Fifteen

Early the following morning, which was Boxing Day, Emily called Afia on phone to ask if Afia could accompany her to Kojo Ganyo's place. 

'I called Bobby last night and he said he wanted to see me and that it was urgent. I really suspect Stephen may be around. If that is the case, I want someone to provide moral support for me," Emily told her. 

"What time are you expected to be at his end?" Afia asked. 

"He said he'd pick me up in front of the Tables and Chairs Avenue at eight o'clock. He's coming in his car," Emily said. 

"All right! I'll come along in my car and then maybe park it inside the avenue while we all travel in his car, if that suits him. I'll be there before eight," Afia assured her and Emily could detect excitement in her friend's voice. 

She had not mentioned Afia to Bobby, hoping that when they met each other the two could pick up a relationship from there if they were so inclined. She was willing to facilitate the initial meeting but that was as far as she was willing to go. She would leave it to them to decide whether or not they wanted to carry on a relationship. That way, there would be no embarrassment if one of them decided that he or she was not interested, she rationalised. 

At seven thirty on Boxing Day, Emily donned a jeans skirt and matched it with a black blouse. She untied her hair and allowed it to hang loose. As she stepped out of the house, most of the workers were already up and about their chores. After exchanging greetings with a couple of them, she strolled to the Tables and Chairs Avenue which was just about five minutes' walk from the Adams's residence, to wait for Kojo Ganyo. 

When she arrived at the meeting place, Afia was waiting in her car, parked beside a neem tree close to the avenue. Afia alighted from her car when she sighted Emily and the two ladies hugged each other with sheer joy. 

"You look beautiful!" Emily exclaimed as she eyed Afia. 

She noticed that the young banker had taken the trouble to dress up in a knee-length, local wax print skirt and a blouse which flattered her figure and showed off her great legs. 

"My thanks certainly go to you. You have done a marvellous job and I can hold up my head in any crowd," Afia replied. "I'll park the car inside the avenue because Bobby may arrive any moment." While Afia was trying to find a place to park her car inside the Tables and Chairs Avenue, Kojo Ganyo arrived. "Hi, Pretty Lady," he greeted her cheerily. "Hop inside." 

Emily smiled at his choice of words. Dr Newman seldom asked her to hop into his car. That was the difference between young men and their older counterparts, she mused. 

'I'm coming along with a friend," she announced, compelling him to look around. 

Afia stepped out of the Tables and Chairs Avenue just then. 

Afia and Kojo Ganyo looked at each other and for a split second their eyes locked in what Emily was quite sure was mutual attraction. She noticed the way Bobby's face lit up, albeit momentarily while Afia looked tickled by his stare. It all happened in a split second but Emily noticed it because she was watching out for their reactions. She secretly smiled to herself, pretending not to have noticed the sparks that flew between them at that encounter. 

"Bobby,meet my friend, Afia," she introduced Bobby to Afia. 

"Very pleased to meet you," Bobby said as they shook hands. 

"Afia is the manager of the Accra Branch of the Success Bank," Emily added. 

"My financial problems are over then!" Bobby joked and Afia smiled. 

As they drove to Kojo Ganyo's house at Adabraka using the back roads to shorten the journey, they kept up a light conversation and within a few minutes, they pulled up in front of a bungalow shielded by what seemed to be a forest of trees. A young man ran to the gate and pulled it open after Kojo Ganyo had tooted his horn a couple of times. 

As they came out from the car, Kojo Ganyo took Emily's hand and pulled her aside. 

"Stephen is in there," he whispered to her. "I felt I must alert you to the fact." 

"Thank you," Emily replied. 

The living room they entered was simply but neatly furnished, with newspapers piled in a heap in a corner of the room. 

'This is where I retreat to on a daily basis after a hard day's work," Kojo Ganyo announced. "Ladies, feel at home." 

Kojo Ganyo threw the car keys onto the centre table and slumped his body into a sofa directly opposite Stephen, who remained seated as the ladies walked in. Stephen raised his head and looked questioningly at Afia and Bobby quickly introduced her. 

"The beautiful lady is called Afia, Emily's friend. She is the branch manager of the Accra Branch of the Success Bank. I had the pleasure of meeting her a few minutes ago," he said. 

