Chapter 15

Osei was slowly walking out of the cave holding a flaming torch. Immediately he walked out of the cave the darkness that had to fall over the land stuck him confusing him more. Looking confused of how to go back home, he paused looking at the wide full moon that was shining in the sky.

Suddenly behind him, he heard some strange movement coming from the cave. Looking astonished, he turned to the deep side of the cave and slowly started walking backward as the strange movements were moving closer to the exit of the house. After some few steps off the cave, thousands of bats flew of the cave as he faced them in shock.

Next day in the morning, people were busy moving up and down on the community ground. Between the midst’s, Osei walked slowly looking weak. As he walked between the people, he attracted the attention of everybody where the people were gazing at him. Everybody in the community knew he was missing which rose suspense where he was that made everybody want to ask him that question but nobody was courage enough to walk to him.

One of the gazing people was a woman who was selling mangoes. Osei walked to the woman took a mango and said to the woman, “Please I will pay you another time.” The woman still as she was gazing not concern with her mango been eaten free she asked him, “Where were you?” he first took a bite on the mango and said, “To see the cause of my mistakes.” Then he walked away eating the mango leaving the woman unsatisfied by his answer.

Osei walked to Opokuaa’s home where he found her was busy winnowing beans. He walked to her back and said, “Hello.” Shocked due to unexpected visit she let go of the beans where they fell on the ground.

Turning back, she found it was Osei where she exclaimed, “Oh my God is you?” then immediately she bend down and she started collecting the spilled beans. Osei also bent to help her collect the beans. As they were collecting the beans, he said,

“Am sorry Opokuaa.”

“It’s don’t let spilled beans ruin your moods, and where were you?”

“Where I was not important what I have come here to do is to apologize to you.”

“Apologize what to me?”

“Am not apologizing about the fallen beans is something else.”

Opokuaa immediately stopped collecting the beans faced Osei curiously and asked, ‘What are you talking about?” He also stopped collecting the beans to concentrate with how to explain to her everything because he was doing the right thing but not acceptable. He faced her and responded,

“For lose that I have cause you.”

“Which lose are you talking about?”

“The loss to your son Ofori.”

“That was not your fault.”

“No, you don’t understand.”

“What?”

The conversation had become more serious where he sat on the ground and responded, “The night before your son has sentenced to death I meet him. He was so frustrated, weak and he needed my help. I was his friend but I betrayed him.”

Confused by his statement she placed her left hand on Osei’s shoulder and lonely asked, “How did you betray him?” Looking lonely because of the guilt inside him was killing him he responded, “I was so foolish to think that Ofori was a threat to my relationship with Akyaa, so I went to my father who I told him that I saw Ofori performing the witchery.”

Immediately after the words she slowly pulled her hand away from Osei’s shoulder and asked, “But why?” He immediately knelt before her to apologize in a proper manner and said,

“Am so sorry Opokuaa.”

“I cannot believe you were the one who causes all this.”

Slowly tears stared dripping off Osei’s eyes though he was not a parent but for once, he felt the pain inside Opokuaa’s heart. As he was weeping, he moved closer to her while saying, “Please forgive me.” Not able to forgive him because of the loss of her only son she stood moved backward away from him and shouted in anger, “Osei please walk out of my home.” Her shouting alerted her husband Agyemang who walked out of the hut.

Immediately Agyemang stopped beside his wife faced Osei who was still kneeling on the ground and asked, “What’s the wrong young man?” Opokuaa immediately rushed into the hut leaving the beans spread all over the ground.

Osei left behind kneeling before Agyemang responded said,

“Am sorry Agyemang.”

“Don’t be sorry, and go to your father who is looking for you.”

After the words, Agyemang faced but before he walked away Osei stopped him by saying said, “I was the one who caused the death of Ofori.” Agyemang sudden turned to Osei who was kneeling and hit him a blow to his cheek. Osei weakly fell to bang the ground so hard.

Agyemang in range he shouted, “Do you know how it has affected my family?” Though he was not in good terms with his son, he cherished him because he was the only son that he had. Osei on the ground he was sobbing and oozing blood from his nose he rose knelt and said, “I know and that’s why am saying sorry.” Agyemang bent to Osei and mercilessly he gave Osei continuous blows while shouting, “What you have done cannot be undone.”

As Agyemang was mercilessly was hitting Osei who was lying on the ground, Opokuaa rushed to him and held his back making him stop. Immediately Agyemang moved back she said to him, “Just leave him.” Immediately Agyemang left her staring at Osei who was full of burses for some moment then she walked.

The next moment Osei limped slowly grunting due to pain that he had acquired from the previous beating. On his path way he, he meet with two men that were standing in his way. Osei on his down moods he stepped aside to pass the two men. But the men blocked his path again.

