Rift 8 (Finale)

The next day after work Steven noticed I wasn't in a good mood he took me to a nearby restaurant during lunch time to cheer me up. We placed our order and I was about to pour out to him about how I was feeling but he brought up Nina in our conversation. "Since the magic you did to my studio is done I was planning to have a grand opening. It won't be anything too fancy. Just a cocktail. What do you think?" He asked. I told him it was a brilliant idea and then he went on.

"So I was thinking about inviting Nina. I know you two aren't on good terms anymore so I want to know if you are ok with it. If you don't want her around I'll just leave her out," I wasn't expecting this at all. I told Steven it was absolutely fine to invite her even though that was a lie. He smiled excitedly and asked me to help him with the planning. I almost asked him why he wouldn't give this task to his girlfriend but I knew that would offend him. Besides I enjoyed spending time with him and just then I had a brilliant idea. If Nina was coming to the cocktail she would definitely bring her boo along to spite me. This was the perfect time to pay her back for what she did in a grand way.

The day for the studio opening came much faster than I expected. My plan seemed nice and flawless. I got to Steven's place a couple of hours early to help set up the place. Just as I was expecting, his Selina was around, finally. With her tiny jeans shorts and oversized tshirt I guessed she came the night before and slept over. Immediately she saw me she shook my hand and complimented me on the amazing job I did. Her warm smile gave me mixed feelings. A part of me was happy Steven had a very nice girlfriend but another part of me was jealous.

I saw Steven walk towards me and I prayed he wasn't going to lecture me about the amount of alcohol I was drinking. He took my hand and we walked to a quieter corner. “You won't believe it, Max T is here! Did you invite him?” he asked excitedly. I looked at him with a puzzled look and he pointed to a man standing in front of the drinks table talking to a bunch of guys. “Oh right you don't know him. He's one of the biggest managers in Ghana. He has over 20 artists his managing at the moment. You know Rickie, Akosua Soul, Lil Crack?,” He asked and I nodded. They were popular musicians. “He manages them. If he decides to use my studio eh, I go hit rough!” Steven exclaimed. I smiled at the thought of it. He was such a hard working guy he deserved a big break. Just then Nina and Fii walked in. My heart skipped a beat when I saw them.

“Steven, Afua!” Nina called and walked to us. She hugged me first and Steven next. Fii and I just nodded at each other. “Is Max T here yet?” Nina asked. Steven's eyes lit up immediately. “Wait, you invited him?” He asked and she nodded. “Come, let's go for a proper introduction. I definitely want you and him making our wedding playlist,” she replied taking his hand. As the three of them headed for the bar they turned to look at me. “Aren't you coming?” Nina and Steven asked at the same time. I quickly told them my usual lie. “You go ahead, I need to make an important phone call,” I took out my phone and walked out briskly as they left.

I wasn't at all ready for what happened. Was Nina actually announcing her wedding? What was the point telling Nina about Fii’s attempted kiss? What if he spin it around and made it look like I was the one who wanted to kiss him? My only witness was Julian and he was Fii's cousin. Things were not looking as concrete as I had planned days ago. “Stop getting cold feet!” I whispered to myself. I shook my head and gulped down another cocktail.

When I got outside I leaned on one of the pillars. I asked myself what at all I was doing. Going home at that very moment made so much sense to me. Maybe it was time to accept that I was the miserable one and just move on. I took a deep breath and and started walking towards the gate. “Afua!” I heard from behind. It was Steven. I knew exactly what he was going to say and I didn't want to hear it. I turned around reluctantly and saw the concerned look on his face. He hugged me and tears started to flow down my cheeks. I couldn't take it anymore. It's like he knew how I was feeling.

Just then I remembered how it would look if Selina came to see us. I moved back immediately trying to wipe my tears quickly. “I need to go. I don't want Selina to, I think it's a bit…” I stuttered. Steven looked at me as if he didn't understand what I was saying. “Just go, go and celebrate today with your girlfriend ok?” I finally said. I expected him to shrug and convince me to stay but instead he let out a laugh. I couldn't tell what was funny so I asked him. “Oh that's what it was,” he whispered to himself. “What?” I asked again. “Selina is not my girlfriend. I don't know where you got that from. She's my cousin. Don't you remember her from uni? She used to cook for me sometimes,” he replied. I stood there confused and embarrassed at the same time. “Oh, really? I don't quite remember. Ok,” I said feeling very silly.

“I knew inviting Nina would make you feel uncomfortable. I shouldn't have…” He started but I stopped him halfway and told him it was fine and today was about him and his studio. “So will you come back inside with me? All of this wouldn't have happened without you. You are the pillar,” Steven said. I don't know if it was the alcohol, the words or the newly acquired information. I took a step closer to him and kissed him. He kissed me back and when I saw him smiling after the kiss I was relieved. “Wow, I didn't expect that. Now I'm wondering if going going back to the party is necessary,” he said and we both laughed. He took my hand and walked back to the party giggled and whispering to each other. I realized that moving on was always the best idea. At least it brought me and Steven together.

The End

Rift 6

The week was so busy for me that I didn't have time to think about my major floppings. The company had a project we had to deliver in record time so we had to work overtime. When it was done on Friday we were all so relieved. Instead of going out to have drinks with my department colleagues I chose to come home and sleep. After my dinner I was about to settle in when I got a call. He was a strange number so I answered it. To my surprise it was Julian. He apologized again for the other night and said he was around my area and wanted to come over and see me. I wondered how he knew my area but I guessed I had mentioned it to him at the party. I sent him my location and he was at the gate in 10 minutes.

I went outside to meet Julian in his car. He smiled at me and we spoke for a while about my new job before he brought up the party. "I heard you did some wild things at the party," he teased. I shrugged and tried to change the subject but Julian wouldn't play along. "The guy you were dancing with, is he your boy..." He started but I cut him short. "He's the guy I came to the party with. There's nothing going on between us. I just acted stupidly that's all. Anyway who is giving you all this information?" I asked suspiciously. When Julian said nothing I knew it was Fii. "Tell Fii not to worry about me. He has Nina to think about. Trust me she can be a handful," I let out. There was an awkward silence for a while.

I turned to Julian and saw the caring face of a friend. "I won't lie, when I saw them together I was upset. Nina used to tell me to breakup with Fii when we were dating. I didn't like how he was interfering with the relationship between me and my best friend. Now I find out they are together and none of them have the balls to tell me? That's just cold," I poured out. I could tell Julian wasn't expecting this. Maybe I said too much. It was a yawn I let out that reminded me of how tired I was. I hugged Julian and told him I had to go. I didn't want Kuukua to know I wasn't in the house. My promise to be of good behavior had to be heeded to. Julian understood and promised to visit me again. I nodded and waved as he drove off.

