The final week of rehearsals had arrived, as anyone would expect, the days were as busy as ever, with rehearsals running at full pace. The cast was moving through scene after scene at quick but cautious speed, perfecting every moment as the play inched closer to its grand performance.

Everyone was delighted now. Aside the minor disagreement here and there, everybody was moving with one accord: to ensure that the play would become a grand success. The goal was to ensure that the coming Saturday would be a momentous landmark for entertainment in Ghana. Leslie had already appeared on a few morning shows to get the hype train moving, so all was in place for a magnificent patronage.

As this Wednesday morning stretched on and work carried on, they arrived at one of the most pivotal moments of the play—the scene where Kwame finally confessed his love for Rose. Once that scene was done, they’d go ahead to act out the entire play for the rest of the week. 

As Sakyi and Dufie stood on stage, Leslie clapped his hands together, gathering everyone’s attention.

“Alright, people, this is a big one. The climax of the whole play. Chale, Sakyi, this is your moment. I still remember how myself and the audition panel were floored when you performed this scene. I need that same fire. That same spice.”

Sakyi nodded, rolling his shoulders back as he prepared himself. As he turned to face Dufie, something flared up in him.

That flame that had been ignited from the moment she hugged him a few days ago.

In that moment, he knew damn well he wasn’t about to play Kwame anymore; he was playing himself: Sakyi Ampor-Jones.

Because the emotions bubbling up inside him weren’t fabricated. 

His love for Dufie had fully returned.

He had been stewing over his feelings for days on end, accepting without a shadow of a doubt that he was back to being madly in love with Dufie. Forget what he had decided on earlier, he wanted his beautiful queen back.

And the night before, as he had flipped through his script and returned to that monologue, he knew what to do. To the others, it would appear like a powerful performance, especially considering Leslie’s words. But to Dufie, he hoped she would read between the lines and know that those words weren’t just an act, but real emotions too.

Taking a breath, he steadied himself, letting every ounce of emotion rise to the surface. Dufie took her place, readying herself to walk away from him.

“Okay, annnnddd… action!”

And then, he began.

“Rose… Rose, listen to me…”

“No, Kwame, it’s enough,” Dufie, in Rose character, whined, her back to him. “I’m just tired of this, I can’t–“

“No, no, no, listen!” he demanded, his voice rising.

She stopped and turned to him.

“I’m not toying around right now, Rose, listen to me!” His voice grew shaky and emotional. “Look, Rose, I… I have spent my whole life tilling this earth, sowing seeds and watching them grow. I’ve seen bountiful harvests that have filled me with so much happiness. But see, I swear on my grandmother’s resting place, that no harvest has ever brought me the kind of joy that you do. You… you are the rain to my fields, the very sunlight my soul needs to thrive. I don’t know if I’ll ever have much to offer you beyond this simple life, but I promise you, I will love you with every breath I have.”

Dufie stared at him, her mind momentarily blank. It was as if the air in the room had disappeared. The way he was looking at her, the emotion in his voice—it wasn’t just Kwame speaking.

It was Sakyi.

To everyone else, he was in character. But to her, he had cast the Kwame character aside.

Her breath caught in her throat, her body frozen. The script demanded that Rose be speechless, but this was something else entirely. She physically couldn’t speak. 

Sakyi took a step closer, his eyes locked onto hers as he slowly took her hand. “My dear, if you like, you can push me away with the fierceness of a thousand tempests; I promise you my heart will still find its way back to you. No act, no word, no hardship could ever diminish the love I hold for you in my heart. And please, if at any point in time in your life, you ever doubt your worth or the light you bring to my life, know this: there is nothing… absolutely nothing on God’s green earth, that you can do to ever make me turn away from you. I love you. With every sinew of strength in my being.” 

The room was silent, with everyone frozen in place. Every word had been delivered with passion, with depth, and with an undeniable truth only the two on stage knew.

And then—

“Cut!” Leslie yelled. He started pacing up and down, rubbing his temples as if he were frustrated. The room, including Sakyi and Dufie, held its breath, waiting for whatever critique he seemed to have.

But surely he couldn’t have a problem with this performance, right?

He stopped pacing, putting his hands down. He sighed. 

Then he turned to them, grinning from ear to ear.

“That… was… AWWEESOOMMMEEEE!!” he exhaled dramatically. 

The tension in the room dissolved instantly, replaced by cheers and applause from the cast and crew.

“That’s exactly what we needed,” he continued, pointing at Sakyi and Dufie. “That passion, that depth, that intensity. Sells the scene so magnificently! Chale, people are gonna need tissues for that scene, walahi!”

A number of folks laughed.

“And to you guys,” he gestured to both of them, “I have to say, thank you for sorting out your issues, because whatever this new chemistry is, it’s working, and working so damn good. This play is going to be a damn success!”

The cheers grew louder, and many broke out into applause.

Dufie joined in with light claps, but inside, she was trembling. 

She knew what she had just witnessed. 

That wasn’t acting. 

Sakyi had meant every single word.

He had made it crystal clear to her: he was still madly in love with her.

