"Hey... sorry I'm late." Louisa smiled apologetically at her best friend Naa Larley as she took her seat.
"I can't believe you ordered without me." She complained, her tone light and playful.It was their lunch break, and despite being very busy, successful women, with their own companies, they always met for lunch at their usual hangout, Jerry's...at least twice a week.They had been doing this for almost ten years; you could even call it their thing now. There were sometimes hindrances, with the occasional lateness like today, but they never cancelled on each other.Naa laughed. "When I called and you told me you were stuck in the lunch break traffic around the independence square...I thought you were going to break our ten year record finally; plus… a girl's gotta eat."Louisa shook her head playfully.For the next hour, they filled each other up with gossip and long talk amidst good food and wine.Jerry's was truly the best.Time ran out very fast and they soon had to go their separate ways. With a promise to call Naa as soon as she got back to the office, Louisa drove off.She couldn't help reminiscing how she met Naa Larley. Most best friendships started out at high school usually with the most cliché introduction ever, but not theirs.She was in the University of Ghana then at 18 years. A naive stupid girl who believed herself to be so in love with her boyfriend that she closed her eyes to all the signs showing how much of a lying, cheating bastard he was.Naa Larley had been a victim of Charlie's unwanted advances and even though she didn't know Louisa personally, she had heard about her and felt it right to let her know what her beloved boyfriend was always up to behind her back.Oh it had turned into a fight...a huge one. Louisa had been hysterical claiming Naa just wanted to come between a perfect love and Naa gracefully retreated. At least she had done her part.The camel's back was broken when Louisa caught Charlie in bed with another woman and that was when the dirt washed out from her eyes. She had no friends...Charlie had been her everything to the annoyance of her once close friends. Only one person had cared to call her out on her bullshit. A perfect stranger.That night, with no one to turn to...Louisa had found herself in front of Naa's door. She was going to knock but her courage left her all of a sudden. What she had done to the poor girl was so inexcusable that she didn't think she would be forgiven so easily. Hell, even she found what she had done unpardonable.Just as she was about to leave, out stepped Naa Larley looking all dressed up.One look at Louisa's face and she silently stretched out her arms and pulled the distressed girl in for a hug.Louisa cried till she couldn't anymore and then passed out on Naa's bed.The weeks that followed, saw Naa nursing Louisa back to health and by the time she had recovered, a beautiful friendship had formed.A knock on Louisa's car window snapped her out of her reverie."Yes Boss....You make fine?" One security guard asked as soon as she rolled her glass down. It was then she realised she had arrived at her office.She smiled. Yes Boss indeed. That name always got to her, as apparently, the position she held at work was initially one only held by men. It was like a dream, her very own paradise. Snapping out of her thoughts, she spoke out."Oh yes Baba. I was just thinking about something. I hope the family is doing great.""Oh Madam, yes oo... Walahi ebi God. Take care eh. Continue to make all the small girl pikins proud."Louisa couldn't help but giggle as she shook her head. Baba always had this way of speaking with passion, and that always got to her, always making her laugh and inspired at the same time.As she made her way to her office, she couldn't help but feel proud. She always felt this way when she took a look at her company. Mensah and Associates. This was her own toil and struggle. Her legacy for her sweet daughter. She had always felt within her that she couldn't work for someone. She was too damn proud and preferred to rather give out orders than take them. This was why she had quit her old job at the former law firm and started her own company of course with the help of Naa Larley.It seemed she was in a very reflexive mood today. She mused as she climbed the final set of stairs leading to the top floor where her office was located. The partners were all in this section. With a curt smile on her face, she nodded at everyone till she got to her personal assistant's desk."Hey Akua, any messages for me?" She asked.The young lady looked down for a moment."You have only one call from Isabel's school ma'am.""Oh okay. Please send me the Ampiah-Kwofi file in about five minutes. Thanks."Closing the door to her office quietly, Louisa kicked off her heels and slipped into a pair of slippers she kept for when she was indoors. After settling into the swivel chair and silently spinning for a few minutes, she grabbed the receiver and dialed her daughter's school, playing with her car keys as she waited for her call to be connected.What could have happened now? She wondered. Isa was a good student. An excellent one to be specific. She only hoped it wasn't an accident or something health related.Before she could stress herself out some more, her call was connected."Hello...this is Louisa Mensah. What's going on? Is my daughter okay?""Miss Mensah, you are to be present at the headmaster's office at 3 for a brief meeting concerning your daughter." Someone Louisa was assuming was the secretary replied."But is Isabel alright?" Louisa asked perplexed."Yes ma'am. It's not really a health related issue. Everything is alright."The secretary's voice toned down into conspiratorial whisper. "Heads up, it's actually a minor issue, nothing to worry about. Well in my opinion."Louisa sighed in relief. "Thank you very much then. I'll be there."At thirteen and in junior high school, this was the first time Louisa was being summoned to her daughter's school for something that wasn't a general issue. Her baby was a good kid; never got into trouble, she really hoped it wasn't a serious problem.She glanced at the wall clock in her office. It was 1:45 and she really had to leave if she wanted to be at the school on time. Mensah and Associates was located in the central business district of Accra and her daugh
