Zack, Kobby and the dedicated young men who had quickly decided to make this innovation a job were now in the palace to build the new place of convenience.

Once again, Zack was meticulous and absolutely charismatic as he consulted his designs and demarcated areas of operation.

This time around there were several onlookers.

It was during a break for the workers to rest and take in some food, that Kofi Amo surreptitiously entered the palace.

The King, Prince and Princess had already come to inspect and commended Zack and his men, and as they returned to the palace Kofi Amo followed.

He asked for an audience with the Prince, who had retired to his luxurious quarters in the palace and asked his sister to find him something to eat because he did not have the appetite for the Royal Cook’s food that afternoon.

Princess Yaa was laying the table for her brother in the dining room, which was separated from the living area by rich and colourful hanging mats when she heard her brother speaking to Kofi Amo.

She was quite angry when she heard what Kofi was telling her brother.

And she knew just how volatile her brother was, and just how the news he was receiving will push him into doing something really unpleasant.

Prince Obodai was enraged.

“Is that so? This impudent cockroach of a stranger has the nerve to set my Schnapps aside and replace it with his own? He dared to do that?”

“Yes, my esteemed Prince!” Amo spoke with the humility of the greedy.

 

Princess Yaa quickly drew the mat aside and entered the room, and her eyes were blazing embers of fury as she scowled at the snitch.

“Don’t fret yourself, dear brother, or work yourself into a fury over this doomsday apostle’s words!” Princess Yaa said sweetly.

Her brother spun angrily towards her, his eyes blazing nastily.

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean, sister?”

“Simply that this man saw things and put his own interpretations to them. I personally gave a bottle of Schnapps to Zack as a gift. He told me that as much as he appreciated it, he could not accept it because he didn’t have any recollection of drinking alcohol. I told him, quite rightly so, I suppose, that to refuse a gift offered in Densua is a taboo, and he graciously accepted but made it plain to me that he will have to give it as a gift to the Medicine Man because he hasn’t been able to repay him for his kindness,” she lied smoothly. “I assured him I didn’t mind whatever he decided to do with the bottle as long as he took it. Thus, I’m tempted to say that whatever this man is saying is not as callous as it seems. It is merely a grateful patient giving a gift to the Medicine Man that healed him.”

The Prince walked up to his sister and stood looking down at her with that mean streak still lurking in the depths of his eyes.

“You wouldn’t be lying to me, would you now, sister? You know there are ways of finding out, and it will displease me exceedingly if it comes out that my own flesh and blood did tell me a lie.”

The Princess kept her eyes locked on her brother’s face, and her expression equally serious. “I have no reason to lie to you, brother.”

The Prince nodded, reached into his pocket and brought out a twenty cedi note.

“Here, Kofi Amo, take this for your troubles. I’m ready to discount the fact that my bottle of Schnapps fell and got broken in the Medicine Man’s hands. I do take my sister’s account as the truth. But keep your eyes peeled, and your ears sharp. Do let me know if something else of import happens.”

The greedy little man took the money and bowed with reverence, keeping his shamed eyes from the Princess.

“Thank you, my Lord, thank you very much! But my future communications are hampered by the fact that I now work for the stranger. Should he hear that I’ve been here and informed you of what happened, I might lose my job, and if that happens…”

The prince whirled round and delivered a back-handed slap across the hapless man’s right cheek.

“You wretched ingrate! You’re not, by any chance, accusing my sister and me of being gossips, are you now?”

Kofi Amo was trembling with fear as he knelt and prostrated before the anger of the prince.

“No, my Prince, no, please, no,” he cried fearfully.

“Then get your wretched hide out of my sight!”

Kofi Amo got up and scampered out of the room.

The Prince turned to his sister now, and his eyes were hooded.

The Princess knew she was walking on thin ice now.

A wrong word or gesture will make her brother spiral out of control with a rage he had never been able to master.

She spoke as she read his mind.

“I won’t breathe a word about this to any other person, brother.”

“Good, my sister! And, if I may ask, why did you see it fit to make a Schnapps gift to the stranger? You’re not, perchance, favouring him, are you?”

“He’s quite a fine young man, I’ll say, and quite resourceful.”

“That may indeed be so, Yaa. But remember, he is a stranger!” he said coldly. “Our ways are not his ways, and I doubt he will ever be accepted as a suitor for you. There are rumours too, that he might have been married in his other life. Watch how you tread with him, sister. Now, let me go and taste the mouth-watering food you’ve brought me.”

***

Three weeks later, when the six-user palace toilet facility was almost done, Opanyin Amoah inspected his patient’s scalp and gave a satisfied grunt.

“All healed nicely,” he said.

Zack grinnned with pleasure and clasped the man’s hand hard, his face showing his gratitude.

“You saved my life, Opanyin. I’ll never forget that. I can have a haircut now, can’t I?”

The Medicine Man nods.

“Yes. You can now, and you should. You look like a beast with all that hair on you.”

