Eve of Eden (Full Book) (eBook)

Okoi Edet (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
72 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-109615-8 (ISBN)

Infos

When a vivid dream collides with reality, young seminarian Ben meets Eve - a dying woman whose quiet strength awakens in him a love that defies his calling. Their bond deepens through illness, healing, and the fragile hope of redemption. But when faith demands sacrifice, both are left to choose between salvation and desire.

Years later, as priest and woman meet again on opposite sides of devotion, one forbidden night alters their fates forever. Eve of Eden is a haunting story of faith, love, and consequence - a modern fall from grace where passion and purity blur, and the heart must bear what heaven cannot absolve.

Textauszug

Chapter 1

Rome

 

 

 

 

 

It's 5pm, and we just landed in Rome. It was a friendly exchange between the wind and our car, as Pa demanded the driver drive as though it was the Pope's motorcade. The car crash that claimed the lives of Pa's parents when he was 19 still traumatized him; as a result, I hated riding with him back in high school. Rome! Basking in her architectural glory, left me awes trucked. Attempting to take it all in, I stretched out my hand to feel the wind. There was a heightened sensitivity about my sense organs, as they all paid obeisance to the city of the seven hills. This was not a vacation, and I had no right to feel this way. Pa and I came to Rome for serious business.

 

A month ago, I informed my family of my decision to quit the seminary. It takes eight years to make a priest; four years of college, and four years studying theology. The seminary is a place of discipline and tranquility. Even if I had the poise of a prey when I first tiptoed through those gates, I settled in pretty well. Vichyssoise was the name of my popular French soup, which earned me the nickname Frenchie.

 

The night I informed my family of my decision to quit, we were having dinner; nothing seemed right, even our stove needed a technical tweak to function properly, which led to dinner being served an hour late. The whole time I couldn't eat, I was drowning in edginess, while trying my best to reduce the decibel level from my gnashing teeth’s. I felt a rise in temperature, and a sweat broke out of my head.

 

"Benedict dear, are you alright?" my grandma asked, she noticed I was uneasy. I nodded in response, as though I was fine. I felt a brick on my tongue, and I could only say a few words, I didn't want to waste them on chit chat.

 

"I will not be going back to the seminary after this summer break," those were my few words.

 

"Excuse me!" Pa rapidly responded.

"I think this night is over, hopefully by tomorrow a certain person will think properly," Pa said.

 

This was my dad in utter disgust, he immediately stood up and left the dinner table. Ma and grandma looked at me tongue tied. That night was the longest. I could not sleep, yet I was vaguely satisfied I had been able to err my mind, even if the drama that followed was unpleasant.

My parents are devoted and respected Catholics; so, whatever I was trying to do was always going to cause a scandal they couldn't afford. Being an example among my neighbourhood peers, something needed to be done to change my mind. In a few weeks, my family had more meetings than the senate, most of which I was absent. A solution was still farfetched. They then decided to approach things individually; In the days that followed, Pa showed sternness in his approach:

 

"You are my son, living under my roof, and you will do as I say!" He often yelled.

 

Ma is an amazing chef, and I've always thought that a combination of her beauty and culinary skills stole Pa's heart. Convincing me was now a moral and family obligation.

 

"Wake up Ben," Ma opened my curtains.

 

Stretching, while turning to the other side of my bed, to avoid the sun. "It's still early Ma."

 

"It's 8am, stop sleeping like a cat, and wake up."

 

I opened my eyes to the flawless sight of my favourite baking, strawberry charlotte cake. Its fragrance quickly spreads through my room, it looks like a flower, and tastes like heaven. I thought it was my lucky day, but it wasn't.

 

"This is for you, But..."

 

"I know, I know. I need to start talking," I shook my head.

 

I thought Ma's approach was fascinating; she's a chef, and she loved me, I didn't expect otherwise.

 

"I have an understanding of who God is, and I also understand myself better now, and I don't think being a priest is the best way I can serve God," I said in a sproglike voice, while making convincing gestures.

 

"This is really pissing your father off, you know. You are a man now, and you're responsible for your life as much as we are. It's obvious your mind is made up, and you have my support. All I really want is your happiness," Ma said. "The cake is all yours."

 

As soon as Ma left the room, I took a big piece of the cake, it was sweet and satisfying. My morning was not so bad after all.

 

A week later, Pa abandoned his initial approach after it proved sterile. He then decided to have a gentleman's talk with me, acknowledging that I can make my own decisions. I was summoned! We were on our way to the cemetery, to see my grandparents. Ma handpicked flowers for grandma; while we stopped by a gas station, refilled, and also bought a bottle of

scotch and a cigarette for grandpa. We arrived at the cemetery, which was just under an hour drive.

 

"The year I lost my parents, I had a fight with my father. The country was at war, and most young men had to join the military, it was the honourable thing to do. My father demanded I enroll, but I wanted something else. Cardinal Page and I grew up together, we were best friends even. We both wanted to become priests, then the war came and my father wanted otherwise. This was not the case for Page, he was too sickly to even consider enrollment. The prospects of priesthood gave me a sense of destination, and I loved it. Life wasn't always smooth, but for me priesthood was the other side of the fjord with pastures substantially greener and more lucrative. It was a battle between honour and love." Pa said, as he started his story.

 

"And you chose honour?" I asked sedately.

 

"No! I chose love, and damned honour. My father was a proud man, and thought it was cowardly that his son was not at the frontline defending our beloved country. My father even threatened to disown me; he loved me too much to do that, I knew the treat was a test. My father even arranged for my uncle to take me to a brothel, an experience I will never forget. If anything would have changed my mind, that was it."

 

"Oh," I raised my brows. I didn't know how Pa still kept a straight face after that sentence.

 

"I didn't show that I was pleased, I acted out as if I was displeased by the gesture. Nevertheless, the issue remained. My mother was growing weary of the incessant brawl. One night she fell to her knees and begged my father to let me be, that honour is a stupid excuse and the military was only going to get me killed. My father loved me, and didn't want to lose his son over this, so he gave his blessing."

 

"I guess you won then?" I asked Pa.

 

"No, I didn't. That was the biggest loss of my life. The next day I was all packed and ready to travel. My parents wanted to send me off by driving me to the train station, I wish they hadn't," Pa said sobbing. "On our way the car crashed, and my world alongside it. Winter was upon me, life had taken away summer, now all I felt was excruciating cold. My parents, lying cold in the car and I was truly alone. I woke up with a fractured rib, fibula and pelvic bone. It took 12 weeks, including therapy, before I could walk again. The pain of recovery was not compared to the pain I felt from my loss. I blamed myself, and wished I died too. I wondered if things would have been different, if I wasn't so stubborn, if I had only listened to my father."

 

"I'm so sorry, none of it is your fault. There's no way you could have known." I said.

 

"My motivation to honour my father's wish drove me to a speedy recovery. As soon as I was fit, I enrolled in the military, and in no time, I was war bound. I'm not one for a pity party, that is far from why I'm telling you this. You're almost a man now, and major decisions like this

affects not only you, but those around you too. If you must be in the kitchen, you must reconcile with the heat. Your mother and I might not die because of this. Nevertheless, there are other serious consequences that accompany this rash decision you just made. Just when I thought you were going to see through my dream, how the hell did we get here? I was so sure you wanted this."

 

"Your judgment of the situation is rash, not my decision. You talk about my future like I don't have a say in it. Sorry to disappoint you, sorry to disappoint the...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 31.10.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-10: 0-00-109615-X / 000109615X
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-109615-8 / 9780001096158