JOYOUS LAUGHTER
Part 4
©Franca Uwuigiaren
I know you are dying to hear how God did it for me. Well, let me tell you. On this particular Thursday evening, I had alighted from the bus going home when Williams stopped his car beside me. He got out and started asking me for directions to a certain place. I did, and just when I started walking home again, he said, “You look like my sister.”
I was so startled by his words that I didn’t know when I started laughing.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Just give me your phone number, and if you’re on WhatsApp, I will send you my sister’s picture, and you will agree with me.” He said seriously.
For a moment, my mind went to my friend Iwinosa. Those days in school, people thought we were siblings because we really looked alike.
“Please,” he said, and I obliged him.
I stood there watching him drive away. Wasn’t I supposed to walk away after giving him my phone number? But I stood there staring after his car driving away. My heart was racing as well. It was like my heart recognized him.
“Aisosa, what are you staring after him for? Haven’t you seen handsome guys before? Oya start moving your legs and go home.” I told myself and smiled.
When I reached home, I began to laugh. I was just too excited. There was joy bubbling in my heart. It was like a fire was ignited in my heart.
“What’s wrong with you, Aisosa? You gave him your name and phone number, and you didn’t ask for his.” I said aloud.
“Jeez! I was busy assessing his handsome face. I will just wait for him to send me his sister’s pictures.” I responded aloud as I rushed to the bathroom laughing.
Later on the bed, I went through my WhatsApp messages, and I didn’t see any of his messages. Was I disappointed? Of course, I was very disappointed, but I soon consoled myself that it could be that he was busy.
“I will wake up in the morning and see his message” I murmured and went to sleep.
In the morning, I was disappointed. I soon forgot the whole episode and focused on my life.
One Sunday afternoon, I was curled up in my couch, pampering myself with popcorn as I went through a Christian magazine when my phone rang.
“Hello, I know you have been waiting for my sister’s pictures…and I know you missed my handsome face too. Don’t tell me you have forgotten me so soon. This is Williams talking to you. How are you doing, Aisosa?” He said laughing.
“You tricked me to collect my number because you never sent your sister’s pictures to me.” I told him blatantly. He laughed.
“I’m not a trickster, Aisosa. I’m a child of God, and I like you. I want you to be my friend.”
“Aren’t we friends already?”
“I want us to be intimate friends.”
I didn’t know what to say for a moment as this heart of mine started beating fast again. I told my heart to calm down, but it was misbehaving.
“I’m not your regular guy, Aisosa. I’m different. I’m going to treat you nice. I have been praying so…”
I know I have faced so many heartbreaks, and currently, there’s no man in my life, but I still wanted to take it slowly and sought the face of God.
“You’re not saying anything.” He said.
“I want to pray about it.”
“Please do, Aisosa. Take your time.” He said.
I didn’t know I was holding my breath until he hung up. I really prayed about it. I told God if he is a time waster, he shouldn’t bother calling me again, and that our paths should never ever cross again.
Some weeks later, I attended a colleague’s wedding at Ikotun. As I alighted from the bike I boarded from the bus stop, I saw Williams with another lady talking and laughing. My heart began to misbehave again. It was beating so bad that I thought the people around could hear it. There were a lot of butterflies in my belly.
There were a lot of people around, as cars and bikes were looking for space to park. I opened my purse and paid the bike man. I tried not to look in his direction before the lady he came with would notice, and…
“See who is here,” Williams said, and before I could respond, I heard a scream, “Aisosa! Is this you? Oh my God! You left school without a goodbye. Jesus, you’re wonderful!” The voice said, almost crying and hugging me so tight.
I looked very well and it was my friend Iwinosa. I screamed too with my eyes looking at us but I didn’t care. I hugged her too, not wanting to leave her. She was the one who led me to Christ. Why on earth would I leave her again?
“You didn’t change, except that you have matured,” Iwinosa said to me.
She looked at Williams, whose eyebrows were raised, and started telling him about me. His two hands were in his pockets as he listened with rapt attention.
“What happened? Why did you leave school and never returned?” Iwinosa asked.
“I lost my father, then my mother, and we were shared among relatives.” I explained.
“Anyway, we will have time to talk,” she said. “This is my brother…my elder brother, Williams.” She said.
“We have met before.” I said, looking at him shyly, and he nodded in agreement.
Williams left us and went inside the venue. I and Iwinosa stayed outside, catching up on old times.
“My brother called me some weeks back and told me he saw my look-alike. When he said it, I remembered you because those days, people used to ask if we’re twins.”
