A night to remember 3

The house had no gate. I walked slowly into the compound looking out for dogs or something but it was all clear. I noticed a motorbike parked by the porch. This was definitely them!  I took out my phone and called the Police. I gave them directions to where I was. According to them they would be there very soon. I sent my GPS location to Keli too. Just in case I got caught and killed at least he could find my body.

Just then I heard voices coming from behind the house. I moved closer to hear what they were saying. " KK what are you doing? My girls are waiting for me at the mall." The lady said. I recognised her voice immediately. "Then go eh? I just dey copying some of ein movies." A male voice replied. "Ah, you are lucky I don't know how to ride a bike. Frank will come for the laptop tomorrow. Let's go, ah!" She snapped at him and he giggled. When I heard doors opening I knew I had to hide! I crawled into a bush in a dark corner.

When they came out of the house I watched them get onto the motorbike. The guy was much bigger than he sounded. The lady had changed her clothes and had put on makeup. It annoyed me how pretty she was. It was definitely her because I recognized her tattoo. I knelt down quietly in the bushes till they were gone.

When I was sure the coast was clear I rushed out and headed for the room I heard them talking from. I honestly didn't know what I was doing and before I could come up with a plan someone opened the door to the house. I just stood there staring. It was a teenage boy. "Who are you?" He asked. He had just opened the door to the room I wanted to enter. I took my chance and cooked a story. "I'm Kojo, Frank's friend. He's busy so he said I should come for a laptop." I lied. The boy stared at me with a blank expression. "I called KK and he said he's stepped out but I should pick it up." I added. At this moment he believed me because he let me in. "Ok you can pick it up." He said.

I walked into the room and was surprised to see tons of phones, laptops and tablets. I tried to remain composed. I looked around and immediately I spotted my laptop I heard the sound of a motorbike. "Looks like KK is back." The boy said. My heart skipped a beat. There was a fair chance KK would fall for this trick too but what if he called the Frank guy. I had to leave but it was just too late. KK got to the door before me.

"KK this is Kojo, Frank's friend." The little boy introduced. I nodded and looked away. That was probably a bad idea. KK stared at me. When he reached for his phone I knew it was all over. I looked at my laptop one more time and wondered if it was worth my life I was going to lose. Maybe I could offer him money to spare me but my account was dry as hell. As my life flashed before my eyes I heard a loud bang and next I knew there were police officers inside the room.


To be continued... 

Zaky 2

"Are you OK? " I heard someone ask. I looked up, parting my braids to see who it was. It was him, Zaky! He was looking down at me. "Me? I'm fine. Just moving to some music " I lied with a smile wider than I would have liked. He smiled too. "ok." He said and sat down. "Were you going to tap my shoulder earlier?" He asked and I noticed I had forgotten what I was going to say to him. Yikes! "No" I lied again. "Yea? Because I could have sworn I saw ur palm on my shoulder." He said looking straight at me. His brown eyes looked even more attractive up close. "Ermm yea it was this, spider thing there." I said.

This was not going as I planned it at all. Surprisingly Zaky laughed. Then the bus stopped. This was his stop. I had blown my second chance! "Did you see where the spider went?" He teased. I nodded. "It dropped." I replied. "Ei where,  at the stop before this one?" He asked. I giggled too. I realised he was preparing to leave the bus. "Yes didn't you see it?" I played along. I smiled when the bus started moving again. Someway God had saved my incredible mess up. And almost instantly I felt comfortable around him.

"Anyways I'm Zaky." He said. "I'm Spider woman." I said pretending to be shooting webs. He laughed out really hard. He got up and sat next to me. "Zaky sounds like a nice name for a psychic doesn't it?" He said and we both laughed. We goofed around some more and he asked me why we had never met. "You are really funny. That's rare around here." He confessed. We talked and joked some more. "I'm going to this party at the Head office. Do you want to come?" He asked. I couldn't believe it. Wow that was fast. All because of my silly, sloppy humour. I nodded without a second thought. I could hardly believe what was happening.

When the bus stopped at our company's head office Zaky and I got off and walked into the building. It seemed too good to be true. I mean in all technicalities we spoke for barely an hour and we were already on a date? Well it wasn't exactly a romantic date but he asked me to go somewhere with him so he obviously enjoyed my company. I wanted to ask him why he brought me along. Why he picked me instead of all the ladies at work. I was honestly the least fancy one, with glasses and all but I didn't want to jinx it. Maybe he did ask them and they were all busy.

The party wasn't anything big. It was held in one office. The Operations Manager was celebrating her 50th birthday.
Just before we walked into the party place Zaky grabbed my hand and pulled me to the side of the door away from everybody's sight. He looked me straight in the eye. His face was so close to mine my heart skipped a beat.


To be continued... 

Zaky

I spotted Zaky when he entered the bus. He was the last to enter and I started at him as he made his way to the empty seat in front of me. He was dressed in his usual fitted trousers and long sleeve shirt with the sleeves folded just to the elbows. He was by far the best dresser at work. Maybe it had more to do with his body rather than the clothes. I noticed I was staring and looked away. I had never spoken to him before. I just didn't know how. I heard a notification on my phone and checked it. It was Dede. She was sitting two rows behind me. "Talk to him already. I know you want to."Her message said. I turned around to look at her and she winked at me. I giggled and replied with "My sister, it's easier said than done." Then the bus took off.

