Emily accepted the invitation to attend a concert at the Nation's International Conference Center on Christmas Eve with Dr Newman after Mrs Adams, her employer and benefactor, had prevailed on her to do so.
"Please, Emily, you must do me a favour," she had requested. "Anything you say, Auntie Gloria," Emily acquiesced. "Good!" Mrs Adams nodded with a satisfied smile. "I'd like you to keep our regular visitor and very good friend, Dr Newman, company during the upcoming Christmas festivities. He wants to attend the Christ Was Born To Save Concert on Christmas Eve but, Poor Newman, he has no single fitting companion to accompany him. I promised I'd try to convince you to accompany him. You should have seen how delighted he was at the prospect of going out on a date with you.
The mere idea of having you as his companion for a greater part of the day took about twenty one years off his age! Men! No matter how old they are, whether thirty or ninety, I can tell you without fear of contradiction that they are still boys who need us to manage their affairs." She chuckled. "By the way, I hope you have no other engagement planned for the day?" she asked as an afterthought.
"No, Auntie Gloria," Emily replied.
"Good," she said with a smile. "So we can assume that you have a date."
Emily accepted to accompany Dr Newman to the concert and said very little as she allowed her benefactor to make all the necessary plans, including what to wear.
"The black evening gown we picked from the boutique the other day will be perfect for the evening. I suspect Dr Newman would like to have dinner with you after the show so I suggested the exclusive Be My Guest Restaurant, and so you must look your very best. I know you can fit in perfectly with the crowd there because I've groomed you sufficiently for this new role I've been preparing you for, my dear. Maxwell and I will also be at Be My Guest Restaurant to unwind. You know how very busy he can be most of the time."
Thus it was that Emily accepted to spend Christmas Eve in Dr Newman's company. When Stephen later learnt about the arrangement, he was livid with anger.
"If you didn't want to go, why didn't you say so?" he fumed when Emily tried to explain the predicament she had found herself in when Mrs Adams made the proposal.
"It was impossible to say no to your mother, especially when she asked me to do her a favour," she explained.
"You could have made any excuse. You could have told her we'd planned something for the evening, or that you would be visiting your parents,or that you would be having a carol's service in Church. Anything," he pointed out.
"You don't understand me Mr Adams. She asked me whether I had planned anything for Christmas Eve and I said no. That was the truth. You had not told me you wanted us to go out or that you had plans which involved me, so when she asked me I told her the truth. Besides, I did not know she had assured Dr Newman that she'd get me to accompany him. There was very little I could do," she explained. "Listen, Emily," Stephen said, as he settled in the sofa in Emily's room.
"I think it is time we sorted things out. I've hinted several times about my interest in you but I think it is time to lay my cards on the table. We've known each other for almost a year now and we have been going out occasionally. You must know by now that you've won my heart, soul and body. You can't say you don't know how I feel about you, Emily. Now, I have spelt out in clear terms what I feel about you; I'd like to know if you recipracate how I feel about you." Emily smiled and looked at him the way she always did when she wanted to be playful.
For a few minutes they sat in silence. It was well past nine in the evening and the Adams household had retired. It was mid-December and the house had been bustling with activities all day long. Many people had paid a visit to the household that day, and all the workers had been very busy. Everyone was tired and had retired early.
Stephen had returned from work quite late after struggling to pick up two tickets to the much touted Susan Osei Anim's musicals which pundits had predicted would break records in sales. Tickets had sold out the first week and Stephen had used his influence as the
Minister's son to get two tickets which were allocated as protocol. He had headed straight to Emily's room to present his surprise for him only to be slapped in the face with the news of what he thought to be the counter plan of Dr Newman and his influential accomplice; Mrs Gloria Adams.
"Mr Stephen Adams," Emily eventually spoke up, "I don't think even if I were interested in you I would have a say in this matter. As a matter of fact, your mother has repeatedly warned me, both covertly and overtly, to stay away from you, although it's been impossible for me to do so because you persistently refuse to stay away from me even when I try to avoid you."
"Emily, it's not about what my mother says," he protested. "Let's forget about my mother for now and talk about ourselves, what we both feel about each other. If we know how things are between us, we can move on from there. I've sent you cards and gifts, all of which gave hints about how I feel about you and you've received them, not with indifference but very warmly, so you cannot pretend you don't know I love you!" He said with a lot of emotion.
