Saved By Grace— Episode 5

AKILAHYEL’S POV

I left the General’s house with my jaw tight and my steps measured.

The gate closed behind me with a metallic finality that echoed longer than it should have. I don’t know why the encounter unsettled me. I had dealt with hostile environments. Armed confrontations. Real threats.

But that girl, Soteria had a way of stepping into my space like she had permission to be there.

And I did not like that.

I adjusted my cap as I walked toward my car. The sun was already high, clean and sharp. I inhaled slowly before unlocking the door.

I drove home in silence.

Naya was already dressed when I walked into the house.

She stood in the living room mirror adjusting her scarf, humming off-key to a gospel song playing faintly from her phone. When she saw me, she turned with a grin.

“AkilaHyel, you took long.”

“I had to meet up with one of my Ogas.” I said as i and walked past her toward the kitchen.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yes. I've been ready since.”

She rolled her eyes dramatically. I poured myself a glass of water and drank slowly.

She watched me over the rim of her mug.

“Let’s go na before you change your mind,” she said lightly.

I picked up my keys.

The drive to church was calm.

Traffic was moderate. 

Naya talked about random things.

A movie she wanted us to watch. A new smoothie recipe she saw online. How she might rearrange the sitting room.

I responded minimally. But I was listening.

I always listen to Naya. Always. 

Halfway through the drive, she lowered the music and glanced at me.

“You know,” she said casually, “I like that you come to church to mark your birthday.”

“I come to church every time.”

“Yes, but today is Special kenan . Sister Kwaala called. She said you've been unreachable. She asked that you call her after church."

I hummed in response and kept my eyes on the road. I missed Kwaala so much. She had always been my best friend right from when we were kids. People practically called us twins. Amongst the four of us, myself and her are the closest except for Naya who is everyone's baby. 

The church auditorium was already half full when we walked in.

The air carried a mixture of perfume, wood polish and faint cleaning agents. 

Naya walked slightly ahead of me, greeting a few persons she didn’t even know. I prefer anonymity so I kept quiet.

The worship started.

I stood. I sang. I did what I always do.

But my mind was elsewhere.

I looked at my baby sister beside me.

Naya.

She hasn’t stepped into a church in years. Life dealt so hard with her, people from our family church deserted her and tainted her name.  She decided to forsake the church and just worship God from home. 

According to her “I don't have strength for church people wahala. I'd rather connect online.”

So when she told me she wanted to come with me I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t want to scare the moment away.

“It’s your birthday weekend,” she had said last night, trying to sound casual. “Let me at least follow you to church. I just want to be with you.”

I had nodded because if I opened my mouth, I might have said too much.

Now we were seated halfway down the aisle. She looked… alert. Like someone who had walked into a room full of memories she wasn’t sure she wanted back.

The choir finished singing and the pastor stepped forward.

“Today’s message is titled Faith in God.”

I straightened slightly.

Faith.

“Trusting God with the big miracles is one thing,” he said. “Trusting Him with your quiet disappointments, your hidden fears, your unanswered prayers, that’s where faith lives.”

I felt Naya shift beside me.

The pastor opened to the story of Abraham.

“God promised Abraham a son. Years passed. Nothing happened. Still, Abraham believed. And when the promise finally came, Isaac, God asked him to lay that same promise down.”

The congregation was silent.

“Faith,” he continued, “is placing what you love on the altar and trusting that God is still good.”

I swallowed.

Naya’s breathing changed. It grew uneven.

“Some of you,” the pastor said, his voice softening, “are tired of carrying burdens you were never meant to carry alone. You think you have to fix yourself before God can love you. But He loves you now. Not the future version. Not the healed version. You.”

I turned slightly.

Tears were sitting in her eyes. She blinked like she was fighting them.

“Faith is not pretending you’re strong,” the pastor said. “Faith is saying, ‘God, I cannot do this anymore. Take it.’”

A tear slipped down her cheek. And something inside me tightened.

When the altar call came, I didn’t expect her to stand. But she did. Slowly.

Like every step forward was heavier than the last.

I watched her walk down that aisle and I don’t think I’ve ever felt my heart beat that loud. I kept whispering prayers for her. 

She knelt down and then she broke. Not quiet tears.

She folded forward and sobbed. Her shoulders shook so hard I had to grip the edge of the pew. She covered her face like she was ashamed of how much was coming out of her.

An usher knelt beside her. Someone handed her water. The pastor’s wife prayed over her gently.

I couldn’t move.

I’ve seen my sister angry. I’ve seen her sarcastic. I’ve seen her pretend nothing affects her.

I’ve never seen her surrender.

She cried like something was being pulled out of her chest. Years of running. Years of silence. Years of carrying things she never told me about.

