“Oh my God, it was so beautiful! The way he got down on one knee, her expression, that first dance…  oh Lord, it gave me chills!”

Clarence stifled a laugh as he leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, no doubt. It was simply magical in person, Irene. Like, the love was almost tangible.”

“It’s so obvious. And you did an incredible job recording it. I mean, it’s so evident that pure love was just radiating from them. I mean, the way he looked at her during the dance and kissed her on the forehead? My heart just melted as I watched it.”

He nodded as he stared at his computer screen. “Can’t argue with that at all. It was so beautiful. So, so beautiful.”

“Too beautiful. Awww, I wish them all the best. And now diɛɛ, I think I’m ready to meet them.”

Shaking his head, he chuckled. “Now you’re ready to meet the squad? Ei, Miss Ocquaye! So what has finally made you brave enough to decide to meet them?”

“I dunno. I was just… I was just feeling shy, that’s all…”

“Shy? Awula, they’re my friends ooo, not a disciplinary committee! In any case, if you know how they’ve been warning me to treat you well, you’ll feel more at home than you’d ever expect.”

Irene’s giggle followed. “Nana Asor is still on your case, eh?”

“Chale! Every time she asks about you, she has to add a warning. The girl mean me pass!”

It was 5:30 pm, and Clarence was in his office, done with another day of work. Two weeks into his new job at Prosperity MicroCredit, and aside everything else going on, he couldn’t be happier. So far, his colleagues were proving to be a friendly bunch, and Rakim was as great a boss as they come, neither the overbearing and micromanaging manager nor the laissez-faire type.

That evening, he was staying over a little longer as he was waiting for Bruce and Nana Asor to pick him up. They were taking Becky out for a night out to help lift her spirits.

A few more minutes of conversation with Irene, and as he hung up, Rakim, looking dashing as always in his business-casual attire, peeked into the office.

“Clarence, my guy, you’re still here? Thought I’d locked up the entire crew for the night,” he asked as he entered the office.

Clarence looked up with a small smile and nodded as he set his phone down. “Yeah, just waiting for my friends. We’re having a special night out for one of our own, coz she… uh, she lost her dad recently.”

Rakim’s expression softened upon hearing that. “Oh chale. I’m sorry to hear that. Who’s the friend?”

“Her name is Rebecca, but we call her Becky. Tough babe, but chale, this has broken her a lot. And the truth is, she lost her mother a couple of years, so yeah…”

“Oh, oh, oh, chaleeeee. That’s so unfortunate. Hmmm, my condolences to her. Chale, life be someway give some people ooo.”

“True ooo,” Clarence agreed. “Hmmm. So we’re just… trying to get her out for a bit, you know. Take her mind away from all the grief and stuff as much as we can.”

Rakim nodded. “That’s good of you all, chale. In times like these, just showing up is what makes the difference for them.”

As Clarence nodded, he glanced at his phone as it buzzed on the desk. A missed call notification popped up, and he straightened up in his chair.

They were in.

“Boss, my people are in. Time for me to move now.”

“Oh okay. I’m just about to set off myself. Let’s go.”

***

As Clarence and Rakim stepped out into the car park, there sat a couple of vehicles, neatly parked. Some of them belonged to other workers within the office’s vicinity. Rakim’s sleek SUV was also sat there, looking sparkling clean after the security guards had given it a good washing half an hour earlier.

And there was Bruce’s car, with him and Nana Asor in front, and Becky at the back.

“Okay, there they are,” Clarence mentioned.

“Nice, nice. I might as well say hi to your people,” Rakim stated.

Clarence looked at him, a bit surprised. Then he shrugged and nodded. If there was one thing he had learned about Rakim, it was that he treasured the art of friendliness. So saying hello to people and showing them the affable side of him came as naturally as swallowing.

“Alright, let’s go.”

As they approached the vehicle, Clarence waved at his people. “Chale, guys, wassup?” he called. “Make I do small intro give you.”

Standing by the driver’s seat, he gestured towards Rakim. “So guys, this is my boss, Mr. Rakim Yorda, CEO of Prosperity MicroCredit.”

The trio waved at him, with nobody noticing how Becky squinted at him curiously as she waved.

“So boss, this is Bruce. I’m sure you remember him from the party where we met. This is his wife, Nana Asor. And this is Becky.”

