The devil episode 17

the devil
epiosde 17
*FLASH BACK*
PAM’ s story
I could hear my father and Afine at it again. I covered my ears with both of my hands trying to block out Afine’ s cries. How my father could lay his hands on a pregnant woman baffles me. Afine and i had grown close in the space of five years that my brother Kojo has left. I go to the motor park every evening, hoping that my brother would be among the passengers in the returning vehicles. Afine had been so good to me but i couldn’t help longing for my brother.
I got up from my bamboo bed and marched outside in anger. The compound was lit up by the bright moon in the sky. I threw open the door to my father’ s room, Afine was packing her meager possessions while crying.
She told me she was going to her parents house. I begged her to wait till the next morning but she insisted on leaving that night. I couldn’t let her go alone in the middle of the night so I took hold of the bag and we walked out of the room.
Father never called after us or tried to stop us. We walked the lonely dark paths leading to the motor park.Afine cried all the way, lamenting her bad luck in marrying my father. Unfortunately for us, there was no cab at the motor park. I begged my step mother that we should go back home but she insisted on walking to her folks’ s place. We had barely reached the outskirt of Town when she started hemorrhaging.
She couldn’t no longer walk, i asked her to sit under a tree while i run back home for help. I hadn’t gone far when i heard a low hissing sound, the snake struck my leg before i even saw the tiny green slithering demon. That was the last thing i remembered and the last time i saw Afine or my father.
I woke up a week later in a hunter’ s hut. He was coming back from his nightly hunting when he came across my unconscious form on the road path. He nursed me back to health, unknown to me, his daughter was the legal wife of the President. She had died birthing Daniel who later became my husband. Daniel Amuzu came to visit his maternal granpa and fell in love with me. On my part, i was grateful to be given a better life and being loved by a man who was every girl’ s dream husband. Daniel took me back with him to the capital city where i had professional doctors taking care of me.
Although i was only fourteen years old while he was twenty _ five years old but a girl’ s age means nothing to the Northerners. Daniel Amuzu later flew me overseas where i had quality education. He proposed when i turned twenty one. I didn’t conceive for five good years but he never stopped loving me and being a good husband to me. I never thought i would see my brother again but the God i serve is a faithful God, i kept praying for Ama and Kojo where ever they may be. Although the president is a man who loves destruction, he holds his’ own’ dear, he doted on me and my daughter Olivia. Daniel is nothing like his father, he never supports his father’ s wicked acts and is always kicking against his immoral behaviors. I have come far in life, from being a penniless Togolese girl to being the wife of a prominent man in my nation and the mother of a beautiful girl.
I bless the good lord every day for bringing me this far.
Kojo
I have been a prisoner in my own house for weeks. Mara had become so vicious she had even put mystical barriers on the entrance. I couldn’t go out and no one could come in. She had destroyed the electrical connections so i had no idea what was happening outside. I began writing my life story then, some how my fridge was always stuck up with food. I would make my meals and go back to writing my story on a paper. Mara and her mermaid friends were always splashing and playing in my bath tub so i took to bathing in the guest bathroom. One early morning i heard loud voices praying on a mega phone. I peeped through the window,
Mara had broken all the glasses and widow pane so it was easy to peer out.
Pam, Ama and Chantelle with some group of men and women were going round the house praying and sprinkling holy water on the house. I felt her presence before i even saw her.
” Why are mortals so foolish?” Mara asked.
I ignored her and continued writing on the paper in front of me. Suddenly the paper went up in flames and she laughed. Her laughter shook up the wh0le building. I could see the people outside fall to the ground. Mara continued laughing.
” We were on our own and you came to us for help! we held up our part of the deal! now you want to play smart! you think anyone can take you from me?!”
I made to go up the stairs but i suddenly felt myself high up with my head almost reaching the ceiling, something was also choking my throat. I fell with a loud thud to the ground and gro-ned in pain.
” If they keep trying to take you away from me, i will kill them all and kill you too!”
She walked back the stairs. The next day the prophets returned alone and prayed. They spoke to me on the mega phone that if i could hear them i should fast for three days and be stead fast in prayer. I fasted for three days, and prayed. On the seventh day, i heard Mara scre-ming fire, fire, fire. I went up the stairs and saw her rolling on the floor chanting strange words. Allen suddenly appeared in the room carrying the briefcase i wanted to steal from him when we first met.
” You! how could you do this!?” He came towards me and i backed up.
” Allen”. I said in fear.
The briefcase dropped from his hands.There were thousands of contract papers with photographs of young men on it. The briefcase suddenly went up in flames and Allen fell on his knees crying. Allen suddenly vaporized into thin air and Mara vanished too before my very own eyes. I could hear loud jubilating and cries of joy from the prayer warriors outside, i slumped on the ground and cried to my creator.
The prophets and my family came into the house. They poured anoiting oil in every corner of the room. Pam lifted me up and gave me a bear hug, I extended my arm and Chantelle joined in the embrace but Ama stood back. I understood her reservation, i didn’t expect her to forgive me after i ran out on her when she needed me most. The prophets asked me to come and see them alone and they left declining the notes of money i offered them.
Pam ‘ s husband was still in the hospital having been a victim of the fire Mara had set on the President’ s resort. I also bitterly recalled that the President’ s daughter in_law ( Pam) had lost her pregnancy while escaping the fire.
” Ama can i see you alone for Sec?”.
She nodded and we excused ourselves.
” Ama there’s something i want you to know before you hear it from anybody else.” i said.
She nodded again and i went on.
” Don is Mensah”
” Don?…… Mensah? My brother? ” I reach out on reflex and held her as her legs buckled under her. She stood up on shaky legs. ” Thank you for telling me”.
She walked back the stairs leaving me standing alone in the living room. I have put my loved ones through a lot all because i wanted quick riches that i didn’t work for.
The ladies eventually took their leave after making me lunch and making a fuss over me. Pam told me the vice president had stepped in temporarily but there will be a free and fair election. I jumped up with joy, for the first time in over 40 years Togo would have a democratic election devoid of force and threat. The electrical connections were restored as soon as Mara the ‘devil’ and her father vanished. I took hold of my phone and began transferring money to charity homes and orphanage. I sent some to some private NGOs supporting women and children causes too. The rest of the money will go into the reconstruction of roads and the provision of basic amenities for communities and also for those in the rural areas.
Lion and Tiger called me, they had thought i was dead but they saw it on the news that i was wanted so they fled. Lion had gotten a young Congolese girl in the family way and he had tied the knot with her. He now manages her father’ s business while Tiger swore no woman could tie him to her wrapper but he also swore off the life of crime.
I knew what i had to do. I transferred millions of money into Chantelle’ s account. Pam was well off so she had no use for my ill gotten money. I put up my houses for sale and the money also went to charities. I sold off all my properties except my Jaguar.
On this bright sunny day, i drove down to the police station in my home Town. I entered the building and the police men all called out greetings to me. I walked to the officer on duty.
” Bonjour Patron ( Good morning boss). How may i help you?” The young officer asked.
I swallowed. ” Bonjour, My name is Kojo, am turning myself in for kidnapping, arson, and a wh0le lot of other crimes”.
He was taken aback but he quickly recovered from his shock. He read me my rights and cuffed my hands. I was led into an empty cell. The officer gave me a salute and walked back to his duty post.