Short Stories

TRINITY (TWENTY-FIVE)

2013-12-18T05:33:00.001-08:00

Then Akweley asked her what she had put into the drink. Now that she thought about it, Akwei opened the wine with ease. He was only interested in having a taste of the wine. If he had been a bit inquisitive as to how a full bottle of wine could be unscrewed easily, he would have been saved from whatever Adjeley had put into it.

‘Come on girls, it’s just Mist Sennaco! Don’t look at me like I tried to kill him? Only I didn't know that he was going to finish the whole bottle today. But that can’t be my fault.’

‘How much of it did you put into the bottle?’ Adoley asked.

‘Hmm….pretty much of everything?’ she said squinting and added ‘I wanted to punish for everything that he did to me and since you girls couldn't come up with any reasonable suggestion, I came up with this. At least it’s better than beating him.’

They listened to her attentively. She was right. They had not been able to come up with a good plan. The only problem with her plan was that if he continued to run for a number of days he might die if he didn't seek help quickly. It was funny what she had done but on the other hand very dangerous. The laxative,mist sennaco was a substance that promoted bowel movements either by irritating the lower colon or by bulking the stool.

They didn't want to argue with her furthermore. The harm had already been done and he could be cured. The thought of him rushing in and out of lavatory made her laugh. That couldn't make up for all the years of pain that she had felt but for some reason, she was relieved and had no intention of ever going back to him.

She realized she didn't feel the same way, just pity.Their next stop was James town. Though the initial plan was for Akweley to go and stay for a while, her reason for going there was because of her friends and since they had found her, she had no reason of going back. Only she wanted to check out the place once more and they had agreed to go with her for old time’s sake.

As she drove through the streets, they noticed that the place was still the same with the exception of some few changes. There was still the lighthouse though but the streets had been tarred and the place was livelier as children roamed around whiles others played. She parked and they got out of the car and just walked around so they could have a better view of things.
They soon joined a group of people who stood around in circle as they watched some kids boxed.

They each wore the thick padded glove which had been tied at their wrist and was worn by boxers for fighting. As they fought, the people around cheered. Adoley made a pick on who was going to win and she was right. The young boy fought very well causing the opponent to quit was thus judged defeated.

They walked slowly to the beach when the boxing was over. The place was not how they pictured it would be but most people had used cement blocks and thus brought down the woods and just a handful had maintained the wooden structures.

As soon as they got to the beach, Adoley received a call. When she was done, she announced that it was Michael. She had agreed to meet up with him again. They were happy for her. The water was turquoise where it was shallow and royal blue in the deep. Fishermen casted their net and sang vigorously. They could hear only few gentle sounds, the whoosh coming from the turning waves. The women stood at the exact spot they had met years back. The calm peaceful sea stretched as far as they could see.

The air was scented by fishes being roasted and the glittering, golden rays of heat warmed them from the cool coast breeze which hit them. Akweley stole a glance at her friends and smiled. They brought new meaning to the word friendship. She said to both of them still looking at the sea

‘Friends might come and go in your life, they might make you laugh and cry, but most importantly of all they love you for who you are. It doesn't matter what a person looks like or what kind of clothes they wear, but it's what's on the inside that counts and It's the actions they take, no matter how big or small, to show you how much they love you... You girls are the best.’

They held hands but didn't move. Then Adoley said teasingly

‘We can remain friends so long as Adjeley doesn't involve us when she gets arrested for poisoning.’

Instead Adjeley replied and told her ‘My being Friends with you is probably the most important relationship i will have in my life. Many of my favorite memories include times we have spent as friends.I love you too Adoley’.

‘Hey…what about me?’ Akweley inquired.

‘And you too my dear’ Adjeley added then they all burst out with laughter.

THE END!!!

TRINITY (TWENTY-FOUR)

2013-11-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

Adoley burst out laughing. They had remained close pals after so many years and as the days went by, their friendship and love for each other grew in spite of everything. They were best friends but more like sisters. For them it was like a triangle, just the three of them against the world. When the laughter seized, they left Adoley’s room and went into their separate rooms to sleep.

The next day they all woke up refreshed. Akweley had earlier on suggested that they go back to James town to check out the place once more. They would also pay Akwei a surprise visit in his house. Each was determined to face their problem squarely. Akweley had promised not to remain uptight. Adoley made breakfast. They headed off straight to Akwei’s house.

He sat on a rickety chair on the porch and held a magazine. Adjeley was indifferent. He kept fidgeting with the magazine as he spoke to them and welcomed them to his home.

Apparently he had nothing to do as his children were being taken care of. The house looked really messy. There was dust everywhere especially on the nets that Adoley put on a frown and pushed Adjeley away from her.

She fell on the tiles and was attached to the windows. The floor looked like it had not been cleaned for months.

He apologized for not being able to send them inside as there was no woman to take care of his house. They just watched him. Adjeley grabbed a bench and they sat down. He asked them what brought them to him.

Adjeley was quick to reply. She told him that she had come to the neighborhood and thought it wise to see how he was faring like she cared. He expressed his gratitude and went on and on about how happy he was to see her again, and hoped that she would come back to him. The very idea made her sick to her stomach.

Adjeley didn’t say much to him. She just nodded at him and occasionally shook her head when he told them about how happy they used to be. She had already informed them about how much of a sweet talker he was.

When he tried to sound funny, they would look at Adjeley and laugh in unison. Akwei felt proud for he was doing quite well with entertaining his guests. He offered to buy them drinks but Adjeley insisted that they wanted nothing. She however got him a wine he really liked. She took it out of her bag and handed it over to him.

He wasted no time in opening the bottle. He grabbed a cup from a table beside him and cleaned it up using his hands. He blew air into it three times and poured the French wine into it. He gulped down half of the content before he placed down the cup.

He smiled and thanked Adjeley for the wine. All he could afford now was the local gin, akpeteshie and he was not ashamed to admit that. He knew Adjeley was pretending to be nice because of the friends that came along. He didn’t believe that they would just show up in his house without a purpose but as it were, they were having a good conversation; only he was doing all the talking whiles they giggled and watched him drink.

Whichever way he was glad he had company. He didn’t realize what he had till he lost everything and had become very lonely.

In a matter of minutes, Akwei had drunk half of the content. He emptied the bottle and handed it over to Adoley and said ‘here, have a glug of the wine’

but she declined and asked that they leave with the excuse of meeting up with somebody. She was not too happy that they couldn’t do anything to punish him. She had not reported him either so there was not much they could do.

When they left the house, Akweley burst out laughing. She sat in the driver’s seat and sighed. They joined her in her car and Adjeley asked why she laughed.

‘I didn’t believe that was you over there. I didn’t expect you to be quiet….the normally talkative champion refused to utter a word but in sign language’ she said amidst laughter and Adoley joined in.

Adjeley shook her head and smiled. If only they knew what she had done. Akweley stopped and watched her through the rearview mirror. She had that impish look and Akweley could sense that there was something she was not telling them.

‘What did you do?’ she queried firmly

‘Nothing that would get us into serious trouble’ she replied and smiled

Adoley looked a bit confused. She turned and looked at Adjeley who sat at the back. They both had their eyes on her now. She didn’t know what they went on about but whatever it was, it was obvious that she was also involved somehow. They waited for her to say something but she didn’t so Adoley asked her again. She was becoming impatient.

‘Ok fine…I may have slipped a little something into the drink.’ Adjeley finally said and their response came almost immediately in unison.

‘What! ? Are you crazy?’ and they gawped at each other and smiled.

TRINIRT (TWENTY-THREE)

2013-11-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

‘Are you sure you are just going to cook for the stranger in that dress? He can rape you in this dress and you have made it easier. He would either pull it up or tear it into pieces with ease…for crying out loud, this dress is too nice’ Adjeley blurted out.

‘He is not a stranger…don’t call him that! He is my friend now so you better get use to the fact that you may be seeing him around a lot and this is the only dress I have with me here so I won’t go in and change if that’s what you want’

‘I’m sorry I have to agree with Adjeley this time. The dress is a little too much. He would take that as an invitation plus this is the second day, don’t be too sure he would stick around for a long time. And please I know you are excited but I hope you don’t try to speed things up. Don’t be fooled by appearances I don’t want you to get hurt.’ Akweley also said to her before she left the house.

Adoley came back late a bit late. She joined them in Akweley’s room. They were talking when she got in but became silent as if they were waiting for her to give them details of how the cooking went there and then. She jumped onto the bed and told them everything that happened. She cooked, they ate and talked and that was it.

‘At least he didn’t rape me’ she added and giggled.

Adjeley ignored that comment and rather asked ‘Are you sure that was all that transpired?...i know you are hiding something so spill it out’

Adoley got up walked to the door then told them ’Ok fine, he kissed me and I loved it!’ she then hurried out of the room before they could say anything else. He had planted a kiss on her lips after he thanked her for preparing his food.

She was startled but when she finally responded to the kiss, she felt good only she couldn’t look him in the eyes and left his house immediately. Just then Akweley walked in on her and sat on the bed. The news didn’t sit well with her.

If she really loved it like she had said, she would have stayed with them. She wanted to hear everything. It was obvious Adoley didn’t want to talk about it but she would rather talk to her than Adjeley so she also sat down beside her. She began to explain how everything went.

‘It was fine till he kissed me and I runned out of the house. He must think that I’m a freak especially after he called me back but I didn’t turn…I couldn’t even face him. What is wrong with me? She asked in tears.

Akweley hugged her firmly. It was clear that she was already in love with the guy and wanted to hold back. She tried to console her. Adjeley soon joined them in the room. She began to hum a tune they couldn’t make out and giggled. Akweley was still holding unto Adoley who was now sobbing.

She didn’t bother to look up at her because she knew she was only there to tease her. Akweley didn’t waste time and asked her to keep her nose out of it and instead Adjeley knelt down in front of them and said

‘Don’t worry about my calling you a slut earlier. You know how I like to get on your nerves. He likes you…that I can say. The way he looked at you when he saw you. My husband used to look at me like that…when we fell in love of course. Just be careful and pick up when he tries to reach you ok?’

Akweley was happy that Adjeley didn’t come in to worsen her plight. This was the nicest thing she had said since they got into her house. She smiled at her and Adoley feeling much better wiped away the tears from her eyes. She sighed and pulled Adjeley closer to her and kissed her forehead. Akweley inquired about how they could spend the next day.

‘I think Adjeley should face up to her husband. In fact we should pay him a visit and beat the devil out of him. The three of us…what do you think?’ Adoley suggested.

‘Not that I am in support of violence, but that man should be taught a lesson. How about you pretend that there’s a fly on his cheek so you slap him…hmm just once please’ Akweley added trying to sound funny and they all laughed.

Adjeley cleared her throat and said ‘So you girls want to put me on the spot now. That’s no problem at all but we would have to pass by Michael’s house first so he shows me the mask he had on his face which scared my best friend here’

TRINITY (TWENTY-TWO)

2013-10-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

Akweley woke up the next morning quite late. She had her shower before getting out of the room. She raced into the kitchen as she smelt something burning but Adjeley was already there putting off the fire.

