Well, it looks like Mensima was right. We can only go along and hope he makes his mind up soon enough…
Another Sunday had come, and service at Water Brook International Chapel had come to an end. Heading to one of the set up stands near the auditorium to get an after-church snack, was Marcus, his dear girlfriend, and the crazy couple that was Basit and Sefakor.
“Marcus, I beg, make we do exchange, eh. Na the way your lady sing for church today diԑԑ, my heart,” Basit joked.
“You dey craze! Keep your off-tune chic!” Marcus shot back, laughing as Sefakor gave him a side eye. She put up her hand dismissively. “Talk to the hand, Negro. Talk to the hand.”
The four of them laughed.
Temwani had come to visit their church for the first time, and quite a number of people had warmed up to her immediately. Her exquisite voice in particular had caught their attention, and they were enthralled by the Zambian beauty’s singing. Some of the choristers had already approached her and asked if she would join the choir.
As Basit and Sefakor bid the other couple adieu after getting their snacks before going to the parking lot, a voice rang out, “MARCUS!”
It was the music director. He signaled that he wanted to see Marcus in person. Marcus held Temwani’s hand and said, “Wait right here, Temmy. Be back in a jiffy. I’m going to sign your contract for you. I’m your manager!”
“You’re crazy!” Temwani laughed as he rushed off to meet the guy. She looked around, waving back to a few people who gave a friendly greeting. Looking at the stand where drinks were being sold, she noticed a familiar shape.
“Oh, that’s Allison! I remember her from the party. Lemme go say hello to her,” Temwani said as she walked toward her.
***
“Hello, Allison!”
She turned to see Temwani, beaming with a friendly smile.
Ever since she had officially met her at the party, Allison couldn’t help but have quite a bit animosity in her heart towards her. The jealousy within had taken full effect, and she really had no intention of being very nice to her. Ignoring her at this place, however, would be a terribly bad idea, so she forced a smile and made herself tap Temwani on the shoulder, saying, “Hi, Temwani. How are you?”
“I’m good, I’m good. I’m so glad I came to visit your church today. I love the atmosphere here.”
Allison nodded. “Indeed. It’s awesome here.”
“Uh-huh. I’m already being invited to join the choir, can you imagine? Haha!”
Allison’s fake smile was wearing off by the minute. She was in no mood whatsoever to get any conversation going, yet the Zambian seemed intent on trying to chat her up. She nodded again, hoping she’d get the hint. “Interesting.”
“I’ll definitely be coming around another time. By all means. Or maybe I might just pass by with Marcus on Wednesday. Do you come around on Wednesdays?”
By this time, there was a rather cold look on her face. She wasn’t going to be all-out nasty towards Temwani, but she certainly did not want to be nice. She shook her head and turned away. “No,” she murmured, oblivious to the look of confusion on her rival’s face.
A brief silence of awkwardness followed, then she heard, “Ummm, okay. Sooo, I’m going to wait for Marcus over there. I guess I’ll see you another time.”
“Sure. Bye.”
***
Temwani was beyond confused as she moved away from Allison. “What was that all about?” she wondered aloud.
The bubbly personality she was, she loved to engage people as much as she could and create camaraderie with people. She hadn’t spoken much to Allison at the party, so she figured this would be a prime opportunity to connect with her.
As to where that iciness came from, she just could not understand.
“Or is she going through some personal issues or something?” she asked herself before shrugging and sighing. “Oh well. I better call Joy and find out if she and the others have left for the firm yet.”
Just then, a thought jumped into her mind.
Or is she… wait. Is she jealous?
Frowning, she shook her head as she took her phone out of her bag. “She better not be,” she muttered to herself. “There’s nothing to be jealous about.”
***
“You need to gi-vi-na. Had a spotty night. It’s not hard to see, the boy is mine,” Sefakor sang in her usual deliberate off-key voice as she watched the short conversation between the two in the car.
Basit looked up from his phone, giving her the ‘Ugh, you again’ look. “There you go again. Destroying songs as usual. In this era where finding lyrics to a song is so easy. And why that song anyway?”
“Because I’m watching Brandy and Monica at the drink stand over there. I’m placing my bet on Temwani. First blow, GH¢250. MTV Celebrity Deathmatch things. Torn tendons and dislocated ligaments!”
Basit sighed. “People figure sey I fool, but you diԑԑ, ah! You torch too much!”
“I torch like torture chamber?” Sefakor cheekily asked. Her eyes still on the scene, she giggled as her boyfriend did a facepalm behind the steering wheel and muttered, “Lord have mercy on her soul.”
As she saw Temwani walk away, looking rather confused, her tone of voice changed. “But Basit, on a serious note, I sense animosity. On Allison’s part. Considering what I saw, I think Allison is really jealous, and she’s not hiding it.”
Basit looked at her, a quite annoyed expression on his face. “What? Seriously?”
“Yeah. This one diԑԑ, I make serious. I know a jealous chic when I see one. And Allison right now just put up the attitude of a very jealous girl. Facial expression and the stiff way she brushed Temmy off.”
“That’s stupid! Ah, we were all here when Temwani was nowhere in the picture. You were the one Marcus wanted, but you do your body Titanium girl. Now he get woman, you bore. Ah! Ibi nonsense kraaa she dey do. Make she go chew terrazzo!”
“Baby, relax!” Sefakor hushed, rubbing her boyfriend’s shoulders. “I know. It’s ridiculous. But calm down. I’m sure Marcus will have this under control.”
“I hope so. If Allison is pushing for a comeback, make she forget. She lose guard. That be all. W’ayԑ late. Period. She no get any reason why Marcus for lef Temwani. None. Like he allow sef, me naa, I go take my pen pluck e eyeballs!”
