Episode 2: “The Voice of Reason”
Setting: Local bar, evening. Kojo sits across from his friend Kwame, who’s nursing a beer and shaking his head in disbelief.
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Kwame: (laughing) Wait, wait, wait. Let me get this straight. She wants you to pay her bills… before you’re even dating?
Kojo Kasa: That’s what she said. Utilities, gas cylinder, hair, nails… everything.
Kwame: (still chuckling) And her birthday is next week, so you need to “show some dough”?
Kojo Kasa: (defensively) Don’t laugh, man. I really like her.
Kwame: (leaning forward, serious now) Bro, listen to yourself. She’s treating you like a walking ATM, not a potential boyfriend.
Kojo Kasa: But maybe that’s how women show they’re serious nowadays. Maybe she’s just being practical.
Kwame: (slapping the table) Practical? Kojo, my guy, love isn’t a business transaction! When I met Sarah, we split the bill on our first date. That’s how I knew she was interested in me, not my wallet.
Kojo Kasa: But Bella is different. She’s… sophisticated.
Kwame: Sophisticated or expensive? There’s a difference, bro.
Kojo Kasa: (getting irritated) You don’t understand. She explained it to me. If I love her, I should be willing to invest in her.
Kwame: (counting on his fingers) Let me break this down for you. She wants you to pay her utilities – that’s like 200 cedis a month. Gas cylinder – another 100. Hair and nails – easily 300 every two weeks. Kojo, that’s over 800 cedis a month, and you haven’t even held her hand yet!
Kojo Kasa: (quietly) When you put it like that…
Kwame: And what does she bring to the table? What’s she investing in you?
Kojo Kasa: She… she’s giving me a chance to prove myself.
Kwame: (shaking his head) Oh, Kojo. My naive friend. She’s not giving you a chance – she’s giving you a job. And the job description is ‘personal ATM.’
Kojo Kasa: You think I’m being stupid?
Kwame: I think you’re being used. Look, I’ve seen this before. My cousin went through the same thing. Started with small amounts, then suddenly she needed money for her sick mother, then her rent, then her car broke down. Three months later, he was broke and she was with someone else.
Kojo Kasa: (phone buzzing) Hold on… (checks phone, face falling)
Kwame: What is it?
Kojo Kasa: (reading) “My gas cylinder is empty. Prove you meant what you said. Mobile money: 0244…”
Kwame: (grabbing the phone) She’s already asking for money? Kojo, it’s been what, three hours since your conversation?
Kojo Kasa: (taking phone back) Maybe her cylinder really is empty. Maybe she’s just testing me.
Kwame: Testing you? Bro, this isn’t a test – it’s a scam! How do you even know she doesn’t have a boyfriend already? Maybe you’re just the side guy who pays the bills while someone else gets the benefits.
Kojo Kasa: (standing up) That’s enough! You don’t even know her.
Kwame: And neither do you! That’s my point. You’re about to send money to someone you barely know because she said the word ‘love’ and made you feel special.
Kojo Kasa: (hesitating, phone in hand) So what do you suggest I do?
Kwame: Delete the message. If she really cares about you, she’ll find a way to buy her own gas. If she disappears, then you know what she was really after.
Kojo Kasa: (staring at the phone) I… I need to think about this.
Kwame: Don’t think too long, bro. Your bank account is depending on it.
(Kojo’s phone buzzes again)
Kojo Kasa: (reading new message) “Kojo, I’m cooking tonight and I can’t finish without gas. Please don’t let me down. I’m counting on you. 💕”
Kwame: (sarcastically) Oh, look at that. Now she’s cooking and can’t finish. Next message will probably be about her starving.
Kojo Kasa: (conflicted) What if she’s telling the truth?
Kwame: Then she should call her family, her friends, or figure it out like every other adult in the world. Kojo, you’re not her boyfriend, you’re not her husband, you’re not even her friend yet. You’re just a guy she met who showed interest.
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(Kojo stares at his phone, thumb hovering over the mobile money app)