“He told me I look like his sister, and I thought of you too.”
We both laughed.
Iwinosa told me she’s not in Nigeria but only came because of the wedding. My colleague is also one of those she led to Christ.
“What about your kids and husband?” I asked.
“In the UK, I am returning next week,” she told me.
After a moment, she asked about my husband and kids too.
“I’m not yet married, Iwinosa.” I told her.
She didn’t feel disappointed. She didn’t make me feel guilty, like I am the one chasing men away with my no-s*x-before-marriage attitude.
She told me that my testimony is going to be loud because I refused to yield to the standard of the world. After the wedding, Iwinosa refused to allow me to go home. She insisted that I must follow her, only to discover that it was in Williams’ house.
Williams, in question, was excited to have me in his house as he made me comfortable.
Iwinosa told me Williams lost his wife less than a year after marriage and since then he refused to get married again.
“What happened to her? Was she sick?”
“On their wedding night, she slumped and never recovered. There was no hospital that my brother didn’t take her to until she died. With the tests results, nothing was wrong with her. My brother didn’t tell me on time. He was managing everything by himself. It was when she went into coma, he told and the next she was dead.”
I sighed deeply.
“I pray he finds love again.” She said.
The following morning, Williams dropped me at the bus stop where I boarded a bus home. Before Iwinosa travelled back to the UK, he asked if I was ready to give him a chance in my life and I said yes.
Our love story started. He was always checking up on me, and in no time, I fell in love with him. He made so comfortable, humorous, and a child of God. For me, he was a complete package, everything a woman needs in a man. He never asked me for s*x, and he loved my dress sense.
I had fear at the back of my mind about childbearing. What if I am unable to give him any child because of my age. I took it to God in prayers, and each time He referred me to Jeremiah 29:11. From that day, peace settled in my heart.
When he finally asked that big and important question, my yes was loud. He met my family with his, and all necessary things were done. We attended a marriage course in my church.
Indeed, my wedding was loud. God gave me the best; why won’t it be loud? I stood at the altar at the age of 41 to tie the knot with my husband, surrounded by friends and family who were all witnesses to God’s faithfulness in my life.
It was a beautiful ceremony. As I looked into Williams’ eyes, I knew that I had found my partner, my friend, and my soulmate. We exchanged vows, promising to love and cherish each other until death do us part. And as we sealed our union with a kiss, I knew that God had indeed done great things for me.
To all who are waiting on God, I want to encourage you to hold on to His promises. He is faithful, and He will come through for you in His perfect time. Don’t settle for less than God’s best, and don’t give up on your dreams. Keep trusting, keep believing, and keep praying and when God answers your prayers, like He did mine, remember to give Him all the glory and honour. For it is He who deserves all the praise, and He who is worthy of our trust and our love. Remember, His plans for you are good, and He wants to give you a future filled with hope and joy.
Don’t let the enemy whisper lies of doubt and fear into your ear. Instead, hold on to the truth of God’s Word, which says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
As I stood at the altar, I was grateful for the journey that had brought me to this moment. I was grateful for the lessons I had learned, the struggles I had overcome, and the choices I had made. One of the most important choices I had made was to maintain my sexual purity. In a world that often prioritizes physical pleasure and instant gratification, I had chosen to wait. I had chosen to reserve my body and my heart for the man who would become my husband and it hadn’t been easy.
There were times when I felt pressure from those around me, times when I was tempted to compromise my values and give in to my desires. But I had held fast to my convictions, knowing that my body was a temple, and worthy of respect.
I had refused to expose sensitive parts of my body to impress a man who was not yet my husband. I had refused to engage in sexual activities that would have left me feeling empty and unfulfilled. And I had refused to settle for a relationship that was based on physical attraction alone. Instead, I had waited for a man who would love me for who I am, a man who would respect me, and a man who would cherish and honor me. When Williams came into my life, I knew that he was the one.
He was a man of integrity, a man of faith, and a man who would cherish and honour me. We had waited for this moment, and we had waited for each other. As we exchanged our vows, we knew that our union was blessed by God.
To all who are reading this, I want to encourage you to prioritize sexual purity in your own lives. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. Your body is a temple, and it’s worth protecting. Your heart is precious, and it’s worth guarding. Don’t give in to the pressure of the world around you. Don’t compromise. Wait for the one who will love you for who you are, and who will cherish and honor you. When that day comes, you’ll know that it was all worth it.
THE END
© Franca’s Pen ✍️ 2024
Keep on the good work, God bless you
Good work done