#YKg2017

[youngkofigyamfi]

SOUL MATE

Written By: Matthew Boakye Yiadom

  @youngKOFIgyamfi

  Copyright © 2014 by youngKOFIgyamfi INC.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law.

Edited by Hannah Kumah Cover design by Matthew Boakye Yiadom matthewboakye@gmail.com Art Director, Benjamin Sackey Logo Design by Benjamin Sackey benyblaze2008@gmail.com Interial Art and Layout by Alexander Osman Mensah Map Design by Mishael Brookman Dadzie and Emmanuel Owusu

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This book was printed in Ghana.

                                                                                                                                                                                   DEDICATION

                                    To my future wife. You know yourself.

                                            ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank God Almighty for this wisdom and knowledge He has given me. I am grateful to Priscilla Aniwaa for being such a good friend. And to my Best friends, Theophilus Adu Gyamfi, Emmanuel Amponsah, Osei Akoto Agyemang Boateng, Atiamo Gilbert, Faith Nordjo and Mrs Juliet Aduamoah for your love and support in everything I do.

My profound gratitude to my brothers Achaw Brempong and Akwasi Agyemang for always having my back.

A debt of gratitude to everyone at youngKOFIgyamfi INC. especially Samuel Nii Adjetey-fio and Hannah Kumah for their belief in this project.

                                                   CHAPTER 1

There she came, looking very simple and fair. She was wearing a white tank top and a blue jeans with black leader sandals and she crossed the street heading to my direction. I was standing under a mango tree on a breezy and sunny Saturday afternoon where the roads in Kumasi were busy as usual with travelers on journey for funerals, some to weddings and others to church.

At North Suntreso where I lived, there was one busy street that linked to Bantama high street, and I could see drivers on the street honking infuriatingly for keeping long in traffic and the sound of passers-by murmuring as she walked in a sashay toward the mango tree. I knew that was her usual route to her house and I could meet her during that time so I did patiently waited for her. I also thought it wise not to make a faux pas to the passers-by so I calmed myself down when I realized she was drawing nearer.

It was the first time in 7 years that I had literally seen her face that close even though we were in the same neighbourhood. She had aged gracefully, looking so delectable and had a nice physiognomy although I could still recognise her cheekbone and tiny lips.

I could hardly say anything to her when she came close in about an inch to where I stood. Then I realized I had something in mind to tell her and this was the only time I could do that. I turned back when she went passed the mango tree and called her name, Roxy. She stopped and turned towards me. What excited me was that beautiful grin I saw on her face and I also gave her a wan and ashy smile. That moment, I began to shake inwardly and it reflected in my words: when I asked her how she was, my lips quivered. She replied she was fine and asked about my parents and me.

Then I gathered the courage to tell her the reason why I stopped her.

“I’ve waited for so long to tell you this because something has been holding me back for a long time. But I cannot go on like this forever, I have to let it out. I want to beg for your forgiveness. I am sorry for what I did to you seven years ago. I really regret it. I didn’t know what came over me that day. I hope that you will find a place in your heart to forgive me and perhaps we can become friends again.”

I was so relieved I had let this off my chest. It had haunted me for the past seven years. As I waited for her response she started to giggle like a little girl and said,

“I hold no grudges against you Kofi, I forgave you a long time ago. I also didn’t know how to say this to you so I’m glad you’ve done this.” Then she said something that I was waiting to hear, “let’s be friends again.”

She stretched her hand to shake mine and I gave her a hand in agreement. She smiled again and walked off to her house.

I will never forget that day. It was the happiest day in my life. I was so relieved and happy that she had forgiven me and that we were friends again. I ran to my friend, Akoto, who was sitting nearby watching us closely to know what was going on.

“Did she accept your apology? I saw her shaking you” he asked,

“Yes she did!” I replied with a big grin, gave him a hug and said

“Thank you for letting me do this.”

Later that day I couldn’t sleep. She was on my mind the whole night, and I pictured her smiles, her light skin, her soothing voice and that white top she wore. Then a sudden feeling burst out as I thought,

“I think I am falling for her. No that cannot be Kofi! You cannot fall for her just so quickly, at least wait for some months to be sure of yourself.”

But the thought of her lulled me to sleep. The next morning I woke up with the same thought and feeling, and I’d boff anytime I thought of her. I went to my window on the east of my room, which was where I could see the compound of Roxy’s house, to check out if she’s already awake. There she was, sweeping their varander, and dusting chairs.

