The cafeteria was nearly empty, and the late afternoon lull ensured that Sakyi and Dufie had a quiet corner to themselves. The low hum of distant conversation and clinking cutlery filled the space as they downed their fried rice and chicken, but between them, silence reigned.

A few more minutes of eating, and their plates, now empty, sat before them. Dufie took a deep breath, glancing down at her hands before looking up at Sakyi. He stared at her expectantly.

It was time. Time to pour it all out. No holding back anymore.

“So, Sakyi, I know you’re hurt,” she began softly. “By the way I ended things.”

Sakyi exhaled, leaning back in his chair. He didn’t respond, but his gaze was steady, waiting for her to continue.

“And yes, you have every right to feel hurt. How I ended things with you was… wrong. So wrong. Leaving you with nothing but a vague text message. That wasn’t right, I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just that… there’s a story behind my sudden disappearance. It wasn’t because I just had some malicious intent to hurt everyone around me. There was… there was something I was going through.”

Sakyi sat up, somewhat intrigued by this revelation.

She swallowed and pressed on. “It was my stepmother,” she admitted, her voice laced with the weight of old wounds. “You already know my mother died when I was four, and my dad got married about two years later, had Yvonne and Harriet with her. Sakyi, for years, my stepmother put this… this unbearable pressure on me. Over everything. My academics, my appearance, how I spoke, how I carried myself… so much pressure at the hands of this woman.

“Back in secondary school, she was extremely relentless about my grades. If I didn’t get straight A’s, it was as if the world was heading for destruction. I remember one time, I got a C in elective maths because of calculus; you know I’ve always expressed a hatred for that topic. Hmmm, she didn’t speak to me for a week, and when she finally did, it was only to tell me I was a disappointment to the family. Right in front of my dad and Yvonne and Harriet. It was as if my worth was measured by my report card, and nothing else mattered.”

Sakyi winced. That sounded super painful.

“That’s just one out of many issues I’ve had with her. And that’s how it’s been since childhood. It never felt like I was enough. It always felt like I have to do something extra to get her approval, and it still wouldn’t be enough. My dad too, he never intervened. Always acting laissez-faire about the way I was treated. My stepsisters weren’t in favour of her treatment, and every now and then, they’d protest, but she never listened to them. It was like… like she has some agenda against me for being there before she met my old man.”

She looked down, twisting her fingers together. “You remember, even when we were together, I barely talked about her. You’d ask sometimes, and I’d just brush it off, saying she was ‘strict’ or ‘overbearing.’ But it was so much more than that. She made me question my worth every single day. Nothing I did was ever good enough for her. And I had to live with it all these years… even as a grown ass woman, she did and said things that made me wonder if I was good enough for anything. After a while, it just became too much. I felt like I was drowning. The expectations started crushing me, and I felt like I had to get away from everything, even from you.”

Sakyi’s expression softened, the anger and frustration in his eyes dimming. “So you just cut everything off,” he murmured.

Dufie nodded. “I needed to heal. To get away from that place of never feeling good enough. And it felt like I’d never get there if I held on to the status quo.” She sighed. “I should have handled things differently. But at the time, it felt like the only way to survive.”

Sakyi blinked a few times, absorbing her words. He was humbled by the revelation.

“Chale,” he whispered, “I’m so sorry to hear this. Are… are you okay now?”

Dufie nodded. “I gathered the courage to speak to her a couple of times in the past… is it two, yeah, two months. I laid it all out before her, how she constantly suffocated me and how I got tired of it and just needed to get away from it all. Her initial response wasn’t so pleasant; a bit of gaslighting and victim posturing followed. But… with time, I guess she’s come to understand how I felt. It’s still an ongoing process, but it’s much better now. It was once that breakthrough happened that I felt this sense of relief, and this push to… you know, get out there and do something new for myself. And uh, that’s how I found myself here. I never thought I’d meet you here, so trust me, Sakyi, it was never my plan to, as you put it, slither back into your life.”

Sakyi shook his head. “Nahh, forget that. I’m sorry I said that. That was just a nasty statement I never should have made, especially with what I know now. I’m really sorry, Dufie. I’m sorry for being so belligerent towards you and… always picking a fight with you; you… you didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”

She nodded gently. “It’s okay, Sakyi. I forgive you.”

