Money Over Love Episode 9
© Jones Kwesi Tagbor
“But why did you ask?” He asked. “Sorry sir I just asked.” He took me round the land showing me the boundary I should work to. “Sir you said if I finish with the work I should see you. Please can you tell me the other work you have for me?” I asked with a very respectful voice. “Yeah. But what do you do for living?” He asked speaking this American English. I equally replied with my broken English which one needs to pay close attention to before he/she could understand. “Am not doing anything at the moment Sir. All I do is to work for people just like am doing for you.” “OK so where do you stay before coming to work here?” He asked.
“I don’t have a place sir, I do sleep in the uncompleted house there” pointing at an uncomplicated building in a distance. He looked surprised. I told him it will take us days for me to finish telling him about my past so he shouldn’t worry himself asking. I know if I should tell him more, I will end up exposing myself as the owner of Vero’s pregnancy so I wasn’t even ready to answer further questions.
“I’m based in America and want someone to be taking care of my daddy’s house. Of late, thieves have been disturbing the house because he normally doesn’t stay home.” He said to me. “Sir am very ready to do it.” I said. There is this interesting phenomenon in life; When one door closes, quickly another opens or a gate will open for you. That is why we need not dwell too much on our past and it’s troubles. Even God forgets your past when you come to Him so why should you burden yourself with things of yesterday? Yesterday is gone and won’t come again so focus on today and make a better use of it. After all is there not a saying that “forward ever and backward never”?. “All this while I didn’t ask of your name. What’s your name?” He asked.
I mentioned Agbanavor to him because I was wondering if they mentioned Makafui to him as the person who impregnated Vero. “OK speed up with the work and meet me later. Another man was added to me in order to finish up early so the work was almost finished when we started our conversation. Two days later, I finished with my part of the work. The foreman came to pay us and said he will need our services again so we shouldn’t go far. The American guy came to inspect the progress on the work and after, I informed him that I was ready for the job we spoke of. He asked me to join him in his car so that we go. My first time of sitting in a private car. I opened the passengers door and quickly closed it. I got frightened at first when that cold air blew on me. “boss please do you have ice block in the car? Inside is very cold.” I asked. He laughed uncontrollably and said no and told me it was AC. He then explained what the AC does. You can’t blame me oo. I was a village boy so you should understand. Some of you out there were once like me and had such experiences but you are laughing at me now because yours wasn’t revealed. Something mysterious happened on our way to the house.
It was just the two of us in the car and it was about 5pm. Suddenly, another vehicle overtook us and all we noticed was they opened fire on us. One guy with a mask on his face shot at our car but fortunately for us, the bullet penetrated the windscreen and passed in-between us. There was no other car following us too. They made a sign for us to stop. My boss stopped the car and packed. Two men with mask came out of the car with pistols and said we should bring everything we had. I just noticed these guys were robbers. My boss took his bag out and gave it to them. One of them collected the bag and wanted to check if there was money in it. He placed his pistol in his trousers and left the handle. I remembered my days with my gangs way back in my village. Some of our skills just flashed into my mind. I kicked the pistol in the hand of the other guy and pointed it at him. The one with the bag wanted to take his and instinctively, I shot him on the chest. He left the bag and fell to the ground.
Quickly my boss called the Police and in no time, they were around. They rushed the injured robber to the hospital and handcuff the other one to the Police Station. We followed them to the station and my boss was made to write a statement. He thanked me for saving him and getting his money for him. The other guy was locked in the cell and we were told to come back later because they will be preparing them for court. The Police asked my boss to leave his car at the station for investigation so we went home with a Taxi.
Boss: my guy, you have done very well. With what you have done now, I am not employing you as a houseboy but as the care taker of the house. You will have access to a fully furnished room and a car. Because I will be going back to America very soon, you will be supervising my building project for me as well.
Me: Boss, thank you very much. God bless you for this kind gesture shown to me. You don’t even know me well but you trusted me just like that.
Boss: You see, there were two things involved. It was either I was dead by now or you were dead after those guys shot at us. If you were to die, I would have blamed myself for your death because I asked you to follow me. Now the robbers would have taken all my money away and even the car. So as a form of appreciation, I decided to honour you with the privileges I’ve just given you.
Me: Thank you very much. I pray you get a woman of your choice to marry.
Boss: Amen Agbanavor. This is one of my reasons for coming back to Ghana. I had a girlfriend before leaving to America. Now that am ready to get married to her, my father is of the view that he doesn’t like that tribe and also the lady was not educated. I agreed with him on the basis of she not been educated because per my standard, I need an educated woman. He recommended Vero to me but that was the news I was welcomed with. She is pregnant for another guy. Am just wondering why they want their pregnant daughter to get married to me.
