The Good Man
THE WRITER
SAMUEL COBBY GRANT
THE GOOD MAN
Kobina went through the working week with a cheerful disposition. Even his side business was booming. He had now added Swedish sausages and canned beans to the ever-growing list of things he sold to the large number of the expatriate community in Takoradi and to far off places like Sanzule and Cape Coast. He even had several hotels that patronized his products. He had been playing with the idea of buying a motorcycle for easy mobility.
Already, he had prudently bought two large commercial-sized deep freezers to store the items.
The oil boom had really aided the upsurge of the business and he had plans of taking full advantage of it.
He found out to his great amusement that Kwamena Nkuto had been doing what he had refused to do, that was procuring girls for the expatriates. He was always with them and had been seen going from club to club with them.
Already, he had prudently bought two large commercial-sized deep freezers to store the items.
The oil boom had really aided the upsurge of the business and he had plans of taking full advantage of it.
He found out to his great amusement that Kwamena Nkuto had been doing what he had refused to do, that was procuring girls for the expatriates. He was always with them and had been seen going from club to club with them.
Kobina had also been thinking about moving to a more spacious accommodation like a chamber and a hall instead of the studio apartment he was occupying at the moment and when he mentioned that to Gregg his American client and friend, he promised to help him with paying for the usual 2-year rent advance when he found one.
Slowly but surely, the weekend approached and on Friday, Kobina went to the Market Circle to seek the assistance of Naakpe in choosing a proper birthday gift.
“Good morning, sister,” he greeted when he found her.
“Good morning, manager.”
“Please I need your help with choosing a birthday gift for my mother.”
“No problem, how’s your wife?”
“My wife?”
“Yes, is Aba Joan not your wife?”
Slowly but surely, the weekend approached and on Friday, Kobina went to the Market Circle to seek the assistance of Naakpe in choosing a proper birthday gift.
“Good morning, sister,” he greeted when he found her.
“Good morning, manager.”
“Please I need your help with choosing a birthday gift for my mother.”
“No problem, how’s your wife?”
“My wife?”
“Yes, is Aba Joan not your wife?”
“Eeeeiii, you this girl, hahaha. Anyway, can you lead the way to where I can get wax print to buy?”
She agreed enthusiastically and led him to a textile seller in the market who helped him with the right type to buy, and what else to buy. He bought a half piece of Hollandaise and from a nearby store, bought a jar of perfume. He also bought a piece of material for Naakpe for her help.
When he had left, Naakpe went back to the textile seller to scrounge her cut from her.
“Thank you, ma,” she said,” I will bring you more customers tomorrow.”
Finally, Saturday dawned and Kobina Ferguson boarded a Mankessim bound bus to Eguase. He alighted at the junction and followed an earlier direction given to him by the old lady.
She agreed enthusiastically and led him to a textile seller in the market who helped him with the right type to buy, and what else to buy. He bought a half piece of Hollandaise and from a nearby store, bought a jar of perfume. He also bought a piece of material for Naakpe for her help.
When he had left, Naakpe went back to the textile seller to scrounge her cut from her.
“Thank you, ma,” she said,” I will bring you more customers tomorrow.”
Finally, Saturday dawned and Kobina Ferguson boarded a Mankessim bound bus to Eguase. He alighted at the junction and followed an earlier direction given to him by the old lady.
In no time, he was standing in front of the pleasant light green painted building with its hibiscus hedges acting as a sort of barrier around the whole house. He saw the old lady coming from the back of the house holding a hoe and instantly saw where Aba Joan got her beauty from. She was a spitting image of her daughter. Even the way she walked was just like how Aba walked.
“Good morning, Ma,” he greeted her.
“Good morning, my son. How may I help you?”
My name is Kobina Ferguson and I came to give you this,” he said and dramatically presented the beautifully wrapped present to her.
“Happy birthday to you, Ma.”
The old lady did something he would never forget.
She leapt with so much excitement, gave an excited cry and embraced him warmly.
“Thank you, my son. Finally, I have met you. But don’t just stand there come.”
“Good morning, Ma,” he greeted her.
