Sandra slid into bed beside Abeeku and turned off the lights. For the past couple of months they hardly even spoke to each other, as her two brothers and her mother pressurised her to end the relationship. Abeeku was certainly a great guy, very handsome, very funny, and certainly very intelligent. But her folks were convinced that he was nothing but a lazy, laid back idiot who only pretended to be doing some professional IT work.

He would sling his laptop on his shoulder and creep into that ordinary four wheel drive for a few hours and come home with a large take-away meal, then he would spend the rest of the day on the laptop, probably playing games on the internet. They reminded her that Abeeku had only performed part of the customary rites, so she was not really her husband. Theirs was a wealthy and respected family, and no lazy guy would come and soil their name by marrying their daughter or sister. Sandra was beginning to see their side of their argument, and she decided to take action, that evening. So she called him gently.

‘Abeeku, I think we need to talk. I have been asking about your work, and your answers don’t sound convincing. You claim to have three employees, yet I only see one young girl at your small office. So who are the other two? And for someone in the IT business, I thought you would always be well dressed, yet although you are never shabbily dressed, you don’t normally dress like a serious professional. And I don’t see any signs of financial stability. To tell you the truth, my family does not approve of what they are seeing, and I’m inclined to see their point’.

Abeeku turned on the light, sat on the bed and flashed a big smile. ‘First of all, I won’t bother to explain what I do in any detail, because you have already made up your mind about me. But I work for several clients, and by God’s Grace, my clients are always referring me to others, so I have never been idle. I employ two qualified IT guys, who are always at my clients’ premises, working, and I pay them well. My field is a practical field. We solve problems, on the ground. I dress up when I have to, otherwise I wear decent, normal clothes. I’m not going to wear a suit everyday, to please someone who does not feed me’.

‘And by the way, Sandra, I think you should be truthful to yourself, and admit that all this started after you invited me to your office to solve the problem with your accounting software, and realised that there was no problem with the software, but rather a shocking level of illiteracy and incompetence for a company that many believe to be top notch. Your brothers got angry because I saw what I was not supposed to see. Unfortunately they had travelled, otherwise they would never have allowed me anywhere near their computers. So if you say your family does not approve of me, let’s take the logical step, and go our separate ways. I am okay with what I have achieved so far, and if you and your family think they are doing so well, let them continue to do things the way they are doing now. Good night’.

‘But Abeeku, I don’t see why you should be so offended. You know we are a close family, so if my mom and brothers have expressed some misgivings about our relationship, is not right that I draw your attention so that you can make amends where they are needed?’                                  

‘I don’t want to insult anybody, but let me just say that from what I saw at the office, your family has bigger problems to solve than mine. It is your right to take their side because they are your family, so let’s do what we have to do. By the way, I saw a bunch of flowers tucked in the drawer of your dresser a couple of days ago, when the new lady finished ironing your dresses. I did not want to mention it, but you seem to have already started the replacement process. Wow!’

The following day, Sandra’s mother stopped by the house as usual to pick her to work. She did not bother to greet Abeeku, but sat for some minutes whilst Sandra got ready.                    

‘Mom’, Sandra started when the driver moved the car, ‘there’s a lot to talk about at the office’. The elderly woman would have wanted her to go right ahead, but Sandra pointed to the driver. Sandra and her mother stopped at the kitchen for the usual meeting with the stores and kitchen supervisors, after which they went to Mrs. Anderson’s office, where they were joined by her brothers.                                                                                                                                               

‘Okay Sandra, we are all ears’. They listened in silence as Sandra narrated what had transpired between her and Abeeku the night before.                                                                                        

‘The guy is just a fool’, Sam started. ‘He’s just trying to sow bad blood between us by telling lies. Sandra, he came in just to bleed you, and he realises we won’t allow it. So he’s angry’.         

‘For an IT expert’, Billy chipped in, ‘he’s rather unimpressive. We don’t need him in this family. Sandra, get rid of him. You have nothing to lose. Many men will die to have a pretty girl like you who comes from a good family background. Find the courage to get rid of him’.                                                        

‘Well’, Mrs. Anderson said, ‘from what Sandra said, he’s already accepted that he’s on the way out. So we will rid of him without much trouble. Sandra, you have my full backing. Get rid of him’.  ‘Okay mom. I will do it’.

To be Continued

By Ekow Deheer, the author