Page 29 of Craving a King

“Yes, Ella,” she repeats while looking at me, pleading. “Adom called several times yesterday, and I didn’t know why at first. I didn’t press to get ahold of you since I know how you feel about him. When he started asking for Ella, I demanded to know why, and he told me that Ella’s best friend was in a serious life-threatening car accident.”

Blood whooshes between my ears and I steady myself by grabbing ahold of the desk in front me. I swallow hard “Go on,” I bite out.

“Neither of you were answering your phones well into the night and morning, so I figured you’d taken her back to the palace. I told him I didn’t know where you were, not wanting to spread your personal affairs.” She gives me a disapproving look, confirming she knew what we were doing in the palace. I’m sure she has spies there, too. She looks to me for affirmation that it is safe for her to continue. I offer none. Nevertheless, she continues.

“I finally told him if her friend is in that grave of danger, he should come here to tell her, because it would probably be too much to take over the phone. Also, since I could not confirm your whereabouts, I told him to come early in the morning. Of course, he hesitated to come here, given your past history. But I assured him it was the best way to get to Ella. It took some convincing, but he saw it my way.” She stops and purses her lips, never letting her eyes leave mine. With that gesture, I know that’s all she has to say about it.

This can’t be. Ella’s best friend, the one she calls sister, was in danger of dying 3,000 miles away and I accused her of sleeping with my cousin? Shit! Why the hell wouldn’t Akua tell me this when she came to the door this morning?

“So, when you came to her door this morning, you knew why he was here but didn’t tell me?” I try to hide the hurt in my voice.

“Yes! I’m sorry, Kofi. I just needed you to break out of whatever spell that woman—Ella—put on you, so you could focus on your duty. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I guess I didn’t think it through.”

“It wasn’t a spell, Auntie. It was love. She was loving me and making me happy, and you ruined it with your needless meddling and prejudices.” I stand up and slowly walk to the couch. I drop my body down on the couch beside her and cover my face with my hands. I cannot believe how easily I was tricked, and now I may have lost the only woman I have a true connection with over misplaced jealousy. After my private moment of internal agony and regret, I turn to Akua.

“You absolutely thought this through, and your plan worked perfectly. I’m beyond angry with what you have done, but I can’t entirely blame you for what has happened. No, I have driven her away on my own, with harsh words and accusations that she does not deserve. It is I who did not trust in her.”

I need to find Ella and make things right; I need to check to make sure she’s OK after learning of Maya’s accident. “Auntie, tell me where she is. I need to go to her. Is she staying with Adom? Or did you continue to twist the story with your deceptive words when I called you from the village this morning?”

Her tone remorseful, she answers, “Senya took her to the Westin in Accra, if she’s even still here. Adom is returning to the states, and I’m unsure if she is going with him. I explicitly heard her ask if she could go with him this morning. I told her she could not leave before she fulfilled her travel contract and made a proposal for our schools. But Adom dismissed me, and I overheard her say she could no longer stay here. Senya told me Adom had his private plane waiting for a 11 a.m. departure this morning.”

So, she ran away, too. Aren’t we a pair? What if she really went back to Atlanta? I can’t blame her if she did. Maya is unwell and a fit of irrational anger and jealousy took away the only reason she would stay here. If she left, not only has she taken my heart with her, but also any chance of having Revolution Academies in the villages. What have I done?

I have to figure out how I’m going to get her back to Bonbiri—back in my arms, back in my bed. I know it won’t be easy. She no longer trusts me to take care of her heart. Also, if Ella figured out Akua’s deceit, she definitely doesn’t want to be around her, either. However, that is one problem I can remedy very easily. I turn back to Akua.

“Auntie, I’m very disappointed in you. Your meddling has caused hurt to someone I’ve grown to care about deeply over this past week. I’m going to Accra to grovel at Ella’s feet, and hopefully she will forgive me. You better pray that she does. In the meantime, I think you should retire to the palace for a while. At least until after Akwasidae.”

She leaps up with defiance in her eyes.

“This is my home, and you’re going to kick me out because of a lover’s spat?”

I restrain my anger in reverence of her age. “No, Auntie, this ismyhome, and I’m reassigning you to a place where you can rest and not cause any more trouble. We will revisit your assignment at a later date. What you did was wrong, and no matter how much I love you, I can’t let deceit go unpunished. Do you understand?”

She looks at me for a long time. She used to stare at me like this when I was a boy to get me to bend to her will. But I’m no longer a child—I’m a king without the first woman I thought could be my queen. If I have any chance of getting her back, I have to put Akua in her place.

“Anne,” she verbally agrees in Twi. “I will gather my things and have Yao take me to Kumasi within the hour.”

I kiss her cheek. “Auntie, do not ever deceive me like this again. If you do, I will buy you a small house in the village and hire a servant girl to take care of you there. I hope you heed my words, because I mean every one of them.” She walks away from me, still proud and defiant. But I know better—she is hurt. I almost call her back, but I know that is not what needs to happen.

Instead, I pull out my cell phone and prepare to make a call that I don’t want to make. If I’m going get Ella back, I’m going to have to go through the one man she trusts right now. I’m going to have to call Adom. Hopefully, she’s not on his plane.

Chapter Seventeen

Concession

Ella

“That’s the fifth time Kofi has called me in two hours, Ella.

I cannot misdirect him forever. There are only so many ways to tell a man like my cousin to get lost. The best way is directly, and that, my dear, must come from you.”

Adom looks at me through the camera of his computer with his signature countenance of severity.

It’s been one week since I left Kofi’s secluded home, Bonbiri. I miss him, but I’m too furious to do anything about it. My new hotel suite opens up to an amazing view of Labadi Beach—it’s no Bonbiri, but the views of the Gold Coast are breathtaking. Currently, I’m taking in the view from a lounge chair poolside as Adom and I Facetime.

He’s been a saint, alternating between accepting and ignoring the many calls from Kofi over the past week. I have ignored twice as many, if not more. His constant calling is ridiculous. I don’t know what he plans to say. After the way he talked to me, I’m not interested in anything but a business relationship. He already told me I’ve secured the contract to build Revolution Academy schools in Kumasi and surrounding villages. I can afford to ignore him one more day before I’m forced to interact with him during final village visits. With rigorous scheduling, I can complete those in the 13 days I have left here.

Yesterday, Adom called me to tell me that Maya was out of her coma and ready to talk. It felt good to hear her voice even if it was weak. She made me promise to stay and finish our school implementation plans. She still couldn’t believe that Adom was with her when she woke up. It was unreal to her that he traveled home just to be by her side. It is so unlike him. I felt like his presence meant more to her than mine. I think I always knew her heart belonged to him. He is just too foolish to take care of it for her. I’m still not convinced he will ever be cured of his foolishness. He’s too tightly wound to let go and love. However, time will tell. All that matters right now is that he’s keeping her happy and safe.

---