They just stared at each other.

His eyes were so clear, so penetrating, so gentle, so lovely and Kukuwa felt her breath catching with a warm glow spreading through her.

She felt pressure on her hand, looked down, and realized that their hands were intertwined. It seemed she had taken his hand without knowing it.

“Hello,” she said shyly.

A weak smile played around his lips, making his cheeks dimple, and she saw just how incredibly handsome he was.

“Am I dead?” he asked.

His voice was low and weak, but she was instantly attracted by its gentle deep resonance. It was indeed a very pleasant voice.

She smiled at him and held his hand a little tighter.

“No, you’re not dead.”

“Is this a dream?” he asked weakly.

“No, you’re not dreaming.”

“No, it must be a dream. No real woman can be as beautiful as you are,” he said and closed his eyes again.

She sat for a while looking at him, expecting him to open his eyes again, but soon his breathing normalized, and his fingers slowly relaxed on her hand.

Kuukuwaa stared at him.

“Hello. Can you hear me?”

But he could not hear her; he had slipped into oblivion again.

Just then, the door opened, and her father entered. “Are you done, my jewel?” he asked.

Kuukuwaa stood up and looked at her father. “He spoke, Papa!”

Her father nodded once and bent over the man. “We thank the good gods for that. It seems to me he will live. Call me if he wakes up again, okay!”

Kuukuwaa nodded and took out the bucket.

That night she stood in front of her mirror and looked at her reflection and she played over the words he spoke to her over and over.

No real woman can be as beautiful as you are!

Kuukuwaa smiled and shook her head.

“Silly man! Just like all the rest! Even though he is dying he still wants to impress a girl just to dip that stupid thing of his into my innocent little hole!”

She giggled and covered her lips as she was almost taken by loud gales of laughter.

But when she laid down to sleep that night, there was, strangely, a sweet smile on her face.

Three days later, Kukuuwaa came back from school in the late afternoon. It was a most tiring day. The school was going on vacation and she had to fill out a lot of report cards for her pupils and so she was quite worn out when she entered the house and saw that there were a lot of people in the yard.

Her heart gave a painful lurch as she thought for a moment that something awful had happened to the wounded man but then, she saw that most of the people present were from the palace.

She saw palace elders, kingmakers, and sub-chiefs and then she paused when she saw that the Prince of Densua, Kwame Obodai, was sitting on a beautiful chair in the middle of the courtyard, with servants holding a large royal umbrella above him. He was in a beautiful Kente cloth, and his arms, ankles and neck were adorned with gold ornaments.

When he saw Kuukuwaa, he beckoned her to come over.

Prince Obodai was not a big man. He was of medium height and a slight build, but he was quite good-looking in a dark sort of way.

Kuukuwaa approached and bowed out of courtesy, “I greet you, My Lord!”

The prince smiled warmly and his eyes appraised her with undisguised admiration.

“Kuukuwaa! The fairest maiden of them all in the land of Densua and beyond! How’re you, dear? It has been a while since I set eyes on your most wonderful beauty!”

“Thank you, My Lord! I’ve been right here. Hope you’re doing well,” she answered, still looking down at her legs as was expected.

“The gods have always favoured me with good health, my dear. It is my sister who fell in her room this afternoon and sprained her ankle. Your father, the man with the most magical hands in Densua and beyond, is attending to her.”

Oh, thank God, thank God, my patient is alright, Kuukuwaa’s heart sang.

“That is most regrettable, My Lord. I’m hoping my father will be able to bring the Princess some relief.”

Just then the room at the entrance which her father used as a consulting room of sorts opened, and Princess Yaa Pomaa Obodai stepped out.

She was just a year older than Kuukuwaa, and they had always been friends. They were schoolmates in the next village before Kuukuwaa went to the Teachers Training College and Yaa Pomaa stayed in Densua.

“Kukuu! Ei, so you don’t even visit me again!” she said happily. “I’ve really missed you!”

Once again Kuukuwaa curtsied, “Forgive me, Your Highness.”

“Oh, stop that nonsense and give me a hug, Kuuku!” the princess said with a sweet smile.

There was a huge bandage around her right ankle, and she hobbled forward and embraced her friend.

“Well, I can get used to that sight,” the Prince said, making the people around laugh politely, but when Kuukuwaa looked at him, she saw that he was quite serious, as always.

“Well, you can’t get any woman better than Kuuku to be the future queen of Densua, dearest brother!” the princess said expansively. “Apart from being the fairest, she also has a heart of gold. You should make her your wife already. I’m sure it will be a most perfect union!”

Again, there was polite laughter all around, but Kuukuwaa did not find that funny.

“And what does the revered Medicine Man of Densua think about that?” the prince asked with a level look at Kuukuwa’s father.

Kuukuwaa knew that suddenly it was all ceasing to be just joyful banter and that they were now treading on serious grounds.

Opanyin Amoah smiled and threw his hands in the air.

“Nothing will please this old heart more if the gods so wish. But of course, I’ll always do what my daughter wants, Your Majesty.”

As all eyes swung toward Kuukuwaa who suddenly felt like a fly in a spider’s web.  She knew that the prince had now trapped her quite tightly, and there seemed to be no way out.

The prince was smiling sardonically, quite aware of what he had done.

“Well now, my beautiful Kuukuwaa!” the prince said mischievously, but his eyes were very alert. “What do you say in this quite interesting matter?”

