A delightful Sunday afternoon it was, with clear skies and the sun in full blaze. The streets of Accra were low on traffic as usual, with many families done with church and back home, readying themselves for another working week.

As the Koomsons’ Chevrolet made its way through the highway to Aburi, the interior felt super tense as Nicky and Winnie sat side by side, a strained silence hanging heavily between them.

They were on their way to the senior Koomsons’ house, and as usual, the air was thick with tension. The occasional unfriendly glance was exchanged, but neither dared to break the ice.

As expected, Winnie had not been enthusiastic about visiting her in-laws at all. She also had no intentions of sitting in the same car as Nicky, and had blatantly refused to go. Nicky, not wanting to disappoint his parents, tried his best to convince her, which ended up in yet another screaming match. It was only early the next morning that she reluctantly walked into the guest room where he slept and told him she’d go with him before walking out and not talking to him for the rest of the day.

Nicky, deciding the silence was enough, reached for his phone and started scrolling through his music playlist. Seeing a song that brought about a petty idea in his head, he pressed play.

A sly grin formed on Nicky’s face as the iconic guitar riff of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” began to play through the speakers.

Winnie shot a sharp look at Nicky, who pretended to be engrossed in adjusting the volume. The opening lyrics filled the car, and Nicky couldn’t resist the temptation to sing along.

Loving you, isn’t the right thing to do…

Her evil look still focused on him, her closed mouth concealed her gritted teeth and sheer annoyance at the innuendo he was throwing her way. “Are you serious right now, gentleman? As we’re going to see your parents, this is the best song that came to your mind? This Fleetwood Mac song?”

Nicky, who was smirking with all the cockiness of an evil toddler, shrugged with a fake innocence. “Oh, what’s the problem? I just haven’t heard this song in a while, that’s all.”

Winnie shook her head. “You’re being so unnecessarily petty right now. Do you know that?”

“Petty? Me? Not at all, my dear. I just like the song, that’s all.”

Winnie’s face grew darker. “Who is your dear? Please, please, don’t use that term on me. And since when have you liked this song? Abrantie, I’m not in the mood for any stupid akutia, wai. Let’s just get this visit over and done with.”

Nicky was quite in the mood for a little mockery. “Oh, but a man can like a song in an instant. Especially when it’s telling him something he understands.”

Winnie let out a big ‘mtcheww’ in response to that. “Look, I don’t know what sort of demon has taken over your spirit, but I’m not going to take your bait. Please, can we just get to your parents’ house without turning this into a drama? Please.”

Nicky snickered. “I hear you. I just thought a little music might lighten the mood.”

Winnie shot him another look of disgust, electing not to rip into him this time, before folding her arms and staring straight ahead.

The rest of the drive continued in an uncomfortable silence. The tension lingered on, exacerbated by the opening song. Nicky couldn’t resist keeping a satisfied smile on his face throughout the rest of the journey, pleased at the unnecessary shade it had thrown his wife’s way.

Thirty-five minutes later, and the car pulled into Nicky’s parents’ driveway.

It was time to get through this visit.

***

The living room of Mr. Philip and Mrs. Adeline Koomson’s house was adorned with family photos and warm-colored furniture. The air was filled with the aroma of palm nut soup as the older couple welcomed Nicky and Winnie into their home.

Taking their seats, the tension lingered on between the two despite the inviting atmosphere and the warm chatty moods of both Philip and Adeline. While the older ones asked various questions about work and spoke about how life was treating them, they regularly found themselves shooting unfriendly looks at each other, seemingly warning each other not to let slip anything about their feud.

Philip, smiling knowingly as he observed the two and deciphered the simmering tension, then asked, “So, how is married life in general? Everything going well?”

Nicky exchanged a quick glance with Winnie before responding with a somewhat forced smile, “Oh, yeah, it’s all good. You know… the usual. We’ve just been… busy. You know how it is.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just work, work, and a whole lot of work,” Winnie added.

Adeline, who had also noticed the tension, leaned forward in her chair. “Yes, of course, busyness is unavoidable somewhat in this life as it is. But you shouldn’t let it get in the way of your marriage. You need to be very intentional about working on your marriage, you know.”

