"Where are you rushing to, Bianca?"

Mr Alao inquires from Bianca who jumps out of the car immediately after the family arrives home from church on a Sunday.

It was the day after she slept over at Hannah's house, and she was in a hurry to write in the diary since she hasn't had the opportunity to. She stops in her tracks to respond to her father's question.

"Inside, Dad. I just remembered I have an assignment due for submission tomorrow."

Frowning his face,

"Why haven't you attended to it before now? Was the purpose of the sleepover you had at Hannah's house not to study? Why didn't you do your assignment with her as part of studying?"

"Yes, why didn't you? How can you just be rushing to do an assignment that is meant to be submitted tomorrow? I have always told you to be punctual in everything you do."

Mrs Alao contributes.

"That's not it, Mom and Dad, I studied all night with Hannah, and attended to the piles of assignments we were given at school. The teachers have been tasking us real hard in preparation for our upcoming exams. I barely slept and you know we had to go to church this morning, I couldn't attend to it before now."

Consenting after listening to her,

"It's fine, darling you can go. Take your time and attend to it properly. Before I forget, we invited the reverend to dinner this evening. I suppose you would be done by then."

Mr Alao says using the remote to lock the car doors.

"Yeah, sure, Dad. I would be done long before he comes."

Beaming, she runs into the house hastily unlocking the front door, running all the way up to her room. She quickly undresses and takes out her diary from her school backpack. She wanted to quickly write down everything that happened between Hannah and her, at the sleepover before she forgot. Almost feeling guilty from the little lie she told her parents about her assignment, she shrugs it off as soon as she starts writing.

𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓭𝓲𝓪𝓻𝔂,

𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓪 𝓼𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓱'𝓼 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝔂𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓭𝓪𝔂, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓯𝓾𝓵𝓯𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓻 𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷 𝓘 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝓮𝓽. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓸, 𝔀𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝔂𝓶𝓮𝓷 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓷. 𝓘 𝓫𝓪𝓭𝓵𝔂 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴 𝓲𝓽, 𝓼𝓸, 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓵𝔂 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓽𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓶 𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓼𝓸, 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓫𝓮. 𝓦𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓲𝓭, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓭𝓸 𝔀𝓮? 𝓐𝓷𝔂𝔀𝓪𝔂, 𝔀𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓿𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓪, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮. 𝓜𝔂 𝓲𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓻 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓶 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓬𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼. 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓼𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓯𝓾𝓷 𝓮𝔃𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓫𝓼, 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓮, 𝓲𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷. 𝓘 𝓪𝓵𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓻𝓸𝓹, 𝓗𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓱 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓪 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓻. 𝓘 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓸 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰, 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓪𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓵𝔂, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓾𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭  𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓭𝔂......𝓵𝓸𝓵

𝓑𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓘 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓽, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓵𝓲𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓶𝓫! 𝓦𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓼 𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓽. 𝓘 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓼𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓻 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻. 𝓘 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝔂 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓮. 𝓘𝓽 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓵𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓪 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓭𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰.

𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓗𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓱 𝓲𝓷 𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓵 𝓽𝓸𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓻𝓸𝔀, 𝔀𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓼𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽. 𝓘 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓵𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝔂.

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽'𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓸𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓭𝓲𝓪𝓻𝔂, 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓾𝓹𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓸𝓸𝓷.....

Bianca closed her diary and stood up to put it in her school backpack. She leaves the room, heading down the stairs to help her mother start the preparation for dinner in the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom. What's cooking?"

She asks, a smile on her face.

Mrs Also looks up from the stew she's stirring in the pot.

"I'm just getting started on dinner, the reverend would be here by five. I want everything to be in order before he arrives."

"Isn't five too early for dinner?"

She asks moving over to the sink to wash plates.

"I thought so too but he said he had another family to visit, and he also needs to stop by the orphanage before dark. The man is so kind, he makes it a point of duty to check up on everyone. He's the very epitome of godliness."

"True, Mom. I wonder how he makes time for himself, he's always somewhere easing someone's burden."

"It's his calling, I just thank God for him, he has been such a dependable pillar in the church and the community at large. Do you know he single-handedly runs a charity organisation for the less privileged? May God continue to bless and keep him for us."

"Amen, Mom. By the way, where's Dad?"

Looking over her shoulder and motioning with her hand,

"He should be in the bedroom. He said he needs to rest before the reverend comes. He had a really hectic week, and hasn't been able to rest since."

"He really deserves it." 

She arranges the two plates she just washed on the plate rack, after drying them and wiping her hands with a napkin,

"What else do you need me to do?"

"Nothing as such, you could just stay and keep me company. Are you through with your assignment? No problems with it I hope."

"I'm all done, Mom. It's ready for submission tomorrow."

Nodding approvingly, "that's good. So, how's your schoolwork in general? No difficulties from any angle I hope."

"None at all, it's all going really well."

"How's Hannah? How did your sleepover with her go? You never did tell me."

Flashing her teeth briefly,

"It went well, we studied all night long and we even covered some bases we haven't been thought in school."

"That's so good. I am impressed, Hannah is such a wonderful girl. You really should invite her over one of these days."

She says turning around to reduce the heat of the cooker.

"I will, Mom."

Sensing an opportunity she hadn't thought of before,

"There's something I want to talk to you about."

She turns away from the cooker and looks at Bianca expectantly,

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have been thinking of having more sleepovers at Hannah's place, maybe like every weekend. I just realised studying together is going to be very effective in preparing for my upcoming exams. I don't want to leave any stone unturned in my preparation. What do you think?"

She scrunches her face in thought,

"Sounds like a good idea. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but your father needs to be informed too. If he's okay with it, then you are good to go."

