Corruption – Episode 8
Corruption – Episode 8
© Akoto Alexander
Twum Boafo: Junior you are here!!! Don’t take matters into your hands and fight battles that aren’t yours or bigger than you. I loved the way you stood to your feet to challenge your mother when she was overstepping her boundary but I want to throw this free advice to you my son, when you know how to fight your battles, the Lord doesn’t intervene on you behalf. Your mom has suddenly turned into a total stranger that I don’t know any longer but I believe with time she will change. I presume she is now getting acclamatized to the power system over here. Even our phone’s are not getting proper network here unless you comb some part of this village before you get one or two bars of network on the phone. Junior am so sorry for putting you guys into such a mess, I shouldn’t have involved myself in that shady deal in the first place.
Junior: Dad it is past and gone, we can only learn from the past and our mistakes. My teacher use to say life has no manual, it only has lessons and if there is no mistake there is no correction. Thanks for putting me in my rightful position when I went wrong, I promise never to repeat that behaviour again.
Twum Boafo: Apology well accepted my boy, indeed you have the same qualities like me and I am proud of you my son. I will do everything I can to see you through your education and even if I have to shine shoe or do mason work to get you through your education I swear I will do that. For now I will enroll you in the village school over here so that you can continue to get book knowledge to what you have already acquired. I know it’s below your standard but please endure it for me for now.
Junior: Daddy don’t worry, I will adjust and adapt very soon. There is no need for you to get worried at that because I know what you are capable of doing when you have the means, those school children should get ready because I am going to bring a lot of academic rivary to them.
Twum Boafo: That is my boy and the really son of me, you remind me just of my youthful stage. I never backed down any pressure that was thrown to me, they say if limes are thrown to you, the best you can do is to prepare lemonade. Who is making noise by this time of the day? (Junior and his dad trace the sound and realises who was behind it)
Junior: Daddy is the town crier from the palace and seems he has a message for the villagers.
Twum Boafo: Yes my son, keep mute and let’s listen to him.
Town Crier: (hits the metal in his hand twice then speaks) Good people of this village, greetings from the palace. Nana and his elders spat into my mouth to deliver this message to every inhabitant of this village. As you already know every 7 years before we celebrate the yam festival, a hunt for a fawn takes place by the children(boys) of this village between the ages of 12 to 17years. This year, Nana and his elders have decided to reward the person who brings home the fawn with 5 plots of land and a chieftancy title so parents start training your wards as to how to use the cutlass, knife, bow and arrow. The hunt takes place in 6months time so I will be coming round always to remind you of it. Thank you for your audience. (walks away)
Junior: Wooooow daddy can I please be part of the fawn hunt group?
Twum Boafo: (looks surprisingly at his son) Junior are you sure of what you just said?
Junior: Yes daddy, I want to win the ultimate price and get the bragging rights with the chieftancy title then I will give the land to you so we use it for farming.
Twum Boafo: Son sometimes you amaze me with the things you say, you are full of wisdom and you don’t act like a 13year old boy. But are you aware of the hazards involved because it’s not a day or two adventure, it takes days and there is no one in the bush who will be cooking or taking care of you there. It’s very risky out there, dangerous and wild animals are all over the place and you boys will be sleeping in the open too. Beside you don’t know how to use the bow and arrow which will be a protective tool for you.
Junior: (stands up and hits his chest) Daddy have you forgotten I am a Twum Boafo? Anyone who bears that name is brave, courageous and intelligent. We don’t give up, get intimidated easily, back out or even quit. We fight with all our might and strength until victory is ours. We give our maximum best and we don’t settle for less. Yes I don’t know how to use the bow and arrow but you will teach me and I am willing to learn how to use it very fast so I go in there and catch the fawn before the festival commends.
