ALEXANDER AKOTO ADJEI

THE COFFIN MAKER

EPISODE 41-43

Episode 41

Chief

After listening to both parties carefully and having a short discussion with my able elders, we have come to a conclusion which will bring peace to both parties. First I would like to throw light on these important things to both of you, we have to note that anything that you come across which is not yours, you must first send the thing to the appropriate quarters for the rightful owner to come and claim ownership for the thing with a perfect description. Two, we should learn to be our brother’s keeper and have compassion for our fellow man and not treat others like they are outcast. Lastly, let’s learn to always live in peace and harmony with each other. If your neighbour treats you in a way you don’t like, first go to him in a submissive way and talk to him or her. If there’s no understanding, the door to this palace is always opened to handle such matters. Now my verdict: clearly the story that was narrated to us by both parties shows that the lotto coupon doesn’t belong to the woman, but for her to have taken good care of the coupon she will be rewarded handsomely. I, together with my elders came up with the idea that the woman should be given a portion of the money from the lotto since she was unfairly ejected by her landlord. Mr Commander, I leave the sharing part to you since you are the reason we are all gathered here. In addition, for the woman, my elders and I have decided to give her a small plot of land close to the government school so that she can build for herself a small house and move in with her family later for free. With the powers given to me by my forefathers and elders here, I have spoken and so shall it be.

Elders

Well said, your highness.

Opana

Thank you so much, your highness, you have indeed proven to me that domestic wisdom is not for sale anywhere. I’m satisfied with your judgement and anything the commander says from now will be accepted by me and my family. May you live long your highness, and may your reign continue to blossom every rising day. My wise elders, I salute you and pray for strength and divine wisdom over your lives, I am very grateful.

Eno Bruwaa

My lord even though I don’t fully agree to your judgement, I accept your final verdict and I promise to abide by it. May our forefathers bless you with more wisdom and life for you to continue to be our great chief. It is a privilege to come before you and thank you for the land you promised to give to me.

Chief

I’m glad everyone is happy with my judgement. From here, I will let one of the elders go with you and allocate your land to you for you to start your building project with the money you get from here since you don’t have any place to stay for now.

Commander

I’m overwhelmed, your highness with the way you settled this serious issue so easily! You have made both parties very happy and everyone has accepted the verdict without any further complaint. Madam, I hereby give you 15% of the total amount and the rest goes to you, sir. On this note, I will ask permission to take leave my elders, since I have to deal with some other matters also at the station.

Opana and his family went back home very excited. Opana and his wife went into their bedroom and had a little conversation and as they came back from the bedroom, Akua Yankey started making merry for the victory that came to their side. She gave money to Bernice to rush to the market to get some foodstuffs so she prepares a wonderful meal for the family. Opana also remembered what Skido told him before he fled and he sat Kwaku Mike down to have a man to man talk with his mother seated in the talk.

Opana

My son, time wasted can never be regained. Day in and day out, you are growing and you need to settle down. Sometimes in our lives we need to move out from our comfort zone to a zone we are not okay with, that is what we call life. Limes and smile have the same words but with a different arrangement. The sun has a time that it shines during the day and the moon also has its time for glowing during the night, it is time for you to start glowing because it is no longer day time. You might be asking yourself why is your father saying all these things at this particular time; my reason is very simple, I want you to wake up and face the future because you have no business and life in this town. I have been making a little enquiry on the course you read at the university and I realise that this place has nothing to do with you and your future, the best and better place for you is the city where chances and opportunities are easy to come by. So at this very moment, I have decided to give you money to start your life with it. The money I’m giving you is my life savings at the bank, because I don’t want you to ever say somewhere that your father or parent didn’t help you in life. Use the money judiciously and make yourself proud but not us your parents. Remember this always that “you can lose money when chasing women but you can’t lose women when chasing money” because women don’t like misery and discomfort. Learn to urinate at one place so that it foams for you, I never had any university education but you can attest to what I have been able to achieve in my life. Son, in my hand, is a cheque of twenty-five thousand Cedis seventy-eight pesewas, go and pay it into your account and before you withdraw it, make sure the money is going to be used for something useful and meaningful that anytime you turn your back, you will be proud of.

