Chapter 10
" Then you raped her! I slept with her lovingly. You did so for your personal gain."
" What do I care? That brought me to this position. She will forget you and so will your daughter. You will remain despicable forever!" His words cut deep into his heart and Ohene was not sure whether he was still sane or not. The words kept ringing in his ears and mind so much that he kept reciting them like a rhyme.
" Get him out of my sight!" said Ogana heartlessly. “And one last thing: I always wanted to be like you. You were always at the top and everyone admired you. Now that I’m you, you can get the hell out of my life and disappear from the surface of the earth so we can find some opportunity!”
“What have I done to you that you hate me so much?” asked Ohene.
“Nothing! The hatred just comes naturally. Mind you. Your girlfriend is mine now! I hope your whole family suffers too. I’m sure they know by now what you did.”
“It doesn’t matter now. What matters is your feelings towards me. I’m shocked. I always thought you liked me.”
“Mtchew! You wish!”
Why would someone hate me so much as to want to take everything I have and get rid of me too? This man could have killed me? Ohene thought.
“I’m keeping your girlfriend here, and don’t even imagine what I will do with her!” Yes! I can’t even imagine! Poor woman! I will not be there to defend her. That’s rather unfortunate. "Your property becomes hers because now, she is my daughter and not yours. Ohene's jaw almost dropped. "Yes! She's my daughter! and I repeat that. Don't come looking for her or your girlfriend! Ohene groped in the dark, blindfolded and fearing the worst. Only a saviour would have mercy on him and remove it; but who would? His successor was not finished with him yet. Ohene came back yelling at him and kicking him in the abdomen. His fury was immeasurable.
“You broke the rules. I never did. You were not meant to fall in love with her and you did. To add insult to injury, you tried to hide your faults but you were not smart enough to know that the one who gave you that assignment didn’t mince words when he said if you failed to do one of his instructions, you will lose your position.” So, he found out? How did he do so? Yes, I fell in love with the lady and I had to look at her face. I never looked back. As soon as he said those words, Ohene's clothes changed into rags and so did his body. The stench that emanated from his body was unbearable and his face distorted with a beard he had never kept. He had suddenly become a pauper, about to start life from the scratch once again. It was so heart-wrenching. Ohene picked stones from the ground and began to stone passers-by. Some cursed as others gawked at him in wonder. " What happened to this man? Who is he and where is he from? were the questions that popped up when bystanders stopped to sympathise. He was inconsolable and uncontrollable like a wild animal let loose. The alms people gave him were despised no matter how huge a sum it was. Soon, a few strong men drew close to him, caught him and tied him up with a rope, hoping he might stay calm. He didn't. He bit them, kicked and screamed his head off, then cursed and lay still. The men remembered their early days on the streets. It was so painful and unbearable. Perhaps, Ohene felt that way too.
"Don't worry about him. He'll come around soon," said one of them.
"I know. We've all been there before. I hope it doesn't take him too long to realize that." The thought of Soya revived his passion to set himself free from the ropes that bound him. The men just watched him. It would not be long. They would soon have a sober man, willing to yield and listen to reason.
"He doesn't look familiar at all. It seems like he was dumped here."
"I think so too. I know everyone on the streets. This man doesn't seem to strike any chord."
"We'll initiate him into the brotherhood soon." As soon as he heard brotherhood, he started kicking again.
"What did we say wrong?" asked one of the men.
"Perhaps, we should have discussed this in private. We seem to have upset him with our plans."