Mrs Duke, Jason's mum, got a call from her older Son, Bernard, saying he was coming into Port Harcourt from Abuja and needed someone to pick him when he gets to the airport. So she dialed Jason's number.
**** **** **** ***
Linda opened the door and they both went into her house. She had intentions of getting him to finish what tney started the previous night. So she went into the room to put on some lingerie while Jason was helping himself with wine at the table.
Then his phone rang and he picked the call. "Hello Mum... I'm fine and you?... Ok... He did?... I'm not sure I can do that mum, I'm on a visit... Send somebody, send Badmus the driver or he can get a cab... Ok," he said with a sigh, "I'll do you the favour. I'll be on my way to the airport."
He took what was left in the cup and walked into the room to tell Linda he was about to leave, but she came out and met him at the door, dressed seductively.
"Jason, I'm not interested in your apologies, I just want us to finish up what we started last night," she said, walking up to him dressed in the most provocating outfit.
Jason gulped. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't. Instead he heard a voice in his head say, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man... a way to escape, a way to escape, a way to escape..." he closed his eyes and opened it again only to see Linda right in his face.
She placed her hand on his chest and kissed him pulling him to towards herself. He didn't resist.
****** ****** *******
"Stacey, you haven't told me why you came home late today and didn't go to church," Stacey's mother asked her as they both sat in the living room.
"Mummy, ah see the time now. It's 7:30pm already. I got back from work about an hour ago because we had to finish a part of the work before tomorrow," replied Stacey.
"You were supposed to see Pastor Nick for prayers like we agreed. So I expected you earlier," her mum said.
Stacey sighed and said, "Mummy I know. I just couldn't help it." She wished she didn't have to see Pastor Nick again for any more prayers. It looked like the more she sort for prayers, the more the men pulled away, and the more desperate she became and had to seek more prayers. It was now a vain viscious loop that benefited only Pastor Nick. Because although her mum hadn't told her, she knew she was appreciating the Man of God for the fasting and prayers he was undertaking on her behalf.
Her mum continued, "That means you have to see him over the weekend, my dear. You really need a man in your life-"
"Mum! I'm only twenty-five please. Don't make me feel like I have a demon or something," stacey snapped.
"I'm only looking for your good. Look at Beauty, your cousin; she has done her introduction, and what about your friends - all married. I was only twenty when I married your father," Mrs Okoro addressed her daughter.
"Not again mummy. I'm not ready for this kind of conversation. Thanks for your concern though," Stacey answered and stood up to go into her room.
Mrs Okoro hissed and shook her head, saying, "You children of nowadays are just plain stubborn and blind even to your own problems."
Stacey left her and went into her room. Once inside, she knelt down to pray. She really wasn't happy she wasn't in a relationship, but more than that, she hated having to face pressure from her mother. She prayed and prayed in tongues until she fell asleep.
****** ******** *******
Jason woke up and saw Linn sleeping next to him on the bed. It took a fews seconds for him to remember where he was and how he got there. He sneaked out of the bed and picked his clothings, then he collected his phone and keys from the side table before leaving the room.
It was on his way to the palour, he remembered the last conversation he had with his mother and the promise he made to pick his brother at the airport. He checked his phone, the time was 9:45pm and there were twenty-nine missed calls and five messages.
"Sh*t!" he cursed and quickly unlocked the phone. His mother and brother and his friend, Carlos, were the callers. He read the text messages.
"Oh my God... No... Noo" Jason quickly dressed up and hurriedly left the house. He went to his car, and entered. He didn't know whether to call his mother or get to the house first. All the same he started the engine and drove the car out of the area. His heart was beating dangerously.
************************
Mrs Duke kept trying both of her sons lines but none was picking, she got perplexed. It was over three hours now and Jason hadn't replied her texts either. She paced up and down in the living room, praying. These were the only children she had and she felt something wasn't right, but she didn't know what to do. She decided to call Linda. The phone rang and rang and rang, no reply.
"What is going on with everybody tonight?" she asked, looking at her phone. She tried Bernard's fiancee's number.