My crush on Zaky started the very first day I saw him. He came to drop off something for my boss with Dede. There was something about him. He was obviously extremely good looking but he had that humble demeanour that just got me hooked. He was the type of guy who would offer his seat to an older person if the work bus got full. He did that once for one of our janitors. She said she didn't mind standing but he insisted saying he had been sitting all day. It didn't make any sense why I was too shy to talk to him. He was a nice guy. His stop was two stops before mine. "Look sharp before those head office girls get their hands on this guy oh." Dede teased in another message. Goodness she was right! She found out Zaky was going  back to work at our head office on Monday. He was here for 2 months to replace a staff member who was on leave. The ladies at headquarters were known for their 'manizing' nature.

I took a deep breath and stretched my hand to tap his shoulder. Just before my palm landed someone called him and I pulled back. It was a lady. She got up from her seat and sat next to him. My heart started pounding. Why, I wasn't sure. I turned to look at Dede with an 'I tried' expression. She wasn't amused either. I sat there as Zaky chat with this lady. In no time at all the bus stopped and the lady stood up with Zaky. I watched him walk out with her. I felt all my shyness disappear but it was too late. I put my head down and started banging my head lightly on the back of the empty seat in front of mine. "You blew it, you totally blew it." I whispered over and over again.

"Are you OK? " I heard someone ask. I looked up, parting my braids to see who it was. It was him, Zaky!


To be continued... 

Just like Adel 12 (finale)

I could tell he had been keeping what he was about to say for a long time. His hesitation was intense. "If you aren't comfortable talking about it you can always tell me another time." I said to break the silence. He turned his back to me. "I think we should stop seeing each other." He finally said. I couldn't say I was expecting this. "What, why?!" I screamed. I talking over to face him. He avoided eye contact. " When Obeng showed me the test results it seemed my condition isn't as good as it was when I just got back from Denmark. I have been a selfish person. I should not have asked you out. I'm not going to waste your time anymore." He said. I wasn't sure how to wrap my head around what he was saying. I asked him to explain himself and he finally looked into my eyes and said, "Doris I'm going to die. You deserve to be with someone who actually has a future." I don't know why but I slapped him. "I don't know if the medication they gave you at the hospital is making you talk like this. The Henry I know doesn't give up!" I said and walked out of his apartment.

I didn't hear from Henry the next day. He wouldn't answer my calls either. I was a bit angry with him in the morning but when I calmed down I decided to call him and got nothing. Dean told me he was avoiding everyone. I decided to allow him to have some space. After two days he sent me a text that read, "you are right. Giving up is a dull move. I just don't want to see you get hurt. You are too nice for someone like me. I'm going to Denmark again. " My heart went warm and my eyes watered. This was a bit too much for me. I grabbed my bag and took a taxi to Henry's apartment. When I got there I saw Adel's car parked outside. I walked to the door and noticed it was open. My heart missed a beat when I saw Adel in the living room looking around. "Have you seen Henry?" She asked me. I shook my head and she went into his bedroom. "Goodness his travel bag is gone." She said. I breathed a sigh of relief. I showed Adel his text. She relaxed a bit herself.

That night I tried calling Henry several times but couldn't get through to him. It seemed he wasn't using the Danish number he used the other time. A text at 3am from him finally put me to sleep. When Henry's father called me the next morning I was really prepared for his plan. I told him I got the note and would love to do it. He informed me about the arrangements he had made and asked when I would be ready to leave. Honestly I couldn't wait to go. I wasn't looking forward to the weather in Denmark but Henry was worth it. When I told Dean everything he said he was jealous. I rolled my eyes. If only he knew how it felt like to fall for Henry Brock. "Really? You wish you were dating an Orgosis patient in Denmark?" I asked sarcastically. His goofy smile faded. My highest concern was how Henry would take it. I hadn't told him I was coming and I didn't intend to. Since he left the texts and calls had reduced. He was really trying to distance himself but I wouldn't let him. Not in a time like this!

In our chats I found out the hotel Henry was in so finding him when I arrived wasn't hard at all. I booked a nights stay in that same hotel. After the valet got me settled I waited till he had left then I rushed to Henry's room. It was just one floor below mine. I knocked on his door and waited patiently. "Hold on." He said and opened the door.

The look on his face was priceless. He was completely surprised. "Doris?! My goodness". When he took a stop forward and hugged me I could feel his appreciation. "If this is a hallucination from my medication I don't want it to wear out." He said still holding me. "When I said I will help you through this, I meant it Henry." I said. He stared straight at me and smiled. "I would love that. I've never felt more alive in my life Doris." He said and kissed me. The truth was very clear, Henry had a 50/50 chance of surviving or even less but my feelings for him never reduced. I guess I loved him. He dragged me into his room and we spent the whole evening talking like old times. He didn't even ask how I got there. It was like, he couldn't be bothered.

The next morning when I woke up I saw Henry at his desk reading through some files. I walked over to him and hugged him from behind. He smiled and showed me what he was doing. "I'm trying to see if there is some kind of pattern in the Dr. Olsen's test patients." He said. I realised this was something I could help with. I was pretty good at finding patterns and problem, it was something we did at work all the time. "Do you have information about all his test patients?" I asked. Henry gave me a file. I looked through and saw nothing. The exact dose was given to each of them. I couldn't establish a difference in the ones the drug failed on but I didn't give up. The whole week we went through everything until I noticed something missing late in the evening one night. "We are looking at everything from a medical, chemical point of view. What if that's not it?" I said. I stood up and looked at all the files spread out on the floor. Henry stared at me. I rearranged the papers of each patient and found the link. "Henry, I think I found something. This has to be it!" I exclaimed.

