12 months ago.
The elevator doors opened to a skinny man leaning against the wall in the corner. He perked up at the sight of the person in front of him, a toothy grin appearing on his face. With slight hesitation, the woman tightened her grip on the large tote bag slung over her shoulder before stepping into the car.
"Hm, wrong floor." he muttered to himself, but made sure it was loud enough for her to hear.
The man's hands were stuffed in the pockets of his forest green sweater, which he paired with bright blue jeans and a bright red cap. The woman secretly scanned him over from the corner she stood in and winced at the poor combination of colours. She proceeded to press the button for the floor she was headed to, and paused when she noticed that no other floor was pressed for the man in the elevator.
"Floor, sir?" she questioned him, hoping he would be getting off before her.
The man looked over at her, using his hand to lower his cap and take in her shape discreetly. He licked his lips at the sight of the grey yoga pants that clung to her thick thighs and the fitted, white t-shirt that put the silhouette of her breasts on display.
"Second." he said, after stealing a glance at the floor she had already selected. "Thank you, darling."
The woman shook her head with a smirk, not failing to notice the wonderful coincidence. She leaned back in the corner near the elevator buttons, making sure to angle herself towards the man to keep an eye on him. Even that didn't shy him away from ogling her.
"You look really good, sweetheart."
"Thanks." she curtly responded to keep the peace.
"Those hips are perfect for baby-making, ya know?"
She refused to dignify his statement with a response and instead looked at the floor number that was displayed on the little screen, grateful that they had reached the second floor. The doors opened and the woman clutched her bag again as she took a half step out. The eager man wasted no time in following her, fully stepping out of the elevator. But the woman was quick and scurried back into the elevator like she planned, right before the doors closed.
"Wrong floor." she shrugged, as she watched the irritated expression on his face disappear behind the metal doors.
Smiling to herself, she pressed the button for the fourth floor. Once the lift stopped at the correct floor, the doors opened and she walked out. Her steps were quick as she made her way towards the brown door labeled '416'. She rang the bell and also knocked loudly, before tightening the high ponytail that her golden brown braids were in. She looked around her to make sure the elevator guy didn't magically locate her either.
The faint sound of chatter and shuffling could be heard on the other side of the door as she waited. When the door finally opened, she was greeted with the sight of the familiar, warm soul.
"Mimmi's here, y'all!" the voice yelled out into the apartment behind her.
Mimmi heard a few cheers from behind her friend, and she rolled her eyes playfully.
"Please do enter, princess. We have been awaiting your arrival." her friend uttered poshly, adding a curtsy for effect and opening the door wider for Mimmi to enter.
"Why, thank you, peasant Charlotte." Mimmi joked in an equally posh voice, walking past her with her nose sticking up.
Charlotte closed the door behind her with a kiss of her teeth. "Peasant is crazy."
"What's crazy is your apartment complex. Every time I come over here, there's a creepy man trying to get me to have his babies." Mimmi complained, standing by the doorway with her friend.
Charlotte snickered. "Girl, again?"
"Yes again! Why did this man tell me I have baby-making hips? Then, he tried to follow me but I outsmarted him, like I always do."
"Didn't I tell you to donate your hips and thighs to me? All this could have been avoided but w'aso yɛ den."
Mimmi shot her a glare, as Charlotte gestured to follow her.
"But seriously, I'll speak to the manager about upping security, and possibly having guards in elevators too. I take the stairs now because the last time I was in the elevator, some man asked me if I liked it rough." Mimmi's mouth dropped open.
"That was my exact reaction. I had to lie and tell him I have a gun just for him to shut up." Charlotte continued, as they finally made their way to the living room.
There, Mimmi saw her friends sprawled out with snacks in their hands. A plush mattress had been pulled into the center of the room, and was neatly dressed with sheets and throw pillows. The main lights were dimmed, with the only illumination coming from the television and the fairly lights Charlotte had hung strategically around the room.
It was their monthly "friend-out", their name for a 'friends' hangout'. At the end of each month, they would all choose something to do together so that they could still spend time with each other amidst their busy schedules. The past month had been really busy, so they decided on something low-key: a horror movie night at Charlotte's apartment.
"Popcorn almost finished and we haven't even settled on a movie yet?" Mimmi questioned, hanging her tote bag on a coat rack.
