Madame Doris P.O.V736Please respect copyright.PENANAtqade1Obpy
736Please respect copyright.PENANAVFlxwgEcCg
I cleaned the kitchen shelf with vigor. I dug the cloth into the bowl of water; I wrung it twice and started cleaning. 736Please respect copyright.PENANA9yrd2uQZ9q
736Please respect copyright.PENANAOqOBR1BFwM
All of a sudden, I started crying. This Thursday will make it two weeks since my baby girl left the house. I missed her so much. What made it worse was that I 736Please respect copyright.PENANAepj70MPeTn
couldn't even know how she was doing. I was in the dark about her well being. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAdN3ZgNGe1L
736Please respect copyright.PENANAKbDiiFoXUp
If she had been here, sitting down at the kitchen stool she would have stuck her nose in a book. Even if she didn't say a word to me, her presence was enough. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAiMy0B5W3FF
"Honey, we have a visitor!" My husband shouted. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAZLaO7Xyo8X
I sighed. Who was it this time? "I will be there in a 736Please respect copyright.PENANAOxY8UYkBdt
minute!" I assured him.736Please respect copyright.PENANANglL3bPCmc
736Please respect copyright.PENANAI3V4NQmkIe
I rinsed my hands in the basin and quickly dabbed it on my apron as I hurried out of the kitchen. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAsDjt2YRlNA
736Please respect copyright.PENANAbEeWqqxTmh
The visitor had his back turned to me, but I knew it was our District Pastor. What a pleasant surprise. 736Please respect copyright.PENANA09CnDaKYCY
736Please respect copyright.PENANAYQwKLRNZGf
"Good day, sir," I curtsied as I greeted. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAS13a0Vg7T2
He looked up with a smile lighting his features. "Ah, Sister in the lord. How are you?"736Please respect copyright.PENANArE2WK1X5IG
736Please respect copyright.PENANAOHAMCWzrOd
"I am doing well, sir," I said with a smile.736Please respect copyright.PENANA5ScwyWYCie
"What of your family? It's been long I saw your wife." 736Please respect copyright.PENANA4BjIfs3T84
736Please respect copyright.PENANAhSF5XRy9b0
"She has been extremely busy with church meetings and keeping the home," he explained.736Please respect copyright.PENANAzMyqvCs0dg
736Please respect copyright.PENANAYCoGBuLT9k
I sighed. "I can't imagine but thank God for His grace to lead a good life."736Please respect copyright.PENANAzAmoWLLPUb
736Please respect copyright.PENANAeEmAmWX2Cd
"Yes, yes. That's the most important...," he nodded continually. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAn6SCwon0PX
736Please respect copyright.PENANA5EgXbMVPZB
"Welcome, sir."736Please respect copyright.PENANA77oHkdjuRx
736Please respect copyright.PENANAWQujO5TGIX
"Thank you," he greeted cheerfully. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAbNRx2UHHpU
736Please respect copyright.PENANArpHyS6X4Xq
I made a move to go.736Please respect copyright.PENANAeaprGk7Axi
736Please respect copyright.PENANACHFbPJfRLm
"Don't go, Madam. I want to talk with you and your husband."736Please respect copyright.PENANAbMu4J0CYe5
736Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1pYTWiAwr
"Is there something wrong?" I queried.
"Not at all. Please sit down."736Please respect copyright.PENANALxqcIbL0XR
736Please respect copyright.PENANAXdwv2Objcf
I sat down beside my husband on the couch. I exchanged looks with him. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAyguEAdqj82
736Please respect copyright.PENANAQXvR7E9wGP
"It's about your commitment to church activities, he began. I have noticed that you both have been backsliding." 736Please respect copyright.PENANA4VHcZEA2oO
I inwardly groaned as I pretended to smoothen up my apron. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAsrjwLtlSxv
736Please respect copyright.PENANAY3LDRzkORl
"We have been so busy with work," my husband said shortly. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAvODhpgS5qJ
736Please respect copyright.PENANAXifuQGjp2W
The man smiled and said, "work isn't everything. God gave you that work you have now taken as your first love."736Please respect copyright.PENANAhGnEQzIfTu
736Please respect copyright.PENANAwjsYoUrfba
"I am sorry, pastor. Things have been hectic. We only manage to attend church services. But hopefully, we would start to attend service fully," he promised.736Please respect copyright.PENANA0EviC3p2oM
736Please respect copyright.PENANA0jQ7C3htkd
Pastor Ndubuisi just nodded. "I believe God is your strength. Start coming to church to feel the lasting impact of God. I haven't seen your daughter for two weeks now. Where is she?" He asked curiously. 736Please respect copyright.PENANApiTdVkZyhf
736Please respect copyright.PENANASM2Hd2ewEc
"Boarding school," my husband answered nervously. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAR75S4VnFd4
736Please respect copyright.PENANA5QkUjq8rhC
"Why?" The pastor exclaimed.
