The Good Man
THE WRITER
SAMUEL COBBY GRANT
THE GOOD MAN
EPISODE 4
Aba Joan had been absent from the Market for 2 Tuesdays due to malaria, so when she finally made an appearance at the market, her friends gave her a massive welcome.
“Eeei, Aba, who kidnapped you?” Aku asked.
“I was sick o, malaria,” Joan explained with a laugh, “and my mother says it is because I made the man pay for the gari he scattered.”
“I think your mum must be suffering from menopause,” Naakpe said from behind her.
“She said I should return his money to him.”
“Don’t mind your mother. Let go and chill with pork and Hunters,” Aku said.
“No, I can’t go against my mother’s wishes.”
“So, how are you going to find him?”Aku asked.
“Eeei, Aba, who kidnapped you?” Aku asked.
“I was sick o, malaria,” Joan explained with a laugh, “and my mother says it is because I made the man pay for the gari he scattered.”
“I think your mum must be suffering from menopause,” Naakpe said from behind her.
“She said I should return his money to him.”
“Don’t mind your mother. Let go and chill with pork and Hunters,” Aku said.
“No, I can’t go against my mother’s wishes.”
“So, how are you going to find him?”Aku asked.
“I know where he is. He is the Manager of Paradox,” Naakpe revealed.
“Eeei you, how did you know? That place is not for small girls o,” Aku said.
“Who said I am a small girl?”
“We all know you are not a small girl.” Tiiwa said, “after all, you know what your grandmother doesn’t know.”
“Skin pain,” Naakpe retorted “you are just jealous of me”
“Apuu , anka m’egyimi papa.”
“I don’t have your time now,” Naakpe said and then turned to Aba Joan, “Joan, I’ll take you there but we must tear some chobo.”
“I will be glad if you can take me there but no chobo or pork for anyone.”
“Eeei you, how did you know? That place is not for small girls o,” Aku said.
“Who said I am a small girl?”
“We all know you are not a small girl.” Tiiwa said, “after all, you know what your grandmother doesn’t know.”
“Skin pain,” Naakpe retorted “you are just jealous of me”
“Apuu , anka m’egyimi papa.”
“I don’t have your time now,” Naakpe said and then turned to Aba Joan, “Joan, I’ll take you there but we must tear some chobo.”
“I will be glad if you can take me there but no chobo or pork for anyone.”
So, when she had made enough sales and the gari was left with just one olonka, she left it with Aku and left with Naakpe.
“Where can we get tro tro to the place,” she asked Naakpe when they were on their way.
“Hahaha, there are some places in Takoradi that tro tro doesn’t go o. Harbour Area is one of those places. It’s the same with Beach Road,” Naakpe said laughing at the way she said it.
“But why?”
“Don’t mind them koraa,” Naakpe said and dragged Aba Joan with her towards the Harbour taxi rank opposite the Presbyterian Church.
They alighted at the old post office building and walked a few distance to that magnificent building that housed the Paradox Nite Club.
They were looking for someone to ask when Joan sighted Nkuto from afar.
“Uncle, Uncle,” she called to him
“Don’t call me Uncle,” he said when he got to them. “My name is Nkuto.”
“Why not Adwengo?” Naakpe said saucily.
“Hey akatiasia, respect yourself wai,” Nkuto said, fuming.
“Where can we get tro tro to the place,” she asked Naakpe when they were on their way.
“Hahaha, there are some places in Takoradi that tro tro doesn’t go o. Harbour Area is one of those places. It’s the same with Beach Road,” Naakpe said laughing at the way she said it.
“But why?”
“Don’t mind them koraa,” Naakpe said and dragged Aba Joan with her towards the Harbour taxi rank opposite the Presbyterian Church.
They alighted at the old post office building and walked a few distance to that magnificent building that housed the Paradox Nite Club.
They were looking for someone to ask when Joan sighted Nkuto from afar.
“Uncle, Uncle,” she called to him
“Don’t call me Uncle,” he said when he got to them. “My name is Nkuto.”
“Why not Adwengo?” Naakpe said saucily.
“Hey akatiasia, respect yourself wai,” Nkuto said, fuming.
“Please don’t mind her,” Joan pleaded. “Please, we are looking for Manager.”
“He has gone to the post office. You can wait for him,” Nkuto said and sent them to sit at the Bar.
He then went out to buy a bottle of coke for Aba Joan.
“What about me?” Naakpe asked.
“She’ll give you some,” he said and went out.
They sat waiting and admiring the wonderful décor of the Club. everything was shinny. From the bar with its neatly arranged drinks to the DJ’s box, the spinning equipment and the rows of coloured lights.
“I heard you ladies are looking for me,” a pleasant voice said besides them.
Startled, they looked at him. It was obvious he didn’t recognize them.
Neither had Nkuto when he earlier talked with them.
“He has gone to the post office. You can wait for him,” Nkuto said and sent them to sit at the Bar.
He then went out to buy a bottle of coke for Aba Joan.
“What about me?” Naakpe asked.
“She’ll give you some,” he said and went out.
They sat waiting and admiring the wonderful décor of the Club. everything was shinny. From the bar with its neatly arranged drinks to the DJ’s box, the spinning equipment and the rows of coloured lights.
“I heard you ladies are looking for me,” a pleasant voice said besides them.
Startled, they looked at him. It was obvious he didn’t recognize them.
Neither had Nkuto when he earlier talked with them.
