(This is purely fictional, any resemblance to real character is only a coincidence)
PRESENTER: I will never cease to say this, “You are your shining
star. Arise and shine your star. A star earns the right to shine the day
it is born.” (Smiles) Welcome to another edition of your number one
Gospel reality show, THE SHINING STAR. Today’s edition promises
to be interesting. Like we all know, we bring young stars that have
set themselves aside for the Lord and doing exploits, to this
programme. Aderinsola Coker is a young lady of 26 years, she is a
gifted writer, a dramatist, a minister of God. She is an established
bookseller, with her new book, BEYOND THE PAST, making waves.
Sit back and enjoy the show. We will be going on a commercial
break right now, by the time we return, our guest would have been
here with us. DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL. (Commercial)
Welcome back to the show. We have our guest here with us. Waow!
Isn’t she beautiful? (Audience – Beautiful) Amazing, the first time I
met this amiable and talented lady, I was delighted and I have not
stopped blessing the day I met her.
Aderinsola, welcome to this life changing show. The whole world is
anxious to hear your success story. Oya,sharp sharp, make una
introduce una self.
ADERINSOLA: nice to be on this show, I feel elated. My name is
Aderinsola Coker, like you already know. Am a writer, a dramatist, a
minister of God and above all, am a child of God.
PRESENTER: Hmmmmm, enlighten us on what it takes to be a
child of God?
ADERINSOLA: the moment you profess Jesus Christ as your Lord
and Saviour, you have automatically earned yourself the right of
sonship and you have to work towards retaining that divine sonship.
In essence, before you can be a child of God, you need to profess
Him as Lord and Saviour and afterwards, you should do things that
will distinguish you as a child of God.
PRESENTER: Wonderful, that is deep. Well, it is often said that what
a man can do, a woman can do better. It is not only a man that can
be a minister of God. As it is in the society we are, women have been
relegated to the back, they feel it is the duty of the man to lead.
Thank God for someone like Aderinsola, who have risen above all
odds and have set herself apart.
So, Derin, tell us about your writing career.
ADERINSOLA: To the glory of God, I have published four books. It
hasn’t been easy but I give all glory to God. I started my writing career
officially two years ago. Although, I have always had the passion to
write since I was a little girl; I would just scribble down anything that
comes to my head then. I would write stories down, even if they made
no sense then. The passion was just there, not until I met my mentor,
Pst. Mrs Ajibiye, she is also a wonderful writer and columnist. She got
to know about my passion and then she trained me. I am who I am
today through the grace of God and my mentor.
PRESENTER: That’s a good one. A lot of stories have been told about
you, different rumours going on. I heard you moved from Grass to
Grace, can you tell us your story.
ADERINSOLA: (Smiles) My story is a very long one but I promise to
make it short. I lost my dad at the age of fifteen and I was left alone
with my blind mother. I was in SSS 2 as at then and I had to drop out. I
resorted to carrying heavy stuffs for customers at the market when
shopping, to fend for myself and my blind mother. I did this for about
a year, not until the unexpected happened. I got back home from the
market that particular evening and I was met with a rude shock. I met
a lot of crowd in front of our house, I got to know my mother
committed suicide, she took poison. Only God knows how she got it.
I was alone in my own world, no family to care for me. I retained the
apartment I was staying with my mother before she died, since the
rent had not expired. After seven months, I was thrown out of the
apartment as I was unable to pay the rent. I became a street girl, I
sleep anywhere the night meets me. I was kidnapped one night like
that while sleeping. I was taken to a very gigantic mansion with a lot of
kidnapped victims. They were all waiting to be slain and their body
parts sold out to rich men. I was held for three days but luckily and
unluckily for me, the owner of the business commanded his boys to
take me away as I cannot be killed. I was thanking God inwardly but
when we got to a thick bush, these devilish guys, about four of them
gang raped me. (Audience- haaaa). After they were through with their
evil deed, they left me alone in the bush. I was left in a precarious state. It took
me two days before I got out of the bush. I met myself in another state entirely. I
walked the town about and the night met me in a motor garage, I slept there
that night and later decided to be sleeping there every night when everyone
had gone home. News soon got to the chairman of the garage that I do sleep in
the garage. He found me out one night and questioned me and when I told him
about being homeless, he promised to take me in. I was glad and I moved in to
his house immediately. He introduced me to his two wives as his new wife, I
wanted to object but I thought better of it as I don’t want to return to the street.
His wives were not happy with me, they make me do hard works whenever our
husband was out, they even beat me up a lot. He turned me to his sex machine
and whenever I objected, he would beat me up and rape me. After ve months
of moving into his house, I became pregnant. Unfortunately, I started having
complications and I was taken to the hospital, it was later discovered that the
pregnancy was ectopic. When the doctor discovered that I was a little girl of
seventeen, he contacted the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and
my husband was arrested for the abuse. After the pregnancy was successfully
removed, I was taken away and the authority supported me until I was 21. I did
my O’levels and I passed excellently well. I was adopted by a Pastor and his
wife, Pastor and Pastor Mrs. Ajibiye. I was enrolled in a bible school for one
year. After that, they took JAMB form for me and I did well. I got admission that
year to study Civil Engineering and God willing, I will nish my studies next year.
The abuse I endured is unimaginable but God gave me a second chance.
PRESENTER: (dabs her face with her hankie…) this is so pathetic, your story
got me crying. What a wicked world we live in. What happened to your then
husband?
ADERINSOLA: I heard he was arrested, that was all I heard of him.
PRESENTER: The Lord really gave you a second chance. What advice do you
have for the youths?
ADERINSOLA: Although I had an awful past but I didn’t let that stop me from
achieving what I wanted to achieve. I battled with the push-and-pull created by
my burning desire to succeed. One thing you have to know is that, you can
never create a future without moving BEYOND THE PAST. You are never too old
to try again. It is never too late to take another shot. Never give up on your
dreams and hopes. Do not allow the criticism of others to discourage you and
tell you that you are not good enough or talented enough to achieve the
greatness you desire. Once you put your mind to something, you can do and
achieve it.
Challenges are bound to arise. The last time I checked, the Bible afrms that, in
the world we will have tribulation, but we should take courage because Christ
has overcome the world. I put it to you, be courageous. Believe in yourself and
your gifts. You are you and nobody on earth can replace you. Your best days
are not behind but they are ahead. Do not under any circumstance, look down
on yourself, no matter your experiences or failures. Face the challenges of life.
Don’t run away from your challenges but face them. No problem seems
pleasant now, but it is for your glorious end. Hugh Miller opined that,
“Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them.” It is a normal thing for
men to fail but it is a good thing if you learn from your failure. Learn to move
forward. There is no future in the past and stop looking down on yourself. Look
BEYOND THE PAST and you create the beautiful future you have always
fantasized about.
PRESENTER: Hmm… Aderinsola just nailed it. Personally, I am blessed with all
what you said and I believe a lot of people will sit down today and reect on
their lives. A word is enough for the wise, so the adage says. Your future is a
like a mirror in your hand, you have to do everything in your power to safeguard
it. Even if you fall, guard it jealously and never allow it to break. And if at all it
breaks, bend down, pick up the broken pieces, join them together and move
on. Thank you so much Aderinsola for your time, yours is indeed from Grass to
Grace. The Lord shall continue to use you to depopulate the kingdom of hell.
ADERINSOLA: Amen, it is my pleasure being on this programme.
PRESENTER: well, well, well. We’ve come to the end of today’s edition of the
show. I believe we’ve all been blessed. I still remain my loyal self, Chisom
Idiojokwu. Meet you next week, same time, same station. Bye.