Chapter Thirty-Four
As Michael drove them home from the airport, they were stuck in a holdup because a truck had broken down ahead of them, blocking the road.
Amara sighed softly. "I remember the first time I was on a plane. I was so scared."
"Where were you flying to?" Michael asked, looking at her.
"Abuja. One senator was celebrating his birthday, Valerie took me along," Amara said, and Michael raised a brow.
"Senator?"
"Yeah. Valerie did not roll with small boys. She had connections. I don't even know how. Politicians, white men, and people who paid a lot of money. She's just very greedy," Amara said with a shake of her head.
"Let me ask you a question. Would you still have stopped if she wasn't greedy and paid you well, and you had all your money?"
Amara nodded. "Yes. I'm not a prostitute. I did what I thought I had to do. I may have sold my body for money, but deep down, I never did any of it because I enjoyed it. I'm not cut out for that lifestyle. I have home training o. All I wanted was enough money to treat my mom, start a business for her, and set up my shop well. Working for money is not my problem. I just want to see the money I'm working for. But I wasn't seeing it. I cleaned, sewed, and did my best, but it wasn't enough. I really wanted to die. The prostitution thing wasn't even convenient," she wrinkled her nose with disgust.
"Why did I talk so much when you asked a simple yes or no question?" she asked with a laugh.
Michael smiled. "It's not a bad thing. I prefer that response to a yes or no response."
Before she could respond, her phone started ringing, and she received the call when she saw it was from Brother Emma.
"Good afternoon, Brother Emma. Sorry, I didn't take your call yesterday. I was very busy," she said when she received the call.
Michael's brows pulled together when he heard that.
Brother Emma? The usher at church? Why was he calling her? How did he even get her number? He wondered.
"It's fine. Are you still at the hotel? Can I come and see you today?" Emma asked hopefully.
"No, I'm not at the hotel again. Do you know Pastor Michael's pharmacy?" She asked, and Michael's frown deepened.
Emma knew she was at the Hotel? Did he visit her there? Why was Amara telling him where she lived? Was he coming for visitation? Was he part of the follow-up team at church?
"Yes, I know it. Are you working there?" Emma asked, and Amara laughed; her laughter grated on Michael's nerves.
He usually liked her laughter, but right now, he did not like her laughing because of someone else.
Holy Spirit, take control, he prayed silently.
'On Sunday, didn't you say he looked like a perfect match for Amara?' The Holy Spirit reminded him.
Ah! That was Sunday na. A lot has changed since Sunday, Michael thought with a frown.
"No, I don't work there. I live there. You can come in the evening."
"Evening? Today is Bible study. What if I come and we go to church together from there?" Emma asked hopefully.
"Oh. No need for you to come then. I'm coming to church with Pastor Michael. We can see at church instead," Amara said, and Michael smirked.
"It's like you're very close to Pastor Michael," Emma observed, and Amara smiled.
"We are neighbors," Amara said, not wanting to give him any impression about Michael or their friendship.
"Okay. I will see you in church," Emma said before hanging up.
Amara turned to Michael. "That was brother Emma. You know him, abi? He's the usher at the church," she explained.
"I didn't know you both were very close," he said, trying not to sound jealous as he glanced at her.
Amara smiled. "We are not that close. But we talk once once. Brother Emma is a cool guy."
A cool guy, Michael thought with a scoff, but said nothing. After a moment, he admitted to himself that if he removed jealousy from his mind, he'd agree that Emma was cool.
Emma was a handsome young man. He was born again, a banker, and was doing pretty well for himself.
"He wanted to come and see me so that we could go to church together this evening. But I told him I will come with you instead," she explained.
"Did he visit you at the hotel?" He asked, still sounding casual.
"Yes. But I wasn't there when he visited." She explained that Emma had visited the hotel because she didn't have a phone then and wasn't sure where she would be after leaving the hotel.
"Maybe he likes you," Michael blurted out without thinking.
Amara laughed. "Maybe."
Michael frowned. He had expected her to deny it, but the way she easily agreed told him there was more to it.
"You think so too?"
Amara smiled. "It's just a vibe I get from him. Maybe I'm wrong," she said with a shrug.
"So, if he asks you out, will you agree?" Michael asked, turning to look at her.
