POURING FRESHLY JUICED LEMON FROM a glass jug into a glass cup, Yvonne glanced at her daughter who was recently discharged from the hospital a few days ago, smiling affectionately.
“How are you feeling, honey?” Yvonne said giving her the glass cup of lemon juice. Nicole collected the glass cup, smiling as she sat in bed, covered with a blanket from her waist to her toes.
“Pretty much better,…” she responded, raising the glass cup to her lips to drink the lemon juice. She scrunched her face because of the sour taste of the lemon juice, after sipping out a little from the glass cup. “but, this neckbrace makes me feel uncomfortable, it's as if I have goitre. I can't wait to take it off.” she rubbed the neckbrace with her hand.
“Does your neck still hurt?”
Nicole tried nodding her head to see if she felt any pain.
“No.”
“But, you still have to wear the neck brace so your neck can heal perfectly.”
Nicole shrugged her shoulders.
“Thanks for the juice, it's just what I needed.” she smiled and sipped a little out of the glass cup.
“Don't mention.” Yvonne smiled too as she placed the tray she carried in her hand on Nicole's nightstand.
“Mr Stanfield has a nice heart,” Yvonne said as she lowered to sit at the edge of Nicole's bed. “you never told me he was your neighbour nextdoor.”
Nicole chuckled, “Yeah, he is. I never knew he was until last month. He is a pilot.”
“Wow!” Yvonne said in amazement. “Can you imagine, he rescued you from the accident scene, taking you to the hospital, he paid for the hospital bills and assisted in towing your vehicle away from the accident scene? He is a very good man, I like him.” Yvonne grinned.
“Aw, that's so sweet of him. I have to thank him.”
“Remember your car is wrecked?”
“I know, it's so disheartening. It has been the baby I've been nursing for seven years, I so much adored the car because it was daddy's gift for me on my eighteenth birthday.” she said as tears brimmed in her eyes.
“You can buy another car anytime, hon.…” Yvonne reached for Nicole's hand, stroking it. “Anyway, your vehicle insurance will take care of the car expense.”
“Even though, it can't be as loveable as the gift given to you by someone so dear,” she sniffled, looking down at the glass cup of lemonade which appeared to be blurry through her teary eyes. “This is all Alfred's fault, I wish I never met him, I wish I never believed him… I wish I never fell in love with him… I wish our path never crossed…” she sobbed, lamenting.
“I still can't believe till this day that Alfred is the smart killer.” Yvonne shook her head, sighing loudly.
“It all sounds like a fairytale.” Nicole blubbered.
“Why did he kill the innocent couple? Why?”
“That's the question I want to ask him. I just can't fathom why he did it. Ha! He betrayed me, mum. He disgraced me! He almost implicated me! He almost ruined my career!” Nicole dropped the glass cup which was half full with lemon juice in the tray on the nightstand, weeping bitterly.
Yvonne shifted closer to her, hugging her, stifling a sob.
“Stop crying honey, it will only weaken you. We all know he made a terrible mistake, he was caught and he's in jail. If he wasn't caught, you would still have been in an unhealthy relationship with him.”
“I loved him mum, I loved and trusted him with all I had. Have you forgotten he proposed to me?” Nicole withdrew from the hug, irritated, clutching a pillow to her chest.
“I know he did… thank God you didn't say ‘yes’, God knew he wasn't the right man for you.”
“Then, where is my own Mr Right? When will he come?” Nicole wiped her tears, sniffling.
“God knows when, honey.” Nicole hugged her mum tightly, closing her eyes tightly and smiled.
“Mum?” Nicole said into her mother's ear.
“Yes?”
Nicole withdrew from the hug, holding her mother's hand as she sat with her legs crisscrossed on the bed. “I have noticed some changes in you since yesterday. You freely talk about God, you've become very spiritual. Tell me, what brought about the change?”
Yvonne blushed, smiling sheepishly. “I have been arrested.”
“I don't understand.”
“You see, I have been running away from Jesus Christ, not wanting to surrender to him so, yesterday he caught up with me and I had no where to run to other than to surrender and that's how he arrested me. I am now a child of God.” Yvonne narrated.
Nicole laughed heartily. Tears of joy cascading down her cheeks.
“Me too, mum! I am born again.”
“When?” Yvonne gasped.
“It is a long story.” Nicole bit her bottom lip, smiling.
“At least a story has a beginning, so?” Yvonne arched an eyebrow at Nicole expectant to hear her story.
“Two days ago, Mr Darwin said this words, he said, ‘…Miss Harper, Jesus is yelling ‘I can help you, I can save you from the the huge strong man that does nothing but inflict pain on you’ don't refuse his help again, Miss Harper…please.’ and this was exactly what happened in my dream. Mr Darwin's words hit me really hard and that was the beginning of a turning point in my life. Mum, God is real.” Nicole smiled.
“Absolutely! As for me, it was your neighbour, Mr Stanfield who God used to change my life. His words were like a dagger being shot in my direction, it punctured every aspect of my life. It was nothing I ever heard of. He didn't preach to me, he just only told me the parable of the prodigal son, that's all!” Yvonne laughed.
“Wow! This is dad's dream come true that we all have accepted Jesus Christ.”
“He will be so happy in heaven.”
“Yes,…” Nicole frowned, twitching her lips.
“What is it?”
“I just remembered something.”
“Tell me, I am all ears.”
“The day Alfred accompanied me to visit dad in the hospital before his death, dad saw him and greeted him in a cold manner, he told Alfred to excuse us and he told me that Alfred wasn't the man for me and I should cut off the relationship I have with him.”
“Really? How come you never told me?”
“I felt dad disliked him because of his colour being that we are black and he is white. I felt it was racial discrimination, so I didn't bother, not knowing he saw this coming.”
“Hmm” Yvonne sighed.
“Should I forgive Alfred?” Nicole asked her mum.
“I don't know what to say. Since the past few days I started reading my bible, I came across some verses in the book of Matthew 6:14–15, it says; For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. I know it's a tough decision to make but it is for the best. I forgave Gary though he hurt you badly, he put our family at risk. Honey, you have to choose between unforgiveness and hell or forgiveness and heaven.”
There was a bit of silence for a while. Nicole picked up her glass cup of lemon juice from the tray, slurping the juice. After she finished drinking the juice, she placed it back in the tray, clearing her throat.
“Can I see Alfred tomorrow?”
“If you want to.”
“Will you accompany me?”
“Of course! Why won't I?”
“Thank you.” Nicole hugged her mum, kissing her cheeks.
YOU ARE READING
ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂
Mystery / ThrillerWʜᴇɴ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ᴅɪғғɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ʜᴏᴍɪᴄɪᴅᴇ ᴄᴀsᴇ sᴜʀғᴀᴄᴇs, Dᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ Nɪᴄᴏʟᴇ Hᴀʀᴘᴇʀ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴀsᴋ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴏғ ᴀ sᴜᴘʀᴇᴍᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴏ sʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴘɪsᴇ - Gᴏᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴏʟᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ ᴡʜᴇɴ sʜᴇ ɪs ʟᴇғᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴsᴏʟᴠᴇᴅ ᴄᴀsᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀs. Wɪᴛʜ Nᴇɪʟ Dᴀʀᴡɪɴ ᴀs...