Stephen rose to his feet and shook hands with Afia, expressing his delight at meeting her. He then looked casually at Emily before returning to his seat. 

"What will you drink?" Kojo asked the ladies. 

"Nothing, thank you," Emily replied. 

"Do you care for some cocoa drink?" Kojo asked Afia. 

"I'll love to have a cup," Afia replied and the young man disappeared into the kitchen. There was silence in the living room when Kojo took leave of them. 

"I'd like to give Mr Ganyo a helping hand in the kitchen," Afia announced after a few more seconds of awkward silence. When she got up, Emily also rose to her feet. 

"I'm coming along with you," she announced. As they headed for the kitchen, Kojo emerged with a tray. 

"Ladies, please return to your seats," he ordered. "You are our guests and we are not allowing you into our kitchen. It's out of bounds to ladies." 

Stephen rose up and assisted his friend to serve Afia the steamy hot cocoa drink. "Thanks," Afia muttered as they all settled back into their seats. "Emily," Stephen spoke up as if on cue when they were all seated. "I owe you an apology and an explanation. Since you brought Afia along, I'm inclined to believe that you don't mind her hearing whatever I have to say to you." He paused for some time and when Emily remained silent, he continued. 

"It's been a while since you saw me and, judging from all that happened the last time we were together, I may seem to be the scoundrel Mrs Adams made me out to be that fateful night. You are perfectly right in assuming the worst of me because I did not defend myself, or even try to do so. It was all because I had never been as astonished in all of my life as I was that night. 

There wasn't an iota of truth in all that she said that night and I was astounded Nana Ama could also sink so low. But I thank God that it happened because up till that time I had always felt my relationship with the woman I called mother was not the best. I was supposed to be her only child but she just could not tolerate me. That, to me, was very strange," Stephen paused painfully before continuing. 

"Right from childhood, I had been in boarding schools across the country, raised by strangers. Every long vacation I was sent to my father's relatives in the US, Canada and Kenya to spend my holidays with them. After secondary school, I was immediately sent off to my uncle in the UK where I had my university education. My mom, Gloria, had not sat with me for even thirty minutes to chat. I always wondered about that and asked questions, but my father and everyone else remained tight-lipped up till a few days ago when Bobby decided to investigate the matter. I have just discovered through his investigations that my biological mother died when I was three and I was raised by my maternal grandmother till I turned six. 

When my father married my stepmom, Gloria, I was sent over to live with them but her attitude towards me caused my grandmother to take me back with her when she visited my father and saw how his wife was treating me shabbily. I learnt that, that action my grandmother took generated a quarrel between my father and my mother's relatives and when my father later forcibly took me away from them, he warned them to stay away from me. In a nutshell, that explained why the woman I called my mother could do the things she did recently to make my life very miserable," Stephen's voice broke at that point and he had to pause for some seconds to regain his composure. 

"All the girls she introduced to me when I returned to the country were the wrong kind, high class, money conscious, very rude sometimes, very full of themselves, among other objectionable character traits. When I finally met the one woman who answered to the qualities I was looking for, she would not let me near her. I was perplexed and I told my father so. But, as usual, he would not lift a finger to help me, choosing to remain neutral. How she got Nana Ama over to the house that night and how the girl came by the ring I was supposed to have given her and so on, still beats my imagination. The incident has so scared me that but for God on my side I would have been scared of all women after that. 

But, thanks be to God, I know there are good, honest ladies such as Emily around. I know it will be very difficult for you to believe me but, Emily, God is my witness. I don't remember the last time I set eyes on that girl, where I met her to give her a ring or what arrangement there was for me to marry her. I just could not take it all in myself at the time so how can I ask you to accept my explanation?" Stephen asked in conclusion. 

"Emily knows a little bit about the other side of the story," Afia chipped in and every eye turned in her direction. "A few days ago, a friend of mine called to tell me about the role Nana Ama played in the attempt to ditch Stephen. I called Emily yesterday and briefed her so she knows that, indeed, what happened was a frame up. Urged on by Kojo, Afia proceeded to give them the full story of Nana Ama's confession to her friend, Pearl. There was silence in the hall after Afia had ended her narration. 

