[Story] Too late – S01 E27

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 27

Stanley sat before Pastor Paul of His Holiness Church. He was sweating as the man of God asked him series of questions.

After his first visit to Chioma, he has been going there to visit her. Chioma still refused to accept his apologies. She was just adamant about it. Her health has deteriorated. She could no longer leave the bed at all. Chioma the light skin beauty could no longer be recognized.

To seek solution to her health, Stanley started visiting strange places. No solution came from there.

“The woman she offended shot her an arrow” They usually tell him.

“I have been told that but what is the next step. I need solution. Who is the woman she offended?, I can go and beg”

“Ahhhh! You know her. You gave her seat in your marriage and she sat well. She ruled your household.” He was told on one of his strange visit to a native doctor.

Stanley returned home thinking of Rosa. The only woman he had dealings with was her. In the one room he rented, he regretted his actions. Everyday he cries.

Several weeks after he was left stranded, he had dialled Rosa’s line but in vain and he gave up.

“Nemesis would catch up with her” He told himself.

On an occasion he had returned to one of the place he seeked for solution. He wanted to know if by juju he could locate Rosa.

“There is no need looking for someone that is lost” The woman told him “She is lost and lost forever.”

Stanley thought of what the woman said and became even more confused.

“What do you mean, lost?”

The old woman looked at him pitifully.

“She is dead”

“Ahhh!”

“How then do I look for her?. How do I get her to undo what she has done to my wife. Please help me. My wife must not die” He said holding the woman’s arm.

The woman looked at him with fiery eyes. She was angry by his effrontery with which he held her.

“You foolish man. Remove your hand from my arm. How dare you?” She asked and spat on the floor

“You married your wife but was not satisfied with her. You just paid her with death”

“Ahh!” He screamed.

“Leave this place before I call down fire on you”

Stanley stood up immediately and scrambled out of the shrine in tears.

It was on one of those confusing moments of his life that he remembered Pastor Paul. He had known the pastor in his university days. When he got married, it was his church him and his family attended until he derailed. Pastor Paul listened as he narrated everything to him.

“Now my wife is sick. You won’t be able to recognize her”

“I can’t ever believe you married another woman?, You lost your first son? You lost all your properties and now your wife is sick”

“Yes pastor”

Pastor Paul closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Stanley was already in tears. He began to counsel Stanley. He spoke about the institution called marriage, contentment and restoration. By the time he was through, Stanley was on his knees weeping like a child.

“I failed my family. I brought problems upon myself and my wife has refused to forgive me.”

“We must be careful with our choices and decision. Your wife and kids have paid the price for your carelessness”

Stanley wept.

“Do you know I went to shrines seeking for solution to Chioma’s health problem?”

“Holy God!” Pastor Paul exclaimed.

“Several sacrifices made in several junctions”.He shook his head sorrowfully.

“There is no other name by which man can be saved except Jesus. No salvation elsewhere. Jesus is the only way, the truth and the light. When there’s problem, the first point of call should be Jesus. The bible made us to understand that He is the head of all principalities and powers. God also said that in the day of trouble, we should call upon Him and He will deliver us. You can’t use the devil to fight devil. You should have run straight to God rather than stepping your legs in abominable places.”

“Have mercy on me Jesus.” He cried more.

“The devil has nothing to offer you. His mission is to kill, steal and to destroy. You opened the door by yourself for him to come in. Now, see the consequence. God’s word says resist the devil and he will flee from you. Bro. Stanley, the devil can be resisted.

“Help me o Lord.”

Pastor Paul counselled him more, then Stanley confessed his sins to God. He rededicated himself to Christ.

It was evening already, there was no way both of them could have gone to see Chioma. The pastor promised to go with him the following day to visit her.

The following day, Stanley rushed to Pastor’s house but he was already prepared. In Pastor’s car, they went to see Chioma. He parked his car in front of the compound. They watched as the landlord argued with some of the tenants. The landlord moved back and front in anger.

“I have told you to leave my house since you can’t pay the rent” He said particularly to two men.

“Next week sir” One said

“I promise by month end” the other said.

Stanley watched the landlord entered the passage before stepping out of the car. They walked to the room occupied by Chioma but the landlord was already there.

“I have told this unfortunate woman to park out of my house. See the way everywhere is smelling. Come out oo” He shouted hitting the door.

“Oh, you came to see her?” He asked them.

“Yes!”

The landlord moved aside to allow Stanley knock on the door. He did gently on the door. After several knocks with no response from Chioma, he pushed open the door.

The stench that greeted them was too much. They moved backward for a while before Stanley, covering his nose with his handkerchief entered, followed by the Pastor Paul. By this time, the landlord had already moved to the next door knocking viciously.

Stanley stood near the bed calling his wife’s name, but there was no response. He looked at the Pastor trying to bend over her. Even though her eyes were opened, she didn’t respond to the calls.

“Chioma!, Chioma!” Stanley listened to Pastor call.

Stanley tucked his handkerchief into his breast pocket then shook her. He didn’t mind whether she was smelling or her body was covered in boils.

“She is already dead Bro Stanley” the pastor announced using his hands to close her eyes.

Stanley placed his two hands on his head and looked on in disbelief at the Pastor. Then he screamed. He tried to sit the corpse up. Stanley refused to let her go. He held her so tight against his chest crying and begging her to wake up.

“I am sorry.” He repeatedly said.

It was the pastor who disengaged Stanley from Chioma’s corpse. Even though the tenants heard the wails of Stanley, they couldn’t enter inside the room.

Pastor Paul made arrangement for Chioma’s corpse to be deposited in the mortuary.