Explained: The Wedding Guest - II & The Original Ending
This explanation piece references the original version of the story written in 2018, the story has since been updated however the references are still applicable.
All scriptures mentioned in this post were taken from the New Living Translation unless indicated otherwise.
Original Ending
“Well, I think you could have a mild form of PTSD, erm Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s an anxiety disorder that’s caused by a stressful, frightening or distressing event. Now I’m not asking that you tell me why you’ve been incredibly anxious since you’ve been in Lagos, but I strongly advise that you have it checked out to be sure. If you haven’t done so already, I can assist you with arranging an appointment with some credible therapists and doctors, either here or back in London. Just let me know and I’ll get it done.” Her smile appeared again like a full-stop to a perfect sentence.
He looked at her stunned and questioned himself, “So this is how God works?”
IT WAS ALL A…
His eyes opened to see the darkness that had clothed his room. In order to be sure that he was in his room in London and not in Lagos, he felt around his bedside table to switch on his lamp and looked for his phone, not realising that his right leg had begun to shake.
He found his phone and dialled a number from his favourites contact list. “If anyone could help it would be him,” he thought.
“Hey bro! You’re calling me at this time! I hope all is well?” Adeiye asked, sounding concerned.
“Yeah, yeah I’m good I just need to ask you something important.” Segun rushed to say, making him sound out of breath.
“Sure! Is it about the Hosea scripture I sent you?”
A flashback came to Segun “OH stands for Oluwaranmipada Hosea...”
“Adeiye.” Adeiye knew it was serious when Segun used his full name instead of bro. “Are you getting married?” Segun asked as his heart rate quickened.
Then Adeiye laughed so loud that Segun had to hold his phone away from his ear. He looked at his iPhone perplexed at the same time hoping that Adeiye’s fit-like laughter was an indication that his question was absurd.
“So are you?” Segun asked with a half chuckle.
Trying to calm down, Adeiye finally responded. “BRO! You scared me! I thought something had happened to you! Well, truth is, I’m not getting married yet, BUT I am proposing tomorrow night. I planned on calling you once it was all done.” Adeiye caught himself and stopped “Wait oh!! How did you know? Only mine and her parents know. Did my dad...”
Shocked by the confession, Segun instantly cut Adeiye off. “Wha… wha… what? YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED?” The utterance of that question would testify that Segun was a real Yoruba boy, the Yoruba accent came out thick! He continued, while his right leg fidgeted.
“An… and you have the nerve to you ask me how I know! Meanwhile, you didn’t tell me you were dating someone. Adeiye!! Really? Really bro!?”
“It’s not like that Segun. It’s been a brief courtship and we both decided to keep it just between us, our parents and our Pastor. We thought it’d be good for us this way. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have known how to tell you that I met someone because of everything you’ve been through. You know “the inci...””
“OK! OK! I’ve heard you!” Segun said with much force, cutting Adeiye off yet again not wanting to be reminded of such a dark time. He paused and sighed deeply. “I… I guess congrats are in order?” He said as if speaking to himself alone. He was thinking. He cleared his throat and began, this time his tone sounding repentant. “One last question though - what’s her name?”
Segun could hear Adeiye’s smile through the phone before he answered “Her name is Taraoluwa. A beautiful name right? She is amazing! You’re gonna love her!” Adeiye went on and on about his love, before realising that Segun had not responded to a thing he had said “Hello? Segun? Segun are you there?” Adeiye got no response, except the response of a dial tone.
Why I Wrote the Story
Writing stories was never something I thought I’ll ever do, but here we are seven stories deep and by far this is the longest short story I’ve written and probably the most strategically written.
I had been wanting to write this story for eight months before publishing it in January and each time I thought about writing part two it just never really happened; any ideas I had at the time weren’t the best and I had to stay true to myself - what ever I write I must enjoy reading and I didn’t enjoy the ideas I had.
A year to the day that I published the first story is when God inspired me with this one and He gave me my first story where the characters have names and also ensured that all the names related to the story themes as done in the book of Hosea.