“Good morning, my son. How may I help you?”
My name is Kobina Ferguson and I came to give you this,” he said and dramatically presented the beautifully wrapped present to her.
“Happy birthday to you, Ma.”
The old lady did something he would never forget.
She leapt with so much excitement, gave an excited cry and embraced him warmly.
“Thank you, my son. Finally, I have met you. But don’t just stand there come.”
She led him to the back of the house and bade him to sit on a plastic chair that was under a pear tree. The cool air that blew around him was intoxicating. She went into the house and brought him a cup of water she had poured from an earthenware pot popularly known as ‘Cooler’.
It tasted heavenly.
“Welcome to Eguase, my son. How was your trip?”
“It was nice.”
She worked on the garden as they spoke. He soon joined her to help with the mounds she was preparing for the sweet potatoes despite her protestations. The backyard garden had tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs and nkotomire.
He kept glancing around as he was hoping to see Aba Joan.
She handed him the seedlings, joking at his clumsiness while he laughed good-naturedly.
It tasted heavenly.
“Welcome to Eguase, my son. How was your trip?”
“It was nice.”
She worked on the garden as they spoke. He soon joined her to help with the mounds she was preparing for the sweet potatoes despite her protestations. The backyard garden had tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs and nkotomire.
He kept glancing around as he was hoping to see Aba Joan.
She handed him the seedlings, joking at his clumsiness while he laughed good-naturedly.
That was the exact moment Joan walked in. They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn’t notice her presence. She stood quite still, rooted to the floor. She wondered what he was doing at Eguase. Memories of his and Dzifa’s nakedness flashed through her eyes but she shook them away and took a couple of shots of them with the camera of her phone before her mother noticed her presence. Mother and daughter embraced warmly and did their signature jig dance to the amusement of the now tongue-tied Kobina.
“So, are you telling me that you haven’t seen Kobina,” her mother chastised.
“Akwaaba, Kobina.”
“Akwaaba, Aba.”
“Look at them, I have never seen such slow coaches in my whole life,” the old lady said, half playfully, half-seriously.
“Aba, go and prepare the guest room for Kobina while I go and see to lunch, but serve him with some of the sobolo before you do that.”
“Aww Ma, I planned on returning today o,” Kobina said.
“Over my dead body,” she said with mock severity.
“I think we can easily arrange that,” Aba said gravely.
“So, are you telling me that you haven’t seen Kobina,” her mother chastised.
“Akwaaba, Kobina.”
“Akwaaba, Aba.”
“Look at them, I have never seen such slow coaches in my whole life,” the old lady said, half playfully, half-seriously.
“Aba, go and prepare the guest room for Kobina while I go and see to lunch, but serve him with some of the sobolo before you do that.”
“Aww Ma, I planned on returning today o,” Kobina said.
“Over my dead body,” she said with mock severity.
“I think we can easily arrange that,” Aba said gravely.
“Shut up and do what I asked you to do,” Maame Efua said, giving her daughter a fierce look.
Kobina just smiled at the drama between mother and daughter.
They went to the airy and pleasant living room and noticed that a pink coloured box was on the centre table. The old lady looked at her daughter inquiringly when she noticed the package. And Aba, with a naughty look on her face, lifted the top of the package to reveal a birthday cake with ‘Happy Birthday Sweet Mother’ written on it with coloured icing.
“Happy Birthday to you, my Sweet Mother. You are not only my Mom but also my friend, my confidant God bless you and may you live to see all your great-grandchildren.”
For once, Kobina had become invisible as mother and daughter shared the unbreakable bond that had sustained them all those years.
A bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine was then opened, the customized beautiful cake was cut and dished out. As if on cue, a few neighbours arrived to share in the fun.
Things quieted down when all the neighbours left.
Kobina just smiled at the drama between mother and daughter.
They went to the airy and pleasant living room and noticed that a pink coloured box was on the centre table. The old lady looked at her daughter inquiringly when she noticed the package. And Aba, with a naughty look on her face, lifted the top of the package to reveal a birthday cake with ‘Happy Birthday Sweet Mother’ written on it with coloured icing.