The next morning I woke up to a knock at my door. It was my little nephew, Alex. He rushed into my room when I yelled come in. He was beaming with smiles. For a minute I wondered what was making him so happy. Then my sister followed. "Steven is here to see you. He said he was in the area and decided to come by. He's in the hall," Kuukua said. I nodded and asked Alex why he was so happy. "Oh yes, Steven brought that killer waakye from Miss Ayisha joint for you. Alex loves it so I'm guessing he's hear to convince you to share," Kuukua said and Alex nodded. I giggled and stood up to get dressed. When I got to the hall I saw Steven sitting on the sofa chatting with Ben. They were both watching a football game and I guessed that was the topic. He smiled when he saw me.

"Sorry for waking you up. If it makes you feel any better I bought you waakye," he said. I shrugged and thanked him. It wasn't until Steven asked me if I was ready to move that I realized I had promised to help him do some work for him. He had recently turned  his brother's boys quarters into a recording studio and wanted me to help him make it nice. I was the one with a design degree after all. I had totally forgotten about the plans we made. I quickly nodded and told him I just had to grab my bag.

When we got to his brother's house he lead me straight to the boys quarters. I could smell it was freshly painted. I took a look around and was pleasantly surprised. "You bought all this equipment?" I asked. He nodded and explained how he bought everything in bits over time. "This right here was my biggest spend. I had to sell my car for it," He said pointing. I smiled and continued looking around. I admired his passion. He always mentioned his small studio but this was something else.

"Selina says this place is boring and that I should make it look nicer. That's where you come in," Steven said, handing me a drink from a little fridge in the studio. I nodded. "She's right! There's so much you can do with this place," I said. Selina was really a lucky girl. I watched Steven as he showed me his logo and we talked colours. He had so much trust in me it almost made me nervous. I wondered what he had told his girlfriend about me. All of a sudden I remembered our dance at the party and felt bad instantly!


To be continued....

Rift 5

When I got back to the bar the dance floor was packed. I felt my mood get better. It felt like the music had gotten way cooler all of a sudden. I asked for another drink and then I saw them. Fii and Nina were dancing. I cringed as I watched them. Instantly I had an idea. I turned around and saw Steven walking towards me. Without any warning I grabbed his hand. "Let's dance!" I ordered and the confused Steven nodded. I took him very close to Fii and Nina and we started dancing.

I got closer and closer to Steven until we were touching. Dirty dancing was something I knew how to do well and I wasn't at all shy at that moment. I could tell we were getting some attention. Steven was an amazing dancer and I used that to my advantage as I danced with him winding and grinding all over the place. We got so close I could feel his breath on my neck and at that very moment I heard him ask, "Afua what's going on?" I took his hand and put it on my waist. "We are dancing," I replied. When I turned to look at Fii and Nina I noticed Fii's eyes were locked on us. I had made my point.

I took Steven's hand again and we walked back to the bar. A couple of people even cheered for us as we left. "I have to go Afua," He said when we got off the dance floor. "What? Why?" I asked, beaming with smiles. "I see what you are doing here and I'm not going to be part of this," He said walking away. "Come on it was just a little joke. Why are you being so uptight?" I asked trying to play with his ear. He shook his head and stared at me. "Your pupils, they are dilated. Afua did you take something?" He asked looking straight into my eyes. "Maybe?" I said giggling. Everything seemed so funny all of a sudden. I remember walking with Steven to the exit and hoping into a car with him and I drifted off.

When I finally opened my eyes I was in my room and it was morning. I heard a knock on my door. When the door opened before my reply I knew it was my sister. "Wow you are awake! Nice of you to open your eyes," she said sarcastically. My head was aching and the bright sun rays entering the room didn't help either. "What happened last night?" Kuukua asked. I didn't feel like talking but I knew she wouldn't leave until I did. "Sorry I got back late. I lost track of time," I lied. She turned to look at me. "You don't even remember do you? You could barely walk. Your friend from work literally helped you get in. Afua I'm concerned about you. It's like you are going back to the time you were dating that Fiifi guy. What kind of friends are you moving around with? The guy who brought you home could have easily taken advantage of you. Thank God he's a decent guy," she nagged. I felt so embarrassed I wasn't sure what to say. She was right.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again," I confessed. Kuukua nodded and left. What she said was true. She wasn't blind to it. Fii always had a negative influence on me. I closed my eyes and told myself to forget him and Nina as well. I now knew why she drifted away from me. If she wanted him instead of our friendship it was her loss not mine. Pieces of the night came back to me and I realized how much of a fool I had been. I wasn't sure what to say to Steven when I saw him.

On Monday when I got to work Steven came to my office for some files. I felt embarrassed when I saw him. "I'm sorry about what happened. I was really irresponsible," I finally said to him. Explained how I felt bad about what I did. The dancing, the drugs, all of it. Steven showed more compassion that I deserved. He told me never to do drugs again and said everything was fine. I nodded and confessed everything to him. He agreed with my plan to stay away from Fii and just forget Nina. I smiled and realized Steven was such an awesome person. It was sad that he was already taken.

To be continued.... 

Rift 4

The fresh air was also very refreshing. In a distance I saw a guy smoking on one of the lazy chairs. He looked very much like my ex boyfriend's cousin, Julian. I walked closer to investigate and found out it was him! I realized the last time I saw him was a very long time ago. "Afua, what are you doing here?" He asked when he saw me. I smiled and said, "I'm hunting animals. What kind of question is that?" Julian laughed and put out his cigarette.

I wasn't surprised to see Julian at the party. We were so close at a point he also got to know Nina. He was one of those guys everyone loved to have around. His jokes especially were gold but behind all the comedy he gave very sound advice. When his cousin, Fiifi broke my heart things got a little weird. Then he left to do his Masters abroad and that was the last time I saw him. That was about 2 years ago so I guessed he was done. I sat down next to him and we chat like 2 years was just 2 days ago.

"Have you seen Fii?" Julian asked. I almost choked on my drink. "He's here? What's he doing here?" I asked. Julian looked at me with a blank expression on his face. Before he could say anything else we heard some noise coming from the main party room. People were moving there too. Julian said we should stop being antisocial and join the party. When I told him I was there with a friend from work he teased me. "Aww office romance, how cute," he said with a silly voice. I giggled as we walked into the party room and shook my head.

When we got inside what I saw hit me really hard. I wasn't in anyway ready for it. Nina was cutting her birthday cake and standing next to her was Fii my ex boyfriend. He had his arm around her waist as she cut the cake. I turned to look at Julian. "Afua you didn't know?" He asked. I couldn't even answer him. Just then Fii and I made eye contact. His smile faded when he saw me. I turned around immediately and walked out. Julian came after me calling my name.