The kitchen reeked of smoke.Apparently, Adjeley left the leftover that she took from the meal they had at the beach on the stove and went ahead to have her bath and now the food was burnt. Adoley was nowhere to be found and so was Akweley’s Bmw car key. Left them wondering where she could have gone to.

Adjeley walked in on her hugging her pillow. She yelled out for Akweley to come quick. She had been lost in her thought and the fact that Adjeley stood in front of her laughing hysterically made her feel uncomfortable.

She got up and pushed her out of the room and locked the door behind her. She heard Adjeley telling Akweley what she saw and what she was probably thinking about.

They stood behind her door and teased her for a while but she didn’t open up for them so they left her alone.Adoley came back to the house an hour later. She had gone to a nearby supermarket to get them some foodstuff.

She was glowing and ignored Adjeley when she inquired about the time that she left the house. She packed the foodstuff on the shelf and Akweley offered to make them breakfast. They stood and watched on. Then Adjeley asked

‘Why are you all dressed up if you just went out to buy foodstuff?’

Adoley sighed knowing that Adjeley would bug her till she knew the truth. She grinned and told them that she went out with Michael to the supermarket. He had called her in the evening and they had talked about the fact that there was nothing at home. He insisted that they go together since he also needed some things for his house.

‘I also offered to cook him a meal …since there was nobody to do that for him?’

Adjeley retorted ‘You could have as well agreed to sleep with him!...what is wrong with you? We met the guy just yesterday and you are already throwing yourself at him. He must think you are cheap’

Adoley walked out of the kitchen. She was not upset by her utterance, she left because she felt the same way but she couldn’t help it. She felt the need to help him out with the cooking when he told her that he couldn’t cook.

He seemed like a nice person. But Adjeley followed her to the hall and went on to lecture. Adoley just gazed at her and said nothing. When she finally spoke she asked her

‘What do you suppose I do? Tell him I cannot make it? Or I have an idea…i would call and tell him that you think I’m a slut for agreeing to cook for him in his house. How about that’

‘I think that is a good idea’ Akweley chipped in as she put the breakfast on the table and asked that they join her. They ate the breakfast in silence till Adjeley asked

‘So when is the chef going to cook for the stranger?

‘Your being sarcastic would not help…and as for your question, I told him I was free this afternoon….’

‘Oh my gosh…you are such a slut. Are you that desperate?’ Adjeley exclaimed.

Akweley told her she didn’t see anything wrong with going to cook for Michael but rather asked that she be careful. She was a big girl and could take care of herself. She believed they were making a fuss out of nothing.

Michael on the other hand was a real gentleman and he had assured her that he would behave himself. They watched a movie and when it was over, Adoley went in to dress up. She wore a straight dress which was down to her knee.

The way the sequenced fabric flowed was elegant. It was flawless and fitted her body perfectly bringing out her curves. Adoley was dressed to kill.She wore her heels and stepped out of her room.She had bought just two dresses to complement the jeans and shirts she had brought.

When she got to the hall, she got the audience she hoped for but then Adjeley eyed her and she knew that Adjeley would not let her leave in peace so she asked

‘Ok…now what did I do this time?’

TRINITY (TWENTY-ONE)

2013-10-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

The welcoming ambience in the room changed when she walked into the hall and tried to put on her best performance. She had warned Akweley to stay away from them a long time ago because she had thought that they would influence her life negatively.

She didn’t like them and now that they were seated in her hall, she was more irate. Mr. Tetteh knew that his wife was not so comfortable with their coming to her house. She had not prepared for an extra mouth but as it was, she would have to make do with what she had made.Akweley and her friends sensed the tension in the room and also became uneasy.

Mrs. Tetteh welcomed that into her home and requested that Mansa served them drinks but then Adoley repudiated the offer and thanked her although she knew that it was not the best, either way she couldn’t stop herself.

It was obvious that Mrs. Tetteh didn’t want them in her house. There was no need for her to try and be nice to them when she would rather scream and order them out. She had called her daughter and they tagged along.

Mrs. Tetteh was fuming and couldn’t hide it anymore. She rolled her eyes in silent disbelief, took in a deep breath and asked Adoley with contempt in her voice and at the same time trying to keep her composure and make it sound funny

‘I hope that you are not in any way thinking that I would poison you?’

‘Would you?’ Adoley asked but didn’t wait for a reply and continued ‘I really don’t want to be disrespectful but now that we are here ,I am sorry but I have to ask… could you please tell us what exactly we did for you to hate us this much… even after so many years ?’

The room became silent. Adoley had caught everyone by surprise. Akweley shot a glance at her and she shrugged. Mr. Tetteh had no intention of intervening. He had supported his wife on everything but like Adoley, he also wanted to know the answer to the same question.

They were her only friends and Akweley didn’t turn out so bad and they also looked like they were doing very well with the exception of Adjeley’s top which was quiet revealing.

Mrs. Tetteh was appalled. The question had never been asked before and now that she thought about it she couldn’t point out the real reason behind her attitude towards them.

She cleared her throat and began ‘Well I never liked the two of you…especially you’ she said looking at Adoley and ignored her as she had raised an eyebrow then added ‘now that I think about it, I really don’t know why but at a point I thought it was because you would be influencing her life negatively. You know what ….let’s forget about everything.Im sorry for my behavior. Akweley really likes you and I guess I would have to live with that.

Akweley was glad that the air had been cleared but before she could say anyt hing her mother cut in again and said to Adoley

‘Now that we have settled everything…let this be the last time you talk to me like that and as for you Adjeley…don’t come back to my house dressed like this…you hear? And since you were not really invited, we would have to make do of the little here and woe be unto to if you refuse this food’

They all laughed. Mr. Tetteh, delighted that the issue had been settled went in and brought out a bottle of wine to celebrate what he called the reunion. They chit chatted for a while. Adoley was stunned at how nice Akweley’s mum was since she had only portrayed her hostile side and smiled at that thought that the woman could actually laugh.

They left when the sun was down. Akweley drove slowly back to her house and Adjeley went on and on over how excited she was that they had made peace with Mrs. Tetteh and as usual Akweley and Adoley listened and that continued till they got to the house.

Adoley laid down and thought about Michael. He was very charming. She needed a strong man to take care of her and couldn’t stop thinking about how good looking he was and how he could really make her laugh .Adoley had a good memory for faces.

She pictured him standing before her. His eyes; his icy blue eyes were sensuous and radiant, a head taller than she was and undeniably a true gentleman with a pleasant and respectable persona. She smiled to herself when She remembered his touch. Her ear ring fell on the floor and they both bent down to pick it up and that was when he held her hand.She felt a shiver through her spine.

TRINITY (TWENTY)

2013-10-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

They both laughed after she was done with what Akweley thought was a speech. Akweley poured the alcohol into the cup and handed it over to her. She gulped it down and took in a deep breath. Adjeley knew that she had to calm down so she closed her eyes for few seconds, opened them and looked at Akweley and smiled.

Before she could say anything else, Akweley began to tell her about all what she had been through. It all summed up to her being very lonely. She knew somehow that Adjeley may not understand her for she thought that she had everything figured out.

‘Life is meaningless if you have everything and yet you do not have anybody to share it with and of course a mother to remind you of that every chance she gets’

Akweley closed her eyes and continued ‘the warmth of man’s body wrapped you, the sound of hearing how he appreciates, loves and cares for you…but all the men I have met so far have disappointed me and though I feel the need to be alone at times I still can’t help it..I need love!’

Akweley added almost too loud.

Adjeley shook her head. She didn’t want to believe that Akweley lacked anything at all. Everything seemed fine and her statement now baffled her for she had always wanted to be like her and as hard as she tried, like steps, whenever she took one step, Akweley would be three steps ahead of her.

Hearing this however didn’t make her feel any better. What Adoley had said about her was the truth. She was envious and was still not convinced because like Akweley, there were many women out there who had power and money but they were not complaining or so she thought.

Adoley joined them after a while. She was still beaming with smiles. They bombarded her with questions and she laughingly dismissed the questions and changed the subject. She began to talk about how hungry she was getting and asked if they should order snacks. Adjeley was becoming impatient and asked her to at least tell them his name. She did that with excitement in her voice. She told them

‘His name is Michael and he is an engineer….he came back from the united states a few weeks ago and he is funny…I like him’

When she was done, Adjeley asked again ‘Is that all?...you were laughing the whole time…what did he say that was so hilarious?’

Adoley took in a deep breath then said ‘Like I said he is a funny guy….I don’t remember all what he said but he told me this serious but very funny joke about the plane crash that happened just this year.’

They both gave her the look that meant that they wanted to hear it too. So she continued ‘well he said that….another way of crossing the road in Ghana. Look left, look right, look left again and look up maybe there was a plane about to land.’

They all laughed. It was indeed funny but then again they thought that other people would not find it so considering the fact that about ten people died. They soon ordered for lunch. When they were done eating, Akweley asked if they could go back home.

A few minutes after they left however, Mrs. Tetteh called and asked her to come home immediately. She began to explain that she had company but the line was already dead. Her mother was going to be really shocked when she sees them in her house.

Akweley drove them straight to her mother’s house. She honked a few times before the gateman opened up for them. He expressed his apologies and blamed it on Mansa who had kept him indoors with the intention of giving him food. Of course Akweley didn’t wait to hear all that. She drove past him and parked. They all got out and Mr. Tetteh came out to meet them.

He smiled and shook both women and welcomed them to his house. He then led them inside and offered them a seat. He went inside to inform his wife that Akweley was in. At first he wanted her to be surprised like he was but on second thought he decided to tell her himself. He told her

‘Just so you know….Adoley and Adjeley came with your daughter…you do remember that they are her best friends right? Be nice’ he added

TRINITY (NINETEEN)

2013-09-24T06:02:00.002-07:00

With this, Akweley looked away and knew that it was about to turn to a heated argument but surprisingly Adjeley became quiet and looked rather sad. She had been hit at the right spot and was wounded. She gulped down her drink and started out to the beach. Adoley screamed at her to stop because she was not going to save her this time.

Adjeley didn’t look back. She just walked on quickening her steps. For the first time in Adoley’s life, she had been approached by a man who didn’t see her two lovely friends; just her and this had to happen. She became sad and asked the man who was still holding onto her hands to let go of her.

Adoley chased after her not knowing what to say but she knew she just had to catch up with her before she did something silly. She yelled out her name but Adjeley still walked on and choked but controlled it.

She hadn’t felt like that since she left her husband, didn’t want to weep but the heartache was too much for her to bear and shuddered. She knelt down for several minutes before Adoley caught up with her.

Adoley also knelt before her; she had tears in her eyes. Adjeley looked straight into her face but she didn’t say anything and began to sob. Adoley hugged her tight but she remained rigid. After some time she rubbed her eyes again and again as if she had not wanted Adoley to see her cry.

They just knelt down facing each other like two kids praying as she tried hard to force down the tears .Akweley walked slowly towards them. She turned and caught the eye of the gentleman that was in the middle of the spat. He looked intently at them.

