1 Nemesis

Nemesis.

By MimiOly.

David turned as he watched his wife murmur in her sleep."Rose! Rose! David shouted his wife's name as he tapped her gently.

"Yes!" She replied as she jumped up from her sleep, panting and breathing heavily.

"What is it?" her husband asked.

"I'm scared David. It's the nightmare again. I can't sleep." she replied.

"What could this be?" David asked cuddling her into his arms. "I think we need to see a spiritualist because this is getting out of hand." he told her.

She agreed with a nod; she couldn't speak, even when she tried to open her mouth.

"Sleep my dear. You'll be fine." David told her as he patted her gently and gradually, she drifted back to sleep.

David and Rose had been married for four years without a child. Her husband loved her more than anything, but there had not been any cry of a child in their home. His wife cried everyday praying to God for a child and as if that was not enough she had started suffering from a terrible nightmare few years after they got married.

"What could be happening?" David kept asking himself that question. He later slept back and woke up in the morning to get himself prepared for work.

"Sweetheart, wake up! I'm prepared for work." David said as he picked up his suitcase.

"Good morning dear!" she greeted him and quickly rushed out to the kitchen to get him breakfast but he called her back.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I've had breakfast already, yours is on the dining. When I return we shall talk about finding a solution to the nightmares, please. Let it not bother you too much."

" Alright dear." Rose replied as she kissed him goodbye.

A million thought ran through her mind as she shivered on the thoughts of the nightmare she's been having.

"For Christ sake, I don't understand what's happening to me anymore." Rose said as tears flowed freely from her eyes.

Few hours later, the door bell rang."Yes! Who is it?" Rose asked.

"It's me, Amaka "

"Wow!" she said as she opened the door.

Amaka was her old time friend. As soon as she opened the door, she quickly embraced her.

" Nawa o. Longest time!" Rose said smiling.

" Please, come have your seat," she said as they walked to the sitting room.

" How is David?"

"He's doing fine. He has left for work."

" Okay, that's good. Nne, what's been happening? No news from you at all, hope all is well?" Amaka asked Rose.

"Hmmmm! All is not well o, Amy. I've been living in fear and worries for the past four years now."

Amaka cut in, Fear and worry? How do you mean?"

"It's a long story my dear. But first relax, let me get you something to eat."

"Oya, go and bring the food. I'm famished already."

"Just hold on a little." Rose said as she smiled and quickly rushed in to get her something.

"Thanks dear," Amaka said as she started munching on the food. "So, I'm listening, tell me what has been happening."

"My sister," Rose said. "You're aware of my childlessness for the past four years now and as if that's not enough, the nightmares I keep having leave me in fear everyday."

"Nightmare? Haa! this is a serious matter o."

" Yes it is Amaka. Rose said as she told her the nightmares.

" Blood of Jesus! Amaka shouted. "You mean you've been seeing this in your dreams every night?"

"Hmmmm! Amaka, that's what I've been passing through all this years."

"No! We have to do something about it." Amaka said."

"Yes, my husband and I talked about that already, that we would see a spiritualist."

" Haaaa! All this fake ones everywhere? Don't worry, I'll take you to my pastor for counselling and prayers." Amaka told her.

"Okay, I'll tell David about it when he returns and I think I'll give you a call by then." Rose said as she stood up to see Amaka off.

" Alright dear. Bye." Amaka replied as she left. ————————————————————

David returned from work. Since he had a spare key, he opened the door and went straight to his bedroom to freshen up. He heard his wife screaming in her room and rushed out to see what was happening to her. He saw her on the floor wailing and flinging herself up and down.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter? David asked her.

"It's my friend ooo!" She shouted as she rolled herself on the floor.

"Calm down and talk to me, I don't seem to understand what you're saying. Which of your friends?" he asked her again.

"Amaka Obi." Rose replied, crying heavily. "I was about to tell you that she came around."

" Ehen! what happened?"

"I just got a call now that she was involved in a fatal accident on her way home."

"What! David shouted. He quickly dialed her husband's number and requested the address to the hospital where she was taken to. Afterwards, he left with Rose to the said hospital. They got there some minutes later and asked a nurse they met at the reception about her. They got the shocker of their lives when she replied,

" Oh! I'm sorry, we lost her. She lost so much blood before she was rushed down here. You can check the waiting room at that corner, her husband is there."

It was not a good news at all to the ears. Rose remembered how vibrant and full of life her friend was few hours before she left their house. She realised that this life is just nothing. Everyone should be grateful for each moment because he or she can't even give an account to what could happen the next moment. She screamed as she fell to the floor crying.

David stood speechless, looking towards the direction where the husband of the deceased was seated. He helped his wife to her feet and led her to the place where Amaka's husband was so as to sympathize with him. Rose just stood there crying and feeling guilty as she felt she was the one who caused the accident. Some minutes later after spending quality time with him, they returned home. Rose could not sleep as she kept pondering the incident.

