Dear Jesus,

I looked around for the umpteenth time, searching to see where Mike had gone.
I could be overreacting. Maybe he'd just gone to ease himself or something.

"Mike?!" I kept calling but got no response.

"Who's that over there?" Portia said after a while, pointing to her far right.

My eyes trailed her line of view, and I saw that it was Mike's lone figure standing there. Relief washed over me and I let out a sigh.

He was at the entrance of the 'Tower of Babel', hands in the largest pocket of the robe he wore, gazing upwards.
The moon had re-emerged and the silvery light made his jawline glow.
I had lost track of time, but we had to be getting closer to the wee hours of dawn.

"Wait here for me," I whispered to Portia who simply shrugged and quietly slipped closer to Mike.

"Mike, I've been looking all over for you. Didn't you hear me calling?"

He whipped his head down and looked at me. His eyes were glistening. Oouu, private moment? Sorry.

Geez, if anyone had told me stone-hard boys could be so emotional, I'd have debated it. Now that I've seen what your touch can do to any man's heart no matter his egoistic temperament? Not so much.

"Sorry. I wanted to stretch and think. I didn't know you would be back so soon, or maybe I lost track of the time."

"I can see that," I said softly. "Would you mind sharing what you were thinking about?"

"You don't want to know."
Sentence closed. It carried a lot of weight but I didn't want to be the poking and prodding stick in his ass so I kept silent.
Lord Jesus, he is yours now, so if it's something serious, you'll ask him to spill. Agreed? Check.

"We have to head back," I finally said. "The others are waiting for us."

He grunted and followed me. We walked to where Portia stood, fiddling with a broken, wet branch. His eyes squinted as Portia's face came to focus. The click of recognition flashed through both their faces.

"You're also with her? No wonder we couldn't access you any longer!" Mike exclaimed, pointing between Portia and me.

Portia gave an awkward chuckle and said, "Well, it's nice to meet you too sire."

"Forgive my manners. Good morning." Apparently, they had past connections from their time in the underworld.

I smiled and said, "Ah, I see you know each other. Mike, she also got born again not too long ago. What an amazing God we serve. There is no one He cannot save!"

When we got back to the others in the pickup truck, John was all tied up with bandages across his torso.
He looked pale but his breathing was steadier now. As he lay there in the back seat he looked so peaceful, and I was more than grateful that his fever had subsided.

"He's out of the woods. I've given him the necessary medication and from the looks of it, I think his wound should be free from infection. He should be up in some minute's time. He'll still need to get a thorough check-up at the hospital though. As do you both," Uluir informed Mike and me as she returned all her instruments into the duffel.

She'd brought almost every medical gadget imaginable that I began to wonder how absurd and heavy it must have been for her to obey your voice.

She had stitched up John's stab wounded and cleaned and bandaged the bruises. And to crown it all, she'd infused him with a drip. This lady was amazing. You are such a life-saver, Jesus.

"Wanna introduce us to your company?" Uluir asked, as she tilted her chin towards Mike while she zipped up the bag.

"Oh, uh, guys, this is Mike Adelaide..." I paused not sure how to continue.

Mike had no problem picking up from where I had stopped.

"Hello everyone! I know I don't deserve to be here. I feel awed to meet you all. You people have no idea how much terror you bring to the kingdom of darkness. I'm happy that now I know the truth and I am free from their lies."

Kathy's brow corked. She was the only one I had told about Mike's love confession at that time so it wasn't surprising that her face was creased in shock like she was watching a comic cliffhanger of an epic soap opera.

"Wow! we're happy to have you here with us, Mike. John will be so pleased that another boy is finally a part of the family," Pris said.

Mike and I exchanged a look of uncertainty.

"I'm thinking not..." Mike said slowly, scratching his elbow. "You see, I, I, was the mastermind behind their kidnap."
He turned to me and said, "Yes, the motorcycle's punctured tyre was my doing. I called your number then to pinpoint your location while blocking off all other calls. Don't ask me how. The spiritual controls the physical more intimately than you think."

To the rest of my spellbound friends, he said, "I was a member of the Scar Confraternity until some minutes ago. I would have murdered them both had God not stopped me." He bowed his head as if a huge stone made of remorse was laid on his shoulders.

Gasps escaped the girls' lips and their eyes widened.What if they had been there to experience the ordeal? I don't want to talk about it. *Fans self* I'm still in shock, recovering, you know?

