THE PAINFUL PLEASURE EPISODE 20&21
Episode 20
“Do you have a consistent prayer life?” She asked. When I
heard the question, it was as if I had been dreaming all the
while. What I thought the question would be was “do you
love me?” But come to think of it, how can a girl I’m meeting
for the second time ask me such question? My love for
Aramide had probably affected my psychology. Even if she
was so cheap, she couldn’t have asked that question so
soon. Even Sandra can’t ask such question. She discovered
that I was thinking for too long, then she broke the silence. .
.
Aramide: Why are you quiet? You really don’t have a prayer
life. Do you?
Me: (I was quite bewildered) Actually, I do have a prayer life.
But it hasn’t been really consistent since I came to school.
You know Awo is not really a place you can pray
comfortably.
Aramide: Prayer isn’t about being convenient. Its a sacrifice
you make in and out of convenience. As a Christian, prayer
is very important. This is because God is our father, and
without communication, we can’t have a good relationship
with him. And the only way to talk to God is through prayer.
Me: That’s very true. You told me you both want to ask me
something and tell me something, you’ve asked your
question, what did you want to tell me? (Hoping for some
‘good news’.)
Aramide: You know what? For the past 3 days, I’ve been
going to the sports complex to pray. And if you don’t mind
we can become prayer partners.
Me: (I didn’t really like religious activities, but agreeing will
make me closer to the one I love) Why not? I would really
love to.
Aramide: If that’s the case, give me your number. So I can
call you when I’m going.
Me: Alright then. . .
We exchanged numbers, and later on, we got a bus. Her
hostel was Alumni, she got off the bus when she got to her
hostel. “I will call you” She said.
I got to my hostel and told Mayowa the whole story. He
made jest of me, and told me that he had warned me earlier
about church girls. No matter what he said, I was still going
to go anyway. If praying would make me closer to the one I
love, I decided to become a prayer warrior.
The following day? Aramide called me as she promised and
we went to pray together. We prayed for almost an hour.
That was around 8pm-9pm. That became our regular
praying time after which we will go to read. Aramide taught
me a lot of things (not academics). I really gained a lot from
being her prayer partner. We were always together from
8pm till 12am everyday. My academics and spiritual life took
a new turn.
That made me love her so much, I was literarily burning with
passion. “But what if I tell her and she decides to stop being
my prayer and reading partner? How will I forgive myself? It
is better to keep mute and not lose her, than to to tell her
my feelings for her and lose her. If she should tell me “NO”,
our relationship and closeness can never be the same.” I
thought to myself.
So I decided to keep my feelings for Aramide to myself, and
keep it strictly on friends basis. Though it was really painful,
but I had to learn to control myself.
heard the question, it was as if I had been dreaming all the
while. What I thought the question would be was “do you
love me?” But come to think of it, how can a girl I’m meeting
for the second time ask me such question? My love for
Aramide had probably affected my psychology. Even if she
was so cheap, she couldn’t have asked that question so
soon. Even Sandra can’t ask such question. She discovered
that I was thinking for too long, then she broke the silence. .
.
Aramide: Why are you quiet? You really don’t have a prayer
life. Do you?
Me: (I was quite bewildered) Actually, I do have a prayer life.
But it hasn’t been really consistent since I came to school.
You know Awo is not really a place you can pray
comfortably.
Aramide: Prayer isn’t about being convenient. Its a sacrifice
you make in and out of convenience. As a Christian, prayer
is very important. This is because God is our father, and
without communication, we can’t have a good relationship
with him. And the only way to talk to God is through prayer.
Me: That’s very true. You told me you both want to ask me
something and tell me something, you’ve asked your
question, what did you want to tell me? (Hoping for some
‘good news’.)
Aramide: You know what? For the past 3 days, I’ve been
going to the sports complex to pray. And if you don’t mind
we can become prayer partners.
Me: (I didn’t really like religious activities, but agreeing will
make me closer to the one I love) Why not? I would really
love to.
Aramide: If that’s the case, give me your number. So I can
call you when I’m going.
Me: Alright then. . .
We exchanged numbers, and later on, we got a bus. Her
hostel was Alumni, she got off the bus when she got to her
hostel. “I will call you” She said.
