Rift 7

Over the next couple of weeks I went over design ideas with Steven. This assignment was the perfect distraction for me. I also got really close to Steven. I felt I was even getting a little too close when I stay at his studio till it was pretty late one evening. We were installing some curtain rods and some wall fixtures. We were having so much fun listening to some of the songs he had recorded and working that I totally lost track of time.

"Yikes it's 11:35pm!" I exclaimed when I picked up my phone. I quickly sent my sister a text to let her know that I would be home soon. "Don't beat yourself up. I have that effect on lots of women," Steven teased with a smile. Gosh his smile was so attractive! I shrugged and packed my things. When I was ready to leave Steven asked if I wanted him to take me home because it was late. I smiled at his thoughtfulness but said I was fine. We walked to the roadside and I grabbed a taxi. I didn't want to request a cab with my phone because it would take a while. I hoped into the cab and waved Steven goodbye as the car left. I felt guilty thinking about him the way I did.

When I got home I rushed into the house as quietly as possible. I knew Alex was asleep and didn't want to wake him up. My nephew was a very light sleeper. When I got in I saw Kuukua. She was just going to bed. "Are you from Steven's place?" she asked. I nodded and she smiled. I knew what that smile meant but I wasn't in the mood to explain to her that we were just friends. So I just went straight to my room to sleep.
At work the next day I got a call from Julian. He told something very worrying. Fii had been in an accident and was on admission in a hospital. "It's not too bad but he will have to be in the hospital for a while," he said. Just as I guessed it was a motorbike accident. Fii was a speed freak on his bike. I immediately had a flash back to a time when we were dating and he had a minor accident. "I'm going to see him after work. Should I come and get you?" Julian asked. I said yes and we made plans.

Julian picked me up from work that evening and we went to Fii's hospital. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him in the hospital bed. He had a huge bandage around him arm and some minor dressed wounds. When he saw us he smiled and that lifted up my mood a little. Julian's phone rang and he left the room to answer it. "Hey, I didn't think you would come," Fii said. I shook my head and sat down on the chair beside him. "Really, and why is that?" I asked. Fii shrugged and asked if I wanted to drink anything as he pointed to the little fridge next to his bed. I told him I was fine and wished him a speedy recovery.

From nowhere at all he said, "I honestly thought you knew about Nina and I. It was silly of me to assume and definitely not fair to you. I'm sorry," I was not expecting such bluntness from him. I paused for a while and told him it wasn't a big deal. I knew now and that was good enough for me. "Nina is actually a good fit for you," I said and smiled. It hurt me to see him with someone so close but everyone deserved to be happy and I had to deal with that. Fii put his palm on mine and leaned closer to me. His eyes sparkled in the light like they always did under his long eyelashes. It was when I could literally fell his breath on my face that Julian walked in. We both moved back and looked away. I could tell Julian felt awkward. He tried to make an excuse to leave the room but I insisted on him staying. Whatever he stopped from happening was definitely not a good idea.

Julian, Fii and I talked and made jokes like old times. The conversation quickly came to an end when Fii had another visitor, Nina. The first cold breeze that entered the room was the disapproving expression she had on her face when she saw Julian and I. She tried to pretend but I had known her for too long to be fooled. I greeted her casually and picked up my bag to leave. "Oh why are you leaving, you should stay," Nina said sitting down on Fii's bed. I lied about going to work early the next day and said my goodbyes. Julian did same and we walked out together.

As Julian drove me home I couldn't help thinking about what happened. "You know he still likes you right? He never stopped," Julian said to break the silence. I shrugged and looked out the window. At a point in my life those two meant the world to me. My boyfriend and my best friend. How things went sideways I just didn't understand. Now the two of them were happy and here I was nice and lonely. "Maybe I should learn from Nina and take someone else's man," I accidentally said aloud. Julian immediately turned to look at me. "Who me? In fact I agree. Should I give you my girlfriend's number?" he joked and I laughed. I was glad to have him around. He always had a way of making me laugh no matter what.


To be continued... 

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 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... 

Broken 12 (finale)

When I was on my way home Kevin called me and asked me to come over. I smiled and went to his place. He said he had a really good movie he wanted us to watch when I got there. It sounded like a good movie. He put it on in his room and we watched it on his bed. "It's really nice having you around." Kevin said and kissed me. I smiled. It was like old times. We would either go out with friends, basically Kevin's friends or hang out at his place. "I am sure we will make it work this time." I said pulling my phone out to take a selfie of us. Kevin didn't exactly say anything. It was his shrug and reluctance that made me uncomfortable. "Kevin, am I getting this wrong?" I asked. He tried to kiss me again but I held him back.

