Offence of The Land

[StoryTeller]

Episode 1

It was their seventh wedding anniversary and Teju decided to surprise her husband by preparing his best meal and getting him a gift. A lot has gone wrong with her marriage of seven years but she hopes to rekindle their love through the surprise she has for her husband.

Luke was supposed to come back home by 7 pm but on this particular day which happened to be their wedding anniversary, he came back earlier. He sat in the living room after undressing himself, he suddenly needed to get something from the bedroom but he was too tired to go, he then called his wife who was busy in the kitchen to help him.

Teju: ohh dear, I am so busy here, please do take it yourself. If I leave here, this plantain will get burnt.

Luke: and so? Does that mean the poverty-stricken plantain of yours is more important than I am?

Teju: (replying from the kitchen) not at all dear, just help me, please

Luke: if you had given me children, I won't have to bother you

Teju: (became heartbroken and then left the kitchen to meet her husband) but is it my fault? Am I happy with the fact that we have no children yet? Why do you derive joy in hurting me?

Luke: and how is it not your fault? What have you don't to salvage the situation? I see women running helter-skelter to get solutions to their problems but you are here simply folding your hands. Teju, give me a child or I will get a second wife

Teju: (shocked) what???

Luke: yes, I mean everything I said.

With that Luke dressed up and left for God knows where leaving Teju to cry her heart out. The plantain she didn't want to get burnt finally got burnt.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 2

Teju was still on the floor weeping uncontrollably when her cellphone rang, she picked it up and discovered it was her mother.

Mama: Tejuola my daughter, how have you been? I hope you haven't forgotten that this weekend is our annual festival

Teju: I know mama

Mama: ehn ehn, don't forget to send the money for my clothes, you know I must stand out, my fellow women must know that I have a rich daughter and don't forget to come to the village on Friday so that you can drive me to the village square.

Teju: but mama, I can't come oooo

Mama: why can't you come? You must come o or do you want the other women to laugh me to scorn?

Teju: but mama, are you not concerned about my childlessness? I have been married for seven years without a miscarriage talk more of children. Now, my husband is threatening to get a new wife

Mama: he dares not do that, tell him that I said if he tries it, everything he has labored build will go down the drain. The moment he came to seek for your hand in marriage, he made a promise never to sleep with another woman. Warn him very well because his downfall would be terrible if he sleeps with another woman. When you come to the village, we will talk better.

Teju: okay mama, I hope he listens to me.

As Teju dropped her cell phone, Luke walked into the room and Teju didn't hesitate to tell him what her mother said as she didn't want her husband to become a pauper, she has tasted riches and don't want to know what poverty looks like again.

Luke: tell your mother that I said she is bluffing, I will get married to another woman and nothing will happen. Can she take that from your brother's wife?

Teju: but my husband, we should both join hands to fight this battle

Luke: which battle? I have no battle, don't you see that all my siblings have children? You are the one with the problem, go and find a solution to your problem.

Teju: haaaa

Luke: my mom warned me not to marry you but I disobeyed because I was so much in love with you. Hear this, I give you two months to get pregnant or else...

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 3

It was the annual festival of the land of Apetan, everywhere was bubbling with excitement, and there was celebration in the air. The women's mortal was performing its duty, the children were seen showcasing their beautiful dresses while the men were seen drinking palm wine and telling stories.

Teju who couldn't turn down her mother's invitation had to travel to the village to do her mother's bidding. She got to the village a day before the festival and helped her mother in her little way, she provided money for the needed items as each family was to prepare a special delicacy which they will share with other families.

The day for the festival came and everyone put on their best clothes and marched to the village square, Teju's mother walked majestically into her daughter's car and allowed herself to be driven to the village square. While in the car, she requested that the glass be wined down for people to see her. As the car was in motion, she greeted everyone they met on the way just to showcase her daughter's car, an act that pissed Teju off.

Teju: stop this Maami, what it's the meaning of what you are doing?

Mama: please, let me be. After years of toiling to make you become someone in life, can't I sit and enjoy myself?

