Opana the coffin maker episode 73
Opana – Episode 73
© Akoto Alexander
Maabena Boaduwaa: I will see to it that your end comes soon, I will feast very soon with the benefits I derive from your misery. I will show you that I am the daughter of a leopard who doesn’t lose its s₱0t even if I fall in a river. Wait and see the surprise package I have for you.
Back at Julia Cousin’s Place:
Maame Dufie: Mike hope you didn’t see anything scary in there?
Michael Ansah: I only saw a big catapult and red p-nt on your bed.
Maame Dufie: Herh you blast like that? So now my b-ra has turned into a catapult huh? Next time you will go and ease yourself in the gutter outside the house, f****** man and boy .
Michael Ansah: I laugh enter somewhere.
Maame Dufie: And where is that somewhere?
Michael Ansah: in,side your b-ra my dear.
Maame Dufie: Herh come out before I suffocate you with my big and heavy b-obs. You call my b-ra catapult and yet you want to take refuge in,side there. If you want to enter anywhere you can pay a visit to Julia’s body, she needs it more than anyone at this very moment.
Michael Ansah: Talking about her, where is she at the moment, I was thinking you were with here over here.
Maame Dufie: Oh yes she was with me but she has gone to greet the workers who were working with her mum whiles she was alive, you know the sky isn’t looking friendly and I learnt they came from a very far place. Hey when do you intend to eat your food? It’s getting cold you know and I won’t bother to microwave it again for you should you ask me for any assistance after you called my designer b-ra a big catapult.
Unknown Person: Madam please we are done packing the drinks and water into the store room, you can please go and check it and see if you are okay with where we packed it.
Maame Dufie: No need to bother yourself, I know you are professionals and will do a great work. Please take this small token as an appreciation for the good work you guys did. (hands over three twenty cedis note to the guy and his two other colleagues)
Unknown Person:We are very grateful madam for this, please we are taking leave now.
Maame Dufie: Okay drive safe and thanks for coming.
Mike immediately feels the strangling on his neck again and he rushes into the hall of the house and shortly after his entry the Boss and his entourage enters the compound of the house.
Maame Dufie: Hello you are welcome to the residency of the Dotse and Ammisah’s.
The Boss: (smiling) Thank you so much my dear, mmmm we are looking for a pretty lady by name Julia. Hope we are not at the wrong place?
Julia: (talks from behind) Not at all, you are warmly welcome to my humble abode, please let’s go in right away.
Maame Dufie: Please sir we have opened the condolence book so please before you enter the room, kindly do well to pen something down.
The Boss: Karl kindly do us the honors by writing something on our behave, you know you are very conversant with the Queen’s language.
Karl Simpson: When it came to writing am the elite here huh? Are you not the one who has been bragging of holding two different master’s degree?
The Boss: My friend don’t let us disgrace ourselves over here, you, I will bribe you when we leave here. (everyone starts to laugh)
Julia: Please let’s go in,side sir, Dufie where is Mike? He is the only guy available and as customs demand he should be the person to welcome our guest.
Maame Dufie: I think he is in the kitchen, he must be doing justice to his food by now.
Julia: No problem please let’s go in.
Back at Opana’s Hall:
Opana: (talking to himself) With this bottle I am going to be extra rich very soon, my revenue is going to project very high soon. I will have to order for more woods from my suppliers so that I can start working on new coffins. Hey stop giving me that stern look as if am the only bad person on this planet, are we not in the same country when doctors who are supposed to save lives go on strike when they are never supposed to do such thing? Are we not in the country where accountants add zeros to figures and enrich themselves? Are we not in a country where politicians steal we the tax payers monies, send their children to international standard schools, visit outside hospitals for treatment and change their previous numbers when they were canvassing for votes? Are we not in this country where you have to bribe the police before they expedite things for you when you lodge a complaint at the police and also take money from people when you are bailing someone from their custody even though it’s meant to be free? I have only learnt to count my teeth with my tongue and seen the way leading to the door of riches. It’s good I had a third thought on the discussion I had with those dimwits, just pour something into the stream and you want to charge me a hilarious amount as if I have hired you to assinate the president. I will use that amount I wanted to pay them do something beneficial and by so doing I will be a step ahead of all the people who will come and either buy or order my coffins. Opana the rough man never they carry last for this world in,side.
Back at Julia Cousin’s Place:
Julia: (exchange greetings in the form of handshake with her guests) Dufie we are fortunate to have in our midst my boss in Ghana, his son and his best friend who they do business together. Mr Simpson is his name and he happens to be the elder brother of my boss in the States.
Maame Dufie: Wooow we are so lucky to have you in our house this afternoon knowing how very busy your schedules are.
The Boss: Don’t mention my dear, its equally a pleasure to be here this afternoon.
Julia: Please kindly invite Mike to join us in officially welcoming our guests and finding out their reason for being here this afternoon.
Maame Dufie: I will be right back (leaves to the kitchen)
The Boss: I ordered some people to bring drinks and water to your place, did they bring it?
Julia: Yes they did, I think they left here a short while ago and honestly I really appreciate the kind gesture towards me and my family.
Maame Dufie: (walks in again) He is eating and he has promised to join us soon.
Karl Simpson: My dear so what exactly happened to your mother before her death? Was she seriously sick or it was just a sudden death?
