WEDDING OF MY EX
***EPISODE 14***
THE KLEVER MAGG
Chris gets out of his car. He walks up the driveway to the front door and rings the doorbell.
After a moment the door is opened by Effe. She is wearing blue jeans and a fetching pink top.
She stands just inside the room, looking at him strangely.
CHRIS
No welcoming hug for me today, my Princess?
She comes towards him, holds his upper arms and presses herself close. He can feel her trembling.
EFFE
Welcome home, my love. You are late today. How was your day?
CHRIS
Dramatic, to say the least, but seeing you always fills me with joy.
Chris plants a kiss on her right cheek, and then disengages himself.
He walks past her into the brightly-lit living-room.
EFFE
Your food is ready, love. Would you mind if I run along now?
CHRIS
I’m so sorry. You told me your Mom wanted you to help prepare the pastries for a friend’s wedding, right? Oh, forgive me! It completely escaped me.
EFFE
That’s okay, my darling.
Chris holds her shoulders and stares into her eyes in turn.
CHRIS
You look worried, darling. What’s troubling you?
Effe moves towards him, grabs him around the waist and hugs him tightly. She presses her face into his chest.
EFFE
Chris, I love you so much. Just need to tell you that I can’t live without you!
CHRIS
Of course I know that and I love you more. YOU should know that! Is something bugging you, Angel?
EFFE
I guess sometimes I need the reassurance, my love.
He smiles at her. She smiles back and turns towards the door.
CHRIS
Wait up, my love. Let me walk you to your car.
They put their arms around each other and walk towards her car, chatting and laughing gently.
He opens the car door for her, and then he gives her a huge brown envelope. She takes it and looks at him questioningly.
EFFE
Money?
CHRIS
Yes, for our account. I’ve decided to boost up the account, you know, to make our married life stress-free, at least, for the first few years. So, all the money I make shall now go straight to our account.
EFFE
How much is in here, Chris?
CHRIS
Close to ten thousand Ghana Cedis.
EFFE
Chris, darling … what’s going on?
CHRIS
Nothing, my love. Just deposit it in the account tomorrow. I want to show you I love you in every small way, and from now on, we do everything together, love. No secrets, no divisions, just the two of us loving each other, and the world can go to space.
She comes close to him, holds him, reaches up on tiptoe and kisses his cheek.
EFFE
You don’t know just how happy you’ve made me, my love. Listen, I can’t wait to be married to you. Okay, I’ll deposit this tomorrow. I’ll see you tomorrow evening then.
She backs up, and he waves as she drives out. He closes the gates, waits for several minutes looking at the closed gates.
His face is very distressed. He turns his face up to the skies and breathes deeply.
CHRIS
D–n you, Jonathan Afful, d–n you to hell!
*****************
THE SPORTS CLUB CAFE – AFTERNOON
Chris turns through the entrance of the Sports Club.
He comes across a magnificent lawn tennis court, then a basketball court, all of them bordered by the expansive green of the golf course.
Arrows indicate the Car Park, and Chris swings the car to the park. He finds an empty slot and parks the car and gets out.
He hears a step behind him and turns.
Jonathan Afful is standing there looking at him somberly.
He is dressed in a white Puma sports trousers and matching T-shirt. He is wearing a Nike baseball cap, and nice trainers adorned his feet.
AFFUL
Bright Koffie is already here, Romeo. He is waiting for Effe. I’m a paid member, with access to the top floor. You can follow me up, and observe for yourself.
Chris walks slowly towards Afful. His face is filled with contempt and tight anger as he regards the older man.
CHRIS
I’m not here to spy on Effe, you bastard. I’m here to prove to you that she’s an angel, and because of that I’m not hiding from her. I’ll be there when she shows up, and let her explain whatever has turned your evil mind to such mischief, bastard.
AFFUL
That’s up to you. However, if she sees you here, she might panic, and leave or better still make up a lie. So, come upstairs with me. When she is seated, we can both go down and join them. How does that strike you?
Chris hesitates for just a moment.
CHRIS
Lead the way.
Afful takes him up some backdoor stairs to the second floor of the building, where a door opens into a bar and restaurant.
People in various sports outfits are sitting at tables, eating, chatting and drinking.
The bar is long and elaborate, and smartly-dressed waitresses moved among the guests, serving and taking orders.
Mr. Afful leads the way to a table partly hidden by artificial shrubbery. He indicates a chair to Chris.
AFFUL
Have a seat.
Afful sits down, and reaches for a box of cigarettes on the table.
He lights one, blows a cloud of smoke, and then smiles as Chris draws out a chair and sits down.
