Bliss

Ecclesiastes 3:11

"Viv, can we talk?...right now?...yes please...I want to select the movie we're about to watch...I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now but please give me the chance to explain my behaviour these past months... Greg I get it okay, you don't trust me enough with your son and I understand, you don't get to cut me off without saying anything and expect that after a while, all will be smiles and giggles...I know that, Viv, I feel really terrible for distancing myself from you...do you know how I felt? Like I was forcing myself on you, I don't want to have to second guess my place in anyone's life so when I noticed your change in behaviour towards me, I asked you and what did you say? All is well, I've just been busy... I'm really sorry Viv, I should have spoken to you about what was going on. I'm not supposed to be afraid but all of a sudden this fear enveloped me with thoughts that it took separating myself to pray, fast and study the word to uproot those thoughts. I took J.J to live with my parents about a month ago because my inner struggles were affecting our relationship, I couldn't play with him or spend time with him and you know he's an intelligent boy so he noticed...I didn't know all that, I mean I see you all together in church...yes I told him I was taking him to grandma and grandpa's place for vacation but we met every sunday in church...okay_ what were you so afraid of?...same issue about step mothers, I feared my love for you would cloud my judgement that even if you started maltreating J.J, I wouldn't notice it or that I'd take your side and ignore my son...I would never hurt Jayden...I know Viv, you don't have to convince me, it's just fiery darts the devil was throwing at me with those thoughts 💭 but I quenched them all with the sword of the spirit...I thought to myself that maybe it was all in my head, that you didn't really like me, just cared enough to see me do well in ministry and that's okay, I can accept that, I just wished you'd be more open about it...Viv, didn't you hear anything I said? I love you beyond description and sometimes it feels scary even...you love me?" she asked with her eyes glistening with unshed tears
"...with everything I have...you never said that to me...I am saying so now and if you'd have me, I'd like to court you properly...are you sure about what you're saying? ...a 100% and I won't make you second guess your place in my life anymore Viv, I love you and everything that comes with loving you. If you accept me, I'd make sure I prove this to you every moment of my life...you don't have to prove anything Greg, I believe you and yes I agree to court you...thank you so much for accepting me and I'm sorry for hurting you... you're welcome and I forgive you...thank you, do you think we should let the others know?...let's keep them in suspense a little, with how long we've been in here, they probably guessed something's up but we won't say anything yet...I think I like that, can I give you a hug🫂, please?...of course"
I really missed him and this hug was just what I needed after all the emotional turmoil "I missed you and I missed hugging you...me too" he just mirrored my thoughts.

We joined the rest at the dining area and they had finished eating so they put their dishes away while we decided on what to watch
"No horror films please" Yvonne said
"I agree, we want to have a sound sleep" I had to chip in
"If you ladies are scared, you have us, right bro?...I disagree with you on this Roland, we don't want them to cry and have nightmares now, do we?...okay fine, I rest my case" he lifted up his hands indicating he wasn't going to pursue this any further. We settled on a romcom while snacking on some cookies, popcorn and juice. We sat in the 3 in 1 sofa, with the guys at the extreme ends and we were sandwiched between them.
A scene in the movie showed that the protagonist found true love after having to overcome so many obstacles, I noticed a lone tear fall from Yvonne's eyes, I got closer to her and whispered in her ears
"Hey bestie, are you okay?...will I ever have this kind of love...oh my love, of course you will, come here" I hugged her on the side and the dam broke, maybe I should have let her be, now I've overwhelmed her. "Yvonne are you okay?" Roland asked when she started sobbing and shaking uncontrollably.
"Roly please take her to her room...okay sure" he led her away and I noticed the concern on Greg's face
"Is she going to be okay?...yes she will...you're unusually calm, you know why she's crying right and it's not about the movie...well yeah but the movie triggered it... what's the matter?...I can't really tell you, all I can say is it's got to do with her past...okay... sorry...no, I understand, sister's code huh...mmhm...I just hope Roland can calm her down...yeah I hope so too...you are so beautiful...thank you...is that redness I see on your cheeks?...really?... you're blushing...Greg stop it...I really missed you, I can't believe I did myself such an injustice by staying away...I missed you too"

