“The person I was talking about is Jesus,” she said, holding her breath for his reaction.
A careless hiss escaped his lips. “You now got my hopes up for nothing. See me thinking that you were talking about a real person.”
She opened her mouth to counter his words but was stopped by a sudden thought.
Anjola, all things are lawful, but not all things are expedient.
As soon as it came to her, she stopped. What did that mean? She just wanted to tell him about Jesus. Wasn't the original aim for him to gain salvation? Wasn't that why she was sent to him?
Abba, I don't understand. Didn't You send me to this man?
Anjola, remember what I said about having patience. Now is not the right time, My daughter. There is a time for everything.
It was then that the understanding came to her. She was trying to rush things, which she had now come to the realisation of.
She didn't need to force-feed him the gospel. After all, Aunty Mabel didn't, and she found God in her own time.
At the moment, she could only help him get better; and encourage him till the time was right.
She knew that the immediate threat of him ending his life had been neutralised. So there was still room for him to receive salvation.
“I actually am, but let's leave that for now,” she finally settled on saying.
“You said your Grandma Mae is still alive, right?”
He groaned, before answering. “Yeah she is,” he admitted, facial expression betraying his reluctance.
“So how do you think she's going to feel if you go ahead and commit suicide? Do you think she'll last after hearing such news?” she asked, curious to know what was running through his mind.
He groaned again, “I don't know! I didn't let myself dwell on the would-be consequences of my actions.”
Anjola made a clucking sound from the back of her throat. “I see.”
“But madam,” he piped up in a small voice, after a short bout of silence. “Do you really think I can be free from my demons?”
“Of course you can, Mr Man. I can't promise you that it'll be an entirely smooth ride; but you can come out of it, so long as you're determined.
“You'll also need to make some changes to your lifestyle, and revamp your outlook on life. But you'll come out of it, that's for sure,” she repeated, with a strong conviction.
Continuing her encouragement, she said: “Your life shouldn't revolve around one person only. And your happiness should not be dependent on how people treat you. Make a decision to be happy, and only then will you experience true happiness.
“To be honest, suicide is the easy way out. If you kill yourself, you'll grieve your family, and all those who love you.
“Also, you'll be setting yourself up to be forgotten as someone who once walked these grounds. Rather, you'd fade out to a distant memory.
“But when you decide to fight, and you win those battles; you'll have a better story to tell.
“Even better, you'd be an inspiration to others. Don't you want to make a comeback? A comeback that'll change everyone's perception of you?” she asked.
A pensive look overtook his expression; and Anjola could see the wheels turning in his head. She felt satisfied, that everything was falling into place, just as it should.
YOU ARE READING
The Bridge|| Completed✓
General Fiction"Can I help you ma?" He asked. His voice was scratchy and low and his tone rang out as sarcastic. "What do you mean by 'Can I help you ma?'" she asked him in incredulity. "I said what I said. Now what exactly is your problem?" He asked, obviously no...
