Opana the coffin maker episode 23

Opana – Episode 23
 
© Akoto Alexander
 
Opana sits on his bed and watches the clock on the wall and the time is 12:05am and he reflects on the dream he had, in the dream he saw the beggar laughing at him and jumping about happily with this words: “I told you that if you flout my laws you will never be happy and you will lose everything you have, you didn’t listen to me after I made you lose the lotto coupon, you went further to persue the money which ended in your favour, that money you took will make you lose more money starting from your daughter’s injury, you will waste much money before you get her back to her feet again and for your daughters in the university you will hear from them but you will regret ever receiving their calls that day. For your son since he is now my friend I will try him on certain things and if he is able to stand wihout falling, I will make him even much richer than the rich people you know in the country Ghana, but for you Opana you will face difficulties till am satisfied with the punishment am giving to you”.
 
Back in the city the lady who knocked Kwaku Mike down with her car called her husband to inform him of what had happened as she was driving to the hospital after an emergency senior staff meeting at her work place and the husband promises to join her soon at the hospital. In no time the lady drives into the hospital compound and moves the car to the accident unit and some nurses rushes to assist her to convey the person she brought in. The nurses were about to push Kwaku Mike into the theatre for a quick surgery to be done for him but the matron on duty stopped them and asked the lady to provide a police form or report before Kwaku Mike can be operated upon since there was a gun injury involved.
 
Young Lady: Madam are you for real? The youngman there is at the verge of dying since he has lost so much blood and the only thing you are concerned about is a police report.
 
Matron: Young woman you can’t move from your house and come and tell me what to do this morning, in every institution or company there are laid down procedeures that workers there are mandated to follow, you either provide the police report or you take your ward away from here. This hospital has created a reputable name for itself over the years and I won’t have anyone come and tarnish our image just like that.
 
Young Lady: Madam so if he was your son or relative would you be saying this to me, see if anything happens to this youngman erh, I will sue this hospital at the supreme court and make sure this hospital is shut down for good.
 
Matron: Hahahaha my dear I have heard this kind of threat over and over and if your threat was a purgative now it doesn’t purge me anymore. I have heard much more threats than you are giving me now and I must say it doesn’t push me one bit.
 
All of a sudden a well built man in his early 40’s join the young lady and the matron.
 
Young Man: There you are my cupcake, what is the situation now? Has the youngman been operated upon?
 
Young Lady: Hmmmm baby the youngman is the one sitting in the wheelchair over there and wallowing in pain, this woman here has refused for him to be taken to the theatre for an emergency surgery to be conducted on him because she said she wants a police report first.
 
Young Man: Whaaaaat? This is preposterous and highly unacceptable, madam where from this rules or laws? When did this formality start in this hospital?
 
Matron: It has been there for a long time but the staff were just not following it and since am the matron on duty for the night shift am ready to enforce every stipulated law that has been programmed in this hospital.
 
Young Man: Well to every law or rule there is an exception and in this case if anything happens to that youngman over there, I won’t have it easy with you madam.
 
Matron: Ah so you and your wife or whoever she is, are you that specialised in giving threats or what? I have made my point clear to you people so it’s either you adapt or you perish.
 
Young Man: (dips his hand in his pocket and brings out something) See am not a civilian, I am Brigadier Vincent Adu-Tettey from the office of the President Protection Unit and I want to tell you for the last time that, in the next 45seconds if that youngman is not pushed to the theatre for an emergency surgery to commence on him, I will shut this hospital down before day break. This is not a threat but call it an advice or a short notice.
 
Matron: (swallows hærd her saliva) Hey nurses what are you waiting for, push him into the theatre right this moment and you go get the doctor on duty to meet us at the operating room right this moment. Check his blood group and rush to the blood bank and get about four packs of blood to the theatre, are you people standing there? Move now!!!
 
Meanwhile back at the bosses mansion scorpion and his boys are about to give an account of their hunt.
 
Boss: Where is that fool who was spying on us?
 
Scorpion: Boss we couldn’t get him but with the gunshot wounds he sustained plus the car that knocked him down, am sure by now he is dead and standing by the gates of hell together with Nicodemus.
 
 
Boss: So you mean you didn’t get him alive? Where is his dead body now?
 
Scorpion: The lady who knocked him down, conveyed his body to the hospital I presume.
 
Boss: You see your miserable life? Are you aware you are an outstanding idiot? Do you know you are the biggest fool of the century? Instead of you and your boys to follow that person and finish the job if he didn’t die, you are standing infront of me assuming whether that idiot is dead or not, do you think the answer you gave me is that concrete to answer my question? What if he doesn’t die right away but gives information to the person who knocked him down with his or her car.
 
Scorpion: Sorry boss that idea didn’t come to mind in the first place.
 
