“Hmmm, me, I’m still not happy with you ooo. It’s been too long. Eh? Almost a year now…”

It was early morning, and in the cozy living room of the Mensah household where Nana Ayiba sat, nervously fidgeting with the buttons on her jacket, Madam Theresa sat across from her, with a rather stern expression on her face as she held her phone to her ear while she spoke with Anthony.

Nana Ayiba’s heart pounded in her chest as she listened to them talk. She could only catch her mother’s side of their discussion, but her line of conversation was enough to gather that Anthony was expressing a lot of remorse for the distance between them while assuring her that he was not joking about coming down to officially seek her hand in marriage.

So far, he had not just talked the talk, but had walked it as well, calling her every day since making his proposal known. He seemed to be going all out, which was quite heartwarming for Nana Ayiba. He really did want to try and reignite the spark they once had, and for all her conflicting state of mind, she loved it.

After what felt like an eternity, Madam Theresa finally nodded, uttered the usual words that indicated a conversation was ending, then put down her phone with a sigh and turned her attention back to Nana. “Well, it appears he’s serious about the prospect of marriage,” she said, her tone a mix of relief and disappointment. “I wasn’t pleased with his long silence, like you already know, but… well, he sounded remorseful enough for me to consider accepting his return.”

Nana Ayiba nodded, unsure of how to respond. Her mind was still in turmoil as she grappled with conflicting emotions. She knew she should be happy – after all, Anthony’s declaration of love and commitment should have been everything she had wanted. And the fact that he was going this far showed this was no fluke.

But… Kwesi still lingered on her brain and her heart. Despite everything her real man was doing, this new friend that wanted more had successfully wormed his way into her heart. He had taken full advantage of the gap Anthony had left, and now, where she should have been nothing short of delirious with joy, she was… unsure.

Suddenly, she felt a touch on her lap.

Madam Theresa stared at her intently. “My dear,” she began gently, reaching out to grasp her hand. “Are you a hundred percent sure you’re happy with this new development?”

The complicated look must have been evident on her face.

Nana Ayiba took a deep breath. her thoughts swirling. Deep down, she couldn’t shake the uncertainty that gnawed at her heart. But she wanted to say yes, to reassure her mother and herself that everything would be fine. So she nodded and forced a smile on her face. “Yes, Mama. I’m happy.”

Madam Theresa raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, totally.”

“Extremely sure?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt?”

Nana Ayiba cracked a smile. “Yes. I’ve loved him for so long, Mama. This is definitely what I want.”

The look on Madam Theresa’s face made it clear she did not seem convinced by Nana Ayiba’s responses. She could tell she was not very excited by this. But she chose not to push it. “Alright, my dear,” she responded, squeezing her daughter’s hand gently. “Just remember, you deserve to be truly happy. Don’t rush into anything if you’re not absolutely certain.”

As Nana Ayiba nodded in response, her mind wandered to Kwesi once more.

She had not been chatting with him as often as before, thanks to the new development. And she didn’t know what to do with him. She worried about how crushed he would feel once he found out what was happening. He had been so pleasant and so sweet to be with, and having to let him know she had not only been contacted by her boyfriend, but a proposal had come through filled her with dread. At the same time, she couldn’t leave Anthony hanging, could she?

This was so hard.

But at the end of it all, someone’s heart had to be crushed. And there was nothing she could do about it.

***

Kwesi sat at a table by himself in the lawyer’s lounge of the Court Complex, his mind consumed by thoughts aplenty.

Thoughts of how badly his case management conference went. He had been unusually jittery and stuttering in this sitting, and the judge had not been very kind to him, giving him quite a dressing down. He knew every lawyer would have their bad days that would get them grilled by a judge, but that didn’t make it feel any less embarrassing.

Thoughts of the cases lined up for the rest of the week. He had to move about town for the rest of the week, and the cases were at varying stages, so he needed to get himself in order. The case for the next day, however, led to the other thoughts.

Thoughts of Nana Ayiba.

Going back to the Labour Court would have him see her for the first time since she revealed her complicated status. And the fact that their once lively exchanges had dwindled had left him feeling unsettled and jumpy. If he wasn’t getting her attention, it was likely the other guy was. He had been hoping for a final decision on her part to give up on the guy; after all, his silence should suggest he had moved on. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen.