That did not make them feel comfortable at all. As they sat there, they both knew they hadn’t been intentional at all about their marriage.

And that discomfort was manifesting on their faces, with awkward expressions and a clear attempt at avoiding each other.

Adeline frowned. “Ummm, you both seem a bit on edge. Everything okay?”

Winnie nervously responded, “Oh, no, no, no. E-e-everything’s fine. Just the usual stress.”

“Yeah, yeah… that’s all. Just… stress. That’s it. That’s all,” Nicky confirmed.

The older couple exchanged a knowing look with each other. They had been married for three decades and had seen their fair share of ups and downs, so this was something they could see right through.

Philip then spoke up gently. “Well, you know, if something’s bothering you, it’s best to address it. Because your mouths may not be admitting it, but you two are extremely jittery.”

Winnie and Nicky exchanged uncomfortable glances, unhappy that the older couple could easily sense the underlying issues.

Adeline gently prodded, “We’re not marriage counselors for nothing, you know. we’ve been together for over three decades, and we’ve seen our fair share of struggles, as well as the struggles of others. You can talk to us if something is bothering you.”

Nicky defensively shook his head. “Really, Mummy, Daddy, we’re fine. Nothing’s wrong. Just a little stress from work and stuff. That’s it, honestly.”

Philip smirked and shook his head. “‘Work and stuff’. Abrantie, don’t forget we’re your parents. We know you pretty well. You two have been together for a while now, and we can tell when something’s amiss. And it’s been pretty obvious from the moment you two walked in.”

Winnie, trying her best to deflect, blurted out, “It’s just one of those rough patches of work, seriously. Every couple goes through it, right?”

Adeline nodded. “True, but pretending everything is fine won’t solve anything. We’ve been married for over thirty years, and we know that addressing issues head-on is the only way to move forward.”

Nicky and Winnie exchanged glances again, realizing that the charade was futile. There was no hiding from them; their façade was weak. Now there they sat, exposed.

Nicky sighed. “Okay, fine, ummm… maybe-maybe things haven’t been great lately between us…”

“Haven’t been great? Massa, speak the truth. They’re your parents. Please, it’s more than just ‘haven’t been great’, it’s been terrible,” Winnie raised her voice, already in battle mode.

Philip raised his hand. “Calm down, calm down. No need to start getting aggressive or anything. Let’s talk this out as adults. Please. Whatever it is, I’m sure we can at least find ways of working it out.”

Nicky and Winnie exchanged irritated glances as Philip reached for his bottle of water. He took a sip out of it, then turned to them again. “So, where did all this start? Every conflict has a starting point. Let’s talk about it. Nicky, you go first.”

Nicky looked hesitant for a moment, then started. “Well, it started a few months back. All of a sudden, Madam here started showing some attitude. I talk to her, and she’ll ignore me. Out of the blue ooo. All of a sudden. Then suddenly it turned into talking to me basabasa styles bi. Always being sarcastic. Then soon, it graduated into screaming…”

Winnie, who had crossed her arms and shook her head while he spoke, interjected quickly, “Mummy, Daddy, please, all these things he’s saying, he’s not telling you why that happened. I’m not going to just show attitude for nothing. Massa, you reap what you sow. It got to a point, you talk to this man, and the way he’ll dismiss you, tell you he’s tired, push away your food…”

Nicky threw his hands up in frustration. “Oh, for the love of God, are you on this again? Ah, I was stressed! How many times do I have to repeat that? I did not need that question at that time! Is that too much to ask?”

The room already felt heavy as the conversation escalated. Philip and Adeline exchanged concerned glances, realizing just how deep the issue ran deep.

Philip calmly intervened. “Alright, alright, let’s calm down now. I have there’s more to this than what’s been stated. What’s really going on? Nicky, what happened?”

Nicky and Winnie exchanged a heated look, both eager to upstage the other.

“Okay, look, here’s the thing. It was Monday evening, and I came home, stressed out about some issues at work. That was the time our boss was giving all of us some annoying pressure. I came home, just wanting to be left alone, and here this woman was, asking plenty questions and whatnot…”

Looking very agitated, Winnie cut in. “Ah, na if my husband comes home looking stressed, am I supposed to just ignore him? What are you talking about? Nicky, you were being so horrible that evening when I was simply trying to see what was wrong. I’m talking with concern, and you’re just… brushing me aside as if I’m some fly bi. And after that, you think I’ll be nice to you? Don’t sow horribleness and expect to reap niceness. If you don’t know, I’m telling you right now.”

