“Hi. U good? Still really busy”

That was the message Nana Ayiba had been waiting for.

Waking up to the message that Saturday morning, she sat up excitedly, a rush of relief washing over her as she read it over and over again. Finally, he responded, she thought to herself. Might have taken about three days, but… at least he’s responded!

Even better, his chat indicated that he had been online only about four minutes ago. Surely she could get through to him! After all, it was 6 am, and Malta was apparently an hour ahead of Ghana on the time zone, so he could respond.

Quickly, she composed a reply.

“Hey babe! 🥰🥰🥰 yes, yes, I’m doing fine. And I miss youuuu! Please get back to me ASAP, I’ve missed our long chats! This week’s court kokonsa I have for you, eh!”

With a satisfied sigh, she hit send and placed her phone back on the bedside table, crossing her fingers as she waited for a response.

Minutes passed by… two minutes…

Three minutes… five minutes…

Ten minutes passed by, and there was no response from Anthony.

Nana Ayiba’s excitement started to wane, replaced by a familiar sense of disappointment. She bit her lip, feeling a bit stupid for getting so optimistic. “Why in the world did I think this signalled something different?” she questioned herself. “It’s the same old same old. Just one of those once-in-a-blue-moon responses. Ahh!”

Letting out a huge sigh, she shook her head. Whatever it was that kept him from contacting her, it must have been extremely taxing for him to be unable to even reply a simple message from the girl he had always professed a ‘frighteningly crazy’ love for.

She rose to her feet and grabbed her phone off the bedside table. No point in pouting and weeping over the obvious, it was time to start the weekend with her chores as always.

“Maybe he’ll respond later on in the day. You never know,” she proclaimed to herself, shrugging. “If he doesn’t too, well, I already know the drill. In the meantime, I guess I can chat with Counsel Kwesi. He seems like quite an interesting guy…”

***

“Mmmm, okay. So… who would you say is your favourite artist?”

“Oh, my favourite artist di33, it’s only one guy. Martin King Arthur, a.k.a Kofi Kinaata! The way I love his music, eh, stop! The guy just makes me happy. And as for my favourite songs… hmm… I can’t tell ooo. There’s “Confession”, there’s “Sweetie Pie”, “Things Fall Apart”, “Behind The Scenes”… see, I just love the guy. It’s as simple as that.”

“Nice, nice. He’s good, no doubt about that. ‘Things Fall Apart’ is my personal favourite, chale. Always hits the spot…”

Kwesi walked through the bustling aisles of Shoprite in the Accra Mall, a basket in hand and AirPods plugged in as he chatted with Nana Ayiba, a grin on his face.

What a masterstroke of an idea it had been to take advantage of the ‘imperfect opportunity’! He and Nana Ayiba had been chatting since Thursday, and it had been quite an exciting time getting to know her. She was turning out to be quite an interesting lady, and this was moving along nicely.

At this point, he knew he had a deep crush on her. Talking with her was already one of the top highlights of his day, and he could not stop checking out her super cute profile picture, which was a picture of her in her usual work attire. Chale, this girl is a spice, he constantly thought to himself.

He had barely considered getting a girlfriend when leaving Kumasi for the capital; the only idea was to advance his career. But now, that door appeared to be open, and he’d love nothing more than to take that chance with her.

“Okay, so I’m currently in Shoprite at the moment, so lemme call you later.”

“Alright, Counsel Kwesi. Later, then.”

“Sure, sure. Bye.”

As he ended the call and turned a corner, he stopped and smiled as he spotted a familiar couple.

Kwentsiwa and her husband, Oliver, walking together as the latter pushed a full trolley.

Excitedly, Kwesi approached the couple, a smile spreading across his face. “Mr. and Mrs. Fynn!” he said out loud. “What a lovely surprise!”

Oliver, a well-built man with quite a square jaw and piercing brown eyes, smiled at Kwesi, his eyes alight with joy. “Hey there, Counsel Kwesi! A surprise indeed! Nice to see you. How are you doing?”

“Oh, good ooo. Just getting some stuff for the coming week. Provisions and the like.”

“Nice. That’s necessary. We’re just doing a bit of shopping for the little one,” Oliver said, gently resting a hand on Kwentsiwa’s blossoming stomach.

Shades of mischief flushed across Kwesi’s face. “Awwwwwww! You’re such a sweet husband, Oliver. Spreading for your wife and unborn child. That’s so cute.”