"Why would Rose die as soon as she offered to help me find a solution to my problem?This is the third time this is happening." she said as she remembered the other two people that offered to help her and how they died mysteriously.

"God! Why is all this happening to me?"

She tapped her husband and said, "David, there won't be any work for you tomorrow. We have to find a solution to this problem, please my husband. I can't take this anymore. I am now the talk of the town. I am now an object of mockery." she began to weep uncontrollably.

"Its okay dear, David said as he consoled his wife. He was tired of seeing her cry everyday. We'll go see a spiritualist tomorrow morning like I said this morning."

"No let's go and see our pastor." Rose cut in. "Something tells me God has something to say through him."

"But we go to church and we see him everyday." David told her.

" Yes I know, but I'm convinced that this time there would be a solution."

" Okay! If you say so, we'll go the church tomorrow morning."

At seven am the next day, Rose and David were fully dressed. They set out for church and by eight am, they got to the premises as they joined a morning prayer program that was to hold for an hour before the counselling. In an hour's time, the programme came to an end. Rose and David went in to see the pastor.

"Good morning sir," they greeted him as they sat down.

He responded cheerfully. After the exchange of greetings, they told him what brought them for the counselling.

" Hmmmm!" the pastor proceeded, "Sister, the Lord revealed to me that you are the cause of your problem!"

She and her husband were shocked to hear that. She quickly asked the pastor. "Sir, how am I the cause of my problem?"

" You did something wrong against God," the pastor replied.

"Haaa! I don't understand Rose said as she shook her head in confusion.

" Okay, this is what you will do." You have to change your prayer request and start asking God to show you mercy. He will reveal some things to you."

"Okay sir, I'll do that." she said as they thanked the pastor and left the church. On their way home, none of them spoke to each other. David drove silently while Rose kept glancing at him with so many thought running through her mind. Thank God for the road that wasn't free that day because they got home early and it gave them ample time to discuss what the pastor told them.

"Sweetheart," she called him.

"Yes, David answered coldly as he turned to face her.

"Please, I want you to believe me. I can't remember anything"

"Well, you have to do what the pastor said" David replied her. "so that we can put and end to this whole problem!" he said as he went into the house.

"O God! Help me," Rose prayed silently as she followed him inside.

The next day, she started a three days fasting and prayer to ask God for mercy. She was pleased that after the prayer in Church that day, she had not had the nightmare as usual.

On the third day which was the last day of her prayer, she had finished praying in the morning, so she decided to relax in the sitting room, where she fell asleep and had a dream. Suddenly she woke up panting with fear and filled with guilt. She knelt down and started praying again with tears. "O God! I never knew my past would haunt me after all this years. O Lord, have mercy on me!" she cried out.

Immediately David came home from work, she welcomed him soberly.

"Thanks, sweetheart. I believe you must have concluded your prayers today." He responded.

She nodded with a smile.

"Any good news?" David curiously asked her as he sat down. She kept quiet and just went to the kitchen to serve him dinner.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"It happened when I was in school. I was raped by some evil gang in our school hostel." She said as she started crying." I could not bear the shame when I found out I was pregnant so I hid it from my parents and family members and refused to return home during any break with lies and excuses that we were attending compulsory tutorials in school. I was not ready to be a mother and also to a bastard, so I aborted the baby."

"What?" David screamed, "You did what?"

"I'm sorry, David. I was frustrated and couldn't bear the shame to mother a child I conceived through rape."

"And so what?" David yelled angrily.

"Please forgive me!" Rose pleaded, weeping uncontrollably.

David stood up with his hands on his head. "You were the cause of your problem all this while, and we kept praying and blaming God for not answering!" David shouted in frustration. Rose just sat down crying and asking for forgiveness but David could not watch his wife cry this much because of his love for her. So, he drew her close to himself. "I know we are all sinners and I believe God will forgive us." he consoled her.

The next day, they both went to the pastor and told him everything.

"Praise God!" the pastor said. God can never lie, He is not a man...Sister, you committed a grievous sin against God, but our God is merciful. Go to an orphanage home and adopt a set of twins. Take good care of them like they are yours."

"Okay, sir. We'll do that," they replied with tears in their eyes. "Thank you so much sir." David and Rose said as they left.

One month later, they adopted a set of twins and took them as their own children. They nurtured them in the way of the Lord and three years after, Rose conceived and gave birth to another set of twins and they were so happy.

"God has shown me mercy at last." she exclaimed joyfully.

Please, this is my advice to young readers out there. Don't ever make such a costly mistake like Rose made that cost her pain and tears for so many years. No matter the situation you find yourself, don't do anything that would make you sin against God. It is better to fall into the hands(wrath) of man, than into the hands(wrath) of God. Not everyone might be lucky enough to receive God's mercy. Sinners will never go unpunished.

The end.