The young men showed up, and the stranger’s construction of a new toilet began the next day.

Digging the pit was hard work, but Zack turned out to be very good at what he was doing. He showed them how to angle the tools and how to stand for maximum effects.

Using his method, the young men of Densua who had come to help are amazed at how easy the pit digging was.

What would have taken about three days was achieved within the day by using his tool maximization and labour distribution methods.

He stood there with his sketches, lost in concentration, and the young men looked at him and whispered admiringly.

Kuukuwaa, who had cooked for them, moved around, offering food and water, and hearing the conversation of the young men, filled with admiration for Zack, her heart swelled as she looked at him.

He divided the pit into two, saying one part was going to be for the women, and the other for the men.

Next was the preparation of the pit, and once again Zack gave specifications and directions.

The real fun came when, on the third day, he gave the way the cement was to be used to cover the pit before the building of the enclosure over it.

He gave a systematic approach, something the young men had not ever seen and soon the news spread very quickly.

Young men who had refused to be a part of it from the onset, even though the Medicine Man promised to pay them, now wanted to join for free.

Each day people from the village came to the site to look at this new toilet that was being constructed.

The young man used some left-over iron rods the Medicine Man had to reinforce the foundation and the cover of the pit.

He allowed the cement to set, and then he moulded seats, the cement sinks for washing hands, a trough where water will be put and covered, with a cup on it, and finally the racks for towels for cleaning hands.

All these filled the people with awe.

It was indeed a thing of beauty.

No more squatting, no more scent…

The toilet had become a clean, hygienic and totally amazing place. And now the women have their section, and the men theirs.

The young men brought calabashes of palm wine and bottles of the locally brewed gin, akpeteshie and roasted rats and goat meat to the site when Zack declared the toilet completed.

They sang, chanted and praised Zack while they carry him shoulder-high and tossed him into the sky.

Kuukuwaa, standing with some other young people, watched them, laughing and telling the young men to be careful they don’t drop Zack on his head.

Opanyin Amoah, standing a few yards away, watched his daughter with a heavy heart.

His wife linked her arm with his.

“Look at her, dear. She is very happy. Have you ever seen her that happy?”

“No, I haven’t seen her that happy, my love. It is the wish of every father that his daughter will find true love, but alas, as my ancestors are alive, my heart is troubled at the direction of this love she is developing for this stranger!” he replied as he looked down at his wife with a wan smile.

 

“But why, my Lord?” Obaapa asked, troubled. “I’ve seen the way he looks at her. I can stick my neck out that he cares for her too, maybe even more than she does for him.”

“I know, my queen. But remember, he has lost his memory! When his memory comes back, he will only see Kuukuwaa as a stranger, because the real feeling of his heart will come fore, and what if, in his life we don’t know about, he loved someone else, and was even married? I see great pain for my daughter, my dear. And even if he loves her, and there is nothing in his former life to hinder them, have you considered the fact that the Prince of Densua has set his eyes on her?”

Obaapa’s face clouded over.

“The Prince is a cad, my Lord! He is not a kind man at heart, and I wonder if Kuukuwaa will ever find the happiness I’m seeing now if she marries that prince.”

Opanyin sighed heavily.

“It is in the hands of the gods, my dear, it is in the hands of the gods.”

“And don’t forget that Zack has turned out to be a very brilliant man,” Obaapa said with a broad smile. “If a man can do for faeces what he has done now, imagine what he can do for a girl he truly loves.”

This made the Medicine Man burst into fits of laughter.

“You women…no, no, no, no! Always loving the sweetest side of love,” he said amidst laughter and shook his head.

The young men approached Zack, and one of them handed him a calabash.

Another poured palm wine into it.

Suddenly Kobby stepped forward and snatched the calabash from Zack’s hand.

“Now, who gave this drink for babies to a man amongst men, to a man who, though apparently mad, because he cannot even remember his whole name, has been able to put up this wonderful house for a piece of stinking shit! Now, I say such a man deserves the drink for men!”

“Hear, hear, hear, hear…wieeeeeeeh!” the young men shouted.

Kuukuwaa, watching, shook her head slowly.

“Oh, no! I don’t think that man will be able to hold down akpeteshie!”

Kobby drank the palm wine, poured a generous amount of akpeteshie into the calabash, and gave it to Zack, who was looking at it with a sheepish grin.