I got to my hostel and told Mayowa the whole story. He
made jest of me, and told me that he had warned me earlier
about church girls. No matter what he said, I was still going
to go anyway. If praying would make me closer to the one I
love, I decided to become a prayer warrior.
The following day? Aramide called me as she promised and
we went to pray together. We prayed for almost an hour.
That was around 8pm-9pm. That became our regular
praying time after which we will go to read. Aramide taught
me a lot of things (not academics). I really gained a lot from
being her prayer partner. We were always together from
8pm till 12am everyday. My academics and spiritual life took
a new turn.
That made me love her so much, I was literarily burning with
passion. “But what if I tell her and she decides to stop being
my prayer and reading partner? How will I forgive myself? It
is better to keep mute and not lose her, than to to tell her
my feelings for her and lose her. If she should tell me “NO”,
our relationship and closeness can never be the same.” I
thought to myself.
So I decided to keep my feelings for Aramide to myself, and
keep it strictly on friends basis. Though it was really painful,
but I had to learn to control myself.
Episode 21
The friendship between Mayowa and I was put to test.
Mayowa didn’t like Aramide, he isn’t Godly. His name
“Oluwamayowa” which means “God brought joy” shows his
background. “Adedeji Oluwamayowa Samuel”. Samuel is his
baptismal name which means he had been baptized. But all
he does is to party, go to bars, drink and get high, and sleep
around with girls in corners of campus. He wasn’t a lover
boy like me. He is quite handsome anyway, and he had been
in the game way before he came on campus. I really liked
Mayowa, because looking beyond the fact that he wasn’t
really Godly, he was very nice. So I had to talk to him to sort
out our differences. It was so difficult making that decision
because there is no way I would be close to him and not
copy some of his evil ways. I talked to him about Aramide,
and he said to me. “I know say u no dey religious, so u are
only doing all this because you want to sleep with that girl?” .
. . Then we had a long conversation.
Me: I never said I want to sleep with her, I just said I love
her.
Mayowa: If you love her then you can marry her?
Me: I’m lookin forward to it.
Mayowa: So when you get married, won’t you guys have sex?
Me: That will eventually happen. But that’s not why I love
her, I just love her because she has a pure heart and that’s
all.
Mayowa: Stop being a fool dude! No woman on earth has a
pure heart, even my mama no get pure heart. You need to
be smart, and step up your game.
Me: Okay, but the first time I saw her I felt a kind of bond. I
just know she is the one for me. I just know it.
Mayowa: There he goes again. You know what, if you won’t
listen to what I have to tell you, then this conversation is
over. Go ahead and do whatever you want to do. I’m solidly
behind you
Me: Mayo, just try and understand me, you are saying all
these because you have never been in love.
Mayowa: (looking at me, and talking gently like my mum) It’s
true I haven’t been in love before, the same way I haven’t
seen a dinosaur before. Because both don’t exist. You can’t
afford to limit yourself with that feeling that is just virtual,
you still have a long way to go. You need to have fun. It’s like
having a DSTV and watching just one station, you will surely
get bored. At some point, you have to change channels.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you o (He left the room)
I was so deep in thought as I meditated on what Mayowa
had told me. Everything sounded kind of right. Nothing
seemed wrong with what he said. I didn’t want to do it
anyway, because the outcome might be unbearable for me. I
continued the whole stuff with Aramide. Praying-reading
together.
Moji remained very nice to me. She had been buying me
stuffs and giving me food. I would go, get the food at
Anglomoz with Mayowa. Moji and I became so close that I
told her everything about my past. She was so sad. I told her
about the condition at home. She was really kind to me. She
was really nice to me. She is a really good girl, but Aramide’s
love had so blinded me that I couldn’t see anything coming
forth from that relationship than friends. In fact, I made
Moji very close friend, I call her always and tell her stuffs I
can’t even tell Mayowa. Soon, Moji became my best friend.
She was such a good person to me. She’s a really nice
person.
* * * * *
I was on my bed one Friday morning, I had forgotten
already that Sandra even exist. So I just decided to give her
a call. I called her first number then it was switched off.
Thank God she had two numbers. I called the second one it
rang then she picked it.
SORRY GUYS FOR NOT KEEPING YOU ON SUSPENDS
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