Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home
The voice was very clear and distinct. Like it was carrying a message and wanted to be heard. It was gentle yet firm and kept repeating the song over and over. Chioma turned towards the voice and kept walking. Sometimes, it seemed to fade away or she would start running towards it only to hear it coming from another direction. She was becoming tired; “Hello!” she called out loudly into the oblivion but didn’t get any answer. She turned around and looked straight ahead of her only to see a child. The child waved at her, turned and started running. She forgot how tired she was and began to run after the child into the nothingness. Suddenly out of nowhere came a bright light into which the child ran.
Then she heard the song again but this time with laughter. It seemed to be coming from the light. Chioma gathered speed and ran towards it. She did not understand why but it seemed as though all her answers lay in the light. After a few minutes, she reached it and saw little children dressed in white laughing. Then they all kept quiet and the little girl in the middle began to sing;
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home
Chioma began to move towards he child. There was something about the song, something familiar. The child was sitting with her back turned and as Chioma got nearer, she began to feel afraid. Part of her wanted to go back but it seemed as though an invisible force kept pushing her towards the child.
Finally, when she was close enough, she took a deep breath and placed her right hand on the child’s shoulder. The child stopped singing and turned…
“CHRISTINE!” Chioma screamed as she woke up with a start. It was 2.45am.
“Pastor, you don’t understand. I can’t sleep at night.” Chioma explained.
“Sister Chioma, I really don’t understand what you are saying. Perhaps if you explained the whole issue from the beginning I might be able to understand better. But first, you really need to calm down. Just take a deep breath and start from the very beginning. Can you do that?” Pastor Emeka asked her, a worried frown gracing his forehead.
Chioma nodded her head and recounted the entire story from the beginning.
“Hmmm, this is serious but there is nothing impossible for God to handle. So, don’t be afraid. Ok?”
She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief as the Pastor comforted her. He waited for her to regain her composure while he tried to make sense of all she had said.
“You say you hear a song, right? And when you touch the child, she stops singing and turns?”
Chioma nodded her head twice in answer to both questions.
“This child, do you know who she is?”
Chioma looked at him and burst into fresh tears. “Please Chioma; try not to upset yourself so much.”
“I’m sorry Pastor. It’s just so hard. Yes, I know the child. It’s Christine, my daughter”.
“Your daughter”?
“Yes pastor. But she died three months ago.”
SIX YEARS AGO…
“Chioma baby, how are you? What’s happening and where are you off to?” Mabel asked her roommate as she sat on her bed and began taking off her shoes.
“Welcome Mabel, how were your lectures today?” Chioma asked as she picked up her handbag and began putting her things inside.
“It was ok, we thank God it’s over for today. I’m glad the weekend is here. You still haven’t told me where you are off to?”
“Oh I’m sorry, I am off to Dare’s house. We will be attending the vigil at the fellowship. Are you going to come? It’ll be a great night!”
“No thanks Chy, exams are coming soon and I just want to rest so that I can start to read for them in earnest. This is our final year exam, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. But we still have to make out small time for God abi? Anyhow, I understand your situation, girlfriend. And I also wish I could stay back and read like you but you know how religious Dare is. I’m not even ready to look for trouble this night.” Chioma laughed.
“I envy you sometimes oh. To have a guy as caring and loving as Dare, not to mention his devotion to God. I wish I had someone to ginger me spiritually the way Dare does for you.” Mabel added.
“I return all the praise to God”. She picked up her bag and headed towards the door. “Well, I have to be on my way now. I cooked dinner so you guys should help yourself with some. But don’t finish it all oh. I will be hungry when I return, ok?”
“Yippee! Thanks Chy, you’re a blessing. Go well oh. And ensure you pray for us.”
“Ok oh.” Chioma waved and left the room.
DARE’S HOUSE
The room was tastefully furnished. Everything about it testified that the owner was indeed no “small boy” on campus. The leather chairs and 21″flat screen television exuded a class of the “happening boys” on campus.
Dare was seated on one of the chairs, a pack of chivita fruit juice placed in front of him and the remote control in his right hand when he heard her knock.
“Yes, who is there?” he asked
“Chioma!” was the short reply.
He stood up and strode towards the door opened it and let her in.
“Honey, you are not yet dressed for the vigil? I was rushing so you wouldn’t accuse me of being late.” Chioma said as she stepped into the house.
“Is that how to greet the love of your life?” Dare asked in a very seductive manner as he slipped his hands round her waist and drew her closer.
