Amma nodded, suddenly subdued. ‘I know what you mean. It’s bad enough with Edwin gone; now you’re going and Rocky is supposed to start work in London next month… I’m the one who should be getting upset.’
‘Okay, I’ll stop complaining if you will. Now, where’s the bottle?’ Laughing, they refilled their glasses and played some of Amma’s CDs until Auntie Amelia came in to tell them that dinner was ready.
There was still no sign of Rocky as the rest of the family went into the dining room, although Martha had laid a place for him at the table. Feeling very relaxed and more than a little tipsy from the wine, Faye kept them entertained during dinner with stories of Mr Fiske (Junior) and some of his more famous exploits at the office. It wasn’t until she had finished telling a long story about the time her boss had unwittingly sent the cheque from the sale of a client’s property to a national charity, that she realised what she had done.
Staring at her empty plate, she looked at Amma in astonishment. ‘Amma, do you realise that I’ve just eaten a plate of kontomire with pigfoot and I didn’t even notice?’
Amma smiled in amusement at the incredulity on Faye’s face. ‘Well, I guess you’ve really adapted now,’ she said. ‘I wondered when you would realise what you were eating!’
Uncle Fred, who had been enjoying listening to Faye’s office anecdotes, patted his round stomach in satisfaction. ‘Listen here, pigfoot is my favourite meat and I won’t hear a rude word said about it.’
He picked up the unused fork from the cutlery laid out for Rocky and tapped it against his glass, calling for silence.
‘Ladies, I was hoping my son would be here for dinner but doubtless, due to his recent news, he is working harder than ever at his office. Nevertheless, I have a few words I want to say.’ He paused and looked around the table, paying no attention to his wife’s twitching lips and Amma’s open smile.
Smiling at Faye, he raised his glass and continued. ‘Three weeks ago, this delightful young lady arrived here to grace us with her presence and to renew her ties to her homeland. We have all been privileged to have her here as part of our family.’
He turned to Faye and his voice softened. ‘Faye, my dear, since this is our last night together before you leave tomorrow, I just want to let you know that you have another family right here with us. We love you and wish you all the best on your return to London.’
With that he raised his glass to a chorus of ‘hear, hear’ from Auntie Amelia and Amma. Faye looked around at them, her eyes misting over again at the love and affection that surrounded her. Clinking his glass against hers, Uncle Fred added cheerfully, ‘Make sure you come back as soon as your lawyers give you some more time off.’
With dinner over, they moved to the living room to chat and watch TV. Amma had offered to take her out for a drink, but Faye was now intent on waiting for Rocky to come home. It was after ten o’clock when the rest of the family said goodnight and went up to their rooms, leaving her downstairs on her own. As she left to follow her parents upstairs, Amma turned to Faye.
‘Good luck,’ she hissed. ‘Tell me what happens tomorrow.’
Alone in the living room, Faye curled up on the sofa in front of the TV. She turned down the volume, her mind a million miles away from the drama taking place on the small screen. Twice she thought she heard the gate opening and ran to the front door, only to find that there was no one there.
It was close to midnight when the creaking sound of the metal gate and the powerful roar of Rocky’s car confirmed that he had returned home. Her heart pounding, Faye rushed to the door of the living room and waited for him to come into the house.
He walked in a few moments later, his jacket slung over one arm, and headed straight for the staircase. She stepped forward out of the shadow of the doorway and called his name hesitantly just as he reached the foot of the stairs.
He stopped at the sound of her voice, not moving for several seconds. Then, with an audible sigh, he turned around to look at her. His eyes were as hard as pebbles and her lips trembled as she took in the look of impatient irritation on his face.
‘Well?’ His tone was not encouraging and she cleared her suddenly constricted throat nervously before she spoke.
‘Rocky, we’ve got to talk,’ she said, her voice husky with nerves. ‘Please, you have to listen to me. What happened earlier wasn’t—’
He cut her off abruptly. ‘Faye, it’s late and I really don’t have time for this. You don’t owe me any explanations. You’re our guest and a free agent, and you’re perfectly entitled to see whomever you wish.’