The next morning we run my theory by Dr. Olsen and he said it was something he hadn't considered but worth testing anyway. That afternoon we waited at his office for the test results. If I was right this would be golden. We held hands as we sat in the cold office. "Have you told your dad about my theory?" I asked but before I could get an answer the door flung open and Doctor Olsen walked through. He was a slim old man with very pale white skin. It didn't look like he went out much. His smile said it all. He gave us a sheet of paper. "You are right. The key was in the climate. The patients who died were all living in an countries with higher temperatures. I have no idea why I never thought of this. Good job!" He said. I couldn't believe it. "This calls for celebration!" Henry said and we all cheered.

Henry and I decided to go dancing to celebrate. There was a very nice salsa pub not far from our hotel. The old Henry was back!  He was funny, witty, a bit arrogant and completely attractive. As we danced I knew I had made a good decision. This was the man for me and now he wasn't leaving me anytime soon. "You saved my life Doris." Henry whispered into my ears. "No, your fighting spirit saved your life." I replied also whispering. "Can you do me one favour?" He asked with a serious tone. I nodded and asked what is was. "When we get married can you please not have a girl?" He asked. "Huh? Why?" I asked, excited at the word married but confused anyway. "Well I don't want to see another person who looks just like Adel." He joked and we both laughed.



The End. 

Just like Adel 11

I never expected to see Henry in the hospital this quickly, especially with his new medication. His symptoms has reduced so drastically. Adel was sitting next to me when the doctor walked to us. "Only family members are allowed to stay." He said looking at me. Adel held my hand and turned to him. "Doctor Obeng this is Doris. She's our cousin." Adel lied. Holding my hand. The doctor stared at me and smiled all of a sudden. "Ahaa I thought as much. She looks a lot like you but I had to be sure. Henry is awake now. He's fine but we want to keep him here tonight until we get some test results." He said, leading us to Henry's room.

It was a big hospital and everything looked so proper. Adel and I stood at the entrance of his room. Doctor Obeng walked off with a nurse and we stared at each other. "Thanks ." I said to her when he was out of sight. "Oh it's nothing. I'm glad you are here. Henry has really become better since he met you. I'm really glad..." She started but Henry cut in. "And what has Henry done this time?" He said sitting up on his bed. We turned to him and walked into the room.

Adel and I spent all the rest of our visiting hours chatting with Henry. He seemed fine. Then a nurse came to lead us out after several failed promoters. Adel dropped me off at home after we left. She wasn't bad at all. In fact I saw why Dean liked her so much. When I got home I quickly texted Henry to tell him I was home. Just before I put my bag down I noticed the blue notebook Mr. Brock had given me. I pulled it out of my bag and flipped through. There was writings on just one page. "Doris this may be a lot to ask but can you go to Denmark with Henry for his next treatment session? I have spoken to your boss and all expenses will be paid. Please don't tell Henry it is from me." I read aloud. I stared at the note for a while and fell on my bed. All I could think about was how odd Henry's family was.

The next day after work Adel came to pick Dean and I to Henry's hospital. Henry was already dressed up and ready to leave when we got there. When he hugged me it felt different. We all sat in his room chatting. "Did you guys come to pick me up or visit me?" Henry teased and we left. Dean suggested we all go see a movie but Henry didn't like the idea. He kept saying he was tired and just wanted to sleep. I guessed he just wanted to be alone. Adel suggested other things but he refused all of them. "OK we will be leaving now then." Dean said right after Adel dropped Henry at home on his varenda. "Alright. Thanks for everything guys." He said. We all turned around to leave but Henry held my hand. "No not you. I've missed you too much." He said smiling. My heart warmed up. Adel turned to look at us. She winked at me and dragged Dean to her car.

Dean and I spent the night eating cereal and playing video games. I wasn't particularly good at it but with time pulled a few surprises on him. I made a conscious effort not to talk about his father. "Doris, there's something I need to tell you. My time at the hospital got me thinking." He said, putting aside his controller. I turned to face him and he continued. "I don't want to die and have you think I'm a jerk. The relationship between my father and I is a little weird. I'm sure you already know that by now." I nodded and he smiled. "My mother had Orgosis. When she found out, she did all she could to find a cure for it. She did so much research that it makes mine look like a joke. My dad helped as much as he could but unfortunately he couldn't save her. When she died he was a mess. Since then my father gave up. He didn't think there was any hope especially after all the things my mother tried. His best advice for me is to enjoy the time I have left. Something he never got to do with my mother. It disgusts me to be honest. No father should give up like that." Henry said. I could tell it took a lot out of him. "Hey, it's ok. I understand both of you. This must be really hard for you but just remember I'm here and everything is going to be ok." I said, holding his hands. "There's something else you need to know." He said, looking straight into my eyes.


To be continued.... 

Just like Adel 10

Henry flew to Denmark for his treatment the next week. We skyped every night and he told me all about his experience. Everything was going as he planned it. We communicated so much I felt like I was Dean. I was glad he was getting another chance. I seemed to be the only one he really kept in the loop because Adel called me regularly to ask about him. I encouraged Henry to talk to his family more but I sort of understood them.

