So three hours after I had got in that morning I was up, it was Christmas day and up ready to cook the turkey. I went into the front room where the two ladies were drinking sparkling wine, unfortunately no smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. I did think about buying it but the scatterbrain I am went to the supermarket, bought a load of things and walked out buying nothing I said I was going to buy (typical).

I got 3 presents this year. Not bad. Last year I got a hamper full of food from my dear uncle, this year I got a lovely dress from daddy, perfume from smother and a clutch bag from my sisters. The morning was starting well.

I was chatting with little sister, when all of a sudden it occured to me that I was seeing things way too clearly. Even on a good day my eyes are blurred, with a headache on top I am as blind as a bat. Yep, I left my contacts in, no wonder they felt so sore.

The turkey was in the oven was cooking, when all of a sudden, the electricity went out. I was praying that this wouldn’t happen. My uncle had been telling us just 2 days before that the previous year the lights went out on 24th and didn’t come back until the 28th. I hoped it would just be for 30 minutes, an hour later we were still there.

Luckily I have my cousin living in the next estate, who has a generator and is not stingy about putting it on when the lights go out (some Ghanaians only put there’s on at night to save on fuel). I called him and he was in, so I told him I was on my way (so great to have relatives in the neighbourhood). I take the turkey over, hangover in tow, put the oven in and shut my eyes for another two hours (silver lining behind every cloud).

At around midday the lights came back and I took the turkey back. Smother had turned into Godzilla saying there is no space in the kitchen to cook, she needs more space, and complaining about some other things, but amazingly enough I didn’t rise to it, I just smiled and went to download some movies from my cousins hardrive and then went off to shower.

The afternoon went off relatively well, smother only threw a few tantrums, one when she asked us to cook the vegetables so that she could take her bath and one when we took too long dishing out her food. By 2ish we were done. An hour later my uncle came over and then the phone was ringing with relatives all over the world calling to wish us all a merry christmas.

At 4 Giles tells me that he is dropping his mum off in East Legon so he will pass by and see me. I was supposed to go out that evening for my Aunt and Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary. But thought I could fit it all in. Thirty minutes later he was at my house. We decided to go out for a drink, what I should have done was taken my clothes for the party but I didn’t think I would be out for so long and my mind was preoccupied with the etiquette’s of a first date (it’s been a while).

We went to a bar restaurant in East Legon, a restaurant and bar called Luscious Temptations. The food is not fantastic, cocktails are ok, but it has a nice ambience and a good place to go when you just want to hang out for an hour or two. Now this guy has a permanent attachment to his phone, from my house down to the bar it took 10 minutes, we probably spoke for about 30 minutes. In the hour we we’re there the conversation was about 20 minutes with the rest of the time spent with me observing people while he was on the phone. But what I did find out about him was that he lived in London, has kids, not in the relationship with the mother now (I take his word for it). He doesn’t mince his words and is your A-typical bad boy. So I travelled all the way to find a nice Ghanaian guy, I end up with a London boy. I only took one cocktail as I was still feeling a bit delicate, we were joined a short while later by his friend. A nice guy, he was based in Holland but also come back to settle, it was a nice day in a nice environment and a refreshing change from hanging out at the local spots (new years resolution number 1, cut back on hanging out at local spots).

I was running late so I told my uncle that I would meet him at the hotel were the party was being held and Giles took me home to change and drop me at the place. Managed to get dress minus my make up in under 10 minutes a world record. Had on a one strap short African print dress which a seamstress made for me when I first got here but had only worn once, I checked myself out in the mirror, not bad for an old girl.

We had to stop off at Giles place so that he could have a quick shower before he went to town. I was applying my make up in his bathroom when this guy stands up behind me wearing nothing but his boxers asking for a quickie. I’m like damn, that’s a bit keen. I wouldn’t, he got in a strop and started throwing his toys out of the pram. I went into the hall and chatted to his friend about football. I have zero interest in the sport apart from the International events but hearing his friend talking about why he likes Man City was a better option than the temper tantrum I had just witnessed.

We headed off to M Plaza, I was sitting in the back seat listening to the Azonto beats when at the traffic lights he turns around and whispers I’m sorry. I say nothing. He drops me off and then at the gate I say “maybe we’ll catch up later”, he says “yeah whatever”. I’m thinking Chale, I respect myself oo, so if that’s what you were after then you better take your arse go out of my life as quickly as you came in it. But what I did say was goodbye and then gave his friend a friendly hug and told him that it was nice meeting him.

I went into the hotel, my uncle had told me that I should go to the reception and they would tell me my table number. My name wasn’t on the list so basically I gate crashed.

It was a nice event. My aunt and uncle have 5 children. They all live in London but they all managed to make it. It was so lovely. There were these two 70 something year old people and they are as still in love with each other as when they were in there 20s. My aunt is a complete pain at times, but I love her, I love them both and their marriage gives me hope. We ate, we drunk, we toasted the occasion, we danced, my dress ripped (not obvious but the girl did not sew the zip well so a small tear developed) we danced and then my cousins dropped me home. A lovely ending to what has turned out to be a great christmas. My new years resolution number 2 is to have a more positive outlook on life. I may be single, but I have great people surrounding me, and I am loved. So what’s my problem.

As for Giles, I got a call at 1am but I was fast asleep, a text to say he was sorry, a response that I am worth more than a couple of drinks and a quickie. It might happen between us, it might not, but I am optimistic that 2012 is going to be my year!