The phone suddenly rang out blasting Kojo Antwi’s hit song “Tom & Jerry”. Kwame picked up his new Black Berry phone; “Kwame Debrah here” he answered, and guess whose voice it was at the end of the line; “It’s me Anima in black and white!” Kwame continued; “Hey! Are you a ghost or what?” “It’s been ages!” “Where have you been?” The sweet husky voice at the other end of the line answered, “I arrived last night from the UK”. “But how did you get this number?” Kwame asked. “It’s my private business line and only a handful knows this number”. “Well, it’s a secret which I will tell you when I see you in person” Anima replied. “So where are you putting up?” Kwame asked. “I am staying at my fathers, she replied”. “Okay, I will drop by on my way home from work; let’s say between 7.30 and 8pm tonight”. “I will be expecting your visit if you say so”, Anima replied and hanged up the phone.
Kwame could not believe what had just transpired between him and Anima, so he kept staring at the phone for almost three minutes until a voice suddenly tore through his imagination startling him. “Sir, you have a visitor” He turned around and found his secretary standing at his executive desk. Apparently, he had been so consumed by the thought of seeing Anima again after almost 10 years that he did not hear the door open and close when his secretary walked into the office. “Oh, err, please let him in.” Kwame replied.
At exactly 6pm Kwame called his wife Abena and told her he was attending an alumni meeting in town so he will get home late, hence no dinner should be left for him. He then picked up his car keys and set off to the club house for a drink before proceeding to Animas place. While sipping his drink, a thousand thoughts came flooding back to his mind. Kwame had met Anima in university 13 years ago and they had been dating for almost 4 years before she suddenly disappeared without trace; not even a goodbye note or a phone call. He later heard that she had travelled abroad, thus cutting out her final year in school. Kwame was so devastated that he nearly didn’t make it for his final year exams. Several attempts to get an address or contact number also proved futile because her parents had moved from their residence at Dzorwulu.
Anima had simply disappeared into thin air! Kwame remembered the first time he set eyes on her at campus. She looked soo innocent and naïve; he had bumped into her at the lecture hall and in the process dropping all her books and mobile phone, which broke up into pieces when it hit the hard floor. She cried, claiming her dad was going to be very mad at her for destroying the phone. He assured her that he would replace it for her even though he did not own one himself. In those days owning a mobile phone was a luxury and only the rich and affluent kids at school owned such electronic gadgets, which they showed off as a sign of high status on campus.
Even though Anima came from a rich home, it never really showed due to the humility she exhibited at school. She never wanted anyone to know she came from a rich home. Her dad was the owner of a multi-million dollar manufacturing firm located at Tema with hundreds of workers. She always went for holidays abroad so she had very few friends until she came to campus to pursue a course of study in Finance and Administration. Her dad wanted her to study medicine overseas, but she insisted on studying in Ghana after her SSS examinations.
Kwame on the other hand came from a poor home. His dad was a driver working for SSNIT. He was the third child and only son out of five and he managed to make it to university because he had very good brains. He was the pride of his dad who could not make it to secondary school himself; hence he did everything within his means to get him to university to study law. Now he had become a managing partner of Wilberforce and Associates, one of the leading law firms in the country. He just sat there lost in his own thoughts. Kwame was married to Abena, also a lawyer at the same firm, but their marriage was already breaking at the seams after only six years. Between them, they had two boys and a girl.
His phone rang again and he frowned as he picked it up, then the frown fizzled out into a broad smile when he heard Animas voice at the other end. “Are you coming or what?” “Sure, I am on my way!” he replied. “Okay, I will be waiting” and then she hang up the phone.
Kwame quickly gulped up the last mouthful of Guinness stout and then left a crisp GHC5.00 note on the bar and told the bar man to keep the change as he dashed off. As he drove towards Dzorwulu, a thousand more memories of the past came flooding back to him again. He kept wondering why on earth Anima still had a hold on him after so long a time, not to mention the way she abandoned him without a single word. Suddenly he got angry and decided to make a u-turn and head for home; but then the thought of going back to his wife and her constant nagging immediately sent his courage ebbing with a shiver down his spine. Abena’s father was a senior partner and chairman of the law firm he worked for and infact, she had made it possible for Kwame to get employed at the firm after his national service, so he owed his success to her. The idea of a divorce was one of the last things that would ever cross his mind even though that was exactly what he wanted. He quickly changed his mind and continued to Anima’s place.
