CWRC Anthology

KWABENA

© 2022 by Ana Mettle

Brought to you by Christian Writers and Readers Club

A/N

I hope this story inspires you to choose pleasing God over every other thing. Kindly share and leave your comments, thank you!

The fishermen sat at the bank of the Egyira river were mending their nets when a little boy crept barefooted into The Cold Room, where their fishes were kept. The odour coming from this little boy indicated that he needed a good body scrubbing but maybe at the moment, he needed the fish more. His most recent meal had been two days ago which had come from a kind stranger. He had wolfed down the bread and fried egg and saved the porridge for later. Not knowing where his next meal would come from, he had experience to teach him not to eat everything all at once and once again, experience had taught him right.

 He wanted to blame what he was about to do on hunger but something told him it was wrong. He tried reasoning with that ‘something’ by stating that he was only taking two fishes, it was not like he was planning on selling all the fresh fishes. The fishermen and fishmongers would not notice anyway.

Silence

He did not like the silence but he was not about to die of hunger when he knew how to keep his belly stuffed. He also did not plan on eating the fishes, money to get food was all he needed. He crept out of The Cold Room unnoticed, holding two great frozen fishes. He knew just where to send them.

Ato stared at the huge fishes in front of him. He had moved to the town not long ago and barely knew much. He relied on others to get him what he needed as he went about organising his place. He knew there was no way the little boy could have gotten this without using dubious means. Frozen fishes came in sealed bags but these did not. He looked down at the pair of big dark brown eyes which stared at him hopefully. He sighed and took out a large wad of Cedis and did not miss the look on the little boy’s face.

“How old are you?”

“Twelve”

“How did you pay the fisherman who caught these?”

The boy’s shoulder slumped as tears threatened to fall. He was not going to get money to eat after all. This uncle was going to spank him and keep the fishes afterwards without paying him, he was so sure of that.

The boy’s demeanour spoke loudly. He did not need to answer anymore, Ato had guessed that this boy had stolen the fishes but could also tell that he had no guardian. He knew what Jesus Christ would have done. He would have welcomed this smelly boy into His home, if He had one, and would have taken care of him.

“I have banku and palm nut soup,” he started, “but I was afraid it would go to waste because I couldn’t eat all. Come eat with me” 

They ate in silence. One, because Ato was taught as a little boy to quietly enjoy his meals and two, because the little boy whose name he was yet to ask, busied himself with filling his belly. He did not know when he would get his next meal.

Ato had gotten up to clear the table after the meal when the boy spoke up, “I stole the fishes, I’m sorry. I needed the money to get something to eat but I know that was wrong”

Ato looked down at him silently. He wondered again what Jesus Christ would do. His old self would not have cared for this little child if he was not getting something in return. He just could not be bothered but here was he, sharing a meal with a thief. To him, it did not matter whether or not he was a child. Wrong was wrong and deserved punishment.

“Let’s go right that wrong, then.” The boy’s heart skipped a beat. 

 It was not how he had envisioned, that the man would ‘deliver’ him to the fishermen to be beaten. Instead, the man had paid for the fishes after explaining that hunger had driven the little boy to do what he did. He only got off with a stern warning from the fishermen.