I slid off the bed and picked up my bag. "Mag don't be like that. I really like you. I just don't want to rush things." He said. I shook my head. "What? So what are you taking me to a resort for? I'm confused." I replied. He rubbed his eyes and shrugged again. "Daisy told you? There goes the surprise. I wanted us to spend time together." Kevin said. I couldn't believe it. I felt like a fool. I turned around and walked out. "Where are you going? Come back." He said. It was clear he didn't want a relationship with me. At least not a serious one. I left his place and went straight home.

"You were right. He really is trash." I said, on the phone with Daisy when I got home. She was always my shoulder to cry on when I was upset. I should have taken her advice. Now here I was heart broken again by the same man. "Don't beat yourself up. Kevin is a cool guy. It's normal for any girl to like him. What's important now is that you've realized he's not good enough for you. I'm proud of you for questioning him." She said. I nodded. "You know what? I think I like Pablo. I'm just scared. I can't take another break up. What if he leaves the country?" I said. Daisy adviced me to talk to him. "Every break up makes you better. You now now what you should avoid. Remember how many guys I dated before Lawrence?" She went on. She was right. I decided to talk to Pablo after work the next day. "Go girl, go for what you want. If it doesn't work out learn from it and keep going!" Daisy cheered and I giggled. She was my best friend for a reason!

When I went to work the next day Pablo wasn't at his office. I went to check on him during lunch time but he was still not there so I called him."Hey Maggie, what's going on?" He said over the phone. I asked why he wasn't at work and he said he was going to explain everything later because he was busy. My heart skipped a beat when he hung up. He had left? But why? I sad down, completely feeling defeated. I had my chance and I blew it. One moment these guys were all over me and now I was alone again.

After work Daisy came to my department. She walked right to my desk. "Where is Pablo? I didn't see you guys go out for lunch today." She asked. I looked up at her and told her what was going on. "What? That's bad news. Did you tell him how you felt?" She asked. I just shrugged and Daisy shook her head. She said something that was so true. "You need to tell him. Even if he's leaving he needs to know. What do you have to lose?" Daisy said. I took a deep breath and picked up my phone. Daisy nodded and left to the airport to pick up Lawrence.

I looked around and saw some of my coworkers. I picked up my bag and walked out. This conversation was not something I wanted anyone to hear. I noticed I was alone in the corridor so I called Pablo. "Hey Maggie sorry I was just about to call you." He said. I hesitated a bit then gathered courage. "It's fine. Pablo I wanted to tell you something..." I started. He tried cut in but I stopped him. "Let me do this please. I think I have feelings for you. I know I haven't really showed it and all I do is talk about my ex but I realise the only reason why I want to be with him is because I'm afraid of starting over again. But sometimes starting all over again is a good idea. I already know you are leaving the country but I just thought I'd tell you." I said.

My heart was pounding when I finish talking and he was quiet. "Do you have anything to say?" I asked. "What I was trying to say is that I'm at the parking lot. I can actually see you. Turn around." He said. I turned around and there he was. He was in a t-shirt and jeans. I almost dropped my phone when he walked up to me. Without saying another word he kissed me. I felt all types of butterflies."I'm not leaving. I just had an issue with the taps at my apartment. The place got flooded that's why I couldn't come to work. It's fixed now." He said. We both giggled but I felt really silly. "I'm glad you told me this." Pablo said. I couldn't help but smile. It was a good feeling. He took my hand and suggested we go and have dinner. As we walked to his car I couldn't help staring at him. I wondered why I was so afraid to start a relationship with him. He was perfect!

The End

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Broken 11

Kevin dropped me off at home and went back to his. He said he was really tired. When I got inside I couldn't help smiling. Finally we were going to come back together. I took out my phone and was about to call Pablo when I heard a knock at the door. I smiled and walked to the door. I thought it was Kevin but to my surprise it wasn't him, it was Pablo. "Hey sorry for popping by unannounced. I just dropped off one of the guys a couple of blocks away and decided to see if you were home." He said. I smiled and asked him to come in.

"Where's Maxine?" I asked. Pablo told me he dropped her off at home before he dropped the guy off. I smiled and didn't ask any more. It didn't look like he was interested her. When he sat down I told him all about the party and how things went. "Did you see the date of the first message?" Pablo asked. I thought for while. "Wait, why are you asking?" I asked. He said he wanted to know if the messages were made up or real. I felt a little offended. "It's like you don't want me to be happy." I said. Pablo shook his head and apologized. I thought hard and remembered the conversation started weeks ago so I told him. He nodded and there was an awkward silence for a while. "I think I should go." Pablo said. I felt bad instantly. "No don't. I don't mind the company. I'm sorry about what I said." I confessed. I stood up and went to my kitchen and returned with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. When Pablo smiled I knew we were back to normal again.

