“Sir Remmy, abi you know sey me wey dey love you pass anybody for this world inside? Nobody dey love you pass me, you sabi?”
“Hmm, Bukky, you be there and be vibing Sir Remmy like that. The day Maa Dru will drop her sweet mommy levels and show you double cheeseburger levels, that be where you go see sey Labadi ladies no dey play!”
“Ray, don’t mind her. She naa, she can see the bombastic side eye I’m giving her. She should continue.”
“Hahaha! Ohhh, my sweet mama! Sweet mother, I no go forget you-“
“Oh, gerrout!”
Almost done putting her shoes on, Akushika laughed at the ongoing banter in the living room. The bond between the older couple and the younger ones was admirable; they didn’t call Raymond, Jonny and Bukky their ‘flat kids’ for nothing. From teasing to Drusilla making food for them to watching football matches with Remaliah, you could not deny the respect, love and admiration they all shared.
And the way they had all welcomed her with open arms was such a great feeling. This was what she needed.
Stepping out into the living room, she giggled at the sight of Bukky forcibly hugging Drusilla, with a big mischievous grin on the young lady’s face, while Drusilla had that faux evil look.
“Shika, tell this young lady she should be careful ooo!” Drusilla told her. “Na me, I don’t play with my husband like that.”
Everyone in the room laughed.
“Please, Bukky, I beg, I’ve been sent to warn you not to be toying with Sir Remmy like that,” she obediently said.
“Oh, don’t worry, now. Na my mama be that. I know what to do!” Bukky responded with a teasing look at Drusilla before letting her go.
Drusilla simply shook her head. “Hm. You di33, one day, wai. Anyways, you ready to go?”
“Yes, yes, I’m ready,” Akushika confirmed.
Just then, Jonny entered the apartment. “Okay, people, we can get moving now!” he announced. “And uh, the old one is on the corridor, so chale, get ready.”
Raymond and Bukky groaned collectively, while Akushika raised an eyebrow. Drusilla saw her look of wonder and stepped in. “Hmm. So you see the corridor leading to the stairs? The room just before you get to the stairs, there’s this old man who lives there, and sometimes he comes outside to just sit there and get fresh air. Shika, I don’t know which of us wronged this man, but when you pass by him and greet him, he’ll not mind you, and he’ll look at you in some strange way bi.”
“Maa Dru, maybe he lessens his look at you and Sir Remmy coz you’re older folks. But we the young ones, it’s terrible!” Raymond complained. “You’ll greet this man, and he’ll look at you like you just used the F-word on him and gave him two middle fingers on top. When you ignore him too, another death stare.”
Bukky shook her head. “It’s so annoying, sha. So annoying.”
“Well, there’s nothing you guys can do, right? Just do the needful and move your way,” Remaliah stated.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Jonny agreed. “Okay guys, let’s move!”
***
“Oh wow! This place looks amazing!” Akushika marveled as she and Raymond took their seats in the studio. “I didn’t think the studio space would be this splendid.”
Raymond smirked. “Well, now you know. From the outside, you’ll think it’s just some dull, ordinary place. Then you come inside, and you’ll see what an awesome place it is.”
Indeed, Tu Nyom Dede Spaces was quite a sight to behold. Located in the heart of Kumasi, It was a haven for aspiring singers to meet up, hone their vocal skills and belt out their favorite tunes. While the exterior looked like a simple and regular shop, its interior was mind-boggling, revealing the work its owners had put into pimping it up. It was equipped with top-notch soundproofing and acoustics, ensuring that every note rang clear and could be heard. A well-maintained piano stood proudly in the center of the room, inviting eager fingers of those proficient in playing it to dance across them. Comfortable seating too had been arranged around the perimeter, providing ample space for fellow singers and observers and lovers of music to cheer on and encourage those on the floor.
This was certainly going to be quite an experience.
The singers, including Jonny and Bukky, were seated in the front, waiting as the first batch of singers geared up to start.
“So is there like, a teacher or something here?” Akushika asked while one lady introduced as Julia went up to take the microphone to start.