He didn’t seem pleased with the turn of events but filled with awe, he gazed as Akweley joined and the women hugged .he didn’t want to leave without talking to Adoley so he sat down watching and hoped that he would get a second chance with her. He thought that she was the most beautiful woman that he had seen. The other ladies were equally beautiful but one look at her and his heart began to beat.

They said nothing. Akweley got up and helped both of them up. Adjeley who was no longer crying took in a deep breath, looked at Adoley and smiled. She began to say something but Adoley cut in and said

‘I’m very sorry, I shouldn’t have uttered those hurtful words…..I didn’t mean them’.

Adjeley smiled at her again which indicated that she was ok. She held Adoley’s hand and beckoned her to go back to the man. She hugged her once more and left and the two followed her. Akweley was glad that the issue didn’t blow out of proportion.

They had settled it quite easily. As they got back to their seats, Adjeley still was all smiles and she wondered what could possibly make her behave like the way she was now.

She was tempted to ask her why but then again she didn’t want to drag the matter so stayed quite. When it was evident that Akweley was not going to say anything to her, Adjeley cleared her throat and said

‘You know what…after all these years, It was Adoley who had to remind me of who I really was and not you’ she laughed but Akweley just looked at her with blank expression then she continued

‘Why did you have to be so perfect?’ she asked

Akweley was taken aback and she raised an eyebrow. Her initial reaction to the question was ‘huh…what the fuck are you talking about?’ she was shocked at this pronouncement and instead she also asked Adjeley another question almost immediately

‘Ha…So you think that I am perfect...do you know how long I have suffered?

Adjeley was quick to reply. She said ‘you think having rich parents, good education, great job and a very bright future is suffering? Oh how I wish I could be suffering the same fate as you. I would be suffering right now in your beautiful house on that hill….I would be suffering driving that very expensive car and walking into my office and have people obey my every wish. If that is your definition for suffering..Oh my God please let me suffer!!’

TRINITY (EIGHTEEN)

2013-09-19T09:19:00.002-07:00

She smiled at herself. When she was done she went into Akweley’s room to persuade them to get out of the house. She was not too hungry. The truth was that after the confession she made about her abusive husband, she became uncomfortable and thought that though they were not saying anything, they could be judging her in their minds. She didn’t want them to think that she was falling apart.

Both women knew her to be very strong so she didn’t like the fact that they had caught her crying. They were up and dressing when she got in. There was no need for her to coax them into joining her.

Adoley wanted to wear a pair of jeans but then again, with Adjeley giving her that look, she put it back and picked up a straight dress. Adjeley cleared her throat and before she could utter anything Adoley burst into tears and asked her

‘’You don’t suppose that I dress like a prostitute because I want people to see me for who I am?’’

Adjeley was surprise at the sudden outburst. She didn’t mean to get her upset. She didn’t know Adoley could even cry .well she did want her to put the jeans away for a while but not to make her cry? Akweley just ignored them and went ahead to put her powder on her face.

Adjeley who was waiting for her to say something to save the situation as she always did but didn’t realized that Akweley had ignored her tantrums since they came.

‘’Are you not going to say anything?...ask her to ignore my comments?...anything? And what’s with the makeup. Have you had your bath? Oh I forgot…it’s called polish over dirt!’ she said grinning.

Akweley announced that she was done. She commended Adoley for choosing a nice and decent outfit. It was a light green straight dress that fit her revealing her shape. Adjeley knew what that meant but she was not ready to change her outfit.

They joined Akweley in her car and she drove them to a restaurant. They had breakfast but didn’t say much then decided to spend some time at the beach so Akweley drove them to the Korle beach. The three sat and watched the sea and Adoley chortled.

‘’I just remembered the day I saved Adjeley from drowning….hmmm and I’m thinking why I didn’t leave her to drown. She wouldn’t have been a thong in my flesh by now.’ she told Akweley whiles Adjeley looked on and smiled. She chose to ignore the comment.

Adoley brought out a bottle of vodka she had in her bag. She didn’t care if they chastised her, instead Akweley asked for a cup and she brought out some plastic cups she had brought along. She poured it and passed it on. Akweley did same and when she handed it over to Adjeley who contemplated for few seconds but then again she took hold of the bottle and poured it.

‘’What a fine looking gentleman’’ Adjeley said looking over at her shoulders. They turned to look and he was indeed fine and headed towards them when he saw Adoley stealing a glance at him. When he approached them, he grabbed a chair and sat down right in front of Adoley who became uncomfortable and started to blush.

He looked straight into the eyes of Adoley who also looked away but smiled. He was tall; really tall and buff. He held her hands and kissed it. Akweley giggled then Adjeley said hello to him as she didn’t like to be ignored. The gentleman said hello to them still looking at Adoley.

‘Can I talk to this stunning woman here alone for a while’ he said as he pulled her up. Adoley was all smiles. He was being dramatic and that made her happy. They walked a few steps away and they heard Adjeley yell something, it was faint and Adoley was glad that he didn’t hear but then he stopped and asked her to repeat what she said again. Akweley frowned but it didn’t stop her at all.

‘’I said my friend talks in her sleep’’ Adoley’s heart began to beat and when Adjeley realized that what she just said infuriated Adoley so much, she added

‘’And I forgot to mention that she is a lesbian!’’

Akweley poured the vodka on her face as Adjeley pouted that the whole thing wasn’t fair. She had been the one to notice the man but Akweley told her that if she had not dressed up like a whore, the man would have noticed her instead.

The man was able to calm Adoley down as she was very much embarrassed by her friend’s altercation. The man pulled her furthermore away from where Adjeley was sitting. Before they could leave, Adoley who had tried so hard to condone Adjeley’s foolishness couldn’t hold it anymore so she yelled back at her and said

‘It’s not my fault you always want something and be something that clearly you are not and would never be. I hope you have forgotten your real name….AKOSUA!’

TRINITY (SEVENTEEN)

2013-09-19T09:12:00.001-07:00

Akweley exploded with laughter. She had always thought her problem to be bigger.Her mother,Mrs Tetteh needed to hear this, she said to them as they sat on the bed more confused. She got up again and began to pace in the room.

Adoley who got impatient got hold of her so that she could stand still. She stood in front of Akweley for a while and when Adoley was sure that she had calmed down a bit, she went back to the bed. Akweley who began to say something stopped.

Then she joined them on the bed and smiled at Adjeley who tried to get on the nerves of Adoley by moving away from her as if to say she didn’t want to be touched by a lesbian. Adoley who had figured that out chuckled.

‘’I think that we have been cursed…..we have all been successful but somehow we are all not happy’’ Akweley told them. With this Adjeley with stern eyes looked and pointed at Adoley and said

‘’That is ridiculous because you of all people should know that is not true…however, if indeed we have been cursed, I believe you and I know whose fault it is…our dear lesbian friend here’

Adoley giggled and said ’’You dolt….you think you can get me angry? Try harder and by the way Akweley has no problems she lives in a beautiful house surrounded with nice people and rich parents. As far as I know she doesn’t have any problem! And she is part of the chain. I think we are created the problems on our own’’

Akweley admitted that she thought she had a problem till she heard their stories. She told them about how she had lived a life of solitude. No man to call her own. The room became silent for a while. Adoley began to scratch her back but before Adjeley could say anything she gave her a look that indicated a warning.

Adjeley moved away and Akweley laid in the middle so they wouldn’t quarrel. The two had always been like this but Akweley knew they loved each other. It was almost five in the morning but none was feeling sleepy.

They laid still on the bed. Akweley asked that they each tried to sleep for a little while since they had a new day ahead of them. Adoley forced a smile and closed her eyes. Her plight wouldn’t let her sleep. For as soon as her eyes were closed, she pictured people pointing accusing fingers at her.

There were so many of them she could hardly breathe. They came closer and closer and she kept moving backwards but she was surrounded. She knelt down and held her face. She tried to cover her ears but they were too loud.

They kept repeating the same thing over and over again and soon it was as if they were chanting ‘(Leviticus 18:22)’ over and over again. she started to cry. It was a verse from the bible. Her heart was racing fast .she shook violently and yelled out so loud both Akweley and Adjeley quaked.

When they became calmed Akweley put an arm on her shoulder. Adoley was still trembling with fear. She kept repeating the words

‘’it’s not true….I am not a lesbian. Believe me!!’’ she said as she rocked back and forth.

Adjeley shook her head and went back to sleep. She was thinking about her own mess too, only she wished that she had the life Akweley was living now. It looked so peaceful and thought she had told them that she had problems too, it didn’t look like it. She had nearly fallen asleep but with the turn of events, she could no longer do it. She got up from the bed and walked to the kitchen.

Akweley sat up and watched as Adjeley left the room .she wondered what could be going on in her head. The two have gone through enough traumas and Akweley wished she knew of what could cheer them up. Adjeley returned and announced

‘’I forgot we were living in an empty house….can we go and grab breakfast out?...I’m famished!!’’

Almost immediately, Adoley burst out ‘’it’s only 7:00am for God’s sake!! Can you please let us rest for a little while?’’

Adjeley didn’t say anything more. She went to her own room and washed her face then changed her clothes. She wore a pencil skirt with a black see-through lacey top which revealed her flat tummy and the color of her bra. She searched for her makeup bag but couldn’t find it and luckily she found a red lipstick which she applied on her full lips.

TRINITY (SIXTEEN)

2013-09-19T04:34:00.001-07:00

Adjeley loved to talk about everything so it was unusual that she was behaving like this. She closed her eyes and still wouldn’t sleep. She sat on the bed and looked at her friend who laid still.

Somehow she knew Adjeley would tell her everything when she was ready. She just needed to gather her thoughts so she wouldn’t bug her.Adoley’s room was opposite Akweley’s master bedroom. She had heard Akweley ask Adjeley to come into her room.

She couldn’t sleep as well. She turned thirty-two a few months back. And even though she had accomplished her desire of becoming a well-known beautician, she had nobody, or that was what she told people. Her father had pushed her away and as her mother had died from cancer, she considered herself as being an orphan.

She didn’t have children of her own and she had pushed all the men who wanted her away by being a tom boy. The truth was that she was afraid to end up like her mother who was never treated well by her father and since she didn’t want to go through that she had refused all her suitors thinking she was better off alone.

Adoley had however dated a few men because she wanted to have fun but broke it off whenever she felt the relationship was becoming too intense. Her actions now tortured her as she had been branded by some people as a lesbian. Her way of dressing and talking and how she treated men in general had been the reason.

Some other women had gone ahead to ask her out and she felt disgusted. There was no way she was going to involve herself in that act she had thought to herself. The reason why she also needed a break was the fact that people had started to point accusing fingers at her and she felt embarrassed.

Adoley didn’t want the false news about her to spread any longer so moving away from the area for a while was her best option. She didn’t want to tell them because she felt there was no need to but it was eating her up and though She tried to force herself to sleep, it was to no avail.

