Finding your soul mate can seem like a task only possible in another life time, especially if your heart is broken and there are triggers all around you. But when you do, the feeling can be overwhelming. You can’t help but tell your story. My name is T-cee and this is how I found love while I was looking in the most unlikely places.
Akwaaba! Welcome to Ghana! This is your favourite show, and if you listening from home, turn the volume up. To be honest with you, before I got married, like most people, I had no money. All I had was my skills. And that was how I kept food on my table and roof above my head. Having little to boost of and still support from my baby back then, I was convinced I’ve found true love. And Naomi? The one. However, after months living together, I wasn’t so sure. Because she had developed a reputation of bringing the worst in me. I on the other hand, a reputation of not shutting up. And you know what the old folks say when love in a relationship is exhausted. It’s either you become the abused or the abuser. And if you don’t want to be any, just get out! But this is easier said than done. Because even though our feelings for each other had changed, our willingness to make it work seem stronger. So, I held on. Just long enough to see what the future holds on.
I remember a time Naomi made me so mad that even though I was in the middle of the road I just stopped.
“Why did you stop the car?” she said.
“Because you are going home,” I said. “Because you are going home on foot.”
Looking back at things, it would be fair to say most of our arguments were over money. So, when I got a job that was paying the bills, I assumed she would be happy. However, not only did she hate my new job, she wanted me to quit. How? I was like, “Do you know what it took to get that job?”
‘I don’t care.” She said. “No amount of money is equal to love. If you love me, make time for me.”
And she was right about that. But calling me at midnight, after a hard day’s work to talk about your hair and types of colors, that is just crazy. Well. Unless you are Naomi.
She called me one midnight, and like always it was over nothing. This time I couldn’t myself. I just lost it and went crazy. “Baby, it’s midnight.” I said. “You talked to me this week. You talked to me yesterday. You talked to me today. If I don't get some sleep, I'm going to be sick this moment.”
" And what kind of disease will that be?” she said. “If you don't want to talk to me, don't lie to me."
It took me sometime to get her on my side... but eventually after we promised to be transparent about everything, she did. There was one part of the puzzle still unsolved. Now how do I spice my radio show when I am spending too much time with her?
While day dreaming, a suggesting hit me. Why not get Counsellor Atta on my show to increase my rating? I mean this was a man popularly know on social media for his controversial views and witty nature. If I could interview him on my platform, imagine what my show could be. What a big mistake that was! Not only did I lose my job after that interview, I was almost got beaten.
In the beginning, his every word was funny and if it wasn’t provoking enough to make you think. But soon as he talks about his cure for infidelity, he goes overboard. And that is the point I realized I’m in trouble. From cursing on my show to dehumanizing others, he kept running his mouth like a train out of control. On and on and on… Until eventually folks offended by his words matched in, holding clubs and knives for a piece of him. He got beaten really bad. But what could I do? They beat security to get in. Imagine what could they do to me? For that, I was fired. Now how do I break the news to Naomi? I couldn’t. It would be devasting. It must be my secret. But how long can I keep it? I kept for as long as I could …until the day she eventually found something wrong with the stories I told.
“You said you’d be at work this morning,” She said to me. “I did not hear you on radio. You said you’d be at work yesterday, you weren’t. Tell me, did you lose your job?”
“I can explain.’ I said.
“You can explain?” Her eyes widen in shock. “What about our promise? Or this was your idea of being transparent. I can’t believe it.” She grabbed her bag and then opened the door. “Don’t ever talked to me again.”
For days I’d pray to hear her voice, but no, not even a text. For nights I’d do the same, the results? Still the same. I took this to mean it was over and that nothing I could say or do could fix us. So, I moved on. Luckily for me I got a new job- a new radio show. And being a show that puts the people first, my fan base was quite impressive. I’m talking about millions. Yes. Millions of followers. And regardless of what I posted; I see lots of comments. However, I noticed an unusual message amongst them one Saturday. It read:
It’s me, Naomi. And I miss you. Can we meet?
I was shocked. I thought she was gone. Like gone for good. I am back on radio and suddenly she shows up, out of the blue. Hmmm. Something was just not right. But my contribution was something I couldn’t deny, so when she apologized, I took her back for a second time.
I couldn’t sleep that evening. I tossed and turned in search of a comfortable pose for hours. Took some pills after and the next thing I know I am dreaming. There is a woman outside my house. She is on her knees. Looks like she is praying. I move closer. And now I hear her prayer. “When will I see my partner?” She says. “Will it be today? Or is the man in rhombus necktie dead. Tell me, God. I promise. I’ll be okay.” I noticed her necklace. It’s glowing. Shaped like a rhombus. Probably one of its kind. I take another step to see her face. That is when she notices me and runs off.
The next morning was a busy one. So many meetings and so many phone calls. So many things to do and I am the only one. There were about six requests from clients already on my desk. And this were urgent. What about the others I hadn’t seen yet? I opened my mail and guess what I see? Nothing! Just one message from a woman I barely know. She just had dream like mine and was wondering if we could be meet to talk to. But I said no. Though her details were accurate. And her sequence? The exact same order. She couldn’t possibly be a psychic. I believed she was a scam. However, there were days I ask myself, “How did she know about my house?” Her name was Dorothy.
