“Oh, really? What’s the name of the case again?”

“Apaloo versus Edward Wiredu. The 2001-2002 Ghana Law Reports. The plaintiff basically had a problem with the eligibility of the then acting Chief Justice, and he wanted the court to declare that his ‘promotion’ to the Supreme Court was null and void. That’s where I learned that as far as appointment to the Bench is concerned, there’s nothing like promotion. If you’re a Circuit Court judge and you move up to High Court, it’s not a promotion, just a fresh appointment.”

“Oh wow, I see. That’s interesting. But the plaintiff, was he serious?”

“Oh, Frances, I wonder ooo. Na what dey borst my mind kraaa is the fact that he took it to the High Court.”

“Ah!”

“Yes ooo. He filed the writ at the High Court. He wanted a High Court judge to declare that a Supreme Court judge’s appointment is null and void.”

“Herh, this man paaa! He didn’t know GH courts don’t joke with hierarchy? Ei, asem ooo. Na who was his lawyer?”

“Errrrr, I don’t think he had a lawyer. Or did he? The report just mentioned two lawyers for the defendant and for parliament. So I think he did it on his own. Which would make sense, coz which lawyer in his or her right mind will take up this matter?”

“Ashock sef. But then again, this profession of ours, some people are willing to do some crazy crap. Been around long enough to see it. They know that constitutional matters belong to the Supreme Court, but they’ll try and package it some way bi to take it to a lower court. Same way people take matters that don’t need any interpretation of the Constitution to the Supreme Court.”

“Hmmmm. That’s true, mohm…”

The little discussion between Kwesi and Frances was interrupted by the harsh ringing sound of the office telephone. The phone on his desk, he picked it up.

“Hello, Kwesi here… yes sir… umm, not at the moment… okay… alright, sir. I’ll come over for it right now and get it done… alright.”

Hanging up, he rose to his feet. “Mr. Ofori has some process bi he forgot to file, and Amaning too is gone, so chale, he wants me to do it.”

“Oh okay. Hmmm, the way Mr. Ofori has been busy of late diɛɛ, he needs reminders on some things, else he’ll forget kraaa. Okay, abi you’ll come back.”

“Oh, certainly.”

“Alright, you go and come.”

As Kwesi stepped out of the office, he felt a slight surge of tension rise up within him. This sudden errand meant he would be heading to the Court Complex, which meant there was a possibility he would see Nana Ayiba.

After the weekend, they had still been talking, but that familiar tension of wondering what answer she would give hung over him like a dark cloud. He really liked her, and even if it had not been on his agenda, it was totally worth accommodating that into his life.

He could only hope and pray that things would go well, though…

***

“But Lily, your Malta girl, she’s pretty ooo. And her voice… ei, she sounds like some white Jamaican bi.”

The courtroom burst into laughter at Nana Ayiba’s claim as she handed over the phone to her colleague, having checked out the profile of this influencer she was so obsessed with. “Ebei, Nana! White Jamaican paaa.”

“Am I lying? See the intonation and things. I’m sure she lived there for a while. But upon lie biaa, she’s a very nice girl.”

“Oh yeah, she is. And when I go to Malta in the future, I’ll go and search for her.”

“Eish! Amen to that ooo!”

Maria, who along with Nana Ayiba had taken up her bag as the day was done, raised her hands to the sky. “Father Lord, do it for Lily ooo, do it for Lily! Na this girl, if You don’t let her travel in this lifetime, wahala for all of us!”

Everyone around laughed again as they packed up and got ready to head home after another day of work was done. Exchanging jokes and goodbyes, they slowly emptied out the courtroom, Nana Ayiba being the last to leave. The keys in her possession, she duly locked the room and quickly made her way to the registrar’s office to hand them over.

As she made her way to the exit, she saw a familiar frame also heading for the stairs.

Kwesi.

He wasn’t in his usual lawyer garb; he only had his tunic shirt on, and was holding a file as he briskly walked down the steps. It looked like he had come around to file a process before the end of working hours.

Her heart fluttered as she watched him go. Since Saturday, she had been seriously contemplating what to do. Four days had passed since then, and she still wasn’t sure what decision to take. Stick with Anthony or go with Kwesi?

It was so complicated. She couldn’t deny it, there was some level of affection that had popped up towards him. Yet her heart still pretty much yearned for the guy that had swept her off her feet three years ago.