Teju: yes, you labored over me but why are you not doing anything over my childlessness? Are you waiting for my husband to throw me out of the house?

Mama: trust me, daughter, Luke dare not sleep with any other woman because he will go down and won't rise again

Teju: where are all these coming from? I am so confused, why will he go down if he sleeps with any other woman? What are you hiding from me mother?

Mama: I am not hiding anything Teju, that is the law of our land, didn't he makes inquiries before coming to marry a woman from Apetan?

Teju: I don't seem to understand anything

Mama: there are customs and laws guiding every land and going against them will bring severe punishment. That is why it is necessary to ask questions about a particular land before getting married to their children

Teju: hmmm! What a world we are in!

Getting to their destination, Teju dropped her mother and parked her car in the grammar school beside the village square after which she went in search of her friends who also came home for the festival.

Bimpe: (embraced her friend passionately) oh my God! You are looking more beautiful than ever before Teju

Teju: hmm, thanks dear friend, you aren't looking bad either

Sola: (also embraced Teju) welcome home our wealthy friend

Teju: hmmm, it is well. So, how has life been treating you?

Sola: life? It hasn't been fair in one bit. My husband lost his job the moment I got married to him, our pastor told him I am the one behind his problem. On hearing that, he took a few of his clothes and fled from home. As I am talking to you, I haven't seen my husband in three months.

Teju: haaa, this one is terrible. What about you, Bimpe?

Bimpe: My husband is a wonderful man but all the businesses he established for me keep crumbling, the last one led to a serious fight which made my husband beat me till I lost my first pregnancy. The business was worth two million naira

Sola: Holy Christ!!! What about you, Teju. To me, it seems life has been fair to you

Teju: (chuckle) I have been married for seven without a child and my husband is threatening to take a new wife, my marriage is on the verge of breaking

Bimpe: haaaa, what is happening to us? Hope we are not the cause of this problem?

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 4

Teju went home a week after the festival, she had no plans to spend a week in the village but her mother made her do so with the claim that they needed to do something about her childlessness and help stop her marriage from breaking.

That morning, her mother took her on a very long journey on foot, it was a very far distance but her mother said they mustn't make use of a car because that is the rule of where they were going. Getting there, Teju discovered that their destination was a tattered-looking hut, she was afraid to go in but her mother encouraged and assured her that solution to her marital problem would be found there.

As they entered the hut, they were greeted by an old and unkempt man who shocked Teju by revealing all her problems to her. Teju then believed that the man would provide her with solutions since he was capable of knowing her problems without even knowing her. Teju was made to kneel before the old man and then, she was given a substance to put in her husband's food and was instructed to always wake up at 3 am to bathe with a particular soap and then ensure she copulate with her husband.

Teju who has happy and relieved appreciated the old man and gave him some money before leaving his shrine. Very early the following morning, she left the village for Lagos, and on getting to the house, she was surprised to see a young lady in her Kitchen.

Teju: hello young lady, who are you??

Lady: ohh, you mean me? I am Luke's young wife, I guess you are his first wife, don't worry, in no time, I would give him a son and you will no longer matter to him

Teju: (got angry and slapped her) you are very crazy for that statement. This is my husband's house and no one will send me packing not even you. You were not there when we started with nothing in our room and you will not be there when we have become wealthy

Luke's mother who had been in the guest room came into the kitchen immediately after she heard voices, she was surprised to see Teju speaking angrily to Fola, the new wife she brought for her son since Teju had refused to give him children.

Mrs. Akin: what is happening here, Fola?

Fola: (pretending to be crying) she slapped me because I told her I am your son's new wife

Mrs. Akin: what? How dare you Teju? You refused to do your wifey duties and you still had the gut to slap someone who decided to help you do it

Teju: but mama, why are you doing this to me?

Mrs. Akin: I am doing this because I can't watch my son die childless

Teju: so, you have suddenly forgotten the role I played in your son's life, you have forgotten that I met him when he was nothing and helped him to the point where he is today. You are a very ungrateful woman, I regret ever marrying into your family

Mrs. Akin: so because you helped him, you have decided not to give him a child right? We also regret coming to ask for your hand in marriage, we never knew we were marrying a man for our son and henceforth, this is Luke's recognized wife. Any day you lay your filthy hands on her, you will be thrown out of this house

With tears running down her face, Teju walked into the room she shared with her husband and wept sore, she wished she could have just one child. She wept and wept till she slept off.

