“Honey? You seem really stressed out tonight. Is everything okay?”

“No, everything’s not okay. Work is really stressing me out!”

“Awww, I’m sorry about that. Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No! I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh… umm, okay. Well, if you want to talk about it later, you know I’m always here for you.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Nicky! I’m just trying to help. You don’t have to be rude.”

“Rude? Rude for the where? Massa, I’m not being rude, I just want some peace and quiet! You’re talking too much! Just zip it!”

“Babe, I know you’re stressed, but you don’t have to take it out on me like this. What’s gotten into you?”

“What’s gotten into me? Can’t you see I’m dealing with a lot right now? You naa, as you look at me, don’t you see it? Huh?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just care about you.”

“Well, maybe I don’t need you to care right now! Maybe I just need you to leave me the f**k alone!”

***

As rain pattered against the windshield of his car that, Nicky sat slumped in the driver’s seat, sobbing under the weight of his emotions sitting heavily on his head. The soft melody of Ne-Yo’s “Mad” filled the car, resonating with the turmoil in his heart. He wiped tears from his cheeks, feeling a deep sting of regret and sorrow.

The lyrics seemed to echo his own sentiments, as if Ne-Yo himself understood the complexities of his failing marriage. Nicky closed his eyes, letting the words wash over him, each verse a painful reminder of the love he and Winnie had lost.

It had been a haunting forty-eight hours. From that moment the memories began to rain down on him, he had thought through everything that had happened since he met Winnie. From the day that devastating slender figure caught his eye in the reception of the World Trade Center, to that evening he proposed to her, to the main marriage declaration, everything had come to mind.

Then their magnificent, unforgettable wedding. The first night they made love. Their numerous beautiful moments together. Their trips to Anomabu to see her parents. Enjoying themselves at the various hotels in Elmina…

… and then, that evening. The evening when he let his temper lash out at her.

Yep, it was from there that things went downhill. That was where all the horrible attitude started from. A particularly awful day at the office led to him unfairly spewing venom at her before storming off to their room.

She harboured that anger and grew dry towards him, responding to him in the most passive-aggressive way possible before gradually shedding the passive one and going all out with him. Instead of finding out why, he fought fire with fire.

And oh, how foolish he felt now!

His anger, once a blazing fire that fueled their arguments, now felt hollow and meaningless. All the harsh words exchanged, the resentments built up over time, seemed trivial in this moment of clarity.

He had not been able to look Winnie in the face the past few days; he felt so low and so awful for the part he had played in all this. It was that morning, however, when it all crumbled, and in the parking space of the office, he wept his heart out in the car, realizing how wrong he had been.

There was no more wrath in his chest; in its place was a profound sense of sadness and regret, a realization of how he and Winnie had allowed stress and silence to erode their marriage, turning them into bitter enemies instead of partners.

Still sobbing, he reached for his phone, fingers trembling as he unlocked it with a swipe of his thumb. His heart clenched as he scrolled through the photos until he found one of him and Winnie, standing by the sea in Elmina. Their smiles were so radiant and their eyes sparkled with joy.

Wiping his eyes, Nicky murmured, “How did we get here, Winnie? How did I let it come to this? I used to be so deeply in love with you, cherishing every single moment we spent together. And now… now I can’t even stand to be in the same room as you without feeling disgusted. How could we have let this fester?”

Before he knew, a fresh wave of tears spilled down his cheeks as he pressed a trembling hand to his lips, stifling a choked sob. “God, I’ve messed up my marriage!” he cried. “God, I’m sorry! I’ve messed up my marriage. My stupid pride has messed it up! God, I’m so sorry!”

Weeping for a few moments, he mourned his carelessness at allowing the curveballs of life to turn them against each other. In that moment, he knew that all the anger was a silly front. All those fierce declarations to get divorced were a front.

The truth was, he still loved Winnie. Even if it had diminished somewhat, it was still there. And he wanted it back.

Closing his eyes once he was out of tears, Nicky took a deep, shuddering breath. “I need to make things right,” he whispered to himself, “and I need to make them right, starting now.”

***

As he sat alone in his office, with everyone else yet to arrive, the voice of conviction prompted him to reconsider the dismissive attitude he had taken towards his parents’ advice.

