No
sooner had Siisi sat on the sofa than the phone rang again. “He wants to
threaten me again?” he thought. He got up and started towards the TV stand with
his eyes fixated on the new 55-inch LG OLED TV set which sat atop the stand. He
was yet to get the installer to come mount it firmly on the wall. “Ouch! He
screamed when he hit his knee against the glass centre table. He cussed as he
sat on the sofa again wincing in pain. He examined the knee if a contusion had
formed at the affected part. He rubbed it. The Whatsapp tone beeped not
long after the call had ended. Limping and grimacing in pain with each step
taken, he reached the phone and saw the missed call and message, both from
Tina.
“So Whatsapp tells me you have actually ‘read’ my
message and refused to get back to me. Something doesn’t feel right about how
the day went today. I feel there’s more to your reaction. It was quite strange.
Please talk to me.”
Contemplating
whether to call or send a message in response, Siisi’s attention was diverted
by an incoming call from Mike. Like Tina, he also wanted to know the rationale
behind Siisi’s behaviour back at the pub. The latter was granted audience.
“So
that be the matter oo…” Siisi concluded after telling Mike everything.
“Oh…my
guy. Abi this no be any issue?”
“Hw33…who
tell you? Nigga threaten me and things, you say what? Stop they tell me that
gibberish.”
“See,
Siisi, not telling Ernestina is not going to be an issue. I fail to see how it
is. It is their lives…how they choose to live it is their right. Moreover, it
appears Tina decided to roll with a faggot instead of you. It’s life, my friend.
We don’t always get what we want… we win some, we lose some. Take it in your
stride.”
“Hmm…you
don’t understand, Mike.”
“It
will only be an issue if you still have a thing for her and you want to use
this ‘privileged’ information to your advantage. And according to you, he
sounded pretty serious when he issued the threat.”
Mike
recollected Siisi’s eloquent explanation of the vital statistics of a future
Mrs. Grant at the pub earlier in the day, and immediately knew his friend was
in danger, if the threat actually meant something.
“Ah!...but
wait oo. Do you still like her?”
There
was silence from the other end of the phone.
“Siisi???”
“Uhmm…Yes
and No! Yes, because you called my name and I’m responding. And No – in
response to your question.”
“You
sure?”
“I
no know, my guy. I conf sef. You know something?...Make I call you
back wai.”
“Hmmm…I
hear.”
Siisi
ended the call, and Mike muttered what was supposed to be an intercessory
prayer in tongues – if only he knew how to pray in them. Siisi forgot to
respond to the message from Tina.
******************************************************************************
Siisi’s
eyes were glued to his phone as he checked the status updates of his contacts,
whilst waiting in the queue to get the items he’d picked up Shoprite scanned
and paid for. He didn’t realize it was his turn until the lady behind him drew
his attention with a tap on the shoulder. “Sorry about that”, he said to her as
he moved to the till. “You look very familiar. Do I know you somewhere?” he
heard the lady say as she tapped him again. He turned and looked at her as she
gave his Visa card to the cashier. “I’m not too sure”, he answered, flashing
his recently polished set of white teeth. She was a slim, dark lady with big
beautiful eyes, sporting a gelled short hair. One look at her supple lips, and
Siisi swallowed some saliva. “Here’s your card, sir!” the cashier succeeded in
bringing his mind home from wherever it had drifted to. He collected them – the
card and his groceries – and passed the lady who squinted and politely asked
him to wait as she paid for her items.
“Were
you in Birmingham University?”
“Yes,
I’m an alumnus” he answered with some pride.
She
smiled, and he swallowed again. “And you can’t make me out?”
He
squinted, and slowly shook his head.
“Patricia
Manford?... Douper Hall? Still can’t make me out?”
His
eyes widened. “Oh my God! Patricia! Wow!…You look amazing! You cut your
Rapunzel-like hair?” he enquired, even when it was obvious.
“Yes
oo…it is quite expensive to maintain” she joked, and they laughed.
“So
when did you return?...You know what? Le’ me buy you a drink so we catch
up” he added, even before she could answer. “Shall we?” he said, rather than
asked, as he took the yellow polythene bag from her and led her to the food
court. Outside Barcelos, they found an unoccupied table with two chairs,
from where they will begin a 2-hour catch-up. He ordered a bottle of Savannah,
whiles she settled on a bottle of mineral water.
They
both filled each other in on what they did. They ate when they realized the
conversation they had started was too good to cut short. They reminisced about
their days in the UK and how menial the jobs they had to do were at the time,
although they helped pay the bills. Patricia, after graduation, found a job in
a firm of architects and worked there for two years before finally deciding to
return to Ghana and co-found a firm with her cousin. They both seemed to be
doing well – Siisi and Patricia – in their respective jobs.
Siisi
asked to use the washroom, and bumped into a lady when he stood and turned.
“I’m very sorry” he apologized. “It’s fine, don’t worry” the lady forgave. “I
know you from somewhere” she added.
He
looked at Patricia and they both smirked. He looked at the other lady and
joked: “I know…it’s from the TV show?” “Which show?” she asked. “The
I-don’t-know-why-I’m-familiar-to-everyone-today Show” he said, as his joke
failed to yield the desired effect. So his smile petered away mighty fast,
leaving him with a stupefied look. “I’m sorry…that was meant to be a joke”, he
apologized again. “Don’t worry…I remember you now, although the name’s escaped
me. We have a mutual friend – Ewurama.”
“Who’s
Ewurama?” Siisi asked, wearing a confused look.
“Uhmm…Ernestina.
I was with her at Area Code last weekend.”
Siisi’s
countenance changed from confused to blank.
“I’m
Agyeiwaa” she added.
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