by Boadi, Lilly
Kiara only sighed to that. Personally, she had a strong belief that Mellis truly loved her friend and that there was definitely something wrong somewhere. She actually believed Mellis was not to be blamed and that his acts could only have been triggered by Haida, but why exactly, she couldn’t tell.
***
It has been a fortnight since they got married, and Osborn had touched his wife only once. Somehow, Meg expected this, yet she has been hoping he touches her once again, and that sooner. She had her own plans; she was going to get herself pregnant the next time he slept with her. Owing to this, she’d do all it takes to seduce him and get to sleep with him. Her cycle calendar calculated next week perfectly, when she would be unsafe. A child with him was the only thing that could get him closer and serve as an assurance of lifetime connectivity with him, but how surprising that he had said he didn’t want to make babies now. It was clear the tension that existed in the house. Though she acted mindlessly about that, Meg knew her husband still had a heart for Haida. She played the role of a good wife at home with keeping the house, diminished her sophisticated lifestyle and behaved more like a graceful, noble mistress – a woman of substance. She’d do anything to please him to make him love her and be with her forever now that she was his wife; even to the extent of grinning and bearing it when she saw him and Haida in a compromising situation. Apparently, Haida had become Osborn’s best friend and, apart from his father, she was the main reason he found courage to stay in his marriage and had even started to learn to love his wife. They were the best of a couple when outside, but something less at home. He needed time to love his wife and Meg was prepared to give him eternity.
Kelly visited her mother in the Ashanti region soon as she could. Ms. Cleland was in far better health than Kelly had thought she would be.
“I really missed you mom,” said Kelly.
“So, why didn’t I hear from you for a whole month?” said Ms. Cleland.
“Oh mom, I’m so sorry. I was so busy at work towards the preparation to come down,” explained Kelly. “Where are the kids?” she quickly changed the subject.
“They are fetching buckets of water nearby. We’ve been short of pipe-borne water since a week now.”
“Goodness! This problem still exists here? What happened to the poly tank?” asked Kelly.
“We ran out of water in that, too.”
“And Dan? Is he also fetching water?”
“Of course not. He insisted he would escort them…”
“Hi auntie!” chorused the kids in ecstasy, as they appeared immediately.
The four-year little boy ran into her arms, “Auntie I missed you so much” he said.
“I missed you too Dan,” said Kelly and pecked his cheek. The oldest girl put a grimace on her face in pain and twisted her neck.
“What’s wrong?” asked Kelly.
“My neck hurts,” whined the girl.
“Oh no, this is bad mom. They can’t go on carrying buckets of water on their heads this way. I’d fix you a bigger poly tank before I leave the country.”
“How long will you be here?” asked Ms. Cleland.
“I’m here for only three weeks,” said Kelly.
“Oh, such a short time?”
“Yes, mom. But hopefully you will see me again during Christmas.”
“How is Mellis? It’s been a while since I heard from him.”
“He’s ok mom,” said Kelly.
“You guys are kicking?” asked Ms. Cleland, fixing her daughter a drink.
“Real hard and good,” said Kelly contentedly. “Thank you mom” and she took the glass of soft drink to her mouth.
Ms. Cleland found it awkward having to ask her daughter the obvious question any mother will ask at this juncture.
“When are you two tying the knot?” she asked all the same, and sat beside Kelly.
Kelly sighed “Very soon mom…very soon.”
“This is what you told me a year ago. Are you sure all is well between the two of you?”
“Sure mom. Marriage is a lifelong affair and so the foundation must be laid well. This is what you told me mom.”
“You guys are not put together yet?” asked Mrs. Cleland, understanding where her daughter was coming from.
Kelly sighed once more. “I’m afraid not, but I can assure you all will be intact soon mom, and you’d have your grandchild in your arms very soon.” Kelly assured her mom.
