“Oh, great! So ibi likely sey you go hear something from am today?”

“Yeah, yeah, hopefully I go meet am later today for the studio there. I dey move there right now, so hopefully, I go meet am before the 3 p.m. game go start.”

“Sweet!”

A bright and sunny Saturday afternoon it was, and after a busy morning of house chores, Bruce was relaxing in the living room, with the TV on and some Premier League action ongoing. Deladem had called with some encouraging news: one of his colleagues at the station had a contact who owned a group of companies, and wanted to see him so they could discuss the prospect of building some rapport with the said contact.

Definitely good news for Bruce and Clarence, who desperately needed breakthroughs in their conditions. For the former, he had been burned yet again during the previous working week. A secretary had printed a letter he edited on the wrong letterhead, and Mr. Lorenzo placed the blame on him even though the secretary herself admitted to taking the wrong letterhead.

“Yeah, chale. I really dey pray sey this be the start of something good. Coz the way he dey talk the thing eh, if the movement source, you then Clay go make sorted kraaa.”

“Me too, me too!” Bruce exclaimed. “That go be perfect kraa give we. Perfect.”

“Yeah. Wey I hear sey this contact be very cool man. Humble, friendly, chale, he be good guy. So chale, I really dey hope for the best.”

“Even more perfect! I dey need that. Coz that kwasia wizard diɛɛ, hoh.”

“Chale, he fool too much. Why, ibi you wey dey print the letterhead? Ah, this man diɛɛɛ….”

“Didayy, I tire am kraaa. Even my immediate boss sef bore. I tell you sey he go confront Mr. Lorenzo yesterday? He go biz am sey why he dey like dey my top so? He say the man no talk anything, he just tell am sey make he comot ein office.”

“Mtcheww, f**king guy. Chale, this one go source. In Jesus name!”

“Amen!”

A minute or two later, as Bruce hung up, he nodded and raised his eyes to the heavens. “Dear Father,” he prayed out loud, over the sound of commentary from the TV, “please, let this one work. Help me. I don’t want to continue waking up frustrated. Please, God, let this one come to fruition…”

“Brucie, I’m moving now!”

He lowered his eyes to see Nana Asor walk into the living room, looking super spicy in a cute off-shoulder dress. She was supposed to meet Becky at the Marina Mall that afternoon.

His eyes danced at the sight of her. “Dayuummmm! My Lord, this woman I marry be tasty pass!”

Nana Asor giggled as he rose to his feet and moved toward her. “I knew you’d like it,” she suggested slyly. “That’s why I wore it.”

“Saaa? You’ve got some agenda for me or something?”

Still giggling, she wrapped her arms around Bruce’s neck and landed a kiss on his lips. “Mmmm, I don’t know. Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. We’ll see what the evening brings.”

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he grinned. “Well, I’ll be looking forward to that.”

“Uh-huh. And listen, I know we’ve been stressing over getting pregnant for a while now, but… I’ve been thinking, and… now I wanna just try and use this period to just… enjoy my husband. You know, try and take my mind off the stress and the whole ‘this session has to work’ and all that. I just want to enjoy my husband’s distin.”

Bruce snickered, then nodded. “Yeah, sure. Bishop was speaking to us a few days ago, and he said something to me that really hit home. That during this period, we should really tighten our bond to ensure when the kids come, they meet parents who really love each other. So yeah, I think I wanna focus on our bond and all while we wait. Coz look, at the end of the day, I love making love to you not coz I need to get a baby from you, but because there’s no other woman I want but you. So yeah, let’s try and move in that direction. What we want will come eventually.”

The couple smiled at each other, and kissed.

The words of Bishop Gordon had definitely hit home with Bruce, and now Nana Asor. Sure, they still wanted to become parents, but for now, they couldn’t keep moping. They just had to appreciate what they had in this union.

Each other.

***

“So Pastor Jared is not coming today?”

“Nope. Remember, he said he had to go for his uncle’s funeral in Koforidua this weekend.”

“Ahhhh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember. Mmmm, so then Lovia and Steven will handle rehearsals, right?”

“Yes, please, madam.”

Delasi shook her head, grinning at Irene’s tease as she reclined in the back seat of the Uber taking her to Shalom Temple for Saturday choir rehearsals. “Please, I don’t like that.”

The sound of Irene’s adorable giggle hit her ears. “But aren’t you my madam?”

“No please, I’m not. I’m just a big sister.”

“But big sister equals madam ooo.”