"Well, I do like you tremendously because we seem to have a lot in common, but you must understand that how I feel is not so important," she countered. "Even if I feel the same way about you as you do about me, which I don't, any way, it will be a blind alley."
"Says who?" he asked with ardour.
Emily, he was convinced, felt the same way about him but, like most women, she was concealing it in a way that made her sound unsure of her feelings towards him. He felt she was trying to play hard to get, as was the usual with most ladies who claimed that the man was likely to respect a woman who played hard to get.
"Emily, if you feel the same way about me and are sincere enough to tell me so, it will make all the difference to me," he urged her. "Liking me tremendously is not what I want. We are friends, yes I know that very well, but I want us to go beyond that. Let's say I'll give you some time to think about my proposal. Will that suit you?"
She smiled. "What is there to think about? I've explained my position in as clear terms as I can." When she saw the dejected look on his face, she quickly added, "Let me pray over this issue because this is a very important matter and I cannot decide all by myself in a moment or even try to seek another person's views." "Thank you," he said, as he brightened up. "At least you have not categorically turned me down. Do pray over it by all means because God knows my heart and He knows that I love you so much and will make you a better husband than that old goat!" Emily remained silent but her eyes soon gleamed with sheer mischief.
"For your information Mr Stephen Adams, old goats, I'm told, make the best husbands. Old goats are more open to sharing, they treat their women as intellectual equals, are more emotionally stable, show more respect to their partners and have settled financially and emotionally. In addition, they provide their partners with a big mansion to live in, cars to ride in, and make life very comfortable and easy for their partners. They don't cheat on their women; instead they are faithful and loyal to the women they marry.So, you see, maybe I should be looking more in the direction of old goats who know all the tricks of the game, don't you think so?" she asked. "I don't blame you," Stephen parried.
"Maxwell Adams is more than fifteen years Auntie Gloria's senior so why wouldn't she extol the virtues of older men? I know when you are speaking as Emily and when you are merely echoing my mother. Those are her views and she is entitled to them, but there is nothing like a younger man who can make you laugh, be on the same wavelength with you in everything and who will grow up with you in all ways; the joy of being broke together, of having your first car, home and working together to raise a young family. Don't allow anyone to deceive you. You have no idea the kind of baggage old goats will bring into their marriage. You may only discover them after the glitz and the glamour begin to wane. Look at what Mrs Adams has become all because she believes the world belongs to her. Sometimes I wonder if she is really my biological mother. We don't seem to agree on anything and right from my infancy I have never spent more than six months together with her. Well, it's not about Gloria Adams; it's about us. How does she expect me to sit idly by as another man takes you out right under my nose!"
Emily smiled. "It's not funny at all, Emily!" Stephen fumed. "Dr Newman is about sixty. Why can't he look for someone his age or even let's say someone who is forty three or thirty five? He's more than twice your age and that man can be your father!"
"It's all right," she consoled him when she realised how very miserable he felt. "I haven't accepted Dr Newman as a lover. We're merely going to a Christmas concert party where there will be lots and lots of other people."
"Is that how you see it?" Stephen asked, with noticeable pain on his face. "Try to put yourself in my position Emily. Imagine the man you love to bits going out with another woman right under your nose and then asking you to take comfort in the fact that they're going to be in a crowd. And, mind you, you would walk out of your door looking ravishingly beautiful as I know you will be; I'm likely to see you walking hand in hand with him and it's going to hurt so bad!"
Emily rose up from her chair and sat on the arm of Stephen's sofa. She put her arms around him. She liked Stephen; he was a loyal and good friend and she did not want to see him looking so hurt.
"I'm really sorry you feel this way about it but, as I said, it's all Auntie Gloria's plan for now."
Just then, there was a rasp on the door and it was flung wide open to reveal Mrs Gloria Adams standing in the doorway.
As she took in the scene, she gave Emily a long, cold stare and then, with her usual calm composure, invited the two to her living room.
Emily and Stephen exchanged horrified looks as Mrs Adams turned and walked away.
"Look, we are not kids, Emily. She should not make us feel as if we have been caught picking meat from the soup bowl. We are two adults so don't be intimidated by her at all. When we get there, just relax and leave all the talking to me. Don't bother yourself to say anything to defend yourself," Stephen advised her as they stepped out of the door. It was almost ten o'clock when Emily and Stephen entered the living room. A young lady had her back to the door when they approached the living room, but she turned when they entered the room and Stephen suddenly stopped in his tracks,as though someone had asked him to do so.