Akua Yankey

My son, I went also but didn’t say a word, is not accepted by our elders. So to add to what your father has said, I want you to learn how to face your troubles and problems squarely and don’t find excuses to back out, alcohol is for the fool who wants to procrastinate says the bible, beautiful women will come when you have been able to establish yourself well because you are addressed the way you dress. I am stressing on this because I know your weakness with women, without women in the world would have been a very boring place to be, and with women in the world, the world is a very difficult place to be. Know the friends you are going to affiliate yourself with since our elders say “show me your friend and I will show you who you are”. Remember, you will be leaving this house alone without anything, but it is your responsibility for you to come back with something. That something should be something you worked for with your sweat, and not what you cheated or deceived someone to get. On this note, I bless you with the blessings of a mother to a son, and I pray that the God I serve will protect and guide your steps as you step out from this compound. I will miss you but don’t be running back to us so soon, don’t forget God in all you do and come back home when you have been able to establish yourself well. You are my only son and the eldest of my children, be a mentor and role model for them to always look up to you. Go, and get rich out there.

Opana Before I forget, make sure you don’t ever pull that chain you have on your neck off, anytime you feel it is strangling you then it means there is a looming danger approaching. So it’s either you move from where you are or you stop what you are doing. Listen to your instincts anytime they prompt you of something   and I know God will see you through in this life. You are my only heir and my lineage depends on you, so don’t forget to make me proud. Now leave the house before your sister comes because if she comes to meet you here, you might be delayed…

Episode 42

As Kwaku Mike went into his room to pack his things after the brief meeting with his mum and dad, he packs only some few things of his so that his sister won’t come and see him before he leaves the house. Inside him, he was already missing her sister and wanted to tell her how much he loved her even though they fight a lot in the house.

Akua Yankey, on the other hand, packs a little food(beans stew and riped plantain) into a little bag and hands it over to his son as he was about leaving the house. Opana said a short prayer with his son and before leaving he added an extra seven hundred and fifty cedis to the cheque he had already given to his son. Kwaku Mike left the house very happy and picks a taxi to the bank and makes a deposit of the cheque into his account. When he got out of the bank, he quickly made a call to his friend to alert him of his coming to the city and the friend was so happy to hear the coming of his friend over to the city. He rushed to the lorry station which was not far from the bank. As he walked to the man selling the ticket, a woman outsmarted him and got to the man selling the ticket first and bought the last ticket the man had for the very bus loading. Unfortunately for Kwaku Mike, the bus was full so he had to wait for the next bus which was even bigger than the one that was about leaving, he went back to the man who was selling the tickets to buy one for himself but the man told him that for this bus the conductor will collect the money when the bus was in motion so he can take a seat in the bus. He walked to the big bus biting his lips because he felt that woman had not been fair to him by outsmarting him to get the last ticket. He took a seat next to the window behind the driver and since no one was in the bus he decided to eat the food his mother had packed for him and after taking the food, he decided to sleep a little because he wanted to stay awake all throughout the journey. After a while, Kwaku Mike wakes up to see that the bus is half full and he starts getting some funny movement in his stomach which makes him pass some gas out which was unpleasant. Quickly he gets down from the bus and goes to the man who was selling the tickets and asked if he could get a place of convenience to ease himself. After he was done easing himself he walked back to the bus to meet the bus filled up and his seat occupied by another man, he told the man that he was the one sitting there but the man refused to relinquish the seat. Some people who were already in the bus before Kwaku Mike got down, tried to talk to the man for him to just give the seat to Kwaku Mike but he was adamant saying to them that he was also in a hurry.

