Koopro

KOPPRO THE STUBBORN BOY

SCENE ONE

So many years ago, there lived a counselor called Yaa Asakatoa. She lived with her two children Koopro and Abayaa in a small village called Abeso. Her husband travelled to abroad when she gave birth to Abayaa, her second born. Having being by his father that he would take him to abroad, at age seven, Koopro became obstinate. He felt pampered. This made him lived with a deceitful mindset of relaxation, where he thought life was easy, and there was nothing for man to struggle with. This vulnerable ''easy to convinced'' lived ended him up in a bad company, like a bird who hastens to the snare and does not know it nest. This was a beginning of a great tragedy in his life, where he had a gang of thieves for friends, and had theft issues for daily bread.

One day, they stole some goods from Braso, a town near Abeso. When they were coming back home, one of his friends was shot and killed. Koopro however did not learn the agony of his friends death, but took it as a full business. He then became a full- fledged armed robber. ''Koopro'' was given to him by the folks of Abeso which means '' stubborn boy''. He always paid death ears to the advice of his mother, Yaa Asakatoa, and any elderly person who advice him to avoid the company of bad friends.

To his unluck, his father passed on when he was coming from abroad, the aeroplane crashed and all the people died. When Yaa Asakatoa heard this, she became downhearted for the lost of her husband, for which she did not take in anything for a month.

When Koopro heard about the incidence that had occured, he tried to poison himself but all his conscience would not allow him. He started himself in womanizing, smoking and drinking. This was a result in a think shadows of despair, for his father who had just died was the light of the hope to travel abroad.

One unfortunate day, he was apprehended by a police at a ''wee'' and was incarcerated for two weeks. He impregnated a lady after he had been jailed out, and stole his mother's money to abort the baby, out of which process the lady died. Koopro's mother, Asakatoa, upon hearing this uncomely incident, being a responsible mother to raise a useful seed for the society- a product unanimated from the norms and conduct of the society, with much effort sought to render a remedy, even if it will cost her surrounding Koopro the second time to the police for further discipline. She was by this effort awarded two slaps from Koopro with a resulting two-weeks admission at the hospital. This offence charged him for a year imprisonment in a hard labour.

After his imprisonment, his younger sister, Abayaa, who being a child still, and sought for the old days when she used to play and learn Bible verses with her innocent brother, appeased to him and made amendments. She found her way out to speak to her now fearsome-looking brother with the verse '' Honour your father and mother so that your days shall be long on earth'' which by reasons of so much use has become a normal adage. This, she tried it peradventure her brother would pay heel and to apologize to her mother.

The yesterday lamb, who had become today's lion, gangster Koopro roared to devour her sister, whom he thought was not fit to advise him. As the aphorism goes '' You can compel a horse to a river side but u cannot force it to drink from it''. So Abayaa who being a God-fearing lady has done her part in order to prevent her brother from hell but her brother does not allow her. This pained the respectful and intelligent Abayaa a lot, she informed her mother about the efforts, she was pleased by her mother to allow God to have his way, and to wait for his time.

One day, Koopro's friend, Kooproku, who was stubborn as he was (as the name implies), came to him. Their purpose was to discuss the next move of their lives after their previous perpetual demise and the consequences of the devial conduct they had allowed themselves to represent.

Being two young guys, refrain from their realities of life because of their deception, rejection of counsel and hopelessness of becoming responsible people again, they conceded on travelling to a traditional priest in a remote village for ritual money termed as ''juju'' in African language. These two confused young guys not remaining focused even to their pitiful vision, for so long forgot about it (they so called next move in life) and went back in womanizing and alcoholism. At this phase, Koopro met a lady called Sandra. He approached her, asked of her name, exchanged contact with her and went back to the extent of giving her a lorry fare. He also sent her a letter on the following day which was received by Sandra's boyfriend, Bentwisty.

At this point, there was another transition of Koopro's life inyo a biter experience as he had had an aforetime: for Bentwisty with his friends came and beat him, and severely injured him as well. This the repercussion of living a stubborn life kept on rippling.