As she walked slowly behind him, she hesitated as she quickly pondered over whether to let him know what she was dealing with. He knew nothing about Anthony, and considering how sudden his admission of feelings were, it would have felt so wrong to slap him in the face with that truth at the time.

But she couldn’t keep it hidden from him forever. He had to know what he was up against.

A few more moments of grappling within herself, and she sighed.

“Let me tell him. He deserves to know what’s going on with me, and what could happen.”

*** 

Amidst the bustling activity of the Court Complex, with many workers making their way out and heading home, Kwesi navigated his way down the stairs, quite pleased with himself. He had managed to accomplish the errand just in time. Sure, it had cost him quite an amount of money, but Mr. Ofori would definitely reimburse him once he got back to the office.

He had thought about passing by the Labour Court to see Nana Ayiba, but then decided against it. He didn’t want to do anything that would get the tongues of the other court officials wagging. He would find another way to see her.

Arriving at the ground floor, he was ready to get out and head back to the office. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see Nana Ayiba standing behind him, her expression rather serious.

That belly burn lit up furiously in him. So much for hoping he would see her! “Heyy, Nana!” he greeted. “W-w-what’s up?”

“Hi, Counsel. Ummm, can we talk for a moment?” she asked, her tone tinged with urgency.

Instantly worried by the gravity in her voice, Kwesi nodded nervously. “Umm… of course, Nana. Is everything okay?”

She didn’t answer, but motioned for him to step outside the complex with her, away from the prying eyes and ears of any colleague that might be watching. They stepped outside the complex and made their way to Kwesi’s car, parked in a quiet corner of the car park.

Once they were alone, to an extent, she took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. Kwesi held his breath in, guessing that she was about to give him the announcement he had been anxiously awaiting.

What is she going to say?

“Umm, Kwesi, I need to be honest with you,” she began, her voice wavering slightly. “About what you said on Saturday… well, I’m really flattered that you feel that way about me. I must confess, you’re such a great guy, and it feels good to know that a guy like you feels that way about me.”

Kwesi felt a pang of uncertainty in his chest, but he maintained his composure. This did not sound like it was going to end well. It had hints of an impending rejection speech.

Taking another deep breath, Nana Ayiba continued. “Umm, Kwesi, the truth is… I’m… I’m in a complicated relationship, and I’m still trying to figure things out.”

Kwesi felt a knot form in his stomach as her words sank in. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

“His name is Anthony. We’ve been together for a while now. But… he’s not in the country now, and I never hear from him. It’s like… I’ve been left alone in the relationship. Honestly, you’re a great guy, and I… I guess to an extent, I do see something with you. But this one is still there, somehow, and… I’m sorry, I just need some time to figure this out. I’m really sorry…”

“It’s okay. I understand, Nana,” Kwesi replied, his voice tinged with resignation. “Relationships can be complicated, I know. Seen it quite a number of times. Just… take all the time you need to figure things out, okay?”

Nana Ayiba nodded, her expression reflecting a mix of gratitude and sadness as she gently rubbed Kwesi on the arm. “Thank you for understanding, Kwesi. I promise I’ll get myself together quickly. I promise.”

“No worries, Nana. Just… do what’s best for you.”

She nodded silently. “Thank you. Ummm, I need to get going now. My Uber is almost here.”

He nodded quickly. “Sure, sure. Uhhh, le-lemme know when you get home.”

“Yes please.”

As they parted ways, Kwesi got into his car, put on his seat belt, and sighed, suddenly disoriented by the feeling of unease that had settled in his chest.

He definitely had not seen this coming. He knew that it was a straightforward matter: either she liked him back and wanted more, or she did not feel the same way about him. Now though, her revelation left him feeling uncertain about where he stood. If there was another guy in the picture, and one who had history with her, then his chances of getting with her were quite slim, yet somehow, her claim hinted that there was a window of opportunity if this guy never actually came back.

As he started up the engine, the weight of uncertainty hung heavy on his shoulders. Despite his understanding of Nana Ayiba’s situation, the knowledge that her heart was torn between two choices left him shaken. This truly was a complicated matter. One of which he was fully involved in now.

Chaleyyyyy, I dunno ooo… do I stand a chance in the battle for her affections? Especially with a guy she’s actually been in a relationship with? Do I stand a chance against whoever this Anthony guy is? What if the guy returns much later to claim her or something? Chale, chale, chale, this is tough, this is tough…

The love triangle is in full effect now. And I bet we’re hoping things work out for Kwesi…