"I have brownies in the oven and they're almost ready. I got you." Ama Gloria assured, putting her hand up in the air for Mimmi to high-five.
"Latecomers don't get food." Ato retorted, throwing a kernel at Ama. "I didn't even think she'd be here."
"You came late yourself, but I've only been hearing chomping and swallowing from you." Dennis quipped, to which everyone except Ato chuckled.
"Focus on your focus. I was here early in spirit."
Mimmi and Charlotte plopped themselves on the couch, feet touching while the other four friends laid on the comfy mattress on the floor.
"Why wouldn't I be here?" Mimmi suddenly asked, bending down to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl in Ato's lap.
A wind of silence blew across the room, as knowing looks were exchanged between some of the friends. Mimmi knew exactly what Ato was talking about but she wanted to see if he was really going to say it out loud. Nobody has mentioned it but everybody has felt it.
It was the brewing tension between Mimmi and the one friend who had not looked in her direction since she stepped foot in the apartment.
Ato spared a quick glance at the silent friend, who was scrolling through his phone and taking sips from a red solo cup without a care in the world.
"Just... thought you'd be too busy for us." Ato lied, not wanting to be the one to acknowledge the awkwardness.
"Too busy for my day ones? Never."
"Not her being nice today. Who are you and what have you done with Mimmi?" Ama sarcastically queried, making all but one laugh.
Mimmi looked over at the guy who refused to crack a smirk in her presence and rolled her eyes. As usual, he was being stubborn and dramatic. She wouldn't be the one to break the silence between them because she did nothing wrong. If he wanted to continue on like this, then she would follow suit.
"I say we should watch a Chucky movie." Dennis suggested to the group.
"That little doll? Nah, let's watch one of the nun movies." Charlotte countered.
"Those aren't even scary. I second Chucky." Mimmi added.
The oven alarm went off abruptly, making everyone flinch in their spots. They snorted at their own reactions before Ama quickly made her way to the kitchen.
"Oh shoot, anyone know if Vanessa's on her way?" Dennis suddenly asked, looking specifically at the man who had yet to speak.
Mimmi tensed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch upon mention of the name. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mr. 'Silence is Golden' turn to peek a glance at her. She avoided his eye contact and looked down at her black phone screen.
"She'll be here, she was just pretty busy today." he finally spoke, turning the group's attention towards him. "It's nice of her to show up to a place where she'll have to be in close proximity with someone who attacked her."
He didn't just throw shade; he threw a whole palm tree. The air suddenly felt thicker and everyone avoided eye contact with each other. Even Ama, who was in the kitchen, started making slow movements to avoid being in the same room as the impending argument.
Somebody had finally mentioned the issue and he didn't even bother doing so subtly. It was obvious he was holding a grudge— a foolish one, Mimmi thought.
She tilted her head at him, her brows furrowing in agitation. "Who attacked her? Did anybody here attack her?"
"They say hit dogs holler." he muttered, not even bothering to look her in the eye anymore.
"Why aren't you looking at me, Jax? If you're going to say something, say it with your chest and don't be a coward about it."
Jax's head shot up almost immediately as he put his phone down to give his full attention to the woman on the couch.
"You're not anyone to be afraid of, Mimmi. I wouldn't even mind being a coward because I'd rather be that than a bully."
"Okay, guys stop. I wouldn't have even brought her up if I knew you guys were going to be doing this. Let's watch the movie." Dennis sighed trying to diffuse the situation, but his effort was futile.
Mimmi sat up from her partially-reclined position and glared daggers directly at Jax. "Don't use that word when talking about me. I am not a bully but I will not hesitate to confront someone when they're wrong."
He scoffed, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "You created a problem out of nothing, don't say you were trying to correct her. She didn't deserve what you did."
"Oh please, spare me the nonsense. The only reason you're on her side is because she gave you a taste. Sticking up for a girl that's using you for your body is pathetic."
He gritted his teeth and Mimmi inwardly smiled to herself, knowing she used the right words. Jax's fists balled up and he swiftly stood up from the mattress.
"You know what?" he seethed.
"Woah, woah. Let's sit down." Ato urged, immediately rising and holding out a hand to stop him from any movement.
