“Oh nice, nice. Chale, that’s good to hear… abi they’re cool… oh nice, nice… ei, boyfriend and girlfriend living together? Ahh well, abi it’s nothing strange there, so chale. Then chale, you for prepare your ears ooo, coz the noises you go dey hear diɛɛ…”

Joojo laughed as he sat patiently in the car, talking to his older brother Richard as he waited for Abena to come out of the apartment for their date. Tonight was date night, and the venue was one of the newest restaurants opened recently. As usual, Abena was taking quite some time to prepare, so Joojo chose to wait in the car while talking to his brother, who had left for the United Kingdom to begin his Master’s programme at one of the top universities in London.

“Yeah, so chale, Abena and I are heading out… oh yeah, everything’s smooth, thanks be to God… oh sure, definitely, I’ll tell her… alright, alright. Chale, take care, wai, and don’t let the weather knock you down too much… okay, bye.”

He hung up, a wry smile on his face. He had not been very truthful in answering his brother’s question about how things were going between him and Abena, but nobody else but him knew about the fierce mental attacks he was going through. And he’d rather keep it that way.

Somehow, he was starting to believe those voices. He had thought back numerous times to the first time that he saw her, and how he had felt way below her league, and started to feel like maybe they were right. Maybe their meeting and falling in love was a lovely little fluke that fate would soon rectify.

Of course, he also fiercely resisted this as much as possible, convinced in some part of his heart that this gorgeous and delightful girl would be his for life. The battle wasn’t easy, and wore heavy on him. So when this opportunity to take his queen out popped up, he grabbed it eagerly, hoping it would silence the voices.

When she finally stepped out, the sight of her in a spicy floral dress stole his breath away. Unable to resist, he grinned, ready to bombard her with his Shakespearean-style compliments.

Once she opened the door and got in, he fired away.

“Oh, my fair Abena! Thou art a vision of beauty, a radiant bloom in a garden of splendor. The very essence of grace incarnate,” he declared in his hilariously theatrical manner, literally slapping his forehead with the back of his hand at the start.

Abena, who had been slightly startled by that action, burst into laughter as he continued, and playfully scolded him. “Herh, gentleman, enough with this your Shakespearean flattery. Ah, you made my heart cot when you did that!”

He grinned, unabashed. “Please, you started it! Or you didn’t know that your enchanting beauty always makes my heart cot?”

Abena rolled her eyes with a smile. “You this boy. If I mind you…”

As she settled into the car, Joojo’s snickers cleared up as he announced to her the venue for their date night. “So, my dearest Abena, we will be making our way to Bonne Restaurant for this date. My brother used to speak highly of that place before he left, so I thought we’d check it out.”

Her eyes lit up. “Sweet! How’s he doing, by the way?”

“He’s good ooo. I just spoke to him mpo. He’s settling down now. Gotten a room to rent now, and he’s started lectures.”

“Oh, nice, nice. University of East London, right?”

“Yeah. He said he’s at the Stratford campus.”

“Oh nice, then he’s at one of the nicer sides of town. So which part of London is he living in?”

Joojo paused for a moment. “Umm… where did he say he was again… uhh, Peckham. He’s living in Peckham.”

Abena laughed and clapped her hands. “Hehehe! Eish, Peckham! Champion Peckham! Babe, that place, eh, it’s like the African hub of London. If you go there and you don’t see at least one Nigerian or Ghanaian, eh, something is very wrong.”

“Eii, saaa?”

“I’m telling you. When my parents and I went there, we stayed with one of my aunties living there. Babe, it’s not a joking eyi ooo…”

As the car engine hummed to life, the couple chatted heartily as they embarked on their date, the promise of good food and loving banter and conversation adding a much needed delightful buzz to the evening.

***

The interior of Bonne Restaurant was adorned with warm lights and an inviting ambiance, a setting Joojo and Abena were more than happy to have adorn their date night. Their food was also great, as the couple had hoped. As they finished their meal, Abena couldn’t help but compliment the food they had just done justice to.

“Mmm-hmm! Babe, that was good. The food here is amazing. Richard was right about his place,” she commented, nodding her head in satisfaction. “I don’t know what they used for the chicken, but chale, it hit the spot!”

Joojo nodded in agreement, before lowering his voice. “Yeah, the dishes are top-notch, no doubt. But the waitress who served us? Chale, chale. As if she doesn’t want to work here. See how she’s been frowning throughout.”

Abena wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Ashock. So unpleasant. I mean, great food, but the service could use some improvement. It’s a shame.”

“Customer service in Ghana ankasa, it really needs a boost. It’s something we have to work on as a country. This our behaviour of acting like we’re doing customers a favour by carrying out our work duties, we have to stop. You’re getting paid for it, chale!”

“Hmmm. Sometimes too, they’re not getting paid well. You know these jobs don’t always pay well.”

“Well, that’s true. But chale, if you give off an attitude like that, you’re not gonna get much sympathy from the people you’re serving. Imagine the amount of tips she’s lost by walking around looking pissed with everyone. We all know how messed up this economy is, but chale, unless the customer is just being a difficult bastard, this moodiness won’t help.”

“Hmmm. That one too is there.” Abena then looked around the vast restaurant space appreciatively, loving the ambience. “The décor is so lovely. It’s a shame that the service we got doesn’t match up.”

Joojo agreed. “True. This place has so much potential mohm. With better service, it could be one of the best in town.”

As they explored the surroundings, they noticed a specially designated spot for taking pictures. Abena’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Honey,” she called gleefully, “let’s take a few pictures here. The lighting is perfect, and it’ll be a sweet way to remember our date.”

Joojo smiled. “Sure, babe. You know I’m always up for making some memories with you.”