Chioma laughed and planted a full kiss on his lips. “Hi you…” she whispered. They basked in the warm embrace of togetherness for a while till Chioma reminded him about the vigil with a smile.
Dare held her more closely. “I think I’ll pass for tonight.” He said in a low voice.
Chioma looked at him, surprise and worry written all over her face. “Why? Are you alright? Do you feel sick? What happened?” she began fussing all over him.
He took her hands and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m fine love. Don’t worry about me. I’m just not cut out for the vigil tonight. Ok?” he lifted her chin with his fingers, “Smile for me…” And she did.
He led her to a seat where she made herself comfortable. “If we are not going for the vigil, what are we going to be doing?” she asked
Dare grinned at her, “Well, this…” He began kissing her passionately. She responded for a while but turned her face away when his hand began to slip under her shirt.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “Nothing is wrong. The kiss was beginning to make me uncomfortable. We have never kissed that way before.”
“So what?” he asked in a firm but gentle voice.
“Well, I don’t want us to put ourselves in any unnecessary trouble”. She stammered.
“Trouble like what?” he asked, yet again.
“I don’t know. I mean this is how it starts and then we might be indulging in fornication or some other sexual sin. You also know where we stand on that issue.”
“Chioma, look at me”
She did. Not breaking the connection he had with her eyes, he went on. “We have been dating for almost three years now. And we have been through different ups and downs. Have I ever left you in any of those circumstances?”
She shook her head and he continued “Marriage is a thing of the mind. I don’t have to physically place a ring on your finger to prove that you are mine. Everyone on this campus knows that we are going to get married in the coming year by God’s grace. So technically, we would be doing nothing wrong if we decide to do this now. Really, it will be ok.” He cajoled her softly.
“But Dare, you know it is my utmost desire that I enter your home pure. Besides, if we have sex now, it changes everything. You won’t see me in the same way.” She tried to reason.
He laughed a deep throated laugh. “Baby, we won’t be having sex, we would be making love and there is a whole world of difference between the two. Don’t be so naïve. This won’t change anything at all. It will draw us closer to each other.”
“But what would people say? We are mentors to a lot of young men and women, how do we explain that we consummated our marriage even before it started? How…”
“Shhhh…” he chided “Are you going to tell anyone? I can keep my mouth shut. This is strictly our business; no one has to know anything. And who told you that a lot of great pastors didn’t do it before their marriage? Yet they came out successful in their various fields.”
“But Dare…” He cut her short with a kiss and in her mind she thought about it for a while.
“If this is what he really wants then I should give it to him. After all, they say if you deny your man, he might go somewhere else to get it. I don’t want that! Dare and I have come too far to have someone else take him from me. And really, no one has to know, it will be our little secret.”
She thought silently while trying to fight him off but on coming to that conclusion she gave in.
With his lips never parting from hers for a second, he carried her into his room…
FIVE WEEKS LATER
“Chioma, sorry oh! Maybe you ate something bad and hence the vomiting. Ndo oh! Let me get you some water to rinse your mouth.” Mabel hurried into the room to get a cup of water.
“Chy, pele oh. It’s so unlike you to be sick. You know what? Let me take you to the hospital.” Her other roommate and friend, Banke offered.
“No thanks Bk, I will manage for today but if it persists, I will go to the doctor’s place okay? Seriously, don’t disturb your pretty head about it.” Chioma forced on a smile. She still felt very crappy and the vomiting had been going on for a while now.
“Well, I offered and you said no oh!” Banke said
“She said no to what?” Mabel asked as she brought the cup of water.
“I offered to take her to the hospital and she refused.” Banke reported.
“No oh! Chy, you are going to the hospital oh. You are not permitted to have a choice in this matter.”
“But you guys, I still believe that I will get healed very soon. God is still a great healer. I believe he is working on my situation even as we speak.”
Banke cut her short. “Blah blah blah, we have heard all that God thing before and hello! I’ve not seen any change yet. So if you ask me, I believe doctors can still work magic, that’s what they are trained.”
Chioma and Mabel stared at her quizzically. “Hmm, typical Banke!” Mabel retorted.
“What? It’s true. You know I’m not cut out for this entire God thing.” She said with a careless shrugging of her shoulders. “Oya babe, let’s roll!!” she said to Chioma.
“That afternoon, was the worst day of my life. I could not do anything or say anything because I was so confused. It was like my entire life came crashing in one split second.” Chioma sighed.
