Omobola and I were very good friends since childhood. Her parents happened to be well-known workers in the church, in fact, Omobola herself was a devout Christian. She gave her life to Christ genuinely at a very tender age and has been fully involved in the workforce since then. I, on the hand, was just a churchgoer, I did not know Christ, I was fulfilling all righteousness. I was not particularly wayward then, I was just wallowing in self-will. 

 I got to know Omobola during my primary school days. She had to change school due to a change in the environment, so she was registered in the school I was attending. 

On entering the class, she was asked to introduce herself to the class which was a routine for newcomers. We were all expecting her to stutter and fidget throughout the introduction but we were all shocked by her comportment. Omobola smiled at everyone and said:

“My name is Eric Omobolawa, I’m an indigence of Ekiti “. She smiled again and walked boldly to her seat. 

After the class, I couldn’t help the urge to approach her and have a discussion with her. I met her at the buttery and asked without proscratinating if I could be her friend and surprisingly she said yes. We became very close from then, our closeness was such that her life started affecting mine. I suddenly developed the desire to live for God, I didn’t hesitate to express this to her which gave her the opportunity to lead me to Christ. She taught me a lot of things and also helped my spiritual growth and establishment.

 We went to the same secondary school but she was in the art class while I was in science class. I wanted to be an Ophthalmologist while she was aspiring to be a lawyer. We both graduated with beautiful grades but she gained admission while I had to rewrite UTME due to the wrong subject combination. I was bitter and sore, but she encouraged me and promised to always remember me in her prayers. 

She resumed to school while I started preparing for jamb all over again. And we did communicate well with the help of our cell phones. After two months of resumption, I noticed some changes in her mode of talking, she was losing interest gradually in topics relating to calvary, she rarely talk about Christ. Whenever I asked her why seems to be losing interest, she’d blame it on unbearable stress so I decided to visit her so I could encourage her and wet her dry soul. 

 On getting to her hostel one day, what I saw shocked me to the marrow. I saw Omobola twerking heavily in bumshorts with her roommates. My jaws couldn’t stay put, they dropped without hesitating. On spotting me, she hurriedly put off the music and feigned an innocent smile, I shook my head and ran out of the room. Omobola ran after me, pleading with me to stop which I did. 

‘I know you’re disappointed in me, she began. I know you think I’ve backslided but that’s not true. You see I was thrown among wild girls and I couldn’t help but blend to their lifestyle so I can live in I

“Ah! Omobolawa! I thought the Bible admonished us to be lights in the midst of darkness. How come your own light is bowing down to darkness?” I exclaimed. 

“You won’t understand what university life is “, she said trying to defend herself. 

“Explain what it is Omobola”, I said bitterly. 

‘Listen, Joyce, I can’t help it, things will have to remain this way till next session. By the next session, I’d be back to the Omobola you’ve always known. By the way, please do not tell this to my parents.’ She said, pleading with her eyes. 

“Omobolawa, remember it was written in the Bible that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Why have you decided to tread on the path of destruction? Why will you lose your salvation for the mundane things of this world?”

“When you gain admission, you will understand!” She said, turning to leave. 

“Don’t sell your soul Bola, please, for the love of God, don’t”, I said pleadingly. She glared at me with a don’t-go-there look on her face and stormed off to her room.  

I couldn’t believe what just happened, I broke down in tears right on that spot. I went back with a sore and heavy heart. I cried to God to restore her, God then spoke to me that she knows the truth but she has decided to turn her back against it. I prayed for days, fasted but it didn’t change anything. I couldn’t muster the strength to go to her parents and inform them of her deteriorating spiritual life because I know they’ll take me as a liar. Omobolawa became someone with dual personality. When she’s at home, she’s the spiritually vibrant girl everyone knows but in school, she’s something else. 

This went on for months without anyone else knowing about her secret sins. A day then came for Students’ Union election in her institution. One of the contestants for the post of president was one of her roommate’s boyfriend so they all went together to give him their support. Not knowing the doom waiting for her, she followed them without hesitating. While the election was going on, gunshots started flying in the air and people started running for safety, Omobola was still trying to take in the whole commotion when she was suddenly hit by a stray bullet on her left chest. She was left there without no one to tend to her, she bled till she took her last breath. 

After the commotion, her body was found at the polling unit covered in her own blood. She was immediately rushed to the hospital where she was confirmed dead by the doctors. Her parents were contacted and they came to collect her body from the morgue. 

I couldn’t help the tears when I heard about her death, I went to her parent’s house to console them. I found his father smiling when he saw me and he said to me “your friend has gone to rest in the blossom of Christ”. Immediately, I broke out in tears and I cried uncontrollably. I wish I could tell him that her beloved is probably burning in hell already. That his beloved daughter is not what he thought. O couldn’t bear the pain, the guilt, I wish I had told her parents about her dual personality, maybe she still be alive. 

Dear friend, are you also like Omobolawa? Are you with a dual personality? Are you not backsliding already? Are you procrastinating your salvation? Don’t say you’re too young, Omobolawa was too, but she lost her soul. God doesn’t want you to die in your sin, why not surrender your all to him now? 

God loves you, but do you love yourself? 

©OLUWALERE HEPHZIBAH WURAOLA