REFINED BY FIRE 2

If there was anything Patrick longed for at that time, it was
reconciliation between him and his parents. When his father
made this offer, Patrick saw it as a perfect opportunity to make
amends. It was too tempting to turn down. He took it up and
worked there for two months as the Managing Director of the
company. In the course of executing his duties, he travelled to
Spain and Italy often, leaving me in Kigali. I began to feel like
things were going to work out after all. I began to hope again
and attempted to smile again. Maybe, just maybe, we were going
to make it.
Meanwhile, after the wedding, in a kind gesture, Patrick’s father
had given us free accommodation, something we were thankful
for. It was almost unbelievable that this was the same man who
had wanted my head dead or alive. What had changed? How
could it be that the man who sent spies and security agents in
France to have me deported or possibly killed was here giving
his son and I a house? It was all confusing and a little too good
to be true. We stayed in one of the quarters adjacent to the main
house where Patrick’s father and the rest of the family lived.
Patrick’s father had given him this house even before we met.
We heaved sighs of relief, feeling like the darkness was lifting
after all. We thanked God for my father-in-law’s benevolence.
He had given my husband a job and a house to live in. What more
would anyone want? We set our sights on building ourselves and
hoped for the best. The very best. However, the more we hoped
and prayed for the best, living one day at a time, the further
away the best apparently eluded us. It appeared like during the
two to three months after our grim wedding, God was allowing
us some breathing space to “honeymoon” as he prepared us for
the more vicious fire we were about to plunge headlong into.
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