THEODORE

"So how did the competition go?" I asked Osaze whom I was on a call with. "Good. Really good though Irene got injured."

"She did?" I asked as though I had not heard what she had said earlier. "Yeah. Though it wasn't serious. Just a sprain." She said and I nodded.

"Alright then. My younger brother has started with his mischief this evening and I can't afford to be at the receiving end again so I'll have to call you later." "Okay. Take care." I said and she hung up.

I made to call Irene and ask how she was faring but then a message came in and it was from Irene.

Can we meet up at the beach?

I replied her instantly.

Sure I'll be there in fifteen minutes

I walked to my closet to get into something more comfortable. That done, I rushed down the stairs.

"Mum, I'll be going out!" I yelled from the base of the stairs. When I received no reply, I walked to the door. Sighting Lucy outside by the fountain, I walked to her to leave my message.

"Tell my mum I went out with her car and I might not be back till nine." She nodded and got into one of my mum's numerous cars. Putting in the ignition, the Toyota highlander roared to life.

The drive to the beach was brief as my house was not too far from it. Parking at a secluded spot, I grabbed one of my mum's tiny scrunches and packed my hair into a tight bun.

I hardly even packed my hair but when I did, it made heads turn. Examining myself through the rearview mirror, my eyes landed on the diamond studded earrings on both my ears and my mind travelled back to the time when I had my ears pierced.

Not today, Not now, Not ever!

I waded away the thoughts and walks out of the car. And as expected, heads turned as I walked. Male and female were watching and making comments.

I got to the life guard stand and rested my back there to wait for Irene. What did she want to talk to me about anyway? I wondered.

Sighing, I close my eyes reminiscing over the nightmare I had the previous night.

"...when I mark my territory, I become very dangerous..."

"...it's a lost course for you bro..."

"It's either me or nobody else..."

"...when I want something, I go out of my way, break protocols and go against my principles to get it..."

The voices kept coming and I began seeing their faces. It was as though they were staring intently. It felt so real to be surreal.

My eyes flew open and and indeed there was someone staring at me. Irene. She looked surprised, tensed and terrified all at once.

I decided to give her a once over. She was putting on a white turtle neck sweater probably made of wool and a pair of black shorts to go with. Her hair was let down and hung at her shoulders.

My eyes took in her long, straight and flawless legs and then returned to her face. She didn't look like the supermodel she was at that moment, she looked like a young girl with a vision. A young girl that wanted to hide away from her reality.

"Hello." She squeaked and gave a small wave walking to me. "Hi." Was my simple response. "We should um, take a seat on the sand." She said gesturing to an empty space close to the water. I nodded and we both sat down on the soft beach sand.

"So, you called me." I spoke up. "Yeah, I received another text from the stalker." She handed me her phone and I read the text out loud.

Your death is hovering around you and it'll get to you soon.

"What nonsense." I exclaimed. Still holding her phone, I quickly copied the number to mine. "So what's going to happen?"

"Well I have copied the number and I'm going to trace it to find out who had been pulling this silly prank on you."

My eyes landed on her left ankle clasped in a white material. I then remembered that Osaze had told me Irene got injured. "How's the leg?" I asked gesturing to the bandaged ankle.

"Better, I guess."

"Thanks." Was her curt reply, her voice gentle and soft. "Mhmm." I hummed and we sat down basking ourselves in the eerie silent of the moment with only the water working as disturbance.

"If only I had brought my camera along." She said putting an end to the silence hovering in the air around us. "Such a beautiful sight. Innit?" My eyes slowly followed hers and landed on the dark sky dotted with a thousand twinkling stars and a crescent moon to complete the heavenly look.

"Yeah, it is." I responded as we both stared longingly at the starlight wonder in the sky.

"How about we begin with our project tomorrow morning so as to meet up with the deadline. Or what do you think?" She turned to me. I knew it even though my eyes were still on the sky.

"Tomorrow is a Sunday. I'll be in church and you will be too."

"No I'll be at home."

My eyes slowly landed on her. "Why?"

"Because I'm not a believer and only believers go to church."

Oh Irene!

"And why don't you believe in God?" She shrugged letting out a small sigh afterwards. "Why believe in someone who doesn't care about his followers?"

"And what makes you think he doesn't love and care about his followers?"

She turned to me with a strange intensity in her eyes. "If he cares, why does evil have to befall the good ones? Why did he watch my dad and sister die without doing a thing to stop it? Why did he make my life a fucking mess!" She was at the verge of screaming her guts out but kept it under control.

Under the dim solar light, I turned to look at her. Eyeball to eyeball, soul to soul. "He does care Irene. Everything happens for a reason. He knows everything that's happening and he will intervene, sooner or later."

"You're saying all these because you have the perfect life with the perfect family and everything. Your life is a bed of roses. When I was a kid, I used to think that life was a bed of roses but I grew up to know that it was nothing I had thought it was. Life is cruel, life is messed up and life is a survival of the fittest quest."