Mrs. Cleland was skeptical about that though. Not because she didn’t believe the best for her daughter, but she knew there was a question mark on Mellis and her daughter’s marriage in particular. She knew if Kelly continued to be this churlish, haughty and calculating, knowing Mellis the way she did, then the reality of their marriage would be nothing but a mirage. Her surety was induced by the fact that Kelly, her only daughter, took after every bit of her without leaving a tiny part out. Ms. Cleland’s haughty and manipulative nature was too uneven with her calm and gentle-hearted husband that it caused him to take to his heels from her life. It’s been almost three decades now since she saw or heard anything from her ex-husband. But the last time she knew of him, he was happily married with a peaceful and far more contented home. These last two and half decades had found Ms. Cleland with deep regret for making her beloved husband go. She’d remarried twice afterwards, but never found true happiness. Apparently, she has given up in having anything to do with the covenant called marriage. She knew her only daughter regrettably was too much like her, and, as far as Mellis was concerned, she might hardly get the young man to marry her at the first place before an issue of divorce even arises.
***
Kelly spent a couple of days more at her mother’s end before coming down to the capital city. She had been busy the previous week, so much that she could only get to see Mellis in the evenings. She needn’t talk him into marriage yet now that they were reconciled. She had to give him time to need her more – she needed to pamper him with affection and care – after which it would be easier to persuade him to marry her. For now, she knew he would dismiss the idea if she brought it up. She’d be less busy this week and so she’d start visiting him often, even at the office. She called Mrs. Hansen and rattled about her make-up with Mellis. Mrs. Hansen was pleased, yet she would be more pleased if her son confirmed this to her by himself. Kelly thought at least, there should be some sort of a traditional marriage between them before she left to the UK. Yet, somehow, she doubted it would be possible – she was actually scared of Haida.
It was a Tuesday afternoon and Kelly drove to Mellis’ work place. Intending to surprise him with her visit, she didn’t give him a prior call. She had intended having lunch with him; it would be romantic this way. Beating protocol by presenting herself as future Mrs. Mellis Hansen, Kelly went straight to Mellis’ office.
“I am here to see the Executive Director, please?” she asked the secretary.
“Is he expecting you?” asked the secretary.
“Not really. It is supposed to be a surprise visit,” said Kelly. “I am his fiancée,” she whispered cunningly with giggles.
The secretary grinned, understanding her, “Well, he is not in at the moment. He went out but he may be back in a little while,” she said and Kelly wondered what was keeping him out there, for it was not yet lunch time.
“Can I wait for him in his office?” The secretary held her breathe. “Please?” said Kelly, before the secretary could say a word, for she knew she wouldn’t concur to that.
The secretary allowed. Of course, Kelly’s subtle nature is like a culprit that attracts his prey with his sweetness to get them close and eventually devour them, and the secretary has been no different. Kelly opened Mellis’ office door and saw a young man sitting on the chair directly opposite to the ‘king’s’ own. He was busily scribbling something with his eyes fixed on a long sheet.
“You’re back?” said the man without lifting his head.
Then he looked at the door and almost threw the pen on the table,
“Hi” he grinned at Kelly. “How may I help you?”
“Err, I’m here to see Mellis and I don’t think there is anything you can do to help me, because I learned he is out!” she almost sneered and he nodded and pursed his lip in wow.
“Well, have a seat,” he said, giving her his seat. “May I offer you something to drink?” he asked when she was seated.
“No!” she said ungratefully.
“Anyway, I am Chad, and what is this name that befits this gorgeous woman I have here?”
Just then, Mellis entered, “Hi sweetheart. Have you been here for long?” he asked, pecking her cheek.
“No, just came in,” said a contented Kelly.
“Have you had a drink already?” asked Mellis.
“I wanted to be at her service, but she refused to accept it. Maybe she would prefer yours,” said Chad humourously and Mellis giggled.
‘Who is talking to this annoying man?’ thought Kelly and gave Chad a grimace when Mellis wasn’t watching.
