Ifes noticed Mandy's flushed face as they entered their dorm room. Ifes spoke but Mandy didn't join her in the conversation. She asked a question but Mandy was too engrossed in her thoughts and didn't answer.
"Mandy!" Ifes called.
Mandy jerked slightly at her friend's tone of voice before regaining her composure. "Yes, Ifes."
"Are you in love with Ayo?"
Mandy froze and her heartbeat skyrocketed. She had been discovered. There was no way out for her now.
"Mandy!" Ifes called out when her roommate gave her a silent answer.
"Yes, Ifes." Mandy replied but didn't look at her friend.
"Are you in love with Ayo?"
Mandy's lips trembled but she had to answer her friend anyway. After all, you could only die once, so why not get done with the whole thing now and face the outcome.
Ifes wanted to ask the same question for the third time but Mandy had begun to give her the answer she requested.
"No! I mean yes, I love him."
Ifes did not utter a word. Mandy sighed and continued talking.
"I'm sorry I could not muster the courage to tell you." Mandy looked apologetically at Ifes.
"I've seen how close you two are to each other and was afraid that you felt the same way about him. I tried, Ifes. I tried to keep my feelings at bay. But the more I tried, the more it continued to escalate. I can't do this anymore!" Mandy covered her face with her palm, sobbing.
"I can't continue to bottle up my feelings. It's so much that I feel it would make me burst!"
Ifes gazed at her friend pitifully and after a while reached out and patted her shoulder.
"I love him. I love him so much and you've got to understAnd please!" Mandy continued in between sobs.
"Relax, Mandy, I do understand."
Mandy looked up to meet her friend's gaze. "What about your feelings for him?"
"What feelings are you talking about? Ayo is just like a brother to me and I can assure you that there's nothing more than that between us."
Mandy continued staring at her roommate, wanting to get more assurance.
"And if you also want to know how I feel about you two, then I'd like you to understand that it's your life and you are free to do things however you decide."
Mandy stood and hugged her friend so tight that Ifes felt she was being squashed. "Thank you for not having issues with this. Thank you! Oh, thanks for understanding!" Mandy squealed as she squished Ifes some more.
Finding her breath and voice a few moments after Mandy let go of her, Ifes said, "You don't have to thank me Mandy, but you are welcome anyway. I think your only headache now is to find out if he feels the same way."
-----
Two weeks later,
It was the last Sunday of the section and the Christian Quakers were excited about it. It was usually a great service and the students always looked forward to it.
Avery, Mandy, Chini and Ifes got dressed for church and made for Bradley's dorm room. Bradley answered the door when he heard a knock.
"Hi, ladies." Bradley stood at the front of the door which was now ajar. "You're all looking great."
"Thank you," they chorused, flashing smiles at him.
"Oh, Bradley, we are not that old, so you can just refer to us as girls. Calling us, particularly me, a lady makes me feel like an old coot." Avery spoke with a slight hint of disgust.
"Guess what?" Bradley asked, ignoring Avery's protest.
"What?" the girls asked simultaneously.
"I've got some good news."
"Okay, we are all ears," Avery said.
"Why don't you come in and see for yourselves." Bradley stepped beside the door leaving enough space for the ladies to walk in.
Bradley closed the door after them and gestured towards Hunter who was dressing up. Without a word, they read the message and began clapping in glee.
"My brother has been saying a lot of exciting stuff about today's service so I decided to see for myself," Hunter said, scratching the back of his neck coyly.
As he spoke, Ifes hoped that he meant to also give his life to Christ in the church. Bradley put a call across to Ayo letting him know that the girls were in his dorm room already, waiting for them.
"I'll be there in a jiffy," Ayo said and Bradley disconnected the call. There was a knock on the door after a while and Mandy stood to answer the door.
"That must be Ayo," Bradley said, reaching the door before Mandy in a couple of long strides. Bradley yanked the door open and was a bit taken aback to see Ryan in front of his door.
"Now wait a minute, Ryan! I know you ain't a morning person, so where are you off to at this time of the day?"
"Umm! I– I was thinking if I could come to church with you guys today, if you don't mind?" Ryan answered nervously.
Bradley grinned. "Of course we don't mind, come on inside."
"What's he doing here?" Hunter asked as his gaze fell on Ryan.
"He's coming with us to church."
"Oh my world! I can't believe this!" Mandy bolted towards Ryan and threw herself on him excitedly.
Hunter sneered at his twin brother and the ladies who were all chatting and giggling excitedly. He stood abruptly, went to his closet and started undressing.