Inspiration for the Story
So initially one of the ideas I had was to write a follow-up story on “Her” from part one, based on the book of Hosea in the bible. I was going to call it “The Minister’s Wife” and I wanted to attempt co-writing it with a friend of mine. But due to time differences and life happening we didn’t get around to it.
I can’t really point out the main inspiration for this story, because unlike my other stories they weren’t inspired by a real-life event I witnessed. For this one, I unknowingly surrendered my imagination to God and the ideas began to flow. A few days before writing the story, I had prayed that I wanted to write part two, I just didn’t expect it to be given to me so quickly.
If I must have an inspiration for this story, I’d say the love of God and redemption are definitely my inspirations for the theme of this piece. While developing the characters other themes became apparent, most importantly introducing the idea of a Christian having a clinical mental health issue and highlighting how much God brings about healing through medical services, the fact that we have access to them is indeed a miracle.
Differences from Part One
Everyone has a name (LOL)
Everyone is sober both literally and spiritually.
The wedding reception decorations represented the twilight metaphor used in Proverbs 7 to represent “walking in blindly”. The wedding reception decorations in this story were metaphors for vision/clarity “light and colour everywhere.”
This time around, “He” aka Segun was not concerned with pleasing a crowd or being the guy, if anything he didn’t want to be seen.
Similarities/Themes Carried on from Part One
The intros for both stories were written as a set-up. You get a glimpse of the drama about to start, and as you read on the puzzle pieces start to fit.
Segun being stared at, this time by Pastor OH. Pastor OH stared at him with confusion, Kumz had stared at him with lust (like a prize).
The iPad Aunty is mentioned again
We get to hear what Kumz’s phone call was about in part one and more insight of what happened between Segun and Kumz at the first wedding.
The Proverbs 31 woman isn’t just one woman in this story, each female character displays elements of her.
The Characters & Their Names
In Nigerian culture (as with other African cultures) names and their meanings are extremely important as it is believed that what you name a child is who they’ll become. Also important to note is that the book of Hosea is riddled with names and meanings - all Hosea’s children were given names by God to describe the judgement coming on the Israelites. The names served as a reminder of God’s plans. God was also faithful to “change” the children’s names as a reminder of His love and forgiveness and to serve as a reminder of the good news and good things He’ll do for Israel.
ADETIDE-COLE
Pronunciation: Ah-dey-tee-day | Meaning: The Crown Has Arrived
Reference: The family surname was used to describe Christ being the royal head of the church and in the presence of royalty things can change. The Crown [Christ] has arrived - He showed up in the lives of the characters facing their own battles. I added “Cole” to the name to make the name sound like it belonged to a prestigious and affluent family, the hyphenated name sounds expensive, but when I did a Google search of the name Cole this came up - “People’s Victory” or “Of a Triumphant People.” Works so well right?
OLUWASEGUN
Shortened Version: Segun | Pronunciation: Oh-loo-wah-shay-goon | Meaning: God Is Victorious
Reference: I wanted to use the name Oluwasegun for the main character to show the victory he would eventually experience when he completely surrendered to God’s will. Segun had many issues in both stories, however, he also experienced victory in both, in part one - the victory in knowing Christ, in part two - the victory in experiencing Christ.
I wanted the reader to feel sorry for Segun but at the same time, I wanted him to eventually win the right way with God on his side. His character seemed hopeless and ready to give up, but God Victoriously stepped in to save Segun from self-pity, shame and disgrace and did so through Pastor OH, the very person Segun offended.
ADEIYE
Pronunciation: Ah-dey-ee-yay | Meaning: Crown Of Salvation
Reference: Inspired by Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10-17 “The Amour of God”. Adeiye was Segun’s soundboard and the person who Segun could really rely on. Adeiye was Segun’s reminder of the Salvation he had access to through Christ. In Ephesians it mentions wearing the helmet of salvation; (in the context of the scripture) a helmet is used to protect the head during war - Adeiye’s role was to “protect” Segun’s mind with reminder’s of God’s goodness considering that Segun was experiencing his personal "war" with poor mental health which, Adeiye was determined to help him with as Wuralewa later reveals. As Christians, we must remind each other of God’s goodness, not just in speech but with our actions too.
