I was with Tony the day we met Konadu and her friend Lucy back on campus. Immediately they walked in, Tony said, “Wow, I like the one in red. If I had a girlfriend like her, marriage straight. I will never look at another woman.” I said, “You said the same thing when Adjoa wasn’t your girlfriend. After getting her, what happened?” He responded, “You know I had good intentions but she destroyed everything with her witchcraft. The way this girl looks, I doubt she’ll be a witch like Adjoa was.” We were in the school’s auditorium waiting for others so the program can start. I got up and went straight to them. I said hi and they both smiled. I said, “Is anyone sitting next to you?” They both shook their head. I said, “Then we would like to join you here. The view is clearer from here than where we are seated.”

Tony followed. I started a conversation with them. It was questions and answers at first before they warmed up to a real conversation. I asked their names and they told me. From there, I started cracking jokes just to get their attention. When you’re able to get people to laugh at your jokes, there is a 90% chance that you can make them your friend. All afternoon they laughed at the things I said. I was doing all that for Tony but he sat there quietly without uttering a word. I tried bringing him in but he’ll say just one word and pull off. Tony was like that. He lacked the basics of social skills, so much so that he would be in a room with people and won’t say a word to anyone. That can’t be me. 

Slowly the program ended. When we got to the entrance where we ought to depart, I asked them, “Can I have your contacts? It’s a small campus but it’s hard to meet people twice. If I get a number, I can call sometime. It was Konadu who gave me her number. Lucy said, “I’m always with her so if you see her you’ll see me too.” It was Konadu we went for so that didn’t bother me at all. 

When we departed, I gave the number to Tony. I said, “The ball is in your court now. Make her your wife. I will be watching and edging you on from the side.” He said, “No that’s too soon for you to leave everything to me. At least, let’s meet them once or twice. Help me establish rapport with her before you leave things in my hands.” I told him, “I’ve finished my work. Do yours.” He said, “Stay close, I beg you. You can even have Lucy.”

Tony had the number but he couldn’t call. He was always on me to arrange a meeting. We met again and I did all I can to get them to talk, to build that rapport but it wasn’t easy. Tony was too shy and Konadu wasn’t also ready to work her way up to him. It got to a point where we had to make things explicit. I went to her hostel one evening and told her, “You see that my friend, Tony. He’s madly in love with you. When we are alone he talks about you throughout but as soon as he’s in your presence, he coils up. He can’t say it but he’s suffering from words unsaid. So I’m here to speak on his behalf.” 

She laughed out loud. She said, “That’s so old school. If you like a girl and you can’t say then you’re not a man enough.” I said, “Tony is a man enough. I know him but there’s something about you that makes the man in him wants to hide. If you get to know him, you’ll love him.” She said, “Great. Now, let him come and repeat everything that you’ve told me. I will wait.”

One evening, Tony came to my hall wearing a sad face. I knew something was up. I asked what the issue was and he said, “You told me the girl has accepted but wants to hear things from my own mouth so why is she saying no to me?” I laughed like I was being tickled. I said, “Don’t worry. It’s her way of checking if you’re a man enough. Don’t give up. She likes you. Everything she told me that day indicates that she likes you. She’s just disappointed that you didn’t go to her directly but sent me to do it on your behalf. Just prove to her that you can be on your own feet.”

One month later, Tony got another no. Two months later, it was still No. Soon the semester ended. I told him, “We are going home. Make it a point to visit her in the house. Don’t sound desperate. Make things happen naturally and she’ll fall for you.”

We came back from vacation and nothing had changed. Tony said, “The way this girl is stretching me, when I get her today, tomorrow I will marry her. I’ve never suffered like this to get a girl.” I said “More vim!”

On our graduation day, Konadu was there with us. She congratulated us, took pictures with us, and even attended our after-party with us. I was there when Tony told her, “You’re the only subject I failed in ever since I came to this school. Trust me, I’m not giving up. I’ll do a resit until you pass me.” Konadu laughed. She said, “You’re a good person. I like your person and everything but I couldn’t say yes to you because I’m already involved with someone else.” Tony screamed, “That’s a lie. Lucy told me you were single. You’re only saying that to make me give up but never will I.”

We left Konadu on Campus. She had two more years to graduate. 

I didn’t talk to her a lot after school. Life came in the way but I heard from Tony every now and then. Months after school, Tony finally gave up. He said, “No matter what I do she won’t say yes to me so I’ve moved on.”  

Three years later, I was walking on the street of Suhum when someone waved at me from a taxi. I waved back but the hand of the person kept going up and down signaling me to stop. I stopped, I watched until the taxi found a safer place to park. Guess who came out of the taxi…Konadu. She screamed with excitement, “Packo, what are you doing here.” I said, “I should be asking you that same question. She said, “This is where I come from. My parents still live here so I come around a lot.” I told her, “I work here. My office got me transferred here a year ago so I’ve been here.” 

We exchanged contacts again and that same evening, I went to her house to see her. We talked about school and talked about Tony. She said, “That your crazy friend. He doesn’t know when to stop.” I asked, “But why didn’t you say yes to him? He really loved you. He kept telling me he will make you a wife the day you say yes.” She laughed. “He told me the same thing.” He was constantly putting me off.” Then she said something that put me off balance. She said, “It’s all your fault. You made me develop an interest in you right from the start then decided to push me to someone who barely spoke to me. Who does that.”

I was shocked to the marrow. I said, “Are you serious?” She said, “Yeah I was hoping you’ll be the one to come forward but you brought your friend in and destroyed everything. So even if you changed your mind and came back proposing to me, I would have said no.” I told her, “Awww I’m sorry about that. It was Tony’s idea right from the start so I couldn’t bypass him.” She said, “It’s ok. It’s all in the past now.”

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Any time she came to Suhum, she called me and we met. I became a regular person in her house. We met very often. Meetings bring feelings so I started developing feelings for her. One evening, I told her, “Allow me to make things right. We were young then so I didn’t know. Will you give me the chance? The chance to be who Tony couldn’t be in your life?” She said, ”No.” I asked, “Or you have someone else?” She said, “No I don’t have anyone else but I won’t say yes to you. Your punishment for wasting my time back when we were on campus.” I laughed. She said, “I’m serious.” I said, “I know you are.” 

The following day, she called to say yes. Today my two kids call her ‘mommy.”

Tony was at our wedding. It was all joy when the three of us met. He didn’t say a word about the past and we were also not ready to bring it in but I told him how I got to meet her again. After the wedding, he sent me a congratulatory message and ended it with, “You married my wife but I no bore.”  I replied, “You found me a wife, I’m grateful.” The next response was a thousand laughing emojis. We are happy we ended up married. As for Tony, he’ll always be part of our story. He’s still a friend to the two of us.

–Packo

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