I stood outside the venue and took out my phone. Julian walked up to me. "I should have told you before you saw them together. I'm sorry, I thought you knew," He said. I shook my head. "There's nothing to be sorry about. He's not my boyfriend anymore. It's no big deal really. I just came out to make a call," I lied. Just then I noticed my phone ring. It was Fii. I turned to look at Julian. "Ah, the person is calling me. Can you give me a second?" I added and Julian took a few steps back. I cut the line but pretended to talk on the phone for a few seconds. After a brief moment of self calmness I turned back to Julian. "We better go back in before the birthday cake finishes," I said faking a smile. He nodded and we went back. I walked straight to the bar and ordered something strong. I really needed something to take the urge off.

I realized I may have had too many drinks when I felt like going to the bathroom. "Hey, I'm going to the bathroom. Will be back in a minute," I said and Julian nodded. I looked around for the washroom and finally spotted on across the venue. I was halfway through when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and it was Fii. He looked at me like he was expecting me to react in a strange way. "Hey, Fii, what's up?" I said trying to smile. I shook his head and his light brown eyes twinkled in the light like they always did. "Can we talk outside?" He said over the loud music. "Look if this is about Nina there's no need to talk, it's cool. I have to go," I replied bluntly. I was never really good at pretending when he was around. "Well ok then. I guess we will talk later, " He said. I managed to smile more convincingly and nodded. The honest truth was that I really needed to pee. I turned around and dashed as fast as I could to the washroom!

It was when I was washing my hands in the washroom that many thoughts came rushing into my head. I looked at my reflection in the huge mirror. Fii and I seemed perfect together when we dated. Surely he was a wild card and I was much more subtle but didn't opposites attract? Why Nina of all the women in the world? I wasn't sure which hurt me more, the fact that Nina never liked him when we were dating or the fact that none of them had the guts to tell me what was going on.

"Is everything ok?" I heard someone ask. I snapped back into reality and turned to a lady standing next to me. "Yea, why?" I asked. She pointed to my hands which were covered in soap. "You've been rubbing your hands with soap for a while now," She explained. I noticed and quickly run water over my hands. "Sorry, I drifted away," I said with a smile. The lady nodded and took something out of her bag. "You don't look like you are having a good time at all. I'm Gina," she said and smiled back. Was it that obvious. "I just got bad news. The funny thing is that I'm mad at myself that I'm allowing it to get to me," I replied. She walked to me and handed me a little plastic bag. "You know what you need? Something to clear your head," she whispered. I took the bag and saw a little tablet inside. She smiled one more time and gave me her card. I don't know why but the drug actually looked like something I needed. I reached for my purse but she stopped me."This one is on me. I'm just helping a sister out," she added with a wink as she left the washroom. I looked at the tablet one more time and swallowed it.

To be continued...

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Rift 3

The next couple of days at work was a bit busier but still mostly introducing me to projects that have been completed and or were pending. I made a few more friends from my department. Steven was still my main buddy though. He brought up Nina's party again to make plans one day and I confessed everything to him. "Huh? You and Nina aren't talking?" he asked. I shrugged and he stared at me. "What happened, did she do something?" he finally said. I tried to remember why Nina and I grew apart but nothing was coming to me. "I don't even know, I think we both seemed to like different things at some point," I said. I remembered a few times when Nina invited me to hang out with some new friends of hers. I wasn't comfortable around them at all. They smoked weed like it was water and had some kind of free spirited recklessness I couldn't relate to. Nina had always been wilder than me but this was a bit extreme even for her.
"Look, that was in the past. I have a plus one invitation and Selina is out of town so we should definitely go together," Steven said. It was really thoughtful of him but I must confess I was a little disappointed to hear that he had a girlfriend. A party really sounded fun but I was just not sure if it was a good idea. "Text her if you don't want it to look like you are gate crashing. Just rekindle your friendship and let's chill. She's having the party at The Havana. Have you heard of that place? It's awesome!" Steven said with a big smile. At this point it was impossible to say no so I agreed.

When I got home that night Alex was fast asleep. I joined Kuukua and Ben in the hall to watch some TV after my dinner. I took out my phone during a commercial break and texted Nina. "Hey, hope you are good," I typed and sent it. There was no reply for some minutes so I decided to go on. "I'm in Accra now, got a job here. I heard from a little bird that you are having a party tomorrow," I sent that too. Then I noticed my messages had been read but still no reply. I sighed and put my phone away. A few minutes later my phone beeped. I picked it up and she had replied. "Hey Afua, you are in Accra now? That's so cool. Yes I am. I'm so busy with the party planning. Since you are in town are you coming?" She said. I gave a half smile. "Who's making you smile like that? It better not be Fii." Kuukua asked, looking straight at me. She never liked my ex. I just shrugged and replied the text. "Sure, I met Steven for uni and he said he's coming so I will probably be there with him," I texted. The next reply came quickly. "Awesome! See you tomorrow. I'm really tired now so goodnight." I said goodnight and then I realized I had to pick an outfit to wear, yikes!

Steven and I got to The Havana around 9:30pm the next night. He made me feel so underdressed in his black and gold kaftan. He had a neat haircut which was also amazing. I remembered why I had a crush on him back in school. "Next time give me tips on what to wear ok?" I said when we entered the party. He giggled as we walked to the cocktail bar and said I looked beautiful. The place was really something else with huge chandeliers, expensive lounge furniture in various corners and a beautifully lit dance floor. The music was great too and people seemed to be having a good time. We spotted a few mutual friends and had some chit chats.

The food and drinks at the party were amazing! I expected nothing less from Nina. She had always loved the extravagant life. "Steven!" Someone called from behind us. We turned around recognizing that familiar voice immediately. It was Nina. She looked even more sophisticated than Steven. She had long expensive hair flowing all the way to her butt and her makeup made her look like a runway model. She smiled at us and hugged both of us together. "Oh my goodness Afua, it's been forever!" She exclaimed. I smiled and nodded. "I'm so glad you could make it. How's the party, you guys having fun?" Nina asked. Before we could reply a lady walked up to Nina and whispered on her ear. She nodded at her and turned to us. "My personal assistant just informed me of something I need to take care of. I'll be right back." She said and walked away. I stared at her as she left and realized how different she had become. Her smile didn't seem genuine at all. For some reason I didn't feel like she wanted me around. Even though I wanted to leave, I could tell Steven was having a good time.

I noticed there was a pool at the back of the party venue. It looked like a quiet place with just a few people sitting there chatting. I grabbed a cocktail from one of the waiters and went to the pool. It was quieter there. The fresh air was also very refreshing. In a distance I saw a guy smoking on one of the lazy chairs.


To be continued... 