As he started to climb up the stairs, she called his name again. He stopped for a moment then turned around and came back down, walking right up to her until his face was literally inches from hers. She stared up at him, her expression one of naked pleading and for a second she saw uncertainty in his eyes. The next moment, however, his expression had hardened again and he took a step backwards.
‘Rocky, please, don’t do this,’ she whispered, her expression agonised as she watched him literally retreating. ‘Don’t pretend that everything that happened meant nothing to you.’
He shook his head violently, backing away slowly away from her.
‘What did it mean, Faye?’ His expression was unreadable as he continued brutally. ‘I think you’ve been around long enough not to read too much into what men say and do, haven’t you?’
She flinched as though he had struck her, but his expression did not waver.
‘It’s like I’ve always said, Faye.’ He spoke slowly and distinctly. ‘The only thing one should count on in this world is working hard and getting ahead. Everything else,’ he paused meaningfully, ‘is just a waste of time.’
The tears streamed unchecked down her face as she watched him turn around and walk swiftly up the stairs without a backward glance. Sobbing quietly, she went back into the living room and burrowed into the armchair, crying as though her heart would break.
It was almost an hour later that she forced herself to leave her refuge and go up to bed where she tossed and turned for hours, unable to sleep until dawn. Exhausted, she slept through the loud crowing of the neighbourhood rooster and the usual morning noises of the city, only waking up when Amma’s insistent knocking intruded into her dreamless slumber.
She sat up groggily, mumbling ‘Come in’ before rolling round and burrowing back under the sheet. Amma marched in purposefully and without saying a word, unhooked the mosquito net and flung it up over the frame before sitting down on the edge of the rumpled bed.
‘Okay, so what happened?’ she demanded. ‘I saw Rocky this morning before he left for work, and he told me to mind my own business before I could even open my mouth!’
Faye groaned into her pillow, shaking her head to avoid remembering the awful scene from the previous evening. Amma was not prepared to take no for an answer and pulled the pillow away impatiently.
‘Okay, okay,’ Faye mumbled indistinctly. She sat up and rubbed her swollen eyes gently, seizing the pillow back from Amma to prop herself upright.
‘Wow, Faye, your eyes look awful!’ Amma said in alarm, peering closely at her.
‘That’s the least of my worries,’ Faye said bitterly, leaning back against the pillow. ‘What happened? I tried to talk to your stubborn brother and he didn’t want to know.’
She sighed and shook her head in despair. ‘I tried everything to get him to listen, but he was so cold...’ Her voice trailed off as the memory of the events from the night before flooded back.
Amma sighed and raked her hands through her long braids. ‘Unfortunately, I know what you mean. Rocky can be so difficult sometimes.’
She sat up straight and said firmly. ‘Look, Faye, just give him some time. After all, you’re leaving this evening and he’s not going to just let you go.’ She smiled confidently despite the sceptical look Faye gave her. ‘Come on, get up and get dressed. Try and finish your packing so we can go and check you in early – that way, we can come back
and relax at home before the flight.’
It was almost ten o’clock when Faye dragged herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom where she stood under the shower for several minutes before coming back to the bedroom. She looked around the room sadly, conscious of how much she had come to consider this her room.
She dressed quickly in a pair of cream shorts and a sleeveless linen blouse that tied at the waist, only too aware that she was returning to weather that was definitely not suitable for the summer clothes she was now accustomed to wearing. She smudged some eyeliner on to her swollen lids to disguise the puffiness and brushed her hair, leaving it to swing loosely around her face.
She walked downstairs and, following her usual routine, walked into the kitchen to fetch a cup of coffee. Greeting Martha, who smiled at her fondly and then frowned as she took in the brevity of the shorts, she filled her cup and sat down at the kitchen table.
‘Can you believe I won’t be here tomorrow morning drinking coffee with you, Martha?’ she asked, looking wistful as her gaze wandered around the large familiar kitchen. The older woman, dressed in her usual navy dress with a white collar, stopped her activities and smiled cheerfully at the younger girl.
