The lounge
{1:30pm}
Kojo,
a good looking man in his mid thirties
strolled casually to the news stand and picked his favorite newspaper. He scanned
through the headlines and later flipped the pages to the horoscope section
which always made him smile because the predictions had always been wrong but
time and again, yet he kept reading them. He scrolled to Virgo and it read “romance
in the air, for your companion awaits you” he laughed out loud this time not
minding the strange stares of onlookers.
At
this time the lounge would be filled to capacity as most people have lunch
meetings in the place due to the locations of eat-out eateries that surround
it. He glanced at his wristwatch again and smiled as he thought bad business
does pay. He is often ashamed to say what he does to make a living and he has
never told anyone. Sooner or later he would have to return to his native
country Ghana and has been thinking about how to leave this shameful job of his
but he has become addicted to it and doesn’t know how to even tell them at
home. Though he had plans on opening a studio and going back to professional
photography but he lacked the will to start again. There is so much pressure
from home for him to get married and raise kids as a man should.
He
snapped back to reality and frowned suddenly as he saw a vacant table with a
lady with such a lovely smile………He forgot what he was thinking and smiled back
at her walking hastily towards her like she was a ghost. Sam dropped the phone
and frowned “what do you want young man”, Kojo fidgeted and said “you, have a
breathtaking smile Ma’am, may I join you. This is the only free …….”
“because I reserved it. But you may seat till my friend comes around” Sam snapped.
Kojo
nodded and took a seat on the table for four and tried not to notice the lady
but he could not help it. She was beautiful, dark and astonishing, though
something seemed missing, but he couldn’t figure it out. It was like she had a
secret pain that was killing her. Maybe it’s a terminal disease he mused
silently and then he heard a knock on the table and met Sam’s angry face, “you
have been staring”
“Oh, I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself……”
Kojo’s
eyes drifted lazily from her and came to rest on the newspaper he had bought
that afternoon. He flicked it and his gaze dropped to the horoscope section
again and this time he frowned…
"She can’t be the one besides I’m sure I am no
longer inclined to the females. She is charming and very captivating but she
is older than me and I’m sure she must be in her late forties if not fifty
years already" he murmured. And his frown deepened.
Sam knocked the table again and was about
asking what was wrong with him when his phone rang. Relieved, Kojo quickly
picked it not willing to disclose what he had been thinking. He must have been a
fool to think that a prediction that had never worked for him would suddenly
start working.
“Good
morning don” and there was a long silence as he listened carefully to the
caller. His hand now crushing the newspaper he held , Sam’s hand reached
impulsively for his and he dropped the phone. Sam was not sure if he did that
because she reached for him or from the news he heard from the phone. He looked
lost and scared at the same time. Sam knocked on the table again and he looked
startled, she smiled as she said “your phone fell off”.
He mumbled a
quick thank you and picked it. “I’m sorry ma’am but I have to leave right now”,
Sam felt confused and could only ask “I’m Samantha, what is your name”
“Kojo”,
came the reply
“Be
careful” she called out after him. He heard that and nodded as he walked out of
the lounge leaving behind his newspaper.
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