Caught in The Storm – Chapter Eight

Darkness had descended gradually upon the estate like an elevator, slowly plunging everything into shades of grey. David slowly approached Sonia’s apartment, having his black laptop backpack slung over one shoulder. Ringing the doorbell, he took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the hour of work ahead. It was the first time they would be meeting since the dinner incident. Heeding Monique’s warning, he had decided not to push his luck, resolving to maintain the same professional protocols Sonia had laid down.

The door opened slowly, Sonia’s maid appearing infront of him.

“Good evening Hadiza.” David greeted with a small smile as he was ushered in. “How are you doing?”

“I’m very fine, Sir. You’re welcome.” Hadiza replied warmly, shutting the door behind him.

Hadiza leading the way, they made their way through the large foyer adorned in golden hue. His eyes gave the large landscape and wildlife paintings hung up on the walls a casual glance as they walked by.

Meanwhile, Sonia sat on a sofa, hunched over with her hands clasped together, nervously anticipating David’s arrival. Ever since the dinner incident, she couldn’t seem to get him off her mind. Any attempt to distract herself with her work had proven futile. A part of her had crumbled at the last words he had said that day, pushing her mind into an endless storm of anxiety. The thought of him had kept her up that same night, wondering if he actually meant what he said. Could he just be telling her what she needed to hear? Or did he really believe what he said?

Her heart fluttered around her chest like a bird trapped in a cage, dreading the horrifying thought of trusting him only to find out he was no different from other men who pretended to be saviours, only to get down with her.

She lowered her head as she rubbed her temples, feeling terribly conflicted as her heart was torn between the sudden urge to open up to him and her fear of being vulnerable. She took in a long deep breath and slowly eased up her posture, the intensity of her conflict becoming more profuse.

What if he’s just like the rest? What if he actually had no answers to give her? What if he started to see her differently? Even worse, what if all this was just another ploy in a player’s book? Her chest began to tighten, feeling the immense pressure building in her boisterous soul.

She took another deep breath, her feet tapping nervously against the floor as the war raged on in her mind.

Aunt Helen’s voice swirled around her mind like wine pouring in a glass, imploring her to open up. What if he’s actually legit? What if he’s actually the one God sent to help? What if you miss out on this because you’re too scared of being vulnerable?

The door swung open, pulling her out of her thoughts. Hadiza walked in, with David following closely behind. The sight of him made her heart jump, realising she had less time to make her decision. The moment had come. Trying to straighten up, she let her gaze rest on him, struggling to keep her expression devoid of the conflict she was feeling.

“Umm… Hey.” She greeted, clearing her throat as she politely waved Hadiza in dismissal.

“Hello…” He replied, unsure of whether to take a seat or just proceed to the work area. Feeling apprehensive about making the wrong choice, he stayed glued to the spot, waiting for her invitation.

An awkward silence fell over the room as Sonia suddenly felt tongue-tied. Watching him stand there, she didn’t understand how or why, but it finally dawned on her that she had to do it. She had to open up the gory files of her past, she needed to let him in so he could help her. Resigning to her fate, she shut her eyes, tilting her head slightly to the side in consternation.

Noticing some signs of her inner struggle, he moved towards her. “You okay?”

Pursing her lips, she dropped her head, letting out a frustrated grunt.

“Sorry umm… please, take a seat. I want us to… talk.” She said, her eyes still shut.

“Uh… sure.” He replied, slightly puzzled by her countenance. He settled onto a couch, placing his bag beside him.

Gazing at the floor, she twisted her lips to the side, mentally preparing herself for the frightening session. Slowly and reluctantly, she let her mind tread through the stormy archives of her past. Images and cut-scenes of her daunting past suddenly gushed into her mind, forcing her to relive the horrid scenes again. The aching pain began to rise to the surface, alongside her bitter anger and frustration. Her countenance began to darken as the hidden emotions pushed their way through her will to remain calm.

“Sonia? Are you okay?” David asked again, noticing her body language.

