Jeremiah Lewis fumbled with his keys, twisting them in the lock until it jammed.
He sighed, realizing he'd left his food flask on the table—again.
With a frustrated groan, he unlocked the door, retrieved the flask, and then hurried back to his car, humming as he slammed the door shut.
The clock read 8:14 AM.
The board meeting was set for 8:30, and he was cutting it close.
As he sped down the road, the anxiety gnawed at him.
He pushed the gas pedal a little too far, and by the time he noticed, it was too late—he collided with another car.
Jeremiah's heart pounded as he jumped out, murmuring a quick prayer, hoping the Holy Spirit would take control of the situation.
When he saw it was a woman, his heart raced.
He expected a dramatic reaction, but to his surprise, she remained calm, radiating an unusual peace.
His heart skipped a beat as he approached her, apologizing profusely.
Something about her seemed familiar.
She suddenly gasped, recognition dawning in her eyes. "Aren't you the Sunday school teacher at the Church of Christ Mission?"
It all clicked for Jeremiah—she was the woman from yesterday, the one who had asked him about the Holy Spirit and later responded to the altar call.
The joy in her eyes was palpable, and he felt a wave of emotion wash over him."Thank you," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.
"For the first time in my life, I've found hope. I've found joy."
Tears welled up in Jeremiah's eyes as he looked at her. "I'm so glad to hear that. I promise you, you'll never regret finding Jesus."
She sighed, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"Please pray for me. I need to forgive my late husband. He... he killed my child, and I still can't find peace in my heart."
Jeremiah placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The Holy Spirit will help you. You don't need to worry. He will teach you more than you ever imagined."
With a smile, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small package of sweets."Please, take this. Or give it to your child or wife. It's just a little token of appreciation for the Bible you gave me yesterday."
Jeremiah accepted the gift, his heart swelling with gratitude and humility and smiled warmly. "I appreciate this gift from the depth of my heart. I hope to see you again. Here is my card ". He gave her his business card. "Call me anytime you need clarification on anything ".
"Thank you so much. What is your name sir?".
"My name is Jeremiah Lewis".
"A pleasure meeting you, Caty." They shook hands and parted ways, each driving off in opposite directions.
As he drove, guilt gnawed at him.
Here he was, advising someone on forgiveness, yet he was still a divorcee, holding onto a deep resentment toward his ex-wife.
She was the reason he had grown to distrust women.
Did they all turn into something unrecognizable once you walked them down the aisle?
Since their divorce five years ago, he had thrown himself into building his new company, determined to outshine Bower Bound and prove to the Smith family that they had underestimated him.
But the sting of rejection was always there, like the time he sent money for Swanta, only for Raymond to return it with a sneering remark: "Use it to feed yourself."
It had bruised his pride deeply.
Raymond now controlled when and how he could see his own daughter.
The loneliness weighed heavily on him, especially when he realized he couldn't even reach his family freely.
He pulled over and hesitated before dialing a familiar number—his ex-wife, Paula.
He despised calling her, knowing she was always under the thumb of her wealthy family.
Yet, to his surprise, she answered almost immediately.
He began, "Good morning. I wanted to see Swanta on my way home from work. Is that okay with you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Er? I will er...ask Ray...".
"Raymond is now the father of our baby? Why didn't you tell me that? Why do you always have to ask him anytime I talk about our daughter?".
"Are you here? He is always here, he listens to Swanta and despite his busy schedule, he takes out time to do her homework and even take her to school. You see why I don't like picking your call? You always shout over trivial matters!".
"Rich ladies and belittling their husbands ".
"Poor men and their unnecessary ego".
"Unnecessary? How do you say that?".
Before he could say another word, she disconnected the line as usual.
He screamed and hit his driving wheel. "Holy Spirit please help me pull through. This is always so tough for me".
***
After marking the register, Swanta approached my table and dropped a list.
I glanced at it—she had detailed her weekend activities.
I smiled as I read how she had deliberately cut down on her movie time to focus on reading.
It was heartwarming to see such dedication.
I checked what she had read and gave her some exercises to reinforce her learning."Do these exercises, and don't forget to remind me to give you more," I said.
Her face lit up. "Thank you, Miss Caty," she replied, brimming with excitement.
I repeated the process with other students who needed a bit of a push, then made my way back to my office.
