Elaine drew her gun and walked rapidly towards them when she saw the driver’s side of the door opening and a young man jumped out and hurried over to Rashid.

“Dr Braimah?” the young man asked as the rain beat down on him, his voice uncertain. “Is that you, Dr Rashid Braimah, sir?”

Elaine scowled as she stopped behind Rashid and looked at the man. He would be in his late twenties, and he was wearing black trousers, sky-blue shirt and a tie. The car he was driving was a Toyota pick-up truck, and a company’s name and logo was embossed on the side.

Rashid wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up drunkenly at the driver.

“Yes, it’s me, Rashid. But who are you?”

The young man grunted with relief and reached down to help the doctor to his feet.

“Oh, sir, I’m Kwabena Sintim,” he said, his voice almost reverential.

Rashid shook his head in puzzlement.

“Can’t say I recall the name.”

“Oh, you might not,” Sintim said. “Three years ago, my son needed emergency heart surgery, sir. My wife and I couldn’t raise the money to fly him to England for the surgery as was required, and he was left to die. But, you… you performed the surgery, sir, for free, at your friend’s hospital.”

“Ah!” Rashid said suddenly and smiled. “Ah, little Paul Sintim, boy who said he would captain the Black Stars to win a world cup.”

“Yes, yes, sir, yes, sir!” Kwabena said with relief. “But you left Nankese. I’ve been trying to find you for a long time, sir.”

“How’s Paulie?”

Sintim nodded, and his lips quivered as if he was weeping suddenly in the rain.

“Strong, sir, very strong, thanks to you!” he said. “I never really thanked you, sir.”

“Oh, that’s alright, don’t worry about it,” Rashid said. “Go on, young man. Get out of the rain. You would catch a cold.”

“But what are you doing here at this time, sir?” Sintim asked with concern. “It is very dangerous out here. Please, come, let me take you home.”

“No, Kwabena,” Rashid said weakly. “I’m all wet and muddy. Vomiting too, young man. I’ll mess up your car. Don’t worry, I’ll find my way.”

“Sir!” Sintim said and thumped his chest hard. “Excuse my language, but you can shit in my car if you want to, sir! I’m taking you home, and nothing you say can dissuade me!”

“Well, thank you then, young man,” Rashid said weakly.

Kwabena opened the back door of the car and put his arm around Rashid, then helped him inside and closed the door. For a moment Elaine hesitated as his words earlier suddenly washed through her mind again.

I’m not like you who worships money…

I’ll get home without money…

And here he was, getting a free ride home, of all the coincidences in the world, from a man he had been kind to in the past.

She sighed heavily and suddenly opened her purse as she walked towards the car she had alighted from. She rapped on the window, and the driver wound it down.

“What’s the meaning of this, Ella?” the elderly politician behind the wheel demanded angrily. “Why keep me waiting in the frigging rain because of some damn drunk? Do you know how dangerous this place is?”

“Shut up, Minister!” Elaine said angrily, took an envelope filled with money from her purse and tossed it into the car. “That’s your money. Goodnight, Minister!”

“Ella!” the Minister cried. “Don’t’ do this! What are you doing? Come back, Ella, damn it, please!”

“Go and jerk off to porn, Minister!” she said without turning around.

Kwabena had closed the back door and was running around to the driver’s side of his car, and Ella quickly opened the passenger door.

“Hey!” Kwabena said, alarmed. “What’s the big idea, lady?”

“Rashid is my friend, Sintim,” she said coldly. “He’s been robbed, and he’s drunk. I’m not leaving him alone with you because I don’t trust you.”

Sintim leaned into the car and looked at Rashid.

“Do you know this lady, Doc?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Rashid said and giggled. “She’s Silky, the world’s best whore!”

He began to laugh drunkenly, then he put a hand on his forehead and, a moment later, began to breathe gently.

“Get in already!” Elaine said, irritated. “There are dangerous guys around!”

“Yes, yes, sure,” Kwabena said and got in.

A moment later, they pulled away.

***

Aku flagged down a taxi and got in.

“Where to, madam?” the elderly driver asked in a kind voice when he saw just how distraught the young woman was.

“I… I do-don’t know ye-yet,” Aku said in an unsteady voice. “Wait, just let me make a call okay, please?”

The man smiled.

“Go right ahead, dear. I’ve got all the time for you.”

Aku took her phone and called Rose. She had to redial three times before Rose’s slurred voice came on the line.

“Oh, girlfriend, sorry, I was asleep! I’ve been calling, but your phone was switched off! How’re you holding up, dear?”

“Is Randy home yet?” Aku asked, her voice unsteady.

“No, Aku. He went over to see Rashid, and said he would be late because he had to stay with that bastard for a while! Ah, how could Rashid be so cheap? He’s really disappointed me! I want to scratch out his eyes right now!”

“No, no, Rosie, he’s innocent. Steve set it all up with your brother!” Aku said as tears fell down her face.

“What are you talking about?” Rose asked, and her voice was now alert. “Joe? My brother? I don’t understand, Aku!”

“Steve paid Joe to frame Rash!” Aku said, her voice almost a squeal. “So, on Randy’s bachelor night, Joe sent the boys to the brothel, and I don’t know how but they managed to frame Rashid! And that’s not the worst of it, Rosie! Rashid and Yao and Randy came over to Steve’s place and Rashid caught me making love to Steve!”

“Jesus!” Rose said, her voice filled with horror. “Where are you, Aku?”

Aku was crying bitterly now, but managed to say she was in a taxi.

“Come over right now!” Rose said, still horrified. “I warned you, Aku! I offered to bring you home, to stay with you, but you wouldn’t listen! Oh, Jesus! Come over! I’m calling Jemima!”

Aku nodded and gave the address to the taxi driver before folding over in the back seat and crying her heart out.