“Please, please, it doesn’t! don’t come and stress me!”

Irene continued to giggle.

“You this young lady, eh. Anyways, is anyone else in the church?”

“So far, it’s just me and Felicia.”

“Oh, okay, okay. I should be there in the next few minutes. At least we can start something. Abi we’re doing the Perez Musik song?”

“Yep! Hewale Lala. Powerful song!”

Delasi grinned. “The way you love your Ga songs diɛɛ, it’s not easy. Proper Ga girl!”

“As if you don’t have Ga blood flowing through your veins. This one, you know Steven will tell us to lead it.”

“Oh, for sure. Hehehe. Okay, baby girl, I’ll see you in a couple of minutes.”

“Alright. Felicia! Delasi will be here soon… hehehe, Felicia said you should buy her poloo.”

Delasi shook her head in amusement. Nobody knew what it was about the snack that had Felicia in a chokehold, but she was almost always munching on one. “Tell her I’ll think about it. Haha, see ya!”

About ten minutes later, the Uber in which she sat turned from the main road to the untarred road that led to the church. As it moved along, another Uber moved in the opposite direction, heading to the main road.

Delasi couldn’t help but look to see who was in the passenger seat of the other Uber, sitting up and squinting to see who it was.

The face she saw was a familiar one. And not a face she’d expect to see around the church at any time.

She looked back at the Uber in total shock. There were no shops around, the only major place anyone could claim to be visiting at this part of town was the church. And on a Saturday, you were not likely to meet Bishop Gordon; he was either attending a wedding, funeral, some other occasion, or at home with the family. So this was… very unexpected.

“Ah,” she wondered to herself. “But… but what would Clarence be doing around the church? At this time, especially?”

***

“Uh-huh! Okayyy! That’s right! Give us, girl!” Becky cheered as she took pictures of Nana Asor, who happily posed for the phone camera in her super cute dress in front of one of the empty shops in the mall.

“I hope I look mad sexy in those pictures you’re taking ooo!” Nana Asor ordered, changing her pose every five seconds.

“Of course I am! Why won’t I make sure of that? Now… uh-huh… yep… ooh, this is spice ankasa! Yep, I’m done, babe. Come see.”

She walked over to show her friend the pictures taken, and they busily chose the ones they preferred.

“Mmm… nah, I don’t like this one, look at my face looking someway, let’s delete… mmm, nice! Yeah, I like this… and this… herhhhh! This one is perfect! Yes, I’m putting this on my status.”

“Perfecto! But girl, seriously,” Becky commented, eyeing her friend in a mock lustful manner, “you are looking like a whole snack right now. Like, seriously, you are just some Fante fantasticness right now!”

Nana Asor put on a big grin. “Thanks, baby girl. You’re looking juicy as always yourself. Ashanti awesomeness. I should just whisk you away to a far place and just wife you up, you know.”

“Mmmmm, good idea. Let’s ditch this place and get hitched. Somewhere exotic and dreamy.”

 “Name the elopement location and I’m all yours, baby.”

“Turks and Caicos, then, boo?” Becky asked teasingly.

“Turks and Caicos it is. Get the tickets and let’s get hitched, then!”

“So if I had said Lartebiokorshie, would you go?”

“Is that an elopement location? Don’t be silly, okay!”

Becky laughed out loud. “Ajeeeiii! Please, let’s go and check out the dress Arabee was mentioning.”

Becky’s sister, who was currently working in Kumasi, had asked her to get a certain dress that was only available in one of the shops in Marina Mall. In mentioning it to Nana Asor, her dear friend offered to join her and check out some other dresses.

They entered the shop and found the dress Becky had been tasked to get, then checked out a few other dresses, engaging the attendants and trying out some of the other clothes on display. By the time they were out, they both had new dresses; Becky with a new Dalmatian mini dress, and Nana Asor a denim jumpsuit.

They continued their chatter, deciding to head for KFC when Nana Asor stopped, sniffing something in the air. Once the scent registered in her brain, the naughtiest of grins ran across her face.

It was the smell of a perfume.

“Mmmmmm, I know that smell,” she stated, her voice taking on an extra sensual vibe. “Suspenso.”

Becky knew about that perfume too well, and who wore it. “Bruce’s perfume?”

“Yeah… that’s that kinda perfume that just… makes me wanna off pant and tell him to ‘useless’ me for all I’m worth.”

Becky rolled her eyes and did a facepalm as she looked at her friend, who had the goofiest of grins on her face while she spoke. She was switching to naughty mode a little too quickly.