As that came to mind, he remembered his last conversation with Agyeiwaa.

With a sigh, he picked up his phone and dialed her number.

“Hey, Nicky. What’s up?”

Nicky hesitated a bit. “Hey, Agyeiwaa. I… I wanted to talk to you about what happened a few days ago.”

“Oh yeah, that. Why, wassup?”

“I’m sorry about the way I spoke. I shouldn’t have spoken so brashly about Mama and Papa’s advice. I know they were just trying to help, and I shouldn’t have dismissed it like that. It… it was extremely reckless of me, and I’m sorry.”

Agyeiwaa’s voice softened over the phone. “It’s okay, Nicky. We all get frustrated and get like that sometimes. But… is that all that’s on your mind?”

Nicky sighed, then let it out sincerely. “I’m just tired, Agyeiwaa. Tired of fighting with Winnie. It feels like we’re stuck in this never-ending cycle, and we don’t know how to break free. It’s tiring. Keeping all this anger in my heart towards my favourite woman in the world… it’s… it’s too much.”

Agyeiwaa sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that, Nicky. Have you thought about trying Mama and Papa’s suggestions? They’ve been married for a long time, and they know a thing or two about making it work.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. Maybe it’s time to give their advice a shot. I don’t want our marriage to keep going down this path.”

“That’s a good idea. Sometimes, it’s the small, small things that can make a big difference. You don’t have to figure it all out at once. Just take it one step at a time.”

“Thanks, Agyeiwaa. I appreciate your understanding. I’m going to give it a try and see if we can turn things around.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Nicky. And please remember, Mom and Dad are there for a reason. They’ve been through their fair share of challenges, and they genuinely want to help.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I let my anger blind me for too long, chale, but I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for being there, Agyeiwaa.”

“Anytime, Nicky. Take care, and I hope things start looking up for you and Winnie.”

As Nicky hung up, a sense of relief washed over him. He could feel a slight glimmer of hope that, maybe with some effort and a willingness to change, they could find a way to navigate these rough waters and get their marriage back on track.

***

Nicky glanced at the clock and sighed.

It was three o’clock. Still another two hours to go before the day ended, but there was something he needed to address, something more important than the tasks at his desk.

He walked over to Edem’s cubicle and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Chale, Edem, I need a favour. Can you cover for me this afternoon? There’s something I need to take care of.”

Edem looked up at him, a concerned look on his face. “Ummm… sure, but, everything dey okay? You’ve been a bit off today.”

Nicky hesitantly nodded. “Ibi some small personal matter I for solve, chale. E dey need sey I for lef now.”

“Alright, sure, I’ll cover for you. Just let me know if there’s anything I need to handle.”

“Thanks, chale. Appreciate it.”

As Nicky hurriedly left the office and stepped outside, he pulled out his phone and began searching on Google.

“Okay, so… first I’ll note the instructions. Then… off to the market nearby to get the plantain and the kontomire…”

***

A few hours later, and Nicky was back home, bustling up and down in the kitchen.

He had gotten all the foodstuffs needed, read the instructions over and over, and had wasted no time in getting busy in the kitchen, following the instructions meticulously. The scent of boiling plantains and the sizzle of kontomire in palm oil filled the air as he waited for the food to take shape. He was no stranger to the kitchen, but this was the first time he was preparing this food, and he couldn’t help but feel a mix of nervousness and hope.

He checked the time on his phone. “Ei, chale, I really kyɛ for here oo!” he marveled to himself, surprised at how long it had been since he started cooking. He knew it was necessary, though. This had to be as perfect as possible. Winnie had spared no expense at giving him a great dinner a few days ago; it was only fair he did the same.

About fifteen minutes later, and the final dish was ready. As he arranged the pieces of yam and plantain meticulously in the earthenware bowl table, then added the slices of avocado and the egg, he stood back and admired it.

It looked exactly the way he had planned it – a labor of love and an attempt to bridge the gap that had widened between them.

Nicky nodded, a look of determination on his face.

“Yep. This is it. It’s time to save my marriage.”

Well finally, the man has snapped out of it! Good going, Nicky! Let’s hope it’s not too late…