He nodded. “But… but I still have a question… why didn’t you tell me about this?” His voice was gentle, but there was an edge of pain in it. “Dufie, I would have stood by you. I would have helped you. Even if not in the sense of finding a solution, I’d have happily been the one you rant to.”

She smiled sadly. “That’s exactly why, Sakyi. I didn’t want to pressure you. I didn’t want you to take on my burdens when you had your own life to live. And in the end… I guess I convinced myself that you’d be better off without me.”

Sakyi let out a shaky breath, the memories of that final message flashing through his mind.

The abruptness. The emptiness. The gut-wrenching pain.

His heart clenched as his eyes welled up.

“I wish you hadn’t felt that way. That message messed me up, Dufie,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I read it over and over again, trying to understand. Every blessed day, I wondered if I had done something wrong, if I had failed you in some way. Because as far as I knew, my only crime was being in love with the most amazing babe on the planet… I loved you so much, Dufie. So damn much. Every part of me was wrapped up in you. And then, just like that, you were gone.”

He shook his head, his voice thick with emotion as tears ran down his cheeks. “I spent nights staring at my phone, hoping for some kind of explanation. But it never came. You just vanished, and I—I felt so lost. So broken. I-I get that you were going through a hard time, but… believe me, I loved you with every fibre of my being. If I had known this, trust me, even if you wanted to just come over every day and just rant about how she treats you and how you feel, I’d have sat there and listened to every word and let you know you’re heard and understood. Even if you had to leave, I would have waited for you while you healed. I’d have done anything for you, Dufie. I swear I would…”

Sakyi’s voice drifted off as he sniffed, picking up a tissue and wiping his eyes.

Dufie’s own eyes glistened as she reached across the table, hesitating before placing her hand over his. “I know,” she whispered, her voice thick with regret. “And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the way I handled everything. You deserved better, Sakyi. You really did deserve better. For all the struggles I was going through, you were an awesome light in my life. I never should have cut you off that way. I should’ve known what it would put you through. I’m sorry, I really am.”

She squeezed his hand gently as he regained his composure. “I… I can’t change the past, Sakyi. But I’m asking for your forgiveness. And if nothing else, can we at least work together in peace?”

Sakyi swallowed hard, looking at their hands before meeting her gaze. He nodded. “Yeah,” he said softly. “We can do that. It’s the least we owe each other and the rest of the team. And yes, I forgive you.”

Dufie let out a small breath of relief. “Thank you, Sakyi. I’m so grateful.”

He cracked a small smile as she picked up another tissue and wiped his eyes. For the first time in a long while, the tension between them lessened.

Finally, the issue between them was no longer unresolved.

***

As they stepped out of the cafeteria about ten minutes later, the animosity that had existed between them about an hour ago was no more. A truce had finally been reached.

Before entering the rehearsal space, Dufie hesitated for a moment, then reached for Sakyi’s hand.

He didn’t pull away. Instead, he gently laced his fingers with hers, a silent acknowledgment that, at least for now, they were in this together.

Neither spoke about the rush of inner butterflies that little action supplied their bellies with, but they both felt it.

Walking toward Leslie, they found him still looking irritated from earlier. The tension in the room was palpable as they stopped before him, everyone wondering what was about to unfold.

Leslie turned to them.

“We’ve settled our issue,” Sakyi started firmly. “We won’t fight again. It’s gonna be nothing but professionalism from now on.”

Dufie nodded in agreement. “No more fighting. We’re going to work together peacefully now. And we’re really sorry for what happened earlier. It’s definitely not happening again.”

Leslie eyed them for a moment, his arms crossed. While his expression remained stern, a flicker of satisfaction crossed his features. “Good,” he said gruffly. “Keep it that way. I won’t tolerate any more disruptions.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Sakyi and Dufie standing side by side, still holding hands. They exchanged a brief glance, satisfied with the response.

This time, it was for real. No more fighting. The tension between them was dead and gone. Now there was a play to prepare for, and that would be the focus.

Well, they’ve gotten their much needed conversation, and now things are cool somewhat. Any potential for a comeback, though?