Too Perfect To Change A Thing.

Part 5

Chapter Five

    I turn around and I'm not surprised to find James there. Sitting at his usual spot. He flashes me a smile and I smile back. My big round eyes glitters whenever I see him. He's more like a father than a mere customer. For the first time since I started working at Black Alley, James is ordering a soft drink.

    "What?" Both Christine and Sophie exclaim and I understand them perfectly. It's surprising. The only question we can all ask is 'What's going on?' I serve the drink to him and I notice he doesn't have his eye on any of the strippers like he usually does. And that.. is also very weird.

   " I know!"  He chuckles and rests his hands on his laps. I sit silently not sure if I should interrupt him.

   " So. My son is coming home tomorrow " he continues. There's so much happiness in his voice and I'm genuinely happy to see him this way. He has three children. Two boys and one girl. I haven't seen any of them before obviously but I'm sure they're as good as their father.

   " so how's everything going with your wife" I ask and he scoffs. I can see pain in his eyes again.

   " Everything's the same. She still thinks I'm cheating with someone who's much younger than her. And that is ridiculous because I love her." I nod. I understand how he feels. I take his hand in his and assure him that everything is going to be fine. Then he suddenly tells me the unexpected.

   "Today will be my last time here. I want to fix my marriage and be the kind of father my children expects me to be. My son is coming back from Australia and I want you to meet my family" My eyes widen in shock. What is he saying ?

   Before I know it, I'm sitting at the front seat of James car. He's driving me to his house. God! How did I get here ? My friends seemed really happy when I left twenty minutes ago. I wasn't going to hook up with him and they know it. Brian let me go with him because James is a good person and we all have learned to love him with the few times he's been in Black Alley.

   This is where I want someone to wake me up from my slumber. Am I dreaming? We are in front of a huge metal gate. I gasp for air. James turns to look at me and chuckles. I don't know what's happening because we're standing outside the gate and no one is opening.

   " Don't you have a gateman or something?" I ask and he points to a face recognition camera plastered on the left side of the wall. After a while the gate opens on its own. we drive through this beautifully coal tiled road with coconut trees planted along side the pathways. I look around as I take in the surrounding.

   " Do others aside your family live here too?" I ask and he shakes his head. What? I exclaim to myself. He parks in front of a huge house with about five or more cars packed along the street. The house is built like those Hollywood houses that are along the street with a garage. The only difference is they have one garage which has two cars packed in it. The rest of the cars are just packed neatly along the street which they share with no one. The staircase in front of the house is not the usual straight stairs. It's curved in an oval shape.

   It's pathetic how anyone can ever feel lonely in such a house. James' house is everything . The  golden bright chandelier that welcomes me is enough to throw me in a coma. The floor looks like it is made of glass tiles. So white and plain and extremely clean. I can almost see my reflection. I'm just like someone has just been brought from the village because I can't take my eyes off a single thing in the house. James is so unluckily lucky because there's no one at home. His plans have failed. I kind of feel happy because I am not ready to meet his family. I just want to admire the heaven that I'm in right now..

  "I'm so sorry for wasting your time. I thought I could introduce you to my family but." He pauses and turn to look at me. Hell! I'm not even listening to him. Why is he apologizing? When he just brought me to heaven made on earth. I raise my hand to brush him off. Asking him to not apologize.

 

   There's a really spacious kitchen at the right side when you enter. It's beautifully decorated with all kinds of utensils and foodstuffs. The dinning area is just about ten steps from the kitchen. It's a glass table with beautifully designed black chairs around it. The table is squared. Counting the chairs, it takes seven people in total to be at the table. James offers me a seat in the living room and offers me a glass of juice.

   " This place is beautiful" What am I saying ? Beautiful is an understatement. It's exquisite. He hums a thank you and takes a seat on the opposite couch. He switches on the eighty inches flatscreen television plastered on the war and that is when I notice the fireplace beneath it. Isn't James funny ? There's nothing like winter in Ghana so why the fireplace?

 

    Waiting effortless for thirty minutes but still no sign of anyone, I decide to take my leave. It's almost 10pm and I'm wondering where they're all at. I ask for permission to leave but suddenly feel the urge to use the bathroom.