One Sunday afternoon, I heard a knock at my door and walked to it. When I opened it I saw Henry standing there with the most attractive smile in the world. "Henry! I thought you were arriving on Tuesday!" I screamed and hugged him. I couldn't control my excitement. He told me he just wanted to surprise me. We went inside and he showed all the cute Danish souvenirs he bought me. They were really pretty and I was really glad he was back. "There's one more thing." Henry said. I looked at all the presents on the table and looked back at him. "Really, after all these?" I asked. He nodded and leaned in closer. Before my heart started racing he kissed me. I always wondered how it would be to kiss him and I was right. His soft lips were amazing. "I've always wanted to do that." He said and we both giggled. I wanted to scream 'me too' but I played it cool. "I know my treatment isn't permanent and I'm in a weird condition and all but will you go out with me? If you don't want to I completely understand. So what do you say Miss Doris who looks just like Adel?" He asked smiling. How on this big beautiful earth could I say no?

Henry felt like a totally different person when we started dating. He wasn't cold and rude like he used to be. He was more positive and cheerful. His treatment had brought him new hope. One afternoon at work my boss asked me to go for a meeting at Brock Pharmaceuticals. I smiled when my boss told me and did some quick makeup before I left. Dean teased me when he noticed. The meeting was with Lestor Brock himself. I smiled when I saw him. He smiled back and signalled for me to sit down. I took out my note book and pen but he signalled for me to put them away. "No, you won't need those. This isn't that kind of meeting." He said. I sat up more attentively. He asked how I was doing and I instantly knew the meeting was about his son.

Lester Brock stared at me for a while and said "has anybody told you that you look very much like my daughter Adelaide?" I smiled and nodded. He leaned back into his chair and smiled. "She has told me a lot about you actually. You two have similar strengths too if you ask me and the only ones that can get through to my son." He added and giggled. I smiled at him even though I was getting a little tired of being compared to Adel. He leaned back in his chair. "How is Henry's Danish treatment going?" He asked. I could see the concern in his eyes. "Doctor Olsen is actually doing a good job according to Henry. He said heart burns are less intensive these days." I said. Mr. Brock nodded, staring straight at me.

Before he could open his mouth someone opened his office door. It was Henry. He looked straight at me and then to his father. "What's going on here?" He asked. "We are just talking." Lester Brock replied. "Henry." Adel called. She also walked into the office. She tried to escort him out but he wouldn't listen. He walked to me and tapped me on the shoulder. "Your boss has sent for you. Dad Doris has to leave." He said sharply. I turned to look at his father who was busy writing something. "Very well. It was nice meeting you Doris." He said. I nodded and got up to leave. "Doris you left your note book." Mr. Brock said. "My notebook is in my..." I started but then I saw him raise the book he was writing in to me and I immediately got it. "Ah yes, thanks." I said and quickly collected it. "Let's go." Henry whispered in my ear. I had no idea what was going on.

When we got to the parking lot I felt it was safe to talk about why Henry was acting funny. "Hey what's up? You are acting funny." I asked. Henry turned to me. "I don't want my father interfering in my personal life." He replied. I noticed from much earlier that Henry didn't like his father very much but I strongly felt it was because he unfairly made Adel, his much younger sister the next ceo of his company but now I knew it was his only choice. "Your father loves you. He's just concerned." I said. Henry laughing sarcastically. "He gave up on me. Do you give up on someone you love? I have been diagnosed with Orgosis for 4 years now and what did he do? Nothing. I don't need that kind of love Trust me you won't understand." Henry explained. I put my hand on his shoulder and it happened. He held his side and slowly fell to the ground. I could see him losing consciousness as he went down. I screamed as hard as I could to get help. "Help!"



To be continued... 

Just like Adel 7

 All of a sudden my anger towards Henry evaporated. I didn't like what I heard. Henry was hard working and had acquired many certificates and awards. Why was Adel who just graduated with no experience at all going to head the company? I went around the party grounds looking for Henry. It made sense for him to keep to himself, I mean his own family were not treating him fairly.

I went to the front of the house where all the cars were parked and just like magic I saw him leaving. I run up to him and hugged him. "I'm sorry about earlier." we both said at the same time. We laughed and each explained what we were sorry for. Maybe he didn't like me like that but I guess being his friend at a time like this was pretty much what he needed.

Henry and I sat on the stairs in front of the house. "Aren't you scared of kwashey boys?" I teased. He laughed and said he was covered because I had a 'gun'. I smiled. "I know why. I know why you are cold sometimes." I said. He turned to look at me. His eyes were wide open. "Don't ask me how but I heard your dad and your sister talking." I added. He looked very surprised. I looked down. I wasn't happy about how I found out. "What I don't understand is why?" I said turning to look at him.

My words seemed to ignite his sadness. I wondered if I should change the subject. "That's just how life is." He said in a very low tone. "It's not fair." I said. I could feel his pain. "I honestly don't blame you for not liking me because I look like Adel." I said. Then Henry giggled. "Where is this one too coming from? Yea you look like Adel but you are not like her at all. " He asked. I looked at him funny. "I'm confused." I confessed. "I like the two of you differently." He said looking away. I asked him to explain and he shyly changed the subject. I didn't push it at all. What he said worked for me.

"So is there anything you can do? There has to be something right?" I asked. He nodded. "Then I will help you." I said. It's like my words ignited another emotion. This time it was joy. His smile filled his face in a matter of seconds. He seemed to really like the idea. Just then Senam and Dean came out and saw me. She wanted to leave. Dean smiled when he saw Henry and I. I said a quick goodbye and left with Senam. I didn't think Henry would open up so easily about his issue but all that hardwork could not go to waste.