Ephesians Chapter 6 verse 10 to 17: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
WURALEWA
Shortened: Wura | Pronunciation: Woo-rah-le-wah | Meaning: Gold Beauty
Reference: This character was made to be instantly loveable. Wura is the friend everyone needs, supportive, caring, selfless and lovingly protective of herself and her friends. True friendship is indeed golden and once experienced it becomes easy to filter through people who aren’t genuine. I liked Wura’s character because she was very caring and also very sure of herself throughout the story.
Proverbs 31 verse 25 to 26: "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness."
TARAOLUWA
Shortened: Tara | Pronunciation: Tah-rah-oh-loo-wah | Meaning: From God’s [Own] Body
Reference: When I was given this name for this character I was so geeked out because of the meanings it had for the story.
In the Bible, Christians (aka The Church) are referred to as the Body of Christ
The mystery of marriage (as Apostle Paul calls it) - when a man and woman become one.
“From God’s Own Body” was marrying “The Crown of Salvation”. The Bible refers to the coming of Christ and the church joining Him as a marriage. The Church is the bride of Christ as Tara was to Adeiye.
Romans 12 verse 4 to 5: “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
Ephesians 5 verse 21 to 24 & 28 to 30: “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Saviour of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything... In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.”
(More references about The Church scene is described in detail below).
CHIDI & MORAYO
Pronunciation: Chee-dee | Meaning: God Exists
Pronunciation: Mor-ra-yor | Meaning: I Have Seen Joy/I See Joy
Reference: I wanted these two to be a mixed-tribe couple to represent Nigeria as a unique melting pot of tribes from the same land. I picked their names simply because I liked them, and although their names weren’t influenced by specific scripture, I did find scripture that defined their story.
Romans 12 verse 2: “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (For when Chidi revealed that he and Morayo were putting their YouTube/Social Media brand on hold to seek God more).
Chidi and Morayo were the two characters I had no intention of including in such a big way, however as I brainstormed the story and the direction it was going in, I realised that they needed their moment too, after all, Segun’s “issues” started at their wedding.
As I wrote the story is when I realised how much Chidi and Morayo lived up to their names - for example when Segun was about to have a panic attack but Chidi called for his attention it was to show that “God Exists”. Segun immediately felt peace when he saw Chidi and Morayo. Morayo is a righteous fighter, something her husband loves about her, she’s also forgiving as she was towards Segun, she’s the type of person who’d forgive and forget and you get this impression with how comfortable she was gisting with her husband and Segun after all her theatrics prior; her comfortability so soon after forgiving Segun tells me that there’s a joy about her. With Morayo I purposely made sure she referred to Chidi as “dima” which means “husband” in Igbo, even though she’s Yoruba. I loved how Chidi was receptive to Morayo’s care for him and I loved that despite their popularity, they had a deep respect for their culture and for each other. For both of them, I wanted to highlight that as young people we can honour our culture and also get with the times, without abandoning one or the other.
Proverbs 31 verse 11 to 12: “Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”
Although I hadn't planned to write about them, they were definitely my favourite characters when reading the story. They were a team beyond the brand and they cherished this the most.
Ephesians 5 verse 22 to 33 (The Message Version): “Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands... Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her... What is clearest to me is the way Christ treats the church. And this provides a good picture of how each husband is to treat his wife, loving himself in loving her, and how each wife is to honour her husband.”
OLUWAKUNMI & PASTOR OH
Shortened: Kunmi aka Kumz | Pronunciation: Oh-loo-wah-kun-mi (the “n” is silent) | Meaning: God Fills Me
Full Name: Oluwaranmipada Hosea | Pronunciation: Oh-loo-wah-roahn-mee-paa-daa | Meaning: The Lord Has Called Me Back
Reference: The book of Hosea was the blueprint for this story and although the story was focused primarily on Segun and how each person played a part in his life, Pastor OH (Hosea) and Kumz (Gomer) were definitely the catalysts from start to finish.
