Chapter Twenty-Nine
Aamilah had been trying to reach Andrew for weeks after informing him about her pregnancy. Sometimes his phone would ring, but he never picked up. He never called her back as he had promised, and now he had been avoiding her calls. All she wanted was to inform him of her final decision regarding the pregnancy. Since leaving the hospital, her mother had rented a one-room apartment for her, not too far from their home, as her father was still very angry and didn’t want to see her. To him, she was no longer his daughter.
On this particular day, Aamilah went to Andrew’s house. She called his phone several times but received no answer. When she knocked on the door, his mother answered and informed her that he wasn’t home. After waiting on the street for about an hour, she dialed his number again. This time, he picked up.
“What is it, Aamilah?” he snapped. “Why have you been calling?”
“Where are you?” she shouted back, refusing to be intimidated by him after everything he had put her through.
“What?!”
“I need to see you,” Aamilah said.
“I’m not available,” he replied.
“Tell me where to meet you; I need to talk to you, Andrew.”
“I said I’m not available, okay?” he snapped and hung up the phone.
Aamilah felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t believe Andrew would treat her this way after all the time they had spent together. Just as she was about to walk out of his street, she spotted him.
Andrew was taken aback to see her but quickly composed himself.
“What!” he frowned, his expression hardening.
“Is that all you can say?” Aamilah shouted at him. “After all this time, that’s all you can say?”
His hooded obsidian eyes reflected nothing but disdain. “What do you want me to say?”
“For starters, ‘How are you doing?’ would have been a good response!” she snapped back at him.
Andrew averted his gaze. “I don’t have time for this. What do you want?”
Aamilah inhaled deeply, struggling to believe that he cared so little about what happened to her.
“I told you I was pregnant, and you said nothing, did nothing, and didn’t care about how I was doing.”
Andrew’s expression turned grim. “That’s not my problem,” he blurted out.
“What!” Aamilah exclaimed, taken aback.
“You can do whatever you want with it; I don’t care.” His tone was completely devoid of emotion.
Aamilah felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she tried desperately not to let them fall.
“I thought you were serious. I thought you loved me,” she said, her voice trembling.
Andrew laughed mockingly. “Love!” he scoffed. “I’m only sixteen, girl.”
In that moment, Aamilah realized she had made the right decision; she had only come to confirm it. Of course, he was right—he was just a sixteen-year-old, and she was also only sixteen; she wasn’t prepared to become a mother at this stage in her life. She had an appointment for a termination in two days and had come to let him know, but it was clear he didn’t care at all.
“I’ve got to go, Aamilah; I have somewhere to be.” With that, he turned and walked away toward his house.
Aamilah stood there in utter confusion for several minutes, her heart sinking with sadness. She felt bitter and lost. All she wanted was some form of compassion or even love from him, but he didn’t seem to care at all. After all, he was sixteen, and nothing mattered to him.
The sound of her phone jolted her from her thoughts. She pulled it out to see who was calling.
“Rachael,” she said slowly.
“How did it go?” Rachael asked.
“Well, he’s a fool,” Aamilah replied.
“Did he say anything?”
“He didn’t care at all, Rachael. He wasn’t even interested in knowing what was wrong, and I didn’t tell him.” She wiped the tears from her eyes.
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Don’t let him get to you, Aamilah. As you said, he’s a fool.” Rachael’s voice was filled with anger at the way he was treating her friend.
“I know,” Aamilah whimpered.
“Are you crying?”
“No,” she quickly brushed away her tears.
“C’mon, Aamilah; he’s a loser, dear. Don’t let him make you sad, alright?” Rachael said gently.
“I’m okay.” Aamilah wiped her eyes again, knowing that Rachael was right. He was indeed a loser.
“I’ve got something to cheer you up,” Rachael announced. “I have two tickets for a concert.”
“I shouldn’t—”
“You should,” Rachael interrupted before she could object. “I mean, you’ve been through so much lately; you should have some fun this weekend—just something to cheer you up.”
“I don’t know,” Aamilah replied, hesitation in her voice.
“It’s going to be fun, I promise,” Rachael said, laughing a little. “Actually, Alex gave me the tickets; his band is playing at the O2 Arena in Greenwich tomorrow. Please, girl, you have to come with me.”
Aamilah inhaled deeply. This wasn’t something she wanted right now; her life was a mess, leaving little room for fun—not a concert with a lot of people around. “I don’t know, Rachael,” she said quietly.
“I promise you’ll be home early,” Rachael reassured her.
“I’ll think about it,” Aamilah finally said, after much persistence from her friend.
