Rachael (8)

Rachael and Emmanuel sat in silence. The silence was quite loud but it held some kind of presence that made her comfortable. She could hear the crickets and the soft wind rustle the trees. "You need to tell me all that happened to you. I can help you if you would just talk to me." He said calmly. Rachael stared at the wall, like she was lost. She then realized that she never really talked to anyone about her matters except with Toyosi or Eric. Eric passively listened to her and she stopped talking to him about deep stuffs that bothered her. Toyosi on the other hand, always seemed not have a clue when it came to Rachael's needs. Toyosi was just a girl who lived and understood life the way she chose to understand it. She never seemed to know past her immediate circumstance and so talking to Toyosi was like telling someone your problem and all the person does is to reiterate them again to you and sympathize.

It then dawned on her why opening up to Emmanuel was such an ordeal. She never really spoke to anyone not even her mother. Her mother was not the person who could understand her issues or so she thought. She looked at Emmanuel and took a deep breath and narrated her story. She told him everything up until the murder she had witnessed. As she spoke, she literally felt like a weight was carried from her shoulders. She began to tell him how much resentment she carried inside her because she felt life was unfair to her. She wanted more but her mother could only give her little. She turned to Eric because he was her escape route away from her deep seated fears and anger. She wanted to be somebody, she wanted more but now she felt so empty and useless. Her life was being ripped apart. "I feel so ashamed, confused, angry and let down. I have always thought that I could handle anything. I thought I was a tough girl, I thought I was in control. As it turns out, I am no longer in control. In fact, maybe I never was in the first place."

Emmanuel looked at her and she was amazed at how concerned he was about her. He had just met her and he had gone out of his way to make her comfortable. He held her palm in his hands and said, "I can help you through this. I just want you to allow me help you. The things you think you can fight are a whole lot bigger than you. There is so much you don't know. You really don't know Eric. Well, I am glad you saw for yourself what he is capable of but that is only a part of the picture. Eric is assigned to you. He is assigned to pull you down. He is assigned to ensure you do not fulfil God's plan for you. He is to ensure that no matter what happens. you and I would never meet." Rachael stared at him. She was trying to understand what he meant by "assigned". He stood up to leave. She watched him walk to the door. He looked back and smiled. "If the devil had known, he would not have crucified the Lord of glory." She had heard that before but couldn't place it. "What do you mean?" He turned the knob of the door and opened, With his his back to her, he replied, "You will understand it better by and by dear." With that, he walked out the door. She didn't know when she fell asleep. For the first time in years she fell asleep in peace. So much peace that she felt she could touch it.

"We would have to pray hard for Rachael, the battle has only begun." David said to Marian who was still recovering from the shock she had received from David's confession. Her daughter was in trouble. She felt weak and fell on her knees and began to sob and began to pray in the spirit. As Emmanuel walked to his own room, light began to shine. The whole room was aglow. Time seemed to stand still as even the air waited for him to pass through. As he opened the door to his room, a man dressed in white suit was waiting for him. He had a smile on his face. Emmanuel understood the reason for the joy that radiated on his face. "Rachael has come home." Emmanuel nodded with a smile. "Yes Gabriel, she has" The room kept glowing and songs of praise were chorused. It was the most beautiful rendition ever.