Chapter 5
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She tried to ask him why he was acting so cold, but at first, he said nothing. Instead, he simply started packing his things, his movements sharp and deliberate, before announcing, "I'm going home."
Although Esther was secretly relieved that he was leaving, she couldn't ignore the nagging need to understand what had triggered his sudden change in attitude. After much prodding, he finally snapped.
"I didn't know you were such a loose woman, dating men old enough to be your father," he spat. "I've heard all about your involvement with several military officers here. This is not the kind of woman I planned to settle down with. I've lost interest - I'm going back to Lagos."
The words hit Esther like a slap. It wasn't his decision to leave that unsettled her - it was the blatant lie he had swallowed whole. She took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm, though her anger bubbled just beneath the surface like steam from a boiling pot.
"Going back to Lagos isn't the issue here," she said, her voice measured but firm. "But let's get one thing straight - I am not a loose woman. I don't know where you got that ridiculous idea, but let me make this clear: I'm not dating anyone. Yes, men have asked me out - that's normal - but I have never and will never entertain married men. I take my time before making such decisions, and I certainly wouldn't throw my values away like that!"
Just as she finished speaking, one of the commandant's orderlies stepped in.
"The Commandant is asking for you," he announced.
The timing couldn't have been worse. Pastor Anthony's expression darkened as if her guilt had just been sealed with a stamp.
"You can go," he said coolly. "But I'm leaving first thing in the morning."
His tone carried a finality that sent a sharp pang through Esther's chest. He didn't believe her. He regretted coming to Kaduna, and from the look in his eyes, she could tell - he had suspected from the very beginning that she hadn't wanted him there.
He said a lot more, words that blurred together in her mind, each one chipping away at what little hope she had left. She tried to convince him, but as she spoke, she quickly realized she was wasting her breath. His mind was made up.
And just like that, everything crumbled before her eyes.
Chapter 6
As Esther walked toward the commandant's office, she suddenly remembered that the Colonel had requested to see her. She quickened her pace, her thoughts swirling like leaves in the wind. Just as she neared the building, the orderly, a lieutenant, caught her attention with an unexpected comment.
"I've seen the way you keep turning down the Commandant's advances," he said, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "But there's something you should know - something very few people are aware of."
Esther paused, curiosity piqued.
"The Colonel is a widower," the lieutenant continued. "He lost his wife five years ago, but not many people know because he was only recently posted to Kaduna. He's not the kind of man who flirts around. But ever since you arrived, his attention has been on you."
Esther's heart skipped a beat. The revelation was unexpected. The lieutenant went on to encourage her, insisting that the Colonel was a good man and that she should at least consider giving him a chance.
When she finally saw the Colonel, she wasted no time in getting to the point. "I heard something today, and I'd like to know if it's true," she said, meeting his gaze. "Did you really lose your wife five years ago?"
The commandant exhaled deeply before nodding. "Yes, it's true," he admitted. "But that's not why I've been asking you out, Esther. I like you - not out of loneliness, but because I genuinely see something special in you."
His honesty caught her off guard, and she found herself respecting his candor. "I'll think about it," she said finally, offering him a small smile before excusing herself.
Back at the hostel, she mulled over the situation. The Colonel was a good man - by all accounts, a man of honor. Besides, people already assumed they were involved. Maybe, just maybe, there was something worth considering here.
Only time would tell.
Chapter 7
The romance between Esther and the Colonel was the talk of the camp. It was the envy of every corper - especially the women who had harbored hopes of winning his heart. The men, on the other hand, were livid, grumbling among themselves that she had the Colonel wrapped around her little finger.
Despite his reputation for being a disciplined and no-nonsense leader, it was clear to everyone that the Colonel was utterly smitten. He treated Esther like a queen, and their bond was undeniable. They spent beautiful moments together - she sometimes stayed over, they dined at exclusive places, laughed over shared jokes, and built a friendship that was as solid as a rock.
