© Ayo Omolayo
I entered the palour expecting to see Silas there, but he wasn’t. My heart almost jumped.
I had just rounded up my quiet time and the Holy Spirit told me to go to the parlour.
“CALM DOWN! I DIDN’T BRING YOU HERE TO GIST WITH SILAS. YOU TOO LIKE TALK TALK!”
I smiled and covered my mouth with my hands.
“TURN LEFT”, came the instruction.
I turned left and saw a broom beside the wall.
“YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT. GET TO WORK”.
Ewooooooo! Cris, when was the last time you swept a house? That should be 7 years ago.
“CRIS, FOR YOUR INFORMATION THERE WOULD BE NO HOUSE MAID IN YOUR FUTURE HOME. YOU’RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HUSBAND RIGHT HERE! CARRY THE BROOM AND SWEEP LIKE A WOMAN”.
“No housemaid? I will be sweeping house? Egbami ooo!”
“CRIS! I’M WAITING FOR YOU. CARRY THIS BROOM AND LET’S CLEAN THIS PLACE”.
I quickly went for the broom, bent down and began to sweep.
“So what about Silas?” I asked.
“I SENT HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE, SO YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE ASSIGNMENT I HAVE FOR YOU THIS MORNING. HE’LL BE BACK BY 9AM”.
“Ha! Daddy! How would I survive without him till that time?” I replied in fright.
“YOU WILL SURVIVE OOO. SILAS IS NOT OXYGEN. BESIDES, I’M HERE FOR YOU”.
“Daddy you know what makes me say that. How do I handle his parents all by myself? I need him around to help me talk to them when there’s a little misunderstanding”.
“AND WHAT ABOUT ME? YOU NEED SILAS AND I CAN START GOING, RIGHT?”
“Ha! I’m sorry Daddy! Please forgive me. I need you more than I need Silas”.
“THAT’S BETTER!”
I continued sweeping till I was done with the house.
“GO OUTSIDE!” Came the instruction.
I quickly opened the door, expecting to see my Silas. I met a messy compound. The village goats had defecated all over the compound overnight.
“LOOK BEHIND YOU”, Came the gentle voice.
I turned an saw that long strong broom used for sweeping the compound, resting on the wall near the entrance.
“START SWEEPING”.
I smiled as I picked it up and began to sweep the compound.
I have never done something like this before so I was not sure if I was doing it correctly. All I knew was that I was doing it. I moved round the house, sweeping everything I could. I gathered the dirt together and wondered how I was going to pack and dispose them.
“GO TO THE BACK OF THE HOUSE, YOU WOULD SEE A PARKER, USE IT. THEN AFTER PARKING, LOOK FOR THE KITCHEN, THE ZINC BUILT KITCHEN. YOU WOULD SEE AN OLD PAINT RUBBER THERE. THAT’S WERE MUMMY DROPS HER DIRT”.
I was wowed. I quickly ran to look around the house and saw the parker waiting for me there. I took it and gathered the dirt together. I looked for the kitchen and found the waste bin staring at me.
“Wow! Daddy! I’m a stranger in this compound. The way I’m knowing everything around the house is so unusual ooo!”
“LOOK AT YOU. SOMEONE THAT COLLECTED SPIRITUAL EAR BUD IS TALKING AS IF THERE IS NO DEVICE ON HER EAR”.
“So this is how it works?” I almost yelled. Oh my God! Daddy you’re the best.
“CONCENTRATE. WE HAVE MUCH MORE TO DO. NOW GET THE KEYS TO THE KITCHEN”.
“Where are they?”
“GOOD QUESTION. TURN AROUND, YOU WOULD SEE A WINDOW BEHIND YOU. CHECK THE WALL, THE THERE’S A NYLON STUCK IN A HOLE ON THE WALL. PULL IT OUT. THE KEY IS BEHIND IT”.
I turned and saw I was backing a window. I saw the nylon stuck into the hole in the wall. I went there, pulled out the nylon and brought out the keys.
“Jesus!” I grinned.
“GO AND OPEN KITCHEN JARE”.
“No Daddy! Allow me freak out a little bit. You’re too awesome! Too powerful! Chai! So this is spiritual ear bud? Chai! Silas must have it too”, I said as I opened the kitchen.
I saw the fireplace. They cooked on firewood stove.
“MUMMY HAD SET EVERYTHING IN PLACE. JUST GO THERE AND LIGHT THE FIRE. LOOK AHEAD OF YOU. THERE’S A BOTTLE ON THE FLOOR. THAT’S KEROSENE. POUR A LITTLE ON THE WOOD TO MAKE IT LIT UP FASTER”.
I looked forward and saw the bottle at it’s position. Wow! I followed the instructions and soon, I had lit up fire.
“GET THE YAM TUBER IN THE CUPBOARD OVER THERE AND PREPARE A BREAKFAST OF YAM. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE SAUCE. MUMMY ALREADY HAS EGUSI SOUP IN THE POT YOU WILL FIND IN THE CUPBOARD. JUST WARM IT. GET THE KNIFE FROM THE TOP OF THE CUPBOARD”.
I opened the cupboard and found yam tubers in it. I looked at the top of the cupboard and there was the knife.
I quickly put the pot of Egusi soup on the fire, while I started getting the yam ready. I worked like a girl who had been to the village for years. Just with the help of my Daddy in the kitchen with me. Giving me progressive instructions.
Within one hour, breakfast was ready! Daddy, you’re such a genius. I never knew I could be this powerful with you as my guide and commander.