“Ebei!! Wey evil thoughts too that? You be very wicked guy. But yeah, chale. We’ve not known Temwani long enough. Personally, I think she’s a little too trimudԑ. But she’s a sweet and wonderful lady, and I can see she’s very happy with him. And chale, Marcus loves her too. For him to dump her is way too unfair and unforeseeable, in my opinion. I would be angry with him myself if he went back to Allison.”
“Oh, but if by strange twist of fate, he do, wey I stab am finish, I go take Temwani then make am my main lady. You go be wifey no. 2.”
“Idiot!”
***
Marcus stopped in front of his parent’s house, killing the engine. He looked at Temwani. “Honey, it’s alright. Here’s my hanky,” he said, giving it to her.
That afternoon had been quite eventful for her. And not in a good way.
She had gone to meet a few of her cousins and her uncle at the law firm at which he worked. He had asked them to help him with some quick work. During the job, one of her cousins, Joy, was nowhere to be found. Being the only one who noticed, Temwani left the floor to find out where Joy was. At the basement ground, she passed by a door but stopped when she heard what sounded like giggling, gasps, and moans. She opened the door…
…And found Joy and Jackson Herman, one of the young lawyers in the firm, having a steamy quickie.
The fact that Jackson was a married man with a child, coupled with the unpleasant sight of him excitedly fondling and humping her cousin against the wall, was probably what fueled the rage in Temwani as she delivered a knuckle sandwich to him as he hurriedly zipped up. With a bloodied nose and a red face, he cowardly made a dash for it, leaving Joy to face her older cousin’s wrath.
By the time Marcus arrived at the basement car park to pick her up for their date at his parents’ place, he came to find an angry Temwani raging at an obviously embarrassed, half-dressed and distraught Joy, tears rolling down both faces. Calming the situation down, he got the two to regain their composure, then waited as they returned to the firm and Temwani got permission to leave.
On the way, she told him the whole story and broke down again. Now as they sat in the car, he looked on as she wiped her tears, obviously a mess of emotions.
“Temwani, listen. I know you’re upset. And you have every right to be. I mean, that’s a pretty disturbing scene to walk in on. And the fact that they’ve been having a fling for like 2 months is pretty sickening. I feel some of your anger. But please, honey, get yourself together. You’ll have to talk to Joy again, at a time when you’re not so emotionally charged, because I’m sure she’s feeling more than awful right now. Yes, she’s messed up big time, but let’s settle this properly.”
Temwani sniffed as she wiped her eyes. She sighed as she leaned back. “I know. I know I probably went too far with the screaming at Joy and all. It’s just… I’m so angry and upset. Angry with that lawyer and upset with her. I mean, why?? Doesn’t she realize what he’s doing to her? She thinks it’s all sweetness and pleasure when he’s sleeping with her. But he’s just using her as his sex toy! That’s it: a sex toy. That man won’t leave his wife for anything. I know that. His wife is gorgeous, a wonderful mother to their son, and he’s not going to divorce her for Joy or any other girl. She’s just his little toy that he’s screwing to satisfy his selfish little libido. I’m shattered because she’s my baby! I love Joy! So much. She’s my little sister. She’s so much more than just some living doll that you can insert your little soldier into and get a whiff of illegitimate enjoyment. She’s so much more than that, and it breaks me to have found her in that situation. I just snapped.
“And that aside, I’ve grown up hating the whole infidelity thing. My parents were so faithful to each other. Not that they were perfect, but they always made it clear to me and my siblings that they took their vows seriously. To this day, they have eyes for each other alone. So it really frustrates me to see this happening. I just can’t stand cheating. Why?? Why do you choose to hurt your wife this way? Why do you give the middle finger to your vows? Why can’t you honour relationships as it was made to be? Why??”
“It’s alright, darling, take it easy,” Marcus said soothingly, letting her place her head on his shoulder. “I understand. Totally. You’re right. Just calm down. Tomorrow, we’ll go to their place and know just how to solve this.”
She went calm for a couple of minutes. “Thank you, Marc,” she whispered. “You’re a blessing. I love you.”
“Love you too, Temmy.”
They both went silent for a moment or two, as she quietly pulled herself together.
After a while, she lifted her head. “Umm, Marcus?”
“Yes, Temmy?”
“Umm… I dunno if it’s right to ask, but uhh… what’s up with Allison?”
A sudden sharp burn emerged in Marcus’ stomach. He swallowed nervously. “Umm… why do you ask?”
“Well, I spoke to her when you were speaking to the music director, and honestly, she didn’t seem happy to see me. It felt like she was trying to be nice and failing at it.”
Still nervous, but unhappy with what he was hearing, he shook his head. “Really? Well… that’s not cool. I’ll make sure I deal with that.”
She sat up straight. “It’ll be good if you do. I know you had a history of some sort with her, and I’m not in the know about dealing with exes since you’re my very first boyfriend, but I detest competition when it comes to my man. I always thought you said she had absolutely no interest in relationships whatsoever.”
“She didn’t. Margaret Thatcher things back then. The whole ‘I don’t need a man’ thing back then.”
“I see. Oh well, I guess it’s one of those things. But in any case, if she’s now getting interested, she had better back off. It’s me that’s the queen now, and I’m not vacating my seat for anyone. Certainly not her. And if she’s thinking of taking you away from me, then it’s gonna get pretty ugly between us.”
She then reached out and gently brushed his cheeks with her acrylic nails.
A raised eyebrow from Marcus attracted a laugh and a kiss on the cheek. “Just marking my territory, darling,” she said sweetly. “Now let’s go. I’m sure your parents are wondering why we’ve kept so long.”
Well well well! Temwani’s starting to make it clear there will be no space for indecision. Haha! I guess Allison needs to watch out now…