We had wine and played a card game I had. We both didn't know the rules very well but we made it up as went and it was so hilarious. It didn't make sense to me how much fun I was having. We finished the second bottle of wine and when we were on our third I knew we should stop. We are awfully close to each other. "Does Kevin make you happy?" Pablo asked. I paused for a while and nodded. "I think we are cool together." I said. I looked away because honestly I wasn't exactly sure of what I was saying. That whole week had been weird. "Does Maxine make you happy?" I asked. Pablo laughed. "She's just my friend. You don't seem to believe that, huh?" He answered. "You, make me happy." He added. I wasn't expecting him to say that at all so I sat there, inches away from him, speechless. Pablo noticed my nervousness and looked away. It's like he could read me.

It was pretty late so Pablo got up to leave. I wasn't sure how to react to what he said but he seemed ok ignoring it. "That wine is brilliant. Anyways I'll see you at work on Monday." He said. I nodded and he left. That night before I slept all I thought about was Pablo. I was a total mess. It didn't make sense at all. Kevin was finally taking me seriously but I felt weird. I wanted to discuss it with Daisy but I knew she would be bias.

The next day I saw Daisy after church. She invited me over for lunch. She said Lawrence had travelled so she needed the company. I nodded and we went over to her place. As we had a really good meal I told her I knew about the surprise Kevin was planning for me. She looked very surprised. I told her I read their conversation on his phone and she nodded.

"Lawrence said I should leave you to choose the person you want to be with. He's right, I've been too hard on Kevin." She said, looking away. I was going to tell her I thought I had feelings for him but she went on."I wanted you to move on so bad. When I found out Pablo liked you I thought it was perfect timing. You know his contract expired two weeks ago and he renewed it? I won't be surprised if it was because of you." She said. I froze. "But anyways you said he likes Maxine so at least now everyone is happy right?" She asked. I wasn't sure what to say. "Kevin was asking me which weekend you are free. What should I tell him?" She asked. I wanted to tell her the truth that I realized I had more fun with Pablo but I wasn't sure what I felt for him was real. Just then she had a call and the subject never came up again.

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 4

Kevin sat down next to me. He had with him a bunch of papers. I was wondering what they were. "I haven't been straight with you. I haven't been fair to you and it kills me.You deserve better." He said. The girl you saw here the night we split is my ex girlfriend. She told me she was pregnant and the baby was mine. I didn't believe her so I took her to a hospital to be checked. It was true. She was pregnant." He said and passed me an ultrasound photo, then he went on. "I wanted to have a DNA test to be sure it was mine. I don't trust that girl. Why was she now telling me? She said she didn't want to have the baby in Ghana so we arranged for her to go to outside the country. The day you were here with Daisy she was coming for the ticket. The flight was later that day. I was a fool. I should have told you everything. I just thought she was lying and if I had proof she would go away." He said rubbing his eyes. I was shocked. The information I was receiving was too much. "Children are a gift from God no matter when they come." I said.

"I paid someone to have a paternity test and I was right it was not my baby." He said handing over a paper to me. It was the results from the paternity test. Kevin was not the father of the baby. "I didn't tell you about this because I don't ever want to drag you into my past life. But when I saw you last night I felt you needed to at least know the truth." He said finally looking into my eyes. His eyes were a little teary. I moved closer and hugged him. The familiar perfume on his neck made me smile. "When I agreed to go out with you I knew what I was signing up for. You should have told me." I said tearing up as well. "You are too good for me Mag." He said. Then he leaned in and kissed me. I felt the butterflies like I used to. Nothing had changed.

The next day during lunch time at work Daisy didn't come to get me for lunch as she used to. I guessed she was still mad at me from the phone call. I still had a lunch partner though. It was Pablo. He asked me to show him a good Ghanaian food spot. I took him to a chop bar not far from the office. He enjoyed the fufu and his face turned pink as he drank the spicy soup. It was like we had both forgotten about the kiss from the other night.

After work I planned to have dinner with Kevin. It wasn't really a date even though it felt like we had patched up nothing was really official. I saw Daisy busy looking for her car keys and decided to talk to her. Maybe even apologize for the other day. "It's in your cup." I said, walking to her desk. She looked up at me and said nothing. Then she peeped into her cup on her desk and found her car keys. "Thanks." She muttered. I immediately dropped my apology. Daisy sighed and asked if I wanted a ride. That was her way of saying I was forgiven.

