A Very Tough Decision

“You look bored,” Tiffany said to her friend, Fiona.

“I’m not bored,” Fiona replied. She wasn’t bored but she was anxious to leave. It was near six o’clock and she was supposed to be going over to Darth’s place. Her heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of him. No one knew about their relationship, not even Tiffany. And they were best friends. She had promised Darth that she wouldn’t tell anyone.

She still couldn’t understand why he wanted to keep their relationship a secret. It wasn’t like he was married or separated or anything like that. When they met, he wasn’t dating anyone. A mutual friend told her that a year prior he had broken up with a French model he was dating. She wanted to get married but he wasn’t ready to settle down. Maybe he just wanted to keep his private life private, especially after being in a very high profile relationship.

“Fiona, you’re daydreaming again. Who’s the guy?”

Fiona stared at her blankly. “Guy? What guy?”

“The one you’re daydreaming about.”

“I’m not daydreaming about any guy.”

“I think you are,” Tiffany insisted. “I think you’re holding out on me. I thought we were supposed to be best friends.”

“We are.” Fiona was feeling uncomfortable now. If Tiffany continued pressuring her like this she might crack and spill the beans and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She glanced at her watch and was about to announce that she had to leave.

“Tiffany, what does fornication mean?” her younger sister, Amy asked. She had just walked into the living-room.

Tiffany stared at her. “Where did you hear that word?” she asked.

“I heard Mom and Dad talking about it. They were saying that if Uncle Bob doesn’t stop committing fornication he’s not going to Heaven.”

“You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on other people’s conversations,” Tiffany scolded her.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. What’s fornication?”

Fiona was curious to know too. She had seen it in the Bible and had always planned to look up its meaning but just never got around to it.”

“It’s when two unmarried people are in a relationship with each other.”

“You mean it is sexual intercourse between people not married to each other,” Amy corrected her. She held up the Oxford dictionary.

Tiffany glared at her. “Why you–. Why did you ask me what it meant if you already knew?”

Amy shrugged. “I just wanted to hear what you would say.” She smiled at Tiffany before she left the room.

Fiona jumped to her feet and grabbed her bag. “I have to go.”

Tiffany didn’t look pleased. “You’re running out on me.”

“I’m not running out on you. I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow. Please say goodbye to your parents for me.” And she was out of there before her friend could protest further. She hurried to her car and jumped it. Soon, she was on the highway heading to Darth’s place.

Darth was relaxing on the terrace, thinking about Fiona. Not once did it ever occur to him that he would fall in love with a high-school girl. He met her two years ago at a friend’s barbecue. He was alone and she was there with a friend. He watched her discreetly for a while before he approached her when she was alone. They talked and before they parted company, he had asked her out on a date. In the back of his mind he kept thinking that what he was doing was crazy. She was seventeen at the time and he was twenty-eight.

He loved being with her. She was such a refreshing change from the women he dated in the past. He could be carefree and actually enjoy himself. There was no baggage, no pressure and no complications. Before him, Fiona had never been in a relationship. He was her first boyfriend and lover. That pleased him. A smile played on his lips as he remembered their first time. It had been after they went rollerblading in the park one afternoon. Then, it started to rain cats and dogs. Fortunately, the park wasn’t far from his place. They ran all the way and got soaked in the process. At soon as they came through the door, he sent her to his bedroom to get out of her wet clothes and into the shower. When she was finished, he showered.

It was when he went into the bedroom, wrapped only in a towel and saw her standing by the bed naked that he lost his head. They winded up making love. Afterwards, he fixed them something to eat while her clothes were in the dryer. From that day and on wards, their relationship became sexual. She was on her way over now and he was looking forward to seeing her.

Fiona opened the door with the spare key he had given her and let herself in. After removing her shoes, she crossed the immaculate living-room and went on to the terrace. Her heart melted when she saw him. He smiled as she moved around the chair so that she was facing him. “Hello,” he said.

“Hello,” she replied. “It’s a beautiful afternoon.”

“Yes, it is.” He reached up and pulled her down on to his lap. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

“You have?” She couldn’t hardly think with him staring into her eyes like that and when he reached up and kissed her, she put her arms around his neck and responded. They kissed for a long time and then, he slipped his hand under her knees and stood up. They went to his room where they spend most of the afternoon.

It was after nine-thirty when she went home. She went straight to her room and after changing into her night clothes, she jumped on her laptop. She just couldn’t get what Amy said out of her mind. She googled the word, fornication and came across an article which defined it as any kind of sexual activity outside marriage, or between unmarried persons. And that, “We ought to keep our bodies holy, for the married, the bible says be faithful and for the singles keep yourself safe until you get married.”

After switching off her laptop, she took up her Bible from the bedside table and opened it. She searched for every reference to fornication. By the time she was done, she was faced with a very tough decision. As a Christian she couldn’t continue having sex with Darth because they weren’t married. What should she do? Stop seeing him altogether or tell him that they could still be in a relationship but they just couldn’t have sex anymore? Would he agree to that? What if he didn’t? She closed her eyes. What was she going to do? Continue with the relationship as it was now because she loved Darth and didn’t want to lose him or do what the Bible said?

She got down on her knees and prayed earnestly and the following morning, she had come to a decision. After showering and having a glass of orange juice, she called Darth and asked him to meet her in the park. She knew that if she were to go to his apartment, she would lose her nerve and she wouldn’t be able to resist him if he were to take her to bed.

She was waiting for him by the bench which was in a secluded and quiet section of the park. He showed up right on time. Her eyes ran eagerly over his tall frame. He looked so good in the black tee shirt and faded jeans. They hugged and she responded to his kiss but then, she pulled away and said, “Let’s sit down.”

He stared at her. “You sound and look very serious,” he remarked. “Is something wrong?”

She stared down at her clasped hands in her lap. “Darth, I’m been praying about this and this isn’t easy for me.”

His expression became tense. “What are you trying to tell me, Fiona?” he asked tautly. Fear gripped him.

“As-as a Christian, I shouldn’t be having sex outside of marriage and I have decided that if you and I want to continue our relationship, we have to abstain from sex.”

Relief washed over him and he covered her hands with his. “Is that all?” he exclaimed. “If you want us to stop having sex, we will.”

Her head shot up and she stared at him. “You mean you don’t mind?”

“I didn’t say that,” he told her. “It will be extremely hard being around you and not want to make love to you but I’m willing to do whatever you want.”

“I know it will be hard for both of us and I’m sorry but I can’t continue doing something that goes against God’s Word.”

“We will continue seeing each other but abstain from having sex until you turn 21. That’s when I will ask your parents permission to marry you and even if they don’t give their consent, legally you would be an adult.”

“Are you serious about marrying me?”

“Dead serious. I had plans to ask you over dinner one night.”

She laughed through the tears. “I’m sorry I ruined the surprise.”

He hugged her tightly. “You didn’t ruin anything,” he murmured. “And I want you to know that I admire you for making what had to be a very tough decision for you.”

As much as it would have pained and devastated her, she would have walked away from him and their relationship if things hadn’t turned out the way they did. She hugged him back, squeezing her eyes shut. “I love you.” In her heart, she thanked God for giving her the courage to make a tough decision and for the outcome.

“I love you too.” He held her for a long time. For one terrible moment, he thought that she was going to break up with him and it terrified him. He made up his mind that day that he was going to pursue a relationship with God because He had shown him mercy by not taking Fiona away from him.

Always apply God’s Word to your life.

Source: The New York Times;