The day Mamle had waited for impatiently finally arrived. Mamle and Dome went out on a date today, careful to dress to kill to sweep him off his feet. It worked perfectly.
"Tell me anything you want me to do for you," he said. Great! This is it! This was her chance!
"Anything?" she asked deliberately. Did he know what he was asking for? "Do you know what you're asking for?" Let me be sure he's not under any compulsion or illusion.
"Yes, you have touched my heart today. I told you to dress to kill and you nailed it!"
"Okay….." she replied, perambulating for two minutes, noticing that he was gawking at her as she did so.
"Are you not going to ask for anything?" he asked once again." It's alright if you have nothing to ask."
"Tell me your password," she said, unwilling to give up the opportunity.
"Come on!" is that all you want? That's not much trouble at all. You could have asked me for something bigger and more exacting and difficult to do? Anything else on your mind, Mamle?"
"That's my only request," she said confidently, regretting she had no other. This request may cost her.
"No money, no clothes, no shoes, no hat, nothing?"
"Yes, Dome," she replied. Dome was making it too difficult for her. Her request could mean a lack of trust although he did not seem to take it that way.
Disappointed and pulling his phone out of his pocket, he typed in his password in full glare of his girlfriend.
"It's Odenkey, my father's name," he said, disappointed. I thought she would ask for something more sophisticated and difficult to do.
"Thank you," she said, excited, rising to embrace him. Stroking his chin and shaking his head, he wondered what she was going to do with it.
"If I may ask, what would you do with it?" he asked. Mamle did not want to throw dust in his eyes, yet she had to either do it or convince him she did it for no good reason at all.
"Nothing," she said quickly. Dome gawked at her so strangely she felt hypnotized and almost spilt the beans, yet, suddenly snapped back to her senses.
"Whoa! I almost lost it! What did you do that for?" she said, panting.
"Remember I have four eyes," he said. "If you do anything behind my back, you do it at your own risk. Make sure you access my phone only when I'm around." That was enough warning to scare her away, yet, as determined as ever, this opportunity would not pass her by. Dome meant what he said though and it was expedient to be prudent.
Mamle stood at Dome's door for so long that it felt like one of those odd days when Dome kept to himself. Being the good person that she was, and ever willing to help him out, she cried out;
"Dome! Domeee!" Dome's house was as silent as a cemetery. Touching the door slightly, and with a curious peek, it opened of its own accord. There was his phone lying on his bed unattended.
"Domeee! Where are you?" Hesitating a little bit and not wanting to pry into his personal stuff, she sat beside it for some time until a message came through.
Take It! Don't take it! Take it! Don't take it! Her greatest dilemma had begun. There was no password on it. Just take it and read it! Finally, giving in to the irresistible prompting, and falling for the temptation, she scrolled quickly through his phone like a pro, and there in clear fonts was the message Dome's friend had typed.
I enjoyed last night with you. Can we do it again some other time?
Love,
Akosua.
Her whole demeanour changed and tears flowed involuntarily from her eyes. Was this real? Was it true? Could Dome have stooped so low? As she was contemplating on his character, Dome suddenly barged in.
"Oh! It's you! There are tears in your eyes. Why are you crying?" he asked.
"I thought you had left," she said, forlorn.
"Is that the reason why you're crying? I will never leave you alone. I'm always here for you." All throughout their conversation, Mamle was absent minded. Why would Dome prefer anyone to myself? Is he not content with me? Am I not beautiful enough?
"Look, I love you and no one can take that away from you okay?" he said reassuringly.as if he heard her thoughts. "Cheer up!" Now noticing that the position of his phone had changed, he realized it was not at the same place he left it.
"Did you scroll through my phone?" he asked, concerned. Nodding without any inhibition, she wept even harder.
"Why would you do that?"
"I just wanted to while away the time."
"You must have done yourself a great disfavour by doing so," he replied. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. What if I was trying to play pranks on someone and you fell for it?" From the look in her eyes, he suspected she had already fallen for one of those pranks.
"Which of my jokes made you cry?" he asked. "We have a way of messing with other people's emotions."
"You do that?" she asked, stunned.
"I'm sorry but I do not tell you everything we boys do behind your back," he said. When Mamle refused to reveal the particular word or words that made her cry, Dome got worried. He rushed to the kitchen to get both of them a few biscuits to chew on whilst they were talking. Upon returning, she had left.
Where is she? She should have excused herself at least? Anyway, what a thought! She couldn't trust me enough to tell me? Oh! Mamle! Please don't hurt yourself.
Dome rushed out, searching aimlessly on the road like a dog unleashed. Mamle was nowhere to be found. Turning around, in desperation and asking by standers and shopkeepers whether they had seen a lady he described to them, it seemed it was an effort in futility. Suddenly, a migraine blurred his thoughts and causing him to be incoherent, yet, he could not stop chasing after her.
A kind passer-by suddenly drew his attention.
"I saw her turning this right corner a few minutes ago," he said. "But this is a very dangerous place. Be cautious." It figures it was time to throw caution to the wind though.
Walking gingerly along the road, he could hear several voices in his mind, not knowing which one was true and which one was not. He held his ears in agony trying to drown the voices in his mind. Many leered at him in wonder. There must be something troubling him to hold his ears that way. The voices screamed louder:
"You good for nothing flirt!", "You cheat!" "You liar!" Upon reaching his gate, he opened it with so much force that it threw him down with his ears still covered with his fingers. Upon hearing what had befallen Dome, his friends were remorseful for their wicked deed.
"What have we done?" asked Tutuwaa "We were only trying to separate them and now this? He could die!" having her hands all over her head and shaking it intermittently. Adotey felt so sorry for what he had just done to his friend. If anyone found out they were the brain behind Dome's situation, he was going to be in big trouble.
"We're going to pay him a visit," he said. "All of us," leering round, watching for a negative reaction to his command. "Good! If we all agree, let's go then"
"Are we going to confess?" asked Tutuwaa.
"I'll do anything to cover up for my bad deeds," said Adotey.
"Let's do this, Adotey," said Tutuwaa. When Mamle found out about Dome's condition, she felt so guilty for the way she had behaved.
"Why waste your time on a man who was unfaithful to you?" said Agyeiwaa, Mamle's friend
"He'll be fine."
"Why are you so concerned about my loyalty? This is not the time to ask such a question," she said. "The man needs me. We've been friends since Adam. I can't turn my back on him when he needs me most? What if I abandon him and he dies because of my inability to forgive him?"
What? Was she considering forgiving him? Agyeiwaa thought. "Don't be silly! He cheated on you for crying out loud! He can't recognize you anymore and you can't even converse with him." Mamle closed her ears, determined to be loyal through thick and thin. "Adotey loves you. He can express himself better than Dome."
"I fell in love with Dome and not with Adotey," she replied. "Besides, Adotey never expressed such kind of emotions."
"Does that mean he schemed to get Dome out of the way?" Mamle asked, deducing from what he said.
"I didn't mean to say that. Don't get me wrong."
"I know you very well. I know the words you try to speak and the ones you swallow."