Amara thought about it for a moment, not wanting to give a thoughtless response. "Hm. I'm not ready for a relationship right now. I don't even have the time. I need to focus on work, myself, and serving God. And I doubt that someone like that would want to be with me after he finds out about my past."
"Not everyone would care about your past. Even runs girls get married," he said with a shrug.
"True. But they marry men who are not Christians like that. How many decent born-again Christians do you think will marry a runs girl? Christians that judge more than anything else. Even if love should blind the man and he agrees, his family won't agree."
"So, you don't think you're going to be able to marry a Christian?" Michael asked curiously.
Amara smiled. "I don't know. I'm sure God will bring the right person when the time is right. I don't want to worry about anything. I just want to trust God to do what is right for me."
Michael nodded with approval. "That's good. So, you won't date brother Emma."
Amara laughed. "I never said I was going to date him. He didn't even ask me to."
"What if he is okay with your past and asks you to be his girlfriend?"
"Hmm."
Hmm? What did she mean by hmm? Michael wondered with a frown.
"Is he your spec?" Michael asked, and Amara laughed this time.
"Why are you asking me that? Don't tell me brother Emma told you something and you are trying to matchmake," she said, eyeing him suspiciously.
"No. Not at all. I'm just curious, that's all," Michael assured her.
"With the way this holdup is going, are you sure mummy won't get to Lagos before we get to the pharmacy?" she asked, changing the subject.
"I guess he is your spec," he concluded, as she didn't answer his question.
"What about you? Is sister Faith your spec? Or are you both in courtship?" Amara asked without admitting or refuting what he had said.
Michael frowned. "No. Not at all. Why would you think that?"
Amara shrugged. "You both seemed very close on Sunday. And she made it obvious she is interested in you."
"Almost all the single sisters in church are interested in me, so that…"
"Oshey, fine boy no pimples! Abi is it fine pastor no pimples! Pastor Michael, the handsome! First of his kind!" She teased.
Michael laughed. "What is wrong with you?"
"Was it not you who just said all the single sisters in church want you?" She asked, laughing.
"I didn't say all. I said almost all. And it's not really a big deal. For some reason, ladies seem to like pastors. Whether married or single," he said with a shrug.
Amara shook her head. "Why? They want people to call them mummy or they want to tap anointing like current?"
Michael laughed. "I don't know. Maybe you should ask them yourself. When you get the answer, do well to share with me."
"It is well with them. By the way, I wanted to ask you. Why did Mummy call you Prophet Hosea?"
Michael shook his head. "I will tell you in the future."
"Why not today?" She asked, and he smiled.
"Because it's not yet time. So, is brother Emma really your spec?"
"Jesus! I thought we have passed that subject?" Amara asked, surprised that he was taking them back.
"How can we pass it when you're avoiding the question?"
"I don't have a spec…"
"You said I'm not your spec. That means you have a spec," Michael cut in before she could finish.
Amara laughed. "You remember that?"
"Why will I forget? Was I supposed to forget?"
She laughed. "You're a pastor. I don't want to marry a pastor."
"You said, 'I don't want to marry a pastor, plus he is not my spec like that,' that was what you said," she reminded him.
Amara giggled, "You really don't forget something. Why didn't you ask me that day? Why are you asking me now?"
"Because my mother was there. So tell me."
"What am I telling you? Why you're not my spec or whether brother Emma is my spec?" She asked with a grin.
"Maybe both," he said, and she laughed.
"You were annoying me that day. So I said that mostly because I was annoyed. And you're too fine sha. I don't want a man who is too fine like that. I don't have strength to be pursuing girls to leave my husband alone," she said with a roll of her eyes.
Michael laughed, pleased with her response. "I see. So, what of brother Emma?"
"Abeg na. Leave me and brother Emma issue."
"The way you're dodging the answer is making me suspect you," Michael said, and Amara laughed.
"Brother Emma is okay, but I'm not thinking of spec right now. Like I said before, I'm trusting God to bring the right person. I'm already praying about it that God will prepare his heart to accept me the way I am when we meet," she said with a shrug.
Was that it? Was it her prayers that were making his heart soften towards her like that?
"That's good. Keep praying for him, and don't allow people like brother Emma to come too close to you so that they won't distract you or pursue your future husband," he said, and Amara laughed.