She got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. She pulled a towel and dipped it into a bucket of water which she used to clean her face, neck ,arms and armpit and went back to bed again but still couldn’t sleep. She got up and went out of the room.

She stood by Akweley’s door for a minute and turned to leave, but changed her mind and went back to knock. Akweley asked her in and she crawled on the bed and laid in-between them. Her bed was big enough and when Adoley laid down, Adjeley turned to look at her and smiled. Akweley shook her head as she thought that Adjeley had been able to fall asleep.

‘’I hope I didn’t wake you up’’ Adoley said to her and noticed that she had tears in her eyes so she turned to Akweley and asked

‘’why is Adjeley crying…What did you say to her?’

Akweley shrugged indicating that she didn’t know anything about it the three women sat on the bed and she arranged the pillow on the bed to make them feel comfortable. There was not much to say as they have been chatting all evening.

As they sat there Akweley thought about her plight. She had let go of the man she truly loved for fear that he may not return which would break her heart. She began to think if she had done the right thing for the first time.

Adjeley broke the silence amidst tears and sobs. She told them how her husband treated her over the years. Akweley and Adoley were shocked to the bone. Akweley got up from the bed. This is what she had hated most, men who beat their wives.

Adoley had heard stories of such incidence on television but not from somebody close to her. She devised a plan in her mind on how to get back at the wife beater. Adjeley was crying uncontrollably so both girls hugged her tight. After her cries dyed down, Adoley also broke the silence with her problem bluntly

‘’I have been branded a lesbian because I don’t entertain men’’

They broke away from her and look at each other’s face. Adjeley forgot about her problem instantly. Akweley knew that Adoley was a tom boy but that was not enough reason for people to think of her as a lesbian.

‘’Do I look like a lesbian’’ Adoley asked rather calmly.

‘’How the hell are we supposed to know that?’’ Adjeley blurted out as her lips could never be bottomed.

‘’You twerp!!...at least I don’t allow any man to beat me up like I’m nothing"!! Adoley growled

TRINITY(FIFTEEN)

2013-02-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

She was now thirty one and was already separated from him. He was very loving at first and she had fallen for his good looks. She gave birth to her first child at the age of sixteen. That was just two years after Aku had left James town. She felt a bit lonely as she was more close to Aku than Adoley .

She found solace in the arms of Akwei who treated her well till she got pregnant then the problems started. He was five years older than she was and had nothing. A drop out from school and was learning a trade. He would beat her up mercilessly at the slightest provocation. She ended up with her mother a few times but she was soon sent packing back to Akwei’s house.

They would live peacefully for a while and the trouble would start again. She always ended with wounds all over her body mostly her face. Her face as always seen swollen and some people gossiped about her in the area about how the husband had charmed her since she always came back to endure the same things over and over again.

They saw her as a fool and some even thought that was her usual face and got tired of talking to her about leaving him.Adjeley began to cry as she looked around the room. If she had been patient, she would have also been able to do well for herself instead of starting a family that quick.

The reason why she always went back was fear of not being noticed by another man since she already had two children and most of all she didn’t want her children to grow up without a man. They had not moved out of James town and she needed a strong arm in raising the children.
She couldn’t take it any longer.

He was unemployed but chased everything in skirt. She had started her small business in front of his house so whenever they had a quarrel, she would go back to the business then to him automatically. She gathered money and when her trouble with Akwei erupted again, Adjeley travelled to china without his knowledge and even her parents didn’t know her whereabouts. She called her mother after a month and told her where she was.

Her business had flourished just one year after she had disappeared and was free to do what she wanted. Adjeley was able to get three more stores with the help of Adoley and always stocked it with goods from United Kingdom and Dubai. She also got custody of her children. She had to give them to her mother because of the way she travelled out of the country.

She was always busy but somehow was not satisfied since she now had no man to call her own. She knew no other man than Akwei but he didn’t make her happy.
She was also worried about her children who didn’t see her often. She needed a break away from everything to think about her life so when Adoley brought up the idea of visiting Aku, she was very happy and didn’t refute the idea.

They were all together now but she still felt alone. Perhaps it was because she had been left all alone in the room. Adjeley tossed and turned on the bed. Her thoughts were filled with a man who abused her physically

. She remembered how she always screamed and cried for help whenever he started the act. She needed to get him out of her mind. She got up from the bed, looked on the mirror on the wall and said aloud as she tried to convince herself.

‘Adjeley …get a hold of yourself. You should be able to get him out of your mind!!….he is not worth your tears and you are still beautiful’’

She heard a voice behind the door asking her if she was okay. It was Aku. She wanted to make sure that her friend was comfortable. Adjeley told her she was fine so Aku left for Adoley’s door who also yelled back that she was fine as well. Aku went back to her room and pondered over her friends.

She had heard Adjeley say something as she passed by her door to make sure all doors were locked but it was faint that was why she asked. She heard a faint knock on her door and asked the person in. It was Adjeley.

She had changed into a night gown and when she approached her bed she smiled and admitted that she couldn’t sleep. Aku therefore asked if she would be comfortable sharing her bed and she gave her a nod and laid down. They had not done this in a while and it felt awkward. They faced each other and Aku broke the silence

‘’what is wrong?...Do you want to talk about it?

Adjeley turned her back at her which meant she was not in the mood to talk about the issue that bothered her. Aku sigh deeply and she also turned to the other side. Adjeley pretended to have slept off but Aku who couldn’t laid there in silence.

TRINITY (FOURTEEN)

2013-02-07T07:07:00.001-08:00

The look on Aku’s face made Adjeley laugh as Adoley was already wiping tear drops from her eye. She shook her head and just stared at Adjeley. She then asked her if that was the only way she could describe her. But Adjeley retorted and told her that was description was the best way people could identify her with.

She was hoping that she could be wrong but it appeared that she still remained rigid and annoying. Aku looked at her friend’s eyes. She was beaming with smiles. She had really missed them. The happy moments they shared together. They all had problems to solve but they would spend this moment chatting and laughing.

The problem would be solved later. She threw her chair cushion to hit Adjeley who still pretended as if there was nothing wrong with the way she described her friend to a total stranger. She went into her room and brought out wine glasses. She didn’t have vodka so served them with the French wine that she had. She didn’t have food in the house but when she asked that they went out to eat, they both declined as Adjeley told her that she was too tired to go out.

She decided to drink tea instead. She wanted to make it herself so Aku directed her to the kitchen. She was not amazed that Aku didn’t have food as all she kept on about whenever she called her was work. It was so obvious that she didn’t make time to cook at home. When she left for the kitchen Adoley started to fidget with her bag.

She was looking for the cigarette and Aku wanted to ask her to stop but then again she didn’t mind her smoking in her house so they both sat in silence as she only watched Adoley finished with a stick.

Adjeley yelled from the kitchen and requested for milk which Aku didn’t have. She had not stocked her house with food stuffs as she usually did because there was no time to do that. She came back and joined them in the hall munching onto some cream crackers she saw in the fridge with a tea cup filled with something they didn’t know till she sat down beside Aku who peeped into the cup and asked her what she was drinking as it seemed it was just water.

She just smiled and gulped down the mixture then she placed the cup on the coffee table, Adoley grabbed it instantly and had a taste of it. Then she screamed amidst laughter.

‘’oh my gosh!!....you still drink ‘kolo tea’’?

This is the 21^{st century and my dear, this is not done anywhere. Why do you still behave like a villager.’ she queried Adjeley who was also quick too reply}
‘’Unlike some people here…I have not forgotten where I came from and I can always make do of what is available..I was enjoying my tea till you picked it up. Give me my cup of tea and for your information it’s not called kolo tea!.She picked up the cup and sipped then added

‘’The actual name is cold tea….we just couldn’t pronounce it well…so now that you know I suggest you add it to your knowledge’’ Adoley eyed her and chuckled then asked

‘’And who told you that?..Your grandmother?? what we knew was kolo tea and kolo tea it shall remain!’’

She was becoming impatient so Adoley gave her the tea still giggling. The kolo tea as it was called was just a mixture of cold water and sugar. They were given that tea to drink when after meals when the food did not satisfy them Aku remembered.

During those days it was okay to drink it because there was nothing to eat at all. Taking it now made her uncomfortable because she couldn’t feed her friend for the first time that she came to visit her at home. Aku didn’t say much till Adjeley was done and announced that she was full.

They chit chatted late into the night about general things and how life had treated them and when they were all tired they decided to sleep. Aku showed them their rooms so they could feel comfortable. Before Adjeley had her shower, she looked at every comer of the room.

It was well decorated. Aku loved colors and she had chosen both nice interior decors as well as the colors. She laid on the bed after bathing. She thought of her kids. They were sixteen and eleven and were living with her mother. She didn’t want to think about them because they reminded her of the man who fathered them.
　

TRINITY( THIRTEEN)

2013-02-07T06:43:00.001-08:00

She was in no hurry to open the door since she thought the person behind the door was being rude. She had a door bell. Whoever it was could continue to press on the bell not bang on her door as if to break it down.

When she turned the door knob, she was knocked dead. Her glass fell and broke. They pushed her aside and went ahead to take a seat. She was dumfounded. She was too shocked to say anything but she turned to look at them again. Then she heard one say

‘Look at her’ she chuckled then pointing at her she continued ’what is wrong with you?...after making us wait for close to twenty minutes you stand there and behave like you have seen ghosts’ they laughed at her hysterically.

Aku just stood there for numb and didn’t know what to do or say to them. They had caught her by surprise. They were still laughing. She wondered who gave them the directions to her house. They had grown bigger and it had been ages since they came together like that. The other one looked her over with cold eyes and told her

‘’if your eyes are getting worse….my dear I suggest you get glasses….you must be out of your mind.Didnt you hear your door bell at all?.’

With this, Aku sat down opposite them and continued to look. The very people that she was going to see had managed to locate her. She had been thinking of them and wanted to see them the next week. She was not sure they would believe that she wanted to come to them. When she was okay to talk, she asked how they were able to locate her.

Adjeley was quick to respond as usual. She had the same old attitude of playing smart .Her boutique business had grown very fast and she looked good. Adjeley had two boys but didn’t like to talk about men. She told her of how they went to the bank and asked about her and how Adoley had to slap the ‘old fool’’ as they referred to the manager there because he refused to give them any information.

Aku was bewildered. She couldn’t believe her ears. They could go buzzard, that was so obvious but for her to hit the branch manager, that was out of place. She started to say something but Adoley knew too well it would end in an argument so she cut in

‘You gave me your address you fool…you believe this silly woman here?...and that reminds me, we left our baggage’s outside your door.’ she said looking at Adjeley who was laughing out loud.

Aku became calm and sighed, then went out to bring their suitcases and sat down. They had not changed a bit or so she thought till Adoley reached into her bag and picked out a cigarette. That was new to Aku but she didn’t utter a word she just watched on as she got a lighter and lit the cigarette.

She held it close and inhaled. She held in the smoke a little while as if she didn’t want to let it go. They were both staring at Adoley who didn’t care about what they thought. Adjeley was not surprised but didn’t want to watch her being dramatic with the smoke so snatched it away from her. Forcing her to exhale.