AFFUL
Mexican cigarettes. My friend gave them to me. Smells like a nun’s p—y, but it sure does have a kick! Yeah, a kinda sweet kick.
CHRIS
You imbecile!
Afful laughs hard, gags on the smoke, coughs, and giggles again.
He takes several drags on the cigarette, and then he grinds it out in an ashtray. He pulls a covered tray.
He uncovers it to reveal two bowls. One contains two balls of rice, and one filled with palm soup and meat.
AFFUL
I don’t think you want anything to drink, and I don’t think you’re here to eat either, so I’ll eat alone. Before then, see the guy sitting alone below us, at that table near the right corner? That’s Bright Koffie, Effe’s lover.
The man Afful has indicated is dressed in a black suit. He is sitting alone, drinking coffee with some pies.
He is slim and lithe, and very handsome. Chris breathes hard, and a look of pain crosses his face.
Chris’ phone dings a new message. He picks it up, opens up the message inbox and reads. It is from Effe:
MY LOVE. GOING HOME TO PREPARE YOUR DINNER NOW. HURRY UP. MISSING YOU SO MUCH COS I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH!
Chris smiles, shakes his head, and pushes his chair back.
AFFUL
(washing his hands, and his wicked eyes bore into Chris.)
Where are you going to?
CHRIS
(speaks with venom in his voice.)
Lay off, you lying son-of-a -b—h. God forgive me, but the next time you…
AFFUL
Why don’t you shut that big mouth of yours, Romeo? I don’t know what message she sent you, but she just walked in. Look for yourself.
Chris looks down, and then he exhales with a shock so great that his legs wobble.
With a look of utter pain on his face he collapses into his chair again, looking at Effe who has entered and walking towards the man called Bright Koffie.
Bright’s face lights up as he gets up and meets her. They hug, and remain close for some time.
Chris is shaking his head. His hands grab the edge of the table so tightly that the skin appears stretched.
The Koffie man is holding Effe around the waist with one hand, with his face buried in the side of her neck.
Finally they break apart and sit at the table. Effe’s face is filled with happiness.
Afful lights another of his Mexican cigarettes and sits back, watching Chris’ thunderstruck face with satisfaction.
Effe leans over and picks something off the man’s lapels, and he lunges forward as if to kiss her, causing her to sit back sharply and laugh.
Finally she reaches for her bag, and extracts a brown envelope from it.
Chris moans audibly.
CHRIS
Oh, no, Effe, oh no, please, please, no!
It is the same brown envelope he has given to her the previous night, and it still contains the money he had given her to deposit into their joint account!
She hands the envelope to the man, and he picks up a briefcase lying beside him and opens it.
He slips the brown envelope inside.
AFFUL
That, Romeo, is your money disappearing forever. That girl has no intentions of marrying you. I suspect they are trying to leave the country because I had Koffie tailed. Two days ago he submitted two completed passport forms at the immigration office. My contact at the office tells me one is in the name of Effe Kedem.
Effe now pushes back her chair; she is leaving. Koffie says something and offers his pouted lips.
She laughs, bends and kisses his right cheek. Violently Chris gets out of his chair.
In a flash Afful is up too, grabbing his arm tightly.
AFFUL
What the hell do you think you’re gonna do?
CHRIS
(snarling at him viciously.)
Get your d–n hands off me!
AFFUL
Hold it, man. You can’t confront her now!
CHRIS
And why the hell not? I want an explanation right now!
AFFUL
To prove what? She will have a million reasons for it. I tell you, they’ve been working together for ages! If you will bide your time, I will give you other evidences, foolproof evidences that will help you prove to her that she’s been cheating on you all this while! If you approach her now, you’ll never know the rest of Effe’s lies.
CHRIS
(voice is tortured)
There’s more?
AFFUL
What you’ve seen is just the faint light of the dawn, Romeo! The harsh rays of the sun will really thrash your heart. If you’ll give me just one week, I’ll open your eyes, but if you confront her now, you blow everything apart!
Chris watches with sick eyes as Effe rushes out of the cafe. The Koffie man soon gets up, takes his briefcase, and leaves.
AFFUL
You saw an angel, Romeo, and understandably you fell in love with her. But she is more than a femme fatale, dude. You fell in love with the Devil’s favourite and only daughter. Go home, play her game, pretend everything is okay. In a week I’ll call you, and deliver both of them to you, red-handed. I know you don’t trust me, but if you have the heart, stay with me. Otherwise, you can go home and confront her now. The ball is on your turf now, Romeo. Are you man enough to play it right?
Chris is gasping for air. He gets up and rushes drunkenly away.
Behind him Afful blows a cloud of Mexican smoke and chuckles heartily.
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