COME WHAT MAY

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Pastor Emmanuel stood up and walked up to where Lorato knelt in the office weeping profusely. He felt sorry that she allowed jealousy, mis-understandings and hate to consume and destroy her life and even her relationship with God. He shook his head sadly as he thought about the thousands of Christians in similar bondage; professing Christ yet living their lives in contradiction to His teachings. "Love does not lie...it does not do harm to others and it is sincere...Romans 12 verse 9 says, "love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." 

Lorato slowly got up and wiped her face with her hands. "Your friendship itself is faulty. Desire became friends with Lolita with the knowledge about her exclusive relationship with her father which made her to have very few and not so close friends. Desire with her insecurity wanted someone who will love her as a friend exclusively and then you came and messed things up."

"I wanted to be close to both of them but that was impossible because they were so close. They were Darren's friends but God alone is my witness; I had no idea they were dating at all. I got close finally to Lolita because she was more accommodating than Desire. Desire was tense and quiet around me even though she brought me in to their circle after rescuing Darren."

Pastor Emmanuel patted her on the back and said, "God is calling you to repent of your sins; do that and pray for his forgiveness and he will receive you back. Now concerning your wedding..." Lorato hung her head in despair. She knew what he might say; that she should call the wedding off. Chidi would never push through with the wedding now and she definitely can't blame him. Their relationship was a lie packaged with deception, conspiracies and betrayal. Their marriage may not stand the test of time with its rocky foundation.

David was about to call his sister again when she entered their father's private ward. He sighed as he thought about how frequent they had become to the hospital in less than a month. Lolita herself was hospitalized twice now their father too; a man so strong he rarely took leave off work except when Lolita threatens him. He smiled at the memory. She had threatened their father few weeks before he went for their grandmother's funeral. He was down with influenza and had refused to take leave at work. He remembered the way Lolita had pouted like a five year old, batted her eye lashes and refusing to go to work. Their father had conceded with the excuse that he does not want her to lose her job.

"What took you so long?" David asked as she walked to her father's side. Grace was seething and made her feelings known immediately.

"This is all your fault Lolita! Your father couldn't bear your attitude towards him; he could not bear to finally accept that he has lost you for good. How could you talk to him as you did and in the Pastor's office?" Lolita dropped the plastic bag she held in her hand gently on the floor and turned to her mother. 

"How and why is this my fault? I came to check how he is doing; I care about him- you know that."

Grace did not care about what her daughter was saying. The latter should have forgiven her father and moved on. But no! She wanted to play the victim and now it has landed them in the hospital. "If anything happens to your father..." Her voice turned cold.

"You are not being fair mum and please don't threaten me, I'm not a kid anymore!" She raised her voice.

"Please don't fight." David pleaded with the two women who only ignored him.

"Dad is in that state because of his guilty conscience. We should be thankful that his conscience is still alive so please don't put the blame of his mistakes on me." What happened next shocked both Lolita and her brother. Grace slapped her hard across the face.

"Mum!" David and Lolita cried in unison.

"I will not become a widow at the prime of my life because of a malicious and bitter child! I will have you know that I met your father and we loved each other long before you came." Lolita walked close to her mother and said,