Rift 2

My new room was smaller than the room at my parents place but I had less stuff so it was just fine. Alex insisted on helping me unpack. When we got to my cosmetics he had so many questions. "Why do you have so many pomades?" He asked. "This is hand cream, this is body cream and this is to drive away mosquitoes, " I explained as I put them on my table. "Isn't your hand part of your body? Why do you need cream for just your hands?" He asked again. I giggled. This boy was getting smarter by the day! I had to think for a while before answering. Before I could tell him what I had come up with my phone rang. I stretched for it and smiled when I saw who it was. It was my mother doing her usual, "have you arrived safely" courtesy call. I told her we were home and I was even unpacking with Alex. Immediately Alex heard his name he asked who it was. Immediately I told him that ended my conversation. He took over my phone and chat with his grandmother. I'm sure she had forgotten about me too.

The next day I got ready for my new job as early as I could. Kuukua decided to drive me to work so I didn't get lost or anything. Luckily for me the location had easy public transportation routes back home. "Should I come and get you after work or you will find your way back?" She asked when she dropped me off. I told her I'd come back on my own so she nodded and waved as  she drove off. I looked at the huge building, took a deep breath and walked inside.

The company was much bigger than where I used to work. Just by looking at the staff I knew this new experience was going to be something else. I was directed to the office of my boss, Mr. Obeng and he greeted with a smile and asked me to take a seat. He was a fashionable middle aged man who seemed to like smiling. This really calmed me down as he spoke to me giving me a brief description of what he expected from me. He told me the product development team used to have a brilliant graphic designer but she left the country to further her studies so I had a lot of pressure on my hands. "I'll do my very best to be as good as her and hopefully with time even better, " I said in the most convincing voice I could master. He smiled and said he expected nothing less.

The rest of the day at work was basically full of introductions and some kind of orientation. I met the team I would be working with and recognized one of the guys immediately. Steven was a mate from university. I smiled at him and he smiled back. When it was lunch time I rushed over to him and we had a long fun chat as we ate at the cafeteria. "This is such an upgrade from where I used to work." I confessed looking around at the cafeteria. Steven just smiled and said I hadn't seen anything yet. It was nice to have a familiar face there. Especially one I used to have a crush on back in school. A lot of my anxiety at the new place went away after our chat.

Somewhere in the conversation Nina's name came up. Steven said she was having her birthday party the next weekend and wanted to know if I wanted us to go together. I thought it was sweet of him to want to go with me but I wasn't sure how to tell him I didn't know about the party and I hadn't spoken to Nina in over a year. Luckily for me someone approached our table and the subject instantly changed.

That day after work Steven nicely showed me how to take a car back home. We walked together to the bus stop, took one taxi to the main station and from there he showed me the trotro I needed to take me to where Kuukua's house was. He had visited me there on one of my trips to Accra so he knew exactly where it was. "See you tomorrow," He said when I was seated. He waved and he walked to his own trotro. I smiled as Steven left, glad to have him at my new office. This wasn't going to be bad at all. The expectations for me at the job were high but a good challenge was what I needed right now, besides the pay was good.

To be continued... 

Rift 1

I picked up a photo of Nina and I at a festival and instantly smiled. The memories of that day flooded my brain. It was 5 years ago when we were in university. I remembered how much fun it was. Nina had spent all her money at the festival and had to sit in my lap on a bus back to school. It was hilarious. Nina was so wreckless sometimes. I shook my head and contemplated taking the photo along or putting it back into my cupboard. Nina and I were best friends for almost a decade but we were barely acquaintances now. How we drifted off, I wasn't exactly sure.

"Afua, are you ready to go?" My sister said walking into my room. I nodded taking the photo along. I had got a new job in Accra and was moving in with my sister and her family. It was just temporary, until I could afford a place of my own. My parents understood and gave me their full support. I looked around my room to make sure I wasn't leaving anything and carried my last bag out. "Don't worry, if you leave anything behind that you need I will send it to you by bus," My mother reassured. I nodded and left with Kuukua, my sister. We hopped into a taxi with the rest of my things and we headed straight to the bus station.

In no time at all Kuukua and I were well on our way to Accra in a big VIP bus. Going to Accra wasn't new to me but this time it was different. I wasn't going to stay for a couple of weeks with Kuukua or to a friend's wedding. This time I was going for the long term. I remembered all my friends in Accra and how cool it would be to hang out with them on a regular basis. My heart skipped a beat when I thought about my ex boyfriend Fiifi. I wondered how odd it would be to bump into him. We checked up on each other every birthday, holiday, you know, that type of thing. I shook him out of my mind quickly. Maybe Nina and I could be cool again. I smiled and slowly slipped off into sleep.

When I woke up we were at a rest stop. The bus had just stopped and people were getting out. "Do you want to get a snack?" I asked Kuukua who was busy reading a book. She looked up at me and nodded. We both got out of the bus and walked to the snack stand. There was a lot to choose from. I could smell some freshly baked cakes and bread but it was the kebab that drew most of my attention. Kuukua got a cup of coffee and some crackers. I shook my head, disapprovingly and opted for fried yam and beef kebab. We rushed back to the bus and started eating as it took off.

Kuukua's husband, Ben and their four year old son Alex were at the bus station to pick us up when we arrived. Alex rushed to hug both of us when he saw us. "Auntie Afua I have missed you." He said to me. I lifted him up and told him the feeling was mutual. Alex was the happiest kid I had ever met. Ever since he was a baby he always had a way of putting a smile on my face. Kuukua hugged Ben and I could tell they had also missed each other. They were my definition of couple goals. When Kuukua met Ben many years ago I knew she would marry him. Kuukua was very picky and uptight about almost everything but with Ben everything was different. He had a magical way of making her relax. My mother even mentioned it at their wedding. I was glad to be staying with them as I embarked on my new journey.

To be continued... 

A night to remember (finale)

After a few minutes the female police officer walked into the station. She whispered something to the officer in charge and they both turned to look at me. Just then I saw Kwesi walk in. I stood up immediately! Whatever miracle this was I was happy it was happening. "Kwesi!" I called out. He turned to me and waved. "I'm getting you out wai. Give me a minute." He said. I nodded with excitement as he spoke to the police officers.

In no time at all I was released. "Abi I told you Frank is powerful." KK said as I left the cell. I was so excited to leave I didn't bother to reply him. I collected all my belongings from the police, including my laptop and left with Kwesi. When I took out my phone I saw I had over 50 missed calls and tons of messages."What the hell? So many missed calls..." I said and Kwesi smiled. He obviously knew something I didn't. Apparently he put up the video of me being robbed on social media. The female police officer saw it and recognized me so she contacted him. That was how he found me. "Wow that's cool. I would have died in there chale. Even though I don't really approve of this your social media life it really came through for me this time, thanks," I said. "Maybe you should stop being so boring and hop onto it too. Who knows, next time it may be you saving me," He replied with a grin. We both laughed and got into his car.

