“If you don’t know me by now… you will never never never know me… oooooooooohhhh…”

Barbara had her phone connected to the Toyota Avanza’s Bluetooth, and with her new Spotify account, was singing along to the Simply Red version of the classic tune as her husband sat in the passenger seat. They were on their way to the Kotoka International Airport to pick up their sons.

Their twin boys, Joseph and Josiah Evan, were returning home for the holidays after completing their first year at John Hopkins University. In spite of his financial troubles in light of Gilbert’s betrayal, Barry was still wealthy enough to ensure his boys got the best education. Joseph was pursuing a degree in Materials Science & Engineering, while Josiah was majoring in Film and Media Studies. If there was anything the Evan couple was proud of, it was how far their twin boys had come.

They were only five years old when the brutal attack occurred. They had spent the night at the home of Barbara’s mother, so they were spared the terrors of that fateful day. But you can only imagine the grief that gripped them when they found out their favourite man had been crippled by some terrible men, and to that day, Uncle Gilbert who they had liked then was now like a synonym for Satan.

As she sang, she watched her husband at the corner of her eye. She smirked as she waited for the inevitable.

“You know the deal, woman. Let’s play the Harold Melvin version after this,” Barry ordered as he watched her sing. “You know I prefer that one.”

Barbara rolled her eyes. Barry and his love for comparing the two covers of that song. “Ei, you this man. So you can’t listen to this version without needing your favourite to counter it? Ebei!”

“You know this version doesn’t do it for me like that. You know Harold brings some… soul into his version.”

Barbara snorted in amusement. “Those ‘ey-hey’ adlibs too are soul? Please please please! Let me think!”

“Madam, you have no idea what those adlibs do to my heart! You just don’t know!”

The couple laughed.

That song held quite a special place in their relationship. Twenty-one years of marital bliss, and they had both accepted each other for who they were, as well as the changes that had occurred over the years. In spite of Barry’s earlier infidelities and his penchant for coming home really late before the attack occurred, Barbara had chosen to take him as she found him and live with him like that.

With time, his conscience pricked him enough to drop all his side chicks. Coming home late didn’t change too much until the attack occurred.

Of course, that also brought about major changes in their marriage. The fact that Barry could no longer be as active as he used to be, as well as a temper with a fuse shorter than an eyelash. It was a most challenging time for her, as she had to adjust many things in her life, and deal with many burns from his tempers. In spite of all this, she chose to stay with him.

On his part, Barry had learned to accept Barbara’s docile disposition towards him and tolerate her occasional bouts of nagging, as well as her tendency to over-depend on God in situations where justice was needed. Nothing had infuriated him more than when she tended to let certain unfair happenings toward her go and simply claimed that God would fight for her. He had often asked himself back then, “What kind of aloof doormat is this?”

But now, he had simply embraced the reality that that was who Ms. Barbara Davis, now Mrs. Barbara Evan, was. And he couldn’t deny, there had been times when God actually did fight her offenders, and the end result was plain for all to see.

For him, though, he wasn’t taking that road. Especially not with this Gilbert matter.

Vengeance was his, not the Lord’s.

***

Gilbert sighed in satisfaction as he leaned against the window, admiring the palm trees that lined the road connecting Elmina to Cape Coast. A pleasant trip to the Central Region it had been, without a doubt. From walking the canopy at Kakum National Park to visiting the Elmina Castle, he had thoroughly enjoyed himself.

He briefly peered at the driver they had hired for the trip, then at Elisabeth, who was already dozing off, and smiled.

This was good. Really good. Memories worth keeping…

He noticed the bottle in her hand, in which she had poured some of the mango juice she had bought from Forester Café.

Hmmm. Forester Café…

Those angry eyes. That unpleasant glare. That fierce look.

Memories of how Barbara had stared at him rushed in as he shook his head and recalled how nervous he felt.

For a moment, he had been worried that she was going to jump over the counter and strangle him. Not that her petite hands would cause any damage to his big neck, but it still would have been pretty embarrassing. That was why he left quickly.

And why he had never wanted to go there in the first place.