Barely keeping her excitement in check from knowing convincing her father is going to be a piece of cake, she smiles happily.

"Thanks, Mom, I promise not to disappoint you. I am going to have the best results in the entire state."

Returning her smile, she pats her back affectionately.

"I have no doubt about that, it goes without saying.  You have always made us proud, and I'm certain you would continue to.

A few hours later, the table has been set, and the Reverend Father Joe, a clean-shaven, handsome man with low cut hair in his mid-forties, is seated at the dining table with the Alao family, dishing advice and making easy conversation.

Turning to Bianca who has been silent since the beginning of dinner, lost in thought of Hannah,

"So, Bianca, why aren't you in the choir? Judging by your voice, you would surely have the gift of singing for the lord."

She shifts uncomfortably in her seat,

"I don't know, father. I just haven't given it much thought. It has never crossed my mind."

Nodding understandably, he forks a piece of meat into his mouth,

"You should give it a thought and let me know what you think."

Turning to her parents,

"We really need to put our gifts into good use for the glory of God. Bianca is a such a well-behaved girl, I have no doubt she would be an added blessing to the church choir."

Mr and Mrs Also who are always mesmerized by the reverend father's words agree immediately.

"Of course, father. I would personally drive her to practice next week. The thought had never crossed our minds before, but now that you mention it, we would surely do something about it."

Mr Alao says smiling sheepishly. He turns to face his wife,

"Oor what do you think darling?"

As much under the reverend father's sway as her husband, she nods her head eagerly in agreement. 

"I totally agree, she would be in church for practice next week."

"That's good to hear. Young people need direction early in life, and since we can help it, guiding them towards the lord is the right thing to do."

Pausing to take a drink of water,

"You do know that I hold counselling sessions for teenagers in the church? Bianca can always join if she's interested. It helps to catch them young."

Eager to please their guest, Mr Alao nods his consent.

"Of course, she's interested. Why wouldn't she be? When do these counselling sessions take place and where father?"

"It takes place twice a week in church, and sometimes at the mission house for the benefit of the teens living with me."

"Oh! We didn't know that. Count her in father, she's going to be a part of the counselling. She sure needs direction, and yours is the best."

Mrs Alao contributes.

"It's settled then. I expect to see more of her. "

The reverend sets his cutleries down to indicate the end of his meal.

Mrs Alao and Bianca stand up to clear the dishes as everyone at the table had already finished eating, and were only waiting for the reverend to finish too.

"Thanks for the meal, Madam. It was delicious."

The reverend compliments Mrs Alao wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"You are welcome, Father."

The reverend drops the napkin and addresses Bianca.

"Please, Bianca, come talk with me for a few minutes when you are done with the dishes."

"Okay, sir,"

She replies turning round to head into the kitchen, dishes in hand.

"Just drop the dishes in the sink, I would do them. Go and talk with the reverend father. I'm sure he has other places to be."

Her mother says following her into the kitchen.

She soon reappears and sits on the chair opposite the reverend's own. Her father excuses them and goes into the kitchen most likely to gossip with his wife.

"So, Bianca, how are you doing?"

Smiling shyly,

"I am doing good, sir. Thanks for taking the time to visit us, we really appreciate it."

Waving away her thanks and smiling broadly,

"I t's my responsibility, I'm only doing the lord's work. How has the school been?"

"School has been fine sir."

"That's good, I hear about your performances in school from your parents all the time. I am as proud of you as they are. Keep making us proud and the sky will definitely be your limit by God's grace."

"Amen, sir."

"Tell me, has there been any distraction at school?"

"None whatsoever sir. Everything has been going smoothly, thank God."

Wearing a serious look and fondling the rosary on his neck, he rests a hand on the table.

*Are you sure? You see, distraction comes in various forms, there is the distraction of the mind, another of the soul and of course distraction of the body. You need to be aware of these distractions and know how to prevent them, and if they have been happening, how to stop them. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

Fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat, 

"I haven't been experiencing any distractions, sir. My school work is progressing smoothly, and everything is in order."

"I am sure about that, but I am not really laying emphasis on the school work now, I am talking about your personal life. You could be experiencing distractions and not even know that you are. How is your personal life? What have you been doing with yourself?"

Frowning her face in confusion,

"I haven't been doing anything with myself except studying, sir."

Clicking his tongue,

"Are you sure? Because you see, you need the holy spirit's guidance at this fragile and impressionable stage of your life."

Leaning back in his seat, he stares intently at her.

"How old are you now, Bianca?"

Scratching her neck uncomfortably in a nervous gesture, she looks down at her feet not wanting to meet his gaze.

"I am fifteen, sir, I would be sixteen in a few months."

"I see. Let me just ask you directly since you want to be coy about it, do you have a boyfriend? Have you been involved with any male? Do you have any male friend? Has anyone been laying their hands on you? Have you given in to the temptation of the flesh?"

She begins to rub her palms that have started sweating heavily together, looking left and right for an escape, uncomfortable with his line of questioning.

"I haven't sir."

He stares her down for a few seconds as if trying to determine if she's telling the truth.

She on her part avoids his gaze and instead stares at the ceiling praying for a miracle to escape his presence.

He backs down and smiles sweetly at her.

*You are a very good girl, and I am sure the spirit of God resides in you. You should definitely come for my counselling, you need it." 

He stands and calls out for her parents who both emerge from the kitchen.

He announces his departure after joining hands with them in prayer. He prayed for a full five minutes, speaking in tongues and banishing the devil.

The whole family sees him off to the door and say their thanks. Bianca runs up the stairs as soon as he leaves to call Hannah and tell her about all that happened.