Juliet was preparing pepperoni when I walked in with Jeremy.
He joined us for dinner.
"What has been your challenge ever since you joined the Christain fold? Has there been recent challenges so far?". Jeremy inquired from me and Juliet.
Juliet chose to respond first. "Well I will say, struggling with what I think is God's plan for me".
"How exactly?".
"The man I am currently dating goes to church often but he doesn't seem to have a relationship with God. Like, he only talks about Jesus while he is in church but he is mentally and financially stable. But there is this other man, he earns just as much as I do and despite that, I still like him. But I am scared that my children will lack when we get married. I want my children to never lack anything just like my elder sister's children".
Jeremy sighed. "Where the will of God is concerned, you definitely have nothing to worry about. In his word, he said he maketh rich and addetg no sorrow. As long as you invite him in the midst of two people that love God passionately, he will take control over your needs. Remove fear and seek the will of God".
Juliet nodded impressively. "Thank you so much for this word of wisdom".
"Not me, it is the Holy Spirit". He shrugged.
I leaned closer. "How do you know that someone is the will of God for your life?". I asked him curiously.
"Conviction from the Holy Spirit. You will come to a point where you are totally without doubt that you are choosing the wrong person. This doesn't mean that your partner is completely faultless but it is not beyond what you know you will be able to handle. Secondly, it might not be at the beginning of your relationship, but you will come to a point where you will be genuinely attracted to that person. Thirdly, you will have goal alignment. It is not compulsorily the exact goal but it shouldn't be in totally different direction".
I nodded thoughtfully. "Did you feel this way with you ex-wife? Did you feel anybit of conviction?".
He sighed deeply. "When I married my ex-wife, I had already fallen out with God because I fornicated. I condemned myself daily just like Judas and instead of running back to God, I allowed the enemy to use that chance to make me worse".
Juliet sighed sadly. "What about now? Are there a lot of things you regret?".
Tears filled his eyes. "I regret betraying my best friend and I regret treating my family badly because of frustration".
I stared compassionately all through the conversation.
I felt the urge to help him.
After he had left, I and Paula sat in my room and talked about the book of Revelations.
It was beautiful as we tried to unravel the deep mysteries especially concerning the woman with child, Abaddon, the seven churches.
It was time to go to bed and Raymond kept crossing my mind.
Our encounter at the church baffled me. "I met Raymond today". I told Juliet.
She grinned knowingly. "How come?".
"Surprisingly, he also came to clean the church so he helped me arrange. It felt so awkward as he was not saying anything and staring most of the time. I felt like the ground could open and swallow me up".
She chuckled. "I thought you both hated each other because of Swanta and Jeremy issue?".
I shrugged. "I am definitely supposed to be angry at him right? But he looked quite pitiful though ".
She laughed loudly. "For no reason he just looks pitiful?".
"I don't know why. But he got hurt trying to help with those chairs and I could feel the pain he was feeling because he got bruised while he was trying to save me".
"Who is it? Jeremy or Raymond? Which of them do you like?".
I rolled my eyes. "Why are you jumping into conclusions?".
***
Jeremy drove along the road as he pondered on his today's encounter with his new friend, Catarina Johnson.
He had waited for her for hours in front of her hours because she wasn't picking her calls and Juliet also had no idea where she was.
While he waited for her, it occured to him that his new feelings for Catarina was not ordinary.
It was beyond what he initially thought it was.
It was the first time in his life that he had felt that way towards any woman.
And now, seeing her finally, eating pepperoni in a small house with her felt like the closest thing ever.
She had even hugged him and held his hand like she already owned him.
Was it too fast to feel this way?
He looked around for a fast food where he could just grab a drink and settle his mind before entering his lonely dark house.
He sighted his ex-wife's restaurant.
It was at the other side of the road.
Definitely she was not usually around on Saturdays.
He reluctantly entered.
Surprisingly, she was the first person he saw at the counter when he entered.
He felt like the ground could open and swallow him.
It would be awkward if he turned back because she had already seen him.
He would look like a coward if he turned back.
He summoned courage and sat on a nearby seat.
