The day Safoa left the village for school was also the same day Kutorkor left the village for her long-awaited trip to town to visit Dr Nat with whom she had been communicating and Billy for the long overdue showdown.  Dr Nat had been advising her to seek antenatal care for the baby she was carrying when she admitted that she hadn’t visited the Clinic from day one of her pregnancy.

Both Safoa and KK unknowingly boarded the same bus. Safoa was sitting just behind KK who was sitting in the only available front seat. It was only when the bus left the station that they realised that the other was also on it. KK felt as if Safoa was breathing down her neck and constantly caught herself trying to turn on her but always stopped herself in time when she remembered what the damn girl knew about her previous attempts to spiritually get her to wander around with no destination in mind. She did not allow the presence of the priestess to disturb her in any way. She was going to Ohenemanso to meet Father Samuel for the final preparations before school commenced.  And she was also dying to meet Maame Konadu and Mary.  And of course,  the amazing twins.

”I have missed them so much,” she said as she enjoyed the trip. She had sworn to do all she could to make her dreams become a reality.  She had learned her lessons and wasn’t going to make the same mistakes twice. By the great goodness and mercy of the Lord,  she was making a fresh start that was going to ensure a brighter future for her. She sang gospel songs to herself as the bus coasted smoothly along the road.

The ordinarily short journey which turned out to be long due to mechanical problems they encountered along the way finally ended and Safoa quickly disembarked and made her way to the home of Father Samuel.

It came to pass that Billy, tried as he could,  couldn’t get Mary to change her mind on her decision to part ways with him, so he decided to let her be.

With pep talks and encouragement from Mr Dorkenoo, his boss, he was able to function relatively well.

”Don’t worry.  The Lord is on your side. I know she still loves you and would soon come to her senses,” he advised.

”I will, and thank you,” he replied.

His days were difficult and his nights were unbearable.  He jumped into his work and studies with a vengeance.  He burned the midnight oil in his quest to achieve excellence. He was able to chalk successes but the happiness that usually followed satisfaction was absent in his life. Most of his free moments were for brainstorming and he was an asset to his department and colleagues.  But he still felt that his life was empty. He was in such a brooding space when Kutorkor burst into the office.  As was the usual unladylike behaviour of hers, she proceeded to verbally insult him, accusing him of running away from his responsibilities.

”Useless man. I have heard that’s how you treat women. You hit and run,” she screamed, getting people to pull their necks out of their offices to eavesdrop on them.

Billy just stared.  He just sat at his desk and gazed at her as she vent her spleen on him. It was quite embarrassing but he felt that saying nothing was going to neutralise her outbursts but he was in for a long haul. None of his colleagues was prepared to confront her on his behalf.  They were afraid of the wrath of a Komfobaa. Some even left the office altogether for fear of being touched by any curse she might pull on Billy. Some were also glad that someone was finally putting him in his place. It really was a bad situation to be in.

It seemed to be going on forever until Mr Prosper Dorkenoo who had gone out on official duties returned to meet the unfortunate scene.

He at once got the picture of what was going on and immediately took charge.

He invited the enraged Kutorkor into his office and sat her down.

”Listen, you are not disgracing Billy but your own self. If you allow me, I’ll settle this amicably,” he said in a gentle but commanding tone of voice.

”If you want me to allow him to go scot-free then you don’t know me,” she replied in anger.

”No, I am not. I wouldn’t let anyone treat any daughter of mine wrongly and neither would I allow him to do the same to you.”

”So what do I do now?” she asked calming down.

”Do you have any record of you being pregnant?” he asked her slowly.

”I am pregnant and I don’t need any damn paper to tell you that,” she said beginning to raise her voice again.

”I can see that but for you to get justice from anywhere you go, please get the test done and we’ll move on from there,” he reasoned with her patiently, now understanding why Billy didn’t want anything to do with her.

”But where’s he? He must do something o” she said.

”Listen, even if you go to court they’ll still say what I just did. Have the test done and I’ll personally ensure that he takes full responsibility for getting you pregnant,” he said tiredly.

In the end, he got her to see things his way and even gave her money out of his own pocket for the test.

She knew instinctively that the man was trying to buy time but that didn’t disturb her in any way. She also knew that a piece of medical evidence could greatly boost her chances of getting him to do her will. It was going to be to her advantage.  It didn’t surprise her that Billy was no longer at his desk when she was leaving.

”Naniama. You think it’s every hole that you can enter for free,” she said to the hearing of all.

She got to the hospital and the first place she visited was Dr Nat’s office. She told him why she was there and he asked her to wait while he finished the report he was writing. He had always treated her with respect and made her laugh with his outrageous puns whenever they spoke on phone.