Boss: I don’t pay you fools to be sorry for things you couldn’t do. See this matter you are seeing right now can cause doom to us and mind you, I have got connections to get myself out from any mess should there happen to be one, early in the morning you and all the boys should roam in all the hospitals around this area and find out if anyone with gun injuries was brought over the previous night. You people should dress in a formal way like you are police detectives who are searching for a hærdened criminal. Now all those in that stupid haircut must get a decent and responsible haircut before daybreak and I don’t want to see anyone in earrings or having a slugging trouser on until that spy is confirmed dead or brought before me. Do I make myself clear?
 
Scorpion: It is very loud and clear boss, we will get you results that will put a smile on your face.
 
Boss: You better do because if you are not able to get that fool by sunset today, then psyche yourself that, you have booked a ticket to the premium prison of this country for not less than 20years ahead of you, now leave my sight because you disgust me with your presence, simple work you and your boys couldn’t do it once and for all and I waste thousands of cedis on you people. Amateur bunch of fools.
 
 
Opana on the other hand can’t sleep as the dream he had is causing fear to him and the worrying part is that, he has been trying his son’s line over and over to see if he had gotten to Accra safely and if he is alright but he keeps hearing the same reply from the lady on the other side of the phone and that is pissing him off. He has been pacing through the room for hours now and also thinking on how he will be able to raise enough money for his daughter to be flown outside the country to get a proper surgery done. He doesn’t know if he should go and borrow money from the bank using the house as a colletrate or he should sell all his lands and palm plantation for good. Time happens not to be a good friend here so he goes to bed to consult his pillow on the decision to take, he turns to see his wife snoring like a pig eating as if nothing was wrong in their house, he feels pity for himself because his wife next to him has nothing to offer him in this matter and I mean nothing.
 
Back at the hospital the young lady and her husband are trying to figure out who Kwaku Mike is and how the accident and gun shot thing happened………
 
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Brigadier Adu-Tettey: Honey can you please tell me what exactly happened because looking at this matter it might be a big case or rather a robbery case.
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: My love I don’t know what exactly happened, everything happened so fast and I don’t know where to start.
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: Take a deep breath my Queen and start from anywhere you can remember, I want to get my boys in this case early in the morning since the case is gun shot related.
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: Honey as I was driving home due to the emergency board meeting that we had, I was searching for my phone in my hand bag as I was driving on the highway to call and alert you that am on my way coming home. All of a sudden I saw that youngman jumping or running to meet my car, yes I think he did that on purpose because if I tried dodging him, I would be the one at the theatre now. As I tried helping him, he told me to hurry up and get ourselves out of that place because his life was in danger, immediately he said that there was a gunshot which was fired at us, I quickly dropped him at the back seat and before I moved the car another gunshot came in, I believe it touched some part of my car even.
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: This is weird my dear, if he was a criminal and the people chasing after him were the police, they won’t bother firing at you people. They would have come out to meet you or they will chase after your car to get you people, did you ask him any questions as you were driving him here and did he give you any positive answers to your questions when you were driving him to the hospital?
 
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: Yes before I called you, I order him to confess to me who he was or else I will drive him to the nearest police station but he kept repeating that he was not a criminal and that he happened to be at a wrong place at a wrong time. He even said those people shooting us had shot and killed someone in the bush and since the people saw he was around and could blow their cover out, they were after him so that what they did in the bush will remain a secret forever.
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: It seems am now getting the wh0le scenario but am hoping what he told you is the truth and that he survives the surgery so that he can give me a proper account of what truly happened over there. This issue can lead me to another early promotion again my dear but listen to me very carefully, don’t discuss this issue with anyone. Not in your office, church or family and from now onwards you won’t drive that car again, I will go and park it at the presidency and make the mechanics there work on the damage part you said the gun hit and also from now onwards when you are driving or leaving the house, office, church, mall, saloon or anywhere you go, use the in,side mirror of the car very well to see if someone or a particular car is following you everywhere you are going. It is very important so don’t forget, it seems the surgery is over so let’s get close to the doctor to find out what the outcome of the surgery is.
 
The couple moves to join the doctor and find out how the surgery went .
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: Doc how did it go in there?
 
Doctor: You guys are very lucky for bringing that youngman here on time, if you wasted any more time like he would be dead by now because he lost so much blood, even the blood that was taken from the blood bank wasn’t enough so we had to call the blood bank from Korle-Bu to bring extra blood for us to save his life. I and my medical team were able to pull out the bullet from his th-gh and I must say the one who shot him is a good sniper, he or she nearly destroyed that youngman’s leg and even with that am suspecting he or she fired from afar because if he or she was closer to the youngman his leg would have been useless by now. Also it looks like he was knocked by a car because there are too much bruises on him which has been taken care of, do you mind telling me who that youngman is because am told there is no police report attached to the surgery we did and in this hospital before you operate on a gunshot wound or injury there must be a police report before we commence on any surgery.
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: (brings his ID card out for the doctor to see who he is) Well doctor am Brigadier Adu-Tettey from the office of the President Protection Unit, that youngman there is a son to a diplomat whose life is in danger, his identity must remain a top class secret, if the people after him gets to know that he is in this hospital, am afraid no staff here will see the day light. I will get some of my boys to come and guide this place but please whatever discussion we are having here and now should remain between the four of us which is you, my wife and I, then the matron. If you decide to open up to anyone else the be ready to face the punishments that comes after it, mind you we are dealing with a very strong terrorist group.
 
