Chapter two [Love brings joy, heartache and sorrows]

Chapter Two [ Love brings joy, heartache, and sorrow.]

Rhoda is thrilled to marry the man she adores.

“Thank you Father God for the wisdom that guided me to tackle this new life and the strength and courage to face it ahead.”

Rhoda is praying as the guests are rejoicing for the food and music as they are all dancing with the band.

“When he started to hurt me, I tended to run away or give up my feelings for him, but I realized that I should instead fight for him every moment of my life to be happy. I will never be free if I do it.”

Rudolf feels the same way. He enjoys that most anticipated day and works hard to win the heart of his beloved wife-by-law in the eyes of man and his creator. Rhoda prays as she witnesses her guests and parents celebrating her wedding day.

The gangsters were also present at the wedding celebrations, and although the night had grown gloomy, the dancing hall's flickering lights had continued to illuminate everyone's faces, allowing them to be recognized.

Rhoda and Rudolf, as well as the best man, bridesmaid, and Rhoda’s' parents and family, all appear spectacular and gorgeous in their wedding attire throughout the marriage ceremony and exchanging of marriage vows. Rhoda’s' mother sobs in private because of her overwhelming emotions.

Rhoda cries out to her loving parents, "Mom, I'm old enough. Don't be emotional. I love you." as she is being hugged. Soon, Rudolf appears and queries,

“Do we leave right away, Honey?”

He also asks Rhoda,

"Father, Mother, are we abandoning you here now?"

With amazement in his eyes, Rudolf continues.

Suddenly, a man approaches Rudolf and leads him to a more ominous spot.

“ What issues are there?”

He queries. The man says Rudolf whispers his desires to him.

Rudolf attends to other guests while ignoring the message for a moment.

"She's here with the tourists and has asked me to bring this message to you," the man says.

The mysterious woman stands before him, handing him a glass of wine, her eyes enticing.

"Come on honey, it's your wedding day to celebrate and have fun!" she says.

Rudolf asks, "Can you tell me what you want from me?"

"You know it!" the woman threatens Rudolf,

"Come with me to the meeting and find out what we want from you or else!

“Or else, what?" asks Rudolf, who quickly grasps the concept.

However, the woman continued to irritate Rudolf with his smartphone, so he turned it off and put it in his pocket. While Rhoda is still inside talking to her parents and relatives.

After an hour, Rudolf starts making jokes with the other visitors while leaving Rhoda alone in her room. Rhoda nods off because she is worn out.

“Rhoda, wake up. No one is around,” her cousin cries in the middle of the night. Rhoda moans as she barely opens her eyes,

She whispers gently, "I feel dizzy! I can't get up. Where is my husband?"

"He went with the visitors as they forced Rudolf," her cousin answers.

"What's the matter with them?"

Rhoda, who is starting to get worried, asks before losing consciousness and passing out. Her relative comforts her as she wakes up.

After a few minutes, the young man who approached Rhoda handed her a piece of paper with a note written on it. "Ate, Your spouse left you a short message that he will return soon once he settles some problems against a group that threatens him,"

Rhoda read. The young man who approached Rhoda handed her a piece of paper with a letter on it that read,

"Ate, Your husband left you a short message that he will return soon once he settles some problems against a group that threatens him." Rhoda read the note.

“I, Josie, wanted you under my care because so many people had been injured, and you should give my organization the information they need to run our programs..’”

Rhoda says as she folds the page,

She confronts the man, saying,

"The texts are not from Rudolf. Where did you get it?”

Rhoda says as she folds the page,

He responds,

"It was given to me by one of the visitors after they convinced your husband to comply.”

Rhoda is experiencing severe grief and doesn't know what to think or do.

Her cousin worries about her strange conduct and takes her pulse.

“Rhoda, you're conceiving”, Cousin says.

“Positive?" Rhoda asked.

“I’m a nurse, therefore I am aware of the pregnant woman's pulse beat, Yes, my love."

Rhoda weeps because she and Rudolf haven't had the chance to live together as husband and wife yet, not because she's pregnant.

She quickly says, "Thank God, I have a souvenir from my spouse.”

"How do you intend to proceed now? “Cousin asks to add,

“You just let me take care of it?”

“I'll let my child remain with me,”

Rhoda declares. Rhoda's cousin sends her a note with an option to take, and she quickly takes the second bottle and left her.

"Here's the tablet that I know can help you. You can either take the first tablet to abort it or the other tablet in the white bottle to keep your pregnancy healthy. I’m always here to support you, Cousin," the note reads.

After a few days, Rhoda’s' parents left her on her own and went home without realizing she was pregnant. She packs up the majority of her belongings in her rolling suitcase and leaves her apartment for the 100-kilometer journey, recalling that Rudolf mentions he lives in the south with his buddies. Out of dread of being accused of disgrace, she decided to follow him. She is hungry and tired as she moves that early morning.

"My baby, you need to be healthy, too," Rhoda says "I'll eat more cereals because we still have a long journey ahead of us."

The Almighty God's Holy Spirit has also reminded Rhoda who says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not put your trust in your understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will lead you on the right paths."