Roland's POV

It broke my heart to see her cry, I led her to the bedroom, sat her on the bed, pulled a chair and sat facing her
"Would you like to be left alone?... no_please stay...okay, please don't cry anymore. Was it the movie or there's more to it?... that's what I wanted to talk to you about...okay I'm all ears...you may not want anything to do with me anymore but it's best you hear it from me...why would you say that?...just promise me you won't be harsh, that way I'd be able to take your reaction...Yvonne please talk to me... growing up, life wasn't easy, my dad passed on quite early so it was just my mum and sister, it was difficult to feed because my mum lost her job and I was still in school, I did menial jobs to get by, I knew if I relied on my mum, I may not complete the university so I relied on God, I was able to complete with first class honours and thought I'd get a job immediately but that wasn't the case. My mum became seriously ill shortly after, while I was still trying to get a decent job, I wanted to start my own business but even the capital to start wasn't there, everything I got went into my mum's hospital bills_she needed surgery...what kind of surgery?...a kidney transplant...oh I'm so sorry...of course we didn't have the amount to even deposit, my sister and I did all sorts of menial jobs but the money was adding up, we hadn't even scratched the initial deposit. I met my roommate from the university while hawking on the streets one day and she looked well to do but she wasn't really rich in school. I told her my plight and she said she had a job for me, I went to meet her boss for an interview only to realise they were an escort service. I left there immediately because I didn't see myself doing that kind of job, I asked this same roommate for a loan and she told me blatantly that she won't give it to me because the job I refused is what made her get that money. I didn't know where else to turn to so I told the doctor to proceed with the transplant, that I'd pay as soon as I could but you know they don't run a charity organisation and that's what he told me. I joined the escort service and told myself I'd only work there till I could raise the amount for my mum's surgery. When I started I was only accompanying rich men to events and I thought it would continue like that until one night the client wanted to sleep with me, I was told those were high paying clients. I didn't want to do it but I knew my mum's life was at stake so I went to the hotel and got ready, I sat on the bed waiting for the client and I begun to reflect on my life and this path I had taken, I prayed to God to help me and deliver me from the situation I found myself in. The client came in and noticed I was crying, he asked questions and I told him everything, that I had never done this before and my reason for joining the organisation, do you know what he told me?...what did he say?...he said God sent me to him so that he won't commit adultery because that's what he was about to do after finding out his wife cheated. He wanted to teach her a lesson by doing same out of anger but seeing that I wasn't that kind of girl he decided to help me pay my mum's hospital bills fully...wow that's amazing...what shocked me was he even invited me to his church and that's where I've been ever since...is he still in church?...yes but he travelled outside the country with his family after forgiving his wife, they wanted to start afresh. After that night I never returned to the escort business again, things begun to change for the better, my mum got discharged and I got a well paying job. My sister got a scholarship to study abroad and God has been so good, the rest is history...your life is indeed a testimony of the Lord's goodness in a man's life...yes it is, if you have reservations about me after what you know, I get it...are you for real? If anything I wish to meet your family now to make things official... what?... I'm serious, I really like you Yvonne and I'd like us to take this friendship to the next level...Roland, are you serious?...I've never been more serious about anything in my life, so what do you say?...I think you already know the answer...is that a yes?...emphatically...oh this is the day the Lord has made...it is, indeed".

It's a wrap guys👏👏👏🤗🤗🤗, I'm so excited, the book has finally come to an end. I know you didn't expect this ending, me neither but this is it.

Sometimes we make things hard for ourselves by pushing people away and not letting God lead us to his perfect will for our lives. The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18).
Yvonne's story shows us that no matter the challenges we face, the Lord says " and all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). If she didn't meet that last client she would have continued in the job that didn't glorify Christ and her body; being God's temple. She wouldn't have gone to the right church that taught her the word she now knew.