Age difference be damned, the Colonel came down to her level effortlessly. He booked her flights whenever she needed to travel to Lagos, ensuring her comfort was never compromised. Their relationship was not just about romance; it was a learning experience. She soaked up his wisdom like a sponge, and he, in turn, discovered new perspectives through her youthful exuberance.
But just when she thought things were smooth sailing, the past came knocking.
Two months into their relationship, something unexpected happened. Esther's phone rang. She glanced at the screen and hesitated - Pastor Anthony.
Curious, she answered. The voice on the other end was drenched in regret.
"Esther, please... I am so sorry. I was wrong about everything. Please give me another chance. I will do anything," he pleaded.
Esther scoffed, shaking her head. The audacity!
"It's too late, Pastor Anthony," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You were the one who ended things, not me. I've moved on. I'm with someone else now."
But the man wouldn't let up. Call after call, message after message - he bombarded her with apologies, pouring out his remorse like a broken dam.
The Colonel, who had overheard the entire conversation, remained calm. When she hung up, he turned to her with a steady gaze.
"What do you want to do, Esther?" he asked, his voice even. "I won't force you to do anything."
She looked at him, her heart steady. The past was in the past. She had already made her choice.
Chapter 8
Over the weekend, Esther returned to the hostel, expecting a quiet evening, but what she walked into was anything but. A cluster of her friends was gathered, engaged in what seemed to be an intense discussion. As soon as she stepped in, they beckoned her over, their faces lit with excitement.
Something about their energy felt off, but she shrugged it off and went along with it.
The moment she opened her door, they poured in like a flood, piling onto her bed - more than fifteen of them. She raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-suspicious.
"Wow! Did you all miss me that much that you had to hold a reunion in my room?" she teased.
They giggled but quickly got back to their discussion. It was about relationships - specifically, the age-old debate: who makes a better partner, an older man or a younger man?
Some argued that a younger, God-fearing man was the ideal choice - one who didn't drink, didn't smoke, and followed Christian principles. They reasoned that such a man would never raise his hands against his wife, and together, they could build a future from the ground up.
Esther listened, though something in her gut told her there was more to this gathering than just idle talk. And soon enough, the other shoe dropped.
The door creaked open.
She turned her head, and there he was - Pastor Anthony.
Her heart nearly stopped.
Before she could react, he fell flat on the floor, his hands stretched out in supplication, his voice shaking with emotion.
"Please, Esther! I'm sorry!" His cries filled the room, his body shaking like a leaf in the wind. "Please, I made a mistake. Forgive me!"
Esther's breath caught in her throat.
Oh. My. God. This was a setup.
It all clicked into place - the strange discussion, the way they had lured her into her room, the collective effort to hold her attention. Pastor Anthony had orchestrated the entire thing! He had been waiting in the shadows, pulling the strings like a desperate puppeteer.
Her friends immediately sprang into action, pleading on his behalf, their voices overlapping in a chorus of persuasion.
"Esther, please, give him another chance."
"He has realized his mistake. Isn't that what matters?"
"You know he's a younger man, a Christian! He fears God - he won't lead you astray."
Bisola and Rachel, her closest friends, looked at her earnestly. If anyone could convince her, it was them.
Esther clenched her fists. They wanted her to forgive and reconcile with him. They even went as far as suggesting that she should "gently and slowly" break things off with the Colonel by the end of the service year.
Her head spun.
Oh my God, she thought. This isn't happening.
The room was spinning with voices, emotions running high, and there she stood in the center of it all, her patience hanging by a thread.
Esther was taken aback when two of her closest friends suggested she give Pastor Anthony another chance. She had poured her heart out to them, shared every bump and bruise of her history with him, yet here they were—rooting for a man who had once broken her spirit. They claimed he had turned over a new leaf, that his change of heart seemed genuine, and that perhaps he deserved a second chance. Esther, torn between her emotions and reason, nodded and said she’d think about it. But deep down, she had already buried that idea six feet under.