Surprisingly, she sent someone else to attend to him and attended to others.
He was shocked at her reaction.
Paula used to be so mad about him and she would have done anything to talk to him when her brother was not around.
He told the attendant to call her over which he did.
She walked to his table and glanced at him as if they had never met. "Good evening sir".
He observed her closely and noticed she had grown very lean and she no longer wore her recommended spectacles anywhere she went. "Why are you not home to take care of Swanta? Who is at home with her?".
She dumped the menu on his desk. "Kindly select what you want. I don't have much time to spare".
He rolled his eyes. "You should get married already. You look very unkempt ". He pointed out his order on the menu and she professionally left to attend to attend to his order.
He kept wondering what could be going on in her mind.
Was she regretting ever leaving him?
She didn't even look so pretty anymore and it felt relieving to know that it was a sign that she was not seeing anyone.
As far as he was concerned, Catarina was prettier than Paula and a die hard lover of God.
Paula was toxic and easily manipulated by her brother.
It had been long since he tasted Paula's white soup.
That was why he ordered it.
She brought it to his table after something that looked like 45 minutes.
It was very fresh.
He leaned to taste.
It was still as delicious.
He was handed his meal and he made payment and stood to go but she stopped short when he heard Paula coughing at the counter.
He waited outside until they had closed.
While she walked to her car parked outside, he appeared behind her and tapped her.
She was shocked to see him.
He had helped her buy her drugs for bronchitis.
She usually had it anytime she frequented in smoky areas.
She gasped. "You didn't have to do this".
"Be careful around smoky areas". He cautioned.
"You waited till we closed to give me drugs?what exactly do you want from me?".
He sighed uneasily. "I am only doing all these because you are Swanta's mother. Nothing more".
"I am completely fine and I am not taking that".
"I have someone I like. You have nothing to worry about. This is just out of my kind gesture as the father of your baby".
"Kind gesture? Did I ask for it? Of all restaurants, you came to mine and still, you wouldn't even allow me breathe. Leave me alone, Jeremiah!".
He dumped the drugs on the roof of her car and barged into his car, driving off speedily.
Paula watched after him with disbelief in her eyes.
What on earth did he suddenly want from her?
He just visited another woman and probably cuddled her and suddenly remembered her?
Was it guilty conscience?
She drove home and parked at the parking lot, pausing to take the drugs.
She entered and saw Raymond and Swanta playing basketball at the back.
She waved weakly and entered into her room.
Raymond immediately appeared at the door. "Are you alright, Paula? Your face look so pale".
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Ray, Jeremy came to my restaurant today. He ordered food and waited till closing hours to get my drugs. He made me so confused. I tried to control myself but my heart kept telling me that I was lying to myself ". She was expecting him to shout at her and call her a weakling for still loving him but surprisingly, he hugged her.
"I understand you completely, my dear sister. Love is not something you can in your power let go of. I know you have loved him for long and I knew that the moment you purchased his painting".
She gasped. "You knew about it?".
"Why not? I monitor your bank account daily and I found out when you withdrew a huge amount of money when Sparkles was crashing ".
"I am sorry, I...".
"You don't have to apologize to me. Personally, I am not supposed to still hold a grudge against Jeremy and still call myself a Christian. I forgave him the moment I saw him with Catarina this evening. I realized that my grudge had not made my partnership with the Holy Spirit very smooth".
She sobbed. "What about you? I really want to help you, Raymond. I want a woman to love you the way you love God. I actually have a plan".
"What plan?".
"You have to be completely sure about what you feel for Catarina and you have to come out openly".
"Openly? God forbid!".
"Shhhh...not the way you think. Since you will be leaving for France soon, you are going to let her know and beg her to act like your girlfriend for the time being so that Jeremiah will not be able to ask her out. If he asks her out, it is finished completely".
"What reason will I give her?".
"Have you forgotten that Christ Love ministers and deacons are supposed to be married after ten years in the ministry?Tell her you don't want them to start questioning you about a life partner and she should just stay put until you leave for France. Promise her maybe a house or a car so that she will accept the deal. I will organize a blind date and you will pretend to be surprised to see her".