***

Sakyi stepped down from the stage, his heart still pounding from the intensity of the performance. Leslie was waiting for him, grinning widely as he raised a hand. 

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Leslie declared, slapping a high five against Sakyi’s palm. “You gave me absolute chills, chale. I already knew you had it in you, but this? Next level kraa. You move from 10 over 10 to 15 over 10! Massa, keep bringing that energy, and we’re looking at at least five standing ovations on Saturday!”

Sakyi chuckled, running a hand over his slightly damp forehead. “Thanks, Leslie. Means a lot. And sure, I’ll keep the energy.”

As he moved toward his seat, Etornam approached him with an approving nod. “My guyyy! You spoil there! Chale, you and Dufie really get chemistry oo! Like, top-notch chemistry. Ibi serious.” 

Sakyi laughed lightly, shaking his head. “Chale, how we go do am? Appreciate it, bro. We’re just doing our best. No more wahala between us.”

Etornam nodded before drawing closer and lowering his voice. “Good, good. So chale, you go move to am again or something? Anaa you say laimomo no be your style?”

Sakyi stifled a laugh before turning to him and shrugging. “Chale, make we see. I want make we finish the play first.”

Etornam nodded. “Fair enough. But chale, if you ask me, do wild oo. Na this kind of babe… chale, make I no talk plenty.”

Sakyi laughed. “I hear you,” he quipped as Etornam walked away.

He then smirked to himself. You don’t have to tell me, bro. I know too flipping well.

Deep inside, his emotions were soaring. He had let his heart speak freely to Dufie. It might have been under the guise of a script, but he knew she had felt it. 

And now, there was no doubt in his mind—he wanted her back.

The decision settled in him like a fire rekindled. He wasn’t going to let this slip away again. He loved this woman too much to allow her go out of his life again.

But he needed the perfect moment, the perfect way to show her that his love had never wavered. He pondered over it for a few moments, wondering what would be the best display of affection.

Then it hit him. 

Valentine’s Day. 

Right after the play. 

A re-proposal, backstage. In front of the entire crew and cast of the play. It would be the ultimate declaration of love, the perfect way to start over.

His heart raced at the thought. He could already picture it: him on one knee, gushing out another heartfelt monologue, while Dufie stood there, shell-shocked but excited.

“I might have to give her a hint on Saturday, so she’s not totally taken aback by it,” he murmured to himself,” but yeah, perfect idea.”

He sighed and crossed his legs, a gleeful expression on his face.

Dufie, the most beautiful woman in the world, was going to be his again.

***

Dufie stepped into her dressing room, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. Her hands trembled slightly as she pressed them to her chest, feeling the rapid beat of her heart. She had tried to steady herself after the scene, but the emotions that had surged through her continued to rage on. 

There was no doubt in her mind now. 

Sakyi’s feelings for her had reignited. 

And she couldn’t even pretend that hers hadn’t done the same. 

The way he had spoken those words on stage—it hadn’t just been acting. It had been him. His love, his heart, pouring out in front of everyone. And she had felt it deeply, so deeply that she could barely breathe.

She had not expected to fall back in love with him this fast, but her heart had made a unilateral decision, and she could not question it.

But just as love swelled in her chest, so did guilt. 

That message. 

That cruel breakup message she had sent him.

For whatever reason, it continued to haunt her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, the memory flashing before her mind like a slap to the face. She had broken him the night she sent it. She had taken the most amazing man in the world and crushed him without a second thought.

When his only crime was loving her so deeply.

She rushed to her seat in front of the mirror, and for a minute or two, the tears stinging at her eyes fell. She cried, a mixture of deep, hopeless love and crushing guilt tugging at her heart.

A few moments on, and she wiped her tears. She had to do something to clear her head.

And at that moment, it felt like the best person to talk to was the one who introduced her to Sakyi. 

Reaching for her phone, she scrolled through her contacts until she found Naa Torshie’s name. 

She took a deep breath and hit the call button. 

It barely rang twice before Naa picked up. “Hello?”

“Hey, Naa. It’s… it’s me.”

“Dufie?!” 

Dufie winced at the sheer shock in her voice.

“Oh my God!” Naa continued. “Dufie, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you, baby girl. You just vanished on us!” 

“I know, Naa. I know,” Dufie sighed. “I have so much to explain to you. And… and I wanna do that as soon as possible. Can I come over to Crown & Glow tonight?” 

There was a pause. Then Naa sighed on the other end. “Unfortunately, Georgie and I are in Cape Coast right now. But we’ll be back by Friday morning. So you can pass by in the evening.”

Dufie sighed. She really would have loved to see her friend that evening. But if she had to wait, then she would just do that.

“Alright, sure, I’ll be there on Friday evening.”

“Great. You have a lot of explaining to do, honey.” 

“I do,” Dufie admitted. “So much. And you’ll hear it all, I promise.”

“Alright then. Bye.”

“Bye, Naa.”

Things are falling into place quite nicely, aren’t they? Dufie will definitely be reconciling with him at a point, the way things are going…