To be continued... 

Just like Adel 4

When I got to work on Monday I went straight to Dean's desk. He hadn't arrived yet so I sat in his chair and waited. I turned on his computer to play a game. Just before I started playing I saw an instant message from Adel. "Hey hun, are you at work already?" it read. I was just about to type a reply when another message came that made me freeze. "Is Dores around? I'm not playing about what I told you about her. Don't even think about it. " It read. Just then I heard Dean's voice. I turned the computer off instantly and left his desk.

Maybe it was me but it really felt like Dean was acting strange the whole day. After lunch I couldn't take it anymore and I guess he felt the same way too so when I walked up to him after lunch he said sorry. "For what?" I asked. "For not telling you that you looked like Adel. I guess you are passed off too." He added. I raised an eye brow. "What did she say?" I asked curiously. When Dean dragged his words I knew he didn't want to talk about it. I told him I had gotten over it. Somehow he thought we would both be amused. "She thinks you may like me too because we look alike right? Tell her not to worry, you are not my type." I said frankly and walked away. I heard him call out to me but I wasn't in the mood to listen to him. Dean and his girlfriend had never appeared more childish to me.

That evening as I went home I noticed Henry's car parked in front of his office. I really considered paying him a visit but I honestly didn't know what I would say then I remembered a trick I read online. I dropped off at his office and after explaining a good deal to the security man he finally allowed me to see Henry. "I didn't know I had to go through so much to see you." I said trying to sound casual but not quite getting it right. "I'm a big deal." He said and smiled. He was so charming. Even with his reading glasses on. He got up and walked towards me. Was he going to kiss me? I asked myself with my heart slightly racing.

He walked past me to his cabinet and picked a file. I shook my head at my wishful thoughts and sat down. It was time to act. "I think I dropped something in your car the other time." I said. Before Henry could say anything a tall guy walked in. He looked at me and nodded when I said hello. "Gilly as you can see today I'm a bit busy." Henry said, looking at me. Gilly looked at me again and just stared until Henry laughed and introduced me to him. "My goodness I almost swore you were Adel." He finally confessed and I giggled. "Do you have any plans for the evening?" Gilly asked. I shook my head and Henry frowned. "That's good. So you can join us. We are getting Henry drunk tonight." Gilly said. Henry didn't look very amused. "Doris needs me to do some stuff for her at her place. Gilly we can do this another time." He protested. I decided to play along. Gilly just shook his head and took a reincheck. Before he left the office he turned to me and said "Henry has a second sister now. Whoosh!" Henry threw a paper ball at him and he laughed.

We walked to the car park to look for the thing I 'dropped' in Henry's car. I learnt this trick about a year ago. You leave something at your crush's place and either have him bring it to you or go for it. In no time at all I found my little note book. Unfortunately I didn't remember what to do after I retrieved the item. "Found it. Thanks." I said awkwardly. Henry nodded and locked his car. "I'll see you later then." He said. "That was cold." There was a nice side to him but his cold side wasn't fun at all. I looked at my watch. "It's almost 9pm. How about you walk me home? " I asked. He shook his head and got into his car. "I'll drop you off. I need to come back and finish some work." He said. It wasn't what I expected but it was better than nothing. I hopped into the front seat and we were off. I saw some papers on the seat and turned them over to look at what was written on them but before I could read anything Henry snatched them from me. "It's just work stuff. So which way do we go?" He asked looking straight ahead. This was getting worse by the minute thanks to Mr workaholic.

In less than 5 minutes we were in front of my little apartment. "Thanks." I said when Henry turned to look at me. I opened the door and walked out. My plan didn't go well at all. "Doris." Henry called. I turned around swiftly. He got out of his car and walked to me. "I don't know if I'm reading wrongly into this but I'm not sure I'm..." He started and from nowhere at all two men on a motor bike appeared with cutlases. They where near us before I could get into the car or my apartment. "Shit." Henry said.



To be continued... 

Just like Adel

Dean walked to my desk and when I saw the look on his face I knew he wanted me to do something. "What do you want this time?" I asked turning away from my table. He led me to his desk and asked me to fix an issue on his computer. Dean was so bad with computers it wasn't funny. "So did Henry call you?" He asked. I shook my head. "Chale I don't think he's interested oh." I replied getting up from his desk. Dean frowned. He was just about to talk when our boss walked into the office. I turned around immediately and went back to my desk.

Henry was the older brother of Dean's girlfriend. I thought he was cute the day I met him and Dean gave him my number. That was a month ago. I hoped he would call judging by his wide smile when we met but after a week I just gave up. "Doris I have a new job for you."  my boss said and signalled for me to come to his office. I walked briskly behind him. He handed me a file and said it was a pharmacy advert I was to work on it with Dean. He made it clear that they were a big shot client and so I had to bring my sharpest ideas. I smiled and rushed to Dean's desk. I'm a copywriter who loves her job and challenges excite me. My thoughts of Henry disappeared just like that.