They rose from their seats and made their way to the picturesque spot, the ambiance of the restaurant creating a beautiful backdrop for their photos. Calling upon one unoccupied waiter to help them out, they had some gorgeous pictures taken of them.

After their share of cute couple photos, some of which would definitely be going up on their social media profiles, Joojo turned his attention to Abena, his phone in hand after thankfully receiving it from the helpful waiter. “Alright, now let’s get some sassy poses from the queen herself,” he teased.

Abena chuckled and obeyed quickly, striking playful poses as Joojo snapped away.

“If you start with those your Shakespearean compliments, eh, I swear I’ll seize that phone from you,” she warned, shaking her head with a grin as she noted the mischief in his eyes. He snickered, silenced by her threat.

Just as they had wrapped up and he admired the sauciness he had just captured on his phone, a trio passing by recognized Abena.

“Oh my God, are you Abena of ‘Fozzie’s Lit Reviews’?”

“Wow, I love your work!”

“Awesome to meet you!”

A lady and two guys approached them, excitement evident in their voices. “Sorry to barge in like this, but we absolutely love your channel! Can we take a picture with you, please?” the lady asked, her enthusiasm in full glare.

Abena, with a gracious smile, agreed. “Of course! And meet Joojo, my amazing partner.”

Joojo greeted them warmly as they briefly said hello to him. As the fans got closer to Abena, they complimented her work, expressing admiration for her YouTube channel and the content she created.

As he watched them, particularly the guys – nicely built young men, by the way – he couldn’t ignore the intrusive voice of insecurity creeping back into his thoughts, determined to make him feel what he wasn’t supposed to feel.

This is how it starts ooo, Joojo! This is where it all starts from. People wanting to see her, flocking around her… soon she’ll become a star. And you’ll lose your relevance in her life, and she’ll throw you away. This is the beginning!

It sounded too sensible to deny. As he watched Abena and the guys talk, the mental picture the voice painted seemed more and more plausible. Surely with time, she would be surrounded by stars and significant people like this.

And he’d lose her…

He’d lose her…

He’d… lose… her…

No! He had to do something! Quick!

“Hey! We need to leave now. Abena has a number of things she has to do,” he suddenly barged in, his tone unusually sharp as he broke up the gathering.

Abena and the fans stared at him, then exchanged bewildered glances, surprised by the sudden interruption. The lady among them, quickly trying to defuse the tension, uttered, “Uh, no-no problem. We just wanted to say hi and compliment Abena on her amazing work.”

Joojo, fueled by this spurt of protectiveness, insisted, “Yeah, well, we really have to go. Thanks for watching her videos.”

Abena, totally caught off guard by Joojo’s attitude, tried to ease the situation, even as he grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her away. “Guys, thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it. We really have to run now, but take care!”

***

The atmosphere in the car was tense as Abena, confused and angry, couldn’t comprehend why Joojo had abruptly cut short the meeting with her fans.

“What the hell was that all about back there, Joojo?” Abena demanded, her frustration sharp in her voice. “Where from that? Ah, you were behaving like they were going to snatch me away from you! What is that?”

In a defensive mood, Joojo replied curtly, “I just thought we needed to leave. It was getting late, and I wanted some privacy. Is that such a crime?”

Abena’s anger flared. “Privacy? Privacy?? Ah, what are you talking about? Joojo, they were just fans saying hi and complimenting my work. Simple fans. You made it look like I needed protection from them! It was embarrassing.”

“You won’t get it, okay? You just wouldn’t understand now, but..”

“But what? Nahh, honestly, I don’t understand where this is coming from…”

The argument intensified, as Joojo, still strung on his bout of insecurity, doubled down on his actions, much to his girlfriend’s chagrin. A few more exchanges, and suddenly, Abena decided to hit him with an unexpected question.

“Ah, or you were thinking those guys would move to me? Is that why you did that?”

Joojo suddenly fell silent, unable to provide a clear answer to that. Not that he expected that they would, but… well, it was related.

Abena’s frustration peaked at that silence. “Ohhhhh! So that’s it, eh? So you don’t trust me?”

Joojo hastily tried to defend himself. “No, no, no, no, no, Abena, it’s not about trust. Not at all. I just wanted to be cautious, that’s all. Those guys could have had ulterior motives.”

Abena shook her head in disbelief. “Ulterior motives? Are you for real? Are we going to start assuming that every male fan has ulterior motives? Ah, Joojo, what is this? So you’re trying to protect me from what? From fans who simply appreciate my work? That’s not protection; that’s disrespect.”

Unable to add anything else, Joojo remained silent. Now that those words had escaped out of his mouth, they didn’t sound as good as they had sounded in his head.

“Besides, I can handle things myself. I’m a big girl; I know how to draw the line with boys who wanna be silly. I don’t need you intervening like that if I’ve not shown any desire to get out of it. It’s insulting.”

Joojo, now realizing the gravity of his actions, attempted to backtrack. “Abena, I didn’t mean to insult you. I just… I care about you, and maybe… maybe I overreacted. I’m sorry.”

Abena sighed and shook her head, a mixture of anger and disappointment in her eyes. “Never mind. Let’s just drop it for now.”

An awkward silence settled in the car as they continued their journey, the tension hanging heavily between them. As Joojo kept his eyes on the road, he gazed at her every now and then, and he could see her muttering angrily to herself.

And this time, no sweet kiss was going to calm her down.

He sighed. Now that the smoke had cleared, he did see how unnecessary his actions were.

I shouldn’t have done that. I embarrassed her. And myself, probably.

But, I’m scared of losing her. I’m just scared…

Bruh, you do realize your fear-based actions will actually drive her away, right? Honestly, Joojo… smh…