POISONED AT 21:00 PT. 5

08:00 AM MSK TIME

I woke up the next day with a scripture on my mind; 2 Corinthians 6:14. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers”. It had been lingering in my mind for two days in a row, but I decided not to think about it. Today, it was so strong in my heart and I couldn’t ignore it any longer. At first, I didn’t understand why it was persistent on my mind, but after my conversation with Fred yesterday, it all made sense.

What was I supposed to do now? Call him and say that I was no longer interested? That would be absurd, as I had just agreed to give him a chance the day before. I was so confused, but I couldn’t give it much thought as I had to get ready for work. I had a presentation to deliver and I had to focus on that.

I dragged myself up from the bed, had my bath, and left for work.

11:00 AM MSK

I met with representatives from another company interested in investing in our company branch in the city I was visiting. It was a wonderful experience, and I was excited about the prospective collaboration between our firm and theirs. But beyond all the excitement, I was still not at peace. I was sitting in the office allocated to me when I got a message from the very source of my worry.

“Hey, My Lady, how are you doing today? You should call me when you are done. I miss you.”

I smiled. I knew something was wrong, but I could not help the fact that I was falling in love with him, and it felt good. I haven’t felt this way in a while. Was it wrong that I didn’t want to lose this feeling? Was it bad that I wanted someone who was always ready to pay attention to me and how I feel? Was it wrong that I wanted love?

At that exact moment, the scripture that my mum always rang in my ear while growing up came to my mind; “Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” Why were all these coming to me now, just when I was about to be happy with someone who loved me? WHY??!!.

I heard my phone ring. It was Janet

“Sweetheart, I was expecting your call yesterday. What’s up with the gist you had?” She went straight to the point. I smiled at the fact she remembered, but I did not know if I wanted to talk to her about it anymore.

“I wanted to talk to you about Fred,” I started slowly.

“What about him?” She asked.

“I have been seeing him,” I replied to her.

She started laughing as she said, “How? Where? Did you not just meet him like three days ago?” she asked.

“It is not three days; it is four days,” I replied to her.

“What is the difference?” she said.

“The difference is that he asked me out yesterday, and I said yes. I know…”

She interrupted me*, “Wait, wait, did I not tell you about his girlfriend yesterday? Did you forget? And why did you not say that things had started to brood between you guys?”* her tone was rising.

“Calm down, Janet! Let me explain!”

“I am sorry for interrupting. Please, continue!”

“I like Fred. I really do like him. I get that he lied and all, but he had reasons. He explained everything to me, and I understood him. He is going to break up with her. That is what he told me,” I said.

“When has liking someone ever been a criterion for being with them? Linda, you should know better than this. Let us say that he lied and he is sorry. But did you see the picture? That guy is not a Christian mehn. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Were you not the one who advised me when I was with Zach. Now you are doing this? Linda Haba!!”

“I know all these. But maybe that is the reason why I have been brought into his life. To make him see the light.”

“Ahh… Linda! What madness is this? Which light? Has this love poisoned you to the extent that you have become blind?”

Janet was not going to accept any of my explanations. I knew that she would not understand me no matter what I told her. And if she did not, then no one would understand me. I knew that Fred was not the best of all guys, but then who exactly was perfect? There was no perfect guy. I had to give him a chance. I could be the one who could help him. I smiled as I remembered the exact time I saw him; it was 21:00 when I climbed on that stage. I remembered the look on his face as he listened to me speak that day. Maybe indeed I had been poisoned, but perhaps this was a good poison.

“Janet, you don’t understand!” I said.

“Sweetheart, I understand, and let me tell you something. You cannot change this man, and he is not good for you!”

“Janet, it’s like I will call you back. We are not on the same page here. At least for now,” I said. I did not want to have this conversation anymore.

“Linda, tell me. What are you going to do?” Her voice was calm now.

“I am going to stay with him,” with that, I ended the call.

Was I making the right decision?

