Money Over Love Episode 2
© Jones Kwesi Tagbor
All Rights Reserved
I was in my new found room one night and suddenly, I saw a man dressed in all white coming towards me. My adrenal glands started shooting profusely and gradually the image was moving towards me. There was only one entrance and that was the exact direction the image was coming from.
I was afraid but the energy to fight got activated in me and I badly wanted to fight whatever it was but on a second thought, I decided to run instead. “Don’t be afraid, am for peace my son!” echoed the voice behind the image. In a very confused manner, I stood with my hands and legs shaking like an epileptic seizure. The voice continued, “never look down upon yourself. You have greater potentials in you, rise up and start moving. On your way you will come across many things and all you need to do is to wise up and take the right decisions. Remember there are naysayers, never underate them though but never let them pull you down either. Your mission is to come back and complete what I have started.”
A dog started barking very loudly, the wind was getting more stronger and suddenly a heavy thunder strike. This was when I woke up and realized I was dreaming. I woke up in fear. The darkness was very thick to the extent that you could see a firefly from a distance. It was raining and looking at the time, it was around midnight. I sat on my mat and started thinking deep about the dream. I don’t even know much about prayers but that night, I felt the need to pray. I said “Please help me to understand this dream more oh God.” I didn’t know when I went into sleep again.
Soon it was morning. I went to the stream to take my bath and in the process, I had a playback of the dream and this time around I was getting some understanding. I had the feeling that, it was best for me to live the village to another town to get greener pastures as suggested by the voice, but the question was where should I go and by what means was I supposed to go? I asked myself.
While still thinking aloud, some ladies came in their numbers to fetch water from the stream. Among them was the lady I was planning to put to bed. She was very good looking but guys around said she was hard to get. I quickly dressed up and went closer to them. My main reason for going there was to get the attention of this lady.
Majestically and skillfully, I got to where they were. I waved at them and as usual, they gave me the fans. “Agbanavor! Agbanavor!!” I responded cheerfully. I signalled my target to come. At the moment, all her friends became quiet and matched her move towards me.
Me: “I’m Makafui but popularly known as Agbanavor which you already know. You look so bright this morning. How are you?”
“Well, am fine, but why did you call me here?” She asked.
Me: “Honestly, I wish we could get a better place to sit and discuss my reason for calling. Do you mind if I ask you to meet me around the palm wine sellers joint this afternoon?”
“Gentleman, so you can’t even respect yourself before even talking of respecting others. Looking at me do I look like a cheap girl that you can meet at a palm wine seller’s joint? Next time look for your class and go out with them. Excuse me.” She said and walked out on me.
Frustrated as I was, I couldn’t look at the direction of where her friends were. Quietly, I walked back home feeling bad. At home, I assessed myself and realized I won’t be able to get any lady should I remain in this my poor condition. “This hand to mouth life am living in this village cannot take me anywhere.” I remembered the voice telling me to rise up and move.
I then decided to work more and save some money to travel. But prior to that, I started associating myself with town boys who do smoke and chase after girls. My motive in joining these boys was that, I wanted to teach that lady who disrespected me at the river bank a lesson of a lifetime.
Initially, I thought I was becoming a big boy because people in the town were beginning to fear me also just like they used to fear the gangs. We don’t spare anyone that wronged us especially when we were high on alcohol. I have no one to point my finger to as a family so I do what I want.
My family was my friends who unfortunately were friends who had no vision. All they were interested in was what to eat for the day and how to get beautiful girls to bed. While thinking aloud one silent dawn in my room, I saw my life going back instead of moving forward from the day I joined the town boys. I had the feeling that my friends can never bring out anything good in me simply because there was no single day they brought up a productive topic for discussion.
“I think I should travel to Accra. Yes, let me travel to Accra and make my life better. Besides, the voice asked me to leave so what am I still doing here?” I said to myself.
I woke up, took my “Ghana must go” bag, picked some few dresses and around 7:30am, I was by the roadside waiting for the Accra bus. Some friends saw me and asked where I was going. I told them I wanted to check something at “up town” and come back.
While waiting for the bus, one of the food vendors that I was owing bumped on me. “Agbana where are you going?” She asked. “Eeermm Mommy, I was called for some contract at Accra so am going. I will return in three days.” Before she could say more, I’ve stopped a car leading to Accra. I hopped in and goodbye to Torve.
The fact was I don’t know the specific part of Accra I was going. I was 19 years of age by then but with bigger muscles. In the bus, there was this lady sitting beside me. She seem to be worried about something per my observation. The very unfortunate thing was that she was speaking Twi (a local language in Ghana). I wished I could ask her what her problem was but didn’t know how to go about it. I looked into her face and made a sign of a smile but she never smiled back. I felt she didn’t notice I was smiling so I waved at her this time around. She looked at me and smiled. I spoke Ewe (my native language) and greeted her. She responded and thanks be to God, she understood my language too. I asked what her problem was but she ignored that question.
The lady look rich and very beautiful. I decided to alight at wherever she will alight. Soon, she told the conductor that she would alight at the next bus stop. I asked the conductor how much it will cost me if I alight at the next bus stop. He mentioned the amount and the lady bedside me asked if I was going there too. I said yes. She said I shouldn’t worry with the fair so she will take care of it. “Madam just like that?” I asked. At every point in time, God will plant someone in your life to rescue you from destruction. But not all these people are to be there for you always. With some after their mission, they will be off. This lady was one of them.
To be continued