Teju woke up and discover it was midnight, she saw Luke sleeping soundly on the bed, and she shake her head at the thought that he couldn't even wake her to go sleep on the bed or better still carry her to the bed. She woke him up with the plea to talk to him.

Luke: say what you have to say, I need to go back to bed

Teju: do you still love me?

Luke: why are you asking?

Teju: I just want to know if I still have a place in your life

Luke: well, I did but you blew it up by not giving me a child

Teju: but you know that isn't my fault, I am trying everything possible but it's not working

Luke: well, you don't need to try again, Fola is already carrying my child

Teju: what? How? When? I mean how did it happen, you have been seeing her for months right? Luke, have you forgotten the fact that I gave you my dignity? I have known no man apart from you?

Luke: Fola also gave me her dignity. When you are ready for a divorce, let me know, I am ready to give you half of what I have

Teju: are you going to throw away all we've shared, I thought you said you loved me

Luke: good night

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 5

Even though Fola was already pregnant for her husband, Teju still made use of all she got from the herbalist only for her to get no result, she used it for a longer period, yet, there were no results instead, the bond between Luke and Fola was becoming stronger every passing day. Teju now became a thing of the past to Luke, it was as if she no longer existed in his world.

To make matters worst, Teju suddenly lost her job which made her embittered, she tried to set up a business with the money in her account but it crumbled. When things became so tight for her, Teju asked her husband for some money to help her establish a fashion store since she knew much about fashion design but he refused with the claim that he needed to use the money with him to send Fola abroad to go have his first child there and also buy the needed baby things.

Teju was so pained, yet she threw away her anger and pleaded with him to help her with any amount but Luke refused. Teju became so angry, she was angry at the fact that the business Luke was running belongs to her, she made him the director when they got married. It was a business she established when she was a student and after she fell in love with Luke, she employed him. Luke, being a genius helped grow the business which made Teju decide that he would handle the business better than she would.

When Luke began to misbehave, Teju had no choice but to get a job somewhere else as Luke won't have her back in the company.

After leaving Luke's presence that particular day, Teju went into the kitchen with a pained heart, she was on a mission to get water to calm herself down when she met Fola eating pizza. All of a sudden, she became very angry and launched at Fola, she beat her till there was no more strength in her. Luke who heard some noise ran downstairs to see what was happening. Surprisingly, he met Teju sitting on Fola with Fola was in a pool of blood

He pulled Teju away from Fola and drove her to the hospital to avoid losing the baby he had waited so long to have. Once Fola was admitted, Luke came back to meet Teju, he beat her with a belt and didn't stop till she sustained terrible injuries then, he threw her things out of the house and warned her never to come back.

The security man felt pity for his boss's wife, she had been a good wife and he feels she doesn't deserve the ill-treatment being meted out to her. He thought about his marital life and wished he had a great woman like Teju to help him build his life. After Luke drove out of the house angrily, Hakim, the gateman ran to meet Teju where she sat at the gate weeping, he got the first aid kit and help attend to her wound before directing her to a friend's place to stay since it was obvious she had nowhere to go.

Bimpe arrived home after the festival only to be greeted by angry stares and comments from her husband. She never planned to waste the family resources, she just didn't know what was happening to her.

Andrew: look at her, she has gone to waste money on partying

Bimpe: haaa my husband, I didn't spend a dime at the village

Andrew: who will believe you when you have succeeded in ruining the family with your bad luck?

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 6

When Teju saw that her husband was not ready to take her back after several pleas of forgiveness and her mother-in-law was even against her husband taking her back into the house, she had no choice but to go back to the village to meet her mother. Her mother was embittered when she heard all her daughter went through at the hands of Luke and his mother, she decided to go visit the herbalist again to know why the charm he gave them didn't work but on getting to his hut, they were told that he kicked the bucket the previous week.