” My name is Joan and this is my friend, Naakpe. I’m the girl whose gari you accidentally knocked to the floor at Market Circle.
“Ohh, I see.”
“My mother said I should return your money to you,” Aba told him and proffered the money to him.
“I am sorry I can’t accept it,” Kobina told her.
“My mother would insult me o.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you and talk to her.”
“Go with me to Eguase?” Aba said smiling for the first time since she got there.
“Oh, isn’t she in Takoradi”
“No. I come to Takoradi from Eguase every Tuesday to sell gari.”
“I see,” he said and put a food pack he was holding on the table, unwrapped it to reveal banku with fried chicken and shito.
“You are invited,” he said. Whilst Joan declined, Naakpe dipped in, eating the delicious food with gusto, as if her very life depended upon it.
When they were done with the food, Kobina took Joan’s mom’s number from her and spoke to the old lady and was able to convince her to keep the cash.
“Ohh, I see.”
“My mother said I should return your money to you,” Aba told him and proffered the money to him.
“I am sorry I can’t accept it,” Kobina told her.
“My mother would insult me o.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go with you and talk to her.”
“Go with me to Eguase?” Aba said smiling for the first time since she got there.
“Oh, isn’t she in Takoradi”
“No. I come to Takoradi from Eguase every Tuesday to sell gari.”
“I see,” he said and put a food pack he was holding on the table, unwrapped it to reveal banku with fried chicken and shito.
“You are invited,” he said. Whilst Joan declined, Naakpe dipped in, eating the delicious food with gusto, as if her very life depended upon it.
When they were done with the food, Kobina took Joan’s mom’s number from her and spoke to the old lady and was able to convince her to keep the cash.
“OK, I will only keep the money on one condition, that you promise to call me from time to time.”
“I will, mom.”
He then asked the Club’s driver to take them to their destination.
“I will come to the Club on Friday,” Naakpe said from the car before it zoomed off.
From that day, Maame Efua, Joan’s mom spoke with Kobina on a regular basis. She even began sending him foodstuffs from her farm. Whenever Joan went to Takoradi, she was sure to go with either plantain, tomatoes, garden eggs, pepper, watermelon, sweet potatoes, palm nuts and of course, gari.
And when she found out that Kobina had no time to cook, she gave her daughter permission to cook for him.
Kobina also reciprocated their kind gesture by sending them clothing materials, slippers, perfumes and beverages of different types for Joan and her mother.
“I will, mom.”
He then asked the Club’s driver to take them to their destination.
“I will come to the Club on Friday,” Naakpe said from the car before it zoomed off.
From that day, Maame Efua, Joan’s mom spoke with Kobina on a regular basis. She even began sending him foodstuffs from her farm. Whenever Joan went to Takoradi, she was sure to go with either plantain, tomatoes, garden eggs, pepper, watermelon, sweet potatoes, palm nuts and of course, gari.
And when she found out that Kobina had no time to cook, she gave her daughter permission to cook for him.
Kobina also reciprocated their kind gesture by sending them clothing materials, slippers, perfumes and beverages of different types for Joan and her mother.
Kwamena Nkuto, he not knowing what had been going on behind the scenes had been pressuring Joan for her attention and he had become bitter towards his own boss Kobina Ferguson, and was jealous of his closeness with Joan. He had been pressing her to visit him at home at Amanful, a tough area close to the Market Circle.
“You koraa, what do you see in that ashawo Manager,” he said on one of his visits to her at the market.
“He is just a friend as you are just a friend.”
“But he is below your standard.”
“And you Nkuto is her standard?” Naakpe asked from her eavesdropping spot.
“Mind your business, I don’t like talking to insolent girls,” he lashed out at her.
“As if I like talking to you. You don’t even have a Christian name,” Naakpe retorted
“Who told you. My name is John Kwamena Nkuto wai.”
“You koraa, what do you see in that ashawo Manager,” he said on one of his visits to her at the market.
“He is just a friend as you are just a friend.”
“But he is below your standard.”
“And you Nkuto is her standard?” Naakpe asked from her eavesdropping spot.
“Mind your business, I don’t like talking to insolent girls,” he lashed out at her.
“As if I like talking to you. You don’t even have a Christian name,” Naakpe retorted
“Who told you. My name is John Kwamena Nkuto wai.”
“Hahaha,, John ampa. While other Johns are becoming Presidents you are here doing gyimisem ne nkwaseasem.”
This statement from Naakpe drew thunderous laughter from the traders who had been listening in on the quarrel.
“Eeeiii, this girl surely has an acid mouth,” Tiiwa said laughing with the rest.
“Don’t put your mouth into this. I can see that you have added tomatoes to the pepper you are selling, it won’t surprise me if you start to sell stew by next month,” this drew more laughter from on lookers including Tiiwa herself.
Kwamena Nkuto took the opportunity to slip away with boos from the Market women.
Aku even picked up a broom and in a comic fashion, swept after the retreating back of Nkuto to the amusements of all.
This statement from Naakpe drew thunderous laughter from the traders who had been listening in on the quarrel.
“Eeeiii, this girl surely has an acid mouth,” Tiiwa said laughing with the rest.
“Don’t put your mouth into this. I can see that you have added tomatoes to the pepper you are selling, it won’t surprise me if you start to sell stew by next month,” this drew more laughter from on lookers including Tiiwa herself.
Kwamena Nkuto took the opportunity to slip away with boos from the Market women.
Aku even picked up a broom and in a comic fashion, swept after the retreating back of Nkuto to the amusements of all.
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