"I knew it! I knew you and John were in danger," Portia said, slamming her palms together.
"When you didn't return to the room when you were supposed to, I called your line several times. It was worse when I saw the trending video of you licking that girl's boot. I became agitated when night fell and you still hadn't returned.

"Since you hadn't gone missing for 24 hours, I had no tangible reason to file a missing-person report, so I did the next thing I could-I contacted Holy Priesthood. Only John wasn't reachable. I suspected that something terrible had happened. The Holy Spirit placed it upon us to pray seriously for you both. But, I didn't know that your life was at stake!"

Mike said, "I'm not proud of the things I've dabbled in. I wanted power, lots of it. The pure blood of a Christian was my key to ascension, so I partnered with the Inflicter. I'm so sorry."

Portia said, "We won't judge you, Mike. I did worse things. I was also sent to kill Radiance, and I agreed for selfish reasons. I never knew God could still accept me back."

Uluir came closer and patted his shoulder in a motherly way and said solemnly, "You're welcome to the family, Mike. Let me say this now-there will be crosses to bear.

"In the Bible, there was a man named Saul of Tarsus who persecuted the Christians. God met him on the road to Damascus in a voice of thunder and a flash of lightning. He became converted, but the hordes of hell were after him and he began to face severe persecution though God was using him mightily to minister to the Gentiles.

"I'm telling you all these because the path you've chosen isn't going to be an easy one. It's a bed of roses, and yes, roses have thorns. God has great plans for you that's why he saved you but now the devil is so mad that you are free so it's going to be a tough battle.

Portia chipped in, "I agree. The ride with Christ has not been easy but it's been worth it a thousand times over. There'll be battles and strongholds to conquer based on the previous covenants that you operated. There will be trials and temptations. You need to hold on tight and completely to God."

Mike kept nodding, absorbing every single word, his face set in a state of utter seriousness.

"Thanks. If I worked so hard for the devil and all he gave me was evil, then I'm ready to give up my everything for the One who saved me even when I didn't deserve His grace. Even if it will cost me my life, I'll follow him to the end."

There was a moment of solemn affirmation.
As we soaked in the silence and began to hear the soft sound of dawn crickets and owls, I heard the faint trickling sound of the stream. That was when I remembered what a mess I looked like.

"Guys, I'll be back. I need just a minute to change."

Kathy wanted to accompany me and help me freshen up, but I pleaded with her that I needed a bit of alone time. She understood.

I went to the stream and washed away the dirt and grime that caked my legs and arms. The marks the rope had made on my wrist and hand were already fading.

I squatted by the trickling stream and splashed cold water on my face.

"Lord, this is the first alone time I'm having with you since that death cave experience. That back there... was crazy! I-we-could have died! No one who have found out where on earth I and John had disappeared to But, you didn't permit the enemy to exert upon us. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. Thank you for when I lost hope, you proved yourself to be the covenant-keeping God."

You're welcome, my seeress.

I smiled. Then, I splashed some more water on my face.

"But, Lord, what next? Where do I go from here? Back there I realized how much of a fearful weakling I am. How small I am in respect to the big scope of things. I don't think I'm your ideal vessel. I'm sorry if I'm many times a forget your truth and allow lies to cloud my mind."

I am touched by the feelings of your infirmities. First things first, my Radiance. You'll need to find out the whole truth. But now is the time to tell them the little you know about yourself.

I wondered what you meant by 'the whole truth'.

"You're telling me to tell them who I am?"

Yes.

"Lord, no, please why now? I'm still sore from the battle. To add revealing my ugly origin to them would be disastrous."

Trust me, Radiance. I have the best for you in mind. Did you see how the enemy almost twisted that bit to his advantage? The time of secrets is over. Live in the truth. Live in freedom.

"But, my parents... I haven't asked them."

Don't worry about that. They are mine too and they obey me.

I sighed. "Okay then, Lord. I'll do whatever you say even if it means losing all my friends in one day."
A drop of tear fell out of my eye but I wiped it back and stood up.

After carefully washing my leg arm and face and wearing the cloth Portia brought to me, I went back to the gathering.

"Hey guys-!" the word got stuck in my mouth as saw them all clustered around-oh my God-John was awake!

Even though he was still seemingly weak, he looked better than he did an hour ago. He was half upright.

"John, you're awake!" Gratitude to you spilt in my heart. "How are you feeling now?"

"Fine." His voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes held a lot of questions. Questions I was dreading but now was mandated to answer.

I cleared my throat. Everyone looked at me. "So, um, I need to say something," I started.

'Lord, give me the courage to do this.'

I'm with you. Lean on me.