As Daisy drove me home I told her about my visit to Kevin's place. She was mute the whole time and then the unapproving comments started. "Why is he NOW telling you this? Doesn't it sound suspicious that when he sees you having a good time with another man now he feels he needs to tell you the truth?" she said. I shook my head. "Well, I remember the day we broke up I didn't give him the chance to explain." I replied. Daisy shook her head. I could tell she was holding herself from saying something. Surely it would have been something negative. I wasn't saying Daisy didn't have a point but she was married to the love of her life. I thought Kevin was the love of my life too. I deserved a chance to be happy with him too.

 When I got home I walked to my wardrobe to pick something to wear for my dinner date with Kevin. I found the perfect dress and put it on my bed. When I was done taking a shower I texted Kevin to ask if he would pick me up or he wanted me to meet him there.

A few minutes after my text Kevin called me. "Hey Mag, I'm so sorry I didn't call you earlier. Something came up. Can we have dinner on Friday instead?" Be said. I told him it was fine and made an excuse about having work to do anyway which was a lie. I was upset. When I ended the call I looked at the blue dress on my bed and asked myself what I was doing. I remembered Daisy's comments. She did have a point. If it was as simple as that why didn't he tell me. Even after that night he could have said something. Here I was again wondering how important I was in his life.

To be continued...
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Broken 3

I woke up very late the next morning. It was a Saturday so I wasn't worried at all. I rushed for my phone immediately after my morning devotion. Just like I suspected I had two messages. One was from Kevin but the second wasn't from Pablo but Daisy. Daisy wanted to know how the night went. Kevin's text was the surprising one. He invited me to come over to his place that afternoon to talk. That was all he said. He didn't even say what about. I told him I would be there. There was only one thing he was likely to say, that he wanted us to get back together. So all it took was a night out with a Spanish guy? I smiled and went to look for breakfast to eat.

Daisy called me that morning. She wanted to hear all the juicy details. I told her the story excluding Pablo's kiss. "Kevin almost caused a scene." She said. I shook my head. She wasn't getting the point. "He sent me a text today. He wants us to talk. I will be going there around 3."  I said. Daisy didn't like the idea at all. "What does he want to talk about? You shouldn't go. I mean now that you are moving on he wants you back? This guy is so annoying." She said. I wasn't happy with the way she was talking. "Daisy is there anything wrong with him wanting me back? We can make it work." I said. "Maggie, I'm just trying to remind you that he hurt you. He cheated on you..." She explained but I wasn't amused. "People work out their issues and go on. If Lawrence cheats on you will you leave him?" I said. There was a brief pause. "Wow, you know what? Do whatever you want." Daisy finally said. I could tell she was upset. She made an excuse and got off the line.

That afternoon when I got to Kevin's place I couldn't help reminiscing. His car was parked at his usual spot and dirty as hell. I was the one who always insisted he wash it. So much so that we had a car wash party every other Sunday afternoon. We would play loud music, wash the car and eat a heavy meal afterwards. It was fun. I called him when I got to his gate and he opened the door instead of picking my call. It startled me a bit. "Hey." I said. He signalled for me to come in.

His place had changed a little since I last visited. It was obviously a mess but not that bad a mess. I sat on the couch and looked at Kevin. He seemed a bit disoriented like he had just woken up from sleep. "If this is a bad time I can come another time." I said. He shook his head and told me it was fine, that he just dozed off a bit.

When I first met Kevin I was instantly attracted to him. It wasn't just his good looks that had me sprung, it was his way of life. He was very relaxed, took things a day at a time and really liked to have fun. That was the exact opposite of me but somehow I felt we could create the perfect balance together. He felt the exact same way, well at least that's what he told me. He said all his previous relationships with bad, free spirited women never lasted long. He wanted to commit to me because I was different and that was it for me. I fell for him. Surely it sounds foolish of me but when a person who doesn't care much for a lot of people shows that he cares about you there's something you feel inside. Daisy warned me not to date him and that guys like him came with lots of baggage but I didn't listen. I had found Romeo and that was all that mattered. It's hard to explain how special Kevin made me feel. I was smitten.

After our first few months of dating I could have sworn we would get married! The problems came after the 5th month. Kevin started going out more without me. He called me less. He was doing a course at the same time so I felt studying and working at the same time was taking a toll on him. Daisy one day suggested we pay him a surprise visit. Just to prove to her that Kevin was faithful I decided to do it. To be honest I also wanted answers myself. So we went to his place. He was surprised to see us.

That day he was awfully weird. He kept texting. Then there was a knock at the door. Kevin  quickly went to the door. All I could hear was whispering. Daisy turned to look at me. "Go and see who is there." She said. That my friend is such a spy. I nodded and walked towards the door. When I got close I heard a lady say "So who should take me? That wasn't what we planned Kev".

