Love in God’s House [Part 5]

I have the last member(before me) of the Camellian Order today. He’s very dear to my heart. My favorite pastor- Dr. Akinwande Onafalujo Please enjoy his story.
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She was in 200 Level when we met, a direct entry student of Dentistry. I was in 300 Level at the time, also a medical student.
She walked up to me her first day in fellowship. The minute she said “Hi“, I knew something was afoot. She had stars in her eyes as she gushed about how much she enjoyed the worship session led by moi and how she was impressed with the fact that I was a medical student and still had time for fellowship. I must confess, at first, I was taken in. This young lady standing right in front of me and singing my praises so sincerely. She was definitely a beautiful creature (for want of a better expression). Dark brown eyes that shone with excitement, a smooth oval baby face, long natural hair… (let me stop here, Jesus is watching my thoughts *grin*). She was lovely. The kind of girl magazines would want as a cover girl.
I remember feeling proud of myself (a rare moment) and also awkward and uncomfortable at the same time. However, I summoned courage and walked her to her hall (Queens) even though I was staying in Indy.
Thus began the legend of Atinuke and Joseph… 😀 okay, let me be serious.
We became fast friends. I helped her with school work and she developed a reading time-table for me to finish my syllabus before the exams. We got along and understood each other so well that I could finish her sentences and she could tell what I was thinking by the look on my face.
Of course, before long we started to hear rumors. The teasing began and even my closest buds would snicker whenever I said “She’s just a friend”. However,Atinuke and I always firmly maintained to everyone that we were just friends, nothing more.
After a while, when people saw that we were serious, the teasing stopped, at least to our hearing. She got involved with some dude after she crossed to UCH. I warned her severally, but he poisoned her mind and told her I was just jealous, that it was because I wanted her for myself. I was like, “Egbami!!!! Me? Atinuke? You must be kidding me.”
3 months later, the guy moved on. He said he was just tired of the relationship. She kept bugging him about being serious with God and giving his life to Christ and he wasn’t interested. She came to me crying, and even though I wanted to say, “I told you so“, I kept my opinion to myself and stood by her.
She got back on her feet soon enough. But,now I had feelings for her. It was confusing. The period of her recuperation really drew us closer and I began to see her not as my pal but as a woman. A beautiful, attractive, godly woman. What was I to do?
One day while we were chilling in her room, I asked her, “Do you think there’s even any possibility of the both of us becoming an item?” She looked at my face quizzically, then laughed and said “Joseph, you can’t be serious, people like us don’t fall in love with each other. You’re like my big brother”. Then I smiled and said, “I know, just wanted to know what you thought, that’s all”.
That year, I became Vice-President of the Fellowship in my final year and she became the Head of the Welfare Unit. We were having a special programme in fellowship and one of our former head pastors, Pastor Larry was the guest minister. I noticed that she seemed to always be the one carrying his welfare package and she never complained about how demanding the guest minister was and how much work she had to do and how stressful it was going to UI all the time.
They hung out together after fellowship, but I felt, he’s a man, she brings him food… of course he’ll appreciate her.
Six months later, Atinuke ran to my room, her eyes shiny, her face wet with tears. “What happened?” I asked with concern in my eyes. She lifted her left hand and right there on the third finger was a big shiny rock set on a silver ring. Stupidly, I asked, “What does this mean?”. “He proposed, and I said “Yes”.