This helps her keep her composure and guides her actions throughout the conflict. Rhoda's pain lessens as she honestly repents of her shortcomings during her early marriage to Rudolf without the benefits of matrimony and prays to God for peace and protection for her unborn child, for Rudolf and all of her loved ones, as well as strength and fortitude to confront life's obstacles.

She strolled over to the nearby bus stop to wait for the final bus south, but while leaning against the wall, she dozed off for many hours in that station.

“The bus has already left, so you're on your own now”

said a woman. She continued as she fumbled for her suitcase:

"You come inside with me to rest and sleep." She said,

"I'll assist you to carry your stuff,"

Rhoda screamed at the top of her voice,

"OK, I'll go! I won't accompany you because I am familiar with the area.

Rhoda protested and fought back, but the unidentified men and women who appeared to be street sellers and business people were capturing her. Due to the remoteness of the place, no one could make out the party in black uniform at the point where Rhoda was captured. The woman then introduces herself as Sulema Marilla from the south and says,

"We should not resist them because they might injure us.”

Sulema adds,

"You wear something that makes it hard for them to be interested in you since you look lovely and appealing."

Rhoda pouts as she asks,

"Are you aware of who they are?"

Sulema shook her head.

Afterward, they're being led by a group of men who are currently taking a break at their destination.

Rhoda is already in her disguise wearing masks and changing her hairstyles while Sulema took all her garments and replaced them with old, faded, and worn-out clothing. The vehicles that Rhoda and Sulema boarded reached the south and as they get off the SUV, Sulema guided Rhoda towards approaching the big hallway where other members are gathering together.

“Why is Rudolph one of them?”

Rhoda made a rapid deduction. Even Rudolf, who appeared to have already been enticed and entrapped by Josie, who had seduced him before their wedding, and she sat next to him, didn't recognize her.

"Give me whatever you have so they don't become interested in you; you're staying here,"

As she started digging and sorting the best, Sulema said. Rhoda is devastated when Rudolf loses interest in her and changes the way she looks.

"Give me whatever you have so they don't become interested in you; you're staying here,"

As she started digging and sorting the best, Sulema said. Rhoda is devastated when Rudolf rejects her and her physical attributes change.

She yet keeps acting mean and cruel to fit in with the group. The gang leader exclaims in front of the crowd,

"She's stunning, even though she appears to be gruff and gypsy." The gang leader ranges.

"I wanted to replace myself instead of her because she has specific reproductive system defects and pains might happen at any time,"

Sulema volunteers and asks Rhoda to use camouflage cos-metics to discreetly modify Rhoda's physical appearance, making the gang boss unable to tell the two apart.

However, Rhoda never stopped calling and talking to God constantly and reading her pocket bible.

“The troubles of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.' God says.”

Rhoda suffers greatly and she cried in private day and night.

“I rely on Your promises Lord as You say, ’the unfailing love of the Lord has been kept from destruction. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day, I say to myself,” She continues,

“The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him.” Rhoda read.

Rhoda continues as she feels her womb,

"I believe that God would not abandon me, and your father has reasons why he has not recognized me even though we know each other well,"

she speaks.

“God, please help me and my unborn child. Touch Rudolf's heart so that he realizes it's me, it's me!

Rhoda is praying.

Rhoda was noticed after a few days of being imprisoned inside the home base and started engaging in forced labor and enslavement.

"Hey, you clean the house including the comfort room, kitchen, and the room where I and my husband sleep daily. I don't want a helper here who is sluggish and slow!"

Josie says severely to Rhoda early morning while she is slumbering.

"Rise, grab the cleaning solution, and don't forget to cook for us and wash my soiled clothes! "

With a vengeance, Josie summons.

“I'm the leader of the organization since my husband Rudolf is affluent and can meet all of our demands. I don't want you to ever become involved in my husband's affair,” Josie sternly ordered, adding,

Sulema grins at Josie's intrigues and frequently sneers at Jo-sie and Rudolf when they joke inside the room. Josie shouted louder, while Rhoda remained silent, without even raising her eyes to anyone.

Rhoda had inflicted even more severe wounds on herself as if the wounds created by the man she had chosen to love and spend the rest of her life with were sleeping with her from the inside out.

And she turns to Jesus Christ who also experiences more than He deserves as a son of man and son of God being ridiculed, insulted, persecuted, and even crucified on the cross.

"But me? I'm just a sinner who succumbed to such a wicked man who betrayed my innocence and trust. Rudolf, how I despise you! I don't know how you could give me such a wretched life when I was carrying your seed inside my womb! "Rhoda's explosive rage.

"I can poison you all from the foods I prepare for you all," Rhoda prays and sobs quietly in the dark corner of the house, "But Jesus Christ loves me and says, "Don't let evil overcome you, but overcome evil with good."

"Thank You Father God for Your son Jesus Christ who teaches me how to love and forgive. Heal me and strengthen me always, do not abandon me when I needed You most," Rhoda prays and sobs. She is in that situation when her unborn baby moves inside her womb and she experiences joy and peace inside her heart and in her mind knowing she is not alone.