Joshua Rhoda @oluwaseun_01

I did not know whether I should run away or scream. I felt my legs trembling profusely. This man was huge, he looked like a Dwayne Johnson in a black skin .

I looked at him straight in the eyes and met his gaze. I noticed his eyes were fixed on my chest. I was about to asked him who the heck he was when I heard footsteps again, this time it was the woman who brought me here that was coming down from the stairs with a tray in her hands. It must be food I guess, I really needed to eat because I was d.ead famished.

"Oh!" She uttered as she headed for the dinning table..." Honey I'm so sorry for not informing you about our guest; I picked her up today at the motor park"

The man did not even move a muscle, he just smiled at me and made his way to the dinning table. ..." Join us for lunch" he said in his thick voice as he hanged his coat at the back of the chair he was sitting on.

"Yes come and join us" the woman beckoned too.

I dropped my bag by the corner of the sofa and gently walked towards the dining table. They were both looking at me as I walked to join them. The woman took out a plate and dished out food for me. It was egusi and eba. I really needed something like this and I was hallucinating already.

When she placed the food in front of me, I hurriedly washed my hands and dug into it like a hungry soul who hasn't eaten for five years. My gosh! the food was tasty, who ever made this meal must be very good at it. I have never in my life had something like this to eat. Thick egusi soup with two large pieces of goat meat garnished with small small pieces of fish ; where I come from, soups are often times very watery and you would hardly find meat in our meals,

They let me eat to my full. The woman even added extra when I was done...." Eat my dear" she said smiling......" You are really hungry I guess"

I did not even respond to her, I was busy with the food, my worry was just the man who has not touched his food yet. He was just looking at me with a face void of emotions. "Should I be concerned?" I asked myself in whispers as I swallowed the eba I had in my mouth. That was the last of it and I made sure to lick my plate clean.

"Drink water" the man said. "You might choke" he added.

I looked at him for a while and then shifted my gaze to the woman who nodded in agreement. I reach out my hand and grabbed the bottle of water and drank cautiously.

Something is not right, I could feel it in my spirit. There's something fishy about this people.

"Did you say you are a pastor's wife?" I asked boldly like an investigative journalist.

" Oh yes" she replied wearing a smile on her face. " I'm so sorry I did not introduce myself earlier on, you never did too, but by the way, I'm Mrs jala aguiche and this is my husband Ian aguiche the senior pastor of word of life international"

"I'm sure you must have heard about word of life before " the man said as he began to eat his food.

"Not at all" I responded....."my first time actually "

"Really?" He said as he raised a ball of eba to his mouth.

"Tell us about yourself too" Mrs jala requested. " We have to know you too if you must stay with us"

"Stay with us?" Ian asked, almost choking. He quickly reached out for a bottle of water filled his cup to drink.

I looked at him and he was looking at me too while he drank the water.

When he was done drinking, he cleared his throat and turned to his wife.

"Honey we cannot just bring up a stranger from the street and house them under our roof just like that. The world has become something else lately"

"But she is stranded " she replied him compassionately

They kept at it for a while and I just sat there looking at them both as they argued about whether to let me stay or let me go. Clearly, the man was scared, but how can huge man like this be scared of what a fifteen years old girl could do. Is he that weak?

"It's fine " I screamed at them both....." It's okay, you don't have to argue about whether I'm staying or not, I'm a stranger and I don't belong here so I guess I'd have to go. Thanks for the meal"

I stood up to go but the woman dragged me back and asked me to sit down for a minute. She then beckoned on her husband to follow her. He stood up swiftly and I sensed a form of agitation. They both disappeared into a room just by the corner of the dinning area.

I just sat there with my eyes fixed on the door. It was now that It was beginning to hit me that I made a mistake to just run away to the city without connection. What if they don't allow me to stay with them here tonight, how would I do this night? Where would I sleep? Ian has afore mentioned that it is terrible out there in the streets. How would a fifteen years old girl like me survive out there in the dark?........"i won't survive a night " i whispered as tears began to roll down my face.

Tbc.....