As he pulled up to the main gate, he saw the security man rush out to open it for him without even asking who he was. It was obvious the security man had been told to expect him. He drove into the house and parked behind a black C-Class series Mercedes Benz car. As he got out of the car, he saw a very attractive lady dressed in a black gown walking down the drive way towards him. This elegant lady was no other than Anima. Kwame’s heart missed a beat and he swallowed hard so as not to get chocked on his own saliva. “So you made it here at long last”, she said. “You are welcome Kwame dear, for a moment I thought you would not come”. “Why not, I wouldn’t miss anything for a chance to see you after all these years” Kwame replied.
“Gosh, you look stunning Anima!” he continued as he took her right hand and gave it a kiss. “You also look stunning and handsome yourself” she smiled back at him. “You haven’t changed a bit! Still the same handsome Kwame I used to date at university”. She led him up the drive way into the terrace, where they sat down and looked at each other for almost two minutes without saying a word. The silence was soo deafening that you could even hear a pin drop as the servant brought in some drinks on a serving tray. Anima took the tray from the servant and set it on the glass coffee table before Kwame. She asked Kwame what he would take and he mentioned a dry martini on rocks. She then poured a cognac for herself and sat beside him on the settee.
“I know I owe you a big explanation and I also know you are very mad at me for leaving you the way I did. Please find it in your heart to forgive me Kwame. Even if you don’t, I won’t blame you for that”. Kwame took a long swing at his martini and then put the glass down on the glass table with a tingling sound. “I forgive you; infact I did so long ago before I got married to Abena six years ago”. “But the question is this: Why have you suddenly come back into my life just when I was beginning to shed you off?” “You really hurt me very much, when you left me and it has taken me a long time to heal and mend the deep cut which you inflicted on my soul. Now here you are about to open that wound again. No, Anima this isn’t fair on me at all. You should not have done this to me at all”. As Kwame spoke these words, he got up to leave. Anima held his hand gently and beckoned him to sit down. “I know I hurt you very much, but please hear me out. Just listen to what I have to say to you.” She replied. “You see I wouldn’t have come looking for you if I hadn’t lost my dad. My mum is also ill and on admission in a hospital in London as I speak. Kwame I have come home to bury my dad and I really need your help”.
Kwame looked up at her in shock, and exclaimed. “Your dad is dead? When did this all happen? I am soo sorry to hear this. Please have my sincere condolence”. Anima broke down in tears and wept as Kwame held her in his arms to console her. “I won’t leave it all for you, count on me. I will help you bury your dad”. At these words, Anima stopped weeping and wiped her eyes and said, “You have always been the kind hearted guy I have always known since our school days. Thank you so much for opting to help me out. Infact, I had no where else to go!”. “You are a darling and a saviour!” she said. “So what happened?” Kwame asked.
Anima told Kwame how she had had to leave for London at very short notice because her dad had gotten to know about their relationship in school and how he had given her an ultimatum to either choose between remaining a daughter and becoming destitute. She told him she had no choice but to agree to his terms and relocate abroad with immediate effect. Her father sent her abroad to study and get groomed so that she could take over as CEO of the factory when she returned home. Now that her father was no more, she automatically becomes the new CEO of the company. She also explained to him how she refused to marry a business partner of her father 4 years ago and thus she was still single and available if he still wanted her. Kwame also lamented about the problems he was facing with his marriage to Abena and how getting a divorce was out of the question, because his father in law was a very powerful man who would go through all lengths to bring him down if he dared to do so. They sat and talked for a very long time reminiscing old times and also making plans for the funeral.
Kwame looked at his wrist watch and finally got up to leave. The time was way past 1am and he had to go to court the following morning, so he asked permission to leave. “I have to go now, tomorrow is a busy day for me” he told Anima. “Let me see you off” she replied, as she led him down the drive way towards his car. When they got to the car, Kwame opened the door and got in. Anima stood by the door and leaned into the car and spoke softly to him saying “my love to Abena and the kids” as she withdrew, Kwame suddenly held her face and looked deeply into her eyes and said, “You should at least have dropped me a note to tell me you were coming home” “Anyway, welcome back home and good night”. With these words, he kissed her on the cheek. “Is that the best you can do after not seeing me for soo long?” she asked. “You know I still do love you very much”. Kwame looked at her and smiled, then he replied saying “It’s not about Love; it’s about trust! I know you love me, but can I really trust you? Well, time will tell. We just have to wait and see. I will see you in the evening after work”.
He started the car, rolled up the glass and reversed out of the house onto the now quite and deserted street and drove off into the darkness of the night.
To be continued ...
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