ADOBEA

EPISODE TWENTY - SEVEN

ADOBEA
(written by Klenam Gyimah)

The death of Deacon Adotey was a painful one. I came out from my room and there he was lying in a pool of blood. I became so terrified. Another death coded in my name; it was now clear that happiness had eluded me. How would  life have been like if my parents had been alive? I yearned to die. Why would I escape death from the beginning to suffer all the way through? I know most often you never really understood me taking certain decisions. That is life; just be in my shoes and you will realize that I had lived by grace. Deacon Adotey’s lifeless body was carried away by the Police. Nii Okai’s wife reported herself to the Police. The Police also arrested me. I was detained in Cells for two days, I never ate, and no family member or friend visited me. There I realized that my death will even be of no use to society. At least most orphans do have aunties and uncles or cousins and grandparents; but I have none.

Investigations revealed that I played no role in the death of Nii Okai. His wife told the Police the whole story. For once I found a faithful person. She could have lied to the Police that I hired her after all, the murder was committed in my room. The Police granted me bail. I left the Police station with nowhere to go. There was no way I could ever go back to my old place. I had only GH₵5.50 on me. I had given all my savings to Nii Okai. I know that was foolish of me; but that was truly my first love. How would I have known if he was lying to me? Don’t forget I never had anyone guiding me as I grew up. All those I stayed with rather took away my joy.  I felt the only option left now was to go back to head potting “Kayayo” business. I went to the Tema Station in Accra, to the exact place I used to sleep. It had been years. The place had changed so much. The sad thing was that there was no place to sleep again. The numbers of Head Potters have increased. I sat under one of the sheds at the station and pondered over my existence on earth. Again, suicide became the best option. The truth was that I didn’t want to live again. I bought GH₵2.00 worth of pesticides and a bottle of Pepsi. I sat beside the Pepsi Seller; she looked at me and wandered why I bought Pepsi after buying the pesticide. I felt she suspected what I was going to use the two for. I became so uncomfortable. I asked her to pour the Pepsi into a polythene case for me. She did just that. I thanked her and left. Guess what! She didn’t take the money when I wanted to pay for the Pepsi. She saw tears in my eyes as I left her side. She called me back and gave me a piece of paper. She asked me to open it when I get to my destination. I sorrowfully thanked her and left. I rushed to the Public Urinal at the Station, paid and entered. I quickly locked myself in the chamber and mixed the Pepsi with the pesticide. Just when I was about to drink the concoction, the piece of paper the woman gave to me fell from my pocket. I had even forgotten about it. I opened it and goodness! It had the inscription, “Don’t kill yourself, God still loves you.” My dear Reader, I still have that piece of paper today. Jesus! I screamed. I became so terrified and started shivering. I heard different voices in my head. “Just drink it and go. No one cares about you.” Another one saying, No, pour it away. There is still hope.” I listened to the latter and poured the concoction into the urinal pot. I rushed out to look for the Pepsi Seller. You won’t believe it my dear reader, I got there and she wasn’t stationed there again. That very spot was not occupied by a Coconut Seller. I asked him where the Pepsi Seller had gone to. Surprisingly, He revealed there had been no Pepsi Seller there and that very place had been his spot for over three years now. I knew I wasn’t dreaming or going crazy. I really saw a woman there selling Pepsi and other soft drinks. I went round the entire station but couldn’t find her. There I knew I had either met a ghost or an angel.
 
Just when I was leaving the station, right opposite the exit gate; at the back wall of National Lotteries was parked a black Range Rover Sport. The driver rolled down the glass and pointed at me to come. I got close. The driver was a lady; very pretty. She asked for direction to the National Theatre. I gladly directed her. I turned  to go, she called me back and asked of my name. I lied to her I was Fausty. She gave me a white envelope filled with real money. I refused it but she insisted I took it. She added her call card and asked me to call her the following day. I became scared but relieved. If just directing someone to a place can get me this much of money then I think God is good. I counted the money and it was GH₵1,000.00. I couldn’t thank God enough. I quickly bought two dresses at the Tema Station, took my bath at the public bathhouse, sat under one of the sheds and waited for the following day. I couldn’t sleep. I counted the stars as I heard snores of different sounds from persons who slept around. I knew meeting this woman again would change my story.

In no time it was morning again. I quickly located a mobile phone vendor to call the woman. She answered the call. Surprisingly, she was so excited and promised to pick me up at 10:00am that day. I got to the exact location at exactly 9:30am. I waited and waited till almost 1:00pm and she was still not in. I tried calling her but her phone was off. Right there I concluded I wasn’t born to succeed. Just when I turned to go, I heard a car horn. It was her. She alighted from her car, came to my direction, held my hands and apologized for keeping me waiting. I smiled back and begged her not to apologize. “My angel had arrived.” I solemnly prayed in my mind. I sat in the car and she drove far away from the Central Business District of Accra to a walled city. At the entrance to the city, I read on the wall *“Airport Hills”*. We got to her house. Goodness! It wasn’t a house but a complete mansion. I couldn’t stop looking around. I counted over ten cars. The house wasn’t that empty. I saw other beautiful girls. They were all filled with smiles. They came for her bag and greeted us politely and ushered us inside. She looked at me and said Fausty, this is where I live. For a moment I didn’t know she was talking to me. it was there that I remembered I had told her I was called Fausty. Immediately, I told her I will be comfortable if she called me Adobea. She smiled at me and told me to feel comfortable. In some few minutes I was served fruit juice. I politely rejected it and told her I had stomach upset. I was scared because the juice was served in an open glass cup. She asked her maids to excuse us. She took from her bag a brand new iPhone. “Fausty sorry Adobea, this is yours. I realized you used a vendor to call me. I tried calling back that number but was told you were nowhere near the phone. There is already a sim card in with airtime.” In tears I knelt in front of her and said thank you. She held my hands and asked me to get up and sit close to her. Shockingly, she started fondling my breast, looked into my eyes and said, Adobea, I love you… *(to be Continued)*