On the contrary, Abayaa, Koopro's sister, with her much seriousness towards her academic had won a government scholarship to study abroad. This was the blithest moment for her and the family after a long time of their joy being successively victimized by Koopro's actions.

SCENE TWO

This was the feasting moment, where she had a full goat slaughtered for celebration.

One month later, Abayaa left the village and travelled abroad l. The day of feasting was the day of mourning for Koopro because he thought to have brought such joy to the family. He then saw himself to be disappointment. It is quite amazing that such feeling of remorse is not enough to change a man. Somehow, it seems those who feel guilty and condemned tend to repeat the actions again. This generated a great hatred in Koopro for his sister. He also thought that one day his sister might be given the respect due to the first born of the family. This worsened the case, and gravitated his thought to committing suicide.

Sikahia is the name of the town they decided to travel to for their ritual money. After their successive fall into various pits, the confused guys seemed to have come back to their senses and the vision they had a long time ago. It was a victory for them to have found the dark vision. They found a third party, Asadum. Kooproku's poor parents had died; his mother at the labour ward when giving birth to him, and his father at age five. Asadum's on the other hand, parents were also poor, who always find it difficult to make ends meet.

Sikahia and neighbouring villages have been of old, villages of ancestral traditions, rituals (as indicated earlier), and strange belief systems of the gods, supernatural powers, ghosts, strange rites and celebrations and the likes. They therefore lived in faith of taboo systems such as specific days of atonements of entering in forest; it was an abomination and a taboo to enter the thick and long forests that part neighbouring villages.

They believed those days were consecrated for the gods and ''Nananom'' to also roam about without interference with man's activities. What was the relevance of these rituals and taboos to stubborn boys like Koopro and his friends? These boys neglected what the society upholds to the dearly respected and went through the forest the very day consecrated for the gods, Wednesday. Koopro and his friends then left their parents informed, sneaked out of their houses unawares and went back through the thick and long forest.

On their way, they met an old woman whom they refused to greet. In African traditions, when you meet someone in his or her jurisdiction, you are supposed to send your greetings first. This is done first for the purpose of respect and acknowledgement, and second, that the person would be of help readily when the need arises.

These uncultured guys walked on as if they had not seen anybody, or as if they had met a ritualist who had told them to walk home turning not to the left or right.

However, this woman willing to save the lives of these three young stubborn guys told them to get back. They, paying deaf ears, continued their journey, wondering about through the forest like a newly hatched bird fallen from it mother's nest, having no specific course or direction. The woman, anxious to show her true identity- as one may suppose upon meeting such a woman in a forest on a day when it was forbidden, vanished before Kooproku turned his head back to see her.

This added their crippling confusion and result in a scattering, where they run helter- skelter.

Eh! exclaimed Asadum. Where have we been? Wo would save our lives from this dream? Where is the way out of this doom? Why are the invisible sparks of arrows directed towards us with their sharp teeth ready to devour? The seconds are as the years to us, and the years are the centuries. The feeling of fear crushes us in and we are made us the deflated tyres, us barrels who were never filled with water, as the white part of an egg which were never flavoured. We're we made to be escape goats for them who are to come after us. Were we destined to be prodigal, son of prediction?

These were the flavours of the soup cooked by their fears upon seeing a talking tree with two eyes.

The height of judgement and conviction of not considering the advice of the elderly cascaded upon them. They then put to remembrance the opportunity that they had at home to the advise by their parents. They wished they could have it again in just a second.

However, the tree voice to them was as if it meant no harm. It told them not to run, but was rather ready to help them. These three boys, unsured of their positive response, came near, trembling. ''Nana, please we are from Abeso, a poor village in Behome'', said Koopro. We are destitute of money, our parents found it difficult to make ends meet.

''You are lucky'', the tree suggested to offer them help, ''I will help you my children''. Koopro and his friends seemed relieved upon hearing this. The tree then told them to put a sack on the ground. It immediately turned into a human being l, filled their sacks with gold dust and gave it to Koopro and his friends, who thanked him(the tree) and turned back heading towards Abeso. Sometimes luck seems to smile upon the lives of those who don't deserve it. It is paradoxical to think whether the strange money from the tree was for their snare or not. As it is always knowing, the devil is a master of deception; he presents a gift with a nice package, but inside it is full of dead men's bones. He goes a whole length to make a dangerous package look harmless.