As I settled in, Nathaniel Dwayne burst in with a pizza box. "You have to share this with me; it's huge!" he exclaimed.
By coincidence, I had been craving pizza too, so we dug in, chatting about my recent spiritual experiences.
I found myself sneaking glances at my Bible during spare moments at work, feeling drawn to its pages.
Later, as I walked to the car park, I noticed something off with my car—Jeremiah's earlier bashing hadn't just scratched it; something else was wrong.
I tried starting it several times, but it wouldn't budge, despite the radiator being in perfect shape.
After topping off the water, I still had no luck.
Anabel, my boss rushed out when she saw me struggling. "The school mechanic can help, but you'll have to leave the car here. You need to get home on time to type up those test questions and send them to me before eight."
"Do I need to pay the mechanic?" I asked.
"Of course not. He fixes all the teachers' cars for free," she assured me with a smile.
"Thank you," I replied softly, appreciating her kindness.
Then, with a concerned look, she asked, "How have you been? Is Juliet treating you well?"
I chuckled. "Juliet is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Sometimes I wish I could repay her."
"That's what friends are for, sis. I used to envy your friendship back in the day," she said, and we both laughed as she watched me leave the school compound.
It was the first time since I'd started working there that I was walking out without my car.
As I checked my phone to book a cab, a car horn caught my attention.
The headlights blinded me momentarily, but then I recognized my former boss from Bower Bound.
He had picked up Swanta over thirty minutes ago—why was he still here?
I approached the car. "Good day, boss. Why are you still here?" I asked, peering inside to find Swanta in the backseat, engrossed in her iPad.
When I called her name, she looked up and smiled warmly.
"We were waiting for some yamarita to be made at the restaurant because it's her favorite, and since we had to wait, we decided to take it home instead of eating there. I was surprised to see you still at school," he explained.
I sighed. "My car was bashed this morning, and I think it's affected somehow. My boss offered to have it fixed while I go home to finish those test questions since they're due next Monday. Otherwise, I'd have waited for the mechanic."
"Hop in," he offered.
"Are you sure? I mean, I can just book a ride…" I started, unsure.
"Swanta told me about the reading plan you've helped her with. I appreciate it so much—she's never been much of a reader before. Please, let me express my gratitude by giving you a lift."
I hesitated but eventually got into the car.
As we drove, Swanta turned off her iPad to chat with me about her classmates. "David had a birthday on Friday but didn't invite anyone from class. Gena, our church member, who is David's house help, said he brought in some bad boys instead because we're too young," she shared.
"Isn't David just twelve?" I asked.
"He'll be thirteen in November," she corrected me.
"Well, you shouldn't be going to late-night parties anyway; it's risky. Maybe David didn't invite you because he knew it wouldn't be safe for you to come back so late," I suggested.
Swanta nodded thoughtfully and continued sharing stories about her classmates—some surprising, others amusing.
Before I knew it, we reached their house, and I prepared to part ways.
To my surprise, instead of letting me out to find my own way home, my boss asked Swanta to go inside, telling me he'd drive me the rest of the way.
"You don't have to go out of your way…" I started.
"You've been such a positive influence on Swanta. The least I can do is give you a ride," he insisted.
As we drove, I noticed the silence between us was heavy.
My former boss was known for being distant and focused solely on work; he never gave anyone a ride at Bower Bound.
My nerves started to creep up, so I cleared my throat and pretended to scroll through my phone.
"How have the past two weeks been?" he asked, his voice low and calm, eyes still on the road.
"It's been wonderful. God brought Juliet into my life, and we've grown closer, especially after Sunday," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Sunday?" He glanced at me, curious. "You went to church?"
"Yes, my childhood friend, who's also a colleague, invited me to a church program. I went with Juliet, and we had an incredible experience—we both encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time."
He pulled the car over and turned to face me. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, sir. We were given Bibles in Sunday School, and later, we responded to an altar call. When we got home, I felt a peace I hadn't known in years. For the first time since my ordeal with Richard, I felt loved and accepted. The Holy Spirit spoke to me—He called my name, said He would help me. I felt His presence," I explained, tears welling up.
He sighed deeply, then handed me a small notebook. "Write down whatever He says to you or any interpretations you get while reading the Bible. It's helped me a lot."
"Thank you, Boss," I said, moved by his gesture.
"Call me Raymond. I'm not your boss anymore."