‘Why the hell did you do that...I just need to relax’ she exclaimed

Aku began to think why her friend needed to relax. She knew she had to give them time to settle in before she could probe them on what’s new else Adoley would make it impossible for them to have a normal conversation.

They had a lot to catch up on. She had not seen her girls for close to eight years as they had kept in touch but that was on and off. She had not even offered them water to drink and when she asked if they wanted anything, Adjeley insisted that she wanted to eat as she didn’t get the chance because they had left the house a bit early thinking that they would get lost.

Her house was easy to locate as it seemed she was very popular in the area. Aku knew they were pulling her legs. She laughed at that thought but they didn’t and appeared serious. Then Adjeley asked what could be funny, she told them how alone she was in the area. Adoley amidst laughter told pointed at Adjeley who didn’t get the humor in it said to Aku

‘I only described you to a gentleman walking by the street and he pointed your house to us’

Adoley who was now laughing uncontrollably beckoned her to continue. And she did
‘I asked him if he knew a very beautiful but rude, rigid and annoying woman in the area and he pointed this house…what did I say wrong’ she asked looking at both women.

TRINITY (TWELVE)

2013-01-17T03:04:00.000-08:00

She went back to bed and tried to fall asleep again but that didn’t work so just laid there and watched the ceiling, her thoughts blank.She had wanted to go and see them the next week.

She knew Adoley was still there because she had kept contact with her until a few months ago when she misplaced her phone. She had left it in restaurant some time back as she rushed back to her office.

Apparently, a waiter saw a man pick it up but that was after she had left but didn’t do anything since he thought that it was for him. She had no problem with the missing phone but lost all contacts including her best friend’s numbers.

The last she heard about Adjeley from Adoley was that she had travelled to Togo to buy goods for her shops. They were all doing well in diverse ways.She closed the lid and went back to bed. She slept peacefully for the next four hours .

she had nothing to do at home so went out after she had her shower and breakfast. She drove around town for a while looking around at people generally and also the nice scenery Aku admired what had been done on the mallam-kasoa road.

She contemplated on going over to see her parents and then again she thought that was a bad idea since she knew her mother would hassle her as usual to get a man in her life.

She drove to the korle beach and sat there for a while and had lunch.

She just sat there and watched the sea. She had not done any of this in a while. Just taking a drive around town and thinking about nothing. Just then Adokwei’s thought flashed her mind. She took in a deep breath and called for the waiter. When he got closer, he smiled at her and gave her the bill.

Aku was indifferent; she picked her wallet from her bag and gave it to him. He came back with her change but she asked that he took it. He smiled again and walked away briskly.

It was late afternoon. She walked to her car and sat in there for a while not knowing what to do or where to go. She was living in solitude. She couldn’t take it any longer so went to her parents’ house again. Her father was happy to receive her and she was somehow glad that her mother was not at home.

She stayed with him as they chatted and laughed. They sat out for a while and when her mother came finally, she joined them at the summer hut. Aku chose to ignore the comments about her not getting any younger.

She had heard it over and over again and the best way to cope with the mother was to keep her mouth shut and pretend to be listening. She smiled occasionally at her mother and looked at Mr. Tetteh who looked away and picked a magazine.

When what Aku referred to as the sermon was over, she got up and stretched and begged leave of them. Mrs. Tetteh shook her head as she watched her daughter walk away.

It was getting late. Mr. Tetteh picked up the magazine and asked his wife to come with him into the room. They had grown a bit old but Mr. Tetteh still looked strong and his wife had not changed a bit. They held hands and walked into the hall. Mr. Tetteh whispered something to her ears and she giggled.

They had managed to remain a happy family after forty years of marriage and they still loved each other dearly. The couple went to the dining table after they had watched the evening news. Mrs. Tetteh was peeved because she didn’t like to eat late.

She had left the cooking to Mansa because she had to attend to some business in town. And Mansa had taken too much time. She didn’t say anything to her but her attitude made Mansa a bit nervous. She served them and hurriedly left for the kitchen. Mr. Tetteh stole a glance at his wife whose eyes caught his. She smiled and he smiled back at her as they ate their meal quietly.

Aku was not in so much hurry to get home so she didn’t drive fast. When she got home, it was past eight and she took her shoes off and ambled along carrying them. When she got to her room, she dropped the shoes on the floor and laid on the bed but realized she had to shower before she felt asleep unknowingly.

Whiles in the shower she thought she heard her door bell rang. She dismissed the thought because she was not expecting any anybody. There was no way that somebody could show up in her house that late as it was almost nine.

When she came out she heard that her door banged noisily. She became annoyed and wondered who could be there. She went ahead to dress up and went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

TRINITY (ELEVEN)

2013-01-08T03:53:00.000-08:00

The rushing water whooshed and whispered. Aku suddenly became uncomfortable. The wind billowed the dress that she wore. She started to say something but it was too late. Adjeley had disappeared into the sea.

Her eyes opened wide as if to look for her. Everything happened so fast. She caught glimpse of Adjeley’s hands. She was struggling and splashing. They had never said anything about swimming to each other before.

All they talked about was how nice it would be to go there without having to ask permission or have an older person follow them to watch their every move.She was scared but knew she had to do something really quick.

Like a reflex action, she raced towards her friend whose mouth sunk below the water and reappeared again. Her head was low in the water and mouth at sea level.Adjeley’s eyes had become glassy and empty, unable to focus, she closed her eyes.

Aku didn’t know how to swim and it was so obvious that Adjeley was worst because she had not gone too deep. She was trying to swim in a particular direction but was not making headway. Aku started to look around for help.

She was shivering and was even more scared. She looked at Adjeley’s way and found out that she was trying to roll over her back but appeared to be climbing an invisible ladder. She wouldn’t be able to drag her out even if she tried to save her. They could both end up drowning.

Adoley came from no way and jumped into the sea fully dressed. She printed through the water and kept her eyes on Adjeley as she headed straight for her. When she approached her, Adoley hooked her arms around over Adjeley’s chest and side stroked back to shore.

She asked Adjeley to calm down and float on her back since panicking would make it impossible to help her and she could also be pulled into the water.

When they finally got onshore, they were both quivering. Aku took off her pullover and covered Adjeley with it.

There was nothing she could do for Adoley who just laid there and stared at the girls. Aku looked at her and smiled. They both looked at Adjeley and they started to laugh out loud. Adjeley even though very cold also started to laugh with them not knowing the reason as to why they were doing it.

Adjeley laughing made them laugh even louder. And they both laid flat on the beach side. When the laughter ceased, Adoley got up hastily and started to run away. They didn’t understand why she would leave abruptly. So shouted out their gratitude to her.

She didn’t respond, neither did she look back but instead stopped a girl who was leaving the beach. She said something to the girl and returned. She came back and sat beside them and they were astonished.

Adjeley had been dried up by the cold wind. She thanked her again and out of curiosity asked her what she said to the girl. Apparently that girl was a known gossip. If she had left the beach, everybody would have heard Adjeley’s story which would have put her in trouble with her parents. So she went over to warn her from spreading her own version of the story or even letting anybody in on the incidence.

They got along easily as if they had been friends forever. They stayed there and chit chatted for a long while, laughed and shared jokes till Aku realized that her time had been far spent. They walked home together as Adoley escorted both girls home.

When they got to Aku’s house however, her grandma was not too happy on seeing Adoley with her. She glared at her for a while and asked Aku to hurry inside.

‘’I hope she didn’t do anything to you’’ Her grandmother asked after Adoley walked away slowly. She nodded affirmatively and went inside to take a nap.

Aku woke up from her sleep. She was sweating profusely. Both the air condition and the fan were off. She smiled as she reminisced about how they became friends with Adoley. She sat on the bed for a little while, grabbed a tissue and wiped her face with it. Their life changed.

Or that how life changed for her. She was no longer the timid girl everybody thought her to be. They were mischievous at times but she still kept her focus. She put on her bed side lamb and went to the kitchen to drink water. It was 3:00am in the morning. She walked bare footed and her feet felt the cold ground.

She pictured Adoley’s face and smiled to herself. They helped each other in any possible way they could. Adjeley and herself encouraged her to go back to school. They were not paying much in the government school and though she started, Adoley stopped mid way to learn hair dressing.

TRINITY (TEN)

2013-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

It was very typical of Ghanaians to express their dissatisfaction in unison whenever the lights were put out. She stayed back and looked at the skies. There was a dazzling lineup of stars and the moon shone bright that night. She stayed out for another thirty minutes and went back into the house.

She didn’t bother to put off the refrigerator but sat on the couch in the hall. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out her Samsung galaxy and played her favorite game ‘angry bird’ and eventually got tired so moved on to the play ‘jewels’. After a while, the phone alerted her that she had a low battery.

She immediately placed it on the center table and laid down. She wished the lights could be turned on again and as if God answered her wish, she heard her neighbors’ yell ’’eeeeiiiiiii’ .the lights were back.

She smiled at the thought that God still listened to her prayers especially since she couldn’t remember the last time she set foot in her church.She had made her work her main priority and though that was not enough, she couldn’t help it.

she worked on Saturday and had made Sunday, her day of resting. There were times that she would take some work home in order to complete it before the weekdays and did that on Sundays.

When she finally got up to put on the television, the lights went off again and again she heard the chorus shouts of people. After ten minutes the lights came on and Aku hoped it would stay like that since she was bored to tears.

She just laid on the couch and forgot about the TV. Her attention was drawn to the phone when it beeped again. She had to charge it before it went off so even though she as feeling lazy to get up, she dragged herself from the couch and went to her bedroom where she had placed the charger.

She laid on the bed, pulled a pillow from one side and clamped onto it.Aku would at a point in time feel very lonely. Deep within her, she knew this was one of the reasons why she always kept herself busy with work and it’s been a while since she felt like that. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep hoping that it would keep her from thinking about how alone she was.

Adjeley had kept on and on that they go to the beach as the other children did. Being with her grandmother, Aku had the liberty to go everywhere except the beach and more so because her father might be there and he had warned her against coming there. But then again, it was a Tuesday and fishermen don’t go fishing that day.

She had been there a few times but that was when she followed her mom who kept a close eye on her. She gave it a second thought and gave in to Adjeley who still stood in front of her pleading.

It was almost 3pm.and went into the house to tell her grandma that she was going out to play. Her grandmother as usual gave her the nod and asked that she returned home soon. Adjeley waited impatiently and when finally she came out and asked that they go, she was elated.

There were no fishermen there as expected. Only a handful of kids were playing in the sand. Nobody went near the sea since they all knew the myth about going to the beach on Tuesday. They could only play but none attempted to swim. Adjeley seemed overly excited and Aku didn’t know why.

She told Aku that she wanted to swim but Aku cautioned her against it almost immediately. Adjeley as not too happy with what she said. She didn’t believe that something could happen to her if she went into the sea and Aku couldn’t give her any tangible reason as to why she could not swim. All Aku knew was that it was not good to go to the beach but didn’t know the main reason. Then Adjeley said

‘Ok…I won’t swim..i just want to feel the sea under my feet.’