On their way, they encountered a lot of obstacles. As one may suppose, the fate of stubborn boys who want to make it is a tragic most often. They met a Giant who told them to bring the sack. At this point, they wondered whether the gold dust belonged to all the spirits in the forest, which the tree stole and transferred into their sacks. They would then have to declare the source of the gold, as if they were sent to deliver them to someone.

''The sack are not ours'' said Koopro, ''our odikro sent us''. This he said because of their fear that entangled them in such a terrifying forest of supernatural experiences. For all their lives they had seen life as natural, with anything common to the average man. To them, life was what the natural man had experienced, the normal activities, the various adventures acceptable within the boundaries of natural visibility. In such a realm like this, one could easily disobey their parents and the elderly, one could take his own life into his hands, not thinking of an end of all things and the responsibility that one should take for an expected thing.

We had only known that only when a man sleep does he have dreams; who dared to teach us a man walking with two eyes open could dream?

Is the cartoon would they knew to be people imagination real, or an abstraction from a realm they had never thought of?

Why is the natural thinking pattern drifting? Our brains are crushing in on us, our heart faint, a minute out of our days of stubbornness towards the elderly is far better than a year in the forest of doom. Nevertheless, in this darkness we have found light, when the ointment of darkness was applied on our blind eyes, we begun seeing, our conscience returned to us, we received understanding, the quilt of not living well sunk us in and we hoped for a better life after this terrifying transition of our lives

It is now quiet amazing that the young men seem to find hope of a better life should they make it safe home, but now they would have to face the situation at hand gathering much courage.

Koopro now finds a name for the tree who never told them it's name.

'' Who is your odikro'' as the Giant. ''The spiritual man'', answered Koopro.

''I do not care who this Nana Odikro is. All I want is the gold dust. Give them to me'', replied the Giant spirit. At this point, it was clear they had to lose the gold dust to save their lives. Anyway, who knows after giving out the sucks, they would still not find money in the eyes of the Giant spirit, and end in peril? Even if they decide to run away with the sucks, can they make it in the hands of a spirit? They now stand on the chance of both being killed and losing the gold dust.

As they stood not knowing whether it was time for their luck or doom, a thunder from nowhere striked the Giant spirit, and a voice said, ''my children, I am Nana Odikro, the tree who gave you the gold dust. Don't be afraid, I am with you. Go, turn not to the left or right, or even backwards''

At this point, it was clear that the tree meant a great help to Koopro and his friends when it gave them the gold dust, promised them of hus protection and identified them of his name Koopro gave him(the tree). Having been given an assurance of tge tree protection, tgey gathered courage to move ahead, turning not to the left or right.

It is clear that what would save them was the obedience to the voice of the tree,

THE PRICE WHICH AFORETIME THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID NOT TO ENTER INTO THIS HELL.

The goodness of the tree towards them was for the purpose of teaching them indirectly the net of obedience. The various threatening encounters on their way. Let fate determine the outcome. There is wrestling between the goodness of the tree and the stubbornness of Koopro and his friends. Is the kindness of the tree enough to change the lives of these young men without their obedience?

As they continued with no food and water to drink, and no time of rest because Of strange experiences, they became famished. They saw a nice attractive big rock on which they decided to lay down for rest and refuge. To their surprise, the rock was another spirit in the forest, who immediately changed from before the young men upon seeing the gold dust. This spirit of

the rock wrestled with Koopro and his friends for the gold dust. Koopro and his friends were relentless, willing to refrain the gold dust and all cost, having backing of the tree now Nana Odikro. Suddenly, a strange wind blew in their midst with the same voice. To their relieve, it was Nana Odikro, the tree. He wrestled with the spirit of the rock, but the rock was much powerful than the tree. Nana Odikro (the tree) was then killed and rendered powerless, and the gold dust was taken away from the boys.

SCENE THREE

The feeling of despair begun coming upon Koopro and his friends like a blanket. What would you do, when the one who promised you protection needs protections himself?