She hung up the phone and took the bus back to her small, one-room apartment, which had felt lonely lately except for occasional visits from Rachael and her mother. In fact, she had tried to cope with her loneliness, more like getting used to it, knowing that tough days were ahead. She braced herself for the difficult decisions she would have to make regarding her future in the days to come.
Chapter Thirty
Rachael eventually managed to convince Aamilah to attend the concert with her. They joined the queue at the O2 Arena to show their tickets and followed the line into the venue. Rachael had wanted to see Alex before the concert started to wish him well, but the venue was so crowded that she couldn’t make her way to the backstage area. They found their seats, and shortly after, the concert began.
When Aamilah entered the auditorium, she noticed something different about the atmosphere; it felt unusual, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was peaceful and warm. Then, the drums started to play, and young men and women came on stage, ready to kick off the concert. Alex was among them with his guitar.
“C’mon everyone, rise up to your feet as we worship the Lord this evening…” There was a loud cheer from the audience as everyone lifted their hands into the air.
Rachael was stunned as she looked at Aamilah and then back at the stage. This wasn’t what she had expected. It took Aamilah longer to understand what was happening until the first song began.
“Who am I that You are mindful of me,
That You hear me when I call?
Is it true that You are thinking of me?
How You love me, it’s amazing.”
Aamilah read the lyrics off the screen, and every word captured her attention. Most of the faces around them were uplifted in joy as they sang along, their excitement palpable.
“I am a friend of God,
I am a friend of God,
I am a friend of God,
He calls me friend.”
Aamilah stood still, trying to comprehend the meaning of the words she was hearing. How can one be a friend of God? Why would God want to be a friend to someone? Does God really think about us humans? She marveled at the excitement and joy on the faces of those around her as they sang and jumped as if they had just won a lottery.
“I’m sorry,” Rachael said, leaning closer to Aamilah. “Are you okay?”
Aamilah looked at her but couldn’t find the words to answer.
“I didn’t know this was a church thing, I swear,” Rachael continued. She had no idea that Alex had invited them to a Christian concert; he had simply described it as an interesting event.
“It’s okay if you want to leave,” she offered to Aamilah.
Aamilah considered Rachael’s suggestion for a few moments. She couldn’t understand why Rachael would want to leave this place. It was filled with a kind of peace that she still didn’t quite grasp, and it felt far better than being out in the chaotic world outside.
“No,” she finally said, shaking her head as she turned back to the screen to read the lyrics.
‘I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend.
She slowly sang along inside, but she felt something stirring in her heart.
After a few minutes of singing and praising God, a young girl took the microphone and shared her life story. She explained how she used to be a gang member, starting to smoke at the age of eight and becoming a drug addict by ten, committing numerous crimes along the way. She went to prison at fourteen and stayed there until she was sixteen, when she encountered God. She described how God revealed Himself to her, changed her, and forgave her for all her sins.
Aamilah straightened in her seat, unable to understand how someone so young could have such a profound encounter with God. The girl talked about how the Lord transformed her life, giving her a new purpose, peace, and hope. She delivered a message to all the young people in the arena, sharing how God can dispel darkness and illuminate our paths. She spoke of how He can take away sorrow and bitterness, emphasizing that only He can save and rescue us from destruction.
Aamilah remained unaware of the tears streaming down her cheeks. A gentle breeze flowed through the arena, creating a sense of peace that enveloped her.
The young girl declared that God can transform any life; He can take away all bitterness and hurt. She explained that God is our Father and loves us deeply. With boldness, she spoke about a father’s unconditional love for his children, emphasizing that it knows no limits. In fact, she highlighted that He loves us even when we are sinners, when we stray from His path and commit wrongdoings. She reassured everyone that God does not condemn us or look down on us because of our sins, our backgrounds, or our troubled pasts; He loves us despite it all.
Then, she started to sing a song, this time, it was a slow song and without hesitation, Aamilah joined others and stood up.
‘Father, wrap me in your arms,
Father, wrap me in your arms,
Father wrap me in your arms and father me.’
Aamilah had never heard the song before, but the lyrics spoke directly to her. The singer referred to God as our Father and asked Him to wrap us in His arms. Aamilah felt a fresh, warm breeze circling around her; it was powerful yet peaceful.
“Wrap me in Your arms, Lord,” Aamilah whimpered.
Slowly, she lifted her hands into the air, just like everyone else, and firmly closed her eyes. She felt that if there was a God who wanted to be her friend, someone who wanted to save and rescue her from destruction, she was interested in that God and wished to know Him.