Moreover, no one on the bus had bought a ticket like him so no one should bother him or else, he will beat anyone who talks against him. The driver came to sit behind his steering but came to meet confusion in his bus, he tried to settle the problem but his efforts proved futile, all of a sudden Kwaku Mike started feeling the strangling on his neck and immediately he remembered what his father said to him and he got down from the bus, some people were against his motive of getting down from the bus but he told them not to worry and that he will wait for the next bus. After the long wait, Kwaku Mike hears someone screaming Accra, Accra, Accra, last one going. Immediately, he jumped on his feet and run to where the sound was coming from. When he got there he saw a black 4×4 land cruiser packed there, he enquired and the driver told him that he is from an NGO and that he brought some white people to run a survey. As he was driving back to Accra alone, he had a problem with his car so he had to use his fuel money to repair the car so picking up people as passengers will help him buy fuel back to Accra,

Kwaku Mike smiled and told him he was willing to journey with him all the way to the capital city of Ghana. He called his friend to update him on what had taken place and that his battery was running low so in case he calls him and his phone is off he should know that he is on his way coming. The journey was smooth from the start as the driver made his passengers comfortable by putting on the car air conditioner. All of a sudden, it started raining heavily on the way accompanied by thunder. The driver told everyone in the car to fasten their seatbelt because the journey was going to be tough and rough. After driving about twenty-three miles, there was this heavy thunder strike and lighting and we heard a loud explosive sound ahead of us and then we later saw thick smoke pushing its way to the sky through the rain.

The 4×4 driver stepped on the accelerator so he could get to the place the sound and smoke was coming from. In no time we got to the place and to my greatest surprise, the bus that I was fighting my way to get a seat in but didn’t get because of that rude man was involved in a very fatal accident. The bus had run into a ditch and caught fire so we got down from the land cruiser after the driver parked at a reasonable distance to see if there were some people we could save. In the process of going to the burning bus I stepped on something and when I checked, it was a new Samsung 6edge phone in a nice leather case so I picked it up and placed it in my pocket before going closer to the bus but the bus exploded again and the flame that met us nearly burnt us, we run back to the land cruiser and looking back I saw a huge tree lying at the side of the road. Using my mind to calculate what led to the accident, I came with the view that the tree fell on the road and the driver of the bus possibly tried to dodge the tree which made him lose control and run into the ditch. As we sat in the car, I took my mind back and tried remembering some of the pretty faces I saw in the bus and there was this beautiful lady I spotted and had plans to take her number when we get to the capital city, I was thankful to God in my head but sad I couldn’t get the lady of that very bus. I took my phone out of my bag to check the time and I saw 24missed calls and 4messages on my screen. Apparently my phone had moved to the silent mode so I didn’t hear when the calls were coming through. As I checked those who had tried to get in touch with me, I saw that 11 came from my mum, 3 from my dad, 6 from a foreign number and 4 from my friend in the city. The messages also came from my bank, the foreign number and my friend. My bank had sent me my account balance, my friend wanted to know where I had gotten to so that he could come and pick me up at the lorry station and the foreign number was also from Juliana Ohenewaa Dotse. The content was for me to call her back the moment I got the message. I decided to call my father first then later call my mum because I knew they were trying to get to know if possibly I had gotten to the capital city or I was getting closer but the news I got was unpleasant.

On Phone:

Michael Ansah

Hello papa, sorry my phone went to silent mood so I didn’t hear you were calling, I just brought my phone out from the bag and saw your missed calls together with mommy’s own. Eeeeiiiii papa, you can’t believe the miracle the necklace did this afternoon at the lorry park this afternoon. Hello, papa, are you there?

Opana

(in a dull and calm voice) Hmmmm my son I’m here ooo,  your mum and I were calling you for an emergency reason, we wanted to know if you were still in town or you are in the bus going to the city.

Michael Ansah

Papa, I’m in a car going to the city, so papa because I left the house for just some hours and you are missing me already? Your voice is even shaking as you are talking or is there a problem?

Opana

My son. there is a big problem back here, after you left someone brought news that your younger sister has been knocked down by a toilet car and truly as we rushed there, she was been conveyed to the hospital so that was why we were calling you to alert you of it.

