Edem x Akweley; Enduring Faith (III)

Part Three - Enduring Faith

A few more weeks of the silence and hatred nearly broke him. One night, during his prayer time, Edem finally collapsed with exhaustion. He bowed his face to the floor and wept. He told God he was ready to give up. He couldn't save his marriage, he couldn't save his wife, and he was ready to walk away.

He was so lost in his own grief that he didn't hear the door open. When he finally lifted his head, he saw Akweley. She was kneeling on the floor right beside him, her face was soaked with tears.

In that moment, something shifted. The silence didn't just break; it shattered. The dam finally broke between them. They talked for hours on the bedroom floor. Akweley admitted she had been hating him. She told him how the anger had consumed her, how she couldn't even bring herself to pray because the pain was too heavy. She was tired of the numbness and hatred but somehow she could not bring herself to heal. Edem listened silently, and then he embraced her. He confessed his own hurt. He was angry that she had left him to deal with the tragedy alone. He was angry at the world for the ambulance that never came.

That night, the bedroom floor became an altar. Drenched in tears, they moved from anger to a strange, raw kind of praise. They apologized, they wept, they laughed, and they shared memories of the good times they had shared before the loss.

“I love you, Edem. Thank you for fighting for us,” Akweley whispered.

“I love you, my Akweley,” he replied.

The burden that had been dragging her down like a boulder finally felt like it was lifting. She realized she had been fighting to swim while holding onto a weight that was meant to drown her.

Akweley went to stay with her parents for a few days. Mr. and Mrs. Allotey didn't just give her space; they spoke life into her. Her father, the pastor, and her prayerful mother helped her find her way back to her own faith. She returned home refreshed, the heaviness finally gone from her heart.

Healing wasn't instant. They spent months in counseling with their therapist and their pastors. They had to learn how to be a couple again, how to laugh without feeling guilty, and how to forgive. Akweley stopped the cycle of blame, and Edem stopped carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.Slowly, the house stopped feeling like a graveyard. They went back to their routines, but this time, they spent more time just being together. Joy returned, and Akweley began to truly love her husband again, free from the shadow of resentment.

A year passed, and they were ready to try for a child again. But the months turned into two years, and there was nothing.

“Edem, this is my fault. I haven't been eating well, I’ve been too stressed,” Akweley said one afternoon, her voice expressing the worry she felt.

“No, don’t say that,” Edem assured her, pulling her close. “It will happen in its own time. Don’t be worried.”

Inside, Edem was struggling with his own anxiety, but he knew he had to be the anchor. He had to trust God so he could support Akweley’s faith. Dr. Richards confirmed that they were both healthy and told them to be patient. They leaned on each other, their marriage becoming something far stronger than it had been before the tragedy.

"Edem," Akweley said one evening, tears of gratitude in her eyes, "I realize now that even when it didn't feel like it, God was always there. Walking through the valley doesn't mean He’s gone. He was in the room when I couldn't speak. He was on the floor when we were crying."

“He was," Edem agreed, "and He still is."

A year later, their son was born. A year after that, they had a girl. This time, they were fully healed and stronger than ever. Akweley managed the pregnancies with care, but more importantly, with a peace that surpassed understanding.

Looking back, they realized it wasn't about their perfect timing or their perfect prayers. It was about the fact that even in the dark, the God who is always near had never let go.

A Word of Encouragement

“‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? But now take courage... and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts. ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’” Haggai 2:3-5

Written By; Marcia Edinam Vormawor.