“When we first met, you said… that God wants to take away… my pain. You said that He loved me and cares about me…” she began, her tone deathly calm. Anger lurked beneath the calm tone like a phantom, waiting for the right moment to burst forth.

“I did…” He replied, looking at her keenly.

“I… lost my parents… when I was just seven years old. We were… on our way home… when we had a nasty head-on collision with another car, and then by a trailer. I barely survived the accident…” She began, her steely expression hiding the storm raging inside her.

David gasped softly, his eyes squinting in sympathy as his ears awaited more details.

“After undergoing surgery, I was taken in by my mum’s elder sister, and for a while I was thankful. I had a home, food on the table, a place to sleep. Until what looked like salvation turned out to be hell on earth…” she continued, her voice beginning to tremble slightly.

“Oh God…” David gasped softly, his eyes reducing to a squint.

“My aunt’s husband… his name was Steven Henderson. That man… abused us all… That vile monster… violated me… repeatedly…” Sonia seethed, her jaw quivering as she spoke through her clenched teeth, clearly unable to control the anger within her. Her breath became shaky, taking small pauses with each sentence.

David sighed and bent his head, his hand pinching the bridge of his nose. He squinted his eyes, hearing the deep-seated pain oozing out of her shaky voice.

“And you… you want to tell me? You want to tell me… that God cares? You dare to say that… to me?” She asked with a pained laugh, her wounded gaze shifting to him, revealing her enraged glistening eyes.

David looked back at her, quickly searching his heart for an answer. Her pain felt so raw, like time hadn’t had any effect on it.

“Tell me, David. Go ahead… and tell me what my crime was. I was a child… a freaking child… and He let all that happen anyway.” She continued, a tear escaping from her eyes.

David gulped, his heart suddenly feeling tensed. “You did nothing, Sonia…”

“Then why!” She snapped, sharply turning her frame to face him. “Why did He let it happen?! Why?!”

David stared at her sadly, taking in the hurtful sight of a scarred woman. He knew what to say, but was very sure she couldn’t bear it.

“Why are you suddenly so quiet, David? I thought you had answers?” She said, baiting him sardonically.

Letting out a soft sigh, he arranged his thoughts properly. “Sonia, I’m sorry that I don’t have some of the answers… but the ones I have, I’ll give them to you.”

Her face contorted into a mean scowl, her defences ready to decimate any reason he possibly had.

“God can never be held responsible for human actions because He gave us free-will. Evil happens because of evil men, not because God wanted it to happen…” he began, threading cautiously.

“Oh, I see… so you’re saying God isn’t powerful enough to stop bad things from happening?” She asked, her tone painfully sarcastic.

David paused, feeling led to take a different approach. “Would you hold God responsible for the diseases that plague people?”

“In a heartbeat. He is the origin of everything that exists… so he is definitely responsible.” She spat.

“But that wouldn’t make any sense, because if He were responsible, He wouldn’t tell men to heal the sick. Because He would be in charge of who falls sick and who didn’t…”

She gave a pained laugh, nodding her head mockingly. “Wow, okay! So I guess I’ve been reading the Old testament wrong then? Care to explain the plagues? The disasters? The famines? Murdering different tribes and races?”

“…All accounts written by men who though inspired, lacked the accurate understanding of His nature… so they penned down their own perspective of what was happening. Everything that happened was attributed to the will of God. Because of that misunderstanding that spanned for centuries, God came in form of man to explain His nature… in the person of Christ. And Jesus didn’t strike men dead, He raised them to life. He didn’t cause famine, He fed the people. He never struck men with sickness, He healed every man of His infirmity. He didn’t condemn men, He saved them. That is who God is, the person of Jesus…” David explained, praying secretly for her heart to be open.

His words knocked down a lot of her defences, further frustrating her already defiant heart. But she was clearly blinded by the pain inflicted by her past. She shifted her gaze to the ground and let out a pained grunt, trying hard to stifle her growing impatience.

