VALLEY:The Trials Of A Girl Orphan

CHAPTER 12

Adetokunbo was the male version of Rhoda. Our rooms were beside each other.
Most times, I heard him praying. He was mostly locked up in his room. He was a
very nice person. We got along pretty well. He was four years older than I was. He
obtain his first degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Lagos. After
then, his parents had sent him abroad for his residency program.
I returned to school two weeks later. Adetokunbo also returned to New York.
Rhoda kept reminding me about the program. I wasn’t really interested but I had
to go at least to please her.
The day arrived. The program was to start at 5pm. My lectures for the day
ended at 5pm. I hurried back to the hostel to eat something. Rhoda arrived home
from lecture at 4:30 pm. We bought got dressed and headed to the chapel. We
sat down a bit close to the front. The program started some minutes past five. At
first, I wasn’t so interested but during the course of the program, I discovered I
was already engrossed in the sermon and even taking notes. I planned I was only
going to attend the program for a day but I ended up attending for the 3 days. I
learnt a lot at the program. The Preacher, a student, explained the concept LIGHT
very well. I discovered that wherever light was absent, darkness automatically
came alive. I found out that throughout my life I had been trying to keep Jesus
away from my life and even though I didn’t give myself to the devil, my refusing
Jesus was accepting the rule of the devil. I had been so ignorant. I had made the
devil to manipulate my life and caused me so much pain and sorrow.
I eventually gave my life to Jesus on the last day of the program. I purposed in
my heart to follow Christ always. Rhoda was very happy and shocked when she
saw me stand up beside her and I went out for the altar call in tears. I was going
back to the one who loved me enough to die for my sins. That day changed a lot
in my life. My heart was filled with joy and peace. I got very confident about the
future. I started to study my Bible. Rhoda had gotten me one on Valentine’s Day
but I had just kept it away in my bag. I started spending time trying to know God
more intimately. I discovered how much He loved me and how He had been
beckoning unto me. Even if I had had a tough life, if I had accepted Jesus earlier, Iwould have had peace in the midst of the storm. I had always blamed God for my
parent’s death but I found out that despite my challenges, he still remained God
and loved me very much. I found out that everything works together for my good.
Rhoda was truly God sent. She helped me through my early journey in the
faith. We used to pray together, studied The Bible and other things together.
Everything around me started to have an overflow of His grace. I didn’t struggle to
read and understand concepts anymore. The Holy Spirit made it very easy for me.
I didn’t stop there. I started preaching Christ to all my course mates. I wanted
everyone to partake of the joy in my heart and the Love of God that The Holy
Spirit shed abroad in my heart. It was a whole new beginning for me. I made sure
to visit orphanages and even the street so that I could reach out to all other
orphans that had lost hope. MY JESUS IS ALIVE.
Some weeks after my conversion, the devil struck again. I was leaving the
Kenneth Dike Library when I got a call from Adetokunbo.
“Hello, Toks” I said
“Keyshia, where are you?” He said. I noticed the fear in his voice
“School. What’s wrong?”
“Mum just had an accident”
“What? How? When?” I exclaimed.
“Someone just called me to inform me. I’ll send you the address of the hospital
she’s in. Keyshia, please take good care of mum”
“Yes sure, I’ll leave school now.” I said as I hung up.
What was this again? The devil was trying to confuse me. He was trying to make
me feel like I was bad luck again. I continued to avoid any negative thoughts. I
kept meditating on God’s Word in my heart. The thoughts He has towards me are
good.
I got to the hospital. Daddy and Joke were already there. Mummy was in the
Intensive Care Unit. I was scared. I just kept praying in my heart. The devil tried to
make me feel unfortunate but The Holy Spirit kept helping me to keep thethoughts away from my mind. I started crying at a point. Joke came to calm me
down. Suddenly, I remembered Isaiah 41:10. I was not to fear. God was with me
and He was with mummy in the ICU too.
Mummy woke up an hour later. She had sustained some injuries. I was at least
grateful that she did not die. This was actually the devil’s plan to make me
probably doubt God but it actually helped strengthen my faith in God.
HALLELUJAH!
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Adetokunbo finished his course abroad and came home finally. Mummy and
Daddy built a hospital for him. Some years later, after the completion of my
medical course at University of Ibadan, Adetokunbo proposed marriage to me. I
knew I couldn’t afford to make a mistake in marriage so I had to involve my Father
in the decision. I was sure of my conviction to marry him and gave him a ‘yes’
Adetokunbo and I got engaged. Mummy and Daddy were indeed very happy
about our decision. They immediately started planning how the wedding
ceremony was going to be.