The living room seemed to echo with the raised voices. Once again, Philip and Adeline exchanged a knowing look, recognizing what was wrong.

The pressures of life, and offense left to fester, had caused this.

Adeline, interrupting gently as the two continued to go at each other, stated, “Alright, alright. Yelling at each other won’t solve anything. Take a deep breath, both of you.”

The room fell silent for a moment as Nicky and Winnie stopped, then took a collective breath, their faces turning sullen with the realization that they were misbehaving in front of Nicky’s parents.

Nicky turned to them, his facial expression apologetic. “Sorry, Mama, Papa. We shouldn’t have argued like that in front of you.”

Winnie nodded. “Yeah, we didn’t mean to bring our issues into your home like this.”

Philip shook his head. “No, don’t worry, don’t worry. I think the little you’ve shared is more than enough for us to have an idea about all that is going on. So, this might be small, but, I think you’ve allowed the little foxes to come in and ruin things, like in the Songs of Solomon…”

***

Thirty minutes in, and the older couple, having asked a few more questions and seen what was going on, pointed out the mistakes of the younger couple and shared stories of their fair share of storms in their own marriage, decided to offer guidance to them.

Philip, leaning forward, stated, “So you see, my dear young ones, these issues you’re facing aren’t insurmountable. Divorce should never be the first option. You just need to go back to the basics of your relationship.”

Adeline nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. The foundation of a strong marriage lies in the little things, the everyday gestures that show you care. Those gestures can do more than you think.”

Nicky and Winnie, sitting on the sofa, nodded silently, their expressionless faces concealing the irritation at this suggestion. After being subjected to this long talk where both party had been held accountable for their problems, the last thing they wanted to hear right now was advice on relationship basics. Nicky was too busy smarting over being told he had to be gentler in dealing with his wife, and Winnie was peeved at the suggestion that she should have been more open with Nicky instead of harbouring her anger.

Nicky forced a smile. “Sure, sure. We’ll keep that in mind.”

Winnie nodded, also playing to the gallery. “Yes, thank you for your advice. We appreciate it.”

Adeline smiled warmly. “You’re most welcome. See, in this journey called marriage, it’s not always about grand gestures. It’s the small things that count. Taking time to appreciate each other.”

“Surprise each other with small acts of kindness. It can be as simple as leaving a note or planning a surprise date,” Philip suggested.

Nicky and Winnie exchanged glances, both inwardly irritated by the simplicity of the advice.

Nicky nodded. “Leave notes and plan surprise dates. Got it.”

Inwardly, he scoffed, Yeah, because that’s going to solve everything.

Adeline glanced at her husband and nodded. “Don’t underestimate the power of those small gestures. They can reignite the spark. Remember why you fell in love in the first place.”

“And communicate. Talk about your feelings. Don’t let things fester,” Philip added.

Nicky and Winnie nodded, their irritation simmering beneath the surface.

“Thanks for the advice, really. We’ll keep it in mind,” Nicky acknowledged.

“Yes, we’ll work on those small gestures and communication,” Winnie agreed, albeit begrudgingly.

Philip smirked. “Good. And always remember, marriage is a journey. You’ll face challenges, but overcoming them together is what makes it worthwhile.”

As the conversation continued, Nicky and Winnie outwardly acknowledged the advice, but internally, they couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. This was why they didn’t want anything to do with counselling; these third parties wouldn’t massage their egos and agree with them as to how terrible the other party was. And the senior Koomsons hadn’t failed to disappoint.

For Nicky in particular, a rage razed through his veins. He now knew this was the reason they were called to visit. Meaning they had been tipped off.

And of course, he knew who that was.

As for Agyeiwaa! Hmm! They tell you to keep quiet, you rather go and open your big mouth! Rubbish! She go hear am, she really go hear am…

Simple but true words from the older Koomson couple. If only the younger couple would take it seriously. Doesn’t look like that’s gonna happen, though, especially with what Nicky is thinking…