Segun’s anxiety started with an encounter with Kumz
Kumz was married to a church official (as highlighted in the first story)
The story starts with Pastor OH having a feeling about Segun and the drama develops when God tell Pastor OH who Segun is.
Kumz shows up at the wedding and both Pastor OH’s and Segun’s fears and nightmares are playing before their eyes at the same time.
Pastor OH is God’s mouthpiece when talking to Segun, the same way God used Prophet Hosea to speak to Israel.
I used the name Oluwakunmi for “Her” because I wanted to give the impression that she had now repented of her ways and because she now realised that she has been filled by God. I also wanted the reader to feel sorry for Kumz like Segun - yes she messed up many times in the past, however her efforts to demonstrate change weren’t being acknowledged by the one person she wanted to change for (other than God). Kumz’s story in this story was solely about herself and her husband; you’ll notice that she didn’t say much in the story unlike the last one and that anything she said was to/about her husband - her focus and priorities had changed. She stopped chasing everything that wasn’t God and she was filled by Him. Her relationship with her husband was also a metaphor to show how much we should still seek God despite our mess - Kumz never left her husband even when it seemed he would never forgive her. The difference between Pastor OH's approach and God’s, is that God has forgiven us all TOTALLYand He doesn’t hold grudges.
Hosea 5 verse 15: “Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me.”
Hosea 6 verse 3: “Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
Oluwaranmipada is basically the definition of Hosea, which means Salvation and that is what Christ did for us, He called us back to Himself by offering us the gift of Salvation. Pastor OH not only had to live up to his name, but he also had to preach about it. Talking about forgiveness was easy for him, showing forgiveness was the hard part. Pastor OH was “forced” to put God first above his pride, his hurt and justified anger. He really had to live up to his calling and show that he wasn’t just a Pastor in church, but also away from the pulpit. Ultimately, Pastor OH’s name is everyone’s story - everyone is redeemed.
Connecting the Characters to Connect the Story
If you read carefully, you’ll notice that Segun appears in nearly every scene when the focus is on another character. I wrote the story in a way that would flow so it wouldn’t read like “stop and start”. So for example, Williamson, the photographer, links the Segun scene with the introduction of Wura when he is being greeted by Wura and throughout the story, the characters link to prepare for the next ounce of drama:
Pastor OH sees Segun at the ceremony while pondering on who Segun might be, God tells him and then in the next scene the reader gets to know who Segun is before finding out his significance to Pastor OH.
“While preaching to the couple and their guests he caught another glimpse of him. “Why is this guy’s face so familiar?” he asked within himself. He looked away and continued.”
Tara is introduced in Wura’s scene
“Taraoluwa and Wuralewa had been friends since primary school…”
Tara and Adeiye’s wedding ceremony
“There she was a vision of priceless beauty... There he was, the most handsome man in the room.”
Chidi and Morayo show up at the reception and see Segun
“They missed the wedding ceremony as they were guest speakers discussing “Our First Year” at a relationship event in the afternoon, but when they did enter, everyone they walked past noticed.”
Morayo points Kumz out in the crowd
“…Mid bite into her layer of pounded yam, efo riro and beef that she excitedly received from her fork she noticed her old friend Oluwakunmi. “Dima. That’s my friend Kumz over there, remember her? She was out our wedding.””
Segun runs past Pastor OH and Kumz
“Just about when he wanted to utter words of forgiveness to his wife, Segun ran past them both.”
Pastor OH goes to speak to Segun and hints about seeing a doctor.
“Pastor OH paused to tell if he really heard God correctly on the last message to Segun. “Erm, He… He also says, your doctor was right with the diagnosis, and that you should take his advice about getting a therapist for your condition He wants you to be sound mind, spirit, soul and body. The Lord says be anxious about nothing.””
Segun makes his way back in and is talking to Wura who confirms his need to seek medical assistance.