As Kwesi drove me home I went through my messages. There were so many concerned friends reaching out. Some even offered to lend me their laptops for a while and stuff but one in particular stood out to me. It was from a girl who lived a few blocks away from my house, my crush for years! "Hey, saw you were robbed. It's terrible! I hope you are not trying to go after them oh. Sounds like something you would do. Anyways I tried calling. Just want to make sure you are safe. Hit me up when you get home so I pass by ok?" Her message said. A big smile formed on my face. Maybe this wasn't such a horrible day after all. I smiled as I looked at my laptop.

The End. 

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A night to remember 2

I got out of the car to look for the lady but she was nowhere to be found. I asked the hawkers around and they confirmed that someone on a motorbike picked her up. "Ai, ai ai this can't be happening. How did she do that?!" I exclaimed. Just then I remembered I had a tracking software on the laptop. Immediately she turned it on I would be able to trace it. I hopped back into the taxi and asked the driver to drive in the direction the biker went.

The only thing that threw my suspicion off the driver was the fact that he told me his car had an inbuilt camera that recorded footage for the day. In my presence he requested for the footage to be sent to me so I could take it to the police station. I checked the app on my phone to see if the laptop had been turned on but there was no luck. I decided to drop off at my brother's house not far away.

"Edem what do you want here?" Keli, my older brother said when he saw me at his door. "You are so welcoming." I said and walked into the house. I sat down and told him everything. "Ah so why are you coming to me? Do I sell laptops? Ma guy forget about it and buy a new one," Keli said cheekily. He had a point but with what money? Just then my phone beeped. It was a notification from the tracking app. I rushed for the phone and confirmed my suspension. The laptop had been turned on and it was just about 200 meters away. "Bingo, I've found it!" I exclaimed and stood up immediately. "If they see you they'll recognize you. Take this and remove your shirt." Keli said. He was right. I collected the baseball cap he handed over to me and took off my long sleeve shirt leaving my black inner tshirt. "I need to go." I said and dashed out.

I followed the directions on the app and realised I was getting very close. Just as I got closer my phone beeped. I saw that it was an email from the taxi service with the video the driver had requested. I opened it immediately and watched it. The lady put her bag on my laptop bag when she entered the car. When she was leaving she grabbed both but I didn't notice because her bag was covering it. I saw that she had a flower tattoo on her arm. Just then a call came in. It was Kwesi. I kept cutting the call to continue following the gps but he just wouldn't stop calling. "What is it?!" I answered out of frustration. "Chale some fine girl wants your number oh. She saw you on my IG. I think she..." He started but I cut him short. "Chale I make hot, I've been robbed," I said. Kwesi started asking for details but I just didn't have the time for that. "Ah, for where? What did they take?..." He asked. I remembered the video. "I'm sending you a video. It's all there." I said and hung up.

The app took a while to load after the call but finally came back and this time it was closer than I imagined. It indicated that the laptop was in a house across the street from where I was. My heart was pounding at this point. What if they were armed robbers? I second guessed myself for a minute and decided to take the risk.


To be continued... 

A night to remember 1

"Ei best man, how are you doing?" Terry teased. I knew he had seen the post our friend who was getting married had put up on social media. "I beg oh I'm not the best man. I'm a mere groomsman. Do you know how much the best man suit costs? I no get that kind money." I confessed. The whole idea of buying a new suit just for a wedding pissed me of but Kwesi, the groom was a close friend so I had to suck it up. Kwesi was a social media fanatic. It was a picture he put up of us having a fitting of our suits that had sparked Terry to make fun of me. "So how much is your suit?" Terry asked. The price rolled up in my mind but I was too angry to mention it. "Chale I don't remember. Where's my laptop? Did your guy fix it well?" I changed the subject. Terry nodded and brought the laptop out for me. I inspected it and gave him the money I owed him. That laptop was my life! I had work on it that my boss would sack me if I didn't present it to him the following week.

"I need to get going. I'll see you later." I said picking up my things. Terry teased me one more time as I left his house. He was right to make fun of me. I was being a fool. Spending over 2000 Cedis on a suit and shoes? Why was it my wedding? I was just glad the wedding was in a few days. Finally it will be over with so I can wallow in poverty before the month ended. I stood at the junction deciding on how to go home. I could take a trotro which would cost me next to nothing but it was late. What if someone robbed me and took my laptop. I took out my phone a requested a cab. If I was going to spend all my money I might as well do it in comfort and style anaa?

The cab came in minutes and a '5-star rating'  hungry driver picked me up. I could tell because he was smiling unnecessarily and kept asking if I was ok with this or that. There was a bit of traffic so I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my friend Kwesi's feed. I hoped he hadn't put more pictures of me on there. It was worse! He had put up a video of me and his best man taking a look at the suits for the wedding. He captioned it as "the finest bridal party in Ghana. Yo ladies come for your MCM." A smile formed in my face when I read some of the comments from some ladies. The next thing I knew the car door opened and a lady hopped into the back seat next to me. "Hello, I know this is strange but can I get a ride? I'm just going to the next junction. I've been standing here for an hour and I'm not getting a car," She said. I wasn't sure what to say because the driver turned to look at me.

She did look tired but the first thing I thought about was con artist! Who just enters someones car without permission? She looked good in a low cut office dress and long wavy hair but that was usually the bait right? "I'm sorry but this is a private ride. You can try the next car." I managed to say. She turned to look at the driver who slowly looked away. Dude needed his 5 stars. He was loyal. She looked surprised at what I said, like she never expected it. Good looking girls think they can have it all eh? "I'm surprised but it's cool," She said. She opened the door and paused for a second. She then threw an empty water bottle at the driver. "You too you won't even talk for me!" She said angrily and left the car. I leaned over and asked the driver if he was ok. See how the tables just turned?  He said he was fine so I sat back and that was when I noticed my laptop was gone!

To be continued...

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Broken 7

"What about this?" Daisy said holding up a dress. We were in a shop trying to pick a dress for her to wear to a friend's party. Daisy was a serial shopper when it came to clothes. The best part of shopping with her was that sometimes she felt very generous and bought stuff for me too. I nodded at her but she didn't really like the dress so she put it back on the rack. Just then my phone rang. It was Kevin. I answered it. He wanted to pick me up so we go to a pub. I couldn't help myself from smiling. After the call Daisy winked at me. "Was that our Spanish boyfriend? The way the girls in HR are jealous of you eh?" She said giggling. I shook my head and told her it was Kevin. Her smile vanished immediately. "Maggie, are you still entertaining him?" She said. This was the very reason why I didn't want to tell Daisy anything. Luckily the shop attendant brought her a dress she had requested for in a bigger size and that ended that conversation.

When Daisy was done shopping I looked at the time. Kevin would arrive at the mall any minute. I hoped Daisy would be gone by that time. I walked Daisy to her car and waved at her as she drove off. I noticed Kevin's messages saying he had arrived. I went to him and we were off to the place. It was nice spending time with Kevin even though we would most likely be with some of his friends. It was still cool. We were finally trying to get back. 