Even though we were nowhere on our project Dean suggested we go to a coworkers wedding. I tried to play the workaholic card but he would have none of it. I finally agreed and we went. It was a beautiful wedding I must say and it really refreshed me. We sat on the same table with Sedem another lady from work. Half the time Dean was on his phone most likely chatting with his long distance girlfriend Adel. He always kept in touch with her and talked about her all the time. My buddy was smitten. It made hanging out with him so much easier because I knew there were definitely no strings attached. "Guess what?" Dean asked as I stuffed my face with a huge slice of wedding cake. "Henry said he lost your number. Adel just told me." He added. I wiped my lips with a tissue. "That again? I thought I told you I was over him. Crushes don't last remember?" I said. Dean just ignored me and kept on typing. Sedem was interested in the topic all of a sudden. Dean told her a very badly fabricated story of the day Henry and I met. I rolled my eyes and looked out for another person serving cake.

Just then a guy came out of no where and shook Dean's hand. They laughed and joked for a while and he turned to me and shook mine too smiling so widely. "I didn't know you were around." He said to me. I stared at him not sure what to say. Then he continued. "You two are not matching colours this time?"  then it hit me. He thought I was Adel. This wasn't the first time. Before I could correct him Dean jumped in and did me the honours. The guy stared at me again and apologised. "Wow, this is.." He started but the phone in my pocket vibrated and I jumped to answer the call.

After talking to my boss over the phone I realised we had less time than we thought to finish the project. We had until Monday afternoon to come up with 10 scripts and Dean hadn't even taken a look at the file. Even though I insisted we leave to do our work Dean still managed to let me stay. "We haven't met with a representative from the company yet even." I nagged. "Don't worry. I'll do that on Monday morning. Have I ever failed you before?" He asked. I shook my head. He was right. I looked around and took in the beautiful environment with my glass of champagne.

Monday morning Dean and I got to work very early. I gave him the file to read while I finished up on a script I had written the night before. "Heh for real?!" He shouted. I turned and looked at him confused. I rushed to him and asked if there was a problem. He shook his head. "You know what? Let me stay and finish up the scripts while you go speak with them." He said and quickly turned over to his computer without even bothering to listen to what I had to say. I complained a little and just left when he didn't badge.

When I got to the client's office I was asked to wait. It was one of the biggest pharmacies in Ghana. "Hello, Mr. Brock will see you now." The Secretary said. I smiled and walked into his office. It was a very big office with very beautiful decor. I wondered if I was going to meet Lestor Brock himself, the CEO. I noticed the man sitting at the desk didn't have grey hair. As I got closer I noticed he looked familiar. "Henry?" I asked. He looked up at me, clearly surprised. "Hi, what are you doing here?" He asked, taking off his glasses.


To be continued... 

Being Francis

Francis saw his older brother packing his bags. "Hey Dan, where are you off to?" He asked curiously. Dan looked at him and continued packing. "I don't know how you manage to be happy here." Dan finally replied. He picked up a T-shirt and threw it into his small suitcase. Francis did not see that answer coming. He enquired further and Dan made it clear he was leaving their new home. His brother was even more surprised.

 Just then their sister walked into the room. "What's going on here?" She asked. Francis turned to her and explained Dan's intentions. She shook her head and turned to walk out like nothing was happening. "Pat, won't you tell him to stop this and stay?" Francis called out. Without turning Pat said, "He's not a child. He can do as he pleases." Then she left.

Francis asked his brother why he wanted to leave one more time. "Why should I stay? Father doesn't love me, he expects me to follow so many rules and what do I get in return? Constant disappointment. He says “ask me for anything and you'll have it” but he doesn't honour his words. My friends in the South are living very happy lives free from strict parents. That's where I'm headed." Dan let out. It looked like he had given this a lot of thought.

"Daddy loves us so much. Don't you see that? He gives us a lot of food and everything we need and his rules are just meant to protect us." Francis said. "I'm 25 years old, I need more than food. I have asked him for so many things and he just did nothing." Dan said, beginning to get angry. His little brother tried to calm him down but it was useless. He picked his suitcase and walked out with Francis running behind him. "I have one last thing to say. Count all the things Dad has gotten for you and see if they are worth more than the things you are asking for. I will tell Dad you'll be coming back because I know you will." Francis said almost in tears. "Good luck with that." He said and left the house.

If Pat, Dan and Francis’ father was God and they were normal Christians like you and me, can you relate to their actions? Pat is the Christian who believes but does not spread the word nor help others out. She prefers to be a Christian on an island. Dan is the Christian who loses his faith because he thinks God is asleep or maybe just picky because his prayers are not being answered. He feels all he is doing for God is in vain.

 Francis is the Christian we all want to be. The one who believes in God with all his heart and wants everyone to do same so he calls people to God and encourages them. We have probably been all these people at one point or the other in our journey with Christ. It's time to be Francis in our own little way. If you are not sure how, just pray and an idea will pop into your head, completely unique to you. God bless you :-)

My crush on Jude

 

"Relax you'll be fine." Sayram said. I nodded and managed to smile. "How do I look?" I asked with a goofy pose. Sayram laughed and told me never to do that again. I giggled. I was getting relaxed now. In no time at all we heard the guys walking to us. My heart started racing. Sayram stood up and glanced. "They are coming!" she said excitedly. I saw Jude, first or maybe my eyes chose to see him first. He was in a yellow t-shirt and black shorts. His football boots were in his left hand. His head was down as he walked. Then I saw Selassie and Henry too. It looked like Selassie was telling his jokes as usually because they were all laughing. Then Jude looked up. When he saw us he smiled. I felt every bit of his smile. Then I turned to Sayram. "Eish, I can't do this oh." I said. She shook her head.