“Look, I don’t care about any of these explanations. All I know… is that God stood idly by and watched the worst things happen to me.” She replied, slipping back into her chagrin. Her eyes began to glisten again, feeling all types of negative emotions.

David sighed softly, lowering his head. “I don’t think I can change your mind, Sonia. Because you don’t want it to change. You hold on to those convictions you have because you so badly want them to be true… because you believe they keep you sane.”

She glared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m saying… you don’t need answers… what you need …is healing in your heart… but that can only happen if you let God-“

“I don’t want anything to do with Him!” She screamed, raising her arms in exasperation.

David fell silent, taken aback by her outburst.

“You know what? I’m done with this. This was a mistake. You need to leave… just get up and leave.” She said, springing to her feet and pacing frantically.

David furrowed his brows in surprise, unsure whether she meant it. “Sonia… I was just trying to-“

“You’re always trying! That’s your problem, David! You never know when to let go, always persistent! Christ! Is this why your relationship didn’t work out?! Always feeling the need to be the good guy?! A saviour?! Is that what you are?! Huh?!” She snapped, overwhelmed by her rage, desperate for him to leave her alone..

The words tore at him like sharp claws, slashing away at his soft heart. Images of the scene with Pelumi and her new man gushed into his mind, her words echoing loudly.

“Just go!” She screamed again, pointing towards the door.

Tensing his jawline, he slowly grabbed his bag, his eyes never leaving her cold glare. Rising up slowly, he slung the bag over his shoulder, looked at her for a second, and then made for the door.

She watched him disappear out of sight and collapsed on the sofa, covering her face with her palms. She shut her eyes, concentrating on nothing but her breathing.

For the next two hours, she sat there in silence, feeling overwhelmed. Opening up was a grave mistake, one she would not make again in a hurry. Reliving her past had pushed her deep into renewed depression.

The sound of her phone persistently buzzing on the sofa called her attention. Reluctantly peeking at it, she saw it was her Aunt. Good, someone she could talk to. She answered the call.

“Hey…” she said weakly.

“Ah Mogbe! Mo daran o! Jesu e ran mi lowo o!” She heard Abike wailing from the other end.

She instinctively sprung up to her feet, her eyes widening with anxiety. “Abike… what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“Ah, yeé! Is mummy oh! Something have happen to mummy o! Eh God o!” Abike cried.

“What?! What happened?!” Sonia asked, fear latching unto her heart.

“I no know o! She just dey waka, na so she begin dey hold her chest dey cry! Small time she lie down for floor like person wey don die o! Ah! Aunty, na that nurse wey dey always come check mummy wey don carry am go their hospital o!” Abike wailed, her voice strained by her crying.

“Oh God…” Sonia gasped, ending the call. She hurriedly got her car keys and rushed out of the house.

---

11:00pm…

David lay quietly on his bed in the dark room, staring blankly at the ceiling. Pain stung his heart repeatedly, as Sonia’s words kept echoing over and over in his head like an endless loop. His lips quivered slightly and his eyes softly glistened with tears. Sniffing, he fought the rushing tide of emotions, trying to steel himself from the hurt.
Shutting his eyes, a tear betrayed him, forming a trail from the corner of his eye to the soft pillow.

His phone buzzed, the loud ringtone piercing the soothing silence. Wiping his eyes, he let it ring, clearly not in the mood to talk to anyone. The caller kept at it persistently, with the tally of missed calls reaching up to six. Finally, a text buzzed and he reluctantly decided to read it. Picking up the phone, he sat up seeing it was Monique.

“David, for God’s sake where are you?! Sonia’s aunt went into cardiac arrest and she’s in surgery at the moment. I don’t want her to be alone, please you gotta go be with her. All her friends are out of town. Please, call me when you get this.“

Sighing softly, he leaned against the wall and drew his knees to his chest, lazily resting his head on his arms. He embraced the silence of the dark, allowing the minutes whisk by.

“Son…“

David grimaced, aware of exactly what God was going to say.

“You have to…” the Spirit echoed.

