SASABONSAM

Chapter 2

The next moment Ofori was sit on a rock beside the river and in front of him, there was Ama who was holding a ball of wet cotton wool that she was using to wipe off the blood from Ofori’s wounds. After being open to her she felt petty to him where she helped by whipping his wounds while talking, she said,

“So you’re telling me you love this girl that you are talking about.”

“Yea and she does not love me back.”

“Let me tell you something you can go through all that because of that does not mean you love her you need to now tell her.”

“But I have shown her the signs that I truly love her but she ignores. What am afraid of is to be rejected once I say it to her.”

Then Ama intentionally as she was wiping Ofori she presses a certain wound on Ofori’s forehead so heard that made Ofori exclaimed, “Ouch go easy.” After listening his story, she was ready to give him a free advice where she bang the cotton wool on the ground. Filled by anger because of his weakness she faced him face to face then with a serious look she said, “What kind of man are you.” Looking calmly Ofori responded, “The kind that I am weak and afraid to tell a lady that I love her.”

She quickly read him and noticed that the guy had also low self-esteem and to help him she had to be calm and furthermore the problem was the lady that he loved. She gently placed her hand on Ofori’s shoulder and responded calmly, “Don’t worry about that because is making you special and to me, you are not weak if you can take all that because of a lady that does not love you.”

She had some business to attend after running off her father’s grip where the next minuets guards would flow everywhere searching for her if she was not found. After the words, Ama stood faced Ofori who was still sit on the rock and said, “Don’t blame yourself and don’t give up on your life because of her. Ofori it was nice meeting you, you have been the best stranger I have ever meet.” After the words, she faced away as she walked away leaving Ofori still on the rock.

After she made a few steps away she stopped faced and shouted, “Come on, stand up and walk me that advice is not for free.” Ofori had never found a lady so nice to him ever expect his sister and mother. She had talked to him and made him for a moment forget all that was in the world forgotten about his beating he rushed to her while giggled to walk her.

As they were walking along the riverbed, Ama reached a certain sport and stopped.  Ofori stopped faced her silent and she said, “Now here is where we part ways.” Ofori immediately noticed a few distances from where they were standing they were some girls in the river. After a talk to him she deep down she concluded that the guy was a good guy but with low self-esteem. She noticed where he glued to and continued,

 “Yes am going there and you know going there is a taboo.”

“After my mother and sister, you are the nicest person I have ever met.”

Ama stared at Ofori which was odd to him, wanting to break the moment he asked, “Are you still listening to me?” suddenly Ofori heard a tap on the backside of his shoulder. He reacted by turning back, and noticed that she was not gazing at him. He was a fool to think that she was admiring him he had again read wrong impression she was way over his class. He was astonished to find what she was gazing at it was her father Chief Ashanti the head of the council of elders. Ofori quickly reacted by knelling and said, “May you long life.” The chiefs really liked this so to prevent crossing their line whenever a citizen meet up with him, they were advice to kneel before them.

Chief Ashanti assumed Ofori who was still kneeling on the ground and moved more closer to his daughter Ama, he was angry of her daughter running away every time and said,

“I heard you were missing where you were?”

“Father Cant, I take a fresh air for a moment?”

“You know it’s risky for you walking alone.’

“Don’t be a paranoid father.”

“I must because I love you.”

“Ok am sorry father is my maid in.”

“Yes, she is.”

Ama squat before Ofori who was kneeling and whisper on his ears, “I have to go and about that lady don’t worry next time we meet I will give some helpful tips.” After the words, Ama raised walk away where her father followed her.

Still, as Ofori was on the ground he faced at his shadow where he noticed it was indicating it was almost noon. He then faced up holding his head with two hands looking stressed up and exclaimed, “Oh God.”

The next minute Ofori was walking slowly in his father’s garden towards the cowshed at a distance. It was at noon and again he was confused off his duties by Akyaa. Ofori slowly walked the unit to the cowshed opened the gate to prevent movements that will alert his father to his entrance because he was also afraid of his father. He had feed up of how his father always sing to him how a loser he was. As he was waiting for the cows to walk out of the cowshed he stood at the cowshed gate, faced the main house where his father usually rest at the time prepared if his father will walk out he will give out reasons.

After the five cows walked out of the cowshed, he faced back the gate to close. To his astonishment, he found at the furthest corner in the cowshed his father Agyemang sat there looking at Ofori looking serious. He was shocked where words ran out of his brain and paused facing his father ready of anything.

Agyemang was always feed up with his son to him he was a failure. He faced his son silent full of anger not knowing what to do. Ofori broke the monotony by faking a smile and acting as he as he was innocent he said, “How are you doing father.” Agyemang could not with hold his anger any more wanting to control it he gently asked, “Where were you.” Ofori started stammering due to the tension and not knowing what his father will act next.

Still, as Ofori wads stammering Agyemang stood of the stool walked closer to Ofori, and said, “The reason that girl will never love you it’s because you are foolish, lazy, and also way low her class.” His father also took part of lowering his self-esteem whenever he degraded him. Ofori faced down and the only words that got off his mouth were,

 “Father I am sorry.”

