MONDAY MORNING

Kobina came awake with a proud smile playing at the edges of his lips. He had had a dreamless night and the possibility of having a well prepared home-cooked breakfast got him to wake up early.
He was gradually being domesticated and he was happy about it. He got out of bed, did his ablutions and went out to be met with the pleasant scent of breakfast being prepared.
“Breakfast will be ready in 10 minutes,” Joan told him with a smile when she noticed him watching them from the kitchen door.
They had a breakfast of oats, brown bread and fried eggs in addition to sliced pear.
About an hour later, they all trooped into the Cherokee jeep and off they went to their appointment with the doctor.

“I am so glad that I can now read my Bible without any problems,” the excited old lady said when she received the classily-made bifocal lens.
They didn’t waste much time. He drove them to ALL NEEDS supermarket and bought some provisions for them, and drove them to Eguase mindful of the fact that those two ladies sitting behind him in the car were very important to him so he drove sedately and carefully while listening to gospel music playing on the car’s CD player.
They finally got to their destination and he expertly parked in front of the neat little house he had come to love so much.
“We are here,” he said and when he got no answer, he turned around and saw that they were both asleep. He shook Aba and she started playing, laughed and in turn, woke up her Mom.

He then opened the boot of the car and helped them carry the things he bought for them into the house.
“Thank you for your massive help, Kobina. God bless you and may all that you have used in caring for me and my daughter be returned to you a thousand times.”
“Amen,” concured Aba and Kobina
“Please, can you do me a favour, take Aba to the roadside for a Winneba bound vehicle.”
“No problem. It will be a pleasure,” he replied.
They said their goodbyes and drove off leaving the tearful old lady behind.
Kobina Ferguson had already decided that he was going to take Aba all the way to Winneba so he drove on without stopping at the various places she could have had transportation to campus.

With Joan sitting beside him in the front, he slipped in a CD by Chris de Burgh, and Lady in Red started blasting from the powerful speakers of the jeep. He switched on the air-conditioner and drove off with a flourish.
Aba Joan regarded him from the corner of her eyes, marvelling at his driving skills; the confident way of handling the car, his handsomeness and her heart swelled, for this man who had entered her life at a time when life was at its lowest ebb had impacted it with all the colours she needed to be happy.
He caught her gazing at him and he took her left hand with his right hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
From then on, they talked and talked, about nothing in particular but they said a lot. When they got to Mankessim, she bought some fruits and sweet potatoes for him and they continued the journey.
“KF, why do you love me?” she suddenly asked him.

“I love you because I scattered your gari,” he said and laughed uproariously.
She smiled warmly.
“Seriously, why do you love me.”
“All I know is that I love you. My heart melts whenever I am with you or think about you. Being with you makes me feel contented. It makes me feel liberated.”
“I see,” she stated.
“Why do you also love me?” he asked.
“Because you scattered my gari,” she said with a smile that reached her eyes. Noting his mock anger, she went on, “I love you because you are a good man, have a great sense of humour, principled and generous. I love you because you are YOU.”
“Wow,” he said, and seeing that they had gotten to Apam junction, brought the car to a halt, parked and kissed her with all the love he could muster. She kissed him back, whispering endearments. It took Herculean willpower for them to draw back. He looked at her earnestly for a while, just letting the moment sink in.

“Aba Joan, I have become very addicted to you. I have totally and completely surrendered my heart to you.”
“So have I, KF, I will never hurt you because the day I hurt you is the day I hurt myself.”
They continued the journey but moved leisurely this time with a long string of cars following them, but the lovebirds were in a world of their very own.
Finally, they arrived at Winneba Junction and he took the immediate right turn and drove her to her Hostel.
He helped her carry her provisions to her room and introduced him to her roommate who despite her presence was trying to flirt with him but Aba Joan pushed him out gently.
She saw him off to the car, thanked him immensely for kindness towards her mom and bade him goodbye after promising to visit him in two weeks after her mid-term exams.

Kobina was exhausted but he drove back at a much faster pace. He wanted to get back home for a much-needed rest and for once, he failed to admire the picturesque towns and villages that were along the Winneba Takoradi Highway.
He made good time and in about two hours, he was at the Nchaban Toll Booth.
And after getting the ticket, he sighted Deaconess Abena Acquaye at the side of the road obviously waiting for a bus to Takoradi. He parked the car and called out to her and she whooped with joy.
“Kobina!”
“Deaconess, what are you doing here?”
“I came to visit a friend,” she said, slipping her arm through his.
“I see, can I give you a lift to Takoradi?”
“No, you won’t,” a man from behind them said.

He turned around to behold a pot-bellied man in his late fifties holding a polythene bag containing a loaf of bread.
“Don’t be silly, Frank,” she said, “This is my neighbour and I am going with him.”
“I said NO,”Frank insisted.
“As if this would deter me.”
“Infact, you are not going anywhere, let’s go back home,” the man said and tried to drag her away.
“For what, another one minute, or this time it will be two minutes?” she said and snatched her hands away and opened the car door and jumped in. And the silent Kobina who had already gone into the car intending to drive off without her drove away with the said Frank trying desperately to stop them and still holding the loaf of bread.

The drive was an uneasy one but from his deduction, it seemed the Deaconess had been seeing Frank regularly and since he seemed to be the catalyst to what happened, he kept quiet.
“Haha, that was so sweet,” she said with a laugh.”Finally, his jealousy has landed him in trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“Yes, he’s not going to see my thighs ever again.”
Kobina kept a deadpan face. He was now beginning to see the Deaconess in a new light. They got to their destination and he drove her home.
“Kobina, what happened stays between us,” she said before she alighted.