Kwentsiwa simply shot him a deadpan look. Oliver grinned and leaned towards Kwesi, as if to tell him a secret. “It looks sweet, eh? What if I told you it’s only because I received death threats if I didn’t do it?”

Kwesi gasped in mock horror. “Mrs. Kwentsiwa Fynn issued death threats against you? The beacon and paragon of Ghanaian law threatened you? Oh my goodness! How can this be?”

“Herh, herh, herh, herh! Gentlemen, stop the concert, wai!” Kwentsiwa shot at them.

Oliver and Kwesi laughed. The former knew just how much the latter loved teasing his wife, and often joined in, to the mock chagrin of Kwentsiwa.

“Well, good to see you’re fine. Umm, could you be with Kwensi for a minute? I need to get her tin of Nido down this aisle,” Oliver requested.

Kwesi nodded. “Sure, sure, no problem.”

As Oliver walked down the aisle to get the item, Kwesi got a message from Nana Ayiba. A bright smile lit up his face as he responded immediately.

immediately, he heard Kwentsiwa’s voice. “Ei! Gentleman, what’s got you all giddy like that?”

Kwesi looked up from his screen. “Uh, you say?” he asked innocently.

Kwentsiwa folded her arms. “You just got a message, and started grinning in the most giddy manner. All the while, you’ve not caused trouble like you usually do. Why, you’ve already got yourself some girl bi?”

Kwesi snickered, then took a deep breath. He hadn’t told anyone about Nana Ayiba, and being his close friend, it wouldn’t hurt for Kwentsiwa to be the first to find out. “Okay, don’t laugh, but… uhhh, yeah, there’s… kinda, sorta someone I’ve been talking to, and I… I think I like her already.”

Kwentsiwa’s curiosity heightened. “Ei, saa? You haven’t wasted time kraaa oo! Do tell. What’s her name?”

Kwesi hesitated for a moment before confessing. “Ummm… so, I dunno if you know Nana Ayiba, one of the clerks at the Labour Court. The younger one. Yeah, umm… I have a crush on her.”

Kwentsiwa was still for a moment, trying to remember who it was. Then her eyes went wide, and she burst into laughter. “Herrhhh! Kwesi, that’s where you’ve reached! That’s so unexpected. Please, give me details! How did this happen?”

A flush of embarrassment crossing his face, Kwesi shrugged. “Well, she’s just… I don’t know, Kwentsiwa. There’s something about her. She came a little late the day I went there with my senior for the first time, and I saw her and I just… chale. I dunno. It’s her beauty. The way she carries herself, the way she handles everything at the court—it’s just so impressive and, well, I like it. And I like her.”

Kwentsiwa’s laughter subsided into a warm giggle. “Awwwwwwwwww! This is soooo cute! I can’t believe you’re smitten. Wow. The most troublesome troublemaker in the world is in love! Awwww!”

Kwesi laughed gently, amused by Kwentsiwa’s reaction. “Yeah, so… that’s what’s going on. Just trying to get to know her better. What do you think?”

“Absolutely! Go for it, Kwesi! Life is too short for what-ifs. Shoot your shot! Get to know her, try and spend time with her. You never know where it might lead.”

Kwesi grinned, encouraged by Kwentsiwa’s enthusiasm. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely! Trust me, Kwesi, it’s always endearing when someone takes a chance. Besides, Nana Ayiba might be waiting for someone as charming as you to make a move, with the way she seems to have opened up to you. So yeah, I really think so. Go for it! Besides, I’ll be grateful if she comes in. Means you’ll spend less time disturbing my life.”

Laughing out loud, Kwesi felt a renewed sense of determination. Thank goodness for Kwentsiwa’s support.  “You’re right, Kwentsiwa. I’ll go for it. Thanks for being my personal cheerleader. And don’t worry, if things go well, I’ll be causing less trouble for you.”

“Better. I have enough distins to deal with.”

Kwesi snickered, as Oliver arrived with the Nido tin.

***

In a cozy kitchen filled with the aroma of simmering spices, Nana Ayiba bustled about, busily getting dinner ready. Her mother was out, so the kitchen was all hers, and she was looking to get everything done before the old lady came back in.

As she stirred a bubbling pot of stew, her phone chimed with the familiar melody of her ringtone. She checked and saw it was Maria calling.

She answered the call, balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to stir.

“Hello, Maria!”

“Nana, good afternoon ooo! How are you doing?”