Kevin noticed me too late. "Hi!" I said to her. She looked like a student and was holding what looked like a weekend bag. It angered me that she was younger than me. She looked exactly like the type of girl Kevin said he didn't want anymore. "What's going on? Is this your girlfriend? Should I tell her everything?!" She asked Kevin angrily. He tried to close the door but I just shook my head. Kevin yelled at the girl and told her to leave. This made her even more angry. She wouldn't allow him to close the door. At this moment I had seen enough. I went for Daisy and told her we should leave. There were already tears in my eyes. As we left Kevin came to me asking me to stay and that it wasn't what I thought. He said if the other lady meant anything to him he wouldn't be begging me to stay. We left and I never came back until this day.


To be continued... 
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Broken 2

I had had so many drinks at this point I needed to use the washroom. "Hey, I'll be right back." I said to Pablo and walked off. I wondered what time Daisy and Lawrence would want to go home. I was having so much fun. On my way back from the washroom I was thinking about an excuse to give to make Daisy stay longer and then everything went cold. I saw Kevin walking with a friend of his. He saw me and smiled. I wasn't sure what to do or say when he walked to me.

"Maggie, looking good." He said. I could tell he was drunk. "Thanks. How are you doing?" I asked. Kevin shook his head and turned to his friend. "PY and I are chilling small. Dawg your white boy and join us. We are going to Firefly from here." He offered. I wasn't sure what to say. I turned to look at Pablo. I decided to be like him. Kevin was being rude. If he really wanted to hang out with me he would have called me earlier. "No thanks I'll pass. See you later." I said and walked back to Pablo. Kevin just stood there surprised.

Somehow I was glad I stepped out that night. I noticed Kevin was watching a football match at the bar but would regularly turn to look at us. I decided to give him a show. I sat closer to Pablo, put my palm on his thigh every now and then and laughed a lot. The laughing part was easy because he was full of jokes. After a while Kevin walked up to us. "Maggie, could you come here?" He asked politely. I walked closer to him. "We are leaving in 5 minutes. Are you coming?" He asked. PY came and joined us. I greeted him and told them I wasn't going with them. Kevin shook his head and walked off. "This is low Maggie. I didn't expect this from you. " PY said and followed Kevin. I stood there confused. Low? Just then Daisy and Lawrence showed up. "My goodness I should have known Kevin would come here. What trash did he say?" She asked.

At this point I wanted to go home. I told Daisy what PY and Kevin said and she told me not to take them seriously. I knew she was right but if Kevin was jealous didn't it mean he still liked me and wanted me back? I nodded to everything Daisy said but I wanted to go home. Pablo offered to take me as he said he was also leaving. I snapped back into my normal self with plans to call Kevin the next day to talk and clear everything out. It was annoying that I missed him.

When we got to my house Pablo walked me to my door. He told me he hadn't had this much fun in a while and obviously that was mutual. After a brief silence he leaned in and kissed me. I wasn't expecting this at all so I moved back. "I'm sorry I thought... the way we were at the pub... I figured..." He stuttered. Oh no! I had sent him wrong signals when I was trying to make Kevin jealous. I couldn't tell him the truth. "I'm sorry I just broke up with my ex boyfriend and I'm not sure I'm ready for anything right now." I said. He stared at me for a second and nodded. "Yea sure, I understand. I'm sorry I took this the wrong way." He said. "No it's my fault. I hope we are still cool?" I asked trying to make eye contact. "Yea of course." He replied. We said our goodnights and Pablo left.

When I got into bed I took out my phone and there was a text from Kevin. "Firefly was really fun. It would have been better if you had come. Are you still at the pub?" It read. I smiled and just before I could reply I got another text. It was Pablo. "Hey, just wanted to say goodnight. I'm about to crash now. See you on Monday." His text read. How did I go from having no one ever text me to having two at the same time? I giggled. I replied Kevin's message first. "Maybe next time when you invite me properly I'll come. I'm off to bed goodnight." I then went ahead to reply Pablo. "Goodnight Pablo, tonight was fun." In no time at all I fell asleep

To be continued... 

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Broken 1

When I got home from work I dropped my bag on my bedside table and took out my phone. I could have sworn I heard a notification. Unfortunately there was nothing. Kevin, my ex boyfriend had not tried to reach me at all for the past week and it made me sad. You see we broke up a couple of weeks ago and now I was wondering if it was really a good idea. I mean he did hurt me but maybe I should have fought back to make the relationship work. My best friend Daisy kept saying he was useless and he would never find anyone like me. Right now it didn't look like it at all, I mean he clearly wasn't trying to get me back.