Proverbs 31 verse 26: “When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.”
Themes, Topics & Imagery
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: This idea of incorporating a mental health issue in the story was by accident but turned out to be necessary. The summer past I had the opportunity to have conversations with my friend, Christabel, who is passionate about discussing mental health within ethnic minorities and we spoke about what mental health looks like for an ethnic person who is also a Christian.
As Christians, we believe in miracles, as we should and we believe in having a sound mind amongst other things and somehow (some of us) have also believed that a mental health issue is something we’ll never face either personally or know of someone who does, which in fact is not true. It’s also known for our communities to often brand mental health as a “Spiritual Attack” that can be prayed and fasted away (I in no way deny the power of praying and the necessity to fast), however, it’s also important that medical assistance is sought in conjunction with our spiritual efforts and also understand that not everything is a spiritual attack, sometimes it’s just ill-health (no attack attached). All this to say that God is very much concerned about the state of our minds and our overall health and it’s important we take care of ourselves with His help and the many additional resources He has provided us including praying and fasting.
The emphasis wasn’t just to say that Segun had a mental health issue, but also to show that our healing miracles can divinely come from medical assistance. Too many times we’ve heard stories of people not seeking medical treatment because “God will do it” - which He will, it may be that He wants to perform this miracle through a doctor or two.
God can use anything and anyone to bring about healing. As mentioned earlier, it’s a miracle in itself that we have access to such services. We must recognise when we need to utilise these resources and must stay committed to God to bring about good news through the use of these services.
James 2 verse 14:
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”
Philippians 4 verse 6 to 7: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
On Mission Youth Church: God’s mission for Pastor OH was to speak about forgiveness to prepare him to show forgiveness.
Number Seven: Seven is often referred to as the number of completion. This story has really come full circle since the first one and so have the characters, they have discovered their fullness/completion in Christ.
LOL so I did a ctrl+F to find all the seven references and guess what? The number seven is actually mentioned seven times. This was not intentional.
“While pulling out the seventh Bible he had found, which was lodged between two seats, he remembered the best man again and in an instant, he heard from God’s very mouth, “Son. His name is Oluwasegun Adetide-Cole. He was the last one.””
“He closed his eyes and quoted Philippians four verse six and seven, the scripture he had kept to memory for anxious days like these…He whispered it at least seven times before feeling calm again.”
“They were a brand, and from their thirty-minute speaking engagement earlier the brand had made seven hundred thousand Naira.”
“It’s been mad being married to her! Seven years! A whole seven years of marriage, most of which I spent praying for her safety and that God would change her. And then you happened last year.”
“Segun woke up at seven in the morning to the sound of his alarm which played “By Myself” by Deon Kipping.”
And for added bonus: “Being closest to the door he opened it and welcomed the photographer and wedding planner into room 777.” In the first story Segun ended up in Kumz's room, “She smiled at him “I’m on the sixth floor, room 606. Meet me when you’re ready.””
Second Kings 5 verse 10: “But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.””
Genesis 2 verse 2 to 3: “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”
Joshua 6 verse 6 to 7 & 15 to 16: “So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.”Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”... On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town…””
Luke 18 verse 21 to 22: “Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”
Hip Flasks: I added this part for comedic purposes but it also gave an opportunity to mention that Segun was no longer drinking alcohol and to show his discomfort just by seeing anything that reminded him of “The Incident”.
Lillies Fashion House:Matthew 6 verse 28 to 30: ““And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?””
Colours & Light: All the colours used in the story were used to describe the vibrancy of the wedding ceremony and the reception. Not just a metaphor for God’s love being vibrant, but also an appreciation for African celebrations of all kinds which never lack in colour. I wanted this wedding reception to be full of light and bright to express the clarity each character eventually experienced concerning God’s love for them.
Purple: Once the most expensive colour found on clothing, because of the expense it was mostly worn by royalty and wealthy people, this is why the colour purple is often referred to as the colour of royalty.
Coral: I needed a two-toned wedding colour theme as with nearly all Nigerian weddings you’ll go to - one colour represents the bride’s family and the other colour represents the grooms family.