Louisa yawned tiredly as she combed her hair. She hadn't been able to get much sleep last night; she had been angry as fuck. Suicide wasn't a small issue and she was really itching to sue foolish Mr. Phillips to the moon and back for being so stupid. She had a lot going on her mind right now but she couldn't really do much till she had spoken to Melissa.She heard her phone ring and rushed to the bedroom to answer it."Hey girl." Naa Larley beamed as soon as Louisa answered the video call."Jesus, you look like shit even with the makeup, I wonder how you'd look without it then." Naa commented.Louisa rolled her eyes. Trust Naa Larley to tell it like it is."Aren't you going to work today?" She asked."No." Naa responded."Remember the wedding in Kumasi I told you about? Well the engagement is on Friday so I have to be there today. I'm actually en route atm… I have like two hours to go."Naa Larley was into event planning and she was dam
Louisa was surprised to hear laughter as she stepped into her house that afternoon.... or should I say dusk. Her watch read 5:00 pm; definitely dusk. You could even call it evening.Her mum and Isa and a pretty chubby girl who she was assuming was Melissa were in the kitchen making dinner."Hey guys." She spoke out in a bid to get their attention, and it worked."Mummy!!!" Isa exclaimed and with a run, crushed her mother in a hug.Melissa laughed. "Aren't you like too old for this Is?"Meanwhile Isa was telling her mother in an undertone, "Be nice mum, please."Turning to face her friend, the teenager shrugged. "I know I'm too old for that, but I'm mummy's only baby and if I don't do these little things, no one would."Isabel and Melissa burst into laughter at the horrified faces of Louisa and her mother.Mrs. Mensah shook her head before joining in on the laughter. Wiping a tear from her eye, she said, “Jesus Lou, she's even more savage
The door to her office banged shut, causing Louisa to look up in alarm to realise it was only Naa Larley. She opened her mouth to ask what her friend was doing at her office so early in the day but halted when she saw the look on Naa Larley's face.Standing up worriedly, she asked. "What's wrong Naa? Is everything okay?"Naa raised a hand signalling for a moment as she breathed in deeply to slow down her breathing. But she realised Louisa was getting more anxious so she whispered in between breaths."Will....William is he..here Lou."Louisa's eyes widened in fear. "Here as in here in the firm?"Naa Larley shook her head. "No he's back in the country."Louisa started to tremble. "You're lying Naa...right? Please tell me it's some joke, like maybe its April fool's. It's first April right?" Reaching out for the calendar on the desk, a glance told her it was March 26th, and that's when her heart literally stopped."How can I joke about something like t
Naa Larley decided to tell her friend the truth. What was the point hiding it anyway? Louisa was bound to find out sooner than later and it was best she find out from herself than from another source.Clearing her throat uneasily, she said. "So I had an appointment around 6am with one William Blankson and a Regina Aryee. To be honest, I didn't give it much thought, but then when my assistant and I arrived at our meeting spot, I had a bad feeling about the meeting, so I asked her to go in my stead."Louisa listened raptly and signalled for her friend to continue when she saw signs of hesitation.Naa Larley sighed. "It's not good Louisa. William is getting married, and he's asking for my event planning team to plan the wedding.""Of course, I'm not going to take the offer though. I know how you felt abou-" She was suddenly interrupted by her friend."You'll do no such thing Naa. You're going to take that offer and I don't want to hear anything else.""But-""But n
Louisa woke up with a start, all bothered and sweaty. She had been having a wet dream.Again.Ever since she had heard that Will was in town, she just couldn't stop thinking about him.But she had to. She chided herself. The insensitive bastard was getting married, and he had broken her heart. Nothing could repair their relationship but her subconscious wouldn't accept that.With a sigh, She grabbed her phone from her bedside drawer and checked the time.It was 4:30 am. She definitely wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep anymore, even if she tried.Today was a Saturday, meaning she had no work, so she figured she'd just while away time by doing some cleaning. She had promised Isabel that they'd go out later in the day, and she couldn't wait. They hadn't hanged out in a long time.By 8am, the whole family was up, and breakfast had already been had. Louisa and her daughter were going to the Efua Sutherland Children's park. There was a show goi
"Haha okay, you got me this time." Naa Larley rolled her eyes sarcastically as she pulled her chair back and took a seat.Louisa just couldn't stop laughing."You see how karma is honey? We almost canceled today because of you."The duo were on their usual lunch date at Jerry's and it had been Naa's turn to be late hence the laughter and mock anger.Louisa had been lucky. She had been in court the whole day so she had come straight from there."I can see you haven't ordered yet." Naa Larley muttered as she eyed her friend's glass of orange juice."Yes, yes." Louisa teased. "I'm not a foodie like some people who can't wait for their friends to show up before they get something to eat. "Naa shrugged. "Meh. You still love me anyways so..."The two laughed."Okay, so now tell me how your weekend went." Naa Larley stated as soon as the waiter had come for their orders.Louisa wished the ground would swallow her up. The question had come
"Morning Akua." Louisa greeted her assistant as she briskly walked to her office. The poor woman could barely keep up."Morning Louisa. Here's your coffee"Louisa gratefully took the plastic cup from her assistant and quizzed her on the day's itinerary."Uh...you have to meet up with Mr. Asante and his lawyers, and you promised to be on Jeannette's co-defense council meaning you have to go to court.""Ughhh." Louisa groaned."It's today? The days seem to be flying by so fast."Placing her bag down and settling down in her chair, Louisa massaged her temples as she waited for her assistant to get comfortable in the chair opposite her.Akua scrolled down her iPad ."Oh and Louisa, one Mr. Ayettey called to book an appointment. Should I clear him for today?"Louisa sipped on her coffee with an indecipherable look on her face. Oh so he still has my card. After a whole week, he calls to make an appointment and thinks I'll be at his beck and cal