“NOW TAKE A BUCKET FROM THE KITCHEN AND GET WATER FROM THE WELL AT THE NEXT COMPOUND”.
I didn’t waste time. I quickly took it and hurried to the next compound. The well was the first thing I saw. There was a teenage girl already fetching water.
“TELL HER TO FILL YOUR BUCKET FOR YOU”.
“My friend! Please can you fill my bucket with water?” I asked.
She looked at me and quickly bent her knees slightly to greet me.
“Ekaro ma (Good morning)”.
“Thank you my dear! Please can you help me?”
“Yes ma! Bring it here!” She replied.
I brought it and she poured all what she had fetched before my arrival into my bucket. Then fetched some more to fill my bucket.
“Thank you!” I said.
“You’re welcome ma!” She said and stood watching.
I bent over and tried to carry it. I had not taken up to five steps before soaking the skirt of my Ankara with water. It was as if I was pouring all the water she fetched on my legs.
“Should I carry it for you?” She asked, coming to meet me with her bucket of water. She refilled my bucket again and carried my bucket to the compound.
“Thank you so much dear! You’re such a wonderful young lady!” I said grinning.
“Please, who are you?” She asked.
I guessed she was familiar with everyone in the compound except me. She must have a good eye and must have been a great observer to notice I was new.
“I’m Mummy Akande’s daughter”, I answered.
“But mummy doesn’t have daughter na! She only had a son and that’s Bro Silas. When did mummy give birth to a grown up daughter like you?” She asked.
“TELL HER YOU’RE HER SON’S WIFE TO BE”.
“I am her son’s wife to be”, I quickly answered.
“Wow!” She exclaimed, with those huge eye balls of surprise.
“Thank you dear”, I replied grinning.
“But you still have not answered my question. Who are you?” She asked.
Now I was confused. I thought I just revealed who I was to her. What else was she asking about me? What does she want me to say?
“Daddy!”
“BE CALM! DON’T WORRY! JUST BE QUIET”.
I remained quiet and only smiled at her.
“Aunty, I saw three tall men with feathers following you with flaming swords in their hands. I was afraid. But their faces looked so friendly and beautiful.they followed you into the compound and wherever you went, they followed.
So who are you?” She asked.
Now I understood why she asked the question. Wow! So angels were following me? Daddy this is not fair ooo! You showed someone else the angels, but you didn’t show me.
“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?”
“I wanted to hug you before, but now I’m not going to hug you again. Your baby girl will not hug you”, I replied sulkily.
“YOU OWE ME TWENTY HUGS. AND YOU’RE GOING TO HUG ME TODAY”.
“I say I’m not hugging you. You refused to show me the angels”, I replied.
“OKAY! LET ME COLLECT MY EAR BUD”,
“Ha Daddy daddy! I was only joking na! If I don’t hug you who will I hug? Come, let me hug you! My sweet Daddy!” I said grinning.
I could hear him laughing within me. I couldn’t help it but laugh too.
“Aunty, who are you?” The girl called me back to from my chat with God.
“I am a daughter of the most high God”, I replied.
“Wow! I want to be like you! Please, tell me what I must do to become a daughter of the most high God”, she said.
“You must give your life to Jesus and accept him as your personal Lord and saviour”.
That was how I won a soul that morning. It looked like a shock to me. Just seeing me and wanting to be like me. Me of all people? Me that God should have destroyed in the twinkling of an eye if not for the mercy of God and the intercessory prayers of my mentor.
It’s amazing how God transforms a person from nothing to somebody. I was completely hopeless, but God gave me hope. This my Daddy is too sweet. Jesus, you’re so amazing.
I carried the bucket and was about entering the kitchen when mummy came out.
“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much darling!” She said as she took the bucket from my hands.
I was trying to understand what happened. Did I just heard her calling me darling? That one na pill to swallow.
Soon, Daddy came out of the house furious.
“Is today the first time you’re doing this? You keep behaving as if you’re not a wife. You sleep as if there is no tomorrow to sleep. You’re a terrible woman!
You want to tarnish my reputation in this community abi? You know it’s today I’m supposed to go and you decided to sleep like a rat!” He said ranting.
“Where is the water for me to bathe with?”
“It’s right here?” She said and she took the bucket and hurried to where the bathroom was located.
I stood watching everything. I didn’t know what to say, neither did I know what was going on. That my mother-in-law called me darling rang in my head like I received the award of the best wife of the year.
“So what about my food? Will I go on an empty stomach?”
“Breakfast is ready. I think Silas cooked for us before he left”.
“Silas doesn’t cook mummy. You have failed me as a wife. You’re such a disgrace. I can’t believe it. So you mean I would go there on an empty stomach?”
“Daddy you don’t understand. Someone has prepared breakfast already”.
“Who?”
“Me!” I said interrupting their conversation.
They both turned to look at me with shock written on their faces.
“I thought it was Silas”, Mummy said.
“When has Silas ever cooked in this house?” Daddy asked.
“I don’t know. But maybe he could be the one that cooked the food”.
“But the compound has been swept. The house swept also. Who did all these?” Daddy asked.
“Me!” I answered.
They both looked at me, unable to say a word.
To be continued……
Okay, Daddy and Mummy Silas, do quick and tell us what a wonderful daughter Christiana is?
How wonderful things can be when we obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit.
I so much love this new dimension of hearing from God. Cris was a stranger in that house, but she was walking around the house as if she had lived there all her life.
Oya wedding planning committee. The delay has been too much. Let’s begin with the bridal shower.