We became friends right after she stopped me stalking me. And when I discovered her talent for radio, now I became the one stalking her every week. She was so good that the very day I made her co-host, our numbers doubled. The next day? It tripled. The day after? Quadrupled. And the ratings kept rising up even though she had no clue what she was doing. Impressed, I employed her full time and Dorothy accepted to be co-host on my dating show Who will marry You. There was not a day that went by without me showing my appreciation. However, seeing lots of happy relationships flourish under your watch and still single, can make you feel a certain way. And after four years doing this, I had a hatch she was mostly putting on a happy face. One time I caught her back stage, crying, and that was when she opened up to me.
“Am I not beautiful?” She said to me.
“Of course, you are.” I replied.
“Then how come no one is coming through for me?” She said, tears dropping down her face. “I make relationships of lot of folks work. And but when it comes to mine? It’s in always in a mess.”
“That is a lie.” I said. “You know guys and how they feel about a woman is successful. They are probably intimidated by you.”
“Intimidated by me?” She laughed. “But I am just a radio host.”
“Yes! You are a radio host but you are also the best I know.”
Next morning, she is with me and we are doing our thing, a guy calls in and while we are interacting confesses being in love with Dorothy. We don’t take him seriously. I mean this didn’t make sense. But when he was able to name all her favorite songs, we were impressed. And seeing the smile on Dorothy’s face, and let her decide what she wanted to do next.
They agreed to meet each other a month after. Being the closest thing to a friend, she requested I escort her to meet her new lover. We are at the car park waiting for Folly and suddenly she kisses me.
“That is for being there for me.” She says.
We break the kiss and guess whose face I see? Naomi.
“What a pleasant surprise!” she says. “So, is this what you two do when I am not around?”
“No wait. Let me explain.”
“You don’t have to, ‘T”. I have two eyes and a working brain. If I need an explanation, it’s just one. Why choose this skinny thing when you can have hips, looks and breasts in one?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Dorothy pushes Naomi. And that is the part where a fight begun. Wigs go off. Long skirts got trimmed to short. And my explanation, useless. Had Folly delayed one minute more, it would have been a disaster. Just when t’s about to get worse, he shows up and Identifies himself and that was the only reason they put that fight to an end, I’m telling you.
But the harm was already done. The best Dorothy could do was to leave. She got into Folly’s car and in seconds, they were gone. Now it’s up to me and my girl to settle things our issue. I apologized and that was it. Nothing special.
A year after this incident, I hear someone crying behind our studio. I leave my tasks behind to go and see. I grab the door and open it. And once guess who I see. Dorothy. “What is wrong?” I ask.
She doesn’t respond.
“Is this about Folly?” I say.
That is when she nods. “We broke up.” She says. “Folly has been sleeping around. And I just found out.”
I attempt to call the fool. But she is like, “there is no need. We’ve already broke up.” Then she looks me in the eye, “Are you happy?”
“Of course.” I reply. “But why do you ask?”
“Nothing.” She says. But I knew that was just a lie. “I’ve got another question.” She says. “Tell me, what would you do if you caught your boyfriend sleeping with your best friend’s girl?”
“I’d tell them.” I said. “It might not be easy. But I’ll do it.”
“What would if you knew it could scar him for him?”
“Yes!”
“Then ‘T’, you need to know this,” She says. Just when she is about to speak, I get a call. It is from Naomi. And she has something she could only say to me in person. I excuse myself. Get into my car and drive off just to see her.
I am at Hot banks, where you usually meet. And for more than an hour, I still don’t see any sign of Naomi anywhere in this place. Another hour passes by and suddenly viola. I see her coming.
“What kept you?” I ask.
She doesn’t answer, constantly looking behind like she could be in trouble.
“Is someone after you?”
“No!” She replies.
“Then why do you keep looking back?”
She doesn’t answer.
“Look there is nothing you can’t tell. If there is a problem, just speak. Ok. You can tell me anything”
“Anything?”
“yes! Anything.”
Then she looks behind another time. And she finally she says it. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“You can’t do what anymore?”
“I am seeing someone else! You and me. We can’t be together anymore.”
“What?”
“I am sorry.” she says. “Don’t worry. You will find somebody else!”
A car horns blows. I looked behind. It’s Folly.
“Goodbye!” She says, and then she hops into the car with him.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. If she was leaving me for somebody, at least not that guy. You meet him when you were in a fight. But she did. And for days, I wanted nothing more than to just die. If there was a rescuer, I’d say Dorothy. She was the one who came through the next morning.
“What are you doing up on tree?” She said, looking at me. “We have to work to do.”
“What does it look like?” I said. “It can’t be bad than feeling like a fool.”
“If you don’t come down this minute, I am going to kill you myself.”
“Fine. I am coming. You don’t have to yell.” Got down as quickly as I could. And guess she does as right after seeing me. Slap me in the face.
“What is wrong with you?” She says. “If you need counselling, ask before and then kill yourself. Don’t kill yourself and then ask.”