The pub was very busy and a little crowded. His friends, PY and another guy were already sitting at a table so we joined them. They ordered drinks and some finger foods. I sent a text to Pablo and told him I was sort of on a date with Kevin. "Mag, a night with the boys is not a date but whatever rocks your love boat." He said. I giggled and kept texting him. Pablo was such a goofball!

 Kevin got up and went to the bathroom leaving me and his friends behind. It was a bit awkward so I continued chatting on my phone. I felt a vibration on the table and realised Kevin had left his phone. Someone was calling him and my heart skipped a beat when I recognized the number. It was Daisy! Why was she calling Kevin? Did she know we were together? Why didn't she call me instead?

I saw Kevin return and calmed myself down. He picked up the phone, saw the number and walked out to take the call. I was just too curious. I followed him and hid behind him to eavesdrop. "What is it princess Daisy." Kevin said sarcastically. "You need to calm down. I'm not forcing her to do anything. Are you jealous? How will she find out? You worry too much. Look, I need to go. Later." he said and hung up. I turned around and rushed back to my seat.


To be continued... 

Broken 6

When I got home I noticed I had missed some calls. They were all from Kevin. I was just about to call him back when I heard a knock at my door. I looked at the time. It was 9:25pm. I wondered who it was. I opened the door and to my total surprise it was Kevin! "Kevin, hi." I said. He smiled and I let him in. He told me he felt bad about rescheduling so he decided to come by after his meeting. I told him it was fine and I appreciated his visit. He made himself at home on my couch and asked if he could get a drink. I was very surprised. Kevin never gave me a surprise visit. I got him a drink and sat by him on the couch. "How was your day?" He asked. I told him about work and how I picked up Pablo from the hospital and took him home.

It was the expression on Kevin's face that made me understand everything. He was jealous. Then I realized Pablo knew and that's why he texted him. He knew Kevin would fall for it. I giggled when I made this realization. I couldn't believe it took me this long to get it. I sat closer to Kevin. "I know you had a rough time with your ex and her baby. I'm ready to put it behind us." I said. I had confidence now that he wanted me back. He stared at me and just when he was leaning closer his phone rung. He checked who it was and muted the call.

Before we could recover from the interruption my phone took its turn. I noticed it was my office. I frowned, it was after 10 so I knew they were calling me to come to work for something urgent like a breach in our firewall or something. I answered the call and was right. It was a hacking issue. Our firewall had been breached and I had to get to the office immediately to fix it. This was one of the times I hated my job. Surely we got very nice bonuses for events like this but I was having a perfect conversation with Kevin!

I told Kevin and he nodded. He knew how my job went so he didn't even comment on it. When I picked up my things he stood up, ready to go. Then he took my hands and smiled at me. "Maybe we should do something tomorrow night. There's this nice place I know." He said. I smiled back and nodded. "Sounds good." I replied. Then he kissed me. I knew he wanted more but we had to go. I slowly ended the kiss and we left.

When I got to the office. I saw a few more people from my department. They all look like they had just woken up from sleep. "Wow, someone is looking good." Fred, one of my coworkers said. They made fun of me for a while before they told me the problem. I looked over my shoulder to look at our boss and noticed Pablo talking to her.

I shook my head. Pablo was so stubborn. He was supposed to take a day off to rest but here he was at 11pm working. I turned back to my computer when I saw the two of them walk towards us. My boss gave us a brief description of the problem and exactly what she wanted done. It wasn't a major issue at all. Just one person could have fixed it. It seemed she wanted all of us there to make sure it's fixed very quickly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Pablo when our boss left. "Same thing you are doing here." He said sarcastically. I shook my head. We got to work and were done in a little under 2 hours. I told Pablo about how his texting game made Kevin come over to my house. "Gosh he's more jealous than I thought. You should hold my hand in front of him, I'm sure he'd propose." He teased. I laughed a little too hard. It was nice knowing for sure Kevin wanted me back. Maybe he was really the one and this may have been just a test. When we left the office Pablo and spoke for so long we didn't notice we had spent an hour in the car park. Luckily for us our boss said we could come to work late the next day. Well actually it was the same day because we finally drove off around 3am.


To be continued... 

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Broken 5

As I packed my things into my wardrobe I saw a call from Pablo. I smiled as answered his call. My smile faded immediately I realized the voice wasn't his. "Hello madam please do you know a Pablo Ortiz? He is currently on admission at St. Patrick hospital." A lady said. My heart skipped a beat. I grabbed something to wear and sped to the hospital as fast as I could.

When I got to the hospital I spoke to the receptionist who was the one called. She directed me to his doctor's office. I was asked to fill some forms by the doctor. I told him our workplace had insurance but unfortunately Pablo didn't have his card on him so I paid the bill. "We have discharged him so you can help him get home. He's fine but it's just a precaution we are taking." The doctor said showing me to his ward.
When I entered Pablo's room he gave me a half smile.

"Somehow I knew you would be the one to come." He said putting on his shoes. I sat down on the chair in front of him. "How are you doing? I had a serious scare when they called. What happened?" I said. He looked quite fine but just a bit not himself. "It's nothing, I passed out because I haven't had a meal since yesterday." He said. I stared at him. "What? Are you serious? Why haven't you eaten in that long?" I asked. He giggled and said I sounded just like his mother. Then he changed the subject. I realized he wasn't comfortable talking about the topic and really wanted to leave the hospital so we left.

I took him to his house. He kept saying it wasn't necessary but I joked about the doctor telling me tuck him in bed before I left. His apartment was really nice. It was small but very cozy. I went straight to the fridge and saw opened it. To my surprise it was fully stocked. "Goodness, you have all this good food and you are not eating?" I said out loud. Pablo shrugged. "Don't worry it won't happen again. I was working on some crazy project and got carried away." He said. I shook my head and sat down next to him on the couch. "I don't want to sound like your mother so I won't say anything about this anymore." I said. Pablo nodded and smiled. He picked up his remote and turned on the TV. He flipped through a number channels and landed on a movie channel. "You have make up on. Did you have to leave some fancy place to come get me?" He asked. I shook my head.

I told Pablo I had a date but he rescheduled. "A date? Ouch." He said. I asked him what he meant by that. "The other night you said you weren't ready to date anyone. I guess what you meant was I wasn't good enough for you huh?" He said. My jaw dropped. "No, it's not like that at all. Oh the guy..." I started but Pablo giggled and told me he was just messing with me. I calmed down a little and told him Kevin was my ex and how I thought we were going to get back together. There was something about Pablo that made chatting with him so easy. He was a perfect listener and unlike most people I knew he didn't judge me.

