The Devil Has His Money

Episode 9

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 la!d on my mat in a fetal position crying.