The last thing he wanted was to have any sort of reconnection with any member of the Evan family. Whether Barry, Barbara or their sons. He knew they were all aware that he sent the thugs after Barry to cripple him, and they despised the living daylight out of him. But he didn’t care and did not want to consider their feelings toward him for anything. What mattered was that he had all the money he wanted and was living the life he wanted.

As he looked again at Elisabeth, he saw another reason to keep them out of the picture totally.

She had noticed Barbara’s fierce look in the restaurant and asked him what the problem was. He had dismissed it and claimed someone else might have irritated the woman.

“You know these restaurant supervisors,” he claimed, “They’re always mad about something. She must have just had that face as she looked in the direction of the door.”

Elisabeth had nodded, seemingly convinced by his claim. “But you don’t know her, right?”

“Nope. Don’t know her from Adam.”

She had no idea about what had happened. And he preferred she stay ignorant about it all. There was no need for her to find out about Barry and what had happened between them. It wasn’t as if she was his wife or anything; she was just a special partner he was moving around with.

All she needed to do was enjoy his cash and move along with him for the ride. As simple as that.

***

“Really? And he’s walking around happily like that?” Josiah asked incredulously as he and his brother got into the car after placing their suitcases in the boot.

“Seriously oo, Josi. With some stupid chain on his neck and some big man look bi. Feeling all hip about himself. With some white woman bi by his side. See eh, the way I wanted to jump over the counter and go and confront him. Evil bastard! After your father did him good, see how he repaid him,” Barbara stated, her brows knitted together in a brief fit of anger as she remembered the whole scene. “But it’s the police who annoy me the most. Useless force! They are there saying your father should just forgive and forget.”

Joseph looked gobsmacked at that statement. “Huh? He should just forgive and forget? Ei, what’s the meaning of that? Have they been bought or something?”

“Oh, definitely. Can’t be any other thing, coz no true police officer will ever say that to someone who’s been as affected by a crime as Daddy has been,” Josiah answered.

Joseph shook his head. “Ahhh! This is terrible. Absolutely terrible. As for that Gilbert man, if I see him on the streets one of these days, eh. If I don’t strangle him…”

“Ei, na Jo, can you? Have you seen that neck of his? Like some frog bi.”

The men in the car laughed out loud at Barbara’s jab.

“Na am I lying? If you see him now, like some frog bi that has diarrhoea. Horrible walking. I dunno if he’s doing that because he has money now or what. But it’s horrible ankasa.”

The twins in the backseat had tears in their eyes as they laughed out loud. Barry too laughed a bit. His wife certainly knew how to rip a person to shreds with her words.

Barry’s phone vibrated on his lap as he continued to guffaw at Barbara’s verbal takedown of his friend-turned-nemesis.

He looked down to see what it was.

A message from Rex.

Everything is in place. Operation Toad Takedown will be carried out in 3 days’ time.

That brought a smile to his face.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

So good to know that plans were in place. Soon enough, the plan for vengeance would be carried out, and Gilbert would most certainly pay for all he had done to him.

Plus, the name of the operation was on point, too. Clearly, everyone was in agreement with the fact that Gilbert’s physical appearance was not something to be envied in any way.

“Oh, Josi, don’t say that!”

“But Mama, it’s true! If he’s out there flexing like that, someone can easily come after him. Or Daddy, am I lying?”

Snapping out of his talk with himself, Barry turned to his son sitting behind Barbara. “You say?”

“Mama was saying that Gilbert man is moving all over the country showing off and stuff, and I said that if that’s what he’s doing, we shouldn’t be surprised if someone goes after him and kills him, and she thinks I’m being too mean. But isn’t it the truth?”

Barry shrugged. “Well… you have a point, Josiah. Criminals take note of those things, so… it’s possible, I guess.”

“See, Mama? It’s not like I’m wishing it upon him ooo…”

Barry sat back, a little curve at the corners of his mouth as he pictured it all, not hearing the budding debate between his wife and Josiah.

No need for any petty criminal to go after him, though. He’s already been targeted. And it won’t be long until you hear that news, sonny boy. That bastard is gonna meet a horrible end.

Soon. Very soon…

Well, is this operation gonna go well? I’m sure the next episode will provide the answers to that…