Episode 43

Michael Ansah

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, papa so how bad is her injury and where from that sceptic car because in the town there is no such car operating there and I hope the driver didn’t run away?

Opana

 It is one thing that has been baffling my mind, my son, as I called you and you didn’t answer, that question came into mind. She has been rushed to the theatre and she is been operated upon, it is when the doctor comes out that is when we will know the extent of the injury. And for that stupid driver, I’m told he jumped into the bush as he saw people running towards his car. There is no news about him for now.

Michael Ansah

But papa does it look that bad and will it be necessary for me to come back?

Opana

My son what will your coming do? Just concentrate on the mission ahead of you, if the need arises for you to come over, I will alert you on that. But please just stay focused and I will update you on any development concerning this issue. Before I forget, have you gotten to your destination?

Michael Ansah

No papa I’m still in a car going.

Opana

Ah that long time? What accounted for this delay that you are still in a car and not at your friend’s end?

Michael Ansah

Hmmmm, you won’t believe what happened papa. This afternoon, the thing (necklace) saved me from an accident.

Opana

What do you mean, my son?

Michael Ansah

Papa, as I got to the lorry station the bus had moved so I was directed to a new and bigger bus which had no passenger in it, as I sat in it, I felt hungry so I ate the food mummy gave me and in no time I got some stomach upset so I got down to ease myself. When I returned someone had taken my seat. I tried to let him vacate my seat but he was adamant so we started exchanging words and all of a sudden I started felling the strangling on my neck. As by your directive, I obeyed my instincts and got down from the bus even though I was angry within me. I got a car some minutes later. Papa you can’t imagine the bus I was supposed to board run into a ditch and talking to you right now, no one survived in the bus.

Opana

Now I guess you will not get a reason to doubt what you have on your neck. We will talk later because I have seen the doctor coming out of the theatre, we will talk later. (Call ends)

After Kwaku Mike finished talking with his dad on his phone, the phone he picked from the accident scene started ringing and he answered the call. He told the caller that the owner of the phone had been involved in a fatal accident, and he gave the caller the direction to the exact spot the accident took place. Kwaku Mike and his travelling mates got to Accra some hours later to meet a transformed place. He realised that, the entire place had changed with massive infrastructural development. The air also started blowing violently. It seems the storm had now gotten to the capital city and looking at the sky it wasn’t looking friendly at all. The driver dropped them at a filling station and everyone went his way. But Kwaku Mike didn’t know where to pass so he brought his phone out to call his friend and alert him that he was finally in Accra. As he called him, the network was not that clear to hear the exact direction that was been given to him due to the air that was blowing. So he strained his ears to listen to what his friend was saying and before his friend could finish with his direction as to where he could pick him up, Kwaku Mike’s phone went off due to low battery. He decided to make a move to the spot his friend gave out so he hired a taxi to drop him at that location where his friend will meet up with him. As they got to a quiet and lonely road, the lights of the taxi went off all of a sudden and the car refused to move. The driver tried everything he could do but the car won’t just start, Kwaku Mike was very angry but there was nothing he could do, he paid the driver half of the fare he was charged and he decided to go on foot since no car was plying that road they used. After walking about 40metres, he started feeling the strangling again so he started looking around to see if anyone was chasing him or coming after him, he then decided to move from the road to the bush by the roadside and the moment he did that he saw car lights coming his way. He wanted to come out and ask for a ride from the approaching car but something told him to continue hiding in the bush. All of a sudden, the approaching car stopped right in front of where he was hiding and immediately some people came down from the car wearing all black and holding guns. The moment Kwaku Mike saw that he got scared and decided to hide well. In no time, another car drove from the other direction to where the people were and as the car stopped the men in black brought someone out from the car they came with. The person had been blindfolded and because the second car that came had its light on, Kwaku Mike could see the people very well. It looked like something was about to go on. He remembered he had a sophisticated phone on him so he brought it out and as he checked the screen of the phone there was no lock or pattern on it so it meant that he could make use of the phone without any restrictions. He started recording what was going on from where he was hiding in the bush and thanks to the car lights, he was getting everything clear without putting on the flashlight on the phone.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Opana and his wife were sitting in front of the doctor to hear what he had to say to them.

