The Capo: Cobby Grant: Episode 3

”Is Dr Ursula your friend?” Kofi asked Yoofi,  as he sipped his gin from a tumbler.

They had met by accident at the Club House Yoofi belonged to and they had sat down at the same table to chat.

”Actually, she’s my cousin. Do you like her?” Yoofi asked.

”I adore her but I guess she sees nothing in me,” Kofi replied,  looking serious.

”Did you touch her when she was examining you?” he enquired but couldn’t quite keep the amusement he felt from his expression.

”I just don’t know what came over me. I couldn’t resist the sudden urge to feel her,” he said with shame and regret.

Yoofi laughed uproariously to the chagrin of Kofi who was feeling as if he had burnt his bridges as far as Ursula was concerned. Yoofi saw the look on Kofi’s face and patted him on the shoulder in a comforting gesture.

”Oh oh. Speak of the devil,” Yoofi said as he was the one facing the entrance.

Kofi stiffened involuntarily and swivelled around to face Ursula who had seen and gotten to where they were sitting.

She greeted them civilly enough and they replied courteously.

Kofi Aboabo suddenly was tongue-tied and excused himself lamely that he had an appointment somewhere but Yoofi knew that he left because of the presence of Ursula but he understood him.

”I didn’t know you guys were this close,” Ursula said when her drink arrived.

”We are not that close. But we both attended the same university.  He’s a charming fellow and a husband material too,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

”He may be a charming fellow and all that but who says I am looking for a material,  husband or whatever,” she said lightly and poked him in the chest with her forefinger.

”Ouch. Is this what you are going to keep doing to your groom’s best man?” he said teasing her.

The conversation shifted to business and other personal matters. They had always been very close.

”How’s your dad? It’s been such a long time since I saw him,” he asked of his uncle.

”He’s fine, but has stopped asking of you since he feels you have been avoiding him,” she said as if she didn’t know that it was her father’s constant criticism of his relationship status which had pushed him away.

”Tell him I’ll visit soon,” he said half-heartedly.

”Good,” she said triumphantly ”Friday is his birthday and the party starts at 6:00 pm.

”Okay. I’ll be there,” he said and smiled fondly at her. ”I must leave now. Have some business at the ports.”

”See you later then. And don’t forget to bring Kofi to the party,” she said and smiled,  enjoying his puzzled look.

He only looked at her for a long minute, his mouth open with surprise and left with a shake of the head.

***

It was Friday and Rose was in two minds on what to do as far as the threats were concerned.

”Which evil mind could be behind this?” she thought as she turned the note over and over, read and reread it. Her low confidence in the abilities of the police prevented her from reporting the incident.

She was uneasy about the fact that she could have unjustifiably accused Mr Yoofi of being behind the ambush to fain her attention.

”Oh God.  What is happening?  Could I have been wrong about him?”

She was afraid and every little sound made her jump. She reasoned that if indeed Yoofi was not responsible for the happenings,  who then could be responsible and what exactly could be the motive behind them? She knew she hadn’t stepped on any toes so she had no idea who could be behind them.

Her only resolve now was to be very careful.

She spent most of the day at home, writing and editing the write-up and didn’t notice how fast the hours went until she noticed that the lights were in the street and her neighbours’ homes outside.

As she got up lazily to prepare supper, she heard the frantic steps of Pam as she ran into the house which was so unlike her considering the fact that she had always been so brave and self-assured even though she was a bit of a drama queen and loved to catwalk at every little opportunity she got.

”Hey, sis. what’s after you?” she asked,  trying to tease her a bit until she noticed how ashen her face was.

”A man,” Pam said in a voice that quivered with fright. ”A man outside. He warned me to advise you to stop writing the article if I wanted you alive.”

”Whaaat. Where’s he?” Rose asked, equally afraid as her beloved sister. What if she had been harmed? She thought and slumped into a chair, her hands hugging her own body.

”He drove away as soon as he gave me the message,” Pam said still trembling.

The two siblings might have had disagreements but there’s absolutely no doubt about the love they had for each other.  They always found ways to make sacrifices to enable each other realize their dreams.

”Oh God,  what would I have done if that man had harmed you in any way? To think that I was in here all alone as he waited outside.”

Pam in answer to that, went to her and wrapped her arms around her elder sister.

”Does it mean that the man you confronted isn’t the culprit?” Pam asked shakily her voice exposing how jittery she was feeling.

”Who?” Rose asked,  confused.

”Silly,” Pam said, half serious. ”Jackie Chan. The man who beat the men for you.”

”Oh him. I think I need his forgiveness.”

”You must go and apologize to him,” Pam said with asperity. ”I don’t want my future brother-in-law to be mad at us o.”

Rose stared at her sister starkly,  unable to, for once come out with an appropriate response to that rather outrageous statement.

She shrugged and got up, intending to go and continue with the cooking,  her whole posture bespoke of defeat.

She was also angry about her sister’s ‘brother-in-law’ comment. She didn’t even know or like the damn man. She paused in the doorway to the kitchen and spoke to her sister.

”If you want your supper quickly you must come and help me,” she said quietly.

”I don’t think I can. I am traumatized so I need to be cared for. I was almost killed by that criminal, remember?” Pam replied,  looking at her manicured fingernails.