The tree could not live to fulfill his promise. For once in their live Koopro and his friends obeyed the voice of the tree not to turn left or right. They now lost the tree and the gold. Had they really lost it all? Was the gold dust their main treasure given them?

To these young men who are not willing to learn wisdom, except in a hard way, that was their end. If they would be reasonable their real protection would be the Obedience they needed to keep themselves alive in the forest.

Now it seems when the obedience of these young guys us complete, the protection and the gold dust of the tree would not count anymore in the lives of these friends. The three friends had to run for their lives. Very soon, the terrifying experiences which they escaped at the skin of their teeth faded out of their minds. They got a river which was forbidden to drink. This river looked stranged, and somehow appeased the conscience of the young men not to drink it. A sense of danger fell on them when they tried drinking. Koopro and Koopro refused to drink, but Asadum could not endure the thirst. His friends tried to let him consy how smatter their intuitions were concerning the river. Asadum paid deaf ears, drank it and immediately vanished out of their sight. It seems all these were not enough to change the evil mindset of the two young men who are left.

They took another decision to go to a traditional priest who they had heard lived at the far end of the forest.

This decision was taken even when they had not crossed the river. Thus, stubbornness has moved root in a man's life when he forgets easily, and fails to consider the pains and the conquences.

Koopro and Kooproku crossed the river, went to the traditional priest called Nana Katamantue. This traditional priest helped them and filled their sack with money. Had they have this ritual money at the peril of their own lives or families, because there were no obvious rituals or sacrifices required by Nana Katamantue. Could this also be another trap as they thought when these were not considered, but the false hope of living in wealth. Could there be anything free especially when dealing with the devil?

Coming back from the traditional priest, they met some wild humans who were natives of the neighbouring villages.

They walked barefooted, half naked with spears in their hands. They were very violet and suckers of blood. They, with much greediness, took the money from Koopro and Kooproku. For a long time, these strange creatures were uncivilized human beings.

Anyway, had not seen fresh animals with much fresh and blood as Koopro and Kooproku. They chased them like a hunter chasing a deer, shot their arrows at them and pierced the side of Koopro to death. Their arrows pierced through the right leg of Koopro, but managed his way out of their sites, in their thick cluster of shrubs that had form a shade under the forest. Koopro found a refuge in this shade and hid himself till these furious creatures gave up on his search.

Koopro was now the only friend left. He had sustained much injury, lost much blood, thirsty, hungry and was near death.

How could he find his way home when he lies at the boarders of life and death. Was this how far stubbornness could bring him? If only had any idea, he would lived well. Would he have another chance to make it right? As these thought were running through his mind, the light of a torch shined on him. It was a hunter from Koopro's village, Abeso. This hunter, with much agitation and compassion took the almost dead man who could not even talk to his house. Koopro was very lucky he was a hunter from his own town.

At Abeso, the hunter took Koopro to the herbalist in the town, Akosua Nsoaa. Koopro received treatment for a time till he was able to talk. He showed them his house, and was taken ti his mother, Yaa Asakatoa. It was a day of joy for the whole family, for the prodigal son was finally found for years of intense search of announcements.

It was also a sad moment because he had sustained much injuries l, and was not his natural self, and never would he be. Why should he have to go through a lot before he could come back to his senses? Was the cost of stubbornness a near- death experience?

How could he even relate with his younger sister, Abayaa, who had completed her tertiary education abroad and had become a doctor? Would he submit to her whom he thought unworthy to advise him? Now this next move in life is not certain; whether marriage, education, work and theike. At this time, he felt rededicating his life to Christ to see whether something better would come out of it, whether he will get the chance to share his life with others.

The shocking question would then be, "would his listeners hearken to his life experience and consider his intuitions or they would also not pay heed as he did in his time?". All mistakes, but which generation would rise, and be not an escape goat for the next generation, but live right? When will a generation teach the next generation their good example instead of their bad examples?

Don't we think it would be easy for the next generation to pick our good example than to learn from our mistakes and desist from them? When would this paradox end, that the same mistake is repeated throughout generations?

THE END.