“No… I’m done with this, Lord.” He whispered.

There was silence in his heart for a while, and he hoped it was a sign that God had dropped the issue.

“Son…” the Spirit called again.

He raised his head in exasperation, feeling the sudden unease in his chest.

“Oh, God…” He lamented, his expression twisting into a small frown.

“Son, love has to be shown, not just explained… She has to see how reckless, and relentless my love is…” the Spirit whispered.

David sighed softly, still unable to shake off the uneasy feeling. His eyes glistened, seemingly frustrated by God’s instruction.

“I don’t wanna go…she keeps hurting me…” he choked, a lump forming in his throat. Another tear escaped his eyes, trailing down his cheeks and getting lost in his beard.

“I understand… they hurt me too…” God replied softly.

Suddenly, graphic images of the cross burned into David’s heart, beckoning on him to understand. Countless scriptures flooded his soul, echoing softly;

Love is patient and kind… love endureth all things…bears record of no wrong

Consider Him who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself…. so that you may not grow weary or exhausted,… losing heart and fainting in your minds…

His soul gradually drowned in the intensity of God’s love for her. Understanding began to seep in as he suddenly remembered how deeply hurt she had been, the look on her face, the tears in her pained eyes. Her story echoed in his head, gently softening his strong resolve. Letting out a soft deflating sigh, he reluctantly picked up the phone and dialled Monique’s number.

---

Midnight…

Heavy silence hung over the scanty waiting room, slightly interrupted by the clacking of keys coming from the nurse’s desk. The TV flickered inaudibly, showing different commercials that caught no one’s attention. After a while, the nurse disappeared into a ward, leaving Sonia alone in the room.

She sat on one of the padded chairs, hunched over with clasped hands, gripped by silent panic. Her heart beat harder and faster, tension forming a tight knot in her chest. Breathing had become difficult, with her brain firing hundreds of negative thoughts like a machine gun. Her lips began to quiver, and her eyes glistened with tears too frozen by fear to fall. She stared blankly at the door leading to the one of the operating rooms, waiting for someone, anyone to come and tell her that her Aunt was alright.

Aunt Helen couldn’t die, she just couldn’t. She couldn’t lose her, not now, not ever. The vivid thought of standing over a coffin with Helen’s pale corpse in it sent a shiver down her spine.

The heart-wrenching scenarios her brain cooked up caused her breath to become shaky, the sobs softly choking their way through her lips. The salty tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she placed a hand on her aching chest, her body quivering with each sob.

“Oh, God… please…” she cried, her jaw trembling like a broken child’s.

Her vision had become blurred, giving in to the overwhelming emotions gushing through her soul. She bent her head, sobbing uncontrollably, longing for someone to be by her side to hold her. She felt so alone in all this. All her friends were out of town, she had no one. Her heart ached terribly, craving the comfort of a warm embrace.

The sound of a door creaking softly as it widened caused her face to dart instantly in the direction. She hurriedly wiped her eyes, hoping it was a doctor or someone with information. Her watery eyes widened in utter confusion at who she saw, leaving her facial muscles half-frozen. She sat transfixed, unable to react, her brain stuttering haphazardly.

David walked through the door, pausing only when his eyes met hers. He stiffened a bit, standing there at the entrance with his hands in his pockets. He stared into her teary eyes, her pain cutting him deep at the heart, ebbing away his own grievances. He took a deep breath and lowered his head, sighing softly as he moved forward.

She watched him walk towards her, still shocked by his presence. The familiar scent of his masculine cologne seeped into her nose as he took a seat beside her.

“Wha- … why are you here?” She stuttered, sniffing softly.

He took a tensed pause before answering, thinking of the right words.

“I heard… about what happened to your Aunt. And I guess I couldn’t let you be here alone… through all this. No one deserves that.” he said, his eyes avoiding her gaze.

Her eyes glistened again, wondering what kind of person he was. She shifted her gaze away, shutting her eyes as regret churned in her belly. Condemnation leaped upon her, accusing her of being a terrible person. A fresh batch of tears trickled down her wet cheek, her thoughts utterly tangled in a knot.