I told Pablo about Kevin, how we broke up and how I thought he wanted us to work things out when I met him at his place. When I was done I felt I had said too much. I didn't know how Pablo would react, after all he did try to kiss me once. But then again that day we both had a lot of drink. "He definitely likes you. He wouldn't reach out to you if he didn't. He's probably scared he'll get you caught up in more drama that's why he's moving away from you." Pablo said, sipping on a glass of water. I smiled, he was probably right. It made the most sense. We kept talking for about 2 hours.

Just when I  Kevin sent me a text."He wanted to know if I was upset about rescheduling. When I smiled Pablo guessed it was him. He leaned over and read the text. He snatched my phone and started typing a reply."Hey Pablo what are you doing?" I asked trying to get my phone back. He giggled and gave me back the phone when he was done. "I sent the coolest reply." He said. I shook my head and read what he typed. It read, "No it's fine. I'm just leaving one of my coworkers place to go home." I looked up Pablo. He was still giggling. "It's not like it's a lie. He'll ask you who it is soon." Pablo said as we walked to my car. He was right. Kevin asked if it was 'the white boy'. I asked Pablo what to say and he said to say yes so I did. I shook my head again and put my phone in my bag. We said our goodbyes and I drove off.

When I got home I noticed I had missed some calls. They were all from Kevin. I was just about to call him back when I heard a knock at my door. I looked at the time. It was 9:18pm. I wondered who it was. I opened the door and to my total surprise it was Kevin!


To be continued....
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Closure 6

Frank's sister's house wasn't very far from mine so in less than 10 minutes my taxi arrived at the house. I puffed my hair up a little and rang the door bell. A little girl of able 8 years opened the door. Before I could say anything she let me in. "You are auntie Vanessa right?" She asked. I smiled and nodded. She grabbed my hand and led me into the kitchen. "Oh Vanessa thank God you are here." Frank said. He had flour all over his shirt. He rushed to give me a hug and transfered some of his flour to me.

"The girls want something to eat and my sister's fridge is so dry it's not even funny." He said. I giggled and turned to the three girls including the one who opened the door for me. "My name is Kafui, and these are my sisters Ajo and Keli." The 8 year old said. Ajo looked about 5 and Keli was definitely 3 years old. I smiled at them and they confessed that they were very hungry.

I made some pancakes for the girls. Luckily there was honey in the fridge so we enjoyed it with the pancakes and milk. The kids loved it and told me it was the best they had ever had. I smiled like a sheep. Frank who did the frying under my careful guidance wanted some of the credit but the girls teased him. After everyone was stuffed we went to the kids bedroom and all took turns telling stories. The girls were all dressed up and ready for bed. After the third story Keli was fast asleep. Surprisingly Kafui followed next and Ajo was the last to sleep.

Frank was really good with the kids. I couldn't help staring at when he told his story and tickled all of us for effects. The children showed me all the toys he had bought for them. Somehow I wondered how much competition he was giving their father with all the gifts he gave them. When the girls were all sound asleep we went back to the kitchen to tidy up the place. Frank just told me to put the leftovers in the fridge while he did all the cleaning. "Thanks for coming. These girls are so hard to take care of alone." He said. I smiled and told him I had a great time.

Frank's sister arrived just after we finished the cleaning. It was about 11:20pm at the time. She was a very nice person like Frank. "You have amazing daughters." I said as Frank and I left we could tell she was very tired and wanted to sleep. She thanked me and asked me to drop by and visit anytime I was in the area. I hopped into Frank's car and he took me home. He looked just as tired as his sister.

When we got to my place just before I got out of the car I leaned over and kissed him. The kiss lasted longer than the last one and when it was done Frank was instantly wide awake. "That was to make sure you get home safely." I said. Frank giggled. "I think I'll start coming to see you everytime I'm tired." He teased. We both laughed and I left. That night all I thought about was Frank.

When I got to work the next day I had the shock of my life. Just as I was entering the conference room the branch manager asked me to meet him at Mawuli rushed to me. I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong. "Bad news is in your office?" He whispered when he got to me. I was almost at the door now. "Which bad news?" I asked, also whispering. "Eddie and his manager." Mawuli said.


To be continued... 

Closure 3

When I got to the bar I saw Frank and his cute friend sitting in corner. I realised Mawuli was so right. If Frank wanted it to be a date he wouldn't have brought his buddy along. They waved at me and I walked to them. I sat down and ordered a drink. Frank introduced his friend, Kofi to me.

We all chat about a lot of random things. Kofi seemed younger than Frank and I but he was very funny. He was also very charming. I enjoyed their company so much I didn't notice how fast the time flew. "Eish it's late! I need to be heading home now." I exclaimed when I saw the time. Frank gave me a ride home but Kofi stayed.

"Thanks for coming out tonight. At least we got some time to catch up." Frank said when we got to my house. I nodded." It was fun. I rarely do this anymore." I confessed. Frank laughed. He didn't believe me. The Vanessa he knew back in the day was a party girl. Things had obviously changed. We agreed to hang out again in the near future. I smiled as I entered my house.

The next time I met Frank was at a party at the beach organised by the bank I worked at. It was extremely random. He was with a lady when we met. I recognised her from another branch. I waved when I saw him and he smiled as he walked to me. "What are you doing here?" We both said at the same time. I rolled my eyes and told him I worked at the bank. He told me he was invited by one of my coworkers. Apparently he banked with us as well. This world is just too small. When the event was nearing it's completion Frank suggested we take a walk. He thought the music was too loud for me when I frowned a lot but it was rather the fact that the dj was playing a lot of Eddie's songs that I didn't like. I agreed to the walk. I took off my shoes and walked barefooted with the water passing over my feet everytime the waves got to us.

"Now you know what I do. Tell me what you do." I said as we walked. "Do you want to know what I really do or what I tell people?" He said. "Do you sell drugs?" I asked and Frank laughed. He shook his head. "Tell me what you really do." I demanded. He stopped walking and sat on a rock. I stood in front of him. "I run an agency." He finally said. "Your own business. Nice, what kind of agency is it?" I asked. He stared at me. As if he was wondering whether to tell me the truth or lie. "It's an image boosting agency." He finally said. "Right, so you run a salon with a gym in it." I teased and we both laughed. "We do have a gym and a salon but it's a little more complex that that." He added. I stared at him and wondered if he was hiding something.

I asked Frank to break down his agency to me. "People come to us for various reasons and we sort them out especially with how they look from physical, online information to escort services. Most of the times it's to impress people, personal fulfilment and so many other weird reasons." Frank explained. I realised he was serious. "Wow really? As in you can glam me up and get me an escort for an event?" I asked. He laughed and gave me a rough idea of the amount he charges. My jaw dropped.

He told me Kofi was one of his employees and everything made sense. "Where do you find these good looking guys from kwraa?" I asked. Frank took me through his selection process and I was extremely impressed. The night ended with me planning a visit to his office. A bit of me still believed he was messing with me.



