Know Thy Man Ep01: Fugitive

Yes, we are back!! Thank you so much for voting in the Ghana Blogging and Social Media Awards 2016. As at 13th April, we were in the lead with 41.4% of the votes and I want to say thank you to every single one of you who voted and got your distant cousins to vote as well. I have said this so often that I sound like a broken record- but you guys are the best readers a blogger could ask for. You always move me to tears with your overwhelming support. Now all we have to do is wait for 20th May to get here. Fingers crossed 🙂

This episode is dedicated to one of my biggest fans, Rosie Nkansah. You are just as fun in person as you are online- and it was such an honour to meet you. Kenikodjo Twitter rep herself! You made me feel like some star. Thank you for everything. 

Anyways, it is a new month, a new series and a whole new set of characters. Let’s buckle up for the journey ahead, shall we?

‘3-2-1. Good job, everyone! See you next week!’

Tonia wiped the sweat off her face and picked up her water bottle. For the umpteenth time, she thanked her stars for making the decision to go natural a year ago. She was looking forward to the shower after this workout so that she could run the water through her hair.

Imagine if this was a weave or braids. The sweat and dandruff cocktail after two weeks will be enough to knock out an entire village.

She waved at one of the other women in her group and started walking towards the locker room, where her duffel bag was waiting. She paused for a few seconds and bent over to tie her neon pink laces. No, there was nothing wrong with the way they were tied previously but she needed a good enough excuse to bend and look at Paa Kow in the mirror. He had bent his head to listen to one of the ladies in her aerobics class. He reminded her of Tim. Even though she would never admit it, that was the reason why she signed up for this particular class. She had team meetings every Wednesday and would have ideally preferred to get in early on Wednesdays, but Wednesdays were the only days that Paa Kow taught a morning aerobics session. She needed closure when it came to Tim and Paa Kow was the only one who could help her do that. At least so she thought.

‘Need some help?’

His voice startled her. She turned to look into his brown eyes and for a moment, almost lost her balance. She averted her eyes and fixated her gaze on the set of dumbbells closest to her until she had ‘recovered’.

The resemblance is uncanny. His eyes, his chin, his fingernails, even his hairline. It is too much of a coincidence.

‘No, thanks. I am fine. Have a good day.’

‘You too, miss!’

Sauntering to the locker room, she hummed John Legend’s You and I as she pulled out her towel and shampoo. She wiggled out of her workout clothes and stood under the shower. She loved her body-at least what it had become ever since she started working out. The squats had done wonders for her hips and buttocks.

Tim would have approved if he was here.

She hated this- the tendency to connect everything in her life to him. And yet, at the same time, she loved it. It made her feel close to him- in some twisted way. Sometimes it just made her angry- the fact that she still needed him in her life. She had sworn to herself that she would get over him. That was two weeks after their last phone call. One and half years had passed and yet she still could not shake his memory off.

Ten minutes later, she was driving towards Stanbic Heights, where she knew her team would be getting ready for the team meeting. It was going to be a busy day and hopefully her mind would not wander. Her phone rang just before she got out of her car. It was Naa Adjeley, her cousin.

‘Adjeley, wrong timing. I am just about to go into a team meeting.’

‘No problem. Just letting you know that I am moving in today, not tomorrow.’

‘Sure, that’s fine. I will pick you up after work.’

‘Why do you sound so different? You saw Tim’s look alike again, didn’t you? Have you asked him yet?’

‘No, not yet. I don’t even know what to ask him. I am not sure if I want to know what he even has to say.’

‘Well, as Ewuraefua will say, pray about it.’

Tonia laughed.

‘I am not sure if you should be giving anybody spiritual advice, Madam 50-year old Lebanese men are my speciality.’

Adjeley was a flirt. She too, like Tonia, had a body that turned heads but she didn’t have to work out for it. She could feast on food meant for 3 people and still have space for dessert, all the while with her tummy looking like she did planks for a living. Her flat tummy and long legs brought all sorts of men to their knees. She always had a story to tell about the most recent thing a desperate man did in a bid to win her heart. Having Adjeley with her for the holidays would be a good distraction- and a great source of entertainment.

---

The knocking was even more persistent this time around. Ewuraefua pushed her hair back with her fingers, took a deep breath and opened the door.

‘Where is she?’

It was Prosper. He was angry- probably drunk too. His fists were clenched and even though she knew that Hassan was at the gate, she couldn’t help but get scared.

‘She is not here.’

‘Don’t lie to me, Ewuraefua! Where is she?’

‘I said, she is not here. Prosper, I only opened the door because you are not a stranger around here. But it is 11pm. My husband is not home and my children are asleep. For goodness’ sake, stop raising your voice. She is not here- and even if she was, there is no way I was going to  give her to you in this state.’

Without giving him a chance to react or process what she had said, she shut the door and walked away with her heart racing, hoping and praying that Hassan would be able to escort him off the premises without a scene.

When she got to the kitchen, she poured a glass of water and turned to the grown woman, cowering in the walk-in pantry like a rat that had been cornered by a vicious dog.

‘Kafui, what is going on? Start from the very beginning.’

A whole new cycle begins this month. This time, we are venturing into the lives of women and the various things they have to deal with every single day. Let’s get the conversation started on social media with #knowthyman. See you next week!! -Keni ❤

P.S: Artwork credit goes to little brother Gregory Nartey. You rock, Greg! 🙂