"Hmmm! So that's how things stand now ... I see," Kojo stated. "Can we all have lunch together this afternoon to further strategise?" he asked after some time. "I have an appointment at 11 o'clock," Emily stated and they all turned their attention to her. "Assure us that it's not with Dr Newman," Bobby pleaded. 

Emily looked straight in front of her and refused to make eye contact with any of them. 

"Emily, please don't go along that path," Bobby tried to reason with her. "Not all that glitters is gold and, besides, all of us seated here this morning know that you are certainly not a gold digger. That man is about three times your age and is fit to be your father, except for the fact that he has taken very good care of his health so he looks much younger than his age. We all know that Mrs Adams has been doing her best to brainwash you to end up with an old man, but she can only succeed if you allow her." Emily remained silent as she sat staring straight ahead of her as if none of them existed. Bobby left his seat, gently pulled the young lady to her feet and, with his arm wrapped around her shoulders, led her into one of the rooms opposite the living room. 

In the living room, Afia and Stephen chatted and when she later got to know that Stephen was one of the customers at her branch, they talked at length about banking. 

Later, while they still waited for Bobby and Emily, Stephen seized the opportunity to learn more about Afia. He felt that he might need the young lady's assistance sooner or later in his quest to win Emily's love. Before long, Afia had let out the fact that she was not in any relationship and subtly hinted that she was open for dating. 

'I see," he remarked with a new insight. "That may explain Bobby's change of plans. Before you came along, he was planning a meal prepared by us guys but I realised that the plan suddenly changed, with he suggesting that we have lunch outside the house. Now I understand what he may be getting at. I see." 

The two were still laughing when Emily and Bobby later emerged from the room. 'Can we share in the joke?" Bobby asked with curiosity as he and Emily joined Stephen and Afia in the living room. 

'Later, buddy," Stephen replied, still laughing. 

"Okay," Bobby acquiesced. "We will have dinner together this evening. That is, if Madam Afia is not averse to the change in plans." 

'Well, I'll not be averse to having dinner with Emily's friends," Afia readily replied, 'I've nothing special planned for the evening." 

Emily looked upset and Stephen noticed it, although neither Bobby nor Afia realised it. Stephen had taken time to study the young lady over a period of time and he had gotten to know that she could be very upset but still mask her true feeling with smiles. As he watched her closely, he wondered how much of Bobby's current investigations had been let out to the young woman. 

He and Kojo Ganyo had both agreed to hold on to the information they had unearthed until the latter had put all the pieces together before telling Emily about their discovery, but Bobby had hinted him that morning that his managing editor was getting very impatient and that as soon as their lawyers gave them the go-ahead, they were going to go ahead and publish their findings in the nation's biggest daily newspaper for which Kojo Ganyo worked as a senior journalist. ' "Can I have a word with you, Emily?" Stephen, who had his eyes on the young lady, asked as he later saw a film of tears glisten in her eyes. She looked straight ahead of her as if she had not heard him. 

Afia moved over to Emily's chair. "Please, Emily, don't embarrass him," Afia appealed to her friend. "Please, for my sake, go with him." 

Emily hesitated briefly before allowing herself to be persuaded by Afia and, as she stood up, Stephen took her gently by the hand and led her outside the house. 

"I understand why you are upset," he stated when they were out of the room. "I know you have also suffered because someone decided to ruin our lives. Believe me, Emily, my stepmother, as we both know her now, can never offer you anything of lasting value. I will not be surprised if all that she has done so far, supposedly for you, is for her own personal gain, one way or another. In any case, I will not stampede you into taking any decision as far as our relationship is concerned, but what I know for sure is that Mrs Adams is only trying to confuse you. I have rented a place adjacent Bobby's place, over there. Would you like to see it?" 

"No," Emily replied. "Maybe I will find some other time to see your place. I think I want to go home." 

As she spoke, the tears she had held back for so long burst out like a broken dam. Stephen held her close and allowed her to cry. She needed to let out all her bottled up emotions, Stephen reasoned as he held her close. He knew that Emily had suffered a lot of physical and emotional abuse while growing up. She had confided in him a lot during those special evenings when he shared her company at his parents' residence. She had developed a very tough skin as a result of her upbringing but he knew that events in the coming weeks might compel her to take some very hard decisions, although at present she might still be oblivious of what lay ahead.