She decided to continue seeing the Colonel. He had done nothing to deserve being pushed aside. She was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea—on one hand, there was a man she trusted, and on the other, a man her heart once fluttered for but no longer recognized.
In the depths of her soul, Esther knew the idea of becoming a pastor’s wife left a sour taste in her mouth. She imagined the restrictions, the scrutiny, the never-ending expectations—it wasn’t the life she had dreamed of. With the passage of time, weeks folded into months, and months rolled into years. Before she knew it, her NYSC year had ended like a flash in the pan.
Saying goodbye to the Colonel felt like pulling teeth. He bought her a flight ticket back to Lagos, promised to keep in touch, and swore he’d check in whenever he was in town. Esther returned to Lagos—the land of reality, where decisions could no longer be swept under the rug. And waiting for her was a familiar dilemma: what to do about Pastor Anthony?
What complicated matters further was the fact that, in her absence, Pastor Anthony had wormed his way into the hearts of her family. He often stopped by to say hello, brought little gifts, helped around the house, and even assisted her younger sister with her final year project at UNILAG. Her sister sang his praises like a broken record, saying, “He’s humble, helpful, and genuinely cares.” To the outsider, they could easily pass for a couple, but her sister would always laugh and say she was just helping her big sister keep an eye on him.
“Don’t forget, the Colonel is much older,” her sister would often say. “And what if he never reaches out again? Pastor Anthony is young, present, and frankly, I like him.”
Back at her home church, The King's Throne Room, Esther was greeted like royalty. Rumors of an impending engagement began swirling like wildfire. People talked as though wedding bells were just around the corner. Esther simply went with the flow, though something inside her felt unsettled. She had prayed, asked God for a sign, and then came the dream—Anthony had appeared. So maybe, just maybe, this was God's will?
Not long after, Esther landed a job as a language teacher at a private school in the heart of Surulere, close to where Pastor Anthony lived. Her charm and grace made her the darling of both staff and students, and within a short time, she had carved a niche for herself.
A year later, wedding preparations began in earnest—three months down the line. But just when the wheels were turning smoothly, the Colonel walked back into her life. He was in Lagos and had come to see her. She was happy to see him—her heart skipped a beat—but something had changed. Her emotions were now buried under layers of duty and commitment to Pastor Anthony.
When the Colonel tried to rekindle the flame, Esther broke the news: she had moved on. She told him she felt he had dragged his feet and failed to show he was serious. The Colonel confessed that he had hesitated because he feared he was too old and that her family might not approve. They parted ways at the restaurant, each carrying a suitcase of regrets.
Esther trudged on with Pastor Anthony. But cracks soon appeared in their perfect picture. She noticed he would go out of his way to please her, often bending over backwards to keep her happy. At first, she thought he was just a gentleman. But the more she poked, the more he seemed on edge—as though walking on eggshells.
Then, one fateful evening, the mask slipped.
She had asked him a simple question about his side job with the local government and his plan to go into full-time ministry. She voiced her concern about how he’d sustain himself. That was all it took. Like a storm cloud suddenly bursting, he raised his hand and struck her.
The slap hit her like a bolt from the blue.
Esther was stunned—rooted to the spot. The red flags she had ignored all came crashing down like a house of cards. She had sworn never to tolerate abuse; growing up, she had seen women beaten down—physically and emotionally—and vowed never to walk that path. Her mind screamed: “Run!”
She called off the engagement immediately.
The entire house went into a frenzy. Her siblings rushed over. Her mother and aunt, having witnessed the aftermath, rebuked Pastor Anthony. He knelt, begged, cried rivers, but Esther’s heart was made of stone that day. “I’m not going to marry a man who raises his hand to me,” she declared with finality.
Ironically, the engagement was just a month away. But she took it as a divine warning—a sign from above that she had been walking into a trap. The doubts she had once brushed aside now screamed for attention. Though everyone tried to persuade her to forgive, she had made up her mind.
And once Esther made up her mind, there was no turning back.