Everybody was silent now, staring at Kuukuwaa, and just as she was racking her brain for a fitting answer that will not commit her and at the same time break the ice, the scream came.

It was from the room of the wounded man.

They all turned towards the sound.

It was deep and tortured!

Kuukuwaa turned round without another word and raced to the room, dropping her bag on the floor and going to him. He was tossing quite wildly on the bed, his face drenched with sweat, his face screwed up with the pain of whatever bad dream he was having.

Kuukuwaa sat on the bed and gathered him in her arms.

He held on tightly, his eyes shut, not screaming anymore but making guttural groans deep in his throat.

“It’s okay, it’s okay! You’re fine, everything is okay!” she assured, even though she was anxious. The wounded man was a big man, and quite strong, and his arms were squeezing her quite tightly, but she did not feel pain.

She just felt so sorry for him, as it was evident that he was lost in those nightmares that were torturing his soul.

After a moment, he stopped trembling, and his grip on her relaxed.

She eased him back gently onto the bed, and she saw that his eyes were open, and he was staring at her with those wonderful eyes again.

“It is you,” he whispered.

Kuukuwaa nodded gently, and she smiled down at him as she dabbed at his hot, sweaty forehead with a handkerchief she had taken from her pocket.

“Yes, it is me.”

“My Angel. My beautiful Angel!”

Kuukuwaa’s breath stopped, absolutely perplexed by those words, knocked for six!

She bit her lower lip as his big hand came up weakly to take her hand and then she felt the sudden charge through her, and for one wild moment, she felt like throwing her arms around him and holding him tight forever.

“Who are you, stranger?” she asked in a little scared voice. “Who are you?”

“My name is Zack,” he said, closed his eyes, and drifted off again.

His hand slackened but she did not let it fall but held on to it, almost tightly.

The doorway darkened behind her, and she turned around sharply.

Her father came into the room and stared down at their intertwined hands with a slight pucker of worry on his face.

“His name is Zack!”

Her father nodded, “I know. He spoke this morning when you left for school. He’s Zack, and that’s all he remembers.”

“What?” she whispered, startled.

“You heard me. That man has lost his memory, Jewel. He doesn’t remember anything else apart from the fact that his name is Zack. He doesn’t even remember his other name. He doesn’t remember where he came from and how he even got to be in old Apakye’s car. The head injury has taken his memory!”

Kuukuwaa stared at her father, aghast.

“Oh, my dear Lord!”

“Yes! And you should be careful how you treat the prince, my dear. The way you left his question unanswered and rushed off is considered very rude, and if he had wanted, he could’ve made a big case out of it!”

Kuukuwaa shook her head numbly as it came back to her, and she moved quickly towards the door.

The door opened suddenly, and the prince came in, followed by his sister.

Kuukuwaa moved forward with remorse and bowed to him.

“Forgive me, My Lord, for leaving you so rudely!”

The prince smiled and waved a hand, but his hard eyes came to rest on the man on the bed.

“It is okay, dear Kuukuwaa!” he stated with a forced laugh. “Though I must admit, I was rather intrigued as to whose scream could make you leave me so completely.”

Kuukuwaa also forced a giggle, “No, My Lord, you must be mistaken. I was not in a rush. He has been quite a handful, you see, and we have been worried he might hurt himself if he’s left unattended to.”

The princess was bending over the wounded man now.

“My, my, my! Who’s this?” she asked in an excited voice. “Surely, I don’t remember seeing him in Densua.”

“No, my Princess. He is a stranger,” Opanyin Amoah said. “He was involved in a road accident at Cherensua. They brought him to me!”

“Oh! Yes, we heard about it. One old man lost his life if I’m not mistaken!” the princess exclaimed.

“Yes. Agya Apakye. Apparently, he gave this man a lift in his car, and unfortunately, he died.”

“Then, it appears to me that this man is cursed by the gods. Are you sure he can remain here, Honourable Medicine Man of Densua?” the prince said, laughing softly and with a cagey look on his face. “Perchance, his bad omen wouldn’t bode so good for our people.”

“I dare say he is a simple soul in need of our help, Your Majesty. As soon as he is fit to travel, I’ve no doubt he will leave.”

The prince’s eyes hardened as he forced out a false smile.

“I hope so, Honourable Amoah. But, to be on the safe side, I will ask the Royal Fetish Priest to ask the gods too. You can’t be too careful nowadays, you know.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, indeed it is so.”

The Princess was still looking at the wounded man, and there was an expression on her face that Kuukuwaa did not like at all.

“What a pity! He is indeed a most handsome man,” the princess says. “He’s fabulous, Kuuku, isn’t he?”

The prince looked sharply at Kuukuwaa, who forced out a little laugh and shook her head nonchalantly.

“He is just another patient to me, My Princess. I have no use for wounded strangers, and certainly, I have not the faintest inkling of his facial looks.”

They all laughed then, and after a few more words the Prince and his sister left the room with Kuukuwaa and her father following them to their palanquins and waved as they mount them and were raised high by the Royal Palanquin Carriers.

The moment they left the compound, Kuukuwaa turned and ran back to the room where the wounded man was lying.

Her father linked his hands behind his back and looked after her thoughtfully, and he indeed looked a trifle worried as he shambled slowly towards his room.   

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