Osei paused faced the men looking lonely and said, “Can I have my way.” One of the men responded, “Your father knows you are around.” Osei responded by silent look to the men where the other second added,

“And he has to order us to take you to him.”

“Ok go I will come on my own.”

“He wants you immediately.”

Osei gazed at the men for some time silently then she walked aside with no consideration of them, he started moving away while giggling. The men were pissed off and immediately they turned to Osei, where they held Osei and pulled him so hard where he fell and bang on the ground.

Akyaa happened to be passing by the path where he saw his lost boyfriend molested. Immediately she dropped the basket of fruits that she was crying and rushed to Osei’s help. She helped Osei to rise where he was badly injured. When he stood up being supported by her girlfriend, she faced the men and shouted,

“What’s wrong with you two?”

“We were given orders with his father to take him home.”

“That is the reason why are you mishandling him can’t you both have two eyes to see that he is badly injured.”

The men lost words where they silently turned to each other. Knowing she had over power the men she turned to Osei beside her and concerning she asked,

“Where are you?”

“I just want to speak to you.”

“Now you cannot because your father needs you.”

“I want to say something important to you.”

Akyaa turned to the two men who were seriously standing beside them then turned back to Osei. The men were so into their conversation where she was not in private to where what Osei wanted to tell her she responded, “If it is something serious you will tell me some other time.” Osei looking lonely responded, “Ok I will talk to you after I talk to my father.”

Akyaa turned one of the men and said, “You know where we have been from just do me this one favor give me some time to take care of the wounds and I will be the one bringing him to your home.” One of the men who was addressed responded, “Ok but don’t take long,” then he turned to the other man and said, “Let’s go.”

In the next moment, Osei sat outside a hut looking weak blood clots all over his face. Out of the hut that he was seated beside Akyaa walked out with a bowl of water and a soft cloth. She went sat beside him and stared wiping his wounds she asked,

“Now am here tell me first of all, where were you?”

“I just needed my space alone.”

“How did having your own space alone cause these burses?”

“Let’s forget what happened all I wanted is to be with you.”

He gently held Akyaa’s upper side of her neck to gain all her concentration where she paused and looked at him back. Then he moved closer and kissed her. It was long before he had felt her soft lips plus he needed something to make him forget all that he had been through.

It during the afternoon when Osei walked to his hut. Immediately he opened the door to his hut his father who was behind him shouted, “Son.” He paused looked turn back where he saw his father was standing between two men. Owusu added, “Son why are you avoiding me?”

Immediately his father orders the two men to walk away. As the men walked away Osei slowly walked to where his father’s standing position. Immediately Osei reached to his father, Owusu hugged him tight and said,

“Am sorry son for pushing you away.”

“It’s Ok! Father.”

Owusu pulled of the hug faced Osei and asked, “Now tell me where you were?” Before Osei responded, he noticed a large rock at a distance from them. Osei then turned back to his father and said, “First let’s have a sit,” as he walked to the rock and Owusu following him back.

Osei sat then followed to his father.at the time Owusu was humble before his sone and he was ready to accept anything that Osei asked. Immediately Owusu sat on the rock Osei started saying, “It was late in the evening and I was my way back home where I meet two men. The two men are the ones who attached me where I lost my consciousness. Today is the day my concise was coming back where I found myself laying on the long grasses of the savanna.”

Owusu lovingly placed his right hand on his son’s shoulder faced him direct and asked, “Did you saw the men.” Osei as he was nodding his head he said,

“No, it was too dark for me to see.”

“My son don’t worry go back to your hut and have some rest but know that those men will pay for what they did to you.”

Osei stood of the rock and faced his father and said, “Thank you, father, but what you did last time to me I understand and I have forgiven you.” After the words, Osei walked back to his hut.

Seated on his bed, Osei out of his pocket he removed a silver crystal where he closely looked at it and said, “I may not know your use now but I know you have a greater meaning in that cave.” Outside Owusu was standing beside Osei’s hut where he overheard his ow talk and shouted, “What did you say?”Osei still as he was in his hut he responded

“Nothing father.”

“And who are you talking to?”

“Father am doing fine all I need is some rest.”

“Ok if you need anything just call me.”

“Am all fine father.”

Osei silently traced his father’s footsteps away by his ears where he was clear Owusu walked away. He then placed the crystal on his bed and slowly opened the door of his hut. He peeped left and right where he saw nobody. Suddenly to his right side he heard some movement where he pauses facing the direction.

After some concentrating zooming, a dog ran out of the corner. He panted for relief after holding his breath to what he was expecting. Scared of the dark he moved into the hut and bang the door.