She blurted out but didn’t wait for approval and hopped away. When Adjeley got closer she stood there on the shore and watched the sea waves .she admired it for a while. It was vast and unfathomable. She raised both hands as if to hug the sea breeze. The reflection of the sun on the sea was shimmer.

Aku walked closer to her and before she knew it, Adjeley started to walk into the sea. Aku stood there for a while transfixed. A boat that had been left on the sea surged in the rising swell. She opened her mouth for close to thirty seconds and then she covered her mouth with both hands.

TRINITY (NINE)

2012-12-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

She knew and learnt much about the lighthouse after she stumbled upon a form two text book in her school. She read anything she laid her hands on. It laid on the compound and after making sure that nobody was looking at her, she picked it up, cleaned it and put it in her bag.

At first it was difficult to make out the words but she made an effort to learn by writing the words she couldn’t pronounce on a paper and gave it to the older students.

Some wanted to know why she was so eager to learn the words and asked her to be patient till she got to the stage where she would be taught everything she needed to know.

She never took offence to what they said to her. But went ahead to ask other students. She was able to read the difficult words and after two weeks, she had finished the whole text book. Aku’s grandmother had so many mouths to feed so they prepared different dishes every day.

She kept track of the time her grandmother would return and always came back home before her. Aku always paid her mother a visit twice a week so as to collect money for her upkeep. Her father had warned her against going to the beach to see him since he had not taught her how to swim yet.

He however visited her when he could and bought her sweets. She was always happy to see him around. Her father believed in being patient and talking nicely in order not to be misunderstood whereas her mother was hot blooded and didn’t like to repeat her statements. She spanked and yelled at her whenever she did something wrong.

Aku therefore tried not to end up in her mother’s bad books. She always remembered the very first time her mother laid her hands on her. She was seven then and had followed her mother to the market. She sat down quietly beside her till she saw another girl, her age group eating ice cream. She asked her mother who ignored her and went about her business. Aku kept gazing at the girl and the girl’s mother on noticing bought one for her.

Mrs. Tetteh shot a glance at her and her heart skipped a beat. She was confused as to whether to take it from the strange woman or not. Her mother thanked the woman and took it on her daughter’s behalf. She said nothing but gave her the ice cream and Aku nibbled till she was done.

When they finally got home, she had her bath and slept off as usual but was slashed in her sleep. She sobbed throughout the night and was warned not to accept gifts from strangers.

Aku came back to reality as cars behind her honked and both drivers and passengers roared their anger. It was a scorcher but the air conditioner kept the comfortable even when it was very hot outside. She had been lost in her thoughts for close to thirty minutes. She immediately drove on and stayed awake till she got home. She went straight into the kitchen and took out a canned drink.

She went back to the hall and put on the television. It was a Monday and the TV stations had nothing interesting to show or so she thought. She opened up the canned drink and gulped it down.

Aku laid down for a while but soon became restless. She had no friends in the area she could visit and moreover her colleagues at work were the only people she really spoke to and spent much time with. She decided to go for a walk and get rid of the boredom but then again when she stepped out, she stood in front of the gate contemplating as to whether she really wanted to go out or not. She stood there transfixed and watched on as cars drove by.

Most were very nice and she found herself admiring the choice of others. She closed eyes for a while and tried to breathe in fresh air. It was almost 6:00pm and the place was getting dark. Aku’s house was on top of the hill so she could see the houses that had been built down.

As it grew darker, lights in these houses were all turned on and it was nice scenery. She just stood and a smile flickered across her face .A middle-aged man on a Toyota Camry slowed down and waved. She waved back and he drove away.

Aku had no idea who the man was and felt a bit baffled. He could be anyone she thought and let that pass. A few minutes later, the lights that glowed began to flicker. She wanted to rush back in but as soon as she made the turn she heard ‘oooohhhh’. The lights were off.

TRINITY (EIGHT)

2012-12-11T05:27:00.003-08:00

she shrugged and said "Does it matter?…I like the sound of the name and it looks like we would be here for a long time…and I don’t want to feel like an outsider so please call me Adjeley ok?"

Akosua went on and on about herself, her school and family and Aku only listened. She was a blabbermouth but Aku didn’t mind that at all. She had a friend now and was happy. She walked Aku to her house. She was a year older than Aku and thanked her for helping her out. That prompted Aku to ask her what really happened.

And it took her almost forever to tell her everything. She started her story from when she woke up that morning but Aku was patient and occasionally smiled. Finally she got to the main reason and Aku sigh showing a sign of relief. Then she told her

"I saw 5 pesewas yesterday on the floor when I was walking down the street so I picked it and took it to school…she saw me and was asking for the money saying it was for her and that somebody saw me picking it up yesterday…I would have to pay back I guess" she added

Aku sympathized with her and asked her how she was going to get the money since she had none. She ignored the question and asked that they play "Ampe" which they played till Aku got hungry so decided to leave. She was already in front of the house and her grandmother had seen her but left her alone to play for a while.

Just as she turned to leave, her new friend who had chit-chatted about herself and forgot to ask Aku about herself called out to her"Hey….you didn’t tell me your name?"

Aku smiled and shouted out her name to her and went away. Her grandmother had reserved her food so she sat down and ate it quietly. It was so obvious that her grandmother was fonder of her than her cousins because she was very quiet and stayed out of trouble.

She went back to her parents the next day after church. The days went by as usual. She was sent to fetch water one evening and caught a glimpse of Adoley fighting with a boy. Her friends stood around and watched on as she fought and won and they cheered her up. She carried the bucket of water and walked very fast past them.

She was sure that Adoley had seen her but she didn’t look back and was pleased that nothing happened with her.She asked her parents if she could go back to her grandmother and school from there. They were surprised because they knew she didn’t like the place because of her cousins

It was however a good idea because they wouldn’t have to bother about how she was faring when left alone in the house. Her mother agreed to her decision and she soon moved to Jamestown again which was only a few meters away from the market.

The days were boiling hot but the nights were cool and comfortable for sleeping. Aku’s life was made unbearable at home and especially when her grandmother was out. But Akosua was always there to keep her company. They were seen together everywhere. They played whenever they got the chance.

They talked about what happened in their various schools. Her adopted name as Aku always teased her with was soon catching up and soon the name Joana Akosua Obeng was lost. People referred to her as Adjeley as she became fluent in the dialect. She tried to act like one.Perhaps too hard and succeeded anyway but her parents were too busy to notice these changes.

Akosua now Adjeley became troublesome. She was eleven and roamed about a lot so became quite popular. Aku always allowed her to do the talking whenever they landed in any squabble. Aku who was now ten was learning steadily.

She was doing well at school but tried to hide it since she didn’t want too many people to find out. Adjeley on the other hand was an average student. She didn’t pay too much attention in class and didn’t care much.

They were acting out in order to be accepted in the area. Knowing too much would attract people to pick on her and she didn’t want that. They didn’t go out to look for trouble but would gang up and defend themselves whenever trouble caught up with them.

Aku on her spare time would sneak to the lighthouse which was originally built by the British at James fort in 1871 but was replaced in the 1930s by the current Accra light which is 93ft (28m) with a visibility of 16 nautical miles (30km)

TRINITY (SEVEN)

2012-12-04T00:56:00.001-08:00

The woman rained insults on the man and soon people gathered to watch. Apparently the man was the little girl’s father. She needed money to eat but he had refused so she walked from ‘Attukpai’ which was also within the Jamestown area to the Salaha market to take money from him.

Her clothes were not clean and her hair was unkempt. She saw Aku eating the orange and looking at her parents fight over her. She ignored her at first but when she turned and looked at her direction, their eyes met. Then Aku looked away.

When she turned again Adoley stood in front of her. She shook out of fear and dropped the orange but Adoley caught it in time before it could fall. She didn’t say anything to her but started to eat the rest just then she heard her mother call out her name so turned and left eating hungrily into Aku’s orange.

She watched on as Adoley walked away to take the money her mother pulled out from her father’s pocket. She went indoors as she heard her brother wailing.

Aku spent the next weekend in her grandmother’s house. She was up as early as 5:00am.The sun was barely up and the room was still dark. Aku stepped out and headed for the bathroom. She didn’t have to do anything since her grandmother got her cousins to do all the work before she got up. She sat on a stool in the compound house.

Some of her cousins played ’Oware ’ but she didn’t want to go near them because she was the youngest and they always picked on her. She loved to read but they couldn’t afford the books that were sold.

Her school which was around the ‘’Sempe We’ was a government school and they had been provided text books only that they were not allowed to take the books home. Her eyes caught a paper that was being blown away by the wind so she hurriedly went after it. At that moment she saw Adoley again.

She was yelling at another girl who looked really frightened. The girl began to cry. She walked towards them. She didn’t know what she would say when she got close but that didn’t stop her. When she got there, her heart began to beat fast but she went ahead and stood in between them.

She was only nine years and was quite small. She took in a deep breath and asked Adoley what the girl had done to her. Adoley sensed her fear and dragged her by her shirt closer. She began to shake and swallowed her saliva. Aku stammered and said

"What did she do to you….let her go now "Aku repeated trying to force back the tears.

The girl moved back a few steps and stared at the both of them. She was surprised that somebody came to her aid. She had been in the area for seven months and had not made any friends yet. She wanted to run away but didn't want to leave the mysterious girl that came to help her out.

Adoley was still holding onto Aku’s shirt but she also made no attempt to pull away.

Adoley was furious but there was something that she liked about the little girl. Like them, she also had no real friends because everyone knew her to be violent so feared her. She was like the local champion among the kids and mostly kept to herself.

Her parents always quarreled so her mother moved away, leaving her with her alcoholic father. She learnt everything the hard way though she was only eleven. She picked on other kids and moved with the area boys. Adoley took whatever she wanted and sometimes fought to have it.

Aku couldn’t hold on to the tears anymore. She knew that she was in trouble.

The tears came rolling down on her cheeks. She wiped them away with her hand and sobbed. Adoley let go of her and asked the other girl to pay her back the money by noon tomorrow and walked away briskly. Aku turned to look at the girl that she had helped. She had not seen her before so turned to leave.

The girl runned after her and held her by the shoulders. She stopped and turned to look at her again but said nothing. The girl smiled and extended her hand out to her. Aku looked at the extended hand and looked away. The girl put the hand down but went on to introduce herself.

‘My name is Joana Obeng but my parents call me Akosua at home….I prefer to be called Adjeley’ Aku laughed when she heard her talk about wanting to be called by that name even though she was not from their tribe so she asked

‘Why would you want to be called that when you know that you are an Ashanti and not a Ga?’

TRINITY (SIX)

2012-11-27T15:24:00.001-08:00

It was almost 4:00pm and the traffic was heavy. The public transport buses driving recklessly while some cars kept honking. She soon became weary. She always stayed at the office till it was very late so usually didn’t encounter any of this. They had been calling for showers all month, but so far it’s been dry. The cars were no longer moving and people were becoming impatient.

