For a while, John simply sat beside Mansa on the couch, still holding the pregnancy test like it was a small golden trophy.
Every few seconds he looked at it again, as if the lines might suddenly disappear.
"Two lines," he murmured again.
Mansa leaned back and watched him with amusement.
"If you stare at it any harder," she said, "the poor thing will become shy and fade away."
John looked up quickly.
"Don't say that!"
She burst into laughter.
"Relax. I'm joking."
He carefully placed the test back on the table.
"This is the most important object in this house right now," he declared.
"More important than me?" Mansa teased.
John paused dramatically.
"Let me think about that."
She slapped his arm.
"JOHN!"
"I'm joking! I'm joking!" he said quickly, raising both hands in surrender.
For a moment they sat quietly again.
Then suddenly John grabbed his phone.
"I have to call my mother."
Mansa's eyes widened.
"Already?"
"Of course already!" he said. "This is breaking news."
"John," she warned, "if you call her now she will start packing her bags tonight."
He paused.
"That… is actually very possible."
Mansa nodded.
"Exactly."
John slowly lowered the phone.
"So who do we tell first?"
"Nobody," Mansa replied.
"Nobody?"
"Not tonight."
John frowned slightly.
"Why not?"
"Because," she said, leaning back comfortably, "tonight I want the happiness to stay here. Just for us."
John studied her face for a moment.
Then he smiled softly.
"That makes sense."
He placed the phone on the table again.
"Fine," he said. "But tomorrow the entire country will know."
"The entire country?"
"Yes," he said proudly. "Boom Bank will close early for celebration."
"Please do not announce it in the bank hall," Mansa laughed.
"Too late," he replied. "I'm already planning a speech."
She shook her head.
"You are impossible."
"But you married me anyway," he reminded her.
"A decision I question daily," she said.
John laughed loudly.
Then suddenly his expression became thoughtful.
"Mansa," he said.
"Hmm?"
"Do you realize something?"
"What?"
"Our child will grow up in Accra traffic."
She blinked.
"That is your first concern as a father?"
"Yes," he said seriously. "No child deserves that."
Mansa laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.
"You are unbelievable."
John leaned back and stretched his arms.
"I'm going to be a father," he said quietly.
The words sounded strange and wonderful at the same time.
"Yes," Mansa replied gently.
He looked at her again.
"Are you happy?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead she reached for his hand.
"I'm more than happy," she said softly.
Outside, the sun was slowly disappearing behind the buildings of Accra.
The sky turned shades of orange, pink, and deep purple.
Inside the apartment, two people sat together, smiling quietly.
For five years they had waited for this moment.
And now it had finally arrived.
But somewhere far away, in the quiet town of Abam, a pot of soup ravaged on like a storm on sea whiles Araba dozes off under the mango tree in the middle of the house. Little did she know bow the day to come will change her life.