Love In Silhouette

❇「Chapter 20」❇

In the past two weeks, my presence at home had turned relatively scarce as I spent most of my time with Mrs. Okafor.

Whenever she invited me over to her house (which was often) I'd spend the entire afternoon helping her out in the kitchen as we talked endlessly.

If Chidera was around, she joined us. I had even met the two boys and knew their names by heart in no time. The older was Ikenna while the younger Okechukwu.
I hadn't had the opportunity of meeting either Mr. Okafor or the eldest brother yet because he was away at work. I was told he worked on the mainland.

The boys had come to accept the fact that they'd always see Auntie Charlie at least thrice a week.

During my visits, we'd study the bible together as she explained the scriptures to me.
I looked sideways at the little table beside the bed on which my bible sat.

That book had taken on a whole new meaning to me.

It seemed to have actually come alive as gradually my eyes were opened to the realities of the words it contained. It was more than a book; it was like a fountain of life giving me hope for each day as I looked through it.

Mrs. Okafor said it was written by God but with the hands of the prophets and apostles. Indeed.

After studying the scriptures she gave me that day at the mall, I called her first thing the next day. I couldn't stop talking becuase my excitement was filled to overflowing. She had to calm me down before I choked on my spit.

From there, she took to explaining marriage from the scriptures.

God's plan for marriage she called it.

With each visit, she expounded more on the subject.

Now as I sit in front of my window, paint brush in hand, I sigh.

Marriage is holy.
Marriage is a bond.
Marriage is bliss.

When I woke up this morning, Asher's face floated across my imagination and I felt the urge to put it down on canvas.

Pushing off the bed covers, I slipped on my robe and shuffled lazily to where the board stood, sleep still heavy on my lids.
I replaced the board with a fresh canvas and started out with his eyes.
With each stroke, my hatred began to ebb slowly away.
As I painted, I remembered the scriptures of love, hope and assurance.

Isaiah 43:3

I didn't know for how long I had been painting until my 6:30am alarm went off.

Almost two hours.

My ability to capture the detail that went into his eyes perfectly came from several occasions when I had stared into them during our frequent fights.

I knew every single line of those deep black pools by heart now.

His chiseled face had already begun to form slowly but surely on the canvas as the colors entwined with each other.

Exhausted, I put down the brush and walked to the window.
The sun was just beginning to peek out of the clouds in a yellow like ball as it generously spread it's glow lighting up the area around itself.

"Submit to him... he's your husband and get rid of the hate because it kills."

"How can you ask me to submit to someone that doesn't care if I exist? The hate if you notice comes from him. I just defend myself."

"When you hate him back, what is your benefit?" She asked me pointedly and I couldn't answer. Assessing my silence, she nodded.

"I thought so. Let me tell you this. It has only made you miserable and bitter depriving you of the grace and beauty God deposited there."