Doctor

Well, sir and madam, I will go to the point without beating about the bush, your daughter is currently in a coma and I believe she will be in that state for some days before she revives. But the bigger problem is that, because of the severity of the accident she has gotten a problem with her spinal cord and also her…..

Akua Yankey

(cuts in without allowing the doctor to finish his statement) Oh my God, doctor so you mean that my daughter won’t be able to walk again or what, please tell me something.

Opana

Woman, get hold of yourself and stop that rude interruption when someone is talking. Doc, please continue for me.

Doctor

Well sir, I’m afraid to add that, your daughter might lose her memory as well because looking at this X-ray before me and test I conducted on her, the back of her head hit the ground and it has caused a clot of blood to block the vein that transports blood in and out of her brain. An emergency surgery must be done so it helps her out or else, I’m afraid your daughter might run blind in the future; the ball is in your court right now.

Akua Yankey

Heeeeey the devil is a liar! and the witches of my house and neighbourhood can never succeed in what they are planning towards my family. I double-bind whatever plans and intentions they have towards my children and family, anything they are doing will never materialise. Nothing that are planning will come to pass, they won’t achiever their…

Opana

Woman please shut up and let me think, do you have to shift everything on witches or the devil? Papa doctor what is the chances now for a daughter or should I say what is the way out?

Doctor

Sir, as I said earlier on, your daughter must be operated upon and even with that she must be flown outside the country to either South Africa or America and the budget for that is around fifty-five thousand dollars ($55000).

Opana

Gracious God!!! Where am I going to get such money from? Doctor, can’t you make it in cedis or reduce it for us? My shop got burnt just yesterday including all my life savings, please consider my wife and I.

Doctor

Sir, it is not as though I’m the one charging the money to enjoy it but rather, the money will be used to pay for your daughter’s medical bills. And part of the money will be used to process her travelling documents. One person will have to go with her to help her with her things over.

Opana

Hmmmm, this is a very serious issue papa doctor, I have to start selling some of my properties to raise money so that my daughter is well taken care of, I won’t compromise with her life or health.

Doctor

That is very good to hear, the earlier the better for her. I have to attend to some other patients at the emergency ward, please be fast on this case because the earlier the better.

Opana and his wife left the hospital feeling very bad and in a very distressed mood when they got home his wife engaged him a conversation which nearly opened the gate of hell.

Akua Yankey

My dear so what is the way forward now?

Opana

I don’t know what to say, for now, I’m planning to sell my lands and palm plantations by the roadside where those estate developers have been bothering me about. I might not get all the money the doctor mentioned but I can get more than half of the amount.

Akua Yankey

So my love what about the shop you promised to get for me at the market square?

Opana

Woman, do the right thing at the right time. Our daughter is in a critical state at the moment and getting money to get her operated upon even is a problem, and you are here asking me for a shop. If my daughter doesn’t get back to her normal self again, then I will say forget even a table at the market square.

Akua Yankey

Okay my dear. Please be fast about the money for her medical expenses then. I can’t wait to travel with her to either America or South Africa.

Opana

(watches his wife like a lion who wants to attack his prey and spoke calmly) If you want to travel with your daughter, then get your travelling documents and money ready because I should be the one to go with my daughter.

Meanwhile, it is getting tough at the place Kwaku Mike is hiding, he is been climbed by ants at the place he hiding and the ants are biting him mercilessly.

Edited By:
Comfort Holiness

THE COFFIN MAKER

THE AUTHOR

I am Akoto Adjei Alexander, a Christian. A product of Abetifi Presbyterian Senior High School, Abetifi-Kwahu. I am in my late 20’s and the last born of the boys my parent brought to earth. I am a fiction/scriptwriter who loves to write about nature and the realities of life. Furthermore, I do a little of Graphics Design, I do MC’ing of events somethings, a Motivational Speaker and a Relationship Talk Expert.