“So what next Kofi?” I asked myself. I had no idea what to say to her the next time we meet. I didn’t know how this was going to continue and whether I was supposed to go to her house or she to mine, or whether we meet somewhere. I didn’t like outing either. I’m most of the time indoors with a quotidian way of ‘happying’ myself: eat, play FIFA, read my Shakespearean books and go to bed. I had few friends but they seldom visited me during vacation because most of them would travel to spend holidays with their uncles and aunties.  

A week past and we still hadn’t met. Then I decided to go to her house but that wasn’t going to be easy. It had been a while since I went there. I needed a cover story; something that could make me go there without anybody raising eyebrows. I had to use her younger sister as my cover. We have been good friends since my fight with Roxy and even though she had begged me to forget anything her sister had done to me and be friends with her, I couldn’t just let that be.

Afterall she was the reason why Roxy and I were at loggerheads but she had no idea. She was a kid then. Now she’s 14 and I enjoy her tomfoolery anytime I am with her. She’s a great person to be with; very jovial, headstrong, and smart. I liked the way we gelled together and I always had my way with our arguments.  

I quickly looked through my bookshelf for a nice story book. She liked to read a lot, maybe that’s why we were still very close. She didn’t like Shakespearean books because of his sphinx-like penmanship, and that was the paradox between us. His stories, to her, were difficult to understand especially with the use of Elizabethan language in his works.

But what did she expect anyway? She was only 14. I had to find a nice African drama for her. While browsing through the shelf my eyes caught Ama Attaa Aidoo’s Anowa. Great, she’d love this.

I picked it and put it in my bag together with my Macbeth and a chocolate that I had wrapped as a thanksgiving gift for Roxy. I told my parents that I was going to the Asamoah’s to have a read with Rhoda.

“It’s good to hear that. My friend said it’s been ages since you went to their house. You are always indoors which worries me. Time to go get some fresh air.”

So I reached their gate, pressed the door bell, and heard someone running to open the gate. There came Roxy in her beautiful blue stripes. She looked very beautiful in it. I had assumed she had just finished bathing because I could smell her fresh soap and perfume, and her hair was shining as well as her skin. She seemed elated to have seen me and smiled at me,

“Hi Kofi, how’re you doing?” I could not utter a word. All that came from my mouth were few delirious mutterings.

“I…Is Rhoda around? Oh I’m sorry, I am fine. What about you?”

“I am doing well…come on in” she replied.

As I stepped into the compound we heard her mother call from inside their living room.

“Who was at the gate Roxy?!” she inquired,

“Its Kofi, he’s come to visit Rhoda.” replied Roxy, then I quickly said to her in a soft voice, “Actually I came to visit you”. We chuckled and went to the living room. Mrs Asamoah was glad to see me in the house once again. She liked how her nieces and I were so close. We used to do virtually everything together.

She told me to make myself comfortable and feel at home and asked Roxy and Rhoda to prepare the table for lunch while I also busied myself playing with Mrs Asamoah’s baby boy in the couch. Rhoda was as well delighted to see me visit them and kept on talking to me about a story she had read in the past week; George Orwell’s Animal Farm. I told her that I had read the story before and was singing the song in the story to little Osei.

Soon the table was set and Mrs Asamoah invited me to the dining table and asked me to sit beside Roxy (she still believed that we were still at loggerheads). Mrs Asamoah said grace before we began to eat. Then she continued to ask me many questions about boys’ school and how I was faring academically.

“It must be very hard for you in your first year in school. I’d heard the seniors liked to bully” Roxy chipped into the conversation. I give her quick glance over my shoulder and replied that it wasn’t easy at all. At one time, I ran away from school and told my parents that I no longer wanted to be in the boarding house. I wanted to become a day student. They didn’t buy the idea, thought I was too soft and had to be hardened in order to face the complex world someday. I guess it helped me in a way, as Albert Einstein puts it, “Life is a stubbornly persistent elusion.”

When we had reclined from the dining table, I went with Rhoda and Roxy to their room. I opened my bag and gave the book, Anowa, to Rhoda and told her snippet of the story. She seemed to be liking it already. She thanked me and excused herself to the living room to read. Then it was left with only the two of us in their room. Mrs Asamoah came in to tell Rhoda that she was going with Osei to a friend’s funeral and won’t be back until evening.

Now I was sitting on a chair opposite beautiful Roxy who sat on her bed stirring at me.