So… about a party mentioned in the last episode. We should see how that pans out…

“IT MASTAV BEEN LAV, BUT ISOOOOOOOVA NAAAAW!”

The light-skinned cutie that had entered the big dining hall of Jerry’s beautiful bungalow was certainly making up for what she lacked in size in being vocal. Something that happened very often whenever she found herself in social gatherings with her friends.

Standing in one corner of the dining room with a few others, Marcus did a facepalm as she continued to belt out a terrible rendition of Roxette’s classic song ‘It Must Have Been Love’, before then he called out to her, “Herh, herh, herh! Sista geh! Why???”

The petite one ceased singing, and walked up to him sassily. “Horrisit? Horris your praablem?” she asked haughtily.

“Your singing and your English are my praablem. Aaba! You like destroying classics too much, lah! If Roxette sang the song like that, e go be you? And stop disgracing your English teachers. They deserve better than that.”

“Oh, waleva!” she said dismissively, waving her hand in the air. “Excitement without expression leads to depression. Lemme be free!”

She walked away from him, attempting to continue her song at a higher pitch. An attempt that neither started nor ended well.

Everyone who knew Sefakor Ocloo knew she and Basit were a match made in heaven. Their crazy natures somehow complemented each other perfectly, although many would agree that she had a deeper streak of madness.

One of the most interesting things about her was how she almost flawlessly achieved a balance between her attitude at work and her attitude amongst her friends. She’d barely crack as much as a joke at work, and a cute little smile was the most you’d get out of her during working hours. But in the midst of her friends, she could be one hell of a loose cannon, acting crazy and being totally unashamed of it.

As most of the people around laughed after her foiled attempt to hit a falsetto had her coughing, Allison snuck over to the table where Marcus stood, and said to him, “I wonder what it’ll be like if she ever got drunk.”

Marcus turned to face her. This was the first time he was seeing her after that mega-awkward encounter the last time.

He had a slight impulse to act cold and give a curt answer to cut off any chance of communication. But he decided not to. That would most likely give off bad signals, and increase the aura of awkwardness between them. So he put a smile on his face and with a snicker, responded, “Thank God she doesn’t drink. I doubt anybody here can handle an intoxicated Sefa. Eeei!!!”

They both laughed.

“The way she destroys songs diԑԑ, it’s an earsore. Because of her, I can’t hear Tori Kelly without remembering how she messed up her songs the last time I sat in her car. You aa, your voice can’t handle high notes, yet you were forcing to do what she did in ‘Nobody Love’.”

“Ha! She can twist the song eh, sometimes, you don’t even know what she’s singing until either she hits the chorus or she mentions it herself. I’ve already warned her never to sing ‘Hello’ in my presence…”

***

An hour later, the two were still deep in conversation.

This did not go unnoticed by a couple of people. Including Sefakor.

“Ma guy, I dey beg, come see somtin,” she called to her boyfriend as he stood with Jerry in the living room.

Excusing himself, he handed his cup to his friend and walked over to her. “Bebe! Wassup?”

Sefakor nodded in the direction of Marcus and Allison. “Your man and the Hard Lady are in a pretty deep chit-chat. My kokonsa senses tell me that the wishes of Marcus may just be coming true.”

Basit looked confused. He clearly hadn’t taken notice of them chatting heartily with each other. “Wait, but how did you know about that? And why are they being so free with each other?”

“Hoh! Na this one too be secret? Plenty people knew. And ah! Isn’t this a free country? Let them be, lah! Maybe she has softened up and will allow him to ron tins.”

Basit sighed. “It’s cool if they’re chatting and all, but… the truth is that he’s got a girlfriend already. And somehow, I don’t feel comfortable with this.”

“Huh? You make serious? Marcus has a girlfriend? Since when?”

***

Allison smiled as Marcus bent over in laughter at a joke she just cracked. Her big sister’s advice seemed to be working quite well. He was certainly having a great time with her. She quickly glanced at the clock. Wow! An hour has already gone by. 

She was pleased to see how freer he was around her. They had had conversations before, but those times, she had maintained a stiffer guard and refused to let her hair down. She was surprised at how much fun she could have now that she had lowered her walls.

She placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it, gently saying, “It’s okay. Catch your breath now.”

He stopped, and looked at her.

***

The brief five seconds in which they looked into each other’s eyes felt like an uncomfortable hour for Marcus. He looked away, realizing the familiar sharp burn in his stomach.

A burning sensation that he had felt many times when Allison had been the sole desire of his heart, and he spent many moments with her.

No no, no, no, I don’t like this.

“Uhhhh… I-I need to step outside for a moment. Check something on my phone,” he stuttered as he quickly looked to get away from her, ignoring the unsure look on her face as he moved away.