‘Don’t worry, Miss Faye,’ she said with confidence, ‘you will come home again soon, I know.’
It is home, Faye thought, suddenly realising why she was feeling so wretched about leaving. She savoured the thought and it felt right. She stayed with Martha until she had finished her coffee, reluctant to go out to the veranda, which now held only bitter memories from the previous day.
Returning upstairs, she emptied the wardrobe and all the drawers in her room and slowly packed her things, tucking the fragile gifts between her clothes for protection. She held Lottie’s jewellery box against her chest for a long moment, remembering the laughter in Rocky’s eyes when he had handed it to her. Looking down at her wrist, she stroked the gold and bead bracelet he’d bought her and wished desperately that she could turn the clock back twenty-four hours.
With a frustrated sigh, she hung the trousers and top she intended to wear for the flight in the wardrobe and closed and locked her suitcase. After dragging the heavy case downstairs, she went into the living room where Amma and her mother were in the middle of a heated debate. They broke off abruptly as Faye entered.
‘Good morning, my dear,’ Auntie Amelia smiled at Faye. ‘You are just in time to tell my stubborn daughter that she will not get married until she has found herself a decent job and started her career.’
Amma glared at her mother. ‘Mama, I did not say I am not looking for a job. I said that when people put too much emphasis on jobs, they can lose sight of what is really important.’ She glanced at Faye. ‘And I know Faye will agree with me on that one,’ she added meaningfully.
Faye raised her hands in mock surrender, laughing affectionately at the irate expression on Amma’s face and the look of complete exasperation on her mother’s. ‘It’s good to know that some things don’t change,’ she said. ‘Amma, I’ve finished packing and my suitcase is in the hall. What time are we going to the airport to check in?’
Amma looked at her watch before turning to her mother. ‘Mama, do you think we should go now or is it too early?’
Before her mother could speak, the sound of a car driving through the gate came through the open windows. Amma left to see who it was and came running back into the living room, a broad smile on her face.
‘Faye, guess who’s here?’ she asked. Her heart pounding, Faye dashed out of the living room and almost collided with Auntie Akosua and Uncle Charlie, who had just entered the house.
‘Whoa, hold on there, young lady,’ Uncle Charlie said, reaching out to steady her. ‘It’s been a long time since anyone came running out to greet me,’ he chuckled.
Trying desperately to hide her disappointment, Faye reached up and kissed the older man before turning to hug Auntie Akosua. The latter stepped back to take a close look at her, noting the shadows beneath her eyes that the make-up could not hide.
‘Is everything all right with you, my child?’ she asked quietly. Dredging up a smile, Faye nodded and ushered them forward into the living room. After exchanging greetings with Auntie Amelia and Amma, the Debrahs sat down but declined the tea on offer.
‘We can’t stay, Amelia,’ Auntie Akosua said apologetically. ‘We have to go to Tema to visit Charlie’s brother in hospital. We just wanted to see Faye and say goodbye before she left.’
She turned to Faye who had perched on the sofa beside her, and patted her arm. ‘I spoke to your nana yesterday and he sends his regards. Joshua was with him and he said to tell you to have a safe journey back,’ she added.
Faye nodded, feeling a lump in her throat at the thought of leaving all these people behind. Smiling brightly, she thanked them for coming and walked with them back to their car. After exchanging hugs and kisses, the Debrahs took their leave and Amma and Faye followed Auntie Amelia back inside.
‘Okay, I think we should go and check in your luggage,’ Amma said. ‘It’s best to do it early and avoid the queues that form later in the day.’
‘That’s a good idea, Amma,’ her mother agreed. ‘Why don’t you girls go now and we’ll have a late lunch when you get back.’
Togo was summoned and he shuffled inside to pick up the suitcase, hoisting it high on his shoulders before trotting out to Amma’s car. After depositing the luggage in the car boot, he held the gate open for them to drive through, and gave a brief wave before he closed it behind them.
‘I don’t know how you managed to get Togo to be so friendly,’ Amma commented, as she drove down the busy dual carriageway. ‘He’s normally horribly cantankerous and he drives Martha crazy.’ She stopped at a set of traffic lights, tutting in disgust as the driver in the adjacent lane sped through the red light and narrowly missed hitting a car coming from the other direction.