Being sad was an understatement for what Teju felt, her only reason for existence was her mother as she didn't want her mother to become childless at old age as she was her mother's only child.

Teju stayed in the village with her mother for some months, she helped her mother sell her wares which consists of vegetables, tomatoes, and other soup condiments. After spending four months in the village, she made up her mind to go search for a job in the East since her university best friend and roommate lived there. She decided to leave without informing her mother because she knew her mother would be against the decision.

Very early that morning, Teju packed a few of her things and dropped a note for her mother promising to come back to her as soon as possible then, she left for the East. Unfortunately for her, her best friend's husband refused to let her stay under his roof, and the only help her best friend could render was to connect her with another single friend. Chioma, who happened to have lost her husband just two months after her wedding was happy to have Teju in her home as that brought an end to loneliness in her life.

Chioma after listening to Teju's tale took pity on her and decided to help her get a job to give herself a fresh start. Chioma further advised her not to give up on life and to trust karma to fight for her. The only job Chioma could get for Teju was a cleaning job in a company where she was paid twenty thousand naira, at first, she wanted to reject it with the claim that how on earth will a Masters's degree holder be working as a cleaner but on second thought, she decided it was better than to be a liability.

Teju started the work with the hope of getting a better offer one day, she walk with all her might and never stop praying to God for a miracle to happen in her life.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 7

Three years later,

Teju was still working as a cleaner at the company, while going home one evening, she was stopped by a lady who handed her a flyer to a program. At first, she refused to give the lady an audience as she wasn't a church person, she saw pastors as thieves and their members as pretenders. She decided to give the lady her contact just to stop the lady from following her.

Three days after her encounter with the lady, she received a call from the lady who began to preach to her and after that invited then for a three days program, she bluntly told the lady that she can't come because she doesn't do church but when the lady won't stop persuading her, Chioma suggested that they go there to see what they were doing.

On getting there, they met a particular minister preaching, it was obvious that was the last session of the program as they went very late. While the minister was preaching, his words were hitting Teju like a tome bomb, it was as if he knew everything Teju has ever gone through. Suddenly, Teju found herself at the altar weeping. The minister stopped preaching and went to where Teju knelt and began to ask her some questions.

Minister: which village are you from and what is the secret holding everyone in captive there?

Teju: (confused) I am an indigene of Apetan but I don't know what you mean by the secret holding people there captive

Minister: the battle fighting you is from your village and you can only be free when you know the secret holding the indigenes in captivity. I will advise you to go back to your village and ask questions because that is the only way to your freedom.

As she was instructed, Teju packed some of her things and traveled home. Upon her return to the village, she didn't tell her mother what she came to do, her mother simply thought she came to spend some days with her. Two days after she got to the village, she went around the village looking for who can tell her the secret she needed to know. After walking for over their hours, she saw an old woman trying to carry a bucket of water, Teju walked up to her and helped carry the water to the old woman's house. The woman appreciated Teju and offered her a cup of water, after drinking, Teju decided to ask the old woman if she knows about the secret that has held the indigenes of Apetan hostage.

Old woman: hmmm, my daughter, the person that sent you to find out is a child of the Highest. Truly, there is a secret and this happened when I was a very young child, I can tell you that I am the only one remaining on the surface of the earth that knows about this secret even the king doesn't know because he wasn't born then

Teju: hmmm, please tell me, mama

Old woman: our village used to be a small settlement, our men were mainly hunters while the women simply traded what they hunted.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 8

Old woman: everything was going on fine, everyone was at peace with each other and there was so much love and respect among everyone then, something which changed the course of our lives happened

Teju: hmmm, what happened mama?

Old woman: the King's hunter and his men went hunting a particular meat for them King and on their way back, they saw a very beautiful lady in the bush, she was so beautiful that they couldn't stop staring at her

Teju: but what was a beautiful woman doing in the bush?