"What's up, Jax?" Mimmi retorted, a teasing smirk on her face. She enjoyed getting under his skin at this moment because he was getting riled up over something that had nothing to do with him.
"I'm not going to do anything, Ato." Jax assured, holding his hands out in surrender. "I just want that girl to know that this kind of behaviour will leave her friendless. She's well on her way to that."
"That girl? Are you kidding me?" Mimmi scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "If being friends with someone means that I can't call them out when they offend me, then I'll happily be friendless. You can continue being a little puppet for the rest of your life, ɛnyɛ m'asɛm."
There was a collective "oop" in the room, as everyone around them looked to Jax, waiting for his response. It seemed like there was an unspoken agreement with what Mimmi said about him being a puppet. Again, it was something felt but not mentioned.
Jax shook his head distastefully before looking over at Charlotte.
"Lottie, thanks for inviting us here today but I'm gonna have to leave."
Ama rushed into the living room with oven mitts on and the pan of brownies in her hands. "Come on, Jax. The brownies are ready and cut into perfect squares."
"You're not leaving." Charlotte simply stated, grabbing his wrist and trying to force him to sit back down.
"Don't beg someone to stay. If he wants to be petty, he can leave." Mimmi sneered.
"Please stop talking." Dennis begged her, an exasperated look on his face. He hated being in the middle of arguments.
Before anyone could say another word, the ringing of a phone disrupted the heated confrontation. Jax looked down at the mattress to see his phone ringing, and he yanked it up but not before Mimmi caught a glimpse of the caller ID. Vanessa.
Jax's tensed face relaxed at the sight of the caller and he snuck a look at Mimmi before answering in front of everyone. He figured she could just be calling to let him know she was in the lobby.
"You here, Vee?" he answered, his voice much lighter and tone softer than it was a few seconds ago.
He paused, waiting for a response but all he could hear was heavy breathing. He scrunched his brows a bit.
"Vee?" he asked again, putting his phone on speaker in case her voice was just too low for him to hear.
The whole room could now hear the silence from the other end of the phone. Mimmi preoccupied herself with her own phone, mindlessly scrolling through social media. She wasn't in the mood to hear Jax and Vanessa keep up the charade of a relationship they have.
The silence persisted for a little longer, leaving everyone confused.
"Hell—" Jax began to say again but his voice was disrupted by the sounds of a strained voice.
"M-maple. H-help... me." the voice sobbed out, the shakiness in her voice clear as day.
Mimmi lifted her head from her phone, along with everyone else who was suddenly tuned into the conversation. Jax gulped nervously, his legs feeling like jelly at the sound of Vanessa's scared voice.
"Angel, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
They could all hear her loud pants and footsteps. It sounded like she was running and each step she took, sounds of twigs cracking and trees rustling resonated through the phone.
"I—I'm scared." she breathed.
By this point, nobody was sitting anymore. Everyone was crowded around Jax, whose trembling hand was trying to keep the phone steady. His own breath started to get shaky and he ran a hand through his hair, something he normally did when he was anxious.
"I'm right here, don't be scared. Where are you? Are you in danger?" Jax interrogated, the words spilling out of his mouth like water.
There was shuffling and the line became unclear. Her voice began to cut out and they couldn't make out everything she was saying.
"...behind me...wants to hurt me." was all they could hear.
"Who!" they collectively questioned, fear lodging in their throats. Mimmi put her hands on her head and released a shaky sigh. She was panicking but didn't want to overreact in front of her friends.
Her voice cut out again and only rustling could be heard. A vein could be seen popping on Jax's forehead. "Who? Vee, answer me!"
Ama put a hand on his shoulder gently, silently telling him to calm down. He took a breath, closing his eyes and trying to keep his cool. But just as he opened his eyes to call her name again, an ear-piercing shriek resonated through the room.
Mimmi covered her mouth in fear, blood rushing to her face. The friends had their mouths agape, unable to breathe at a steady pace. Jax was visibly trembling as he gaped at the phone in terror.
"Vanny, stop joking!" Charlotte yelled into the phone, her voice cracking a bit.
The line went cold.
The friends gasped, some shaking their heads in disbelief. Jax called back quickly but it went straight to voicemail.
"It's a joke, right? She's not in any danger." Ato tried to convince them. Within a second, Jax was in his face, stabbing a finger to his chest.
