The Devil

Read Story: SEASON 1 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 laid on my mat in a fetal position crying.