#DECEPTION
Episode Fourteen
© Kemiliz Aiyemo Omotayo
“It’s now our secret, remember. If you tell on me, I won’t hesitate to tell the world what a bisexual being you are and also how you’ve been molesting me, your sister” Rachel threatened just as Esther was about to leave her room.
Esther couldn’t understand why her sister could be that stiff necked to destroy herself. If Rachel had been that positive about the abortion she wants to carry out, there wouldn’t be any need for her feeling down or letting anyone know in the first place.
Esther was scared for her sister’s life, but more scared of what would become of her if she actually tried helping her out. She thought about telling her mother but concluded that her mom would also prefer secrecy, thereby going with Rachel’s evil intention.
If her mother wouldn’t let her open up on her principal then, what is the assurance that she would support her in letting Rachel keep the baby, a product of underaged immoral affair?
She settled on leaving things hidden, after all it’s not her sin in the first place.
She returned much later to her mother’s shop and tried taking off her mind on the recent happenings in her life, which ranged from Ben, to her almost sexing her sister and her sister’s secret now.
She’s not the only one with a mystery so why should she kill herself with worry over it.
At home, she always find Rachel’s face on her as if monitoring her. She took sometime to speak to her once again assuring her her secret is safe with her.
While they talked, she observed fear in her sister’s face which prompted her to ask if she had done what she’s about to do before.
” This is going to be the third time. Although I’m having a kind of strange feeling about this, but there’s definitely nothing I can do” Rachel declared
Esther wanted to convince her on reasons to alter her decision, but then she let it go.
Things went back to the usual with no call from Ben. They met at one evening service but she ignored him even when he tried to greet her. She noticed that Ifemi had no scar on her face and was pissed.
She wished his mother wasn’t standing there to give testimony but someone else talking about how well she had lived.
That’s how much she now hates everything that is related with Ben.
After the service, they returned home to find Rachel wiggling in serious pain.
Their uninformed mother began to cast and bind, destroying every yoke of poison in her daughter.
“Mummy, let’s get her to the hospital” Esther cried when she saw how anguished her sister was and still couldn’t tell her mother who was still praying ceaselessly on what her sister had done.
” Mum!” She shouted and added ” she’s loosing much blood. Let’s take her to the hospital now”
Her mother then recovered from the prayer seeing that her daughter needed immediate medical attention.
She ran to her room and took some money, that was after she had been moving around aimlessly confused.
While Esther and Rachel were alone, they spoke in tears.
” I told you not to do this, I warned you but you wouldn’t listen” Esther said
” I know sister, i know, but I am beyond redemption. I am condemned already.” She groaned.
“Don’t say that. We’re getting you help and you’ll survive this in Jesus name” Esther consoled
“No sister, this is my end. I’ve lived a wrong life and hidden my sins which has finally searched me out. I might have been saved but I choose not to because I decided to hide it. I’m going to die” she wailed in pain.
” No you’re not, you won’t die. My God will give you a second chance, you will survive this” Esther cried
” You’re my second chance and I hope you have a genuine repentance. You’re my second chance” Rachel said and gave up the ghost.
Esther felt it. She felt that her sister had died and let out a loud scream that made her mother rush to the room. She also cried when she realized that her baby girl is no more.
Soon, her mother got a grip of herself and went to the bathroom, where she got a bucket of water and rag to clean up the bloody floor.
She cried as she was wiping the blood of her daughter while Esther was at the one corner, crying at the same time thinking of what her mother was doing.
Esther’s mother proceeded to changing the cloth on her lifeless daughter and when she was done, she let out a scream.
Esther became confused, she was trying to understand the drama her mother was acting.
” My enemies have succeeded. Hey! They have finally killed my daughter.” Her mother cried loudly.
Now it dawned on her. It seemed secrecy run in their bloodline as she now understood that her mother didn’t want anyone to know Rachel bled to death which might raise some kind of eyebrows.
But still she couldn’t help but asked ” mummy, what are you doing?”
Her mother gave her an absurd look before answering her with a question ” what I’m I doing?”
” Yes, what are you doing” Esther said confirming her question.