He watched her cry, the sight urging him to hold her. But the thought of her lashing out again kept him from doing it.

“Hold her, Son…” the Spirit echoed calmly.

Sighing softly, he inched closer to her, gently placing his hand on hers.

Feeling his warm touch, she broke down completely, letting all her defensive walls crumble. She leaned in, allowing him pull her into his arms while she sobbed.

“I’m so scared, David…” she cried.

“It’s gonna be okay…” he whispered, gently holding her head against his broad chest. He felt her arms snake around him, relaxing in his embrace.

“I don’t wanna lose her…” she sobbed.

“You won’t… God won’t let that happen…” he replied, softly muttering prayers under his breath.

After a long while, she had stopped sobbing and just lay weakly on his chest, her arms still wrapped around his chest. The ache in her chest had subsided, slightly replaced by a small twinge of hope.

David kept on muttering prayers underneath his breath, silently interceding for the woman in his arms and the one in the theater. The more he prayed, the more he felt drawn to her. He felt his heart open up, flooding with feelings of empathy and love towards her.

Thirty minutes later, the sound of hurried footsteps and the squeak of a door called their attention. The doctor appeared, still dressed in scrubs, walking towards them. They both got up instantly, their eyes full of hope, studying the countenance of the doctor.

“Miss Jackson, the surgery was very successful. We had to install an ICD, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator that’ll help monitor and regulate her heart. I have to say, she’s very lucky to be alive.”

“Oh, thank God. Thank you so much doctor.” She said, relief flooding her entire being. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself from the overwhelming feeling. She turned to David, seeing the look of joy on his face. It warmed her heart that he cared that much.

“So… when can I see her?” Sonia asked, turning to the doctor.

“Well, we’ll have to keep her in the ICU for at least twenty-four hours before moving her to a room, just to avoid any complications. It may take some time but she’ll be awake after a few hours.” The doctor said. “Wanna take a peek?”

“Oh…um…sure…” she replied, wiping her sweaty palms on her tight black Jeans.

“Alright come this way…” the doctor called, moving towards the ICU.

She turned to David. Reaching for his hand, she interlocked it with hers.

“Thank you… for showing up… for everything.” She said softly, her sad eyes screaming apologies.

“It’s alright… I’m happy your aunt’s okay.” He replied.

Realising the doctor was still waiting, she hurriedly handed over her car keys to him.

“Here… you can wait in the car, I promise I won’t be long.” She said, turning to leave with the doctor.

“Sure…” he replied.

---

2:45am…

Sonia’s black Mercedes pulled up in her driveway, slowly coming to a halt. She had pleaded with David to drive, feeling too exhausted to do so. They made their way to the porch of Sonia’s apartment, pausing when they reached the door.

She turned to face him, plagued by how awful she had treated him over the past month.

“Umm… listen… about …what I said earlier…” she began, lowering her head while running a finger through her hair, feeling too convicted to make eye contact.

“It’s alright, Sonia… I’m alright.” He assured, smiling warmly.

She kept her gaze low, pouting sadly. He reminded her of Helen, the ease in which he forgave.

“I guess… this is good night. Try to get some sleep.” He said, turning away.

“David, wait…” she called out.

“Yeah?” He answered, turning to her.

“Um… why did you show up? After everything…” she asked softly, quit curious.

He pursed his lips. “…because no matter what, you didn’t deserve to go through that alone. I guess I just… couldn’t let you. You deserve better…”

Her eyes glistened, feeling her heart flutter with the fuzzy feeling of affection. Sniffing softly, she moved towards him and gave him a hug, burying her head into his chest. Feeling his arms wrap around her, she shut her eyes, tightening her hold.

“Thank you… again.” she whispered, soaking in the warmth of his body.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Hey guys🤗. Well, that was something. What do you think will happen next? Do you think any feelings are involved now? what do you think David’s persistence? Let us know in the comments👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

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