"My husband thought it was for the best since she was getting a bit fuzzy around us," I said to him. Shortly after, I forced a smile. 736Please respect copyright.PENANA1xBBnSPant
736Please respect copyright.PENANAQtzN16UtQv
"Yes, she needed to be among her peers so that she can open up," I added.736Please respect copyright.PENANALSRDtP1Ugm
736Please respect copyright.PENANAxaiRvRqoR0
I watched as Pastor Ndubuisi shook his head in disapproval. 736Please respect copyright.PENANApCwzUEU7KN
736Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZPbVA0oqg
"I must say you've got it all wrong," he told us emphatically. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAMAx5VNkWjY
736Please respect copyright.PENANAq0udyRDddJ
I watched as my husband squeezed his face in irritation. 736Please respect copyright.PENANATdbNDV08Pj
736Please respect copyright.PENANA4jHLrIRQsT
"Before you say a word, listen.” He held up his hand... “Her peers would make a move to her through friendship in school. But more than friends, she needs her parents' love. Taking her to boarding school is a life sentence, because of her condition."736Please respect copyright.PENANAyBAlM7NboY
736Please respect copyright.PENANAzuyzn2txH8
The room grew silent, with my husband and I deep in thought. At last, my husband sighed noisily. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAOr6eGGqIzW
736Please respect copyright.PENANAEvd1V7oDWe
"What if we are making matters worse by pulling her close to us?" he asked.736Please respect copyright.PENANAAunAsFmURX
736Please respect copyright.PENANAmV64YmqLJa
Pastor Ndubisi smiled softly. "Do you now see the reason to come closer to God's throne? In that school, she would be bullied and therefore her autism won't go but stay."
"You have a point. I and my husband would come to the right decision about this as soon as possible."736Please respect copyright.PENANA6hZq1cXR8p
736Please respect copyright.PENANAEIsJX7WVIg
"Worldly people can't help her, but Godly people can. Always remember that. Read the epistles more for guidance," the pastor said, rising from his seat. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAy4vP0zcPsQ
736Please respect copyright.PENANAlFMxZPds7D
"Won't you take anything, sir?" I asked in dismay. He smiled at me, took his Bible up, and said, "not at all, thank you. Let's pray."736Please respect copyright.PENANA7stmas2GWl
736Please respect copyright.PENANAsR97rwOtgu
I quickly used the shawl on my neck to cover my hair as we all bowed in prayer. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAeFgvyK1Jdq
736Please respect copyright.PENANA0kFM6wVuip
"Dear Lord, I thank you for giving this family a second chance to know you more. Let them grow deeper through your word. Give them the wisdom to handle the affairs of their lives." He kept on praying for a while. Eventually, he closed. 736Please respect copyright.PENANANtUiowsR5T
736Please respect copyright.PENANAdZfSzfHg3P
"Thank you so much, pastor, for coming," my husband said as they both shook hands. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAXzr2Gg0VW5
736Please respect copyright.PENANAatH2tMP5Jc
"We thank God for not leaving us empty in this world. Your little girl will be alright. But know that she needs all the love she can get," he admonished. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAUmJS50r3zI
736Please respect copyright.PENANAGeJT8Kn2Lb
"Greet mama for me." I was referring to his wife. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAHgKfTvbJtY
736Please respect copyright.PENANAMlQdjqWlPd
When he had gone, my husband held me close to him. I rested my head on his chest. Times like these, it was really amazing that we had been married for 11 years and could still share such intimacy. 736Please respect copyright.PENANA7YBV5nEcE1
736Please respect copyright.PENANAlMcuCbkK3y
"It will be fine. I am sure God will make a way. It isn't over until it's over. What's today's date?" He queried. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAeMqdSsFhw8
736Please respect copyright.PENANAjb1ApCMXBe
I almost laughed at the question. Here we were, talking about an important issue and he was asking me today's date. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAUnPbIxeuJO
736Please respect copyright.PENANAWMzhVph2el
"Saturday," I said softly, holding him close to me. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAh3HItJKF1n
736Please respect copyright.PENANALRsByN0PcG
"Just last two weeks Saturday we planned to take Gaby to boarding school and now we are planning to bring her back as a day student," he told me.736Please respect copyright.PENANAMEv9sfQFoN
736Please respect copyright.PENANAknhQU6J8xS
"You mean, she is coming back here?" I almost shrieked. 736Please respect copyright.PENANA9AWPC4kMVp
736Please respect copyright.PENANADy0cOSorne
He laughed at my reaction. "I know that's what you've been looking for." He touched the tip of my nose fondly. 736Please respect copyright.PENANA63FjZprgcZ
736Please respect copyright.PENANAXQau0Vu9lK
"Leave me joor," I said childishly. 736Please respect copyright.PENANALzGlm1x2r5
736Please respect copyright.PENANA4kn3y1jeej
I knew he wouldn't mind because he enjoyed it so much. 736Please respect copyright.PENANADHNEQ1OXk2
736Please respect copyright.PENANAARLN2E6wyp
"I am never going to leave you alone," he vowed. We both had a good laugh over that. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAtNV2WgyFai
736Please respect copyright.PENANAPKCONqUTm1
"Uhm, on a serious note...he scratched his beard... You need to make out time for services. You don't need all that stress at work anyway. It's my responsibility to make the money. Hopefully, by next month, I wouldn't be working like a maniac, so I can be with you and our apple. I miss her so much," he gushed. 736Please respect copyright.PENANAHEOg9dPscE
736Please respect copyright.PENANA57q4UzPrIU
"I would gladly do that and take her along. I miss her too." With that, I held him tighter.