“So what happened? Did you tell Dare? What was his reaction?” Pastor Emeka asked
“I told him and he flipped. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about and
Christine’s Call (Pt 1)
Posted by davidluiz in Poems
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home
The voice was very clear and distinct. Like it was carrying a message and wanted to be heard. It was gentle yet firm and kept repeating the song over and over. Chioma turned towards the voice and kept walking. Sometimes, it seemed to fade away or she would start running towards it only to hear it coming from another direction. She was becoming tired; “Hello!” she called out loudly into the oblivion but didn’t get any answer. She turned around and looked straight ahead of her only to see a child. The child waved at her, turned and started running. She forgot how tired she was and began to run after the child into the nothingness. Suddenly out of nowhere came a bright light into which the child ran.
Then she heard the song again but this time with laughter. It seemed to be coming from the light. Chioma gathered speed and ran towards it. She did not understand why but it seemed as though all her answers lay in the light. After a few minutes, she reached it and saw little children dressed in white laughing. Then they all kept quiet and the little girl in the middle began to sing;
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home;
Swing low, sweet chariot! Coming forth to carry me home
Chioma began to move towards he child. There was something about the song, something familiar. The child was sitting with her back turned and as Chioma got nearer, she began to feel afraid. Part of her wanted to go back but it seemed as though an invisible force kept pushing her towards the child.
Finally, when she was close enough, she took a deep breath and placed her right hand on the child’s shoulder. The child stopped singing and turned…
“CHRISTINE!” Chioma screamed as she woke up with a start. It was 2.45am.
“Pastor, you don’t understand. I can’t sleep at night.” Chioma explained.
“Sister Chioma, I really don’t understand what you are saying. Perhaps if you explained the whole issue from the beginning I might be able to understand better. But first, you really need to calm down. Just take a deep breath and start from the very beginning. Can you do that?” Pastor Emeka asked her, a worried frown gracing his forehead.
Chioma nodded her head and recounted the entire story from the beginning.
“Hmmm, this is serious but there is nothing impossible for God to handle. So, don’t be afraid. Ok?”
She dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief as the Pastor comforted her. He waited for her to regain her composure while he tried to make sense of all she had said.
“You say you hear a song, right? And when you touch the child, she stops singing and turns?”
Chioma nodded her head twice in answer to both questions.
“This child, do you know who she is?”
Chioma looked at him and burst into fresh tears. “Please Chioma; try not to upset yourself so much.”
“I’m sorry Pastor. It’s just so hard. Yes, I know the child. It’s Christine, my daughter”.
“Your daughter”?
“Yes pastor. But she died three months ago.”
SIX YEARS AGO…
“Chioma baby, how are you? What’s happening and where are you off to?” Mabel asked her roommate as she sat on her bed and began taking off her shoes.
“Welcome Mabel, how were your lectures today?” Chioma asked as she picked up her handbag and began putting her things inside.
“It was ok, we thank God it’s over for today. I’m glad the weekend is here. You still haven’t told me where you are off to?”
“Oh I’m sorry, I am off to Dare’s house. We will be attending the vigil at the fellowship. Are you going to come? It’ll be a great night!”
“No thanks Chy, exams are coming soon and I just want to rest so that I can start to read for them in earnest. This is our final year exam, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. But we still have to make out small time for God abi? Anyhow, I understand your situation, girlfriend. And I also wish I could stay back and read like you but you know how religious Dare is. I’m not even ready to look for trouble this night.” Chioma laughed.
“I envy you sometimes oh. To have a guy as caring and loving as Dare, not to mention his devotion to God. I wish I had someone to ginger me spiritually the way Dare does for you.” Mabel added.
“I return all the praise to God”. She picked up her bag and headed towards the door. “Well, I have to be on my way now. I cooked dinner so you guys should help yourself with some. But don’t finish it all oh. I will be hungry when I return, ok?”
“Yippee! Thanks Chy, you’re a blessing. Go well oh. And ensure you pray for us.”
“Ok oh.” Chioma waved and left the room.
DARE’S HOUSE
The room was tastefully furnished. Everything about it testified that the owner was indeed no “small boy” on campus. The leather chairs and 21″flat screen television exuded a class of the “happening boys” on campus.
Dare was seated on one of the chairs, a pack of chivita fruit juice placed in front of him and the remote control in his right hand when he heard her knock.
“Yes, who is there?” he asked
“Chioma!” was the short reply.
He stood up and strode towards the door opened it and let her in.
“Honey, you are not yet dressed for the vigil? I was rushing so you wouldn’t accuse me of being late.” Chioma said as she stepped into the house.
“Is that how to greet the love of your life?” Dare asked in a very seductive manner as he slipped his hands round her waist and drew her closer.