"You think that was a joke? She just said someone's after her and then screamed for her life, and you're telling me she's not in danger?"
Dennis shoved the angry man away from Ato, who had his hands up in defense.
"You don't have to be like that, J. We're all worried and trying to make sense of this." Dennis reprimanded, brushing off Ato's shirt.
"I'm checking her location." Mimmi announced, scrolling to the contact she had barely used in the past month. She would be surprised if Vanessa was still sharing her location with her, as she knows how badly they left things.
As expected, when she clicked on her contact information, the location was off.
"Location is off, but it could just be me. Someone else check." Mimmi informed them anxiously, putting her phone to the side in dismay.
They quickly obliged, and checked for her location. But they all saw the same thing.
She had stopped sharing her location.
Jax threw his phone on the floor in frustration, before banging a fist against the wall behind him. The friends knew not to try touching him again. Only Vanessa could get him to this state, and only she could calm him down.
"So what do we do?" Charlotte asked frantically.
"We don't have much to go off of." Mimmi stated.
Jax banged the wall again, a scoff coming from
his lips. "So we're going to act like this never happened and just watch a stupid movie?"
"Did those words come from my mouth?" she shot back, inching towards the towering man. Ato patted her back gently, trying to get her to sit down.
"You two need to stop beefing for one second so we can focus on the matter at hand. I'm honestly sick of it. Our friend is in danger. What are we doing?" Ama scolded, looking between Mimmi and Jax.
Mimmi understood her frustration. Here they were making this about their problems, when one of their own is in harm's way. Even though they're not on good terms right now, she would never want Vanessa to be hurt.
"You're right, I'm sorry guys." Mimmi sighed, sitting down next to Ato. "I was going to say that Jax should call one of his buddies at the station and see if they could figure something out together."
Jax exhaled. "I could but what would I tell them? We have no information on her location or who she could have been with."
"You're the detective here, don't you have some way to figure that out?" Charlotte shot back.
"I'd have to get to the station and use the equipment to see if I could ping a location. Even with that, I'd need a warrant."
"Can't you tell them this is an emergency? Someone's life could be in danger." Dennis hissed.
Mimmi could see the panic in everyone's face and Jax looked the worst. It was like he was physically there but mentally in another country. Her heart ached for him, and she wanted to give him a hug and assure him that Vanessa was fine. But she couldn't because she wasn't even sure of that herself.
Jax nodded. "I-I'm gonna go down to the station. Just let me know if she calls any of you guys back."
"Wait, by yourself?" Mimmi suddenly questioned, alarm in her voice.
"Yes, by myself." he spat, grabbing his keys off the coffee table which had been pushed behind the couch.
"We should all go. She's our friend."
"She's my woman!" he fired back, his sudden movements making the keys jangle in his hand. "And don't you dare call her your friend."
"You don't get to tell me who I call my friend—"
Dennis groaned, stomping his foot to get their attention. "Time is ticking and we don't know where our friend is! Neither of you should be calling her a friend if your petty issues are more important to you right now."
They both fell silent and Jax took an exasperated breath. Noticing that they were listening, Dennis continued to speak.
"Now if you're going to the station, I'm coming with you in case you guys will need any help with the IT side."
Jax nodded with his head hung low. "You're right. Let's just go now."
They both made their way towards the door in a hurry and the rest of the friends watched them leave. The girls sat on the couch and held each other, the fear in their eyes speaking for themselves. Ato walked over to the kitchen counter and put on an oven mitt, before grabbing the pan of brownies. He brought them over to the girls and pulled the coffee table
up, placing it down.
"Don't be scared. Have a brownie and think happy thoughts." he was masking his own fear to make them feel better, but he could see it was to no avail. Happy thoughts were struggling to come to his own mind.
"What if something really happened to her?" Ama whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.
Mimmi leaned into Ama, pulling her closer for an embrace. She was scared herself but she was trying to remain hopeful.
"Jax will find her, he won't stop until he does." Charlotte asserted, nodding to convince herself of the fact.
Ato nodded along with her, grabbing a brownie from the pan. "They're going to find her and she'll be okay. I know it."
They didn't know then how wrong they were.
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Akan translations:
w'aso yɛ den = you are stubborn
ɛnyɛ m'asɛm = it's not my problem