“I’m mourning my daughter ofcourse.”her mother answered in tears
” That’s not what I meant mom, and you know” Esther challenged
” Help me know what you mean then since I don’t know it. Why are you so determined in frustrating me even when your sister’s body is not even cold? Why are you this heartless?” Her mother questioned
” Don’t play the victim game here mom. I just want to know if you know anything about her death” Esther said cold-bloodedly
Her mother was taken aback with the last statement. Hot tears began to flow down her cheeks without her uttering a sound while looking at Esther’s straight face.
Esther wasn’t moved at all. She knew her mother so well and wouldn’t let her words or emotions get to her.
” Do you know anything about my sister’s death?” Esther asked
“No I don’t, I swear I don’t” her mother denied vehemently.
” You do mummy, if you don’t, you won’t have wiped out all the blood first” she said
” Do you know what happened to to her?” Her mother asked her too
” I don’t know. Why do you think I should?” She asked her mother.
” Your curiosity on why I cleaned the blood first has given you out. So you better start telling me what you know about your sister’s death now” her mother threatened
Esther wouldn’t have imagined that her mother would ask her that question. She wasn’t prepared for any answer so she began to cry. Her saving grace was when she heard the honk of her father’s car.
The two ladies stopped the accusation game and began to cry before the other members of the family entered.
The father questioned them on why her daughter wasn’t taking to the hospital for medical attention before and after her death.
Soon, the men of the house took Rachel’s corpse to the hospital where she was confirmed dead and then taking to the mortuary.
The news of Rachel’s death spread like widefire in the town bringing families and friends to pay condolences.
Esther’s mother claimed her daughter was poisoned and so everybody believed her except Esther, who knew her sister committed abortion.
She couldn’t sleep all through the night. She kept seeing her sister’s face whenever she closed her eyes. She wished she had tried to stop her damning the consequences. Her sister wouldn’t have died if she hadn’t keep her secret by helping her keep her own secret.
Part of her knew she had something to do with her sister’s death. She also believed her mother knew something as well, maybe she was the one that gave her the abortion pills so as the family’s face wouldn’t be dragged to mud.
Yes, her mother could do that, but she wasn’t sure as she is about herself.
People kept trooping in to pay condolences.
Ben’s parents came as well. She was even surprised to see Ifemi with them.
She wanted to ask about Ben but decided against it. For the fact that he couldn’t even let go of their issues even with the death of her sister showed the type of person he was.
A week after her sister had been buried, she still couldn’t get herself. She kept hearing her sister’s last words as being he Second Chance.
She was almost going nut and something, a strange voice whispered that she prayed.
Ever since the death u her sister, she hadn’t gone to church or say a word of prayer. She had blamed herself and God for allowing her sister to die, just like that.
As the voice came the second time, she hesitantly picked up her Bible.
She was too blank to know what portion of the Bible to read.
At some point, she had concluded that the spirit of the most high God has desserted her. She felt she had gone too deep.in sin that the Love of God is no longer her inheritance in Christ Jesus.
As the flesh was trying to take her farther from doing the right thing, she remembered her dying sister’s words and just opened the Bible.
Her eyes caught the Romans chapter 8 verses 37-39 – Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
– For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
– Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Oh! What a reliving assurance she felt and gradually her deflated confidence in Christ began to rise again.
She began to pray radically thanking God for his ever and sure love for her.
While she was praying, the devil reared its ugly head again by constantly reminding her of how terrible her sins were and how it’s impossible for God to forgive her since she had known Christ before yet committed those attrocities.
She confronted the evil voice in her head using Romans chapter 5 verse 8 – But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
With this, she find the courage to fully take charge of her mind and began to worship God in praises.
She had a revelation.
She went to church later where she sincerely repented and rededicated her life to Christ using 2Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14 – If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Esther turned a new leaf and occupied her mind with the things of the Lord.
She returned to school and became a more dedicated worker in the fellowship. She began to do exceedingly well both in her academics and amongst her brethren in fellowship.
She used her voice for the Lord more than ever before and soon people began to reference her as Christ like as she now radiated the beauty of Christ.
She would call home frequently to encourage her family especially her mother who was yet to get over Rachel’s demise
She was enjoying her new salvation and her renewed strength in Christ.
On her way from the lecture one day, she met a familiar face sitting on one of the benches in her house.
When she moved closer, she became visibly nervous she identified who it was.
Ben lifted his head off the phone and greeted ” Good day Esther, it’s so good to see you again”
To be continued
