PRESERVED (3)

Continued... 
....  Suddenly the guys were unsettled as a car chose that time to pass through the narrow bush path they had pursued her into and focused its head light on them. The guys were almost blinded by the intensity and they fled from the scene. The light then dimmed as though intentional and the driver beaconed on her to get into the car. She couldn't even think twice about it, she got in almost immediately and hurried the man to drive far away. She didn't get the chance to see his face... She was still shivering all over. Was she just almost raped? By five guys! The man interrupted her thoughts
"Where should I take you to young lady? He sounded responsible
Anywhere... No... Your house... I don't know" She replied totally confused
"No problem... Calm down, you are safe now" He managed to comfort her
Soon they were at a totally different street, it was about 9pm already and everywhere looked so unfamiliar but Bidemi didnt care so far she was far away from the guys. The man soon stopped the car and told her to go into a nearby building he pointed to as his house and he told her to hurry in as he still had some other businesses to attend to before coming back home.
"You will meet some members of my family once you get in. Feel at home" he said as he finally dropped her off.  She had not walked two steps from the car when she turned back and the car had vanished. She was totally horrified; this was too much trouble for one day. She took to her heels, running as fast as she could. Not knowing where to stop... As usual.  She soon found her legs taking the direction to which the man had pointed;the direction of a church... This was not happening! She thought to herself. She had spent the better part of her life hating anything that had to do with church or an imaginary God. Little did she know how real God was about to get.
Reluctantly… Very reluctantly she listened to her legs and walked into the church, after all,  all she wanted was a place for the night before she can think of somewhere else by the next morning. Opening gently the door to the church and sneaking in as she had often done whenever she was on errands to steal, she shut the door behind her. Suddenly, the voice of a man stopped her dead in track and sent cold chills down her spine. She swallowed really hard, when she heard the voice bade her forward
"Don't be afraid, come in" the man had said across the barely lit church
Bidemi could make that this was the church's pastor, but that held no reverence with her, her remembrance of pastors was already tainted... They were all the same
"I just need to stay here for the night, I'll be off before you even realize it" She said rudely when she finally gained composure
"Oh no my daughter... I was waiting for you" He said you would come the pastor replied
Thinking she was in another trouble, her fear was obvious as she said
"Who?" already making quick strides backward for the door
"Your Father, Jesus. He told me you were finally going to seek him today, so I waited until now to see that lovely daughter"
What does this Preacher know about her?!... Why would he mention the word Father so carelessly... Who is Jesus?... Is he not just a figment of some weirdo's imagination who believe they are normal?
"I am so sorry; it looks like you got the wrong girl"
"Bidemi Oladele... Am I right?" He said. She stood speechless, completely dumbfounded, no one knew her by that name... Not anymore, she had in six years introduced herself as Becky and this shocking reminder brought tears up her eyes
"I have been here praying for you for the past seven hours... Jesus told me to tarry for you in prayers until you come, he said he was leading you here tonight" the pastor approached her with the biggest smile and loving look she had ever seen!
"But I don't know who you are talking about" the tears now clouded her eyes
"You don't have to, he knew you even before you were formed in your Mother's womb"
 The thought of someone ever taking so intricate thought of her brought the tears rolling uncontrollably down her cheeks. Her father had died even before she could recognize him but who was this who knew her more than herself. The pastor took time to tell her about Jesus and how Jesus had told him how he followed her everywhere though she could not see him. This made her remember the words of the man that rescued her. Bidemi was soon on her knees covered in her own tears, feeling ashamed that she had ever thought nobody cared about her. Soon she was asking questions and the pastor helped her with godly answers. She narrated her story to the pastor and feared he would think her to be possessed also but rather he smiled and said
"That had been the presence of God around you, you were preserved!.. You are not possessed!" He said
This was the first time she heard a pastor say something different, what was wrong with the others?... She narrated how the pastors in the past treated her
"Dont be surprised my dear, a lot of so called pastors are not of God, they are running their own private ministries, if not they would have sensed that it was the presence of God and not any evil spirit as they claimed"
Bidemi cried for the next 30 minutes, after which she was ready to accept Jesus as her personal Lord and saviour. The pastor helped her with the prayer and the ray of candle light fell on her tear- dripping cheeks as she said the final
"Amen!"
Bidemi stayed with the pastor and his family at the vicarage for the following seven days. For the first time in her life, she desired the love of her own family just by watching how they all related with one another as well as with her!. She decided to look for her mother, this she informed the pastor and he promised to help her in her search. The next day began their search of her mother, she could barely remember the address but after journeying for five hours and asking around, someone finally knew where they could find her. They got to the described house, knocked on the door and a woman who looked like she was in her late 50s opened to them. She looks like my mother but she can't be, she shouldn't look this old.. All these were Bidemi's thoughts when the woman unable to recognize her inquired of them who they sought.... To be continued...