"You may have your seats,' Mrs Adams waved the new entrants to a seat.
Emily took a seat but Stephen remained standing.
"Young man, I thought I asked you to sit down," she ordered and Stephen dragged himself to the nearest seat and perched at the edge.
Emily stole a look at his face and she noticed a cocktail of emotions on it. She could not tell whether he was shocked, angry or guilty.
"Emily, I'd like you to meet Nana Ama," Mrs Adams spoke up.
The two ladies rose and shook hands.
"That's Emily, my housekeeper," Mrs Adams stated.
Emily blinked with surprise, but smiled at the young lady.
"I'm pleased to meet you," Emily said and then returned to her seat.
"Nana Ama has been waiting for Stephen for well over thirty minutes but he was holed up with you, although I have persistently warned you that my son is engaged and about to be married to this elegant girl who is the daughter of the Minister of Health. Her father and I are still talking to her parents and plans are afoot to fix a date. It's between the two families as of now. I wanted you to meet her so that from today you will not allow him to continue to pump any more silly notions into your head. You are my housekeeper and as many rich, spoilt youngsters behave, my son would like to deceive lots of women and have his way with them,before the engagement. But I don't want him to mess around with you, because I like you and would like to support you. However, you just don't want to pay attention to me, my dear young woman."
There was palpable silence in the room when Mrs Adams paused.
Emily expected Stephen to speak up but when she turned to look at him, he wore that same strange look, not making any attempt to speak up.
"Nana Ama, darling, please show Emily the ring my son bought and gave you that wonderful night, as a token of his love," Mrs Adams told the minister's daughter.
Nana Ama approached Emily and, pulling out a gold ring off her finger, showed Emily the inscription in it SA and NA. Emily barely made out the initials but she knew SA was Stephen Adams and NA was Nana Ama. Nana Ama had a triumphant, look on her face as she returned to her seat.
"My darling Nana Ama, kindly do me a favor and tell my housekeeper what Stephen told you just a fortnight ago," Mrs Adams urged Nana Ama.
"Look, Emily or whatever you call yourself, to be honest with you I hate doing things such as this, but I don't want you to get hurt along the line so I'd want you to know that a fortnight ago, Stephen was at my end and I asked him about you because I had heard many stories about the two of you dating and already going out for dinner and other social events. He told me you were their new housekeeper who found him quite attractive, but he was merely humouring you. He added that you usually send for him and invite him to your room to chat," Nana Ama said.
On hearing those words, Emily turned briefly to look at Stephen, expecting him to contradict Nana Ama, but the young man had bent his head which he was holding as if he had a severe headache.
Emily sat motionless but very well composed.
"My dear, I do sincerely like you and I've gone the extra mile to make you elegant, sophisticated and a modern lady in the real sense of the word. Under normal circumstances, I'd never do for others what you have compelled me to do but my heart bleeds to see you allowing yourself to be toyed with by my own son. I'm deeply grieved at what l've done and said but my main objective is to make you see for yourself what I've unsuccessfully been trying to make you see all this while, Mrs Adams said to Emily.
"To be sincere with you, my intention is not to make you feel bad in any way my dear, rather my main objective is to protect you from an impending danger which could affect you badly. I know my son way better than you know him. Please listen anytime you are advised or cautioned about something. He is a son of a minister and obviously he should marry the daughter of a minister; you understand me clearly don't you? I only want the best for you. I don't want you to be deceived like others have already been in the past. You may leave us now," Mrs Adams said, curtly dismissing Emily.
She then turned her attention to Nana Ama. "You may go with Stephen to his room and sort yourselves out. I believe you have lots of things to discuss," she heard Mrs Adams say as she walked out of the room. She glanced at Stephen as she walked out and he was still bent over as Nana Ama walked to where he was seated.
Was it out of shame, regret or confusion? Emily thought as she made her way to her room.
In the safety of her bedroom, she broke down and wept. She felt the humiliation and the pain. If only Stephen had spoken up in her defence; if only he had explained to his mother that there was no amorous relationship between them; if only she had listened to Donald and all the other workers who had clearly warned her not to allow Stephen to make a fool out of her.
She sobbed bitterly. For the first time since she set foot in the Adams household, Emily could not offer a coherent prayer and fell asleep while trying to string words together. She found it difficult to open her mouth to pray.
"Dear Lord, You alone know it all, You saw it all and You heard every word spoken. Please Lord, take control," she finally struggled to mutter and rose from the bed to wash her teary face.