     "My goodness Mavis are you wearing makeup?" Selassie asked immediately they got to us. "Sela, don't be a fool." Seyram said and we all laughed. Sela walked closer to me and stared at me. "Oh but it's not bad oh. Come for a hug." He added. "Eww, take your sweaty self away." I teased and moved away from him. Jude came to sit next to me. "Sela is right. It suits you." he said. I smiled. I noticed Sayram was giving me a weird signal. She handed Henry a drink and they started talking. "Where's my drink?" Sela said walking to her. I turned to Jude. He was stretching. "I'll get you a drink." I offered and picked a coke from Sayram for him. "Ask the boy la." she whispered to me. I nodded and walked back. Jude was smiling when I came back. "What was all the whispering about?" He asked and took his drink. He looked at Sayram and turned to me. Sayram turned away quickly and he giggled, yawa. This was pretty awkward.

   You see, Jude isn't one of those hot guys you just see and have a crush on. I mean he's the best player on the football team but that's not it. I've known him for 2 years. We were so close so many people thought we were dating but we weren't. I must say he is one of the reasons I broke up with my last boyfriend. My ex didn't like the fact that Jude and I were so close. He claimed I had feelings for him. Maybe he was right. A lot of feelings can stir up when you and someone spend a lot of time together. I can't blame Jude though. I mean we are both on our Uni football team, cancer awareness club and hostel. It wasn't normal of me to ask a guy out but Sayram told me she heard from Henry that there was another girl trying to make wild. So yeah, here I was about to tell him I liked him and face either acceptance or rejection. According to Sayram, anytime she spoke to Jude he mentioned me. That was comforting but really I was one of their few common friends. Mavis you can do this!

   "Oh don't mind Sayram. Sela's silliness has caught her too." I joked. We turned to look at her. She was holding Henry's drink away from him and he was stretching for it. I laughed. "See what I mean?" Jude laughed and nodded. She saw us and winked. Henry got hold of the drink now. As usual we split up and walked back to our hostels. As Jude and I walked back I played the words in my head. We were talking about a new movie that was released. Then from nowhere at all we both said "There's something I want to tell you." at the same time. Was this fate. We giggled and played the 'you go first game'. "Ok how about we write it on a piece of paper and read it at the same time. Jude squinted. "Isn't that a bit too dramatic?" He asked. I shook my head. "Well, but it's fun. Come on." He agreed so I brought out a piece of paper from my bag. I split it into two and gave him one and a pen. "Go ahead, write it." I said. He did and gave the pen back. I smiled and wrote, "I think I like you. Is the feeling mutual?" Not romantic at all eh? I know!

   We stood in front of my room with each other's note nicely folded. Just then, Jude's phone rang. He answered it. It was his roommate. The annoying guy had lost his keys so he needed Jude's set. He told me he had to go and he'd read it when he got to his room. "You know what, don't open it. I'll call you when I get to my room so we can do the reading thing. Cool?" He suggested as he walked off. I nodded. When I got into my room, I feel on my bed and watched the note in my hand. I turned and looked at my 'not ringing phone'. I shook my head and unfolded the note. So it read...

  My heart sunk. My eyes teared up. Why? I dropped the paper on the floor and closed my eyes. Just then there was a knock at the door. I wiped my eyes dry and opened the door. It was Jude. "Yes, May the feeling is mutual." He said and walked in. I couldn't help it. My tears betrayed me. Jude saw his note and hugged me. He wiped my tears with his thumb and kissed me. Someway somehow I wished his note had said he liked someone else. At least that way I'd still have him around as my friend.


 Can you guess what Jude's note said?

Grace of fear

  Baaba kept her head down as she walked home. That part of the road had so many potholes. She had to watch out for them before she tripped and fell. She had fallen before. It was darker that night than usual because she stayed an extra 4 hours at work. It was because her head was down that she saw it, a bundle of 50 cedi notes and a piece of paper attached to it.

   At first she wasn't sure it was money so she bent down to take a better look. She gasped and picked it up. She instinctively looked around. The lonely street was just as it always was at 2 am. She put the money in a secret compartment she had in her bag. She made this compartment for her money just in case she met any robbers. Luckily for her she hadn't met any yet since she started working at the bar but today it was very late so she didn't feel safe.

 Baaba walked faster now, completely forgetting the potholes. She was busy imagining what she was going to buy with the money. She was sick of working around drunk men. She guessed the money would be at least 2,000 cedis. When her house was in sight she broke into a run. She was planning what to do next. She would hide the money inside her mattress. There was no way her auntie would find it. Then she would run to Kumasi with her boyfriend, Ralph. He had been bugging her about running away for so long. She smiled as she run.

 She was just five minutes to her house when she heard the sound of motor bikes moving in her direction. Baaba was so startled that she missed her step and her bag fell. She picked it up quickly. Bikers at this time was never a good thing. She turned and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw shadows and lights getting brighter. They were moving very fast but she knew they couldn't see her yet. She dug her hand in her bag trying to locate her keys. There was a chance she could rush in before they saw her. When her shaking hands couldn't find the keys she shook her head and dashed into a bush nearby.

 In seconds they were on her street. She could hear them talk but couldn't make out what they were saying. They went up and down the street slowly. Baaba just sat in the bush with her heart beating faster and faster. She clung on to her bag like it was her baby. From where she was squatting all she could see were their feet. One had a tattoo of a snake around his ankle. Baaba closed her eyes tightly and prayed he wouldn't come any closer.