“Oh, I’m fine ooo, I’m fine. Just getting some cooking done.”

Maria’s voice was slightly muffled by the sounds of clinking dishes in her own kitchen, indicating she was also as busy as Nana Ayiba. “That makes two of us. The boys are out with their dad, so I’m taking advantage of the quiet to get everything done.”

“Oh, then I’m sure you’re relieved paaa!”

“Oh, say it again ooo! Ernest has saved me by taking them. Nanka by now, chaos all around!”

The two ladies laughed.

“Anyways, just thought I’d check up on you and see how things are going. How’s Madam Theresa?”

“Oh, she’s fine. She’s actually gone out with her sister. She said something about them going to see their uncle who’s in the hospital. Stage 4 lung cancer. I have a feeling they’re going to say goodbye to him.”

Maria sighed. “Hmmm. It’s been so tough for her. I hope you’re staying strong for her.”

“Maria, do I have a choice? With the way Paapa passed on so suddenly, there’s no other option. Adu is busy trying to get things done in Virginia, so he can come down and get a new place for her. So me too, I just have to keep her company. It’s not easy, she still seems very sad every now and then. But I’m doing what I can.”

“Mmmm, it is well. Keep at it, wai. It is well… oh, and speaking of which, any word from Anthony?”

Nana Ayiba sighed. As expected, he had not responded. Even though the blue ticks she saw later that morning made it clear he had read her message.

“He sent some random message bi last night. I responded, told him to call me back ASAP. He has read it, and as I speak to you, he’s yet to call or even acknowledge my message.”

Maria sighed. “Why is he doing this? Eh? Is it really that hard for him to simply respond to you? Oh, Anthony is not forcing kraaa.”

“Hmmm, Maria. I’m honestly getting tired. Honestly. Is it really worth it? See how I’ve been putting up with this behaviour for almost a year now. Call aaa, you won’t call. Text too aaa, you’ll use months to reply my text. It’s too much, Maria. I love him, you know how much I do, but honestly, I’m really wondering what to do.”

“Hmmmm. I don’t know what else to say or think. It’s not fair at all. Maybe just wait for the next time he calls, then be frank with him.”

“Maria, trust me, I’ve done that plenty times. And he’s always giving me those smooth vibes and assuring me he’s dedicated to our relationship and all. Maria, it’s really wearing me out. So now kraaa, since he’s not giving me attention, I’m chatting with someone else.”

“Oh, really? That’s interesting. Is it someone I know?”

Nana Ayiba smirked. “Well… I’m sure you do. It’s that new lawyer that was with Mr. Ofori on the TransGlobal case.”

“Ei! Wowww! What’s his name sef… ummm, is it Kweku or Kwesi?”

“It’s Kwesi.”

“Wow! Na how did that happen?”

“Well… the time my Lord didn’t come to work, and you, Lily and Abena went to buy food, he came, and I gave him my number in case of anything, like if court will sit on the next date and all. A few days later, this guy started sending me messages. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t respond, but… I was a bit pissed with how Anthony is behaving, and honestly, he seems like quite a nice guy, so I responded. So far, it’s been nice, to be honest. He’s quite friendly and cool.”

“Mmmm, I see. So, you feel okay with that?”

“Yeah, surprisingly, I do. It’s nice to have someone else to talk to, you know? Especially with Anthony being so distant and unreachable.”

“Okay, okay. So is he a possible replacement or something?”

Nana Ayiba laughed out loud. “Oh, no! That’s not where I’m looking at kraaa. He’s a nice guy, but, as it stands right now, I definitely don’t see that happening.”

“Well, you might want to keep an open mind on that. I know you love Anthony and all, but, you never know. Sometimes these things pop up, and before you know it, you end up choosing the one you didn’t expect. But it’s still early days. Let’s see how things pan out.”

Nana Ayiba nodded. Even though she couldn’t shake the feeling that Kwesi’s enthusiasm went beyond friendly conversation, given his quick responses and the playful tone, she really could not see him in that light. But yeah, it was early days, and things could easily change. And if Anthony continued to sideline her, and Kwesi continued to be the pleasant guy he was showing himself to be, maybe something could happen?

Well, she wasn’t sure. Personally, she just wanted her man back. Kwesi was nicer to have as a friend at that point in time. But yeah, keep an open mind. That was correct.

“Yeah, let’s see what happens.”

I’m guessing a lot is gonna be happening in the coming episodes…