Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 10
These days i have passion for nothing else but to
sleep. Ever since i came back from Papa Ayi’ s
place i have lost the will to live. How could he
say it wasn’t my way? am i destined not to be
wealthy in this life? how do i give Ama all the
finer things of life? how do i put a smile on my
mother’ s face. I lost appetite for food too, Ama
and Nma( Mother) thought i was falling sick.
They kept fussing over me, sometimes i managed
to push down some morsels just to please them.
Kofa indeed contacted gonorhea just like the old
man said. I walked Ama home one evening so i
could have a talk with my brother. We met him
and Mensah playing cards, Ama went into her
room, i got a chair and played with them for a
while.
” I have to talk to you guys about something”
” Charley what is it?” Mensah asked still playing
his hands.
” I have been having terrible reoccurring
nightmares”
” Everyone has nightmares sometimes bro” Albert
said not looking up.
” These are not ordinary nightmares bro, same
horrid scene all the time and they are about you.
There’s danger lurking round the corner.”
They both went silent. ” Don’t worry Kojo, i will
be fine” Albert said.
I stood up no longer interested in the game,i was
losing any way.
” Am going for a walk with Ama”
” Alright” they both said at once and continued
with their game. I went to knock on Ama’ s door,
i looked back and observed my brother and our
cousin. They were no longer playing the card,
they were whispering and from the look on their
face they were both worried about something.
Ama came out, we called out byes but they didn’t
respond. We went to our usual place, the field but
a match was being held since it was weekend. We
bought ice creams and watched the match, we
soon lost interest in the game and chased after
each other till we got exhausted and collapsed
under a tree far from where the match was being
played.
” Kojo thank you” Ama said.
” Why are you thanking me”?
” You know, for everything”
I laughed ” I don’t know what you are talking
about”.
She punched my arm playfully ” You are being
modest, just say you are welcome ”
” Alright madam! you are welcome ”
She sat up ” I just remembered as you called me
madam, i ought to be in school 2.pm today! I
wonder what the time says now!”
” What is happening today? why do you have to
be in school on a Saturday?”
She looked at me her eyes going wide in disbelief.
” Kojo don’t tell me you don’t know! Where have
you been?”
If its not money i don’t have an interest in it no
wonder i had no idea what she was going on
about. ” Please can you just tell me already?”
” We are preparing for the president’ s visit! every
school is rehearsing either a play or something!
we are matching in my school, even the Lecee
students will march too and the overall brilliant
students will get to give him a handshake!” she
beamed at me.
” Ehen? What is the name of the president”?
” Kojo! Seriously?! come on! don’t tell me you
don’t know! Don’t you listen to radio or watch
news?”
” There’s no electricity in my house and i don’t
own a radio. Besides how is he my headache? So
what’s the fuss about? ”
” Oh you! its a big privilege for him to choose to
visit our little town! Since i am the overall best
student in my school i get to shake his hands!
Am super excited but….” She suddenly looked
gloomy.
” One minute you are excited, the next you are
not, what happened?”
” Its just that i don’t have any new dress to
wear…..if Mami was around she would have
made me a new dress”
” If you could wish for a new dress, how would
you want it to be?”
She lighted up” Ah! i would wish for a long
beautiful gown, preferably blue in color with
sleeves ending at the elbow and a low neckline. ”
She laughed ” But you know its a waste of time
making wishes, do them ever come true?”
” Some do Ama” i whispered.
I opened my piggy bank some days later and
bought two beautiful blue gowns, the smaller one
was for little Pam. The fierce hug Ama gave me
when she saw it made me realize it was worth it.
I urged her to try it on, she removed her top and i
was lost for words. There were scars all over her
body, there were angry welts on her arms. Some
of the scars looked old but some were recent
ones.
” Who did this to you Ama!?”
” Oh these? Its nothing Kojo” she tied a wrapper
around her waist, she shimmied out of her skirt
and stepped out of it.
” Who has been abusing you? Is it Mensah?”
” Oh no! Please he must not know about
this…..please. ” She sat down ” He has a lot on
his plate right now, i don’t want anymore trouble
”
” I won’t tell him but things can’t go on like this!
Why didn’t you tell me? Who did this to you? ”
” My father…… He beats me for no reason
whenever he comes home. When Efo( bro)
Mensah and Efo Albert is not around, he finds one
reason or the other to beat me. I guess he’s
punishing me for what i did, showing that
calabash to Mami”
” Oh Ama! why didn’t you tell me or Nma? how
long were you going to let him do this to you! It
is not your fault! you must report him to the
authorities or to your brother!”
” No! no please not now….he rarely comes home
but if he comes again I promise to rush down to
your place immediately ”
” Ama……”
” Please Kojo, i don’t want anymore drama”
” Alright, please as soon as you see him, run to
my place and you will be with us till he left,
okay?”
” Okay”;She sighed loudly ” Now can i try on this
beautiful dress?”
I grinned ” Yes you may madam!”
The president’ s visit was the talk of town, some
were of the opinion that he shouldn’t come while
some were advocating for him to come and as for
me i couldn’t care less. It was all Ama talked
about, even Kofa who was under going treatment
for his gonorhea talked about it non stop until my
ears ached. Little Pam was not left out of it, we
had no television so she kept asking what does
the president look like? is he kind like Mr Seyram
or mean like her numbers teacher? i got tired of
the endless questions.
I didn’t see Ama for two days straight, it wasn’t
like her and i was mentally planning to go see her
when Mensah came to see Nma. He didn’t look
happy, Nma offered him a seat but he declined
and went to the point.” There was a little
accident Nma ( Mother)” he said.
Nma screamed ” What happened to Albert? Where
is he?”
” Albert is fine Nma, its about Ama”
What happened to Ama? My Ama?
” What happened to her!” Nma and i said at once.
” I wasn’t around when it happened, i was out
hunting with Albert”
” What happened to her”? I shouted.
” My father was beating her with a broom, one of
the stick pierced her left eye in the process”
Nma and i screamed. ” Where is she now? Is she
alright? ” Nma asked while i was left speechless.
” She is in the general hospital but the doctors
say the eye won’t ever be good again “. He said
sadly.
Nma started wailing. She rushed inside and came
out with her purse and scarf. ” Please take me to
her! please take me to her!”
I was too shocked and sad to talk. If only i had
insisted that she reported him to the authorities.
Tears of regret streaked down my face. I just
couldn’t face her, i felt so small and i ran inside
and laid on my mat in a fetal position crying.
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