Aku was in no hurry to get home. She put on the radio in her car and changed the stations till she tuned in to an fm station playing cool music. She thought about her friends again and how they met. She met Adoley Lawson first at the ‘Salaha market’ where she stayed with her parents. It was a small market located close to Jamestown.

The atmosphere was totally different as everyone there seemed to know everyone else. They lived in Jamestown for a while at their mother’s family house. The place was too small for the whole family so they moved away and got a place within the market. Houses there were built with wood and most had very rusted roofs.

They couldn’t complain because they had nowhere to go to and moreover, they had peace in the single room that they were in. Her mother sold foodstuffs and the father was a fisherman. They were both hardworking. Being the eldest, Aku had to take care of her younger brother who was just three. Her parents were always out.

She was nine then and went to a public school very close by. She would close at 12 noon then pick her brother up from the market take him home and stay indoors till the parents showed up very late in the evening.

Her brother would be up most of the time because of the noise from the market ,women calling people to buy their stuffs. Children around those areas were sharp-tongued and disrespectful. They were always left alone to decide on whatever they wanted to do with their day because their parents were either irresponsible or were too busy.

There was simply no reason for timidity in the area. Most of these children were either too poor to pay the meager fees that the government school charged or they had refused to go to the school.

Those who were forced to go would either end up by the beach side or the Salaha market trying to make money for themselves even in their uniform. She was warned not to mingle with them since it would only bring her trouble.

Aku had no friends then so would sit by their doorway and look on as the other children played. But that day even though the place was noisy as usual she managed to put him to sleep.

She stepped out and closed the door gently behind her. She grabbed a chair and sat down and looked at some children playing ‘Ampe’ on the street. A ‘Trotro’ bus honked several times but they wouldn’t barge. The driver got down from the vehicle to drive them away himself but they sped off making faces at him. Aku laughed at the old man who went back to his vehicle insulting them.

One girl who came from nowhere and was obviously stubborn stood in front of the vehicle and looked straight into the man’s face which made him angrier. He sparked the engine and started to move. She hit the bus with her small fist and shouted at him to stop the bus. He shouted her name and asked her to move away. Aku was bewildered.

‘Hey Adoley! I said move away…are you deaf? ‘He shouted in Ga a local dialect

She didn’t know why the girl was doing that. She looked a little older than Aku who still had her eyes fixed on the two. The man got down but she wouldn’t move. He tried to push her but she was too quick and dodged his hand but came back again then he caught her by her skirt as if to hit her and she struggled then almost immediately a woman who also came from nowhere pushed him away violently.

And they started to quarrel. Scenes like this were habitual so she rushed into the room and picked up an orange, came back to her seat and continued to look on.

TRINITY (FIVE)

2012-11-20T06:26:00.004-08:00

She had finished with her tea and toasted bread. When her mother was out of sight, Mr. Tetteh told her

‘I don’t see anything wrong with going back to see your friends there, just be careful and come visit us anytime’

Aku was glad that her father didn’t see anything negative in her going back to have a look at a place she grew up. She knew the place must have developed by now and was anxious to see the changes.

She stayed and chatted with her dad till noon. Her father inquired about where she would live and she in turn told him that she was not so sure. Mr. Tetteh suggested the ‘Wato hotel’. Aku chortled and said

‘Dad, that hotel has not been operating for a very long time?...I’m thinking about staying at the Novotel hotel, it’s quite close but if there is the chance that I could get to stay with either of my friends why not and besides I plan to be there for a just a week?

Mr. Tetteh then reminded her that they didn’t know that she was coming over so she shouldn’t count on that. He pleaded with her to visit a few places and people on his behalf if they were still there. He had grown too old and was more comfortable sitting and reading newspapers quietly.

When Aku was ready to leave, her mother was still indoors and she wondered if she was still upset. She had to let her know that she was leaving else that would cause another trouble between them.

Aku met them preparing lunch. Mrs. Tetteh asked her to stay a little longer but she declined and told her she would visit them as soon as she could then hugged her and left. When she drove out of the house Aku thought about the fact that she didn’t have any food in her house.

Eating lunch in her parent’s house sounded nice but it would also give her mother the chance to query her and she was not ready to answer any questions.

She stopped by a Chinese restaurant and ordered for sweet and sour pork sauce with fried rice. She tried to remember how growing up in Jamestown was like for her. She smiled and was soon lost in her thoughts. Her memories about the place were only centered on her two best friends.

They had made a wonderful trio and they had been feared then. She laughed out loud when she thought of some of the things that they did to the other children. She realized that people were staring at her because she was alone.

She pushed strands of her hair behind her ear,lookedaway and soon her food was served. She was not too hungry but she knew when she got into her house it would be impossible for her to get out again. She ate her food slowly.

Her BMW 7series was packed across the street because getting out from the restaurant was always difficult for her especially when it was lunch time for most workers and perhaps because she didn’t want to dent the car that her father got for her on her 29^th birthday.

Aku wore a pencil skirt with a turtle neck top that revealed her curves. Her mother was a not a fun of weave-on so she grew up with that and was mostly seen with her permed hair. When she got up from her seat, a gentleman who was also on his way out held on to the seat so she could get out with ease.

She wanted to crack up on seeing his car after he offered to drive her home but offered her gratitude instead. They walked out together and he still insisted. Aku shook her head, turned down the offer then pointed at her car and walked past him. When she buckled her seat belt, she saw the man enter into his Volkswagen beetle car. His rickety car was almost falling apart.

He was ashamed that he had picked on the wrong girl. She seemed too simple to be rich. She drove off giggling and he caught up with her. She was stopped by the traffic light. Aku shot a glance at him. He has shaking his head to a hip-hop tune. He rolled down his glass and looked her way. Aku looked back but was indifferent. Then he said still shaking his head

‘Nice car…but money is not everything you know? ‘He was smiling now. Aku pretended not to have heard him and he began to repeat the comment again but she cut in

‘Point well taken…..try to say that again when you have money’ she put on her sun glasses and sped off so fast as the lights gave them a go ahead leaving him behind.

TRINITY (FOUR)

2012-11-13T05:45:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Tetteh ignored him and asked Mansa to get them an extra tea cup so she could make her daughter breakfast since they were almost done. Mansa hurriedly went into the kitchen and grabbed a cup, washed it and made sure it was clean because she didn’t want Mrs. Tetteh to make a fuss out of getting her a dirty cup.

Mansa handed the cup over to Mrs. Tetteh who inspected it as usual and smiled. She had gotten use to Aku’s mother and knew things that put her off. Mansa watched as she poured the hot water from the flask and asked Aku if she was feeling okay since it was quite unusual to have her visit them on a Monday morning. Mansa left them alone and headed straight to the kitchen.

Aku told them about the promotion and how her boss got her to leave her work for a while. Her mother didn’t seem so happy and Aku knew immediately where the conversation would be leading to so she giggled and asked

‘What were you old folks arguing about before I interrupted’ her father was naturally a quite person.

She knew her mother was definitely the one dragging the issues, because even when she got down from her car she could hear her voice out loud. Aku had a beautiful mother, in fact she looked more like her. What she didn’t like about her was the fact that she thought that she was always right.

Nobody won any argument with her and surprisingly her father always gave up and mostly did things without telling his wife. Mrs. Tetteh was difficult to deal but he loved her dearly.

He looked at her face and smiled then took in a deep breath but before he could say anything, he heard her say

‘Can you believe that just one man was given such an amount?’ Aku who was enjoying her breakfast just raised her head and shot a glance at her father. Then she said again

‘I am talking about the Woyome saga…..how the president can allow such a huge amount of money to be given to a man is a mystery when it is not clear…’Mr. Tetteh cleared his throat then she stopped and chuckled then continued

‘What annoys me is the fact that I heard that we go for loans from other countries that does not even amount to the one that was given to the man!...where did we get that kind of money to pay then?’

‘What is your problem? ’He asked her. The president has said that he had no knowledge of that…let’s just give him the benefit of the doubt…and besides that man has been arrested ’he continued

‘I bet if you were given that kind of money you would have squandered it within a twinkle of an eye’ Aku smiled and shook her head as her father was right. Mrs. Tetteh loved money and then her father said again

‘That reminds me of the supposed 2012 Wassce questions circulating on the internet with possible answers…the gargantuan instrument used in measuring cedi in billions is a. Woyometer b.Bettymeter c.Duffourmeter’ Before Mrs. Tetteh could say anything, Aku cut in abruptly.

‘Please…can I eat my breakfast in peace……I know you both love this country and you are probably concerned but this is not the right time to talk about this…’she sigh in relief when it was obvious that they were both ready to drop the subject.mr Tetteh then asked about her plans for the two months that she would be spending at home so Aku told them about her plan to spent some time in Jamestown.

Mrs. Tetteh shook her head at the thought of going back there. She couldn’t keep her mouth shut so asked her the main reason why she was going there. For her there was no need to go there since it would only remind her of how poor they used to be. There was no point at all in her doing this.

Mr. Tetteh said nothing as usual but only listened. When his wife asked him about his view on the matter he pretended not to have heard her and kept glancing through the daily newspaper he held in his hands.

‘My mind is made up…besides I have friends there I need to see ’Aku told her mother. Instead she got up to leave. Walked a few steps and said

’ By friends you mean those two girls….Adoley and Akosua who still don’t know what to do with their lives?’ Aku wanted to defend her friends but knew it would only end up in another argument so ignored her.

TRINITY (THREE)

2012-11-06T09:32:00.002-08:00

She just smiled then got up and they both got up from their seats and shook hands. She then opened the letter to view the content. It read:

Dear Miss Aku Tetteh,

This is in continuation for your application for your internal job posting for the post of branch manager and your subsequent interview with our board of directors. We are extremely pleased to inform you that the board has considered you suitable for the post. You have therefore been promoted to branch manager with effect from 1^st march. You are requested to please hand over charge to Mr. Minsi latest by 20^th February. Congratulations on your achievements and we wish you all the best in the coming years.

She didn’t show much excitement. Perhaps it was because she had expected it but she was elated that it happened soon deep within her. She started thinking about new strategies to help put everything in check and like her mind was being read he said

‘But….unfortunately for you, I will not let you have my seat if you don’t take some days off’ her expression changed and she started to say something but he cut in again

‘I have taken the liberty of filling your leave form…you would be away for two months and I just need you to sign here ’one look at Mr. Ansah and she knew he was prepared for this so she took the form, signed it and handed it back to him. Aku thanked him and started out but then again she heard him say

‘Oh and……I won’t like to see you in here after the weekend’ Mr. Ansah added as she walked out.

Apparently everybody knew why she was called into the office so clapped for her when she got back to her desk. She thanked them and went back to work but wondered what she could do for two whole months. Her parents’ house was out of the list since her mother always bugged her to bring home a man because she was growing old. At first she thought it was sweet of her, but her mother kept on and on about the same issue and soon she was bored. She didn’t want to be pressurized into any relationship.

