The following day dawned with nothing special happening.

It was just that Koo Hima, after that frustrating fiasco the night before, had made up his mind to cut Atsupi off from his life.

“How dare she?” he mused “how dare she play me like that? But I won’t say anything; not even when she comes to me crawling on all fours.”

He went to work with the resolve to reap massive financial benefits,  from the Ivory Coast trip and show that damn Atsupi  girl that he was a better man than any other man she might have gone out with.

He got to work, had his usual breakfast of fufu and ebunuebunu from Maame Nzema who operated a Chop Bar just opposite the main gate. The Chop Bar served the breakfast and lunch needs of the numerous workers of the Apollo area. She sold banku and kokonte too and it was a favourite spot for all, though the structure under which she sold her food was a ramshackle affair actually.

Finally,  with all protocols observed,  the four trucks left for the much-awaited trip but the drivers were not happy as they had realized that trackers had been placed in their various trucks to monitor their movements,  speed and any sharp fall in the fuel levels with the last part being the most annoying aspect of the whole issue to them.

But on they went.  After a couple of hours, they got to the border,  crossed over to the Ivorian side of the border but it was the next day that they were allowed to cross over into the country and so by the time they got to the Client’s Yard, it was almost midday.

But they were soon offloaded of their loads.

“Hmmmmm,” Koo said tiredly “nyimpa bɛyɛ yie nna w’akyea.”

But soon their smiles returned when the Agent gave each of the drivers the equivalent of two hundred cedis in CFA and Koo pocketed his without allowing Abolo his  Assistant to see it.

They said their goodbyes and left for the border as they wanted to cross over before 6 o’clock but not before they bought some akyeke and fried tilapia at a spot only Koo Hima knew before they reached the border.

On the drive back, though both Koo Hima and Abolo were thinking about the sad situation of not being able to steal some diesel, none knew what was going through the mind of the other. But Abolo was way above Koo Hima in the art of fuel stealing since he had worked with seven different drivers in his four-year stint with the 3 Brothers Company. As a matter of fact, he bragged to all the girls that he was the Chief Mate of the firm.

Halfway through the journey, Abolo jerked up and said, “Massa, I know how we can sell diesel.”

“But how?” Kweku Hima asked.

“Let slow down as if we have a problem, allow all the trucks to leave us and then when we get to Apowa, I will go and bring the Abochie people.”

“Aboowa, you have brains in this your big head o.”

“Hahaha, massa, hahaha.”

And so, Koo drove at a snail’s pace and signalled the other trucks to take the lead. After about thirty minutes, a call came in from Appiah Kubi, the IGP of the company.

“I can see from my monitor that you have slowed down, why?”

“I think I have a problem with the transmission but nkakrankakra I’m making it.”

“Should I bring a mechanic?”

“Naa, we’ll make it, though we’ll be late in arriving.”

Ok, safe journey then,” IGP signed off.

After a couple of hours, they got to Apowa and parked by the roadside. Abolo then hired a taxi, went to fetch the Abokye men and within forty minutes they had sold some fuel, collected the money and drove off with a flourish and at a faster pace now.

A call came in again from IGP.

“Koo, is everything ok with you, I saw that you stopped at Apowa.”

“Yes o, I did for thirty minutes and thank God everything is ok now.”

“That’s good to hear, keep safe,” IGP said.

Now, that massive smile was back on his face and Koo Hima tapped  Abolo on his thigh.

“Abolo, the Master Planner,” he said.

“Massa Koo, hahaha the man who never lose in town.”

“Take this, it’s your share of the proceeds and I promise to go heaven and earth to get you a License F, aboooowa.”