“Bless me, father for I have sinned” Biola spoke in the confession booth “what have you done my child,” a strong voice asked from the other side of the booth “I made someone paralyzed but that’s not the sinful part” Biola continued “then what is the sinful part?” “I did it to someone I really care… cared about?” there was unexpected silence and the silence made Biola uncomfortable
“Father?… Father?” she called quietly “I am here my child… go on” his voice was full of comfort “she was a very good friend to me but she did something unforgivable” the silence came back and Biola called him again “is this a habit?” the Reverend asked “what father?” “The habit of revenge… do you find that the virtue of forgiveness eludes you?”
The silence reared its head again before Biola answered with a question “Father, what exactly is forgiveness?” “That which you have come here seeking” “maybe I don’t want forgiveness but I do know that my depth is snared and the only thing that can free me is your blessing”.
It had been years since Reverend father James led an intriguing yet disappointing confession; confession with a young woman with many vices and strongholds she knew nothing of. As things went on in the confession booth he did his best to save the soul that came to him but Biola was not ready to be set free; she was like a deadly spider who had spawn a web for her enemies but had no idea that she was her own captive.
The Rev. Father couldn’t get her voice out of his mind and even though he was not supposed to look for the owner of the voice he couldn’t help the hero in him who was determined to save the soul on the path to destruction.
Three months before, Biola visited Sis. Aloysius and Sis. Aloysius discovered that Seyi was Biola’s biological father but she couldn’t bring herself to tell her instead she prayed for hours on end and encouraged Biola to remain in Abuja and far away from Lagos and Seyi Adeyemi.
She helped her get a job as a substitute teacher in the primary school that the church-owned. Biola found it refreshing, new environment and new people the only thing she missed about Lagos was Efe and the sea.
“Okay, okay let me be completely honest with you the reason why i acted the way I did was because I was afraid that you were replacing me with joyce” Efe said to Biola on the phone, it was a conversation to end a previous fight they had earlier when Efe discovered Biola had a new friend in Abuja who was everything she wasn’t or so she thought
“Efe, for the record, no one on earth can replace you, for one you know all my secrets and two you almost killed someone for me” “that idiot that was claiming love” Efe retorted “love indeed” they laughed and within a minute their fight was over and most of Efe’s fear were gone.
It was true that Biola could never replace Efe with any one as she was her one true friend but Joyce… Joyce Negedu was starting to also take a special place in Biola’s heart. She was also a teacher in the school Biola taught in, she was the one who made Biola’s first day at work the most comfortable and Biola really appreciated it.
As time went on, they did almost everything together and at staff meetings, the principal called them five and six while the other teachers secretly called them eight and nine, Biola eight because of her hourglass figure and Joyce nine because of her big breasts. It was a true friendship until James … James Okafor was employed.
