As Michael drove away from the Hotel, he returned to the pharmacy, wanting to be in the solitude of his office before his staff arrived.
He didn't want to go home yet because he knew his mother would badger him with conversations about marriage as usual or just want to gist with him until she left for the wedding, and he really wasn't in the mood for any form of gisting.
The only person he wanted to gist with right now was with the Holy Spirit. He needed to understand the joke that had become his life. He needed to understand why he was being asked to marry Amara.
He had wanted to ask her so many questions. He had wanted to ask her if she had been into prostitution the first time they met. He had wanted to ask her why she became a prostitute, how long she became a prostitute, and other general questions about her life and background. But he had chosen not to.
Why?
Because asking would mean he was interested in her or her life, and he didn't want to give God that impression. He wanted God to know that he was serious about not wanting her.
The moment he got to the pharmacy, he went to his office and began to pace around as he spoke in tongues.
He spoke in tongues for some minutes and then switched back to prayer, "Lord, speak to me. Please speak to me."
There was silence.
"Lord, please speak to me. If you're truly the one who spoke to me earlier and not the devil, speak again. I'm listening."
Still nothing.
Despite the silence, Michael knew deep down in his spirit that what he had heard had been from God. And no matter how much he wanted to unhear it or pretend it wasn't from God, nothing was going to change that.
His heart was set on disobedience, and he knew God could see it and would not waste His time speaking to him.
"God, no naw. This is not fair. It's not fair," Michael cried. "What if my family finds out who she is? What if my church members find out what she does? How am I going to face them? How am I going to face my mother? What will I say?" Michael asked as he paced around his office.
"If it's because I didn't preach to her two years ago, I'm sorry. I will compensate for it. I will preach to her now and see how I can help establish her so that she won't return to it. Then, when she is born again and stable, you can give her to another of your sons. But please give me a better wife. Someone that is more befitting for me," Michael prayed fervently.
After praying some more, he decided he would do just that. He was not going to marry her.
Never.
He was going to help her, but he won't marry her. He would do his best to help her stand.
Although he was exhausted and needed to sleep, he decided to still wait at the pharmacy until he was certain his mother had left the house.
He took his seat behind his consultation desk and took out his office Bible from the drawer. He could have his quiet time while he waited for his staff to start arriving soon.
As he opened his Bible, the first place his eyes fell on was the middle part of Hosea 1: 2
'Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms.'
"Jesus! What is this na? Satan is a liar," Michael said as he quickly flipped the pages of the Bible to Jeremiah 29:11.
'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.'
"I claim the word of God concerning my life. God's thoughts towards me are thoughts of peace, not evil. Marrying a runs girl won't give me peace. I claim peace in Jesus' name. I won't marry a prostitute in Jesus' name! I reject it in Jesus' name!"
After making the declaration, he exhaled. He picked up his phone and immediately called one of the female nurses who worked in his pharmacy.
"Pharmo, good morning," she greeted cheerfully when she received the call after the fifth ring, "this one you call me by this time, better Dey for your girl?"
"Good morning, Nurse Loveth. Please, are you busy? I want you to help me do something. Can you come to the pharmacy if you're not very busy?" Michael asked hopefully.
"When? You know we don't open until nine on Saturday, sha," she reminded him.
"Yes. But it's not because of work I'm calling you. I was hoping you could help me go and buy something. It's important. If you can't go, don't worry. I will call Christy…"
"I'm coming now," she said, quickly hanging up the call.
Michael smiled despite himself. He had known that saying he would send her nemesis would make her react faster.
A short while later, Loveth arrived at the pharmacy, true to her words. "This one you came early like this on Saturday. Didn't you say you were going for Vigil yesterday?" She asked after greeting him.
"Yes. I need to do something before I go home to rest. Is there somewhere you can help me buy female clothes? Clothes and slippers and sandals of size 39," Michael said, and her jaw dropped.
"Pharmo! You done get babe?" she asked excitedly, happy to be the first to hear of it.
The smile slid off her face when she noticed the scowl on Michael's face. "How did what I asked you to do translate to me being in a relationship?"
She pressed her lips together. "Sorry, sir."
Michael shook his head, "How much do you think it will cost you to buy few decent clothes? You know what? Just come," he said, leading her to his office.
He opened the drawer where he had left some of the cash from the previous day and took a bundle of hundred thousand naira.
"Here. Go to Golden Heritage, room 105. There is a girl there. Her name is Amara. Tell her Pastor Michael sent you to take her to buy her whatever she needs to wear. She should get something decent that she can wear to church tomorrow too," he said, and Loveth nodded.
Although she had many questions, she decided to just wait and ask Amara instead when she sees her. It was obvious that Michael won't tell her anything.
"What size of Pam slippers do you wear?" Michael asked, looking down at her leg.
"39."
"Can you take one of your pam slippers to her or buy one before going there? She only has bathroom slippers with her there," he said, and once again she nodded.
"My friend sells female things. I will go and carry your friend from the Hotel then we will go to my friend's house," Loveth said, knowing her friend would be happy with the early morning patronage.
"When you get to the hotel you can call me and give her the phone let me talk to her. Also you can buy her something to eat," Michael said, remembering that she had not eaten yet.
As soon as Loveth left Michael exhaled deeply and decided that he was going to see Amara later in the day and preach to her.
The earlier she accepted Jesus as her Lord and savior and he helped to establish her so that she wouldn't go back to prostitution, the sooner God will forgive him and this cup will pass over him.
He was going to help God prepare her for the right man for her.
That man wasn't him.