“Anyway, Kelly you meet Chad, my assistant,” said Mellis. “Chad, meet Kelly…” and he paused, and then Kelly gave him a hard look, “…my gorgeous girlfriend.”
“His fiancée,” stressed Kelly, extending a hand to Chad.
But Chad stood, hypnotized.
“Chad?” said Mellis, before he came back to the present and shook Kelly’s hands.
“Pleased to meet you, gorgeous,” he stammered.
There was an uneasy pause.
“It’s lunch time. I guess you are famished as I am Kelly. Will you have lunch with me?” Mellis broke the silence.
“Sure, I’d love to,” said Kelly and they stood to depart, leaving Chad standing motionless.
At the door, Mellis glanced surreptitiously at him. Chad gave him a look that said, ‘You have yourself to explain about this!’ and Mellis nodded concurrently and swallowed hard.
Back at the office, Mellis didn’t even sit, when Chad put it straight to him.
“Who is she?” he asked sharply, quite grimly.
“I did tell you who she was, didn’t I?” said Mellis relaxingly.
“The same Kelly you talked to me about? Your girlfriend or fiancée?” sneered Chad.
Mellis sighed, “Both” he said.
“You’re going to marry that woman? Where are you coming from now? I am not getting you!” Chad was puzzled.
Mellis put his forehead in his palm and responded with an apt look. Chad leaned back on the chair and gave him an offensive stare. He stared at Mellis for a while as the latter kept his eyes fixed on the desk.
“You never gave me the idea that you wanted to pull a fast one on Haida; to take her for a ride!” snapped Chad.
“I didn’t and have never meant to take her for a ride.”
“But that is what you are doing by wanting to marry that woman!” snapped Chad once more, getting on his feet.
“I’m not!” retorted Mellis.
They paused and glared into each other’s eyes.
“What’s going on?” asked Chad, lowering his voice.
“If you want to know what’s going on, then stop flaying me and give me a chance to explain things; you can’t get to know anything by being this critical!”
Chad slackened his tie and collapsed on the chair, nearly breaking it, he looked away, miffed. Mellis told him everything he knew about Haida’s flirtatious and flabby character. He talked with emotions, exhibiting the pain and disappointment he felt. It was then that Chad’s face beamed with surprise and comprehension,
“Are you really sure about what you’re saying?” he asked.
“I couldn’t lie about this one?” said Mellis.
“Haida’s so-called flirt must have some reasonable explanation. I know Haida too well to think she’s a whore,” said Chad. “You must have done something worse, and her attitude may just be a reaction to your actions!”
“What? What did I possibly do? Nothing!” said Mellis and stood furiously. “She claims she caught me flirting with some women flung around me during the Celebrities Night Show, but I swear I did nothing of the sort!” Then,lowering his voice. “Yes, she got to know about Kelly and I admit I did wrong by not telling her about her…”
“Fudge!” exclaimed Chad
“…but that had nothing to do with her flirtatious behavior, because you know what, she got to know about Kelly only last week! What about that?!” he burst and collapsed on his seat, very upset.
Chad remained silent and stared at him, “I didn’t know you two were having problems, and you never told me about that? I thought we were real buddies?” said Chad.
“I wanted to deal with it on my own, but I didn’t know I would get worse this way,” said Mellis glumly.
“Did you really love her?” asked Chad.
“Who?”
“Haida.”
“With all my being! Thought you knew that! I loved her like I’ve never loved before, do you understand?”
“More than you did Dari?”
“Even much more!” said Mellis despondently.
“Do you still love Haida?” Mellis sighed,
“No two ways about that” he said.
“And you want to marry a woman you don’t love?”
“I’ve no choice. I can’t waste more of Kelly’s time. This is what she deserves for all the commitment, care, affection and time she has given me,” explained Mellis.
“Who’s talking? Have you soon forgotten the sermons you gave me concerning Kiara – that if I don’t love her I should break up a relationship with her? And you are talking about marriage to a woman you don’t love? Come on, Mellis!”
