“See eh, the day I watched that movie, the way I was screaming in the house!” Nana Ayiba laughed. “Herh, going through all that stress and killing your son and others, preparing yourself to be killed, only for the military to come in and save you. Herh, Kaakyire, I nearly went mad!”

Kwesi laughed. “Chale! I can imagine. That movie diɛɛ, it really messed me up. Like I be the guy, they’ll have to put me on serious suicide watch, coz chale, chale, chale!”

Sitting opposite each other, with an earthenware bowl of the promised ampesi and kontomire stew between them, this Saturday afternoon was coming along nicely. Kwesi had come over to meet a busy but welcoming Nana Ayiba, who led him in and introduced him to her mother.

The conversation with Madam Theresa had been pretty deep and thought-provoking, with the elderly woman telling him stories of her late husband and all his exploits in his time as a manager in the petroleum sector. Mr. George Mensah had certainly been a great man, with all she had told him. It was sad to know that a careless driver had taken out this great man too soon.

Anyways, once Nana Ayiba freshened up and came in, the two of them got to talking. And boy, did they talk about a lot! From cases they had witnessed in court, to their favourite and most hated movies. Which was what they were currently talking about, expressing the traumatic effect ‘The Mist’ had had on the two of them.

“Seriously. That movie is just… ugh! Watched it once, never wanna watch it again. Anyways, so, this just came into my head,” Nana Ayiba continued, facing him squarely. “I’ve not asked since we started getting to know each other, but… what made you want to become a lawyer?”

Kwesi chuckled softly, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. “Ah, the age-old question. Well, I suppose it’s the classic tale of wanting to help people.”

Nana Ayiba burst into laughter. “Why am I not surprised? You know it’s written on your face? I dunno how to explain it, but you just look like one of those lawyers that first thought he’s coming in to help people.”

Kwesi shook his head, a shy grin on his lips. “Really? I never knew it was that obvious. But yes, that was my initial motivation. I remember my jurisprudence lecturer asking us why we wanted to become lawyers on the first day of meeting him. More than half of the class said they want to help people. After we were done, this man said we were all talking nonsense, and that if we really want to help people, we’re better off setting up NGOs.”

Nana Ayiba burst into laughter. “Herh, savage!”

“I tell you! The way I felt unhappy with him. Now, I agree with him one hundred percent. If you’re a law student and you tell me you wanna be a lawyer because you want to help people, I’ll probably tell you the same thing.”

Still laughing, Nana Ayiba shook her head. “Well, it’s no surprise. I’ve been around lawyers long enough to know that that concept of ‘wanting to help people’ always gets drowned out by all the billable hours and courtroom drama. It’s just idealism.”

“Yes it is. We start out with those grand, pious ideas in the beginning, then reality kicks in, and you realize it’s not all about saving the world. Because the reality of the legal world is a far cry from what we imagined as wide-eyed law students. It’s a mad jungle out there, and whether you like it or not, survival trumps idealism.”

“Oh yeah, I know that well. Even from my end, I know how much of a jungle it is,” Nana Ayiba admitted, picking up the remaining sachet of water next to the earthenware bowl.

Kwesi then looked at her with interest. “So, now that I’ve answered your question, I think it’s fair I ask the same question. So why court clerk?”

Nana Ayiba paused, her look thoughtful as she pondered over the question. She took a few gulps, put the sachet down and began.

“Well, it’s not exactly the most glamorous job, is it? I mean, the salary isn’t the greatest ever. But… I guess there’s something about the inner workings of the court system that has always fascinated me.”

Kwesi nodded, his interest piqued. “Interesting.”

“Yeah. I can’t exactly remember when it sprung up, but I’ve always been drawn to the idea of being behind the scenes, you know? The silent observer, the one who keeps things running smoothly while the drama unfolds in the courtroom. There’s a sense of order and purpose here that I find incredibly satisfying when I’m helping to ensure things are appropriately in place. And I think I’ve grown fonder of it ever since the Judicial Service transferred me from Weija to this place. Aside the distance, I enjoy working under Justice Amankwah. He’s a gentle but firm man, he doesn’t embarrass his staff… he’s a good man.”

Kwesi nodded, an impressed look on his face. “Girl, you sound like you’re exactly where you need to be. And that’s great to hear.”

“Exactly! And besides, being a court clerk gives me the opportunity to interact with all sorts of people—from judges and lawyers to witnesses and jurors. It’s like a front-row seat to the justice system.”

Kwesi nodded. He couldn’t help but admire Nana’s passion for her work. Not many people would say this; most of them would be all about the money, and that wasn’t bad. After all, in this economy, it was necessary to do whatever was legally necessary to survive.

But the way Nana Ayiba spoke made it clear she was meant for this, and she was delighted to be where she was.

And somehow, as he observed her, in her cute sleeveless blouse and shorts, gulping down the rest of her water…

…that truth made him like her even more.