Akos, had become quite close to the doctor and always found time to chat with him. She breezed into his office and had the shock of her life. Sitting comfortably in the office as if she had no care in the world was the witch who had abducted Billy from her. She had a suspicion that the woman was evil. She stared at Kutorkor with her mouth opened with shock and did an about-turn and left the office.

Kutorkor smiled secretly to herself but Dr Nat who knew how presumptuous Akos could be shook his head and went on with what he was writing.

Mary was also at the hospital.  The boys were not feeling well and she had gone to the hospital with the help of Safoa who carried one of the twins for her.

The twins who had hit the ground running at birth with their vibrancy are now being sickly in recent times and their grandmother had suggested it could be due to the absence of their father. Mary shrugged always with indifference whenever her mother made that statement, regarding it as an old wife’s tale.

She felt it was purely a medical issue so she had sought the help of Safoa who fortunately was in town to help take them to the hospital.

They arrived at the hospital’s OPD and joined the queue.  She had earlier called Dr Nat but without waiting for her to state what the problem was, had told her that he was getting ready for surgery and therefore couldn’t talk.

”I’ll see him later,” she resolved.

The weather was hot and humid, as they waited in the crowdy and noisy hospital hall. Her thoughts went to Billy and what might have been.  Billy would have jumped at the chance to go with her to the hospital. She thought as she rocked the baby in her arms. She saw that Safoa was doing the same with the one in hers too.

Suddenly,  she heard a collective gasp from the waiting patients and noticed a commotion at the far end that led to the wards.

She saw Akos,  a nurse, throwing her arms wildly but angrily. She couldn’t decipher what was going on but the lady seemed to be highly agitated.

”This nurse seems to be full of drama,” she said to herself as she recollected what happened the other day when that same nurse accused someone of kidnapping or something. If she had known that it could be connected to Kutorkor,  and by extension Billy,  she would have sat up but she looked on with disinterest.  She had her own problems as it were.

And then she saw them. She gaped. If Kutorkor had not stumbled, thereby drawing attention to herself she wouldn’t have seen them. But she did and saw Dr Nat, who was with her, stop to hold her up. She saw him pat her gently on the arm and with her arm in his, they vanished into the hallway that led to the lab.

Safoa looked at them with disbelief.

”So this woman has brought her evil things to this place too,” she murmured to herself as she noted the stunned look on Mary’s face.

”She’s so shameless.  Without scruples,” she said fuming with annoyance.

***

As with every mother,  they took care of their offspring and Maame Konadu was no different.

She knew that Mary was making a serious mistake by pushing Billy away but she, after frail attempts to get her to rethink her decision,  decided to let her be.

”Those two are meant to be whether they like it or not,” Father Samuel told her when she complained to him about her daughter’s mistakes.

”The battle is the Lord’s. We are not dealing with the flesh alone but with spirits and principalities. Pray unceasingly and everything would be okay,” he told her in conclusion.

She was calmed.

Regarding her talks with Billy, it had always been painful. She saw the heartache he was experiencing and felt compassion for him. She also felt somehow responsible as Mary was her daughter but it sometimes felt as if he was more of her blood than Mary due to the way they felt comfortable in each other’s presence.

***

THAT NIGHT

Kofi was not exactly happy with the way things had panned out.

All the Bush Allowances he had envisioned he was going to have in the village had proved to be elusive.  In fact, they seemed to be non-existent.

The only prospect he had found was Kutorkor.  She had come to him dressed provocatively,  and her behaviour was one of enticing intent. It was as if she was trying to get him to sleep with her.

He had become excited at the prospect. He was eager to see why Billy chose her in the first place. She with suggestive remarks had gotten him to give her all the information she needed on Billy. Directions to the Town Office,  his home and even that of Mary’s. After he had told her all she sought,  she had thanked him gushingly,  with gratitude and had embraced him, kissing him deeply.  She pushed him away when she saw him getting aroused.

”Thank you so much, Bro. Kofi. I will properly thank you when I return from my trip to town,” she had said leaving him in no doubt that she was going to give him a tumble in the hay on her return.

”Well, a beggar has no choice” he said to himself as he envisioned the day of her return with a smile pasted on her face ”mpadua bɛkasa”

That same night, Safoa could barely sleep. The bed was comfortable and her room was cool and airy but her mind was troubled.  She was aghast at the impunity with which the Komfobaa was wrecking havoc on people’s lives.

First, it was Billy who fell into her clutches,  then it was Amerley and herself. Now it seemed she had gone urban with her evil plans and Dr Nat and Mary were the targets of her web of evil.

”This will have to stop. She must be stopped,” she said and succumbed to sleep.

At the crack of dawn, she got up and went to Mantsekrom to do what she felt she should have done a long time ago.

Enough was enough.

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