Chioma laughed and planted a full kiss on his lips. “Hi you…” she whispered. They basked in the warm embrace of togetherness for a while till Chioma reminded him about the vigil with a smile.
Dare held her more closely. “I think I’ll pass for tonight.” He said in a low voice.
Chioma looked at him, surprise and worry written all over her face. “Why? Are you alright? Do you feel sick? What happened?” she began fussing all over him.
He took her hands and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I’m fine love. Don’t worry about me. I’m just not cut out for the vigil tonight. Ok?” he lifted her chin with his fingers, “Smile for me…” And she did.
He led her to a seat where she made herself comfortable. “If we are not going for the vigil, what are we going to be doing?” she asked
Dare grinned at her, “Well, this…” He began kissing her passionately. She responded for a while but turned her face away when his hand began to slip under her shirt.
“What is wrong?” he asked.
She smiled at him. “Nothing is wrong. The kiss was beginning to make me uncomfortable. We have never kissed that way before.”
“So what?” he asked in a firm but gentle voice.
“Well, I don’t want us to put ourselves in any unnecessary trouble”. She stammered.
“Trouble like what?” he asked, yet again.
“I don’t know. I mean this is how it starts and then we might be indulging in fornication or some other sexual sin. You also know where we stand on that issue.”
“Chioma, look at me”
She did. Not breaking the connection he had with her eyes, he went on. “We have been dating for almost three years now. And we have been through different ups and downs. Have I ever left you in any of those circumstances?”
She shook her head and he continued “Marriage is a thing of the mind. I don’t have to physically place a ring on your finger to prove that you are mine. Everyone on this campus knows that we are going to get married in the coming year by God’s grace. So technically, we would be doing nothing wrong if we decide to do this now. Really, it will be ok.” He cajoled her softly.
“But Dare, you know it is my utmost desire that I enter your home pure. Besides, if we have sex now, it changes everything. You won’t see me in the same way.” She tried to reason.
He laughed a deep throated laugh. “Baby, we won’t be having sex, we would be making love and there is a whole world of difference between the two. Don’t be so naïve. This won’t change anything at all. It will draw us closer to each other.”
“But what would people say? We are mentors to a lot of young men and women, how do we explain that we consummated our marriage even before it started? How…”
“Shhhh…” he chided “Are you going to tell anyone? I can keep my mouth shut. This is strictly our business; no one has to know anything. And who told you that a lot of great pastors didn’t do it before their marriage? Yet they came out successful in their various fields.”
“But Dare…” He cut her short with a kiss and in her mind she thought about it for a while.
“If this is what he really wants then I should give it to him. After all, they say if you deny your man, he might go somewhere else to get it. I don’t want that! Dare and I have come too far to have someone else take him from me. And really, no one has to know, it will be our little secret.”
She thought silently while trying to fight him off but on coming to that conclusion she gave in.
With his lips never parting from hers for a second, he carried her into his room…
FIVE WEEKS LATER
“Chioma, sorry oh! Maybe you ate something bad and hence the vomiting. Ndo oh! Let me get you some water to rinse your mouth.” Mabel hurried into the room to get a cup of water.
“Chy, pele oh. It’s so unlike you to be sick. You know what? Let me take you to the hospital.” Her other roommate and friend, Banke offered.
“No thanks Bk, I will manage for today but if it persists, I will go to the doctor’s place okay? Seriously, don’t disturb your pretty head about it.” Chioma forced on a smile. She still felt very crappy and the vomiting had been going on for a while now.
“Well, I offered and you said no oh!” Banke said
“She said no to what?” Mabel asked as she brought the cup of water.
“I offered to take her to the hospital and she refused.” Banke reported.
“No oh! Chy, you are going to the hospital oh. You are not permitted to have a choice in this matter.”
“But you guys, I still believe that I will get healed very soon. God is still a great healer. I believe he is working on my situation even as we speak.”
Banke cut her short. “Blah blah blah, we have heard all that God thing before and hello! I’ve not seen any change yet. So if you ask me, I believe doctors can still work magic, that’s what they are trained.”
Chioma and Mabel stared at her quizzically. “Hmm, typical Banke!” Mabel retorted.
“What? It’s true. You know I’m not cut out for this entire God thing.” She said with a careless shrugging of her shoulders. “Oya babe, let’s roll!!” she said to Chioma.
“That afternoon, was the worst day of my life. I could not do anything or say anything because I was so confused. It was like my entire life came crashing in one split second.” Chioma sighed.
“So what happened? Did you tell Dare? What was his reaction?” Pastor Emeka asked
“I told him and he flipped. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about and