***

It was about 5:45 pm, and after hours of chatting, it was time for Kwesi to take his leave. He duly  informed Madam Theresa, who thanked him for honouring their home with his presence. As he and Nana Ayiba walked out of the house and towards the car, an air of satisfaction lingered between them. It had been a great day.

“Thanks for coming, Kwesi. I really appreciate it,” Nana Ayiba expressed her gratitude.

Kwesi nodded, a sincere smile on his face. “It was my pleasure, Nana. I really enjoyed our time together. We should do this again.”

Nana Ayiba nodded. “Absolutely. We should.”

They reached the car, and as Kwesi prepared to get in, he paused and took a deep breath.

The moment felt right to do this. He had been debating about it since the day they had agreed on this date, and he had eventually come to the conclusion that there was no point in holding himself back with the ‘it’s too soon’ idea. He hadn’t taken Nana Ayiba’s number because he needed a clerk to get information from; he took it because she was someone he was taken in with. He might as well let her know his intentions from the jump, lest he fall into the dreaded ‘friendzone’.

So there it was. It was time to be honest with Nana Ayiba about his feelings.

“Nana, there’s something I need to tell you,” Kwesi began, his expression earnest as he turned to her.

She looked at him, a curious look on her face. “What is it?”

He took a deep breath, feeling his heart slam relentlessly against his chest. This was it.

Time to let it out.

“Umm, so… Nana, I know it’s been early days, but… I really value our friendship a lot. You’re a wonderful lady, and… ummm, to be honest, my feelings for you go beyond just friendship. I have genuine affection for you, and I would really love to have something more than just friendship with you in the future.”

Nana Ayiba stood there, momentarily speechless, with the weight of Kwesi’s words hanging in the air as she processed the unexpected revelation.

Kwesi sensed her surprise, and continued, “I understand if this is out of the blue. Or should I say, I understand that it is out of the blue. I obviously don’t want to pressure you. Just… take your time to think about it.”

Nana Ayiba nodded slowly, a mix of emotions clouding her thoughts. “Ummm… I… I appreciate your honesty, Kwesi. And… yeah, yeah, I… I need some time to process this.”

Kwesi gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. “Take all the time you need, Nana Ayiba. I promise I’ll respect whatever decision you make. I just felt I needed to be honest with you. I do like you as a friend and all, but… I want more.”

Nana Ayiba nodded slowly again. “Alright.”

He then opened the door and waved at her. “Okay then, thanks for having me.”

Nana Ayiba forced a smile and waved back. “Okay! Let me know when you get home.”

As Kwesi drove away, he felt a sense of relief. It had been quite nerve-wracking, but he did it. Now she knew how he felt, and what he wanted.

He sighed as he gripped the steering wheel. And now, the waiting period begins…

***

As Nana Ayiba reentered her home and walked into the living room, her mother looked up from her book, a curious smile on her face.

“Has Kwesi left?” she inquired.

Nana Ayiba hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, he’s gone now.”

Her mother’s eyes twinkled. “He seems like such a nice and respectful young man. I like him already.”

Nana Ayiba managed a forced smile. “Yeah, he is.”

“So, he’s just a friend?”

Nana Ayiba nodded.

“Na what’s happening with Anthony?”

Nana Ayiba sighed. “He’s still quite hard to reach.”

Madam Theresa shook her head. “Hmmmm. My dear, I really think you need to advise yourself. Because this behaviour of his… it’s just not on. As for going abroad, I know it’s not easy, but after two years? You don’t have time to answer messages or call your girlfriend? Nana, I don’t think it’s worth it. Please, think about this. Maybe it’s not this particular young man per se, but… think about this.”

Nana Ayiba nodded and responded quietly, “Yes please. I will.”

Her mother nodded in satisfaction, then returned to her book, leaving Nana Ayiba alone with her thoughts.

As she walked back to her room, the conflicting emotions that had surfaced after Kwesi’s admission intensified. She closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment, as she tried to make sense of the whirlwind of feelings within.

In the quiet of her room, her internal monologue unfolded.

Ugh, what do I do? Honestly, Kwesi is a nice guy, Mom likes him, and he’s expressed his feelings for me. It’s early days, but he… he’d be a nice person to be with, I guess. But Anthony… Anthony is a part of my past, someone I’ve shared so much with… and I can’t just let go like that… despite everything, there’s still so much love for him… ugh, what do I do?

She crashed onto her bed, grappling with the choices before her. The confusion deepened as she pondered over what to do. It might have seemed simple to an outsider, but it was as complex as could be for her.

What was she to do? Should she stick with the familiarity of Anthony and the love they had shared for years, despite the distance and the sporadic calls, and hope that things would positively change? Or should she explore a potential connection with Kwesi, who had been nothing but respectful, sweet, interesting and caring?

She sighed. “This isn’t easy. This isn’t easy at all…”

It’s about to be a moral quandary for her. Although I’m sure we all think there’s no point in holding on to Anthony. It’s pretty obvious the guy isn’t serious about her…