To be continued... 

Just like Adel 5

"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. "Shit." Henry said. "Bring your phones, wallets and the car keys now!" one yelled. "My phone, you don't know I'm a police women eh?" I said and pulled out a gun from my bag. I pointed it at them and they fled without saying another word.

Henry turned to look at the gun and back to me. Don't worry it's not real. It's a prop. My cousin is a director, I got it from him. " I said smiling. I showed him the sticker behind the gun." What? Goodness even I fell for it!" Henry said and we both laughed. "That's really cool. You should get me one but it will probably be useless soon." He said taking the gun from me and examining it. "What do you mean?" I asked. He just shrugged but his expression had really changed.

"What were you saying earlier?" I asked. Henry turned to look at me. "I don't know how to say this." He started. "You don't like me. There, I said it for you. It's kind of obvious." I cut in. He froze. "It's not that. Its just that you look..." He explained then I realised Gilly was right. He couldn't date me because I looked like his little sister. "Hey I get it. Anyways you need to go. I may not be able to pull this trick off twice." I said collecting the gun from him and putting it into my bag. He wanted to explain but what could he say? "Yea sure. Err, goodnight then." He said and left. Maybe it was for the best.

I warned Dean not to talk about Henry anymore. I didn't want to hear about Adel either but that was just impossible. One evening when we closed from work I was just about to leave the office when I saw Adel. I smiled and said a friendly hello. She nodded and signalled to have a word with me. "Dean is in the bosses office." I said. "Yes I know. I'm just waiting for him here. So I hear things didn't work out with you and my brother." She said.

I stared at her for a while. For some reason she looked unhappy but it made sense. Since I'm not with her brother she still has to worry about Dean. So petty, this girl. "Nope." I said, taking a step closer to the exit. I really wasn't interested in discussing my rejection with her. "So what now? Are you guys going to remain friends though? " She asked. I wondered what she thought her words would achieve. "Who knows. You know what, I'd like to chat but I really have to leave. " I said. Adel didn't seem happy at all. She nodded and I stormed out of the office.


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 3

"Finally I get to meet Doris." I heard a familiar female voice say. I knew it was Adel. I turned to look at her and froze. I thought I was looking in a mirror. She looked just like me. She was startled too but masked it well. Dean laughed and said he had been waiting for this day for so long. I shook her hand and managed to smile. Besides our skin colour and bust size Adel and I looked too alike. She even wore glasses like me. Dean was about to pull a chair for me when I signalled to him not to. I lied about something I needed to do for my boss at the office. "You work this late?" A slim guy sitting next to Dean asked. I shrugged. I said a quick goodbye to everyone and left.

As I walked out a number of things run through my mind. All the times when Dean's friends thought I was his girlfriend now made sense. I stood in front of the restaurant waiting for an empty cab and saw a familiar face walking towards the entrance. Henry said a quick hello when he saw me. I nodded without even smiling and turned away. I wasn't interested in his unfriendly things at this time. My mind drifted back to my 'twin' immediately. Who knows maybe that was why Dean liked having me around. I shook my head. He was an idiot for not telling me. After 10 minutes of waiting in vain I realised every car that came to the restaurant was a private car. I probably had to walk to the main road to get a taxi. I reluctantly started walking. It was a pretty long walk.

I tried not to think too much about the issue. After less than 5 minutes of walking on the rough road I insulted myself for wearing heels to work. Just as I contemplated walking barefoot a car pulled up next to me. It was Henry. "I could drop you off at the junction if you like." He offered. I hopped into the car without wasting time. "My feet are killing me." I said unconsciously. Henry shook his head and drove off silently. His car was so comfortable, I got a little upset we were nearing the junction. Just then Henry's phone rang and he answered it. "What? How did that happen? I told Maria to wait. Just wait for me. I will be in the office soon. Call Ofori to see if he has another number for them." He said. He didn't look amused at all. "Are you going back to your office?" I asked with my fingers crossed. "Yea I need to get some issue sorted out." He replied. I tried to hide my smile. "Can I get a ride there? I don't live far from your office." I requested shyly. Henry just looked at me and when we passed the junction I guessed that was just his rude way of saying yes.

"You are not much of a talker are you?" I asked, adjusting my seat to feel more comfortable and noticed Henry staring at me. "Ei so the free loader isn't allowed to feel comfortable? " I said and he gave a faint smile. I giggled. "I should have dropped you off at the junction." He teased. I laughed and hit him playfully. "I'm a damsel in distress." I added. He seemed to be warming up to me. "No, you are a damsel who decided to wear uncomfortable shoes." He added. We both giggled and before we knew it had arrived.

Henry dropped me off just in front of his office and I took a taxi home. Honestly I could have walked but my shoes wouldn't have let me. When I got home I saw a text from Dean. "How did it feel meeting your twin?" it read. I rolled my eyes. "Dean, I'll get you on Monday." I said to myself. The best thing about the day was Henry. I was glad he was finally warming up to me. I could smell hope in the air.

To be continued... 

Just like Adel 2

"Henry?" I asked. He looked up at me, clearly surprised. "Hi, what are you doing here?" He asked, taking off his glasses. He signalled for me to have a seat and I told him my mission. I realised now why Dean conveniently wanted me to come instead of him. He must have known. Henry answered all my questions sharply. It almost felt like he was in a hurry for me to leave. I told myself he was doing that because I told him my time was limited. I left immediately I got what I needed ignoring the temptation to take his number, for work purposes of cause.

After we presented our documented ideas to the boss Dean and I came back to our desks. We were so late we hadn't talked about Henry yet. Dean brought him up the minute I sat down. I told him in all honesty that if there was any proof that he wasn't interested in me it was our meeting. Dean shrugged and ended his probing by saying I was exaggerating. When he grabbed his phone I knew he was going to give his girlfriend the report. I couldn't wait till the next day when she finally arrived so I could tell her how annoying her boyfriend was.

I noticed as my taxi pulled over in front of a really big restaurant that I was probably under dressed. Looking at the type of cars around my black trousers and blue sleeveless top may not have been very appropriate. I remembered I had a necklace in my bag and put it on to add some style to my plain look. I got out carefully in order not to damage the cake I was holding. Dean tasked me with delivering the cake he had ordered for Adel at her welcome dinner. She had finally come back!

I rushed into the restaurant after paying the taxi driver. Dean had called me a thousand times because I was late. He said Adel was a bit jet lagged so he didn't want her staying up so late. I smiled when I saw Dean waving at me. He and about 5 other people where sitting at one table. I walked to them and put the cake on the table with a smile. "Everybody this is Doris, my coworker who loves being late." Dean teased and I heard some giggles. "Finally I get to meet Doris." I heard a familiar female voice say. I knew it was Adel. I turned to look at her and froze. I thought I was looking in a mirror. She looked just like me!


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...