for senior WAEC that was when I met Joshua. Joshua was two years older than me, he was a corper who came to serve in my school. He taught me during WAEC tutorials so he asked me how for a relationship and I gave him yes

One day he just didn't come to school for like three days and I asked a friend of his who was also a corper in my school and say Joshua was diagnosed with Appendicitis he was to be operated on so he traveled to his parent's place so their family doctor could do the surgery. News got to us five days later that Joshua didn't survive the surgery,"

"My God!" Tola said

"I wrote jAMB together with senior WAEC and I gained admission into the University of Ibadan that very year. I met Fred in my first semester In 200 level, he was a final year student and we were in the same department, we were great lovers. I loved him than every other men I had been in a relationship with. After the first semester exam, he told me he wanted to travel home, something tells me that will be the last time I will see him I tried to stop him, but he promised me he will be fine. I saw him off to the park and I waved at him," She paused and fresh tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

"He died too?" Tola asked 

"I tried to walk home from the park, I had barely sat down when I heard my neighbor's radio saying a commercial bus had an accident at Iwo road, an eighteen-seater bus had collided with a fuel tanker and it caught fire. I suddenly became afraid, I took a straight bike to Iwo Road, and I saw him among the dead bodies on the ground. Tola, Fred died too," She cried bitterly.

"I met several guys after that but I didn't give them audience, I became depressed, I gave up on love. I met Sam in my second semester in 200 level, he preached Christ to me and I gave my life to Christ, and we became best friends, and my life took a new a new leaf," She paused and then continue.

"I have always loved Sam, I've imagined Sam proposing marriage to me, walking me down the aisle, but I don't want to lose him," She paused again,

"Tola, every man that loves me dies. It's risky for Sam, Kenny needs him, the world needs him, and this generation needs him. He shouldn't die because of me," She cried.

"Hmmm....," Tola sighed heavily 

"Have you prayed about this?"

"Yes, I have. I have prayed Tola, but I'm scared," Sarah answered.

"Sarah, I think this is a spiritual manipulation, something like you having a spiritual husband,"

"I was thinking the same thing too," Sarah said 

"The only solution is prayer, you love Sam right?" Tola asked.

"Very much," She answered 

"You will marry him, and I assure you, he will not die young, there's nothing prayer cannot do," Tola said 

"Thank you," Sarah whispered,

"Wipe your tears okay?" 

"Thanks, dear," Sarah said as they embraced each other.

"What would like to eat?" Tola asked 

"Tola, I'm not hungry, I just want to sleep," She smiled as lay down on the bed.

"Thank God you finally smiled," Tola smiled.

To be continued...

Holy Spirit's inspiration 

#nyscwithalice 

©Tomisin E. Adebisi

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