Chapter 9

The food he ate left him longing for more. Perhaps, now, it was time to rest a little bit. His stomach was rumbling, protesting the sudden surge of food into it. It's been a long time since he satisfied its longing. Would it serve him well? It seemed there was no time to think about that since two men in black entered and forcibly seized him, dragging him into a huge room filled with wooden altars defiled with blood. My!What a stench! Closing his nose to prevent himself from inhaling the bad odour would worsen his case. He braved it all and lay before him prostrate. You had better be cool. he said to himself; and that, he was, although his heart beat faster than that of a frightened hare.

He wasn’t allowed to see his face, but, by guessing, he could be the head of them all. It used to be his position until he abandoned them for fear of being killed. This was judgment day for all his evil deeds perhaps. Bowing his head low, ready for his fate, the man only leered silently at him as if to deliberate on his fate.

“You!” pointing his walking aid at him sternly. “You!" he yelled once again. “You dare appear here?” Ohene raised his head. It wasn’t his intention to ever return to this place. The big man knew that. What would make him ask such a question? Perhaps it was because he knew only a man with great nerves would dare go back on his word and dare return to the people he disappointed.

“ I am not going to condemn you,” he said softly. “ However,” he raised his voice once again, scaring the life out of the already frightened man.

Ohene was smiling.

“You had better wipe that smile off that face of yours because you know for sure that mercy is not a word in our dictionary. You are going to pay with your life for what you did to us!” Surely, the smile waned and left merciless, his head failed to make him continue thinking straight. It felt like a raging tempest, as hot as a geyser. The hope he had left that his life had been spared began to wane. This was the end for sure!

“You have three choices and you better listen up well!” How was he going to imbibe whatever he said when his head was burning hot with a headache? Certainly, it would be better dead than be alive in this man’s presence with his fiery anger lashing out at him for a crime he should have died for.

“One!” you’ll become a pauper in the streets and your daughter will inherit everything of yours and forget that you ever existed. Two! You will be hanged in the forest. Three! You will be turned into an animal.” With his hands all over his head, already in mourning, there was another word to take him from the frying pan to the fire.

“You have two minutes!” he screamed sternly, removing the mask over his face. “You were heartless! You ran away, left us with no means of survival and you ask for mercy?”

“You? Ogana? You?”

“Yes, it’s me. I thought I had everything I needed. I was so secure. You promised me I had nothing to worry about. Then you left so unceremoniously. A coward you were! And still are. I have suddenly changed my mind. I will make the choice now! You will become a pauper and feel the way we felt. We were thrown into the harsh world to survive and we did. You also will!!!” pointing his walking aid at him once again, he left the room in fury, perhaps to ponder over his words because they were said in anger so much that he wouldn’t be able to recall all that came forth from his lips. Could he forgive himself for being so harsh? This man had no foresight. Why should he be soft-hearted towards him? Yet something about him told him to be reasonable.

But I didn’t kill him? Why should I feel so guilty? He shook his head, trying to ward off every plea from his conscience.

“Today, I’m not listening to you! Just keep quiet!”

"Pleeeeeaaaase!" Ohene held his legs.

"You had better leave me alone! You're making me angry!"

"I beg of you! Let me know what happens to my daughter and girlfriend."

"You no longer have a daughter, neither do you have a girlfriend! Don't you have a conscience? You still think you're related?"

"Yes, we are."

"That child may be mine!"

" No! You're just saying it to mock me!"

"That night when you were with her, I was with her too. I needed that for my sacrifice to the top. You did that too, didn't you? So now, whose child is the girl in our custody?"