CWRC Anthology

THE FATHER'S LOVE

© 2023 by Faith Ijiga.

Brought to you by the Christian Writers and Readers Club.
"No, no, no! I don't want to hear again, I don't want to hear anything about him again." Cassandra jumped up from her seat in exasperation as she screamed out these words like an aggressive mad woman.

She was screaming at her auntie who had become her guardian from childhood after the death of her parents who had died violently from a plane crash.

The topic of discussion that got Cassandra so mad was Jesus. Having grown-up in the care and guardianship of her Christian aunty, Cassandra had always tried, to the best of her knowledge, to be obedient to her auntie and the things of God. But all that changed during her university days where she met a group of her fellow orphan friends who could only blaspheme and curse God for their misfortunes. At first she was uncomfortable with their behavior but she couldn't stay away from them because they could all relate to her troubles.

With time, Cassandra felt at home with these group of friends and their blasphemous words and attitude towards God no longer had an effect on her.

Cassandra went on to respect and obey her auntie but her reverence for God had dissipated like a chaff blown by the wind.

She went on to tell herself that she didn't need God again. She was healthy and strong, beautiful and eloquent. And with her salary earning job, she wasn't very rich but she was comfortable.

This was 3 years after she had returned home to proudly inform her auntie where she stood with God and her spiritual life but her auntie who had received the news with so much dismay at the time, had continued talking to her about rescinding her decision.

"But why won't you open your heart for once again, Cassandra?" Auntie asked gently but persuasively. 

"That's because my heart is already open and I can no longer be deluded." She shot back at her auntie more angrily for insinuating that her heart wasn't opened to the truth.

Cassandra's aunt Charity looked at Cassandra in shock. For a couple of minutes, there was tense silence in the air. "Which day did this one begin?" Aunt Charity finally asked when she found her voice.

But before Cassandra could give an answer, her auntie continued. I don't know that person who is teaching you this o! When did serving and believing in God turned into an illusion? I am asking you, Casandra. Charity said.

Cassandra looked at her auntie squarely with the determination to also open her auntie's eyes to the truth but at that point, she began to second-guess herself as she wondered if her auntie had gone too far with this (religion) thing.

"Please, aunty, I'm no longer talking about this anymore." Cassandra finally said after deciding on her next course of action. And without waiting for her auntie's reply, she stood up, grabbed her handbag and began making her way out of her auntie's presence.  

She expected aunt Charity to call her back in protest but continued on when her auntie kept quiet and watched her go.

She felt a prick on her conscience but immediately stifled it as she walked on to the staircase which led to her bedroom upstairs.

Three Years Later.

Cassandra was trekking on her way to work, having taken her car to the mechanic for a minor repair when she heard an exciting shout somewhere ahead of the direction she was going.

Since that day she had a strong argument with her auntie about religion, Cassandra had done everything to avoid discussing that topic again with her auntie and so far she had been succeeding. No matter how much her auntie tried, she had not been able to talk to her about God and her spiritual life.