WITNESSES WANTED!

The bus stop was noisy as usual and her legs were beginning to ache. Susanna checked her watch, impatient. She'd been standing for over an hour now, and there was still no sign of a bus going to Ojuelegba. Strange, she thought. Even with the fuel and Naira scarcity, buses going to her area were rarely absent. 

"Oga o" she sighed and placed a hand on her hip.

************

In the same bus stop, Tolani, eighteen, sat apprehensive. The pain in her lower abdomen and in between her legs were not going to stop her from accomplishing her goal. In fact, it was her motivation. That and the intense shame and guilt that had settled on her since she left the clinic an hour ago. 

Her eyes darted back and forth the busy road, waiting for the perfect time to end it all. But the commercial buses stopping every once in a while to pick up passengers were making it difficult. She became impatient, restless. She thought about going further down the road that led to the express where cars raced dangerously enough to help her accomplish her goal as soon as possible.

************

Susanna had stood an extra thirty minutes at the bus stop when she felt a deep, familiar impression. It was one unmistakable way the Holy Spirit spoke to her when he wanted her to do something. 

Instantly, she felt an urge to look behind her. 

She did, and found nothing out of the ordinary. The bus stop was busy,and dirty as usual.

"Look again," she heard in her spirit and obeyed. 

Then as if she was using a magnifying glass, she saw a determined looking teenage girl clutching her stomach. 

"Holy Spirit, that's not my business, please." Susanna pleaded, knowing very well that God wanted her to reach out to the young girl. Unfortunately, she was in no mood to preach.

"But it's mine." He replied her. "Go. Tell her I still have a plan for her."

Susanna spent the next five minutes battling with the instruction she had just received from God. 

***********

It was time. The buses were no longer coming and the road was getting busy again. In a few minutes it would be all over. What was the use of her life if she had ended another's barely two hours ago anyway? 

Cars were pouring into the street now and drivers were impatient...

Perfect, she thought and stood up.

It was now or never.

************

"Go!" The impression came to Susanna again. Stronger and more urgent, this time. "Go now!"

Taking in a deep breath, Susanna decided to obey. The worst that could happen was that she would be snubbed. It would hurt, but she would have obeyed. She would go home with her peace intact. 

She turned around sharply and bumped into the very person she had been sent to. The girl reeled back and fell on the floor.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." Susanna said, helping her up.

"It's okay " The girl replied, but her face was squeezed in anguish. A hand tightened around her belly.

"Let's sit down" Susanna said, trying to lead her back to the bench.

"No!" Tolani replied with a firm shake of her head." I was going somewhere."

Susanna didn't know why, but her grasp strengthened on Tolanis hand. "Wait. I have to tell you something before you go."

Tolani looked her up and down, confused and irritated that she was delaying her.

"God said I should tell you that He still has a plan for you."

************

Tolani's world froze. One word had leaped out of the stranger's sentence: Still. 

After her affair with Tunde? 

Still? After finding out she was pregnant and had to drop out of school? 

Still? After her parents and church had made it clear they wanted nothing to do with her. 

Still? After going against her conscience and aborting the child? 

Still? After being determined to end her own life too? 

God still had a plan? For her? 

Susanna saw the hardness leave Tolani's eyes and in it's place, tears began to form. 

"Now what?" She asked the Holy Spirit, surprised that one sentence had had that much impact on the stranger lady.

"Now don't let go." He replied, and Susanna held firmly to the girl's hand as she led her back to the bench. Apparently, her work here was not yet done.

#The End.

Have you ever left your comfort zone to do something God asked you to do? How did that go? Share with me in the comments!😊