Old woman: she was the daughter of a hunter who was at that spot to sell a wild animal her father hunted earlier that day

Teju: ohh, carry on mama

Old woman: they walked up to the lady, bought the meat from her, and use charm to speak to her which made her follow them to our village

Teju: hmmm

Old woman: she was brought into our village to become the wife of the King. On getting here, her eyes became opened and she refused to be the wife of the King with the claim that she had been betrothed to the Prince of another land. She pleaded with the King of our land to let her go but he refused to.

Teju: haaa, is it a must to marry the king but was the king not married?

Old woman: Good question my daughter, may God not allow a bad and greedy leader to be over us, the king had three wives whom he married forcefully yet, he still didn't let the young girl go. He got enraged that the young girl refused him then, he ordered that the girl be taken to his room where he laid with her forcefully and when the girl began to curse him, he ordered that she be killed at the village shrine

Teju: Jesus! What sheer wickedness!!!

Old woman: and before she gave up the ghost, she laid a curse on both men and women of the land

Teju: hmmm, so we are simply fighting a battle we know nothing about

Old woman: exactly, you see, the men of this land don't live long and the women of the land don't enjoy their marriages. I married three husbands but I am still going to die as a widow, is your father still alive? Do you even know what he looks like?

Teju: no mama

Old woman: you are lucky to have gotten the truth from me, do everything possible to be liberated from the curse we all got from the offense of the land

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 9

After spending some days with her mother, Teju left for the East with the information she had received. Getting back to the East, she narrated everything to Chioma who got so angry with all that happened.

Chioma: some people are just so heartless, why on earth will some predecessors be creating problems for their generations yet unborn

Teju: so, every child of my village is battling with a curse they know nothing about and they can't know except God's mercy light up their path

Chioma: you know, I think I have to go and know what kind of curse they are fighting in my place because I never believed losing my husband just three months after marriage could happen to me. Jude and I were so in love as in, he was the kind of guy every lady wants to have then, he went on an official assignment and got involved in an accident which he didn't survive, the shock from his death made me lose my two months pregnancy. It was so heartbroken, I feel there is more to it

Teju: it's so painful, do take heart please and it's advisable you also ask questions so that you won't have a re-occurrence in your next relationship,

Chioma: I will do just that.

Teju went back to the church and request to see the minister that asked her to go back to the village to know the secret of the land. She got to know that he was an invited minister but she was given his contact. Teju called him without a waste of time and got an appointment with him, she narrated everything to the minister the moment she got into his office on the day of her appointment with him

He simply smiled, he made her understand that God revealed everything to him that day but if he had told her, she wouldn't have believed, that was why he asked her to travel home to ask. He scheduled a deliverance session with her which lasted for two days and after the deliverance session, doors began to open for Teju.

First, the companies she wrote application letters to started calling her for interviews but she decided to go for the one that employed her without an interview. In a twinkle of an eye, she became a big woman as she was made the personal assistant to the managing director of one of the biggest firms in the country and she was well paid.

Seeing all that happened, Teju invited her friends over for a deliverance session and things also took a new shape for them. Chioma also went through the deliverance session and got married a few months later.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 10

Teju: Sir, you have a busy schedule today

MD: bring it on

Teju: you are meeting with the CEO of Diva
Cosmetics, you are to meet with the board members today and also schedule an appointment with Elias group of companies for the completion of their ongoing project

MD: wow! Today is going to be a busy day. Meanwhile, the personal assistant of the TELU group of companies will be coming over today, their company is falling apart and they need a merge to help keep them on track. They have consulted our branch at Lagos and they were directed here since this is the head office

Teju: TELU?? the name sounds familiar. That's okay sir, you are going to be busy and to think that your pregnant wife needs you

MD:ohh that reminds me, my wife would be going into labor any moment from now and I will need to be with her so, you are going to help me attend to other cases

Two weeks later, Teju was to submit a file to the MD, on getting there she was shocked to see Luke sitting before him, she suddenly prepared her mind to act like she didn't know him. She also then remembered that her boss mentioned something about the TELU group of companies going bankrupt, seeing Luke in her boss's office made her realize that her company is the one on the verge of folding up.