Just the minute I got out of the shower my phone rang. It was Daisy. "Hey Rabbit are you at home?" She asked in her usual cheerful tone. She was inviting me to a night out with some friends from our workplace. I hadn't made plans that Friday. In fact I never made plans. That was Kevin's job. Ever since we broke up I just stayed at home. Daisy would not take no for an answer. "Look, I'm coming to pick you up. Wear that black lace dress with the pink lining." she instructed before she hang up. I did as she said. If she had to I knew she would drag me out of my house, besides it was time I moved on! A night out was a good idea.

I hoped into Daisy's car when she got to my place. I noticed there was someone in the front seat so I just sat in the back. It was Daisy's husband. "Is this some family outing or what? Lawrence how are you doing?" I teased. Lawrence laughed and said they would make me their kid for the night if I didn't behave. They were my all time best couple. Even though they had been married for just two months I knew for certain they were meant to be. Daisy drove to a popular pub. Kevin and I had been there several times. I even remember he taught me how to play pool there. I wasn't sure this was a good idea but it was too late to turn back now.

When we got in the place was lively as usual. We saw our workmates and joined their table. There was a white guy, Pablo who joined our company just a few months ago there. He was from Spain. He stood up and offered me his seat. Then he picked another chair and put it next to mine for himself. Daisy walked to me and spoke into my ears. "Lawrence and I are going upstairs to the terrace area. Tonight is for you so don't think about that monkey ok? Have fun!" She took Lawrence hand and they walked off. I smiled as I watched them leave.

"You work in the IT department right?" Pablo asked. I nodded. He was in the same department so I guess he had seen me before. We talked about a new project our company was starting and how bad an idea it was. He made a hilarious impersonation of our boss and I burst out laughing. He was totally on point. We spoke about Spain and Ghana and everything in between. I was enjoying the conversation so much I didn't even notice that most of our coworkers had left. A pool table became free and Pablo suggested that we play. I told him I was horrible at pool but he insisted. He said he sucked too but it looked like fun. He was right! We played one game and kept making fun of each other for missing. Eventually he potted the black ball too early and I won. I jumped up and down and to celebrate my victory he clapped for me. I was having such a good time.

We went back to our seats and talked some more. Then a waiter approached us with a glass of expensive whiskey. "Sir, the drink is from the lady in the blue dress near the aquarium." The waiter said. I turned to look in that direction and saw a group of white ladies. The one in blue looked like she was in her mid twenties with lots of makeup on. "Please take it back. Tell her thank you, I don't drink whiskey." Pablo said. The waiter did as he said. "You didn't have to drink it. It's like she's saying she likes you." I said to him. He shook his head. "Well I'm not interested. I also find it rude." He said. "Rude, how is it rude?" I asked, a bit confused. "Because I'm here chatting with you." He explained. It took me a few seconds to understand what he meant. When I did I realised that was the sweetest thing I had heard in a long time. I smiled and nodded. I could see the ladies staring at us from across the room and it excited me.

To be continued... 
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Emotionless

Have you ever felt used but you blame yourself more than the person who used you because you know deep down you brought yourself to the slaughter house? That's how I felt as I lay on the bed with Coleman. It was almost 6am and my eyes opened by force of habit. I stared at him as he slept peacefully and wished it had never happened. I tried to tell myself to break up with him but that's what I said the last time and here I was in bed with a married man.

I got up and walked to the kitchen. Wallowing in my sorrows was not going to feed me. I opened the fridge and brought out a pack of food Coleman brought the night before. It was when I had heated it and was about to sit on my dining area that he woke up. "Good morning beautiful, something smells good." He said walking into the kitchen. I liked it when he called me that. My father never told me I was beautiful. It's funny how true that thing is. Your parents are the first people who can help you mold your self worth. My parents didn't really care much but I don't blame them. They didn't love each other. How could they possibly love me?

"Good morning. I just heated up some food." I said. He grabbed a fork and we ate together. Coleman was a very interesting guy. His wife was lucky to have him. Well I had him too but that's different. Every time we met he spoke about his wife and son 90% of the time. Most of time he was complaining about some things she did that irritated him. I always listened, unconcerned though but I pretended to care. It made him feel better.

I met him at a party about 6 months ago. It was one of these end of year corporate parties. I make it a point to attend these whenever I'm single. Boyfriends are easy to catch at these places. A nice fitted dress, long wavy hair, the right amount of make up and you are ready to grab the eyes of a wealthy executive.

Coleman was easy to approach. He didn't have a date and looked very lonely. I had never dated a married man before. Initially I didn't think it would be a problem but I know now that I was very wrong. I guess deep down, deep deep down I want to be a good person right? Maybe I was having all these thoughts because of Edem from down my lane. Ever since I met him things had been different for me. He is a very good looking young guy I met during my evening jog. He always made me laugh. Coleman was by far my youngest....boyfriend but Edem was a serious sight for sore eyes.


