BOB EXCLUSIVE: LOVE CHANGES THINGS – A true life story

                 
It was a bright Wednesday morning; I was less busy at work so it seemed like a good day for me to pay my hairstylist a visit. I took my salon bag and purse and since the salon wasn’t far from my workplace strolled there to have a quick hairdo.

I was so surprised and secretly happy to see the place bare because that means I wouldn’t spend much time there.
I settled into one of the comfy chairs available and he started making my hair. Soon, some customers started strolling in and as usual, we all started talking.
We talked for some time  about relationships, disappointments and unmet expectations but one particular story gave me so much joy within my heart and I promised my stylist and ladies present there that I was gonna share the story on my blog so all my readers can learn one or two things like I did.

Please read and enjoy………………………….

Chijioke and Fadeke met when they both went for an interview at one of the leading manufacturing companies in the country. They exchanged phone numbers and from there started talking, with the intention of informing each other of job openings they may learn about.
Luckily, Chijioke was called back a month after to come start work at the manufacturing company, he was so happy to share the good news with Fadeke.

Their relationship started not quite long after this, when Chijioke invited her out for lunch. As they were having lunch, he asked her out by professing his love to her. Fadeke agreed to be his girlfriend and they became inseparable. Luckily for Fadeke, she got a job in one of the leading banks about 2 months after and the duo began planning something more concrete with each other.

After courting for a little over two years, Chijioke and Fadeke decided to legalize their relationship and make it permanent. It was evident to everyone around them that they were head over heels in love and so it wasn’t a surprise when they announced their engagement.

Normal preparation started and because a date was fixed, Chijioke saw this as a right for him to become intimate with Fadeke. He invited her to his house and tried to make love to her but she totally declined, telling him he had to wait till they were married. This had been the normal occurrence every time Chijioke tried to touch or caress her therefore, he left her willingly knowing it wasn’t going to be long before he had full and total access to her.

As it was the normal practice in Fadeke’s church, a month to the wedding day they started a mandatory counseling session. The first week was normal with necessary prayer sessions and counseling for the soon to be married couple. They were prepared spiritually for the new family they were about to build. On the last day of the counseling (2 weeks before the wedding), the pastor asked  if they had any secret they were withholding from each other. He advised them to speak now before the wedding day so that their wedding will be built on a foundation of truth.

The two young love-birds looked at each other and were silent for a while. Chijioke was the first to speak and he declared he had nothing to hide claiming that she knew about his past and everything about him.  On Fadeke’s part, she looked so sad like she was gonna break down in tears. This look scared the men therefore, Chijioke encouraged her to say whatever she had in mind, promising she would be forgiven no matter how grievous her secret was.

Reluctantly she told them the secret she confessed she had been keeping deep within her for about 3 years; “I am HIV positive!” Chijioke almost fainted.
Pastor’s mouth was left agape. There was dead silence in which one could hear if a pin dropped on the floor. After a while, Chijioke eventually regained control of his senses, stood up and politely excused himself. Pastor could not stop him as he was in shock too.

Fadeke went back to her house and cried her heart out. She was so sad she had lost the only person who gave her reason to cling on to life. She couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone what happened during counseling, all she could do was keep on praying to God to sort things out for her.

The fourth day after the confession and a little less than two weeks before the wedding, Fadeke was surprised to receive a call from Chijioke. He told her he was going ahead with the wedding and that he is not ready to leave her because of any viral infection whatsoever. He told her of how much he loves her and respects her for not allowing him touch her before the truth came out about her status.
Fadeke broke down in tears at the level of sincerity she could hear in his voice. All she could say at that moment was “I love you”. She was overwhelmed.

When Chijioke’s mum got to hear about what was happening, she pleaded with him to call off the wedding. Claiming over her dead body will her son marry an HIV patient! Chijioke told her it was only the pastor that could stop him from doing that. His mother therefore came all the way from the village down to Lagos to beg the pastor to stop the wedding all to no avail. The pastor claimed it was Chijioke’s choice and that he could decide for himself.
The wedding eventually took place.

Few months later, Chijioke decided he was tired of sleeping with his wife with protection so against all odds and objections from Fadeke; he began to have his wife the way he felt was perfect for him. The following month she became pregnant, they were totally delighted.

Six months after the wedding, Chijioke went for a HIV test and to his utmost surprise, he tested negative. He didn’t care about the test result as he already made up his mind that he was willing to go all the way with his wife and was ready for the consequences so he let it go.

Fadeke was given special care in the hospital and all measures were put in place in order to ensure their baby was HIV negative. Few weeks to her delivery date, she was asked to come for series of tests at the clinic and after this, it was discovered that she was miraculously HIV negative. She couldn’t believe this therefore, she and Chijioke went to several other laboratories and hospitals to confirm this result and all tests came back negative. She still wasn’t convinced until she went to the doctor that initially proved she was HIV positive but he also carried out his test and confirmed she unbelievably tested negative.

She was healed. God healed her or let me say she was healed because of the love she had. The real love she experienced from her husband made God reconsider her case and  changed her story to glory. She had her baby boy and he tested negative to HIV too.
Chijioke and Fadeke have been married for 6 years now and they have two other girls together.

Love changes things, it rights wrongs, it straightens crooked paths, and it enriches the poor. Love makes the world a better place. It makes life worth living.

Can you imagine what would have happened if Chijioke had left Fadeke after he learnt she was HIV positive? Her life may have ended with her taking it herself. She would have become extremely devastated.  This devastation might have led her into an early grave even before the virus could have.

God loves dwelling where there is love. It was easy for that miracle to happen because they were both people who God saw worthy of it.
This story made me know that there is nothing love cannot change. It got me overwhelmed at how God could make things happen for those who believe and would not forsake each other in times of trouble.

I sincerely hope you readers have been able to learn one or two things today and I hope you would be able to spread love wherever you find yourselves.

Cheers,
Bukola Oyetunji