"Life is a bed of roses Irene. But have you forgotten that roses have thorns and when you're pricked by a thorn, you feel pain. It's the same with life. It is rosy and then there are challenges. Overcoming those challenges make you strong. And there is nobody with a perfect life. Everyone is facing one problem or the other and they wear smiles but deep down, they are battered, murdered and probably gone."

My thoughts drifted to Osaze as I said those words. "God loves you. He cares about you and he'll be happy if you give him a chance."

She smiled. A wry rueful smile. "Tell me what God has done for me that proves that he loves me."

I picked a handful of the crumby sand we were seated on and placed it on her thigh. "He created you as human from dust. In his likeness he created you. He didn't create you as an animal or a plant but as a person. Isn't that something to be grateful for?"

Her silence urged me to continue. "He gave you oxygen free of charge. Do you know how much those in the hospital pay to get oxygen per hour? They spend a lot of money but you don't pay a dime to God. Do you think you're entitled to it? In case you do then permit me to burst your bubble but you're not. It's a privilege you should be very thankful for. You should even owe God your life for all he has done."

I went on regardless of the disapproving look on her face. "You're Irene. Irene Coker, one of the most influential teenagers in the world with millions of fans and followers on the social media. Your posts are always brimming with likes, your emails with business proposals and your mail with gifts from fans. Why do you think you're making it more than most other models out there? Is it because you have the perfect body?" I made air quotes at the last two words.

"Of course not, it's because God made you stand out. He made you better than your peers, he has a plan for you. It's his matchless blessings and favor on your life that made you what you are today."

She shook her head disapprovingly. "You're not going to give God the credit for my work. I worked for this, I stayed up at night severally. I denied myself of some food I'd really love and I work out from time to time. I made so many sacrifices and those are the things that brought me to where I am today."

"And if God didn't crown your effort with success?" That kept her shut. "With a wave of his hand, you could loose everything you have gathered. With a snap of his finger, you could seize to exist. What then?"

Her looming silence made me continue. "You should really be thankful to him and be grateful he loves you so much. If you let him into your life, you won't regret it."

She rubbed her bare thigh with her hands and I knew it was high time we left as I sensed she was already cold.

"Come on, let's get out of here. It's getting chilly." I said and took her hand helping her get up.

She took a step and winced. "Does it hurt that much?" I asked and she nodded. "It does and I'm guessing it's because I sat on it."

"Should I carry you?" I asked and the expression on her face was priceless. "What?" She squeaked out.

"It won't be the first time I'll be carrying you anyway." I shrugged. "When did you carry me?"

"That Thursday you had a panic attack in my room. I carried you." I watched her cheeks burn in embarrassment and a soft chuckle escaped my mouth.

"Well thanks but I won't be needing your help." She huffed and took a few steps forward wincing and limping all the way.

I walked to her and without warning, I lifted her causing her to yelp. "Theodore, put me down!" She screamed earning a few stares from the few people seated.

"Will you quit screaming!" I snapped and she scowled. "Well put me down."

"If you don't cooperate with me, I'll throw you into the water." She snorted. "FYI mister, I am a swimmer."

"Alright then, maybe I should throw you into the water." I shrugged and advanced to the body of water making an attempt to fling her into it.

"Stop, stop, stop!" She whisper-yelled holding tightly onto my shirt. Practically grabbing a fistful of it. "Now that's a good girl." I commended and carried all the way to the car.

Unlocking the car, I sat her down at the passenger's seat but she was still holding unto my shirt. "Um, you can let go now." And as if on cue, she let go and I straightened the rumpled shirt with my hands whilst making my way to the driver's seat.

Settling down in the driver's seat, I stretched my hand to the back and grabbed the leather back journal and handed it to Irene. "Here."

"Theodore's study bible." she read what was written on the cover out loud. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah. My Grandma got it for me when I clocked sixteen."

"Then you should keep it." She said stretching it to me. "No. I want you to have it." I gave it to her and she held it to her chest. "Thank you."

"Pray after reading the verses I'll text to you. The reason you are to pray is for God to give you understanding to assimilate what you read." I said typing the bible verses on my phone. "I don't know how to pray."

Wow!

I turned to her. "It's easy. It's like when you want something from someone, you'll ask. Like if you want my phone for instance." I waved my phone in the air. "You'll see Theodore please give me your phone. It's the same thing with asking God for something."

She nodded. "Thanks Theodore. For everything." She smiled.

"You're welcome." I replied reciprocating her smile. "Shall we?"

                           "Yeah."

And I put in the ignition, the beast of a car roared to life.

*

Another chapter for y'all😩

Y'all should give Pastor Theodore a round of applause.

This chapter should have been published earlier but wattpad freaking fucked me up and everything wiped away.

But here I am with a chapter.

Word count: 2160