She would however visit them to check how they are doing since she had not done that in weeks but called them once a while. Her work came first and that was how she intended to keep it till a man sweeps her off her feet again. As If that was even possible. She would wait for that day. Then she thought of a better place to spend her days. It occurred to her that she had missed living in an environment where people went about their daily business and were carefree.

A place full of life and was glad to be going back after so many years. She was going to spend some time at where she grew up…James town! She spent the weekend thinking of what to do and where to go since it’s been a very long time since she set foot there. She had spent fourteen years of her life there. She was born in the town which was Located directly east of the korle lagoon. Jamestown which she later got to know was one of the oldest suburbs in the city of Accra Ghana which emerged around the 17^th century.

It was an area of a dense mixture of commercial and residential use merged with artisanal fishing. In the early years people lived in the shanty towns which had grown up around the edges of the city due to poverty. She remembered how homes were crowded and cramped. Even though there were hardships, most lived in harmony.

Her leave from work began the next week. She got up too early but realized she had nowhere to go. The sky was dark gray and overcast and her room was pitch-black with no light shining through her curtain. She dragged herself back to bed. She had rented a 3-bedroom apartment in McCarty hills but was there all alone. Her other two siblings were living in the United Kingdom schooling. She tossed and turned on her bed because it was a daily routine for her to get up that early and get ready for work. She couldn’t sleep anymore. It was about 4am.

The air was cold and chilling after Aku walked to the hall and put on the television. She picked up the remote and changed channels but could only watch the CNN news. So much was happening all over the world and she soon dozed off on the couch. The sound of her main door being unlocked woke her up instantly. She knew it had to be the house help that came in on Mondays and Thursdays to help with the cleaning of the house.

Mansa was 24year old and had been hired by Aku who barely stayed at home so was startled when she saw her. She always came to the house as early as 6am but had never met her home. She stood by the doorway for fifteen seconds wondering if her madam was ok. The truth was she never felt comfortable around Aku and loved that she always did her work without any interference from her.

‘Don’t just stand there....what are you waiting for? Aku exclaimed. She hurriedly came closer but dropped her purse so bent down to pick it up. Aku was still looking at her which made her more nervous.

‘Sorry ma…….good morning ma’ Mansa said as she walked past her into the kitchen to begin her work. Then Aku called her back. Her heart missed a beat when she heard her name. She had been the one cleaning up her house ever since Aku’s mother picked her up from the market place and introduced her to her daughter. Mansa stayed with Aku’s parents and also helped with the cleaning. For some unknown reason she felt uneasy around Aku.

‘Are you ok?’ she asked

‘Very fine ma….i am okay’ the reply came quickly. She held a napkin and was fidgeting. When Mansa saw that her madam was watching her steadily she put both hands behind her back.

‘Can I please go back and finish the work ma’ Mansa said when she realized she had said nothing more. Aku shook her head and asked her to prepare her a cup of coffee. When she turned to leave Aku added

‘And stop calling me ‘ma’….its irritating’ but Mansa had already left.

She spent three more hours on the couch and when Mansa was ready to leave, she offered to take her home so she could visit her parents. When they got to the gate, she honked but there was no response so Mansa got out of the car to open the gate for Aku who was becoming impatient. Mr. and Mrs. Tetteh sat on the nicely weaved cane chairs where they had built a summer hut. That was Mr. Tetteh’s idea.

His wife had not consented to that but he went ahead to build it. After it was done however, Mrs. Tetteh was happy with the good job done and the couple always sat there to have their breakfast in the morning. They were very happy to see their daughter but her mother was especially happy and she knew why. Apparently they had been arguing about the latest headline story in most newspapers. She sat beside her father and greeted both. Then her father said

‘Your mother here has sent the gateman to take something from her friend two streets away…I wonder what that something is’

TRINITY (TWO)

2012-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

He felt mocked so slammed the door very hard. She was laughing out loud now and that fuelled his anger. Aku always acted like a strong woman but he knew she was deeply cut. She just put up the act to make him feel she didn’t care if he was with her or not. He knew one thing for sure though and it was that she was never going to drool over him.

That hit him hard but then again what’s the point. He was a free man. Free from a woman whose combination of characteristics he knew he would never find in any other woman. An independent, controlling but very intelligent woman and many more.

Frank was up waiting and hoping that he had changed his mind along the line but when he came in, it was obvious that the deed was done. He was to travel the next day and apparently made preparations even before he told Aku about it. He didn’t feel right and frank was not going to console him.

He checked if everything was in order for the very last time and headed straight to bed. They said nothing to each other the next morning. Larry got up very late and dragged himself around the house. Frank was beginning to feel uncomfortable so broke the silence

‘Oh boy….you will be fine ‘Instead Larry laughed out loud. Frank who was at this point confused asked

‘Are we safe? ’Larry chuckled and told him what transpired the other day.

He advised Larry to move on with his life since he made that decision and jokingly added

‘For a while I thought you were going crazy…..was thinking of the best way to send you to the mental hospital close by’

Larry retorted ’you are the one going nuts….i bet they would admit you instead when they see the two of us!’ They both laughed and decided to spend the few hours they had left together chatting. At 7pm frank drove his friend to the airport, wished him luck and said goodbye.

The days turned into weeks then months and soon it was two years since Larry left the country leaving her all alone. She blamed herself for putting up that show. She had loved him dearly but somehow felt relieved that he had taken that decision. She always felt the need to be with him. She couldn’t imagine a relationship with a partner being elsewhere. Her not being able to know where he was or who he was with would taunt her.

When she came back to her senses, she noticed that she had not touched her food. She was on break from work. Aku had been working very hard to get promoted and become the branch manager of the bank that she worked for. Her work had taken over her life and she was glad to have kept herself busy all this while.

She couldn’t afford to be going to night clubs or parties as her mates were doing. Most of them got married and some were already mothers. A few were allowed to work as most of them stayed home as house wives. She shook her head at the thought of going through tertiary education and ending up in the kitchen.

Both her parents worked very hard and like some families, had risen from grass to grace. It was rough since they went through very difficult times. She was the eldest and also lost her sister at a tender age.

She couldn’t remember her and mostly didn’t like to think too much about her past. It would have been worse if not for the other two gals she grew up with. She giggled at the thought of them and it dawn on her that she had been a very bad friend. She kept in touch with them for a while but lost contact and have since not been able to go back in search of them.

Growing up in Jamestown a suburb in Accra was something else. Too many things happened too fast. She had tasted the hardships in life and was forever grateful because it made her the strong woman that she was now. Most of her colleagues disliked her because they felt she was too strict and straight forward.

At thirty, she had no boyfriend and no social life but was so into her work that her boss felt she needed a break off work. She never filled any leave form. Aku was always the first to report to the office and the last to leave. She liked to check and cross-check everything to make sure that there was no mistake in her work. Everybody was pleased with her work but was only concerned about her attitude towards people.

She liked to chat on basis of work but shied away from any personal discussion which made her rigid. Aku was a tall beautiful lady with curvy hips and shapely legs. She had brown eyes and lips to die for. She carried herself confidently in the office that the men both in and out of the office were afraid to propose love to her because of the fear of being turned down. The ones that gathered courage in the office and tried their luck with her were humiliated. She turned each down outright but was too careful not to be hash.

Most respected her for that because they had thought that she was a rude person. She would look at you and smile, shake her head and say no and they would mostly turn and leave disappointed. If you persist she would raise her voice and say no making everybody hear of your intentions so as to get ridiculed in the office for a while. Aku worked in a very big bank and had chalked many successes but her quest to be the manager was still ahead. She was called into the office of her boss after her lunch break and handed a letter over to her.

Mr. Ansah was the branch manager but was to be retired due to old age. He was a bulky old man with a deep voice that commanded respect. He licked his lips and laid back on his chair then cleared his throat but said nothing. Aku was sitting down waiting impatiently for what he had to say. He gave her a long gaze, looked away. When he noticed he had kept her in enough suspense, he smiled and said

’Congratulations…..you have been appointed as the new branch manager’.

TRINITY (ONE)

2012-10-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

Larry Adjetey was not too happy about what he was going to do but then he believed he had to carry out with the act. He had rehearsed all that had to say to end the relationship. He knew she also didn’t like the fact that he was going to travel and leave her all alone hence had to do what he was about to do.

Frank his best friend stood beside him shaking his head. He kept wondering why Larry wanted to end it when he claimed that she was his true love. After few minutes of watching him dress up he asked

’’Do you know what you are about to do would change things forever? You can always change your mind you know?"

Larry kept on buttoning his shirt. When he was done, He took one more look at frank who kept looking at him and walked out. He wanted to fly high and anyone who wanted his winds plucked off must get out of his way.

When she opened the door finally to let him in, Larry took in a deep breath. He had been standing by the door close to two minutes and soon became confused. Aku was his true love but the love he once had confidence in was about to end.

His friend frank had tried to persuade him to override the decision of leaving her. He had his own reason for doing this and never told frank about it. He had dated her for close to two years, But then again he realised he was there to drop a bombshell.

"You don’t have to do this" his mind kept telling him but it was too late and he sat down .Aku was still standing in front of him so he also got up walked a few steps away and turned his back to her. Aku started to walk towards him and he felt she was about to touch him but before she could reach out to him, he took in a deep breath, cleared his throat and said

"Aku I think we should break up" he said that so quickly he wondered if she heard him. He had rehearsed this number of times but he couldn’t find the exact words. He wanted to turn and face her but was afraid to see her expression of shock.

Aku was taken aback and tears dripped from her eyes .she didn’t bother to ask why he wanted the break up because it was obvious. It was true she didn’t like the idea that he wanted to travel out when he was doing so fine here in Ghana but that was not the only reason.

She had been through this before and it was like watching her life being replayed all over again. She would rather lose him here than have him travel and call her later that he had found someone else and was sorry for raising her hopes.

He couldn’t take the silence anymore so turned to take one look at her before he left. Aku wiped the tears and stared at him as if to say something. For Larry he felt that Aku was still into her ex-boyfriend who she had introduced to her parents but had kept him in the dark when it was his turn.

They only knew him as a close friend and that bothered him. He never got the reason why she failed to introduce him since it was over between them. She couldn’t give him any tangible reason but always told him that the parents were fond of her ex which made him more jealous.

Larry with his master’s degree in engineering had always wanted to join a greater force and he felt he could achieve his aim by traveling to London. When he told her about his plans she objected. They were both doing so well but Larry didn’t want to be held down and Aku didn’t want to reason with him because he didn’t know when he was going to return.

Initially he had wanted to go there first and establish himself then later invite her over so they can get married in London.Aku had other plans and none was willing to compromise their decision, hence the break-up

. When he got to the doorway, and looked back once again as if to say goodbye since they were soon going to be old memories, Larry took a final glance of her. When their eyes met, she had dried up the tears in her eyes and rather with a smirk on her face told him

"You see these tears…..this is all you will get because I will not shed any tear for you or any other man ever again" then smiled at herself .Anger glinted in her eyes."have a safe trip to wonderland" she added with contempt in her voice.