And all I could think was,

Thank You, Jesus.

Thank You for bringing her back to you.

When she finally stood and walked back, her face was swollen and red, but there was a softness there I haven’t seen in a long time.

She sat down beside me. I didn’t ask questions.

I just pulled her into me.

She melted into my chest like she had been waiting for that.

I held her tighter than I meant to.

I was overwhelmed, grateful and relieved.

God, You just saved my sister. Thank you. 

And then, quietly, like a whisper that didn’t belong

What about you? Have you fully accepted Me?

My jaw tightened.

That sermon wasn’t for me. I pushed it aside. Today was hers.

After service, she was quiet. Too quiet.

We walked to the car in silence. She held her bag loosely, staring at nothing in particular.

“You’re really quiet,” I said once we were inside.

She gave me a small smile. “i am just… thinking.”

“I don’t think I like this version of you,” I told her. “You’re usually disturbing my peace. Asking too many questions. Interrogating me like you’re in the army.”

A faint laugh escaped her.

“There,” I said softly. “That one. I prefer that one.”

She leaned her head back. “It was just a lot.”

I nodded.

“What are we doing now?” I asked. “Since yesterday didn’t count.” I wanted to make her happy, cheer her up. 

“Can we stop for groceries?” she said.

I stared at her. “Groceries?”

“I feel like cooking.”

I shook my head but started the engine.

Inside the supermarket, she moved slower than usual. Picking things carefully. Pausing in between aisles like she was still somewhere else.

I watched her from behind.

Her shoulders were slightly curved inward. Like she was still carrying something invisible.

The sermon reached her. I know it did.

And again, that whisper came.

How about you? When will you fully surrender?

I exhaled sharply and looked away.

At the checkout counter, she placed the groceries on the belt. I stood slightly behind her, scanning the area absentmindedly.

Then I saw her

Soteria.

Why do I have to see this girl everywhere I go? Is she stalking me??

When our eyes met, it was brief. 

I gave the smallest nod and turned my face away.

Strangers.

She quickly walked up to the counter and turned to Naya instead.

I froze instantly. What was she trying to do?

“Oh hi,” she said warmly to Naya. “I love your scarf. Where did you get it from??.”

Naya brightened a little. “Hii…Thank you. My brother got it for me.” she pointed at me 

“Oh,” Soteria smiled and then looked at me. “He’s your brother?”

“Yes,” Naya said happily. “My name is Naya. This is my brother, AkilaHyel.”

“My name Is Soteria,” she said, extending her hand toward Naya. 

“Nice to meet you,”  Naya replied evenly, taking her hand for the shortest second before letting go. She was not a fan of meeting new people. 

She smiled politely.

“Nice meeting you both,” Soteria said, stepping back slightly.

For a moment, I thought she was leaving.

She turned. Took two steps. Then paused.

I watched her shoulders shift slightly like she had just remembered something.

She turned back.

“Oh—actually,” she said, looking at Naya, not me. “I just thought of something. I run an NGO. We do community outreaches, support programs, things like that. I’m always looking for volunteers. If you ever feel like being part of something meaningful, I’d love to have you join us.”

Naya’s face lit up instantly. I didn't like where this was going. 

“Really?”

“Yes,” Soteria smiled. “It’s small for now, but we’re building. And you seem like someone with a good heart.”

Naya glanced at me quickly, then back at her. “I would love that.”

My grip tightened slightly on the grocery bag.

Soteria nodded, pleased. “Perfect. Let me give you my number.”

They exchanged contacts.

I stood there, silent.

Soteria finally looked at me. Just for a second but there was something in her eyes. Like she knew what she was doing.

Then she smiled politely again and walked away.

Naya turned to me, almost excited. “That’s so nice, right? I was just praying I wouldn’t go back to doing nothing with myself. Maybe this is good.”

I forced a small nod.

“Yeah,” I said calmly. “Maybe it is.”

Anything to make her happy. 

SOTERIA'S POV

Hunger has a way of rearranging plans.

My assistant and I had just finished a job at a client’s house close by. It was one of those old-money estates that pretends it doesn’t care about aesthetics but will argue with you over the exact shade of marble veining. I had spent hours smiling, nodding, sketching adjustments, reassuring a woman that her living room would not collapse emotionally if we changed her chandelier.

By the time we stepped out, my head was buzzing.

“I’m starving,” I muttered, sliding my sunglasses up.

“There’s a supermarket across,” my assistant said. “They have good pastries, ma.”

Sold. 

We drove there and I got down. The moment we walked in, the cool air hit my face. I grabbed a basket and headed toward the ready-to-eat section, mentally listing what I needed at that time.

Bread. Juice. Something sweet.

Then I saw him.

