Madame Doris P.O.V419Please respect copyright.PENANAMBedoPrbbI
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I cleaned the kitchen shelf with vigor. I dug the cloth into the bowl of water; I wrung it twice and started cleaning. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAQuLsZWIsZQ
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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 419Please respect copyright.PENANA5FxSxjUUTt
couldn't even know how she was doing. I was in the dark about her well being. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAbgxOzsU824
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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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAoicTEKEg70
"Honey, we have a visitor!" My husband shouted. 419Please respect copyright.PENANA2uDpuQRgpN
I sighed. Who was it this time? "I will be there in a 419Please respect copyright.PENANAjKKdm7lbeq
minute!" I assured him.419Please respect copyright.PENANAuSGLZxo7FW
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I rinsed my hands in the basin and quickly dabbed it on my apron as I hurried out of the kitchen. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAyFbHyj18Ja
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The visitor had his back turned to me, but I knew it was our District Pastor. What a pleasant surprise. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAzjVyFWYXLV
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"Good day, sir," I curtsied as I greeted. 419Please respect copyright.PENANApIFswCaDbb
He looked up with a smile lighting his features. "Ah, Sister in the lord. How are you?"419Please respect copyright.PENANAjjnWDKJHKF
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"I am doing well, sir," I said with a smile.419Please respect copyright.PENANAkbaoMxrjkJ
"What of your family? It's been long I saw your wife." 419Please respect copyright.PENANAC0SWwleeyF
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"She has been extremely busy with church meetings and keeping the home," he explained.419Please respect copyright.PENANANnTwKJMElS
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I sighed. "I can't imagine but thank God for His grace to lead a good life."419Please respect copyright.PENANAmmq54JtngK
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"Yes, yes. That's the most important...," he nodded continually. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8YrAAkqec
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"Welcome, sir."419Please respect copyright.PENANASSWd5RNEjv
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"Thank you," he greeted cheerfully. 419Please respect copyright.PENANA5gbAa19HTK
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I made a move to go.419Please respect copyright.PENANAuyWjccQDH7
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"Don't go, Madam. I want to talk with you and your husband."419Please respect copyright.PENANAjnCC43wBsB
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"Is there something wrong?" I queried.
"Not at all. Please sit down."419Please respect copyright.PENANArICpWdtYfI
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I sat down beside my husband on the couch. I exchanged looks with him. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAdfZ1LovFg1
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"It's about your commitment to church activities, he began. I have noticed that you both have been backsliding." 419Please respect copyright.PENANAseoc9spdAv
I inwardly groaned as I pretended to smoothen up my apron. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAdiZyU0LymA
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"We have been so busy with work," my husband said shortly. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAyglbgUrXQi
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The man smiled and said, "work isn't everything. God gave you that work you have now taken as your first love."419Please respect copyright.PENANAFedCTXdHsk
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"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.419Please respect copyright.PENANAzTUKS8tMWD
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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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAyndlcoCaO9
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"Boarding school," my husband answered nervously. 419Please respect copyright.PENANA7oGKifenHl
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"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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAtVsSG5b7Oh
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"Yes, she needed to be among her peers so that she can open up," I added.419Please respect copyright.PENANAU6Ub1VNptz
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I watched as Pastor Ndubuisi shook his head in disapproval. 419Please respect copyright.PENANANIgjbBLsE6
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"I must say you've got it all wrong," he told us emphatically. 419Please respect copyright.PENANA7oO8C1pLzo
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I watched as my husband squeezed his face in irritation. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAzcIpuxYtWp
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"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."419Please respect copyright.PENANAyEDljLGTvr
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The room grew silent, with my husband and I deep in thought. At last, my husband sighed noisily. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAYGVzCybmFA
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"What if we are making matters worse by pulling her close to us?" he asked.419Please respect copyright.PENANAWsEFcV6FyP
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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."419Please respect copyright.PENANA1S15bRiGuU
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"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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANABwfb13UxQO
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"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."419Please respect copyright.PENANApqyFtN7zw7
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I quickly used the shawl on my neck to cover my hair as we all bowed in prayer. 419Please respect copyright.PENANADfbmyF0r4t
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"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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAIh7HCl1iFn
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"Thank you so much, pastor, for coming," my husband said as they both shook hands. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAAz5ieiVZnn
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"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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAtKYiZR9cXd
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"Greet mama for me." I was referring to his wife. 419Please respect copyright.PENANApS9s3363CB
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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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANABknc9l7PvO
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"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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAxEN99iVNYW
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I almost laughed at the question. Here we were, talking about an important issue and he was asking me today's date. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAknAJCOREdc
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"Saturday," I said softly, holding him close to me. 419Please respect copyright.PENANA1EXMQr1aPd
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"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.419Please respect copyright.PENANAvNYCwRHPsw
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"You mean, she is coming back here?" I almost shrieked. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAfy9vRCbfDV
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He laughed at my reaction. "I know that's what you've been looking for." He touched the tip of my nose fondly. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAIlpisEdR1d
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"Leave me joor," I said childishly. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAjualr60OcL
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I knew he wouldn't mind because he enjoyed it so much. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAnzL2gBq768
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"I am never going to leave you alone," he vowed. We both had a good laugh over that. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAj3HnliINcJ
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"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. 419Please respect copyright.PENANAVMm7da11M3
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"I would gladly do that and take her along. I miss her too." With that, I held him tighter.