Man Down (Mr. Otua) …1
“Class, what do we call a guy who spends his money paying for his girlfriend’s school fees?”
“Sir me!” Akoto shot up from the stool, hand still raised. “Sir please he’s an Ofui.”
Both men screamed and fell to the ground, shaking with laughter.
Their victim, Kofi Amoako, looked on, trying his best to put up a strong face. But strong face or not, it was hard to ignore the fact that each scathing jab they spewed drove the blade in his heart deeper.
“I’m telling you, she didn’t see us,” he said, attempting once again to end their mockery with an argument he didn’t believe himself. They had been only a few feet away. She had seen them, him, and still pretended not to. And even worst, she wasn’t alone. His Frema had been with another man, holding hands with him. While he called her name, waving like a madman, they’d gotten into a taxi, leaving him looking like an idiot.
“But Chale, she looked fine paa o.” Akoto returned to his seat and dipped his hand into the bowl of roasted corn and groundnuts. They were outside Amoako’s house. His friends who usually hung around an hour or so after supper had decided to stay longer today to rub it in, even after eating his own share of the food.
“What did you expect?” Dino pointed to him. “This our brother is a proper Mr. lover lover.”
Amoako slapped his bare leg, wiping away blood and the remains of a blood-sucking insect.
“So what if she was with some guy? He could be her friend. I’m not going to assume anything until I’ve spoken to her.” He should have gone to her house right after. But if he was being honest, he’d been afraid she’d confirm his worst fears.
Dino cleared his throat. “Class, Akoto and I will take you through the tragic story of how this young man came to join the legion of Mr. Otuas who have come before him.”
Amoako shook his head as Akoto shot up, raising a cupped hand to his mouth as if holding a microphone.
“Poor farmer boy met fresh girl chupa chops.”
“She stole his heart and replaced his brain with plantain chips.”
“Whereby he sold all his everything, and pay school fees, hair, shoes and family dues all.”
“For how long?”
“Four years, sah.”
“Four solid, good years. He never saw the work of his hands.”
“Until one day he spy am for town. With another someone.”
“Somebody’s hand was holding his handiwork.”
“Chai!”
They broke into another round of laughter.
This time, he didn’t make an attempt to hide his grimace. They were right. When he called Frema three days ago, she had told him she was still in school, working on her project. He’d spent sleepless nights, counting down to her return. Now it seemed she’d been in town all that while, making a fool of him.
“Alright guys, you’ve had your fun. Goodnight.”
Dino stretched his roped arms. “Me I’m just getting started so sit back and relax.” And with that he broke into the apt song, Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop.
Akoto took a long drink from his bottle and wiped his lips with the sleeve of his shirt. “But you sef, what dey wrong you? We talk dis tin long T. You take am like joke. Now see your life.”
“When you’re done, clean up the table.” Amoako headed for his door. With his back turned to his friends, his eyes filled with tears. He had thought she was different.
“Wait …” Akoto cut into Dino’s song. “Is that … is that Frema?”
Amoako shook his head. “You won’t get me this time.”
Laughter floated towards them and he stilled. It was her. He turned around so fast he almost slipped down the steps. In the distance, he saw two girls trudging down the dusty street. He leaned a hand against the door, his heartbeat taking on a faster rhythm. It was her, Akua Frema Anamoah. She was coming to him.
“Ma guy, she come cut the snake in head be dat o.”
The bubble of hope in Amoako’s chest popped. Of course. She was here to tell him it was over, just as was predicted. The girls drew closer, coming into the lighting cast by the fluorescent bulb outside his house. She was wearing the same clothes he had seen her in that morning—a red blouse revealing her neckline over black jean trousers that accentuated her hips. God, she was beautiful.
She’s here to kick you to the curb.
He sucked in breath and let it out. Well, she could break his heart into a million pieces, but he would make sure his dignity was left intact. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
Frema entered the compound, the girl she was with, her sister, left behind. The guys looked on in silence. Amoako stepped up to her. He needed to demand answers, an explanation for her lies. He curled his hands into fists and set his jaw.
Frema stopped in front of him, close enough to engulf him in the fragrance that was uniquely hers. He caught a hint of her smile before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.
For a moment, his thoughts were jumbled. She was kissing him, not telling him it was over or that she was with someone else. His hands moved to her arm, drawing her closer. Whatever he had been upset about vanished into nothingness as his body flooded with sensations he had waited four years to feel again. Frema pulled away, still smiling. “Hey, you.”
“Hi,” he breathed. Bursting with a renewed confidence, he wrapped his arm around her waist and turned to the guys.
“You were saying?”
Image source: http://blackartblog.blackartdepot.com/
Thanks for visiting. I hope that was an enjoyable ten minutes. Barring a sudden onset of writer’s block, part 2 will be here next week. Do check it out. 🙂