Rose turned away in anger to get supper ready for both of them.

”I think I should go and get some milk at the supermarket for tomorrow’s breakfast,” Rose suddenly said when they were long done with supper and were sitting in the living room each occupied with her own thoughts.

”I’ll go with you,” Pam said at once, afraid to be alone in the big house.

Rose looked back at her, miffed.  She was only using milk as an excuse to get out of the house.  She wanted to reflect on all that had been happening but being in the house was suffocating her. The danger she had inadvertently dragged herself into was tearing her innards apart.

”Please Rose, I can’t be in the house alone,” Pam beseeched her when she saw her sister’s posture and could be on the verge of refusing her request.

”Let’s go,” she said, picked up her purse, and car keys and left closely followed by Pam.

With Pam in attendance, she had no choice but to veer over to the shopping mall to get milk and other groceries.

She even had to adhere to Pam’s insistence that they watch a movie before going home. None of them was in haste to get back to the house.  Who knows which dangerous criminal could be lurking around.

It was at 8:30 pm, midway through the boring movie they were watching when Rose asserted her authority and insisted they leave. Pam grudgingly agreed.

”So what are we going to do at home? You have no boyfriend, no husband and no cat. What are you going home to?” Pam said trying to needle her sister.

Rose chose to ignore her and concentrated on driving along the last stretch that led to the house.

It was the bonfire at the end of the road that alerted them that something wasn’t right. And it was when they got home that they shockingly saw that their home was on fire.

Rose frantically applied the brakes and jerked to a stop. She flew out of the car intending to go into the house but was restrained from doing so by bystanders.  As for Pam, all she could do was watch and wail her heart out. Rose continued to struggle and it was only when the roof caved in that her strength ran out and she slumped onto the bare ground,  as silent tears ran down her face.

Just then the fire tenders wailing sirens were heard as they rounded the corner to attend to the burning house which was already gutted beyond recognition.

Everything was gone and all that the firemen did was put out the fire before it spread to the nearby houses. The inferno was soon brought under control and the siblings,  arms wrapped around each other, and with their neighbours watching with pitiable faces at them stared dazedly at the only home they knew. Only a shell of a house remained standing, blackened beyond recognition but they couldn’t seem to be able to drag their eyes away from it.

”We smelt gas from the house and when my husband went around to investigate, there was an explosion and the house went up in flames.” they heard their neighbour, the wife of a retired army Captain explain to onlookers.

Rose went into the gutted house where the firemen were spraying water unto any smoke they saw.

”Madam do you store petrol in the house?” a senior fire officer asked them.

”No,” Rose replied but she understood the question because the whole place was reeking of petrol.

”It could be arson then,” the officer said and walked away after imploring them to get out of their way because they needed to find out the actual cause of the fire.

***

Yoofi was angry, to say the least. He had agreed to meet up with Kofi Aboabo at the Club and go to his uncle’s birthday party but he hadn’t put in the promised appearance yet. Despite the repeated reassurances by Kofi that he was on his way, he hadn’t arrived yet. He was so fed up that he was contemplating leaving alone. They weren’t even close friends but he had promised Ursula that he was going to bring him along, otherwise, he would have had no compunction about going without him.

He was about to leave anyway when an all-smiling Kofi drove in wearing a shiny 3 piece suit and smelling like a perfume bottle. Yoofi himself was wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt.

”Let’s go party,” Kofi said all smiles,  with no offer of apologies.

Yoofi, when he was about to go into his car, saw two grim-faced ladies approaching.

”Mr Baiden, good evening,” Pam greeted timidly and went on when he nodded his reply. ”Can we talk to you about something of utmost importance?” 

Yoofi saw the other woman twiddling with her fingers looking lost. She looked familiar.

”I am so sorry. I am going to a party and we are already late. Can I take your number and talk to you later?”

”Please sir” the silent one spoke at last. ”We can go with you and talk whenever you are free. If that’s okay with you.”

He wanted to insist they talk later.

”Why not. Of course, you can go with us. The more, the merrier,” Kofi said and elbowed Yoofi slightly in the ribs.

Yoofi had no choice but to accept. He felt outvoted.

Both ladies followed him to his car

”Hey,  one of you should join me,” Kofi protested when he saw them getting into the Benz.

” Sorry, Last Killer. We ride with Jackie Chan,” Pam said and joined her sister who was already sitting in the car.

The party was in full swing when they arrived. Ursula who had been trying to keep the party going with an unceasing flow of food and drinks smiled with relief when she saw her beloved cousin enter with Kofi Aboabo and two ladies.

Yoofi, when he saw that his entourage was comfortably seated and served, went to the birthday man to offer his best wishes and to present the toy car he knew the old man was going to really appreciate.

”Thank you, my son” his uncle said in his usual lazy drawl. ”I have always wished you were going to marry my daughter but seeing how she’s dancing with your friend,  I do not doubt that God has taken a stand in the situation. Please endeavour to protect my little girl in all situations. I know how close you two are.”

You don’t have to worry Uncle. I will never let anything bad happen to her,” Yoofi said as he watched the way Ursula was dragging Kofi around the dance floor.

He turned to the adorable but cranky old man with a smile,  wished him a happy birthday once more and excused himself to rejoin his friends.

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