Lightning and Thunder

1

𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑

EPISODE 1 (JUDITH'S POV)

Tears blurred my eyes as I watched my best friend, who had become more like a sister to me, stare at the doctor in shocked disbelief.

Her lips moved but no words came out.

Last month, she accidentally found a lump at the side of her breast while dressing.
She wanted to ignore it but a nagging fear constantly mauled her. What if...?

Today, she begged me to accompany her to the hospital to get the results of her test.

"I'm so sorry ma'am. The results show an extreme case of breast cancer. It's malignant," the doctor repeated in his monotonous voice.

The finality of the pronouncement hit us like a sledgehammer. Nisha was going to die?

"Are you saying there are no options? What about chemotherapy?" I stuttered.

"That will do more harm than good. The cancer has spread all over her body. Even surgery cannot help."

It all slowly started making sense. Nisha's constant weariness and dizziness lately. Her headaches. How she had almost fainted when we had our most recent joint fasting. Why on earth had I teased her that she was becoming carnal?

I glanced at her uncertainly. She looked as though she had been frozen by a Medusa stare.

I grasped the last of the doctor's words as he rounded off his depressing presentation. Thanking him-for what, I didn't know-I stood and led Nisha out. She remained stone silent all through. I began to fear for her mental well-being too.

Trying to cheer her up, I drove to her favourite ice cream spot, but she didn't even cheer up when I ordered her favourite combo-Chocolate and vanilla swirl with strawberry toppings.

She just stared at the cone I put in her hand, eyes glazed. The ice cream began to melt.

"Nisha," I called and lightly touched her hand. She flinched and looked at me. Her eyes were tinted with pink streaks of pain.

"Why, why me, Judith?" Her coarse whisper came out broken. I couldn't stop the tears that ran down my cheeks.

"Why would God allow this? My mother and my aunt died of this same disease..."

I knew about that. I saw her struggle when her mother died in her first year of university. Then, her second mother figure followed shortly after her graduation. It was a rough patch for her, one she barely scaled through.

"I have prayed and fasted. If it's an ancestral curse God should let it pass over me. I have declared words of faith over my life. I have sown seeds. I'm supposed to be getting married next month. What will I tell Austin?" With that, she broke down into a full-blown wail right there and then in the middle of the ice cream spot. A few customers were beginning to look at us weirdly and ask questions.

I gathered myself together and used my eyes to shoo them off.

Holding her trembling form up, I led her to her car and buckled her in.

As I drove the car to the cosy apartment in Kimono Lane which we shared, I prayed under my breath in tongues while my friend sobbed like a baby.

I took her into the well-decorated apartment and sat with her in the cushioned love seat.

"It's okay if God wants me to come home now," she said as she blew her nose into the kerchief I had given her.

"Don't you dare say that. You have to hold on to faith," I chided.

She took in a shuddering breath and shook her head.

"It's pointless. I have terminal cancer, Judith! Your pep talk won't change my status."

"It's not mere pep talk, sis. And we both know the One who can change your status. Have you forgotten so easily? Jesus, the very same God who saved you from the old life of bondage, loves you. I'm sure this is not his will for you. This is an antic of the enemy."

She narrowed her now-puffy eyes at me. "How can you be so sure?"

"If wicked earthly parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will your heavenly father give you good things?"

"Yeah right, but God didn't heal Moses's stammer nor did he take away the thorn in Paul's flesh."

"Stop taking bible stories out of context. God did that to those two to make them reliant on him because of the great assignment and power he had given them. Remember 3 John? Beloved I wish above all things..."

She cracked a tiny smile. "...That thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospers."

"That's my Nisha talking! I'm not going to permit you to despair, talk less of dying. We're going to fight this together, you, I and the host of heaven. I'm gonna take on the robe of the persistent widow and knock so hard on the gates of heaven that the angelic gate guards will have no choice but to give me access to the courts of heaven. I'm gonna wear my armour and march through the gates of hell to fight the enemy. You're not dying. Not on my watch."

I held her hands tight. She chuckled and looked at me, fresh hope in her eyes.
"I should call you daughter of lightning, girl," she said.

I grinned, happy her humour had returned. "Then you'd be the princess of thunder, my lady," I said with a fake British accent and a half bow.

She laughed. I did too, though my heart was still clenched.

"God," I prayed in my heart, "Nisha cannot die. Not now. She is yours. Her purpose is mighty and she must fulfill it."

Memories of our adventures together right from the first day we met in college till now flooded my mind. This was the lady who helped me finish my education with her constant encouragement and loving financial support.
She had become the sister I never had.

"Thank you, sis," she said slowly, her voice clogged with emotion.

"Anytime," I whispered, patting her hand.

Suddenly her phone buzzed, breaking our moment. She brought it out of her bag.

Panic flooded her eyes again as she looked at her screen.
"Oh my God. It's Austin. What do I tell him?"

"The truth."

"The truth? Judith, are you crazy?"

I shrugged. "Well, if he is indeed God's will for you, he'll stay and fight this storm with you."

With shaking hands, she swiped the green circle up and placed it to her ear. Meanwhile, I zoned out their conversation and began a desperate inner prayer that Austin would remain as level-headed and God-grounded as he had seemed when he proposed to Nisha.

~~~
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ:

Thanks for reading this first chapter. The first prompt is such a strong one because many people can relate to this. Life is filled with many dangerous curveballs that tend to make us doubt God's love, thanks to the prince of this world and age.
No matter what you might have gone through during the year, don't let the enemy rob you of your faith in God.

Meanwhile, do you think Austin will stay?
Also, are you a friend that encourages and builds others up in their down times like Judith?
Do you have a friend like that who helped you see God in your tough times this year? Tag that friend in the comments section and give him or her a shout-out.