“Kelly knows I don’t love her, and that’s the difference! And for Christ’s sake, I need a woman by my side to forget about all these pain and disappointment and anger…do you get what I’m saying?”
“Oh…so, this is all that Kelly is – something to use to ease your pain and anger! And after the pain’s gone, what do you intend to do– divorce her? Oh, please Mellis, stop being narrow-minded! Let me be the one talking like this! I think the both of you need to talk seriously and sort things out – I mean Haida and you.”
“There’s nothing to talk about with her, Chad. The Haida you knew before isn’t the same now – let’s all get used to the idea that she has changed!” said Mellis categorically.
“And you prefer being with Kelly, a woman you don’t love, than the one you love?”
“Chad, how many times must I get you to understand that I simply cannot cope with a woman who is more or less a whore?! In fact, I cannot bear the idea that another man is having my woman! If she isn’t mine alone, then she isn’t mine at all!”
“Did you always get to be the only man in the lives of all those ex’s of yours?”
“That is the reason most of them became ex’s prematurely; a hint of any form of flirting, and then you’re off!” said Mellis, relaxing lazily on his chair. “Save the fact that I’d have no knowledge about that, and then you would be lucky enough to stay for the maximum period of half a year!” Mellis explained his old self to his friend, something that died after he had met Haida.
“Kelly! How long have you been with her?” asked Chad.
“Two years now.”
“Two years?” Chad chuckled. “Then I presume she’s about four or more women in one! So, what makes her different then?”
“My mom, I think I told you that! She’s always been a big factor in this. Still to her, there isn’t any other would-be daughter-in-law for her than Kelly, and she’s the dominant reason I’d have to marry her. I never told you this, but she has refused to be in talking terms with me since I came down from the UK, all because of Kelly.”
“You cannot make your mother dictate your future for you?”
“She is not. In fact, I think she’s right. Kelly cannot continue to be nothing more than my little concubine. I was hoping to introducing Haida to her very soon, knowing she’d be more pleased with her than Kelly. Thank God
I didn’t! I’d have made the biggest mistake in my life and suffered the worst humiliation ever!”
“Stop talking as though Haida is some…I mean a jezebel!”
“Why are you defending her so much? Do you love her or what?” asked Mellis sluggishly. Chad grinned.
“You know, there’s one secret I have to tell you,” he said, and then he told Mellis about what he had for Haida in the past, and the embarrassing encounter with her. “So, you see, Haida isn’t as flabby as you think,” he concluded.
“I also thought we were real buddies!” said Mellis “Or that you were planning a secret affair with her behind my back or what?”
“Hurray! I’d have been a genius then if I succeeded, and I would have been the happiest man on earth!” said Chad amusingly, and Mellis refused to be surprised about that as he stared quietly at Chad. “Skip it. I was only too ashamed to tell you about it,” said Chad, getting serious. “You know, Haida is a woman you simply cannot have a cause to disrespect. After what happened, I realized she was a woman of character, and I respected her for that”
“Or was it because she smacked you off to the ground?” asked Mellis and they laughed.
“Man, you have a good and very beautiful woman. Don’t let her go because of some misunderstandings between you. You ought to see her and talk things over with her. Swallow your pride and go to her, make up with her before she becomes someone else’s. Who knows, that Carlos may be nothing to her after all. Forgive each other and make up,” said Chad, concluding his sermon.
Mellis thought through all that Chad had said throughout the rest of the day. It all made sense, but how was he going to explain himself to Haida about Kelly? And even if he succeeded in gaining her understanding, how was he going to put Kelly off for good? It wasn’t as easy as it seemed. He needed time to think of how he was going to go about it all without being a loser at the end, since it was possible he might lose Haida forever if he wasn’t careful. They had two cases against each other, but one of his was weak – he never caught her red-handed with Carlos. He hasn’t even met him before.
In the interim, Kelly went home and spluttered to Laura all about the nice times she was having with Mellis.