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Zaky 7

When I opened my eyes I was just in bed. The room was pretty dark. It took a while but I finally remembered I was at Zaky's place. "Hey, do you have a headache?" Zaky asked walking into the room. He was in a pair shorts and a black tshirt. He looked so good in casual clothes too? Why? He sat next to me and kissed my forehead. I shook my head and asked him what happened. "You had too much wine." He explained. "But it was low in alcohol." I replied confused. Zaky laughed and said he lied but didn't think half a glass would knock me out. I wanted to ask him if the kiss was real or a dream but I felt the kiss on the forehead was a sign that it did. "If you are not feeling too good I could drive you home." He offered. I smiled.

 After drinking some water and washing my face I felt fine. I noticed my father had called me several times. I said goodnight to Zaky and drove off. I ended our kiss prematurely thanks to the drink he gave me. When I told Dede what happened she said I shouldn't worry about because we had crossed the friend zone.

The next day Zaky came to my office before lunch. I usually met him in the lobby but for the first time he came to see me. I smiled when he walked. Everyone in the office turned around to look at him when he walked to me desk. They were probably more surprised when he stopped and we spoke. "What are you doing here?" I asked. He leaned over my desk, looking around. "I wanted to see your side. You see me everyday in my office so it's only fair I come see yours  too." He replied. We hadn't spoken about the kiss at all but somehow I felt closer to him. "You should explain how this whole CCTV camera thing works over lunch." He said staring at the large monitors showing the different offices. He held my hand and helped me to get up. Zaky was such a gentleman.

After work we went to watch a movie. I wasn't sure if that was our first or second date. After the movie the questions about my work continued. I found it a bit strange how all of a sudden he was interested in what I did. I didn't think working in the surveillance office was the slightest bit interesting. So I asked him why. "I guess when I like someone I like to get to know them more." Zaky shrugged. My heart raced. He just said he liked me and very effortlessly too. I wanted to shout "I like you too" but I just froze. 

When our date was over Zaky made me drop him off at a restaurant close to the head office. He said he had to speak with a friend there. When we got there he stopped before he opened the door. He turned to me and took off my glasses then he learned over and kissed me. It was short but very passionate. The kind of kiss that made you wonder why you were allowing him to stop. "I'll see you tomorrow morning." He said putting my glasses back on my face. He opened the door and walked out while I stared at him. I just stared. Immediately I tried to join the main road to head home I saw a familiar face. It was Kafui. She noticed me too and walked to me car. "Your friend said you wanted to know the truth about Zaky." She said when she got to the car. I wasn't sure what to say.

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

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... 

Eli's wife 2

"There you are. I was wondering where my bride had run away to." Eli said. He was standing with his sister. "The limo is waiting. I'm sure you are tired." Sena's sister said walking to them. Sena told Eli and Afi to take the lead. She wanted to have a word with her older sister. They nodded and left. "Baby First Lady. That's what dad calls you now." Enyonam, Sena's sister said. Sena rolled her eyes. "Enyonam, I don't love him." she said, almost in tears. "Oh my goodness! Calm down. He's the president's son, what is there not to love?" Enyonam replied. Sena shook her head. Her dad and her sister had always thought alike. Sena frowned and turned to leave but Enyonam held her hand. "Give him a chance. He can make you happy." she said. Sena just shook her head and walked off. Trying hard to walk fast in her full gown.

"Do you want me to carry you inside?" Eli asked when they got to their hotel suite. Sena remained silent and walked inside. The room was beautiful. The lights had been dimmed and there were candles all over. The whole room smelled sweet like vanilla. There were rose petals at the foot of the bed. There was also a gold bowl of chocolates on the center table as well as a bottle of champagne with two glasses. 'Wow', Sena said in her head. For a few seconds she loved where she was then she snapped back into reality. 

"I'm so tired." She said. "Now that's a downer." Eli teased. Sena dropped her bag and turned to look at him. "This whole marriage is fun to you isn't it? Let me guess I should be lucky to be married to you because you are the president's son huh? Well I don't know about you but forcing two people to get married is just stupid!" Sena let out. Her fists were clenched. Sena didn't mean to raise her voice but she was tired of bottling it inside her. Eli looked at her and shook his head. "You think I like this?" he asked in a more serious tone. "Well you seem to be having a ball." Sena shot back. "What do you want me to do? Be bitter like you?! Let's face it, Sena, we are married and, no offence, but I am not excited to be with you either!" Eli said raising his voice. Sena was quiet. "A week ago I had to tell my girlfriend that I was getting married. You think that was fun for me? We are in too deep and the sooner we find a way to get over this the better." he said, sat down and poured himself some wine. "How are we going to do that?" Sena asked still standing. Eli did not have the answer to that question and Sena knew it.

