5. The Green Card Unveiled

A year had crawled by, marked only by the changing seasons outside Serwaa’s window. The trees turned from vibrant greens to fiery oranges and then barren branches. Snow blanketed the landscape and melted away, giving way to a sea of cherry blossoms. But inside her small apartment, time seemed to stand still. She went through the motions of her daily routine, a robotic existence without any purpose.

Then, a whisper turned into a roar. News carried on the wings of the close-knit Ghanaian community, reached Serwaa. Judith had tossed aside the man who had been her husband for the past year. Kwame, who had once professed his love for her, had used her for a marriage of convenience in order to secure his green card.

Serwaa felt a sliver of something akin to satisfaction flicker within her, quickly extinguished by a wave of bittersweet pity. She had always known that Kwame was selfish and manipulative, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Kwame had given up their love to secure American residency, and now he had nothing left. Serwaa couldn’t imagine the pain and humiliation he must be feeling.

She shook her head, trying to push away these thoughts. They were pointless now. She had moved on, or at least, she thought she had. But the news of Kwame’s downfall stirred up feelings she thought she had buried long ago. Serwaa turned away from the window, no longer interested in the changing seasons.