Me: hmm boss don’t worry. You will get what you want. The robbery case was called. Very unfortunately, the guy who received the gunshot couldn’t survive. He died a week after the incident. The second guy was charged to pay for damages caused the car, attempted murder and robbery. He was to serve a jail term of 35years. Well, I felt bad for the one who died but on a second thought, what would have happen to any of us should his bullet hit any of us? It serves him right. I didn’t attend school, but am able to fight for my life and hustle to make a living. Why should today’s youth feel too lazy to work? All they need is quick money. They will always tell you there is no job available so government should create jobs for them. I pity them. There are lot of jobs around us but we feel too big to do them. If you ask someone selling sachet of water and ask him what work is he/she doing? The response is there is no work so this is what am doing for a living. What shows that what you are doing is no work? Look the fingers are not the same oo. Some are longer than the others and in the same way, we cannot all do white color jobs. Some of us must sell, others must serve others and many more. Remember, all animals are equal but some are more equal than others. That is just a food for thought.
Some few weeks later, my boss decided to do some shopping at the Accra mall. We traveled all the way from Tema to Accra for shopping. Mistakenly, my boss was receiving a phone call and crushed with this beautiful lady who was carrying a basket full of provisions. “Oh sorry dear. I was on the phone so I didn’t see you coming.” My boss apologized to the lady and helped her pick the things that fell on the floor. “Oh don’t worry. I should rather be saying sorry because I should have used the other lane when I saw you coming.” the lady said. The way the lady responded showed how well cultured she was. She never took any quarrels with my boss.
The way my boss started looking at this lady was suggesting something to me. “Do I know you from somewhere?” My boss asked looking marveled. “Is this not Faustina?” He asked. “Yes am Faustina. How do you manage to know my name?” She asked. “Hmm this world is a small place. Am Charles your boyfriend way back in secondary school. “Oh my God! Charles!! Hmm so this is how the world is. After getting what you want from me, you vanished into space.” The lady said. “Dear that was not it. I traveled small and since I came, I’ve been searching for you. I don’t even have your number. Please let’s go and get somewhere to sit.” my boss said to her. He paid for all that she bought and together we moved to a restaurant around the mall. I gave them some privacy and from look of things, the two love birds were agreeing to each other. When they finished, my boss introduced her to me as the person he told me about. “Sis Faustina it’s nice meeting you.” I said to her. They planned a date and my boss gave her a lift to a bus stop where she took a taxi home. On our way back home, my boss was very excited. He said the lady was able to further her education when he left the country so she was now a teacher. I was happy for him.
In vero’s house.
Daddy was able to convince Vero to accept marriage to my boss. He said I was gone so it will be better she agrees to marry my boss so that she doesn’t remain a single mother. Because she search for me for long, she came to terms with her father. Due to this, Vero’s father decided to come and beg my boss so that they can have the marriage ceremony. My bosses father was also around one afternoon when the car horn blew at the gate. I rushed to open and behold, it was Vero’s father. He was surprised seeing me.
Vero’s father: heer! What are you doing here you bustard ?
Me:Sir please I won’t allow you to insult me. Who the hell do you think you are?
Vero’s father: what? You are insulting me?
My boss called and asked what was happening. “Nothing sir, this man is just trying to be difficult.” I said to him. Vero’s father warned me to stay out of his way.
“Oh Mr Charles you are home. Don’t mind your gate man. He was preventing me from seeing you.” Vero’s father reported. “Sorry about that. Come inside.” Mr Charles who happens to be my boss asked him in. His father also came out to welcome him as they sat down to chat. They exchanged pleasantries and asked why he was around. “Am here because of my daughter. Actually, she was not very mentally sound the last time you came to meet her. She has now agreed to marry your son; Charles.” He said. Charles never allowed him to land when he interrupted.
Charles: sorry to disappoint you sir. I’ve already found another lady. It’s just that am yet to tell my father the good news. If you care to know her name is Faustina. She is equally beautiful as your daughter but she is not pregnant. I will advise you go and look for the father of your daughters pregnancy so that they get married. Your daughter loves the person that was why she told me directly that she was pregnant for someone. ”
Vero’s father was worried.
Charles father: Eerm my good friend, I know you want the best for your daughter. I equally want the best for my son. Let’s allow them to make their own choice.
Vero’s father: this bustard has made me turn into a laughing stock. Hmm
He took his car keys from the side table and without saying anything further, he dashed out of the room. This man was moving towards me when he came out. I stood firm waiting to face him squarely.