Twum Boafo: Indeed you are my son and know one could bring you to the world except me. My blood runs through your vain and I am very proud of you but you know your mom will never allow her only son to go and sleep in the bush for days without any food, proper protection or roof over your head. For me I don’t have a problem because the land we are occupying now was given to me some 40years ago when I brought the fawn home. Oh this conversation has brought sweet memories back into my head, I remember everything that happened vividly as if it was just yesterday that things happened.
Junior: But daddy you have the final say in this house so why will Mom be the problem here?
Mrs Twum Boafo: Is good your father is aware that I won’t give my consent and neither will I approve of the nonsense going through your head. If you care to know, I won’t allow my only son to gamble with his own life and face the risk of having a wild animal feast on you or even suffer a snake bite. The earlier you delete that nonsense virus that has attacked your thinking cap, the better for all of us. Ah if you want to engage yourself in an proper competition then is it going to be for some plots of land in a village where car comes here once a while and have a poor communication network? Let me hear you making that foolish appeal and you will see, I will ki*ll you myself rather than losing you to to some stupid animal. But for you Kwame Boafo I won’t tell you anything, your son is thinking of committing suicide by engaging himself in a foolish and deadly adventure and instead of rebuking that nonsense from his head, you are there giving him stupid hopes with your miserable past. Do you think those days are still as now that we are in the 21st century? If you think the two of you can take me to my early grave then am sorry to disappoint you, I will face you boot for boot and tooth for tooth. (release a very loud hiss and walks away)
Junior: Daddy are you going to hid to what mom said? If you don’t allow me to go for this hunt I will go without your blessing.
Twum Boafo: Son don’t try anything stupid, your mom is right in a way because you were raised in the city and you don’t know how things are done in this village. I know you are going to say some other people are going to go with you into the forest but trust me son, when you get into the forest it is each one for himself, God for us all affair. No one at that place will sacrifice his life for you when you are in danger or been attacked by any wild animal, also at some point you will have to go seperate ways in the bush for your quest to hunt the fawn down.
Junior: Daddy my mind has been made up and that is what I will do. Please I will like you to start teaching me how to hunt and how to use the bow and arrow. Please don’t say no to my humble request because I want to make history in this village which will be told for years. I want it to be told that once upon a time, a boy from the city came to do the village with his parent and ended up winning a hunting competition.
Twum Boafo: I have heard you my son, the die hard spirit in you will take you far and from tomorrow I will start teaching you how to hunt and how to use the bow and arrow. Now go inside and eat your food.
Fast Forward:
The ministers who were appointed by the president went through the vetting successfully and are now working as minister with their deputies whose name were given out later. Today for the first time, the president will be visiting the parliament to read his first State of the Nation Address to the Parliamentarians and the whole country. The hopes of the good people of Ghana are very high and they are expecting the president to capture a lot of things in his speech.
TV Anchor: Cherished viewers today as we already know, the President will for the first time after his swearing in will visit the Parliament House to address or read his first State of the Nation Address to the good people of this country. I know almost every Ghanaian is in the expectant mood and hoping to hear good things from the president. As at now my colleague for Parliamentary and Presidential Affairs, Kofi Dumor is at the Parliament House and he will be the one to break things down for us. You can see on the screen that members of Parliament have started trooping in with most of them dressed in African textiles. Also my other colleagues have been spread through town to get the views of citizens who are going about doing their daily activities. Now I will hand over to Kofi, if you can hear me.
Kofi Dumor: Yes I can hear you Wendy, as you rightly said, some members of Parliament both for the minority and majority have already walked in into the inner chamber of the house. If you can hear the sound from the back, the Speaker of Parliament just drove in and I am reliably informed that the vice president and the president will be here in no time. One thing that I have realised about our president is that, he is very time conscious and he doesn’t entertain any form of lateness and excuses…..
TV Anchor: (cuts in) Kofi please have you been able to speak with any of the Parliamentarians?
