The Choice

Chapter 1

The most beautiful aspects of Sarah Adeolu’s one-room, self- contained apartment were the walls and fitting curtains. Different wallpapers adorned the white walls. Her bed space and bed formed another beautiful sight. Everything was in the right place—the bottom sheet, top sheet, an extra duvet for warmth, and pillows soft enough to lengthen anyone’s sleep. A small cabinet was next to Sarah’s bed on the right. And a fancy doormat lay few centimetres from the foot of the bed, opposite her mobile wardrobe.
Sarah liked her room tidied and appealing at all times, so she did her best to ensure it was so.
Sarah Adeolu lay on her bed, reading verses of her leather- covered Bible and jotting in her notepad. It had been almost an hour since she started studying Scriptures.
Sarah’s phone rang. She ignored it and focused on the twelfth verse of Hebrews chapter nine. Sarah hated distraction when studying God’s words. She nodded and muttered words of prayer, as she perceived the meaning of the verse she was reading in her heart.
Her phone rang again. Sarah cast a glance at the phone. ‘Dreamboat’ was displayed on the screen. She looked away from the phone. She intended finishing the chapter of the Bible she was reading before calling it a day.
Her phone began to ring again. Same caller.
Why was Dreamboat calling her repeatedly? Had he forgotten that five to six-thirty in the morning was her devotion time? Or was there an important message he wanted to pass across?
On the fifth ring of the phone, Sarah picked it and swiped the screen right to answer the call.
“Hello,” Sarah said, her lips lopsided.
“Oh, my darling,” Femi Faronbi said from the other end of the line. A smile big enough to be called a grin lightened his face. “Good morning,” he added.
“Good morning. I’m having my quiet time. Can we talk later?” Sarah said.
“I’m sorry to disturb,” Femi said and glanced at the wall clock in his room. “It’s quarter to seven here.”
“For real? Quarter to seven?” Sarah said. She quickly removed the phone from her ear and checked the time displayed in the notification tray to confirm.
Sarah smiled. “Oh! I didn’t even notice. I was carried away. The Holy Spirit was dissecting Hebrews chapter nine to me. It’s awesome,” she said.
“Glory to God! Dear, there’s something I need to tell you,” Femi said and beamed, excitement jogging in his voice.
“Really? And it can’t wait until I finish my devotion?” “It’s best served hot,” Femi said.
Sarah rolled her eyeballs. “Alright, let me hear it.” “I’ve caught a revelation! It’s time!” Femi shouted.
Sarah fluttered her eyelids. With the way Femi sounded, it had to be something of immense gravity. Probably he had received the exact date Jesus would return. Or maybe he was going to visit the angels. It had to be either of the two.
“What revelation have you caught?” Sarah said and flared her ears to receive an answer.
Femi exhaled loudly. “It’s time!”
Sarah hushed, waiting to hear the remaining part of his message.
“It’s finally time,” Femi said and smiled.
Femi’s response tipped Sarah’s patience over. She rolled her eyes. “It’s time for what exactly? You’ve been repeating the same thing over and over again.”
“Calm down, dear. I’m just so tremendously delighted. I don’t know how to tell you,” Femi said.
“Don’t worry about the presentation. Just tell me. Say it anyhow, expectation is killing me already,” Sarah said.
“Hmm. Okay. Er. Sweetheart, I’m pleased to inform you that–” he paused, smiling at the ceiling as if Sarah could see him.
Sarah quelled the urge to hiss that rose up to her throat and sighed instead.
“Dear, if you have nothing to say, I’d like to go back to what I was doing before you interrupted,” she said.
Femi noticed Sarah’s displeasure. “Sorry. Please don’t mind me.
Now, I’m ready to say it,” he said.
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“It’s time for us to get married. I’ve gotten the go-ahead I was waiting for,” Femi said.
“Are you for real?”
“Yes, dear. I’m ready and confident to go ahead with the wedding plans now.”
Sarah’s cheeks folded backward, exposing her teeth in a hearty smile. She threw her idle hand in the air. Her dream was about to come true. What she had been anticipating was finally here. Joy bustled through her.
Calm down, girl, she told herself.
“Are you there?” Femi said.
Sarah breathed through pursed lips. “Yeah. I’m here. Hmm. Er– ” She lost her voice.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he said.
What was she supposed to say? She had been daydreaming this day for a very long time. Now that it was here, she couldn’t find words to express herself. Probably she didn’t want to say anything that would give away how much she was excited.
Sarah cleared her throat and swallowed. “Hmm. Er. Would you like to share the revelation with me?” she said quietly, trying to comport herself.
“Of course. In the revelation, someone brought me a wedding invitation card. When I unfolded it, I saw our names printed in it,” Femi said.
Sarah smiled. “Wow! That’s great. Were you quick enough to see the date on the card?”
“Date as in?”
“I mean when the wedding was supposed to hold in your revelation. Maybe we could just fix the date in reality,” she said.
“Er. About that, I didn’t check. I just started dancing. I was so excited it was time.”
“Humph.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Uh-oh! You should have checked.”
“Don’t worry about that. It doesn’t stop us from fixing our own date. God through us will handle it,” Femi said.
“Amen. So what do we do now?”
“We’ll talk about it later. I have to go get dressed for work now.” “Alright. I love you.”
“Yeah. Take care. Bye,” Femi said and hung up.
Sarah dropped her phone on the bed. “Thank You, Jesus.
Thank You, Jesus,” she screamed repeatedly.
Sarah couldn’t be happier. The man she loved with her whole heart had just informed her that he was getting married to her.
She closed the Bible and placed it on the bedside cabinet. She would continue her study later.
Sarah said a short prayer and hurried to the bathroom. She had to report at work on or before eight in the morning.
Sarah had her bath, dressed up hurriedly and left the house, securing the door behind...