Luke: Teju?? Where have you been? I have combed everywhere for you

Teju: excuse me, I think you are making a mistake here

Luke: I know all I did to you is enough to make you act like you don't know me but please, forgive me

Teju: sir, this is the file you asked for. I need to get back to my office before this man confuses me.

MD: Alright, come back in the next one hour

An hour later, Teju went to the MD's office, she didn't want to go initially but she couldn't disobey her boss.

MD: Look into my eyes and tell me you don't know that man

Teju: sir???

MD: you heard me. You know, you are one of our dedicated staff and I have never known you to be a liar and I believe that won't start now

Teju: see sir, it's a long story

MD: that isn't an answer to my question

Teju: I know him, sir, he was once my husband

MD: are you legally divorced?

Teju: no sir, he impregnated another woman because I wasn't able to bear him a child and went ahead to send me out of the house. The company that is falling apart is the company I built right from my university days in which I made him the director, he changed all the documents and sent me away now he wants me back after he has squandered all I labored for.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 11

Teju narrated her ordeal to her boss leaving no stone unturned with the mind that her boss would applaud her act of pretending not to know him and even encourage her not to go back to him.

MD: hmmm, I must confess you have gone through a whole lot but since you said it was as a result of the curse of your land, do you still need to hold grudges?

Teju: sir??

MD: you understand me, you know what is called manipulation right?

Teju: yes sir

MD: what if he was manipulated by the so-called curse of the land?

Teju: hmmm but sir, he could have fought the battle with me

MD: he had no relationship with God when you got married to him right?

Teju: yes sir, please stop putting me in a tight corner

MD: I am not trying to do that, I am only trying to make you see reasons why you should forgive your husband and go back to him. A marriage is made a success by the woman in it, not that, she didn't encounter problems, she remained strong

Teju: I feel so hurt sir

MD: that is why you need to let go, do you know that forgiveness is more for you? When you forgive your offender, you feel better and God will answer your prayers

Teju: it's not easy

MD: tell God to help you. Your husband pleaded with me to help him talk to you.

Teju: hmmm

MD: you are a strong woman, I know you can do this. Let me tell you this, God allows certain circumstances to bring us to Him, if you had had children, I tell you, you won't think of having God because you will have this feeling that since everything is working out fine for you, there is no need for God.

Teju: (weeping)

MD: let it out, dear. The fact that I am living happily with my wife today doesn't mean we didn't have our rough edges. I was once a busy husband who traveled all over the country attending board meetings forgetting that my newly married wife needed me. I returned home one day to meet my wife in bed with my gateman

Teju: Jesus!

MD: you could imagine that, I was so devastated. She pleaded and pleaded with me to forgive her but I was bent on ending the marriage. To worsen the situation, she got pregnant and that was all I need to end the marriage

Teju: hmmm

MD: I sent her packing and warned her never to cross my path again. She went to my parent, confessed to them, and made them understand what pushed her to that. My parent tried to make me understand but I was bent on ending the marriage. I went to court and began the divorce session despite several pleading from my wife's family

Teju: how do you now come back together?

MD: then one day, I received a call that my wife hanged herself, I ran like a mad man to my inlaw's place. On getting there, I was given the letter she wrote to me and by the time I finish reading it, I was in tears. I now understood that I was truly at fault. I thank God for his mercy that brought her back, I fasted and prayed for days, and I wept to God before she came back to life

Teju: and the pregnancy?

MD: she lost it while in a comma. So Teju, please let go. Forgive your husband and bring him to Christ.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 12

Teju: and how can I help you?

Luke: I am very sorry, please come back home

Teju: home? Home where? I don't have a home with you anymore

Luke: (went on his knees) all I did that time was from an ignorant side of me, I have seen the other side of life and I have been made wiser

Teju: first and foremost, what happened to my company which you made yours

Luke: hmmm, I am so sorry my wife, I know I have disappointed you

Teju: that is not an answer to my question

Luke: Fola lost that pregnancy after you beat her up and I did everything possible to make it up to her by opening a supermarket for her. She got pregnant again which gladden my heart but after birth, the real father of the child showed up

Teju: like seriously??

