Annie flings the door open, interrupting our conversation as Amanda and I jerk at our doors where we're standing.“Ah-ah. What is it? Why are you running like someone they're pursuing?” I ask, peering through the door as she bends over, panting.“Diamond... Dead body... Road... Side.”“Eh? What are you saying?” I ask.Amanda hurries down to the kitchen and returns with a glass of water she gives Annie. Annie moves Amanda's hand aside and straightens, her eyes glistening with tears.It then clicks in my head when I try to piece her words together. “Diamond is dead?!”She nods.Time stops. My heart plummets.Diamond is dead. Diamond is dead. No, it's not true. Diamond isn't dead.

“Debby!” My name is called out and as much as I don't want to answer, I have to.Dare waves me over to our usual table where Mariam and Eric are seated.When Eric looks at me, there isn't a hint of the love I believed I saw the night before. He appears detached as he stares at me like I'm a stranger.When he looks away, a huge lump forms in my throat, making it hard for me to swallow. I will my feet to move, even though I wish to slip into a secluded corner and scream my head off.“I was just asking Eric where you were,” Dare says as I sit.I simply hum in reply.When I saw Mariam by Eric's side, I turned my back to them, hiding amongst the crowd as they walked by. If I knew they were headed to this same canteen — which should've been obvious since we alw

A few days later, I get a call from Diamond's older brother. A witness finally stepped up to attest to Charles killing Diamond. Her brother goes on to thank me for helping out, and I let him know I didn't do anything, to which he thinks otherwise. Even though I wish I could have done better while Diamond was alive, I'm glad that Charles is behind bars and hopefully, will get the punishment he deserves. Later that day, I call to inform Annie and Amanda, who are both happy to hear the news. *** My siblings are finally on holiday, so we're all watching a movie in the living room. A knock on the gate prompts Joy and me to exchange a questioning look. “Maybe it's Oluchi or Tayo,” Joy says and gets up to go check.

“Big sis,” Joy says at my door.I look up from my phone.“Daddy's calling you.” “Why?”She shrugs. “I don't know. He just said I should call you.”“Is mommy there?”“Yes.”I wonder what he wants to talk to me about. “Okay, I'm coming.”Joy leaves while I wear my kimono over my nightie and keep my phone on my table.The sound of the TV is all I hear as I approach the living room and my heart begins to palpitate.Since I told my dad about my results, he's only spoken to me on general terms: either sent me on errands, asked me where certain things are and the likes of these. No word has been said about my bad result or his threat to take away my sewing machine, so I start to think this is the reason he calls for me.Joy enters the living room, sits on the armchair as I stand at the archway.

“Forgiveness,” the Head-pastor says. “It's the hardest thing for any human to do, yet the easiest thing for our God to do. God forgives so easily, that it amazes me every time. He killed that person, yet the simple fact that he's remorseful is enough to make God forgive him. There's no sin our father in heaven cannot forgive. As long as you are willing to repent; as long as you acknowledge your mistake, and you're willing to turn a new leaf, he's willing to forgive. Do you know why? It's because He loves us. He loves us so much that He's waiting for us, despite all that we do. He's waiting for us to make that right choice. “Just like He forgave David for stealing another man's wife, He forgave the prostitute who saved the Israelite spies. He also forgave the woman who committed adultery and was brought to him to be condemned. Just as He forgave these people and more, He's willing to forgive us.”***While mom and dad are b