Rakim duly shook hands with the Aforo couple, flashing them his friendly smile. As he moved to shake Becky’s hand, though, his brows furrowed, and a brief silence stretched between them as they appeared to be studying each other’s faces.

“Uhhh… have we met before?” Becky asked.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” Rakim commented. “You look very familiar.”

They both tilt their heads slightly, trying to piece together the faint sense of familiarity, while the others wondered where they might have met.

“Uhh, was it school or work or something?” Nana Asor asked.

Becky shook her head. “Nahh, definitely not school. And I don’t think it’s work, either.”

“Yeah, definitely not work,” Rakim confirmed. “I just know we’ve met once, but I can’t seem to remember…”

A few moments of silence reigned as they continued to dig deep into their memories to recollect where they met.

Then, Becky’s eyes widened, and a laugh escaped her lips as she snapped her fingers.

“Wait, now I remember! The Tema motorway! My flat tyre!”

Rakim’s face was dark with confusion for a moment, then it lit up with realization, as he also snapped his fingers. “Yesss! Yes, I remember! I remember now. I noticed you trying to change it yourself and offered to help.”

Becky nodded, a sudden glow on her face. “Uh-huh. Wow, what a small world we live in! who would have imagined I’d meet the angel again like this?”

Rakim looked genuinely honored by Becky’s words, a broad smile lighting up his face. “Angel, eh? That’s the first time I’ve received such a compliment. I’ll take it, though,” he chuckled. “But you know, I hope you don’t mind my saying, but I should be the one saying that about you. I mean, look at you.”

Becky felt her cheeks warm up at the compliment, and before she could stop herself, an awkward, high-pitched giggle escaped her lips. “Stop!”

“Hehe, just thought I’d drop that briefly.”

Meanwhile, at the front, Bruce and Nana Asor looked at each other, then at Clarence. They knew Becky long enough to know she almost never let out giggles like that. If she did, it usually had to do with a guy, and it was a telltale sign that Becky was more than a little smitten with the said guy.

As Rakim and Becky continued to chat, Nana Asor lowered her voice. “Yie.”

“Yie diɛɛ, yie,” Bruce agreed. “Clay, the way Maayaa dey laugh diɛɛ, ibi like she dey feel your boss oo.”

Clarence quickly glanced at the two of them. Indeed, Becky’s expression had brightened, and she had this smile on her face. The last time he had seen that type of glow on her face was in a picture of her and her toxic ex, when they were happy. Or at least, appeared to be happy.

He grimaced and turned to the Aforos, nodding. “Yep. Becky diɛɛ, she fall naaa, you go see. The girl fall give my boss. Instant.”

***

Ten minutes later, and as the squad was on their way to their outing, the trio were not letting Becky rest.

“Ei, Miss OB, you really make happy for the back there as you and Mr. Rakim dey chat,” Bruce teased, his eyes on the road as he smirked. “Anything you want to share with the class?”

Becky rolled her eyes. “Oh, me di33, leave me alone. There’s nothing extraordinary biaa to share. He’s just… a pleasant guy to talk to. Very friendly.”

“Oh yeah. And he’s an angel. In your own words,” Clarence added, smirking hard. “That’s not exactly neutral, you know.”

Becky turned and glared at him. “Massa, I called him an angel because he helped me with my flat tyre. That’s all. It’s basic gratitude.”

“Ese woara! That’s not enough for you to be giggling like you’ve just found the man of your dreams. We know you ooo. We know you since the 80s,” Clarence further pressed.

“Awurade, what is this? One small convo with some fine man and you people want to chew me? Ebei!”

The trio laughed at Becky’s outburst.

“One small convo with some fine man that will lead to more convos,” Nana Asor asserted. “Didn’t you give him your number?”

Becky shrugged, trying hard to act nonchalant. “Well… he asked, and I was just being nice. Besides, you never know. I might need his help one day. Maybe a loan or something…”

Everyone in the car stared at her, a raised eyebrow on each face. Then they shook their heads.

“Okay ooo, Madam ‘Future Loan’, we’ve heard,” Bruce replied, smirking.

Nana Asor stifled a laugh. “If you know the dirty things that want to come out of my mouth, eh…”

“Asor, please. We beg. Don’t step out of order. Please.”

Well, what do you know! Who would’ve thought that Rakim was the guy who helped Becky at the beginning of the series? Wild!