Raymond nodded. “Yeah, there is. His name is Yaw. Apparently has a degree in music from Middlesex University in London, and he’s pretty good. So he helps out with feedback after performances and all.”
“Oh okay, okay.”
For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, in between performances, the two continued to talk between each other, with Raymond hinting her on who each singer was, and any piece of info he thought was worth her knowing.
As it went on, Akushika couldn’t help but briefly stare at him for a moment while he was focused on the singer on the floor. She smiled and shook her head. To think I let myself snap at this guy. He’s such a sweet, sweet person…
A few more performances, and it was the turn of Jonny to perform.
“Finally! Now I can properly hear them for myself!” Akushika remarked in the midst of the applause as he took center stage. Like with the others, Jonny announced the song he was going to sing, waited a few seconds as the pianist started up, then began.
I’m not scared of lions and tigers and bears
But I’m scared of (loving you)
I’m not scared to perform at a sold out affair
But I’m scared of (loving you)
Akushika watched on, spellbound as Jonny belted out the words to Jazmine Sullivan’s song with jaw-dropping passion. He had that kind of voice that just triggered goosebumps, it was that incredible.
“Wow! Wow, wow, wow,” she breathed. “He’s amazing.”
Raymond nodded. “Chale. He’s something else when he opens up those pipes.”
Once he was done, it was Bukky’s turn.
Akushika was mildly amused by the outpouring of excitement among a section of the singers as the pretty Nigerian lady’s name was called. “Wow, do they like Bukky that much over here? She must be good!” she remarked to Raymond.
He simply grinned and nodded. “You’ll hear it for yourself.”
Bukky was going with ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ by Adele, one of her favourite artists. And within a minute of her performance, Akushika understood why the cheers were louder.
Bukky had the most incredible voice, and she had a way with which she commanded the stage with grace and power. Drusilla had told no lies; this was an incredibly talented couple.
Looking around the room, she could everyone was as enchanted as her. From Raymond sitting next to her, to the music guide he had pointed out to her, everyone was in awe of Bukola’s amazing prowess.
But then she noticed something else.
Jonny’s eyes were fixed on his phone, his attention seemingly elsewhere.
Akushika frowned, then nudged Raymond gently and nodded towards him. “Raymond, look at Jonny. It’s like he’s not concerned about Bukky’s performance.”
Raymond looked in his direction, then sighed. “Oh, for the love of God, why won’t this boy stop this nonsense behaviour?” he whispered furiously.
Akushika looked surprised. “Wait, he always does that?”
Raymond nodded as he turned to her, an exasperated expression on his face. “All the time. See, the truth is, he won’t admit it, but when it comes to his talent, Jonny can be as arrogant as they come. The boy is skilled, no doubt about that, but his impression of his own self is annoyingly high. It’s about him and him alone. That’s why he’s doing that. Can’t be bothered to pay attention to anyone else’s singing.”
The contempt on Akushika’s face was plain to see. “Not even his own girlfriend?”
Raymond shook his head. “Not even her. God knows how many times I’ve been telling him to stop this. Bukky’s caught him before and confronted him, and he’s always on the defensive, talking about he’s still listening with his ears.”
Akushika sighed as the music came to an end. They had ended up missing the rest of Bukky’s performance, and as the others clapped enthusiastically, Jonny had put his phone aside and was clapping as well. “That’s not right. That’s not right at all.”
“Hmmm. As for me, I’m tired. The number of times we’ve clashed over this, I no go talk about am again. He should continue this, na one day one day, Bukky will get tired and explode, and it won’t be pleasant. This kind of disrespect dey bore pass.”
“Hmmmm,” was all Akushika could muster. Raymond certainly sounded frustrated, and she couldn’t blame him. She was already unimpressed with the little she had seen. She didn’t know whether Bukky had seen that, and she hoped strongly that she did not. Nothing could be more offensive than seeing your partner totally ignore you doing what you enjoyed the most.
I hope he changes because he’s not being fair to her if he really does that all the time. They’re both amazing singers and they need each other to excel. Oh well…
Good to see Akushika bonding with the squad. But yeah, Jonny’s behaviour is not good. How is he showing indifference to his girl’s performances? That ain’t right!
