SUB ROSA

4 ~ Day of Arrival

The night slipped by too quickly for her. She hadn't settled into sleep early, and now her eyes bore the consequences. They were slightly puffy, and the mere act of rubbing them sent a twinge of discomfort through the roots of her eyelashes. Weariness hung heavily on her.

Her sombre mood was a reflection of her already missing her family, especially Chichi, and the comfort of her home. In the moments before her imminent departure, the atmosphere at home had taken on an unusual sense of attachment and an outpouring of affection from her family.

Her little twin siblings, Abeiku and Akuba, clung to her like a second skin; their embrace was a testament to their reluctance to let her go. Mansah, her nanny, seemed unable to resist frequently checking in on her, offering assistance at every turn. In the kitchen, her mother meticulously packed an assortment of edibles: banku, gari, chicken, shito-practically anything that could be gathered from the kitchen and wouldn't spoil within a day without refrigeration. This collection was complemented by provisions such as milk, cornflakes, cereals, milo, biscuits, and an array of beverages; it was a seemingly endless list.

She held Chichi close to her chest, savouring every stroke of its fur and dreading the moment when she'd have to leave her beloved pet behind. Bediako, her older brother, joined her father and the security man in loading her belongings into the waiting car.

Before long, her father and brother completed the task of loading her belongings into the car, in addition to the items her mother had packed in the kitchen. Afrakoma's entire family, including her loving nanny, accompanied her on the trip to the senior high school, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial High, where she would spend the next three years of her life, only returning home for holidays.

It took them less than half an hour to travel from their house in Cantonments to the school, situated in the Airport Residential Area. Her gloom was gradually replaced by excitement as the journey began. Her dad put on the family's go-to CD, and before long, everyone was laughing and singing along. She felt the warmth of her family's affection, and even though they were soon to be separated, she couldn't help but grin. She knew she would miss them terribly.

They found a convenient parking spot in the school's lot and exited the car. After a quick survey of the school's lush and elegant surroundings, Afrakoma and her parents walked to the administration building with the assistance of a continuing student; her siblings and nanny stayed in the car.

Upon reaching the administration block, they saw numerous canopies set up outside, which sheltered guardians and their children seated on chairs.

"Thank you so much," her mom expressed their gratitude to the continuing student who had assisted them, offering him a small sum of money as a token of their appreciation.

As the student departed, her dad voiced his concern: "You shouldn't be giving money to strangers unless you want to attract unwanted attention from potential robbers."

"Was it really a bad idea to give that student some money for guiding us here? We were just showing our appreciation," her mom retorted, to which Afrakoma simply rolled her eyes.

They certainly weren't going to have an argument on her school campus, right?

Before her dad could respond, Afrakoma interjected, attempting to prevent any potential dispute. "Guys, please, not here. You'll embarrass me," she pleaded, her voice strained.

Her dad paused, his gaze sweeping over the large crowd before them. "Honey, stay with Afrakoma under the shelter. I'll go talk to Elinam," he said, the earlier tension vanishing.

"Alright," her mom agreed, and she guided Afrakoma to the few chairs beneath the shelter. She checked her watch, realising it was only 9:15 AM, yet the school grounds were already bustling with activity.

Afrakoma observed as her dad engaged in a conversation with the security guard stationed at the entrance of the administration block, the gatekeeper tasked with managing the flow of parents and their wards entering based on their turns. The security man nodded and disappeared inside. Moments later, he reemerged, exchanged a few words with her father, and then her father entered the building.

From her spot beside her mother, Afrakoma couldn't help but overhear a group of women muttering sotto voce, their voices tinged with a hint of annoyance, about what seemed like a protocol issue.

"Ei, he just arrived and couldn't even sit his ass down, wanting to check his daughter in as soon as possible!" exclaimed a woman a few chairs ahead of them, drawing attention from the parents and students nearby.

"As if we are here waiting for fun, like we have nothing better to do ehn. Seriously? Tsww," another woman chimed in, punctuating her statement with an exasperated kiss of her teeth.

"That's Kwame Chinery, the business magnate," another woman informed the group, a tidbit delivered with a note of intrigue. All of them were women, as was often the case when it came to spirited gossip among Ghanaian women.

Ghanaian women loved gossiping.

"I'm guessing that's the owner of Chinery Group of Companies?" The second woman inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes, that's him. And his wife and daughter are sitting at the edge of the canopy," the third woman responded, providing additional context.

All three of them turned their heads to catch a glimpse of the mentioned family, as did some others who hadn't been involved in the discussion. Afrakoma's mom, feigning busyness on her phone while fanning herself gently with a hand fan, tried to maintain composure. Afrakoma, on the other hand, felt a blush of embarrassment wash over her as she became acutely aware of the numerous unabashed eyes fixed upon them and wished she could disappear into the ground. However, her gaze met that of a particular boy in the crowd of onlookers, who gave her a small, reassuring smile. She returned the smile, only to turn her attention back to the others and realise that they had already turned their heads forward, apparently satisfied with their observations.

The first woman exclaimed loudly once more, "Look, they're even the last ones, tsww!" while giving a disapproving kiss of her teeth.

"Such a corrupt country!" the second woman retorted, her frustration evident in her response.

As if on cue, Afrakoma's dad emerged from the administration building and made his way towards them. From a distance, she noticed the subtle twitch of his little and ring fingers-a shared nervous habit between father and daughter. It was clear he was feeling uneasy, likely because he had caught wind of the disapproving glances the other parents were giving him.

"Honey," he called to her mom when he reached them. "Elinam said we can bring her in. Everything's ready for her already."

"Uh," her mom muttered hesitantly, her gaze flitting nervously around. "Do you think it's a good idea? The others we came to meet don't seem pleased," she voiced her concerns.

He sighed, following her anxious glance. "I understand your concern, but would you rather wait out here in this sweltering heat and endure a long queue? We're not the first to do this, and we certainly won't be the last. Let's ignore them and go in. The last student who was checked in is almost finished. We should go in before she comes out; that could turn into a disaster."

Just then, a timid girl emerged, holding her father's hand, and the next student in line stood up with his mother, ready to enter the building. However, the security guard at the door stopped them, signalling for them to return to their seats.

"Oh no!" Afrakoma's mother exclaimed in dismay as they were already halfway to the building.

The commotion caught the attention of the other parents seated under the shed, and their voices rose in an uproar, some even standing up. Two security guards hurried over, one of them halting the irate crowd from advancing while the other escorted Afrakoma and her parents into the building, shielding them from the frenzied mob.

Phew! That had been a close call. A sigh of relief washed over her.

Having some influence indeed has a lot of advantages; the power of money should never be underestimated.