Luke: yes, the first pregnancy wasn't for me neither was the second one, I was taking care of someone's children. I tried to get the supermarket back but I couldn't because the papers were in her name, I took the matter to court but didn't win after spending a huge amount of money. That is why the company is going bankrupt, we planned that she would return the money used to stock the supermarket but, I didn't know she has another agenda

Teju: hmmm, sorry ooooo but, I am not coming back to you

Luke: Teju, please forgive me

Teju: so you can ask me to forgive you huh? Have you forgotten the hell I went through? You refused to give me money to set up my fashion house but you can open a supermarket for your mistress and to think the money you were spending belongs to me

Luke: please, forgive me

Teju: go and tell that to your mother, her prayers should help lift you again

Luke had gone to see the MD as regards the merge and after the meeting, he asked for permission to see Teju in her office which the MD granted without a waste of time. On getting into her office, Luke tried to plead with her but she wasn't ready to let go. When Luke saw that she wasn't ready to forgive him yet, he left for Lagos.

Teju got home that night and after dinner, she chatted with Chioma and told her all that transpired between her and Luke, Chioma tried to make her understand why she needed to let go but Teju remained on the fact that she wants Luke to suffer a little but. After her chat with Chioma, Teju slept off on the cushion. She had a dream and in the dream, she was told her husband died in a ghastly accident, Teju screamed from the dream and began to cry.

She dialed her husband's number immediately only to be told that he was truly involved in an accident, she called her boss and explained the situation to him and then requested for two weeks' leave after which she traveled to Lagos by air. On getting to Lagos, she was told her husband was in a coma and would come back to life by divine intervention.

To be continued...


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[StoryTeller]

Episode 13

Teju: Oh Lord! Please, bring my husband back to me, I am ready to let go of every hurt, I am ready to come back to him. Baba, forgive my unforgiveness, I release my husband from the prison of my heart. Jesus, have mercy!!!

That was Teju praying in a popular cathedral in Lagos. Getting to the hospital, she met the doctor who took her to her husband's ward and explained to her that Luke suddenly became lost and ran into an oncoming truck, he further made her understand that Luke had been buried in deep thoughts lately which had resulted in high blood pressure.

Teju: haaa! But doctor, will he be fine?

Doctor: right now, we can't say, all he needs is prayers and intensive care.

Teju: Jesus! Doctor, please do everything within your power, I will pay any amount to see my husband walk out of here alive.

Teju sat beside her husband in the hospital weeping and telling him to come back to her as she was ready to let go of every hurt. As she was weeping, the Holy Spirit began to speak to her.

Holy Spirit: why do you humans like the hard way?

Teju: Lord???

Holy Spirit: I forgave you and restored all the years the cankerworms had eaten. I have great plans for you, all I wanted was just for you to forgive your husband and then watch things fall into place for you

Teju: (weeping) haaa! I am so sorry Lord

Holy Spirit: a simple 'I have forgiven you would have saved you from this heartache. Well, the devil is around to take him away.

Teju: no Lord, this can't happen, I still love my husband. I am sorry for my childishness, I just wanted him to feel a little of the pain I felt. Please, bring my husband back to me

Holy Spirit: for a man to come back to apologize to you shows that he has either seen hell or has been convicted by the Holy Spirit. For you to have your husband back, pray harder for the devil isn't ready to let go. All you can do now is to begin to ask for mercy.

On hearing that, Teju ran out of the hospital like a mad woman into the nearest cathedral and begin to cry to God for mercy over her husband's life, she wept like never before.

Teju prayed and prayed, she refused to leave the cathedral till she received a call that her husband is awake and her faith in God yielded fruit as she received a call from the doctor that her husband is awake and is asking for her. She picked up her purse and ran back to the hospital.

Luke: (called her weakly) my love!!!

Teju: oko mi (my husband), I forgive you, please don't go

Luke: I am sorry for everything, I promise to be a better husband even if we have no child

Teju: it's okay dear, save your strength and get better okay?

The doctor came into Luke's ward, did a few checks, and confirmed that Luke's recovery was divine, he admonished Teju to be there for her husband and ensure that nothing was troubling him so that the high blood pressure won't trigger other ailments. Teju appreciated him and promised to do just as he had said.