“Mmm, maybe I should tell him to put it on before I get home,” she mused further. “That’ll make things a bit more… exciting for tonight. Him smelling sexy, me looking sexy… mmm, that should make for some damn hot fireworks tonight! Hihihi!”

Becky let out a groan. As much as she loved the Aforos and the love they shared, the last thing she needed was to be this privy to the intimate details of their life.

“Babe, it’s really nice to know your husband turns you on that much, and that you drive him crazy. Really, I’m happy for you. Just… no need to be so damn raw about it to me, maybe? I do not need to know what y’all will be doing in your room tonight.”

Nana Asor simply looked at her, the silly dreamy grin still plastered on her face.

“And by the way, close your mouth before a fly drives through that motorway.”

The grin instantly disappeared.

“W’anim yɛ hari! Bɛlɛ geh!”

Becky laughed out loud. Oh, the joys of getting back at Nana Asor and having her insult her in Fante!

“I love you too, my darlin-“

She was interrupted by the sound of her ringtone. She checked, and her mood shifted.

Yep, it was Amankwaah. And she did not have the best of vibes about this call; she knew whatever he was calling about had to do with that man.

Nana Asor noticed the change in mood, and her face took on a look of concern. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

She signaled that she wanted to answer the call first, then moved away to answer.

“Hello, Amankwaah.”

“Yeah, Becky. Hope all is well.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m doing fine.”

“Mmmm, alright. Umm… I know you won’t wanna hear this, but…”

***

For the next three minutes, Nana Asor stood back and watched on, apprehension evolving into anxiety as her friend’s demeanour changed totally.

Just a few minutes earlier, Becky had been laughing at her claim that her new dress would seriously accentuate her curves. Now she was this close to blowing a fuse while she spoke on the phone with her brother.

And she knew exactly what it was all about.

Or more appropriately, who it was about.

Mr. Owusu-Bempong.

As Becky’s best friend, she knew everything. From the cancer diagnoses to her father walking out on them, she was privy to everything Becky and her siblings had dealt with. And of course, she was wholly disgusted by Mr. Owusu-Bempong’s actions. There was absolutely nothing honourable about choosing your own comfort at the expense of a family that needed you.

As Becky hung up, she could see the flames of fury in her eyes.

Uh-oh. I need to calm her down.

“What does he want? What at all does he want? What does this man want with my life? Huh?” Becky raged.

“Easy, Becky, easy, easy,” Nana Asor urged calmly, her arms around her friend’s shoulder. “Please, we’re still in public. I beg you, hold it. Please. Don’t blow up here.”

Becky stared hard at her, looking ready to ignore her pleas and just vent her spleen.

“Becky, Becky, look, listen to me, people dey here,” Nana Asor spoke gently. “Let’s just go to the car, okay? Move with me and let’s go to the car. Forget the KFC, let’s go sit in the car.”

Quietly, albeit slightly reluctantly, Becky took her friend’s hand, and they gently but quickly made their way out of the mall and to the car park.

As they entered Becky’s car, Nana Asor gently asked, “What did Amankwaah say?”

Breathing in and out angrily, Becky muttered, “He said the man wants to see me.”

“See you? For what?”

“I don’t know, Asor, I don’t know! Amankwaah was begging me to just come, as if I owe him anything. I don’t owe him s**t! Kwasiasem! You ran away when my mother needed you! Because of you, the woman died so quickly! You couldn’t even be bothered to show up for the funeral, or even try and contact any of us! You went to enjoy with some foolish girl bi and pretended like we never existed! Now you’re there saying that I should come and see you! Come and see you for what? It’s not like you feel any remorse; Amankwaah was telling us he doesn’t regret a thing! See him for what? Huh? See him for what?”

Nana Asor simply sighed and touched her friend’s shoulder as she unloaded her ire in the safe space. If there was anything that could turn Becky into a flaming ball of anger, it was her father. Those six years of his absence had really drilled a lot of bitterness and rancour, which for a while led her on a downward spiral that included heavy drinking and a toxic fling with a verbally abusive guy who was only about having a taste of her body and nothing more.

It took the intervention of the squad to get out of that funk and try and move on. It had not been easy, but they managed to get her off the bottle and out of that relationship.

At this point, she most likely would not turn to either. But the re-emergence of the man she called father was most certainly going to open up old scars and bring all that lava to the surface.

Hmmmm, Becky meeting her father won’t be a pleasant one, if this is anything to go by