‘Well, I suppose you can’t win them all,’ Faye said dryly. ‘I lose Rocky and win Togo instead.’
Amma giggled at the absurdity of the statement. ‘I will miss your sense of humour. Even Baaba was saying the other day that it felt like you have been here for ages.’
‘Knowing Baaba, I don’t think she meant it as a compliment,’ Faye said, her voice bubbling with laughter.
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Amma said. ‘Now that she’s with Stuart, she’s over her crush on Rocky, so you’re no longer a threat to her.’
‘I’m no longer a threat to anyone,’ Faye said gloomily, looking through the window at the passing scenery.
Amma maintained a prudent silence until they reached the airport. Parking the car under the shade of a spreading mango tree, they stepped out into the midday heat and were immediately besieged by two porters offering to carry the suitcase through to the check-in area.
‘Oh it’s too hot to argue, Faye; just let one of them take it,’ Amma said resignedly, pointing to one of the young men to come forward. He approached them eagerly, swung the suitcase from the boot of the car as though it were as light as a feather and marched steadily ahead of them up the stairs to the airport terminal.
There was only a short queue at the check-in counter and within thirty minutes of their arrival, all the formalities had been completed.
‘Thank goodness for that.’ Amma heaved a sigh of relief as they left the airport building. ‘Sometimes flying can be such a nightmare, especially when the airline has overbooked.’
They drove back to Labone, stopping briefly in Osu to buy some ice cream to take back for dessert. Martha served lunch as soon as they arrived home, having prepared Faye’s favourite jollof rice and herb-coated chicken for her farewell meal.
After lunch, before the older couple retired upstairs for a brief siesta, Uncle Fred reminded everyone that they would be leaving for the airport in two hours.
Just then, a car horn sounded and was followed soon after by the creak of the gate. Amma glanced at Faye quickly and went out to see who it was. Rigid with tension, Faye st
ood in the hall praying that it was Rocky. When the front door opened again, Stuart walked in, closely followed by Baaba and Amma.
Faye swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a smile as she walked towards the couple. Stuart hugged her warmly while Baaba, dressed in a clinging denim dress with a low-cut bodice, kissed her in greeting.
‘You look like you’ve been crying,’ she announced, as usual making no effort at diplomacy. ‘So either you’re really going to miss us or someone has been upsetting you.’
Amma nudged her friend hard and hissed at her to shut up, while Stuart tactfully pretended not to have heard.
‘I can’t stay long, love,’ he said to Faye, looking meaningfully at Baaba who had settled herself comfortably on the couch. ‘We’ve just been out for lunch and I’ve got to get back to the office for a meeting. And Baaba’s got to get back to the shop, haven’t you, love?’
Taking no notice of the pout his girlfriend gave in response to the question, he smiled at Faye. ‘We wanted to come and say goodbye and wish you a safe journey.’
Genuinely touched by the warmth in his eyes, Faye hugged him again before walking with them back to the luxury car parked in the drive. Amidu, Stuart’s driver, had been chatting to Togo and he hastily climbed back into the driver’s seat when he saw them coming.
With a final wave, Stuart got into the back seat of the car, tucking his long legs into the space behind his driver. Baaba swayed forward languidly and gave Faye a brief hug before saying goodbye. She paused before getting into the car and looked at Faye, her heavily made-up eyes serious. Her voice was without the usual sarcastic tone when she spoke.
‘You know, I don’t know what’s going on but you’ve clearly been crying even though Rocky is moving to London. Obviously something is not going according to plan.’ Ignoring Amma’s warning glare, she looked squarely at Faye.
‘Rocky’s not perfect, but he’s as close to it as most of the men I’ve met – and he’s gorgeous. If you want him, don’t let your pride get in the way. Fight for him.’ With a final nod and a brief ‘Safe journey’, she climbed into the car, imperiously ordering the hapless Amidu to drive off.
From Pasta to Pigfoot Page 38