"This may be shocking to most of you, to others it might not." I paused trying to gather my thoughts.

"I, uh, recently found out some things about me I should have told you guys a long time ago but I was too scared and broken too. I know you might be mad but please try to forgive me."

I let out a whoosh of air and shoved my hand into my hair to massage my scalp.

"I'm not the real child of Mr and Mrs Abraham." I allowed that to soak in. "They told me I was adopted."

"Ooo...kay?" Pris said in a voice that was all, you're kidding, right?

"You don't get it, do you? My mother was kidnapped, raped and killed. I met my grandparents when I went home and they told me the whole story. I was the product of that traumatic season so they agreed to give me out. So, I'm not a pastor's child.

"Please forgive me if I offended you by keeping it a secret. At that time, I was trying to find my bearing... I was scared and didn't want to lose you guys..."

I was already crying. The tension in the air was palpable. In my mind, felt I was losing my friends already because they were all silent throughout my narration.

"Oh, Radiance," Kathy said softly and rose to meet me in a hug. She cried with me.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I should have been there for you more... I should have held your hand and been with you in your hard time. Oh, what kind of a friend am I?"

Was she blaming herself? That was sweetly unexpected.

"It's okay, Kathy. I understand."

"No, you don't. I wondered why God made my family move from all that was familiar to a new strange place. I thought it was a way to escape my ugly past and errors that haunted me, you know a fresh slate when I started on my journey with Christ. But, the moment we got paired on the same seat in class at Charios High, I saw your sincerity and I was hooked on you. You're the daughter of the King and that's all that matters."

I was crying and blushing at the same time.

Priscilla also spoke.
"Radiance, you're a rare gem. Don't think of yourself any less. You didn't judge me even though when I first came to you I was a porn addict with an alcoholic mother. I won't think less of you if you turned out to be an offspring of the Loch Ness monster. You're a blessing to me. To all of us."

I felt like my heart would burst.

Uluir took it up from there. "Who you are isn't defined by your physical lineage. I see you for you, a girl with a humble heart. It's not every Christian, especially one with your kind of standing and relationship with God that would submit to be mentored. I respect that.

"Many times I've asked God why he would ask such a novice like me to be accountable for such a gifted vessel like you. God has been teaching me so many things from your life, Ray. You may not know this but it's true. It's rare for teachers to say this to their students, but you challenge me."

I felt like I would explode with the relief and gratitude that flooded me. I was accepted. I was loved. You, Lord Jesus, had done it again.

But the equation wasn't yet complete. John hadn't said anything, and I was nervous. Was he still angry? I couldn't read his expression.

I eased away from Kathy's embrace and turned to John.

"John, I'm so sorry for being secretive when you were nothing but honest about your weaknesses and mistakes to us all..."

He looked at me with those grey eyes that made my inside to turn to mush and his voice was the sweetest sound I had heard ever.
"Ray, you don't have to say anything. The real you is who I know. The one who reached out to my family and God used to heal my mom. The one who helped me get over my grief and guilt because of my sister's death. The one who tore off her skirt to stop my bleeding. Ray, I could never be angry at you. I forgive you."

This time mucus ran out with my tears. I wished I could hug him.

"Thank you, everyone! I love you all," I said in a shaky voice

I heard a clearing of throat and slow claps.
"Wow! That was a touching and emotional moment," Mike said. "Do we do this all the time so I can know when to bring a pack of Kleenex?" Chuckles broke out.

"It's highly recommended, bro," John said.

"In God's family, we're real and love is the air we breathe. That's how we thrive," Kathy explained.

I and the girls let out a sigh of contentment.

"Wait," Pris said. "Did anyone else notice something? The only person who isn't so surprised here is Portia."

An impish grin spread across Portia's face.

"Oh, uh, she kinda knows about this already," I said.

Sporadic protest began.
"She, what?"
"That's not fair!"
"Are you kidding me?"

"You guys know nothing yet," Portia said with a triumphant smirk. "Radiance and I are cousins!"

Their reactions caused us both to laugh until my stomach began to ache.

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Author's note: This chapter was so touching for me to write. The words Ray's friends said to her hit deep. 🥺🥺🥺

Examine yourself. What would people closest to you say about you? Do you even have a clique of friends that are God-minded and love you no matter what? They're a rare find but they are out there. 😁❤️

Thanks for reading this chapter. Don't forget to leave your votes, and comments. Why not share it on the mountain tops too?🤗

*Grins and bows on the stage.*

Thank you. ❤️