“Help me…” Aamilah said through tears. “Please help me…” It was as if her soul was crying out to God in a yearning that was too deep for words. She desperately needed someone to make everything right in her life. With nowhere to go and no one to call, she felt a profound cry for help that only God could hear and answer. Suddenly, it was as if she were standing under a shower of warm tropical rain that was not just falling on her but flowing through her. She couldn’t fully comprehend this experience, but something within her wanted to remain still in it.
“Father…” she said slowly. An overwhelming love for a father towards his child filled her; it felt like being wrapped in someone’s embrace—a sensation she had never experienced before.
Her mind, which was usually busy and active, became perfectly still as a sense of awe washed over her, the presence of God enveloping her.
“Oh God…” she whimpered.
Then, she noticed the music had stopped. A profound silence filled the arena, interrupted only by the soft sounds of weeping. But for Aamilah, it was as if an overwhelming power of love engulfed her. It felt like being sealed, regenerated, and healed—a feeling of unconditional love that she struggled to comprehend.
Even though there was no music, the quiet murmurs in other languages sounded like a beautiful song unfolding. She couldn’t understand the words; they were not in English, Spanish, or any familiar language she had heard before, but they were beautiful, flawless, and powerful. It resembled a perfect melody that required no drums or instruments to accompany it; it was simply perfect as it was.
For Rachael, the overwhelming presence of God filled the arena. Her heart raced with familiarity; it was a sensation she had known when she was much younger, before anger and rebellion led her away from Him. She once had a close relationship with the Lord, but during high school, her desire to fit in with her peers pulled her further away from God. There was a time when she would immerse herself in reading the Bible, eager to learn more about Him and to speak to Him throughout the day. She cherished her special bond with the Lord, yet she struggled to comprehend how far she had drifted from His presence.
Wrapping her arms around her small body to shield herself from the soothing warm breeze that enveloped her, she looked at Aamilah and saw her friend in tears. Rachael moved closer to comfort her, and as she touched Aamilah, she felt a surge of energy coursing through her body, beginning in her chest. The sensation flowed through her, from the top of her head down to her toes. It felt like a warm current, invigorating and calming all at once. She found it impossible to remain still. As the force overwhelmed her, she found herself descending gently to the floor, and when she lay there in tears, she whispered, “Jesus.” The warm sensation continued to wash over her.
“Oh, Jesus…” she whimpered again. She wanted to try to get up but couldn’t, as she was overwhelmed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, she felt as if she were alone in an empty room, with no noise and no one there.
“I have missed you?” she heard a voice loud and clear, and she knew it could only be the Lord Jesus speaking to her.
“Oh, God…” Rachael cried quietly.
“I love you, child. I love you so much,” His voice was gentle and soothing. “I have predestined you for great things in your generation, but you went away from me.” His voice penetrated her being, making her tremble in His presence.
“Oh, Lord…” she said, tears streaming down her face.
“I am your Father and your friend; I am stretching forth my hands to you now, child.” Each sound of His voice resonated within her. It felt as though she was only scratching the surface of what the Father was revealing to her—there was so much more of His presence and revelation He wanted to share. She knew she had to let go, stop running, and completely surrender to Him.
“I surrender, Lord…” she cried out, trying to stretch her hands toward Him. “I give it all to You, Father.” The word “Father” awakened feelings she hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was an overwhelming love that transcended any earthly father-child relationship. It was eternal, flawless, and beautiful—precious to behold.
Suddenly, she felt like a cloud in human form wrapping its arms around her, holding her closely. It was the most beautiful experience she had ever had. His embrace was so tight that His presence penetrated her deeply. She began to weep, but the tears were not born of bitterness or sadness; they were tears of freedom. In His presence, as the tears flowed from her eyes, something reached out to catch them and clothed them in love, joy, and peace. It was beautiful and beyond comprehension.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was still lying on the floor.
Aamilah, on the other hand, felt an overwhelming sense of love and peace in her body. It wasn’t about anyone else present; it was about her and the God who had suddenly chosen to visit her. He was enveloping her in a kind of love that outweighed her failures, bitterness, and anger. She knew her earthly father loved her deeply, even after she disappointed him by getting pregnant. But here was a God who did not judge or condemn her. He was ready to love her just as she was. It felt as if He accepted her for who she truly was and was prepared to help her become the person she was meant to be.
Although she couldn’t fully comprehend what was happening, His presence was somewhere she never wanted to leave. In that moment, she longed to know more about Him and to spend more time in that sacred space. One thing was for sure: the God she encountered that evening loved her and had given her direction.
Before the concert ended, there was a call for salvation. The girl who shared her story invited anyone who wanted to know God and experience His love and gift of life to raise their hands and repeat a short prayer with her. Aamilah did so, knowing right then that the God she met that day wouldn’t just stay back at the concert; He was going home with her.