 To be continued...

His muse 5

The presenter introduced Edem to the stage and he smiled as he got to the stage. “Hi, everybody. Hope you are enjoying the fashion show.” He said. A lot of people shouted “No.” Edem went on. “I hope you know that, that reply won’t be heard in the video recording. The organizers are definitely going to edit that into a yes, absolutely, woohoo.” The crowd laughed. “I told my sister last week that I was coming here. She looked at me like I was mad then she asked. Why? You are always behind time in terms of fashion. Well don’t they have a term for that? I’m vintage! Why is it ok for Beyonce to wear 1960 dress and I get ignored for wearing bell bottom trousers?” The crowd went on laughing. Then she walked in. Sandra got a quick seat and enjoyed the show. Edem went on and on and the crowd’s laughter went higher and higher. This was his night!

“Edem so did you make all the jokes up?” Sally’s friend asked. “Dela, this guy is just good at what he does.” Dean said. Edem shrugged. “But my favourite were the Ewe jokes.” Dela added, looking directly at Edem. “From one number 9 to another, I know you liked them because you can relate.” Edem teased and they all laughed. “Oh Edem do the accent again.” Sally asked as they made it for the exit. “Cho, you have to urr pay me for this oh.” Edem said in a thick Ewe accent. Dela and Sally were in total laughter. “You guys take the lead eh, I will meet you outside.” Edem said when he saw Sandra talking to one of the organizers. “Sandra!” He called. She turned and smiled. “Wow, your act today was just awesome. I missed the first part though.” She said. Edem nodded.

"I did my best. This is my first gig since the competition. I just made sure I talked about fashion and stuff the crowd could relate to." Edem said. Sandra was smiling as usual. "You came alone? I thought you were coming with.." Edem started but someone cut in. A guy walked over to Sandra and hugged her. "Hi, I didn't know you would come here." He said. Edem noticed him. He was one of the designers for the fashion show. "Yea, I came to watch a friend." Sandra said pointing to Edem and he nodded. "Oh really. You did the comedy eh? It was really funny. We have so much talent in Ghana." The designer said and Edem gave a weak smile. "Sandra darling, I have this dress I need you to see." He said dragging her away. "Edem I'll be right back." She said as he led her away. Edem nodded and sat down on a chair. He was sitting there when his phone rung. It was Dean. "Chale where you dey? We are getting a cab oh." He asked. Edem looked around for Sandra. "Take the lead eh. I will come later." He said. Dean was silent for a while. "Ah, what are you doing there?" He finally asked. "Oh I'm just chatting with one of the organizers." He lied. "Oh cool. Do you want me to come? Is it about another gig?" Dean asked concerned. "Naa, just talking about the show. I'm good. See you later." Edem said still looking out for Sandra.

He sat there for 30 more minutes and she still didn't show up. He got up and walked towards the changing room, where she was dragged to.  He peeped through but she wasn't there."Ermm excuse me, do you know where Sandra and the tall designer went?" Edem asked a model who was packing up to leave. "I don't know. They just left in her car." She said in a Nigerian accent. "Heyaa it's going to rain." She said and rushed off. Edem was upset. He turned around and walked out slowly. It had already started raining. He insulted himself as he run through the rain to get to the bus stop. "Dean was right, I'm probably not good enough for her." He thought to himself as he tried to stop a taxi. When he finally got into one he was soaked. He called Dean and told him he was going to his hall instead because he was wet. But the real reason was because he was down. "Yo, you remember Sally's friend? Be like she dey feel you oh. She was asking so many questions about you when we were coming. You better look sharp." Dean said excitedly. Edem smiled. She was a nice girl. "Eh, then we go talk moro. She is at your hostel right? I will come over after my Saturday morning class." Edem said. He was happy he had attracted a girl but why couldn't she be Sandra? 

The next day was so much fun. A lot of people recognized Edem from the show and said hi to him all day. It felt nice. When he went to Dean's place they went to see his new crush and she even made them lunch. "Dela you are a good cook oh." Dean complimented. She smiled and looked at Edem. "He doesn't know you added some cat meat to the food." Edem teased. "And you would know." Dela said giggling. "Oh but me and you know how it tastes oh." He said and she laughed some more. He liked the way she responded to his jokes. She was really nice. Edem stayed at Dela's place chatting till it was very late. When he got back to his place he was smiling a lot. He had had a good day. "It would have been a lot better if I had seen Sandra" he thought, as he went to sleep.

To be continued...

Jackpot!

She greeted me in the morning but without a smile

Her walk was slow and sluggish like she had walked a mile

There was something wrong with her. This wasn’t her style

I could tell there was something wrong by watching her for just a while

How could a free spirited lady feel so down?

In all my life I had never seen her frown

Maybe I should go to her and talk to her now

Who was I kidding I was nobody and she was the prettiest girl in town

Then God gave me a push. My boss sent me to go over

I took a deep breath and walked into her office praying not to stammer

“Hello, my boss said to give this to your father.” I said with hope of getting closer

“Ok.” Was all she said, took the envelope and put it into her drawer

I had blown it. I could have asked her why she was sad

I turned around and walked out feeling really bad

“Hi, wait!” She called from behind me and I turned sharply like mad

“You work at IT right? Could you please help me? I think I broke my dad’s Ipad.”

Jackpot!