“Drink, drink, drink, drink…wieeeeeeh!” the crowd chanted.

Zack raised the calabash to his lips, sucked in a mouthful, swallowed, and then he spat the rest out in a spray that bathed Kobby’s face.

Zack dropped the calabash, and he coughed and wheezed, opening his mouth wide and gasping for air, fanning his burning tongue with his hands, his eyes erupting with frantic tears as the harsh spirit burned his throat and mouth.

The laughter was great as the crowd looked at him, and even the Medicine Man laughed with real mirth as Zack pranced around.

The crowd continued to laugh as Opanyin Amoah stepped forward, rubbing some leaves together.

He stopped in front of Zack and pushed the mixture into his mouth.

“There, chew on that slowly!”

Zack’s eyes are red, but he smiled as he chewed the leaves, and as he swallowed the juice, the burning pain miraculously began to subside.

“Thank you, thank you, sir!”

He moved away from the young people and approached Kuukuwaa, who almost stopped breathing as she watched him coming toward her.

Zack stopped and smiled.

The juice from the leaves he was chewing had made his teeth green, and his tongue even greener, giving him an alien look but to Kuukuwaa, he looked extremely fetching.

The other young ladies around her were looking on with keen interest, waiting with keen anticipation.

“You’re not drunk, are you?”

“That thing… it is pure poison!” he said with a wolfish smile.

 

“You can spit out those leaves now, Zack. I’ll get you some water from the kitchen to rinse your mouth,” Kuukuwaa said, smiling beautifully.

 

Zack spat out the leaves, and his throat was fine now.

Kuukuwaa turned and, trembling a bit, headed for the kitchen.

She knew there was a lot of water on the site, and she easily could have gotten some for him, but she had sent a message.

Suddenly, not understanding what was happening, she wished to be alone with him, for a while.

She stood in front of the pot of water but made no attempt to bend and open it.

Then, she heard the door opening and knew he was there.

She waited, breath bated, and then she felt his hands on her waist, and then his arms slipped around her.

She sighed as a shiver ripped through her, and she leaned her head back against his hard chest and put her hands on his arms.

His head dropped, and his lips nuzzled her neck, his arms become tighter around her as if he wanted to push her inside him.

She felt no pain, though. She only felt safe, and had a strange hunger.

“Kuks!” he whispered.

“Oh, Zack!” she cried.

She felt his lips on her cheeks, and although her whole being screamed out for her to turn her head and receive his kiss, a sob rather escaped her lips.

“Kuks! My heart! It beats for you!”

She turned desperately in his arms with a little cry, her arms going around his neck. Then the kitchen door opened and Kobby entered. He looked at them with his head cocked to one side, and there was sadness on his face.

Kobby walked toward them, and they did not attempt to let go of each other. He faced them and looked from one to the other.

“Look, you guys can’t continue like this, you know. Do you love my sister, Zack?”

“With all my heart,” Zack replied passionately.

Kobby looked intently at Kuukuwaa. “You love him?”

Tears glistened in her eyes as she pressed her face against Zack’s.

“Love? I don’t know about love, K. I’ve never been in love, but I know this for certain, if you take this man away from my life, I can’t breathe ever again!”

Kobby sighed heavily and put a hand on Zack’s shoulder.

“Listen, man. I know you’re honest, and a good man. You haven’t tried to have your way with my sister.”

“I’ll never dishonour her,” he said passionately.

“I know, bro, but you have to do this the right way. Right now, no one has come to my Dad seeking my sister’s hand in marriage, but I hear rumours, and they’re not good rumours for the two of you.”

“What rumours, Kobby? Please don’t scare me!” Kuukuwaa said, scared.

Kobby spoke gravely.

“You already know, sis. I hear the Prince has informed his father about his interest in you. I know too, that Papa is a little scared about the way you and Zack seem to be… falling in love. He fears that Zack must have had a partner, and still may have a married partner somewhere, even with kids! So, basically, until Zack completely regains his memory, it will be a very unwise thing to fall in love with him. But, no one knows when his fucked-up memory will click, and you don’t have time because the prince can make his move anytime! I don’t see a way out of this dilemma, but you two need to speak to Papa. He’s wise. He will know what to do.”

Zack and Kuukuwaa looked at each other, and there was much pain and fear in their looks.

They heard the sudden heavy tread of footsteps outside, and all of them knew that it was Opanyin Amoah.

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