Bradley saw him first and his face turned pale. "W–What are you doing Hunter?" Bradley stammered.
"Sometimes I just can't help but feel that God could be unjust and doesn't know what he is doing."
"But why would you say such a thing?" Chini asked in apallation.
"How could he come here and request to join you guys to church and you get so excited about it?" Hunter pointed towards Ryan.
They all shot him a confused look.
"What's the meaning of this, Hunter?" Bradley asked.
Ayo entered into the heat of the tension unawares. Mandy spotted him first. His entry had been so quiet.
"Well, I'm simply saying that if he is coming along with you to church, then I don't think the church is good enough for people like me."
Bradley wanted to speak but Hunter waved his hands in dismissal. "If he's coming along then you can just go ahead without me."
Ayo was perplexed by the scene unfolding before him. After their fruitless persuasion, they all left for the church service without Hunter.
"Umm! I don't think it's proper coming to church with you guys," Bradley said when they were about to drive.
"Oh, not again!" Mandy muttered under her breath.
Ryan gazed up at Bradley. "I think I should stay back so that Hunter can come along with you guys."
Bradley placed hands on Ryan's shoulders. "You don't have to. It was Hunter's choice to stay back."
"But it was my fault."
"No, no, Ryan. Please don't blame yourself for anything. Hunter would come around someday." Ryan searched Bradley's face to be sure he wasn't angry that his brother did not come along but Bradley gave him a reassuring smile.
Twenty minutes before the kick-off time, the church hall was packed full with anticipating Quakers. It was the last Sunday and also the service both Christians and non-Christians loved to attend because of the special performances.
The students loved the ballet, dance, drama and music presentations, but mostly comedy. It was usually the last program before the choir came up for their ministration.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me to welcome the choir for another great, awesome and exciting ministration!" The coordinator said and the choir were ushered to the stage with a resounding ovation by the Quakers.
The choir did a little display to amuse the students before singing.
"Praise the Lord!" Ian's voice echoed through the speakers.
The students yelled back a hallelujah that soared to the height of the lofty ceiling of the church auditorium.
"This is a sweet and special day for all of us, and today, the choir has decided to do something different. We will be presenting an acapella song."
The students gave a thunderous clap as they screamed at the top of their voices.
Ian continued talking. "We believe that as you listen to this song, you'll also get the message."
"Amen!" The congregation replied.
My only hope is you, Jesus,
My only hope is you By Keith Lancaster & The Acappella Company.
As the choir sang to the part that said, "All that I need is you", students who knew they needed Jesus but didn't have him began coming out to surrender their lives to Christ.
Ryan wanted to do the same but his feet felt clammy and numb. He knew he didn't have Jesus, and he knew he needed Jesus.
Bradley who had joined the ushering department stood at a particular point gazing at Ryan and observed how his body was trembling, how perspiration broke out on his brows. He walked towards Ryan and placed his right hand on Ryan's left shoulder. "You want to go out there?"
Ryan nodded his head affirmatively as he was unable to utter a word. His throat had gone dry and he was battling with his inner turmoil.
Bradley held his hands gently. "Come on, I'll walk you down the aisle."
Ryan looked uncertain.
"Come on Ryan, it's not that difficult. I'll walk you down."
"Thank you," was all Ryan could manage as he clasped his hands with Bradley's and stood.
Anne-Marie saw Bradley walking Ryan down the aisle and wished she could do the same but felt she dared not. Her gaze shifted to Ian who was adding libbing as the choir sang and thought how beautiful he was. She loved him. She knew she belonged with him. Each time she looked at him it always made her heart melt.
"Oh! Ian, how I love you so!"
She cried as the congregation cried. The congregation cried because they felt the glorious power of God but she cried because of Ian.
Ian's eyes flickered to the congregation and dropped on Anne-Marie and was distracted for a split second with the way she looked at him crying. He saw something that flickered in her eyes that he couldn't decipher. They were just friends but he didn't understand the soft spot he was beginning to develop for her.
"Holy Spirit, take control, please be with her and help her through whatever difficulties she might be passing through," Ian prayed in his heart and disengaged from her gaze.
The congregation looked up the lyrics at the projector and joined the choir to sing.
While the others sang all they needed was Jesus, Anne-Marie sang all that she needed was Ian.
As they sang their only hope was in Jesus, she sang her only hope was in Ian.
They sang their only peace was in Jesus but she sang that her peace was with Ian alone.
And she declared the same with her joy when others sang their only joy was in Jesus.