That night, their wedding night, Eli slept on the couch while Sena used the bed. Just before she went to sleep she took out her phone. There was someone she had been meaning to talk to. Charles. She called him to say goodnight. After the call she slept like a baby. Eli kept waking up not because he wasn't used to sleeping on a couch but because he kept thinking about her, Tina. He had called her 15 times that day and she returned none. He missed her. 

To be continued...

Dirty blood

“This is stupid.” I said to Andy. He took my hand and smiled. “Isn’t love stupid?” He said in a Shakespeare kind of voice. We both laughed. I turned around and took my position. He had drawn a star and a circle inside it on the floor with a chalk. I stood in the circle. He grabbed the book he claimed to be an ancient spell book and joined me in the circle in the middle of the star. “So don’t mess it up oh. You dierr I know you.” He teased. I hit him lightly in the arm and he giggled. “Alright so when I finish reading the spell you will use the pin to prick yourself…” he started. “Yes, yes lick the blood and kiss you.” I ended, rolling my eyes. “Have you read all the conditions” I asked. He shrugged. “Oh come on, it’s a spell. What’s the fun in that?” He asked. This was supposed to be a spell that will make us love no other partner but each other. I didn’t think it would work but then again if it did I didn’t mind because I loved Andy and so did so many ladies in school. He was hot!

Andy was about to read the spell when my phone rang. I looked at him with a silly expression. I took the phone out of my pocket. It was my mother. I signaled for him to hold on. “Hello mum.” I said in the most angelic voice. “Marie where are you?” my mum asked. I looked around. “I’m in school.” I lied. “Really? I went to your hostel and your roommate said you hadn’t been to the room since yesterday. Are you at that Andrew boy’s place again?” my mum said. She wasn’t at all pleased. I walked a bit further away from Andy. “Oh Mum, I just had some assignments to do so I stayed at my course mate Pat’s place.” I lied. “Ei Marie! Be careful. I know now you have all the freedom to do whatever you want. Just be careful what you do. Especially with boys…” She started nagging. I turned to look at Andy. He smiled and waved shyly. How could he harm me? “Mum, I know. I’m just doing schoolwork. The rest of the group is calling me. I have to go ok? Bye.” I said and hung up. I could hear my mum busy nagging in the background. It’s not that I don’t think she has a point oh, it’s just that she’s not always right.  

“You ready now?” Andy asked. I smiled and nodded. For some reason I was very nervous now but there was no turning back. He read the spell in Latin. We both pinned our thumbs and licked the blood. Then we moved in for the kiss. My heart was racing but it felt really magical. When we kissed I tasted his blood and all of a sudden I felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt a cool breeze like we were at the beach. It felt really good. “Wow.” I said when we were done. “Marie, you are amazing.” Andy said. I smiled like a sheep. “So did it work?” I asked sitting on his bed. He took out a towel, sprinkled some water on it and wiped the chalk marks. “After that killer kiss, of cause it did!” he said. I giggled.  

When Andy was done cleaning he turned to look at me. “I want you.” He said and walked straight to me. He kissed me aggressively. “Whoa, calm down.” I said after he bit my lip the first time. “Sorry, you are just too amazing.” He said as he kissed me some more. He held me so tight it begun to hurt. “Andy stop!” I said and moved back. That was when I saw his eyes. They were violet. I covered my mouth with my hand. “Andy look at your eyes!” I screamed. He moved closer to me. “Marie forget about my eyes. Come here. Come to me.” He ordered. My heart was racing now. He rushed towards me but I swerved. The spell book was at my feet now. I picked it up to read the spell and find out how it could be reversed. Andy rushed for me again. This time I couldn’t swerve fast enough. He grabbed my hand and started kissing it. I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t budge. “Marie, I love you Marie…” he kept mumbling. I hit him with the book and run into the bathroom. I locked the door behind me, sat on the floor and tried to read the spell. Andy was banging on the door. 

Everything the spell said we had done. Then I saw a little text at the bottom. The heading was dirty blood. “Spell will turn participants into violet eyed love demons if they lie with another a fortnight before the spell.” I read aloud. “ Cheating Bastard!” I shouted. All of a sudden I heard a ripping sound and a cry from the room. I shook and moved away from the door. The book fell and opened to the next page where I saw a full colour picture of a love demon. It was horrible with violet eyes. My whole body was shaking now. There was a pound on the door again. This time it was much louder. I moved back till I hit the wall. There was one final pound! And the door came off. “Marie, come lie with me. I love you.” The demon said. “Mum, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.” I whispered. I looked around and saw a shaving knife. I grabbed it with my shaking hands. I had two options, his throat or...mine.