“You mean you knew about Naomi?”
“Of course,” She says. “but it doesn’t matter. I know a place that will cheer you up.”
She grabs my hand into a car. We are driving, next thing I know we are at dating seminar. And climbing up on the stage, a familiar speaker. I look closely and recognized him. It is the same man that got beaten up. Counsellor Atta. This is going to be bad. I am thinking to myself. I just don’t know how bad.
“Now I've been speaking on marriage for years...” he says. “and I know most of you are not ready. In fact, some of you are too young to marry. You should be wearing Diapers, not marrying.”
Behind me I hear the crowd laughing. And I am thinking to myself it is going to be bad. Maybe not so bad.
“You want some dating advice” He says. “Here is one. Never marry someone who is faster than you. You can’t catch them when they are cheating on you. No. You just can’t.”
I look behind and I hear laughter. And I am thinking to myself today must be his lucky day.
“Number three,” he continues, “You got to date a lot if you are young. The mistakes young people make before marriage is that they don't date a lot. I dated a lot.” He says. “I won’t deny. I’ve kissed a lot of lips and a lot of clits. But if it was bad kissing, it was definitely quitting. So, to answer the big questions on how many to date, it is simple. I just don’t know, ok. But you know who knows? Marriage couples. You can ask them. They are not shy to tell you. Ask them.”
He points his mike at a marriage couple and they blow our mind with their answers. He points the mike to the next couple, and theirs? Oh lord. Even worst. And then suddenly it is like we are in an auction. The numbers keep going up and up. We hear seventy. And that I suspect is probably the highest numbers.
Renewed in mind and strength, I go back in the game and find someone. A lady hard to resist called Monica. She was boring that on our first date I always smashed my head in my plate, dozing.
When she noticed, she was like, “Tell me the truth. Do you like me or you find me boring?”
“I liked you.” I said. “I like you unconditionally.”
“I like you too.” She said. “The feeling is mutual. It’s unconditional liking.”
We got busy in a hotel room. And to give you a fair idea of what transpired, let’s just say she ended up saying, “If you want to go, I won’t beg you!” And I replied, “I should have noticed how fast you ate at the table too.”
She had a man and she lied about it. And you know me. I don’t do threesome. So, when the cat was finally out the bag, I decided to move on.
I am sitting alone thinking about life and its cruelty, I hear a familiar voice call my name and I looked behind me to see who. It’s Dorothy.
“Happy birth-night!” she says. And in her hand, she has a cake for me. “Sorry I’m late.” She says. “You know how I take this gift thing serious.”
“It’s fine.” I say. Then we both walk in. “Why do you do all these nice things for me?” suddenly I say.
“…You deserve it.” She says.
“You know there are days I think there is more.” I say.
“what more could there be?” She says.
I looked at her quietly and that is when she gets what I really mean. “Come on, Tcey.” She says. “I’m over that. I have a man now. And you don’t have to watch my back. “
“And you are happy?”
“Of course, I am happy.” She says. I don’t believe her word. But to let her speak freely, I let it slide.
While chatting online I see a pretty lady and send “Hi.” One thing leads to another and before we know it, we are on our seventh day together. Her name is Veronica. And after knowing each other for a while, I decide it is time to pop the big question. So on our last date I capitalized on the mood and music. Grabbed her hand and said this. “I have something important to say to you. Are you ready?”
“I hope it’s not cancer?” She says.
"No, it’s not.”
“What about your job? You still got one?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then tell me. What is it? You are making me nervous.”
“Close your eyes.” I say.
She closed them and I grabbed her hand. From my pocket, I took out a ring and placed them unto her finger. “I love Veronica.” I say. “You can open your eyes now.”
She looks me and then the ring. She looks me and then the ring. She looks at me and now she snaps.
"How dare you love me?" She says.” Do I look like someone to love?" Then boom! She slaps me in the face. "Liar! I know what you are doing. Find another person who is dumb.”
She gives back the ring and voom…she is gone. Just like that.
What just happened? I am trying to figure this out. And this waitress shows up, “How may I help you?”
She couldn’t help me. Only God could. So, when I feel asleep that night, he was the one I spoke to. I had a dream. It was the same one. A woman in praying Infront of my house.
But what does this have to do with anything? I still couldn’t figure it out
It is morning. And I hear someone’s car horn blowing. It’s Dorothy.
“Hurry up!’ She says. “We are going to be late if you don’t.”
I get into the wardrobe; pick the best I could find. And now a tie to match it. I see a rhombus tie, looks good to match. I am in the room facing the mirror and dressing when Dorothy yells out.
“You are waiting so much time.” She says. “Get into the car and I will help you out.”
She is fixing my tie and suddenly she stops.
.
“Your tie!” she says, “How did you get it?”
I noticed her necklace. It’s the same one in my dream. Same Rhombus necklace.
“Ah!” Together we scream. “Oh my God you are the one.”
She slapped me for not knowing and I slapped her for lying. Today we are happily married and the love still deep. My name is T-cey and catch you same time on radio. For now, it’s a wraaaaaaaap!