Revelation 21 verse 23 to 24: “And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory.”
John 8 verse 12: “Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.””
Water: Represents new life/a refreshing that Segun would experience.
“Segun lifted his head slightly to see a bottle of cold water almost being shoved in his face, he needed it. He had taken the water first, before looking at who offered it, then he realised that voice was only known to him from the wedding ceremony. It was Pastor OH. Segun rebuked himself for not seeing who it was first that offered him the water before taking it, now he was hesitant to open the water.
Pastor OH maintained an emotionless expression watching Segun debate with himself if the water was safe. “Listen,” Pastor OH started, “You need to drink water, you don’t look too good. The water is fine. Drink up.” Pastor OH gave the instruction in such a pastoral way that Segun had to do as he was told. He consumed that water like a Dyson vacuum cleaner avoiding eye contact with Pastor OH.”
Rev 21 verse 6 to 7: “And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.”
The Church: This was my favourite part to write, partly because it was the section with the most descriptive imagery inspired by scripture and there wasn’t any dialogue.
By describing Adeiye and Tara’s visions of each other as she walked down the aisle, it got me thinking about how Christ sees us and His eagerness to have us know Him.
Both of them only focused on each other throughout this scene, the same way God is focused on us and wishes for us to be focused on Him.
Revelation 21 verse 2 to 4 and 9 to 11: “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.””
“Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal.”
God sees The Church as His beautiful bride; Tara’s description was inspired by the following:
Her Dress and Perfect Appearance
“With a bouquet of white roses in her hand, she walked in as if entering her coronation in the glory of her off-shoulder A-line Princess dress. The colour of the silk dress was the purest white ever seen! It was almost blinding and at the same time a necessary sight to behold (preferably with sunglasses). It was so simple and plain but at the same time luxurious.”
Revelation 19 verse 7 to 8: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honour to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”
Ephesians 5 verse 25 to 27: “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.”
Her Earrings & The Coloured Sash Belt with Swarovski Crystals
“For earrings, she had on the rare bi-colour Tanzanite diamond studs, which he gifted her the night before.”
Revelation 21 mentions rare jewels so I Googled a few expensive jewels that had a natural purple/blue colour and Tanzanite came up, which tied in nicely with the “Buy Nigerian/African” theme, because as the name suggests, Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania.
“Taraoluwa with no colour on her clothing was unheard of, a pop of colour was her thing. The sash-belt enhanced with Swarovski Crystals that reflected off the light was made from satin silk pieces in lilac, coral and a dark blood-orange piece which was tied at the back of the dress. During the reception, with him standing with her, she would be asked by guests why she added the coloured sash-belt, she would respond so eloquently “a three strand chord is not easily broken. The purple represents me, the coral piece represents my darling husband and the red-ish piece represent Christ. Don’t you love how that piece is in the centre?””
Ecclesiastes 4 verse 12: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”
It Was All...
A lot of fun and a week of sleepless nights to write this story.
Like the previous story, I wanted this to end with Segun waking up from sleep, this time around his sleep was peaceful. Were his experiences a dream? No, they weren’t, they happened but this concluding scene shows that bad times do not last forever.
Here we get a sense that Segun has matured enough to confront his PTSD, matured in his relationship with God and matured enough to get married.
YES! He married Wura I just decided not to mention her name but instead mention the characteristics used to describe her earlier in the story. What I liked about Segun and Wura getting together is that for a fact Wura would not have married him if God hadn’t encouraged her to do so - earlier in the story, she made it clear how she felt about her singleness and that was her truth then, but God-loving also gave her the gift of marriage that Tara had prayed for her. For Segun who in part one, had no respect for marriage and went on to despise weddings, for him to get to this stage is only a testament to how much work God had done in his life for good. Like I said before, this story came full circle for everyone.
Final Note
Just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who read this story and the feedback given. I’m currently praying to God for a new story to write and when He gives it to me I’ll be sure to let you know (by God’s Grace). ✌🏾