He didn’t know whether it was evident that a sudden discomfort had come over him, but he knew he had to get a hold of himself.

Once outside, he slapped himself on the head. Crap! What the hell just happened over there? I shouldn’t have let myself go like that. Goodness…

He took out his phone, and immediately, it started to ring.

It was Temwani.

***

“Hey, my darling booski!” Temwani gushed, sitting in the passenger seat of her cousin’s Chevrolet Cruze.

“H-hey baby girl, what’s up?”

“So… the party ended a little earlier than expected, and it just so happens that my big cousin Daniel lives around the area where your friend’s party is, so I figured, why don’t I come over? That’s cool with you, right?”

“Really? That’s awesome, Temmy! Of course it’s cool with me! Now I get to show off my queen to the squad!”

Temwani smiled happily at the eager anticipation in Marcus’s voice. He almost sounded relieved to know she was coming around. This had definitely been a good idea.

“Sweet! Okay, let me put the phone on speaker, so you can talk to my cousin and give him directions…”

***

“Yeah, it’s been so nice catching up with him,” Allison said to Jerry, her face beaming with delight.

Jerry nodded. “Good to see that. I always thought the sight of you two together was a cute and complementary one… oh, chale, Marcus! Where you pass?”

“I was outside. Just had to quickly check on something,” Marcus responded, having returned, with a big grin on his face.

“Oh, ok. I was just telling Allison how I remember those times you guys were always hanging together-”

“You know, though, it’s pretty crazy,” Marcus quickly cut in, knowing where Jerry was going, “but as soon as I was checking up, I got a call from Temwani. Apparently, the family reunion thing ended early, and she hitched a ride with her cousin who lives in the area, and she said she’s coming over! Shouldn’t be too long!”

The gleeful expression on Allison’s face faded out upon hearing those words. And as she and Jerry started to process the fullness of that message, the front door opened.

That uniquely gorgeous lady with ebony skin and mahogany eyes entered. The guy nearest to the door greeted her pleasantly, asked her something, and then signaled towards Marcus. The lady quickly walked towards the trio, face beaming.

“Hey, booski!” rang out an accent unfamiliar to the average Ghanaian in the room.

“Hey, baby girl!” Marcus said a little too enthusiastically as he hugged her tightly. Planting a kiss on her cheek, he turned to Allison and Jerry. “This, is Temwani. Temwani Mutale. My lady.”

***

“Really? You’d rather live with a wicked version of Patience Ozorkwor than Kansiime? Eei!” Sefakor asked in disbelief.

“Seriously. I know how I’d handle her. She can be a mega handful, but I have my ways of dealing with such people. But Kansiime? Never! If we go one hour in the house without at least three fights, it’s a miracle,” Temwani responded.

As the little group of attendants gathered around the table and discussed crazy stuff, Temwani was now the center of attraction as people just sought to know more about this exquisite piece of art that had captured their friend’s heart, Marcus, standing next to her, looked up and saw Allison at the other side, standing beside Jerry. The smile on her face seemed quite forced, as though something was wrong, but she’d rather cover it up.

A sudden sharp burn in his bowels once again followed, along with a very unexpected and somehow reflex thought.

Dang, I wish I was with her…

***

“So it wasn’t a trick after all. Temwani is for real. She came to the party. And I won’t deny it, she is so beautiful!” Allison spoke over the phone to Mensima later that night.

Clearly, she had been hoping that the whole Temwani factor was a ruse, and for a little while, during their chat, actually believed that such was the case. The moment that charming Zambian girl entered the house and Marcus’s face lit up at the sight of her, though, she realized it was no joke.

There indeed was another woman in the picture.

Her sister sighed over the line. “Well, I guess I got it wrong, then. He wasn’t playing jokes on you. This is not going to be easy as I somehow imagined it would be. But tell me, how was your conversation with him?”

“Wonderful. We had a lot of fun together.” A brief silence followed. “Ummm… there was a point where he stared deep into my eyes, and it felt like he still loved me or something. Then he awkwardly left, and probably called his girlfriend or something. I don’t know, but I think this might just work out…”

“Uh-uh! No, no, no, no! Sister geh, don’t rush it yet. Don’t start saying certain things now. Relax. Take things slowly. That’s an interesting sign, but don’t jump to conclusions yet. The guy has probably been hit with the realization that he has a choice to make. Let him make it.”

Allison sighed. “Fine, fine. I’ll take my time.”

“Eiii, see how Mandy make wild now! Indeed, there is God!”

Allison had no intention of responding to that mocking jab.

Is Marcus slipping up right now? Ugh! Well, let’s see what happens as we go along…