6 MONTHS LATER

21:00 MSK TIME

I knew I had to call someone or else I would die. I touched my eyes, and it was more swollen than the last time, and I was bleeding.

I had cut off a lot of people just by deciding to be with the same person who was about to take my life. Fred was going to kill me if I didn’t do something fast. Janet was the only one who lived close to where I stayed that still genuinely cared about me. I decided to call her.

“Hello Janet, can you please come to my house. I feel like I am dying.”  I did not have the strength to say more than that. I knew those words were going to scare her, but they were how I felt.

“Linda, oh my goodness! Are you okay? I am coming now,” she said. Janet had always been an active woman, and I knew she would get here at a speed of light.

In 15 minutes, there was a knock at my door. I am sure the door was open. Fred was so angry when he left; I am sure that he did not think to lock the door.

“Linda, where are you?” I heard Janet call in the living room.

She had already let herself in, seeing that no one opened the door for her. I did not have the strength to call out back to her.

“Linda!!!” I heard Janet scream. She had entered the room, and I did not notice.

“Janet, you have to take me to the hospital. I don’t feel so good,” I said to her. I did not want to explain to her what exactly had happened.

“Linda, who did this to you?” she asked.

“No time for long talk Janet. Take me to the hospital. Please,” I said in so much pain.

“It is Fred, right? He did this to you?” she asked as she tried to lift me from the bed.

“Ahh!!!!!” I winced in pain. “Please drop me!! My back hurts too”

“I have to lift you from here some way if we need to get to the hospital. Wait, let me get an ambulance instead,” she said.

Why had that thought not come to my mind? I would have called them instead of calling her.

“Linda, please talk to me,” Janet said after she finished calling for an ambulance. Her voice was softer now. It was not common, so I moved my head to look at her. She was crying.

“Please, Janet. Don’t cry because of me. Please,” I did not have the strength to cry, and I was almost doing just that.

“Why are you still with him? Why did you not leave?” She asked me.

That was the same question I had asked myself when he first laid his hands on me. But I realized that there was just one problem;

“I love him, Janet. I love him too much to leave,” I said.

“When have feelings ever been the criteria for being with someone? Don’t you see that he is going to kill you soon? If you don’t leave him, you will leave the world soon,” she said.

“I am already in this mess. It is my mess, and I will take care of it. Fred needs time. He is not that bad; he is just going through a lot now.” I knew it was stupid to defend him, but that was the truth I chose to believe.

“This is not what love is. You saw all the signs before you decided to be with him. You knew he was an angry, lying cheat, but you still chose to be with him in the name of love. This is not love. Do not lie against love. This was not what God had in mind when he said man and woman should be together. Linda, this is not the plan of God for your life,” she said.

“Well, I am already in it, and I cannot leave. I think you were right; he indeed poisoned me. But then, what can I do. I drank the poison; it was nice for a while, so leave me to suffer the repercussion too.” I had actually tried to leave, but I found myself coming back to him.

“But I have the antidote. You do not need to suffer anymore,” she said.

“What is it?” I asked. I was interested.

“The blood of Jesus and the word of God,” she said.

I rolled my eyes.

“Do not do that. That is what helped me with Zach, you remember. As I decided to leave him, I stood under the Blood as I ate the Word in the morning, afternoon, and night. Then God started to strengthen my heart, renew my mind, and heal the wounds I had gotten from being with him. I got the strength to move on and to believe I could live a life outside Zach,” she looked at me intently, and I believed her. Seeing how much she had grown since she left Zach, I believed that if God could help her, then He could do the same for me.

I heard the sound of the ambulance outside together with the police siren. I looked at Janet.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“I called the police also. Fred cannot go scot-free. You will thank me later for this. Let us pray before they come in.”

“ABBA – Father, thank you for setting your daughter free from the clutch of darkness. Thank you for helping her see that it is death to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. I pray that You will perfect her healing both emotionally and physically …” These were the last words I heard before I finally lost consciousness.

THE END!