He was standing near the checkout counter, slightly behind a girl in a soft-colored scarf.

Even from behind, he was impossible to miss.

My steps slowed. My heart did that annoying little skip.

He hadn’t seen me yet.

Good.

I studied him for a second. He wasn’t in uniform, but you could still tell. There’s a way he carries himself with so much confidence and aura.

The girl in front of him laughed softly at something the cashier said.

I felt something sharp flicker in my chest.

Girlfriend?

The thought annoyed me more than it should have.

I don’t know why it bothered me. It’s not like he owes me anything. He doesn’t even like me. He barely acknowledges my existence.

Still.

The idea irritated me.

Fine. Let’s play.

I adjusted my hair slightly, fixed my face into my brightest smile, and walked toward them. If she was his girlfriend, I was about to find out.

I made sure my steps were deliberate, confident and unhurried. He noticed me just before I got there.

Our eyes met for half a second and he gave the tiniest nod.

Stranger.

Ah. 

So we’re pretending.

Okay.

I turned my full attention to the girl instead.

“Oh hi,” I said warmly to her.

“I love your scarf. Where did you get it from??.”

She looked pleasantly surprised. “Hii…Thank you. My brother got it for me.” she pointed at him 

Brother.

Brother.

The relief that flooded me was embarrassing.

I had to stop myself from smiling too wide.

“Oh,” I said, letting my voice soften. “He’s your brother?”

“Yes,” she beamed. “My name is Naya. This is my brother, AkilaHyel.”

My heart did another skip at hearing his name from her lips like that. Casual and familiar.

I looked at him like we had never met in our lives.

“My name Is Soteria,” I said, extending my hand toward the lady. 

“Nice to meet you,”  she replied evenly, taking my hand in hers for a second or two. 

I looked at him but his face didn’t change.

Nothing in his eyes betrayed recognition.

If I didn’t know better, I would think he truly didn’t remember me.

I held his gaze a second longer than necessary.

Just to see if I could make him uncomfortable but he didn’t flinch.

Mtchewwww.. very annoying man.

“Nice meeting you both,” I said lightly.

I stepped away.

Two steps.

Three.

I should have left it there.

But as I walked, my mind started racing.

You just confirmed she’s his sister.

You walked away like that?

Are you okay?

Opportunity was standing at a checkout counter, and I was about to let it go because I didn’t know what to say next?

No.

I turned back.

It was impulsive. I didn’t even fully think it through.

“Oh—actually,” I said, looking at the sister, not him. “I just remembered something.”

They both looked at me but I kept my eyes on her.

“I just thought of something. I run an NGO,” I began smoothly. “We do community outreaches, support programs, things like that. I’m always looking for volunteers. If you ever feel like being part of something meaningful, I’d love to have you join us.”

Her face lit up instantly.

“Really?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “It’s small for now, but we’re building. And you seem like someone with a good heart.”

She looked genuinely excited.

“I would love that,” she said quickly.

Good. Very good.

“Perfect. Let me give you my number,” I said.

We exchanged contacts.

The entire time, I could feel him there

He was calm and neutral.

But there was something in his eyes.

Calculation.

He knew. Ohhhhh he absolutely knew what I was doing.

And that made it even more satisfying.

After I walked away for real this time, I felt lighter.

Almost giddy.

I didn’t know what was wrong with me.

Why does it matter so much that he doesn’t like you?

It shouldn’t.

Not everybody has to like you, Soteria.

But that’s the thing.

I don’t mind if someone doesn’t adore me.

I just don’t like indifference.

And he treats me like I don’t exist.

Which is ridiculous.

Because I very much do. I exist.

I reached the pastry section and picked up a sandwich, but my mind wasn’t on food anymore.

I was replaying the interaction.

Fine.

If he won’t react to me directly, I’ll go around.

Through his sister.

I smiled to myself.

I wanted to worry him a little.

To make him wonder what I was up to.

To see him even slightly unsettled.

I don’t even know why.

Maybe because when he’s unsettled, he’ll at least feel something about me.

Maybe because I want him to be friendly.

As I paid for my food, I caught a glimpse of them walking toward the exit.

He carried the grocery bags.

She walked beside him, talking animatedly.

He bent slightly to hear her better.

And he smiled.

Softly.

It wasn’t a big smile.

But it was real.

Ehennnn…So he can smile.

Interesting.

I stepped out into the sunlight and exhaled slowly.

I glanced down at my phone where her number sat saved.

Naya.

I smiled.

Oh, Captain.

You may not know it yet.

But I’m not done trying.

Authors note: Soteria ooooo!!!!!

Can somebody help me knock some sense into this young lady.

Na by force???

Leave this man alone!!!

Focus on your baby— Ayoola oooo😒😒