"Hello Mummy!" the caller at the other end answered with excitement.
"Bunmi my dear, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine ma. I'm sure you've seen Bernard, how well I've been taking care of him?" Bunmi asked.
"That's exactly why I called at this time my dear. Bernard has not been picking my calls. He hasn't even gotten home. And neither has Jason, who I sent to pick him up from the airport."
"But I spoke with him an hour ago and he said he'd just arrived Port Harcourt and was expecting Jason," Bunmi replied, "Mummy maybe they went to have a few drinks or something. He's fine. Don't worry."
"Now you've told me you spoke with him an hour ago, I'm less worried. I'll wait. But if you can reach him still, let him know I'm waiting for him," Mrs Duke said.
"Ok mum. I'll send him a ping. I'll call you back afterwards," Bunmi said and ended the call at the other end.
Mrs Duke raised her hands to the heavens and prayed in her dialect, "Abasi mbok nim ndito iden mmi. Kpeme mmo. Ku yak idiok anam mmo. Sosongo." and she went back to take her seat.
****** ****** ******
Jason called Carlos as soon as he was out on the highway.
Carlos picked the call at the other end. "Man, where have you been?"
Jason ignored the question and asked, "Carlos where's my brother?"
"He's been taken to UPTH. I'm almost there now."
Jason pounded the steering wheel in frustration and ended the call. His head was reeling. Linda! Linda! He screamed inside. If she hadn't tempted him sour and he had gone to pick his brother himself, this accident wouldn't have occured. What would he tell his mother, he thought. "God, Please don't let my brother die. Please. I can't live with the blame. I know I should have listened."
Instantly, like a thought, he heard a voice say, "The enemy is in a battle for your soul, because you know the truth. You are at the verge of being set free. I have come that you may have eternal life. Believe."
"I surrender. I believe. Please, just let Bernard live," Jason replied in his heart. He didn't know what else to say. He was getting close to the hospital now. Then his phone began to ring again and when he looked at the screen, he saw the caller was Linda. He felt a sudden rush of disgust and anger and hate. He immediately cut the call and flung the phone on the passenger seat. The phone rang again and again and again.
****** ******* ******
"Please where is the man they brought in that had an accident?" Carlos asked the first nurse he saw as soon as he entered the emergency ward of the hospital.
"Ask the nurse at that counter," the lady responded, pointing to the counter in front of him. He went to the counter but the nurse wasn't there.
"Why some drivers wicked like dis? For night like this, them go drink finish, still enter steering to drive," one woman sitting at the waiting area was saying to another. "Now see as dis one just kill other people join. God forbid."
His heart skipped as he heard what the woman said. He immediately called Jason to know where he was but Jason wasn't picking.
Jason wasn't picking because he thought it was still Linda calling. As he drove into the parking lot, he found himself praying again.
A few minutes later, he was hastily walking into the emergency section of the hospital.
"Jason!" Carlos called him when he saw him come in.
"Have you seen Bernard?" Jason asked.
"Are you a relative to Mr Bernard Duke?" an elderly nurse, who just came out of the ward asked, looking at Jason. He looked a lot like his brother.
"Yes, Yes I am. How is he? Where is he?" Jason asked. His face paled with fear.
The nurse looked at him. She could see the fear written all over him. "Your brother is fine. It was certainly a miracle for him."
Just then a metal stretcher, the one used to transfer corpse to the morgue, was pulled into the waiting area by one of the hospital workers.
"The driver and all the occupants of one of the cars involved in the accident, all died. You brother only sustained some minor injuries, but the driver of the taxi he entered lost an arm."
Carlos and Jason both heaved a sigh of relief.
"So where is he?" Jason asked the woman with excitement.
"You won't be allowed into the ward now because some corpse are about to be transfered, but as soon as they're done you'll be allowed into the ward to see your brother," the woman replied and left them to continue with her duties.
Jason embraced Carlos and they waited to be allowed into the ward. While they were waiting, it felt weird but he said 'Thank you Jesus' aloud and that caught his friend's attention.
"Did I just hear you say that?"
No comments:
Post a Comment