THE UNION
The Baiden and Boateng families sat in the living room chatting and making merry in the home of the Baidens. They were excited about how they children were going to be married soon and how it will make their ties stronger. Chris walked in and greeted his parents and soon to be in-laws then took his seat. Honestly, he didn't know how to feel about all this but he was eager to see how it goes. He knew his future wife but they were close only as children but he hadn't seen her for years since he had been out of the country for most part of his life. He often wondered what Kuukua thought about this marriage but she had learnt how to skillfully mask her emotions so well that Chris could never tell what she was thinking the few times he had interacted with her since the news broke about their wedding.
Chris was 32 years and was excited about coming back to Ghana after spending 22 years in the USA living with his mum till he was 19, then his mum moved back to Ghana to be with his dad. Though he loved the idea of being married, he felt it was all happening too fast and he would have loved to get to know Kuukua a little more. But he knew his parents would hear none of that especially since they thought he was too "old" to still be single. He understood their position but he still felt it was a bit of a rush. For someone who was raised in the USA, he still believed in respecting traditions and putting family before himself and that was the only reason why he agreed to this.
Kuukua was not so thrilled about the idea of marrying someone she barely knew but she had to tread carefully. She understood that her family had more to gain with this union than the Boatengs so it would bring alot of problems if she screwed this up. She didn't even know how she was going to break the news to Kwame and she dreaded it. How was she going to end a 4 year relationship with a man who embodied the major qualities she required? Most importantly, how could she break the heart of the love of her life? Was this worth it? Could she go through with this? These thoughts raced through her mind as she packed her things to leave work. Kuukua was a 28 year old project manager at a consultancy firm in the heart of Accra and she was doing well for herself. In spite of her being financially independent, she still lived with her parents which was very important as a single woman in a traditional African setting. She walked down the stairs towards the car park when her phone rung and she took out her phone. Fear shot through her bones when she saw that it was Kwame calling her. She quickly made her way to her car, sat in and put her head on the steering wheel. She looked at her phone as it rung for the second time and had no other option than to pick up.
Kuukua: Hello
Kwame: Hey babe. How was your day?
Kuukua: Ermm...it was okay, nothing eventful. How was yours?
Kwame: Well, I spent most part of it missing you.
This made Kuukua smile then she felt sad.
Kwame: Is everything okay?
Kuukua: yeah, sure. But I just want to get home and lie down. I'm just tired.
Kwame: But we planned to meet at the mall after work today.
Kuukua: Oh yeah. I'm terribly sorry but I'm really tired. Can we do that another time?
Kwame reluctantly agreed and they soon said their goodbyes. All through her drive home through the Accra rush hour traffic, she felt sick to her stomach. She had to weigh her options and her options with Kwame were not looking good at all. She had grown so used to him and she was certain she loved him. She knew she wouldn't be able to love Chris as she loves Kwame. She was so lost in thought that she missed her turn on her junction. She didn't want to see anyone today because she was not in the mood. She just wanted to have a long shower and hide under her covers from the world that she felt trapped in. Seeing the Boateng's car in the compound just angered Kuukua. She rolled her eyes while she tried to figure out how she was going to escape any conversation with them. As she tried to grab her hand bag and laptop bag from the back seat, she heard the front door open and saw Chris coming out through the door. If she could roll her eyes any harder, she would have and they might even get stuck in the back of her head. She got out of the car and greeted him since he had made his way to her. They exchanged pleasantries and she excused herself. She got inside, greeted the parents and though she tried to escape having any meaningful talk with them, she was to join them for dinner after taking a shower. Kuukua didn't like the idea but she couldn't turn it down since it would come off as a disrespectful gesture. She did as she was told and it was at dinner that Kuukua and Chris were informed of the said date for the Knocking (The formal introduction of both families; the first step in the traditional marriage). Kuukua immediately lost her appetite and knew that it was signed, almost sealed and soon to be delivered.
She couldn't believe how quickly everything was happening. She looked over at Chris who seemed to be alright with the whole arrangement. She knew Kwame would never forgive her and she knew it would hurt her to loose him. This wasn't the life she wanted for herself but unfortunately, this was what had been dealt her.
That Saturday, she decided to pay Kwame a surprise visit since after the other time that she cancelled their meeting, he seemed withdrawn. She went to buy some some cupcakes from his favourite bake shop and drove to his Ashongman residence. It was a long drive from her house, to the bake shop at osu, then to his place. She knew he would definitely do small shakara (play hard to get) but she didn't mind. She would have done the same to him if tables had turned. She even smiled at how she would have behaved and the attention she would get, if she was in his position. When she to his place, she just used her key to gain access to the room. She didn't see his car in the car park so assumed he wasn't around. She set the cupcakes on the centre table in the living room and made her way to the bedroom. Awe struck her at the sight she beheld.