A week later, Luke was discharged, and together with his wife, they went home. Immediately after they got home, Teju prepared a sumptuous meal which she fed her husband with. Seeing his wife care for him in such a loving way made Luke break down in tears. He forgot the pains in his joints and knelt before his wife and began to ask for her forgiveness.

Luke: my love, the wife of my youth, the woman who made me who and what I am today, you showed me nothing but love and care, you took me out of poverty and placed me in wealth but what did I do? I threw your love to the dogs and went after a liar and gold digger. In my quest for a child, I fell into the laps of a Delilah and she left me empty and broken. Yet in my brokenness, you came back to nurse me to health. Dear wifey, can you forgive me and give me another chance? I am ready to be a better man and husband, all I need is just a chance.

Teju: Luke!!!! (burst into tears)

Luke: I am sorry!!!

Teju: it's okay dear, I am ready to make it work again.

To be continued...


For more stories, kindly follow Deborah Olowojesiku on Facebook.

[StoryTeller]

Episode 14

It was so painful to let Teju go as she was the most dedicated staff he ever had but he had no choice but to let her go be with her husband and rebuild their collapsing company. It was such an emotional send-off for Teju as both the MD and other members of the staff didn't want her to go but they couldn't prevent her from leaving. In a bid to appreciate her selfless service, the MD gave her a loan of ten million naira which she was to pay back in ten years. The loan was to help her rebuild her company instead of merging which her husband was working on.

Teju couldn't hold back tears when her boss handed her the cheque of ten million naira, she signed the agreement form in tears asking God if this was real. She appreciated her boss and gave everyone an emotional hug before traveling to Lagos to start a new life with her husband. When Luke heard about the money, he was dumbfounded, he pinched himself twice to confirm if he was dreaming or not. When he saw that it was real, he knelt and began to worship God, he promised to serve God for the remaining days of His life.

With the money they were given, Teju and Luke were able to build their company and within three months, it bounced back. The success of the company was so great that they paid half of the loan within six months. Not only that, the love between the couple became stronger that they couldn't do without each other. Luke made his wife the Managing Director due to the presence of God which she carries while he acted as her assistant. At first, Teju refused the position but had to take it up after the Holy Spirit prompted her to.

During work one day, Teju suddenly began to run temperature, she took some pain relievers and tried to wave off the feeling of tiredness but it kept coming. When she couldn't control it again, she decided to go home to rest. Luke became worried because his wife was the type who hardly falls sick. He bought her some drugs but the illness seems not to go then, he had to take her to the hospital and after a series, of tests, the doctor broke the good news to them.

Doctor Akin: (staring at the test) wow! This is unbelievable

Luke: excuse doctor, what do you mean?

Doctor Akin: your wife tested negative to both malaria and typhoid but surprisingly, she tested positive to the pregnancy test.

Luke: (jumped up excitedly) Jesus! You mean my wife is pregnant!!!

Doctor Akin: I wonder how you guys fail to detect the pregnancy, this means your wife is a very strong woman.

Luke: and what are you trying to say?

Doctor Akin: from the result here, your wife is almost three months pregnant.

Luke: wow! And we didn't take note. Thank You, Jesus

Doctor Akin: congratulations, don't forget to register with us for ante-natal.

Luke: sure, we won't.

All through the drive home, Teju was just quiet, she felt all was happening was not real, she couldn't believe that she could still carry her child after almost ten of marriage. She suddenly burst into tears of joy, Luke who understood how she felt drew her into a warm embrace and started to sing.

When the pregnancy completed ten months, Teju was delivered with two bouncing baby boys, when the scan revealed that she was carrying twins few months back, her joy was full and God being faithful, gave her a smooth pregnancy journey. The twins brought so much joy and reunion to the family as every member of Luke's family kept asking Teju for forgiveness.

After the naming ceremony, Teju looked at her babies and then said to herself "Blessed am I among women" Luke who was staring at her affirmed that she is indeed blessed among women.

THE END

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