Chapter 9: Chapter 9

The African sun threw its shadows across the horizon setting on the meadows the yellowish red sunset to indicate a sleepy day, as Jobson and Ama left the latter’s parent’s house. Jobson tried to convince Ama to follow him to his apartment, but she stood on her grounds to refuse. Ama told him that she had Internal Assessment week after and needed some time to revise her notes. Gentle as he was, Jobson tried to control himself and not to pressurise her. That was his nature. He had a cool demeanour even when he needed something badly. Actually, Jobson did not want to hurt Ama’s sensibilities: a trait at variance with his maternal grandfather, Von. They therefore part company in front of the Law faculty. While Ama turned towards her Hall, Jobson decided to hang up a little longer at Forksie.

It was fair and proper for Jobson to invite Ama to his apartment. After all, two years in a limbo as to where the relationship was heading to, was not a mere child’s play. Jobson had patiently fulfilled almost all the conditions brought before him by Ama. The first condition was that as a true Christian and a born again, they should abstain from pre-marital sex and any immoral conducts until they tie the knot, even though they could clench or kiss one another as lovers. Ama had cleverly played her cards so well to keep Jobson at bay and had visited him only once in his apartment. She was there to see him when news reached her that Jobson was slightly indisposed. She spent only five minutes to reassure him. The rest of their contacts were on phone calls, open spaces as well as in the midst of friends and acquaintances. Sometimes Jobson would beg her to embrace him and or received a mere peck. Indeed, it has not been an easy two years relationship. What was more? An Akan proverb says that it was only whistling that lead to good conversation. No one knew what will happen next or where the relationship was heading up to if she allowed or availed herself to him so easily. Therefore to avoid problems, she had just tried to control her feelings and elements to stay out of trouble.

More often than not, the only solace Jobson used to occupy his time was to frequent the Forksie to relax and sip some few bottles to quench his desire and libido. To Jobson, Ama was a virgin. Apart from him, and other course mates, he has never seen her in the company of other boys. The only true friend he knew about Ama was Koryo. Never in his wildest imagination would he suspects Ama to be a lesbian, but who knows; like the words of the legendary Shakespeare, ‘you cannot find the mind’s construction in the face’. But there again, Ama’s outward posture appeared too innocent and noble to engage in such dastard behaviour. This made him love her more and believed that if her family accepts him; theirs would be the greatest love affair the world would ever witness. Perhaps, that would be the tangent he would like to follow.

Another condition Ama gave him was for them to wait patiently to graduate from the University, secure good jobs before thinking about marriage to start their own a family. They should use the interim to study one another. One very difficult obstacle was for Ama’s parents to accept Jobson as their future in-law. More so, the wait would give Ama ample time to know Jobson’s relatives and family members as well. Marriage, it was said, was a contract between two families. One entered into the union to marry every member of the extended family not the individuals involved alone.

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Jobson pondered over these thoughts as he followed number 14 Olydade Street to enter the Forksie. He pulled a tall chair to sit close by the Bar Attendant. Hardly had he ordered one chilled Guinness, did one smooth soft hand touch his neck, sending sensation deep into his spine. He was startled to realise that the intruder was no other person than Koryo.

Koryo was not his enemy. Neither was she his friend. He knew her as close confidant of Ama. In some instances, Koryo had shown gross misconduct and insubordination towards him, but he had glossed over them and classified such attitudes as one of women’s emotional stuffs. He believed that he was far advanced and over and above such pettiness. Sometimes, he felt that Koryo was also in love with him and wanted to create scenes to attract his attention. However, it will be very unwise to double time two friends. He might lose both of them if care was not taken. Again, it was not good to use one eye to peep into two bottles. It will not work, period! Jobson kept battling himself with issues like the reason why Koryo was alone at the Forksie at that material time of the night? Was she double timing him? In any case, he concluded that maybe, just maybe, her presence there was coincident.

Koryo started the conversation. “Handsome, what are you doing here all by yourself? Where is your sweetheart? Jobson ignored the question and continued to sip his Guinness. Koryo gently tickled his ribs, which generated reactions from Jobson. “Aaah, please stop! You sent some funny sensation through my spine.” Koryo smiled and gave him a wink. “Well, be a gentleman.” Let me join you. She ordered the attendant. “Bartender, six tots of Alomo Bitters for a start.” Jobson was shocked to hear six tots of Alomo Bitters for a start. How could a girl drink bitters of alcoholic content as high as fifty eight percent? He began to wonder whether the girl has a problem of some sort. As a man, he can’t try even one tot of Alomo bitters without getting drunk. As beer or wines intoxicate drinkers gradually and slowly, these gins take seconds or minutes to make someone drunk. Some people referred to these gins, especially the local hot stuff, popularly called ‘Akpeteshie’, as ‘quick action’, ‘Ogidigidi’ or ‘disrespecting your in-laws.’ This is because it made users deliberately misbehave towards their in-laws in a manner of which they would otherwise find it very difficult to do without the influence of the gin.

With one gulp down her throat, Koryo emptied all the six tots of the liquor from the glass. She ordered for an-other six tots. She felt horny and was all over Jobson, acting very funny. She signalled him to come to the dance floor, when a cool country music was being played at the background. They danced to about five different tunes non-stop before Jobson complained of fatigue. He pulled her to sit down. “Please Koryo, time is far gone. It is about time you go home. Let me see you off.” Jobson demanded, but Koryo was reluctant to go. “Never mind, handsome! Wherever you go I will go with you.” She declared. However, Jobson insisted that she should go home and sleep since he had other matters to attend to Koryo continued to drink more of the liquor.

Koryo picked her phone and began to fidget with it. “Handsome, do you have Uber app installed on your phone? It seems my battery has run down. Would you mind my calling an Uber to take me home from your phone?” Jobson happily obliged. “Oh not at all.” He opened the Uber app and gave the phone to Koryo. She collected and entered in the information to her destination and the charges involved. Jobson was a bit skeptical as to whether she would be able to recollect her destination correctly and yet he handed the phone to her. Within a second the Android Phone app rang to connect Ntekpo Jackson, the Uber driver using GPS capabilities to let both parties know one another’s location and removing the question of when the ride will actually arrive. In addition, Uber's smart phone app took care of the entire ride-hailing and payment process. The technology company processed all payments involved, charging Jobson’s Mobile money account, and directly depositing the remaining money into the driver’s account, all in the background, thus making the whole negotiation completely cashless. Indeed, it was very convenient in this circumstance to get an Uber at such ungodly hour. At 2:14 AM, it would have been very difficult to get a trusted taxi driver to send Koryo home. Uber was not a taxi service per se, yet drivers could not pick up riders off street like hailing cabs. In-stead, Uber was a car-for-hire service that relied on smartphone technology to dispatch drivers and manage fees.

Ten minutes down the lane, a professional car ser-vice driver in suit and tie, drove a black Toyota Prius and parked outside the Forksie. Jobson gently held Koryo’s hand and slowly walked her to the car. The Uber driver politely greeted them and opened the front door for Koryo to sit down. He sat behind the steering wheel. Before switching on the ignition key he offered her an ice cream, of which she obliged. Jobson waved at her as the car moved away.