“Happy Birthday to you, my Sweet Mother. You are not only my Mom but also my friend, my confidant God bless you and may you live to see all your great-grandchildren.”
For once, Kobina had become invisible as mother and daughter shared the unbreakable bond that had sustained them all those years.
A bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine was then opened, the customized beautiful cake was cut and dished out. As if on cue, a few neighbours arrived to share in the fun.
Things quieted down when all the neighbours left.
Lunch was served. Boiled yam with abonmu, consisting of nkotomire, garden eggs, pepper, and tomatoes grounded in an apotoyewa together and with hot palm oil poured on it and spiced with toasted koobi.
They all partook of the meal from the same earthenware bowl.
“This is the best birthday ever in my whole life. Thank you, my children”
When the old lady retired to her room due to exhaustion from too much excitement, Joan, feeling uncomfortable with the presence of Kobina, who couldn’t look at her fully in the face, said she was going out to check on something.
“Why don’t you go with Kobina. Show him around,” Maame Efua said from her bedroom, making it obvious that she had been listening to their conversation.
“Mom! I thought you said you were going to sleep.”
They all partook of the meal from the same earthenware bowl.
“This is the best birthday ever in my whole life. Thank you, my children”
When the old lady retired to her room due to exhaustion from too much excitement, Joan, feeling uncomfortable with the presence of Kobina, who couldn’t look at her fully in the face, said she was going out to check on something.
“Why don’t you go with Kobina. Show him around,” Maame Efua said from her bedroom, making it obvious that she had been listening to their conversation.
“Mom! I thought you said you were going to sleep.”
“I was about to. Please be a good hostess and show him around town.”
So, Joan took the lead with him in tow, walking fast to catch up with her.
“Awwww, such a lovely couple,” the old lady said, watching them from her bedroom window.
Joan had actually lied about going somewhere and to cover her lies, she had no option but to take to the riverside, one of her favourite places in town making sure she took the longest route possible.
She began to loosen up when he held her hands and looked deeply into her beautiful eyes.
“What you saw the other day wasn’t what it seemed,” he said, his discomfort mirrored on his handsome face.
“I know what I saw, but don’t worry you owe me no explanations.”
So, Joan took the lead with him in tow, walking fast to catch up with her.
“Awwww, such a lovely couple,” the old lady said, watching them from her bedroom window.
Joan had actually lied about going somewhere and to cover her lies, she had no option but to take to the riverside, one of her favourite places in town making sure she took the longest route possible.
She began to loosen up when he held her hands and looked deeply into her beautiful eyes.
“What you saw the other day wasn’t what it seemed,” he said, his discomfort mirrored on his handsome face.
“I know what I saw, but don’t worry you owe me no explanations.”
“You know that I love you and I will like you to give me the chance to prove it to you that Dzifa is not my girl. You are the only person I have eyes for,” he said, “but I will explain everything to you with evidence when you come to Takoradi next week.”
“And who said I am coming to Takoradi?” she asked.
“Because my gari is finished,” he said and swooped her up.
“Put me down. Put me down” she cried, struggling.
“Only if you promise to come to Takoradi next week.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes! I will, I will! Put me down.”
“And who said I am coming to Takoradi?” she asked.
“Because my gari is finished,” he said and swooped her up.
“Put me down. Put me down” she cried, struggling.
“Only if you promise to come to Takoradi next week.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes! I will, I will! Put me down.”
He put her down and she pushed him playfully, running away. He gave her a chase, caught up with her and held her by her waist and carried her to the banks of the river attempting to dip her into it but she held him fiercely resisting his attempts.
She freed herself and laughing, ran away again but he caught her, swung her around and kissed her.
She gasped and kissed him back.
From that moment on, they horse-played, kissed, swam and strengthened their love till sunset.
They took amazing pictures too and went back home when it was too dark to stay.
She freed herself and laughing, ran away again but he caught her, swung her around and kissed her.
She gasped and kissed him back.
From that moment on, they horse-played, kissed, swam and strengthened their love till sunset.
They took amazing pictures too and went back home when it was too dark to stay.
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