And thus, Kobby took Zack to one of the three barbers in the village.

The barber’s shop was under a huge tree, with a piece of mirror fixed within four nails hammered into the bark of a tree.

He was an old barber called Ntiamoah, and he kept chattering incessantly, but when he finally pulled the cloth from Zack’s neck and asked him to check his reflection in the mirror, Zack was quite taken aback by what he saw.

Zack peered into the mirror for a very long time.

Suddenly, as he stared at the face of the incredibly handsome young man looking back at him, a man he did not know, or had any recollection of, a great sadness spread across his face.

He had been used to the wild-haired face he saw in the mirror each day ever since he came out of that coma.

Now, with the hair amazingly cut, and with the thin moustache and a hint of beard which the barber had moulded to fit his face, he had changed drastically.

He had a lot of wild hair even before the accident, and yet people had known he was handsome. Now, however, properly groomed, tall and finely toned, he looked more like a wealthy prince.

There were other men around playing draughts and oware.

Others were also waiting to have their hair cut.

Nearby was a palm-wine stand, and there were men there drinking their heads off.

The atmosphere was therefore one of boisterous activity, vibrant talks and of hoots of laughter.

And that was when the stranger turned from surveying himself in the mirror and faced them.

And as eyes swung to him, and took in the amazing transformation, the great noise around died down slowly, and eyes stared at him with frank admiration.

“And when a man can just cut off hair and transform an ugly cockroach into a proud lion, you know then, without a doubt, that this barber is the best in the world!” Ntiamoah said with an elaborate bow.

Some of the men laughed at this, and some made jests out of it, but the majority of them still kept quiet and stared.

“How much do I owe you, Mr. Ntiamoah?” Zack asked with a smile.

“And what ‘mister’ is that? Over here we’re villagers, and we use Agya or Opanyin! Don’t bring your nonsense White Man’s tongue here. Anyway, it is on the house, my little brother!”

Zack smiled, and it dimpled his cheeks and transformed an already dazzling face into that of an ethereal creature.

“Thank you, Agya Ntiamoah. I’m most grateful!”

As they left the barber’s shop and walked rapidly towards the palace, Kobby looked really thoughtful.

His normal brashness had deserted him for a moment, and he just walked and cast furtive glances at this stranger who had almost become more of a brother.

“So, even after your haircut, you still do not remember anything?”

“Unfortunately, yes, Kobby. I hope I’ll get there soon.”

“Yes, me too, Zack, me too. For my little sister’s sake.”

They arrived on site a few minutes later and threw their efforts into the construction.

And then, getting to the end of the day, when they were packing up and preparing to leave, a palace delegation appeared around the corner. It included the King, his two children, and some elders.

Zack and the other workers stood and bowed to the king, who smiled gently and looked at Zack with frank surprise.

“Is that the clever stranger?”

“Yes, Great King of Warriors!” the linguist responded.

The king spoke with frank admiration. “What happened here, young man? You indeed look royal!”

Zack smiled gently and bowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

He did not fail to notice the sheer evil stare the Prince was giving him.

He could also see the sudden rigid stare of the Princess, who was breathing heavily and could not take her eyes off him.

“Okyeame, my great tongue,” the King began.

“Speak, oh mighty one, your servants heareth,” cried the linguist.

“Let it be known to my Zack son, and my other children who have been working on this project that I’ve made inspections, and I’m very, very, pleased with it!”

“Our esteemed stranger, our own son, as the greatest warrior the land has ever seen says, your work has been passed through fire and tested through thunder and lightning, and has stood firm. This has pleased the greatest King the universe has ever seen!” the linguist said in a flowery manner.

“Okyeame, let it be known by Your Majesty that his tongue is perfumed, and his words have gladdened the dark souls of our beings!” Kobby responded with a respectful bow.

“Nana, the Greatest, the Wisest, the most Valiant, your servants are floored by your gentle tongue!”

“Let it also be known to them, that I have decided to reward them with money, for such a great thing. Furthermore, my subjects have been making the trips deep into the forest to ease their legs because the sweet aroma of the waste of our bodies has made it impossible to construct an adequate place of convenience in the centre of the village,” the king continued. “Sometimes, some of our aged are bitten by poisonous snakes and stung by deadly scorpions! I have, therefore, decided that the stranger and his men will construct two public toilets on each end of the village so that my subjects shall be spared the horrors of the night. They will be paid adequately!”

There was great applause and a general good feeling from this announcement.

They spoke for a few minutes more and then the king and his delegation left.

The moment they disappeared around the corner, Kobby and the other workers broke into wild jubilations.

“Paid jobs, Zack! Thank you so much! We’re going to be rich!”

“If it becomes a success, and the news go around, more villages will want more! It will be a great profitable work!” Amo said gleefully.

The men were so happy, and looking at them, Zack smiled, glad that he had been able to bring happiness to them.

And just about that time, they saw another delegation coming towards them.

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