Doctor: (having a worried face) You don’t have to worry at all, it is in our oaths of allegiance to be very secretive with our patients and the records. Matron I believe you are equally okay with the agreement deal we are striking? Tell your nurses to also shut their mouth since they talk and gossip to much. Excuse me for I have to check on some patients at the emergency ward.
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: Thank you very much doctor, I and my wife will settle the medical bills so don’t worry about money issue.
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: Doctor can we please see him now?
 
Doctor: Sorry he is very exhausted and we have given him some injections which will help him sleep for some time to regain his strength so I will advice you also go home and rest, you can visit him early in the morning with some breakfast for him. I believe by then the drip and blood we are infusing in him will be finished so that we discharge him then you take him home for proper care.
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: That sounds good, thank you very much doctor and madam matron sorry if I was rude to you earlier on.
 
Matron: I understand you my dear so don’t worry, I would have even done worse if I were to be in your shoes.
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: Baby let’s go home, we will have to come back early this morning and get the youngman out from this place. His life might be in danger since the people after him will go an extra mile to silent him and death is the only option at hand.
 
The couple move to their house in a very distressed mode, as they got home Brigadier Adu-Tettey asked the wife to take a little nap as he goes to his study to make some calls and draws some plans to tackle the issue at hand.
 
Fast forward:
 
Around 4am Kwaku Mike gained consciousness and as he looked around he was at the hospital and the drip and blood that had been placed on his wrist was finished in its container. As he turned to his left hand side he realised that someone had placed his phone on charge for him, he gave a faint smile immediately, he tried getting up but he felt a bit dizzy and he lied down again. The things that happened the previous night started coming back to his mind again and immediately he felt scared then the necklace started strangling him again, he immediately knew problem was some few steps away from him. He got some sort of strength he had never gotten before then he pulled out the needle on his wrist and got up from the bed, he went to where his phone was and he switched it on, some messages came to his screen but he ignored it and tried calling his Quincy phone but it was off so he sent him a message as to where to meet him and the time he should get there. He tries to walk out from his private ward but he saw a male nurse coming to his direction so he went back to lie on his bed again and pretends as if he is asleep, the nurse walks in and he saw a slight change with Kwaku Mike so he brings a syringe out to inject him with the content in it so that he can sleep again but the male nurse remembered to add some other drug to it so he dropped the syringe on the bed so he could get that drug from the drawer close to his bed. Kwaku Mike took that opportunity and took the syringe and because the male nurse had turned his back he didn’t see what was behind him, Kwaku Mike injected the male nurse with the content in the syringe and before the male nurse could do anything he started feeling dizzy, Kwaku Mike helped the male nurse onto his bed and then took the male nurse dress from him and he dressed like the male nurse, after that he covered the male nurse with the blanket on the hospital bed and then left the private ward with calculated steps.
 
Back at the residence of the Adu-Tettey’s, Mrs Adu-Tettey woke up from her bed feeling disturbed and scared all of a sudden, she jumped from her bed and then rushed out of her bedroom to meet her husband at the living room who was by then having a brief meeting with some of his men.
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: Honey I had a bad dream and it concerns the youngman we took to the hospital early this morning, it looks like his life is in danger. My love can you please take me to the hospital right now?
 
Brigadier Adu-Tettey: My Queen just take your time, go and take a quick shower so we rush to the hospital, I was having a brief meeting with my men concerning the safety of that youngman, the truth is that making some calls earlier on, I sent some of my men to the area the accident took place and truly they confirmed that yes a youngman was shot dead last night and he was lying in a pool of blood when they got there. When the police was called in and they came to check on the dead guy, they confirmed that, the dead guy was on their top class wanted list so am to believe that the youngman you knocked down is telling the truth and is in great danger.
 
Mrs Adu-Tettey: Gracious God, baby then it means my dream is true. Where is this girl koraa, Yaa Mansa please prepare hot water for me and put it in a flask, put bread and a tin of milk and milo into a basket for me and add fruits to it. Hurry up because we have to get to the hospital in some few minutes time.
 
How to grow your business while you stay at home
In less than 15minutes Mrs Adu-Tettey was ready and his husband instructed his man to take a lead and then take position as planned.
 
Back at the hospital Kwaku Mike had gotten down from the first floor to the grand floor where he will walk out from the hospital building but all of a sudden someone called him from behind and when he turned…………..
 
To be continued