Second semester of the same academic session.
"I can't be late for Dr Adams' lecture," Mandy said as she hurried down to their lecture hall beside Ifes who was wondering why it had to be so far from their dorm. Mandy's car chose today, of all days, not to be of good use to the duo.
Ifes was jogging, running and walking all at once to catch up with Mandy's pace. Mandy seemed to have started working out to put her through this. Couldn't she even wait up? Perspiration had begun to form under their armpits as the blazing morning sun shone on them. So much for vitamin D!
"Thank you, Jesus!" they said when Dr Adams walked in a few seconds after their arrival.
Their eyes met and they started laughing as they reminisced about what happened back in the dorm room.
Ifes had poured liquid moisture on the floor, so that Mandy would slip off the ground when she walked on it, and get her dress stained.
That morning, Mandy had dressed up before her, and had wanted to start nagging like she did the previous day. Ifes had to do something to keep her quiet.
"You are responsible for this right?" Mandy had winced painfully. Knowing Ifes too well, she gave her a questioning look.
Ifes laughed so hard when she saw the expression on Mandy's face. Mischievous victory was the best.
Mandy was close to tears, but joined Ifes in laughing too. Her clothes were stained, she had to change the clothes before leaving for lectures. That gave Ifes enough time to dress up, and even finish before her.
Dr Adams was a no-nonsense man, strict and as straight as a rod. He was rude too. They knew better than to come late to his lectures.
"Okay students, this is where we will be drawing the curtain for today. But before I take my leave, I want to inform you that we will be having our test soon."
Dr Adams was as pale as a ghost, tall, green-eyed, and had a paunch. He would have been handsome for his age if not that he was always frowning. His husky voice always boomed as if he were an angry god ready to mete out his wrath upon his subjects. He was always in charge of his lecture; nobody dared to joke or have fun in his class.
Removing his recommended glasses from his eyes, he walked out of the hall.
Students stood to use the exit door. Mandy and Ifes did the same. They walked halfway to the door when they heard Bradley's voice calling from behind.
"Hi, gals!"
"Hi, Bradley," they said simultaneously.
"I see you girls are off to your dormitory?"
They nodded affirmatively.
"I saw you girls running into the lecture hall this morning, then I noticed that you didn't drive your car. So, let's go to my car. I'd like to drop you off."
"Okay, that'd be nice. But where's your brother, Hunter?"
"Over there." Bradley pointed in a direction.
Their gaze followed his fingers to see Hunter standing in a playboy stance, chatting and laughing with some of the female students in their department who flocked about him like bees about honey.
As they talked, he held one of them too close and fleetingly touched sensitive parts of her body. She would giggle each time he did that. Bradley looked on in disgust.
Hunter's eyes excitedly flickered around the lecture hall, probably scouting another pretty young thing. His gaze met them staring at him, but he quickly looked away. Mandy wanted to say something, but Ifes intercepted.
"Don't worry. God has heard our prayers. I believe he will be saved. Let's go."
Still on their way out, their eyes met Ryan's, but he also looked away.
After the last encounter with Bradley, Hunter had problems with Ryan. Anytime Mandy and Ifes had a conversation with him, Hunter would drop hints of dislike. He did not spare them his thoughts about how evil Ryan was.
"He did not even stay to celebrate with Bradley. He just went off sulking like a kid denied his candy, all because he did not like you." Hunter would say something along those lines.
"Thank you so much for saving my twin brother. If not for you ladies, I would have lost my only brother. But that dude, with a chip on his shoulder, would not even say a good word to you for what you did for his friend. Now we know what some people are truly like."
Mandy and Ifes would always feel hurt, and wish that he would take back those words. Bradley had been on good terms with Ryan, against Hunter's wishes. He never held what happened that day against Ryan. Also, as a child of God, he understood how important it was to forgive. And forgive freely, he did.
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On the Saturday of the same week, the duo went out for their usual weekly evangelism. This time they decided to speak with Hunter. Mandy's knuckles banged on the door when they got to the front of Hunter's and Bradley's dorm room. The door knob twisted open. Hunter stood at the door post, which was now ajar, grinning.
"Hi, gals! Please come in." He adjusted behind the door so he could make way for them to go inside. He shut the door behind them as soon as they got into the dorm room.
"Mmm! I don't think I would like to give my life to Jesus for now." That was the response they got from Hunter when they started speaking with him about Jesus.
"B–but why?" Mandy leaned forward.
"That's because I don't see the need to." Hunter scratched the back of his neck.
"And why is that?" Ifes asked.
"I don't think I can cope with the Christian life. To tell the truth I think Christianity is a good religion, but I can't help but to feel that it's kind of, umm, boring."
"I mean, when you are a Christian, you don't go to nightclubs, you don't swear or use cuss words. There are a lot of dos and don'ts. What drives me crazy the most is the no sex thing! I mean, who does that? How possible is it in the 21st century? I can't imagine what you ladies and Bradley are passing through with this celibate stuff." His eyes scanned their bodies giving them a pitiful look.
"Besides, Bradley is already born again so I really don't see any reason to do the same. Bradley can be born again for the both of us. He is my twin brother."
Hunter gave countless reasons as to why he could not be a child of God.
They told him a lot of things about the scriptures that day to try clearing his misconception about Christianity. They told Hunter that Christianity was a personal race, and it was more than a religion. They told him that they were keeping their bodies as a living sacrifice to God, not by their power, but by the grace of God.
They opened their Bibles and flipped to 1 Samuel 2:9, read Zechariah 4:6, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Colossians 1:13.
After all was said and done, Hunter still couldn't be persuaded.
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