Lost in his thoughts, Kwesi barely noticed when Kwentsiwa entered the lounge. She spotted him sitting alone, a pensive expression on his face, and decided to join him.

“Mr. Troublemaker! What’s up? Mind if I join you?” her voice echoed above him as she proceeded to take a seat beside him.

Kwesi looked up, startled out of his reverie. “Oh, hey, Kwentsiwa. Yeah, sure, go ahead.”

Kwentsiwa studied him for a moment, noting the tension in his demeanor. “You seem a bit off, Counsel. Everything alright?”

Staring at her, Kwesi seemed a bit confused. “Uhh, yeah. Why?”

Kwentsiwa leaned on her hand propped up on the table. “Because it’s not regular for you to see me and be this quiet. As soon as you see me, some shallow adulation or other funny distin will come out of your mouth. This time, you’re quiet. Why, did you have a bad day in court or something?”

Kwesi let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, pretty much. I had a CMC in Land Court 2, and… I dunno, I was just all over the place, chale.”

Kwentsiwa winced. “Oww. I can only imagine what Justice Boamah did to you.”

Kwesi nodded. “Yeah. I got a major drilling from him.”

“Oh, sorry ooo. As for that man, the way he can be brutal… it’s not even funny. But, what happened?”

Kwesi sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. But… honestly, Kwentsiwa, things have been a bit… complicated lately.”

Kwentsiwa raised an eyebrow. “Complicated? Ummm, does this have to do with the Labour Court clerk or something?”

Kwesi hesitated for a moment before deciding to admit to her. “Yeah. It’s about Nana.”

“Why, what’s happening?”

Kwesi took another deep breath, then began. “Umm… so, here’s what happened. We’ve been talking, and one weekend, I… I went over to her place and… before I left, told her that I like her. A few days later, I discovered she’s in a complicated relationship with some guy called Anthony. According to her, he’s out of the country, and he’s not been in touch with her on the regular, so it’s like… if he continues to mess around, there’s a chance. But… but ever since then, our communication has been… Different, and I… I can’t shake this feeling of unease that… things won’t end well…”

Kwentsiwa listened intently throughout. Once he was done, her expression was sympathetic. “Hmmm. That does sound complicated.”

Kwesi nodded, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty. “I just don’t know what to do, Kwentsiwa. I can’t help but worry that maybe… things have been messed up between us with all this. I feel so stupid for letting myself go and falling as deep as I have now…”

Kwentsiwa placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, calming him down. “It’s okay, Kwesi. It’s okay. I know you’re angsty and all, but let’s calm down for a moment, shall we? Now, inasmuch as this all sounds very, very complicated, there’s no guarantee that she’s choosing him over you. If the other guy was a constant and there was no space for you, trust me, she would have let you know from the very beginning. Nanka she’ll kill any seed of hope long before you can even try and plant it. So yeah, it seems dicey, but… until she lets you know straight from her mouth, you can never tell. I’ve seen and heard things, so believe me, this might not be the foregone conclusion you think it is.”

Kwesi simply nodded, looking at her.

“And listen, don’t feel stupid for being straight with her. You took a chance and expressed your feelings, Kwesi. That’s brave. At least you did what needed to be done. You didn’t let fear hold you back. That’s something to be proud of. And remember, whatever happens, you’ll get through this. Okay? Whatever happens, you will get through this. And I can promise you this, if Nana Ayiba is meant to be in your life, she’ll find her way back to you.”

Kwesi took another deep breath and nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he shared his concerns with Kwentsiwa. Though the uncertainty still raged on in his heart, at least he had found some level of solace in the support of a trusted friend.

And with all Kwentsiwa had just said, there arose a glimmer of hope that perhaps, soon enough, this tangled web of emotions surrounding his potential relationship with Nana Ayiba would unravel, and the complicated confusion ravaging him and Nana Ayiba would be resolved, leading to a decision that brought clarity and finality to the matter.

Oh, how he wished that decision would go in his favour, though…

Hmmm, we hope so too. Especially considering how unsure Nana Ayiba is. She doesn’t seem to be fully convinced…