Cling! Cling ! The large church bell rang out , piercing the stillness of the night. I stretched in bed, tying my messy afro hair into a loose ponytail. It was 12am. Grabbing my Bible , I rushed out of bed. After a quick brush , I walked down the hallway towards Grandma Ama's room for our usual midnight prayer .
As I walked , my heart raced . I couldn't put my finger on what was making me uneasy. Scanning the dimly lit corridor with my brown eyes , I moved cautiously, my footsteps slow and deliberate. Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow slip into Grandma Ama's room . My breath hitched. I quickened my pace to confront the intruder .
When I pushed the door open , I was greeted by Grandma Ama's warm smile . I sighed in relief . I stepped inside the room, but something felt off. The room was quite, but a strange presence lingered , though I couldn't see anyone else .
Our midnight prayer routine didn't go as planned . Instead, Grandma Ama gave me advice upon advice . " Anaya , you're growing into a beautiful woman," she said , her wrinkled hands gently clasping mine ." But remember, all things, Christ comes first."
Her voice softened as she continued, " Never fall in love with any man who doesn't have any regard for GOD. Christ died for us , and we must live our lives glorifying HIM in all situations ."
She quoted one of her favorite scriptures, " Be sober , be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion , walketh about , seeking whom he may devour" ( 1peter5:8).
I sighed inwardly , She had shared these words countless of times before , but I couldn't bring myself to stop her . Instead , I listened.
As she spoke, I noticed her body trembling slightly. Concerned , I stood up to switch off the fan , thinking she might be feeling cold . But something about her demeanor seemed unusual tonight .
Walking over to the window , I peeked outside . The strange presence I had sensed earlier was gone , but i still felt uneasy .
"I'm exhausted, Anaya ," Grandma Ama said suddenly, her voice trembling."I'm getting old . Let's pray tomorrow ,GOD willing ."
Her words startled me. " You always tell me to pray every day," I said frowning. " why don't you want us to pray tonight?"
Her response shook me . "You'll be 18 tomorrow, my dear . It's time you learned how to pray on your own . One day , I won't be here anymore. You must be able to stand firm in your faith , with or without me . Go now , I need to rest ."
Reluctantly, I left the room , my heart heavy with an inexplicable dread . Something felt wrong , deeply wrong . I couldn't shake the feeling that our lives were about to change forever .