Bitter Honey is a Ghana-based series, centered around the Quartey family. Kojo Quartey; a taxi driver, his wife Aba; who runs a bank’s canteen, and their three children; Kuku, Abena and Maama live through a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. The Bitter Honey series tells the story of different bittersweet experiences that build their characters and teach them life lessons. We’ll be wrapping up this series in 5 Episodes. Enjoy. One week later…
Kuku couldn’t help but suspect an ulterior motive for being invited here.
When he accepted Ma Dee’s invitation, he thought it would be just the two of them. Now, sitting across the room from Ma Dee and Caroline, he felt like he was in a trap; and knowing Ma Dee, it wasn’t beyond her.
At first, he was so shocked to see Caroline in Ma Dee’s setting; he’d always known and grown fond of them separately. In his mind, the world he had built around Caroline was completely different from the one he had built for Ma Dee. Yet, here they were and it seemed like their worlds had collided.
Caroline was such a tease. Until that moment, Kuku had been waiting four days for her reply to his texts. He was not complaining, but he was a little overwhelmed by the mixed signals. She was always teasing; on some days, she’ll be eager and excited in her texts. On others, all he’ll have to be grateful for were one-word responses after four or six hours.
He was fully convinced she was just not into him the same way… until he laid eyes on her a few minutes ago. Those first ten seconds of being within walking distance seemed like fifteen minutes.
Is that Caroline? It is! What’s she doing here? Sigh, those eyes! Why does she look sad? Wait, how does she know Ma Dee? Wow, I’ve missed Caroline. Ah she’s blue ticked me, we no ‘dey so’.
Kuku saw how she looked at him and his thoughts went silent.
Ma Dee started to introduce them, but the two were in a different world of their own. After he sat on the couch opposite Caroline, he managed a slight nod and broke eye contact.
“My husband sends his apologies. He had wanted to join us for lunch, but he had an impromptu meeting.”
“I didn’t know we had lunch, wouldn’t have eaten,” Kuku’s stomach growled in protest to his lies.
He looked down sheepishly and Ma Dee laughed: “Let me check on the food.”
As she walked away, Kuku couldn’t help but recount the night he met Caroline. He remembered he only met her because Ma Dee stood him up at the beach party. That was the night that started his bad romance with Caroline.
In a moment, she shot across the room and pinned her bum on Kuku’s lap. “I’ve missed you!” “Ei,” Kuku exclaimed.
The glimmer in her eyes was refreshing. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his chest until he could feel the full form of her breasts.
Kuku’s body responded to stimuli and after he had caressed her back gently, he shifted uncomfortably in the sofa. “I would believe that if only you’d text me back.”
They heard footsteps, and Caroline was back across the room and in her original position.
Ma Dee listed the available options for lunch, and Kuku watched as Caroline smiled shyly and whipped out her phone.
“So what will you eat?” Ma Dee asked, “Please I’ll have some of the fufu,” Kuku said without thinking.
He got a text notification. It was Caroline;
“ I miss you😉😘”
Without intending to, Kuku broke into a grin and immediately hated himself for how much the text made him smile.
This is going to be an interesting afternoon.
~~~~~~~
Kojo was shocked there was so much traffic on the road. This was the shortest and least crowded route.
“Oh Boss, I’ve told you that I’m late, why did you pass this plenty traffic?”
The sun was too hot to dignify her question with a response. Kojo could smell the food she had packed into the boot and backseat of his taxi, and it upset him even more.
If she dished small for him, what will happen?
Her phone rang.
“Driver, you see? They’re calling me,” She sounded frustrated and yet she didn’t pick.
He watched her as the phone started ringing again, “Hello, Madam. Sorry, oo – I saw your missed call.”
Kojo nearly laughed.
He could hear the woman on the phone shouting at the top of her voice, “The program started at eleven- ELEVEN! IT IS TWO O’CLOCK! Where are you!?”
Kojo looked at the clock on his dashboard and made a mental note to adjust the time; it read 1:45pm.
“Madam, calm down, I’m coming. I’ll be there before it’s time to eat.” On the phone, the caterer did not sound like she had a care in the world – she really knew how to put on a show.
The call ended, “Mitcheewwww- small food that I’m bringing, Nti you can talk to me anyhow? Nonsense, if I bore, I’ll turn around mpo.”
Kojo actually laughed out loud.
“What is funny?” The caterer asked him
“Please, oo – I’m not among. I only picked you up 45 minutes ago. This lateness, I’m not part. So, don’t bring your anger on me.”
The caterer rolled her eyes. “My boys are already there. They are serving drinks and small chops, so if anything, the guests can chew groundnuts. Next time, they won’t do wedding on Sunday.”
Twenty minutes later…
“Madam….madam,” Kojo shook the caterer awake. “We’ve reached,”
The woman sat up and picked her phone and dialed a number.
“Ato, I’m outside come for the food,” she got down and started offloading the ice chests.
Kojo helped her with her stuff, as “her boys” came to haul the food into the compound.
It seemed she was catering an engagement. Though guests seemed to be leaving, there were a few people still on the dance floor
The caterer sat down in the car again. One of her boys stopped and asked, “Oh Aunty Naa, are you going?”
“Herh, go and serve the food and stop asking stupid questions… Driver! Driver!” She hit the dashboard three times. “Driver!”
Kojo closed the open doors and sat down quickly, “Let’s go.”
It was a clear instruction and though he was shocked, Kojo was pleased that he would have an upper hand in the negotiation that will take place for a higher charge when he drops her off.
~~~~~~
The fufu was good! Kuku was happy – food in his stomach, sitting in Caroline’s company and having an animated and intellectual conversation about leadership, power, and what women want. He was in his happy place.
Ma Dee took leave of them, saying she needed to lie down for a bit, and the two went into the living room.
She had been all over him the entire afternoon. Touching his arms and chest, and laughing heartily at every other thing he said. She seemed impressed by him and Kuku was pleased. He thought to himself; it must be the fufu working magic.
The moment they were alone, Caroline was making advances towards him. Her hands were moving correctly in all the naughty places, giving him all the corresponding feelings.
“Caroline, relax! What’s going on!” He exclaimed.
She didn’t respond she was determined. Kuku held her hands and pinned them together. “Caroline!”
“What?” She shouted, “Isn’t this what you want?”
“Huh?” Kuku was genuinely confused.
“Isn’t this what all men want?” Her voice broke. “This is all men have ever taken from me,”
Then she started to cry. Kuku was stunned silent. He drew her into his arms and tucked her head at the base of his neck.
She shook and wailed uncontrollably until the sobs subsided. As she cleaned her eyes, she said, “I was supposed to get you to sleep with me.”
“Ehhhn?”
**To be continued**
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