Kofi Dumor: Yes Wendy, I have spoken with a lot of them off camera. Some minutes ago I spoke with Hon. Kofi Diawuo, member of Parliament for the Bono South Constituency, he said his hopes is very high and he knows the president will deliver a good nation address. Also I spoke with MP for Ho West Constituency, Hon. Adofo of the leading opposition party and he says he will reserve his comments for now until the president is done with his nation address. The majority leader Hon. Ayittey Tettey said he knows the president will deliver an outstanding nation address this morning. The former president came earlier on but I couldn’t get the chance to speak to him but I want to promise our cherished viewers that I will do my best to interview the former president before he leaves this premises.
Wendy am seeing the convoy of the vice president drive in, I presume the president will join us any moment from now. I will move from the corridor of the Parliament House and join the other people at the entrance of the building as I see some pretty ladies in Kente dancing to the Fontonfrom drums that a been played here. Indeed Ghana is blessed with a very rich culture and I am always proud to call myself a Ghanaian. Wendy am seeing the presidential equestrian ride and yes the man of the moment is in, the customized Kantanka SUV with the coat of arms has just taxied in and any moment from now the president will step out and oh my God, the first lady just got down from the car looking splendid in her rich Kente dress. The first gentleman is out now and he is also in the same Kente the first lady is wearing but for him it has been sown into a tuxedo and the president is looking smashing and handsome as always. He has now moved to the presidential diaz where the national anthem will be played and the president will inspect the guards on duty in a short parade then from there he will move straight into the inner chamber of the house where the order of the day will be served.
Back at the Village:
Twum Boafo: Junior hurry up so that we get home, I don’t want to miss a second of the State of the Nation Address the radio will brocast.
Junior: Daddy why are you always close to the radio listening to news and some political talk shows.
Twum Boafo: Son in life everything we do is politics related, you wore a black dress today instead of a white dress, that is politics. You drunk porridge instead of the banku in the kitchen, again that was politics but we only limit it to elections and voting. I only do that to get abreast with the current affairs and things that a trending in the country and the world at large. Today you did well with you bow and arrow lessons. You see that place where I pointed to you when we were coming back, that was the place I caught my fawn when I joined some 72 other boys to hunt for the fawn competition. My late father your grandfather gave me that clue that, that very place is a sacred place and the doe (female deer) likes to give birth there but that place is also a place where reptiles like snake also rest. Don’t be scared my son, you will make it successfully.
Back at the City:
In a public transport:
Passenger 1: Driver please can you change the channel so I listen to the State of the Nation Address delivered by the president.
Conductor: You passengers you like that too much, when you come and sit in the car you like to control us too much. I spent money to go and download the songs the driver is playing and now my favourite song I know my level by Shatta Wale is playing.
Passenger 2: Of course you know your level and your level is to be a conductor. You spent money to go and download some songs which are senseless and full of profane words meanwhile your armpit is smelling like the refuse dump and you won’t go and buy lime or deodorant to curb down that body odour and you are there talking nonsene. Do me a favour and bring your hand down because I am really suffering here.
Conductor: Old woman respect yourself oooo, if you insult me I will beat you red, blue and black.
Passenger 2: (raises her voice) You are jokingly joking youngman, try that nonsense and I will let me grandchildren chase you out of town. If you haven’t heard of me go to James town, Chorkor and Arena and ask of Naa Atwei and they will tell you my story. f****ng boy with a smelling armpit and a bad attitude. I blame myself for not allowing my grandson to go and drop me rather as he offered to drive me this morning.
Conductor: Old woman if you tell me my armpit is smelling again I will…..
Passenger 3: (cuts in from behind) You will what? Try lifting your finger or you voice on the old woman and I will personal take it upon myself and beat you in a manner that no one in your miserable life has ever done to you.
The conductor turns his back to reply the person who just spoke but swallowed his words immediately…………..
Who could be this person that shut the conductor up all of a sudden?
Is Twum Boafo doing the right thing by allowing his only son to join the hunt team?
Do you see the president on the right track as he is about to deliver his first State of the Nation Address?
Let’s continue to interact as the story unfolds gradually on how things are going.
To be continued