I gasped—this was the first time I learned his first name. "Okay… Raymond," I tried, still feeling strange about it.
"I knew about your struggles with Richard when he was alive," he said softly.
I was taken aback. "You knew?"
"I noticed your demeanor. Once, I wanted to ask you to accompany me to a project site but saw you arguing with him. He was saying some really harsh things, and I had to step back. That's when I decided to promote you, hoping it would make him respect you more."
"You promoted me because of my husband?"
"I promoted you because I couldn't stand seeing a man disrespect his wife like that. My sister went through something similar, and I failed to help her in time," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret.
"I'm so sorry," I murmured, feeling a wave of empathy.
"Catarina, you're still young. Give all your time to the Holy Spirit, and you'll never regret it. He's the best friend you could ever have. When I was at my lowest, He was there, giving me strength. You'd be amazed at how far you can go if you make Him your closest friend," he said as he restarted the car and continued driving.
When we reached my place, he asked, "Can I come and pick you up whenever I bring Swanta? It'll save you some fuel."
"No, sir, you've already done so much. I wouldn't want to impose," I responded, touched by his offer.
"You have the Holy Spirit now. I feel like you're a sister to me because we share the same spirit. Let me be a good friend to you—" he said earnestly.
Surprised, I couldn't help but wonder how someone like him could lack friends.
As if reading my thoughts, he added, "The rich often struggle to find true friends. Catarina Johnson, can we be good friends from now on?"
I smiled. "We can, sir."
"Call me Raymond," he insisted with a warm smile.
As I stepped out of the car, he gave me a warm wave before driving off.
It was the first time I had seen such a gentle side of Raymond Smith.
Standing outside the house was a young man I instantly recognized—Juliet's first boyfriend.
The surprise hit me that they were still in contact.
From the way things looked, it was clear Juliet wasn't planning to let him in.
He straightened up when he noticed me, and though I could sense the tension, I decided not to get involved.
Instead, I greeted him with a warm smile and headed inside.
Juliet was at the window when I entered. "Is he gone?" she whispered anxiously.
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Why are you hiding?"She shivered slightly.
"Tell him to go away."
"You and Francis are still in touch?" I asked, curious.
"He knows I'm seeing Derek," she replied.
"You're not really dating Derek. You're just going out with him. It's more like a situationship." I rolled my eyes and moved to the fridge, checking for something to eat.
"Derek is influential, and he's a head usher at his church. Plus, he's very handsome," she defended.
"But isn't this the same Derek who told you he couldn't be in a relationship without sex?"
"Yes, but he's agreed to wait until marriage now," she said, almost as if convincing herself.
"Juliet, as your friend, I know you like Francis more. For him to still be hanging around…" I trailed off.
"Francis and I earn the same salary. There's no future in that kind of relationship," she said, a hint of resignation in her voice.
I grabbed a chocolate biscuit from the fridge and took a bite."But Francis loves God more. He was always generous, even when he had little. And we're Christians, Juliet. Shouldn't we choose someone who brings us closer to God, not further away?"
We both turned to the window, watching as Francis walked away.
The expression on Juliet's face said it all—she still loved him.
FLASH BACK TO TEN YEARS AGO
Juliet sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the small velvet box in her hands.
Inside was a delicate silver bracelet, a simple yet beautiful piece that Francis had given her just an hour ago.
She couldn't stop smiling, her heart racing with the memory of his words.
"Juliet," he had said, his voice tender and full of conviction, "I want to give you the world. I know I don't have much right now, but I promise you, one day, I'll make all your dreams come true. Heaven and earth, they'll be ours."
She had looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with love and trust. "I don't care about any of that, Francis. All I want is you. I promise I'll never let go. No matter what."
They were standing by the river then, the sun setting behind them, casting a golden glow over the water.
Francis had reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before pulling her into a warm embrace.
In that moment, everything felt perfect.
The world beyond them didn't matter.
Francis was the first boy who had truly seen her for who she was.
He was the one who made her feel special, cherished, and completely loved.
His gifts were never extravagant, but they were always thoughtful—a book she had mentioned in passing, a hand-written letter, or a single flower picked just for her.
Each one was a reminder of his promise to her, a promise that they would face whatever came their way together.
As Juliet lay back on her bed, holding the bracelet to her chest, she couldn't imagine a future without him.
Francis was her everything, and in her heart, she knew she was his.