After Amara and Michael's mother were done eating, they drove to Michael's pharmacy.
As Michael's mother parked the car, they noticed a small truck in front of the building moving someone's property from the house upstairs.
"It's like someone is moving out," Michael's mother said as they walked into the pharmacy.
The staff greeted Michael's mother pleasantly since they all knew her.
"Amara," Nurse Loveth greeted Amara, pleased to see her.
Amara smiled at her, "Thanks for the other day. I'm grateful," Amara said, and Michael's mother looked at her curiously.
"What happened the other day?" She asked, and Amara explained what happened to her.
"Oh. That's nice of her."
Loveth listened to the interaction between Amara and Michael's mother and wondered if that meant she had been right about Michael being involved with Amara.
Loveth wondered why Michael reacted so harshly when she said they would be a perfect couple.
They told her that Michael was busy with a patient in his office, and he had some other patients waiting for consultation, so they gave them both chairs to sit and wait since Michael's mother said it was not urgent.
As they waited, Michael's mother looked at Loveth, "It's like someone is moving out," she said, and Loveth nodded.
"Yes, ma. The lady who was staying upstairs got married two weeks ago, so she is moving out," Loveth said with a nod.
"Oh. What is the place like? How many bedrooms is it?" Michael's mother asked curiously.
"It is a room and parlor," Loveth said, and before Michael's mother could speak, a lady walked into the shop.
"Una well done. Please, is Pastor Michael inside?" The lady asked, looking towards his office.
"He is with somebody inside," the other nurse responded.
"Okay. Tell him I have carried some of my things. But I left the others inside that I don't want to take. I want to leave the key with you people. If I see a buyer for the sewing machine and the other things, I will ask them to come and check. Christy and Loveth, you people will help me, you hear? Abeg," she said, and immediately, Michael's mother smiled while Amara's ears perked up.
"You are selling a sewing machine?" Michael's mother asked curiously, convinced that God loved Amara a lot.
The lady looked at Michael's mother and said, "Good afternoon, ma. Yes. Are you a tailor?" She asked, and Michael's mother stood up.
"I'm not a tailor, but this, my friend, is one. Can I see the machine? You're the one moving from upstairs?" she asked, and the lady nodded.
"You can come and see it before I go," the lady said, and as they headed outside, she called out to the driver to wait for her.
"I have other sewing things to see, too, if you want. And I have bed and kitchen things in case you know someone who wants to buy. I just got married, so I can't take them with me. My husband opened a new shop for me as a wedding gift with newer and finer machines," the lady said proudly as she led them up the stairs to the apartment.
"Congratulations," Amara said with a happy smile.
"Congrats on your wedding," Michael's mother added.
"Thank you," she said as she opened the door and they walked inside.
"This parlor here is my shop," the lady said, gesturing to the two machines in the small living room.
Amara looked around the place, liking everything about it, including the location. It was far better than her apartment, where she used to stay.
"Amara, do you like this place? I wanted to get you a two-bedroom apartment," Michael's mother said, but Amara shook her head immediately.
"This place is very fine. I like it. What will I do with a two-bedroom? It will be too big and a waste of money and space," Amara said, and Michael's mother nodded, though not for the reason Amara had given.
"Do you like the house? You will have to meet the agent," the lady said, and Michael's mother nodded.
"We will meet him. The pharmacist is my son. I'm sure he can help," she said, and the lady's eyes widened.
"You are Pastor Michael's mother? I didn't know. Migwo ma," she greeted, kneeling.
Michael's mother laughed, "Vrendo, my dear. We like the house. We will look around and see the things you left so that we can discuss if Amara wants them," Michael's mother said, and together they all browsed through the apartment.
The house looked finer than anything Amara could have imagined renting for herself. The whole place was tiled, the taps were running, and the bathroom even had a shower and water heater. The bedroom had a wardrobe, shoe racks, a fine dressing table, even a six-by-four bed frame, and a fine window blind.
The kitchen had a fine gas cooker and plate rack, and the whole place looked like the lady hadn't taken much out of the apartment.
"You are leaving all this behind?" Michael's mother asked, and the lady nodded.
"There is nowhere to put all these things, and I can't throw them out or just give them out randomly," the lady said, then turned to Amara. "Do you want them?" she asked, since she had noticed Amara looking at everything like she really liked them.
Amara hesitated, "The things are many. I don't have the money…"
"Amara! She asked if you wanted them, not if you had money," Michael's mother said with a laugh, and Amara smiled, feeling embarrassed.
"Sorry. Yes. I want them," Amara said, and the lady smiled.
"You know what will happen? You people can just pay me for the sewing machine and the bed. I will dash you the rest," she said, and Amara gasped, turning to look at Michael's mother, who was laughing at her reaction.
"Just like that?" Amara asked, and the lady nodded.
"Yes. I don't think it is a coincidence that you just came now when I'm moving out. I have been praying since and asking God what I should do with the rest of the things. I think God wants me to give them to you," she said, and tears filled Amara's eyes, while Michael's mother smiled.
"I don't think it is a coincidence, too. Thank you, my dear. Thank you very much. We will buy the bed and the machine," Michael's mother said as she patted Amara's back.
Just as Michael's mother finished transferring the money for the things to the lady, Michael walked inside the place.
"Good morning, sir," Amara greeted.
"Good morning," Michael responded without looking directly at her.
He avoided looking at Amara as he glanced at his mother. "What are you people doing here?"
"Pastor Michael, I came to see you, but you were busy. I need to go now. The driver is tired of waiting," the lady said and hurried off, having finished selling her stuff to them.
"Tega, talk to the agent in charge of this place. I want to rent here for Amara," she said, and Michael turned to Amara.
"Can you excuse us? You can wait in the pharmacy," he said, and Amara nodded, wondering why Michael seemed so cold towards her.
As Amara walked away, his mother watched him with a smile. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I don't want her to stay here," Michael said the moment Amara disappeared.
"Why didn't you say it in front of her? Why did you ask her to leave?" His mother asked, and he glared at her.
"Mummy…"
"Why don't you want your new convert to stay here? Won't it be easier for you to follow her up if she's close to you?" She asked with a sweet smile.
"I don't want her anywhere close to me!" Michael blurted out without thinking.
"Why not?"
Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath, struggling not to raise his voice. "Can you please rent her an apartment somewhere far away? I believe I've done my part. I don't want to get involved with her more than I already have."
"Again, I ask, why not? By the way, she mentioned that you both met two years ago. You didn't tell me about it last night when we talked. Why?" His mother asked, still very calm.
When he didn't say anything, she raised a brow, "The question you asked about prophet Hosea and Gomer in the Bible wasn't random, was it? You asked because of Amara," she said, and Michael looked away from her.
"Did God ask you to marry Amara?" She asked directly.
"I think it's just a test or God is just trying to punish me…"
"Why will God be trying to punish you? What did you do?" His mother asked, and he shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe because I didn't preach to her when He asked me to preach to her two years ago. I didn't think she needed to be preached to. She looked decent," Michael said, and his mother laughed.
"So, God asked you to preach to her two years ago, but you didn't. And then she started following men for money, and you met her two years later, and God wants you to marry her now?" She asked, and Michael laughed humorlessly.
"That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Well, I'm just going to wait until God changes His mind. We both know I can't marry her. God has a really twisted sense of humor. Can you imagine having someone with her past as your daughter-in-law?" He asked his mother.