Julia: (wipes her tears) She was very sick for months and she staying alive for me to come and even see her before her death was even a miracle to the medical team.
Karl Simpson: May God grant her a very peaceful place to rest till we all meet in paradise someday.
Maame Dufie: (walks in with a serving tray which had bottled water and drinks) Amen!!! Please take this and feel at home gentlemen. The only man in the house will join us soon so we officially welcome you and find out your purpose of coming to our house this afternoon.
Meanwhile the strangling of Mike’s neck had become so severe that he had to walk out of the house through the backdoor in the kitchen. When he stepped out of the house and got to the compound, he saw Ginola and some of the other bodyguards standing at vantage areas of the house. Because he didn’t want to create any scene or raise an alarm based on the last encounter he had with Ginola at the hotel, he took some quite steps back from the direction he came from but before he went out of the scene, he saw a face he recognised in the footage he took with the phone in,side the busy. With this, his fear rose to another level and immediately he got to the back of the house, he had no option than to jump over the wall to the house behind Maame Dufie’s house. Unfortunately for him, he was met by some unfriendly host in the house he jumped into.
Back at the Hall of Maame Dufie:
The Boss: Since your brother is not forth coming and we are no strangers to each other I would say we go start to the point or reason why we find ourselves in your house this afternoon.
Maame Dufie: (stands up to get Mike from the kitchen) I believe he might be done by now so let me get him so he sits in this gathering.
Karl Simpson: My dear don’t bother yourself, our coming here is nothing official. Don’t disturb him from enjoying his food, he might have suffered to get an appetite this afternoon. Since he is aware we are here, he will join us when he is done.
Maame Dufie: If you say so I have heard you.
Julia: Then Maame please be the spokesperson for the meeting.
Maame Dufie: Gentlemen please you heard what my sister said, you are warmly welcome to our home. We are grieving on losing our beloved aunt and mum this afternoon and you came in so please what brings you here.
The Boss: You are a good spokesperson my dear, as you rightly said, I heard of the demise of your aunt and mum a short while ago. I informed my brother and son here and we decided to come and greet this family for your lost. The holy books says we should mourn with those who mourn and jubilate with those who jubliate. Julia is like a daughter to me so if she has lost her mum why should I distance myself from her now that she needs people and loved ones to console her.
Maame Dufie: Oh wonderful, my dear you heard what your boss said. He and his entourage came to mourn with us this afternoon as he heard the bad news. Thank you very much for the display of love towards us. (goes round to exchange handshakes with the visitors)
Karl Simpson: So Julia how far have you gone with your preparations and how best can we step in to assist you?
Julia: Thank you so much for the wonderful love shown to me. We have everything under control as at now, but if anything pops up I will not hesitate to let you know.
The Boss: That is alright my dear, you were saying something on the phone that the funeral is this Friday right?
Julia: Yes it’s this Friday at the Transition Funeral Home in,side Haatso. Filing pass starts from 4am that day and the funeral service starts at 9am.
The Boss: How about the place of burial?
Julia: Mmmm there is this new cemetery around East Legon area, we are planning to go there tomorrow to finalise things with them.
The Boss: Don’t worry about that my dear, I have the contact of manager over there, I will call him when I get home so that he gets us a place in the VIP part of the cemetery. Leave that part for me to handle, I will call you when everything has been finalised and by tomorrow I will send one of the boys to bring you the burial permit and some important doc-ments that will make you bury your mother in a grandstyle. We should be on our way now so that you do other important things and don’t hesitate to call me when you need anything extra.
Julia: Okay sir am very grateful for everything you have done for me so far.
The Boss: Oh it’s our pleasure my dear and before I will send a cheque over tomorrow
for you to use it in clearing some bills thay you incure.
Maame Dufie: May God richly bless you sir, you have taken us by surprise and shown us that indeed you are a father and a big boss. Anything you have spent on us and yet to do, I pray God replenish that place in a million folds.
The Boss: Amen my dear, we shall be on our way now.
Karl Simpson: Julia be strong for God knows best as to why He chose to call your mother at this time. He gives and He takes when He deems it necessary, I will see you later when things has settled down and please young woman take good care of your sister for us.
Maame Dufie: I will certainly do that sir, her happiness remains my greatest priority.
Julia: My dear please help see our visitors off and thanks so much sir. (Maame Dufie esc-rts the visitors out of the house to the cars they brought)
Albert: Excuse me can I have your number please? I would love to hear from you again because of your nice hospitality.
Maame Dufie: Give me yours rather, I will call you later when am less busy.
Albert: (hands over a call card to Dufie) Do well to call me because I will be waiting for your call, if your call doesn’t come early you will see my face at your door early in the morning.
Maame Dufie: You are very funny…….
The Boss: (cuts in) Enough of the pleasantries you two, Karl please join us in my car as we have some important things to discuss. Junior you move to the front seat whiles Ginola joins any of the other cars, we are going straight home for supper. I ordered the cook to prepare something delicious for us.
Maame Dufie: Okay thank you for the visit and the gifts, I know my aunt will be smiling at your generosity by now. (safe journey back to your various homes, walks away when the cars move)
Meanwhile Mike was stuck in the corner of the house he jumped into because they dogs were barking furiously at him and if he made a single move they would pounce on him, he stood silently at a s₱0t and started praying for a miracle to happen.
To be continued