“You are the most foolish child I have ever give birth to. You are not a real man giving birth to you it was a mistake.”

After being harsh to him and disciplining him so that he would change was all in vain, feed up with the drive to change his son Agyemang walked away leaving Ofori facing the ground silently. Immediately Serwa the sister to Ofori rushed towards Ofori hugged him and said, “Don’t listen to what he said.” She was the only person in the family listen and understood him. Whenever she was down Ofori was always available to her sister to give her jokes that made her laugh and forget this was the time of her being available to him.  Ofori faced her and with a sad face he said, “He is not the first one to tell me that way and it is not also the first time for him to tell me that I was a mistake.”

Serwa afraid to lose her brother she gave him hope of love by replying, “You are the best and a blessing to my life.” Ofori feed up with life he held her Cheek with both hands faced her direct to her eyes and said, “Good-by sister.” Then he walked away leaving his sister facing him as she was shouting on a long face. “Ofori! Don’t do anything stupid.” But he did not his thoughts could not allow him to listen to her, he continued with his way without turning back.

Ofori went climbed to the mountain that was near their village. Walked and stopped at the edge of the cliff where he could see the village at a distance. His mind was full of thoughts and sound of all those people who degraded him with words and the only way he could stop them was to committee suicide. Looking at the village he started crying softly where he then faced the sky raised his hand and shouted, “Why God?, why God did you bring me to this world to suffer and to be a loser. I was born in the weakest family in our clan and I am the weakest in our family.”

Then Ofori fell and knelt on the ground and covered his weeping eyes with both hands and said with a low tone, “Father forgive me of what about to do but that is the only thing I have to do so that I can no more be a baggage to others.”

Suddenly in the bush Ofori, he heard some movements that made him stop crying and turned back. He stood up and at where he was standing; he focused on the bush where there was no sign of anything.  Again the bush shock again. He was not willing to hear anybody who was to talk him out of it because to him that was the only solution.

Quickly he faced the edge of the cliff quickly moved more closely to the edge of the cliff closed his eyes and wanting to speed up his last words he said, “Mother am sorry.” After the words, Ofori took a deep long breath.

In the evening Osei sat on the ground laying his back on the rock beside him facing Akyaa who was walking towards him. Immediately Akyaa reached to him, she sat and lay on his lap. Akyaa faced him looking sad and said, “Today Ofori was bitten by father because of me.” He found Ofori to be a fool but could not say that because it would ruin their relationship. Degrading him in a way he responded,

“Don’t worry he is persistence he won’t stop talking to you.”

“I don’t think this time he will take it anymore.”

“And does that worry you and you have me forever?”

“Yes because he is my only friend.”

Though Akyaa did not loved Ofori she was not willing to lose him because he was available more than his lover. She stood off Osei’s lap to seat upright so that she can address her point more clearly and said, “The thing that hurts me is that he is always hurt because of me.” After she finished her point, she silently faced her lover waiting for his thought. He was not comfortable if the friendship between them because of frequently hearing about him though he was not a threat to their relationship; he had a good chance to break it. Pretending to be a good advancer he slowly stretched her hand and held Akyaa’s cheek moved closer to her and softly said,

 “I think the best thing to do for Ofori as your best friend is to just break your relationship with him to protect him.”

“Are you sure that’s the best thing to do or is jealous that is making you say that?”

“Am not jealous, I know Ofori he is a good man and he will respect your decisions.”

After the words, Akyaa dropped of some tears still as she was facing Osei and then responded, “Ok that is what I will do because I trust you.” Then Akyaa moved closer to his lips and kissed him to cool off.

At night at the foot of the cliff, Ofori woke up from the ground slowly as he was holding the back of his head after the strange hit on his head. At the time, the voices in his head were lowered after the long unconscious state that he was due to the hit.  Ofori still as he was holding his aching head, looked at the ground to where he woke up then the peak of the cliff looking confused not knowing who he got there. Then he exclaimed, “How is this possible!” then he shook her head then walk away. It looked as if God had a greater purpose for him.

The next moment Ofori was walking slowly moving along the village main path, as he was staggering due to his state, all that he wanted was a comfortable sleep. It was so late, no one on the pathway. At the old ages walking late at night you were considered a hunters or witches. As he was walking, he bumped into Osei who was caring a flaming torch, and fell on him.

Osei  had the torch could see who it was but Ofori did not had a good view. Due of his confused state thinking he was the one who was bumped on, he rudely asked, “Who are you?” though Osei was Akyaa boyfriend he knew Ofori was not a threat because he knew his capabilities so he had nothing to relate to him all that they were is not friends but respect mates. In return, Ofori was always jealous of him but due to the respect of her friend, he had to be friendly to Osei. Acting friendly Osei asked,

“Ofori what’s wrong?”

“How do you know my name?”

“It’s me Osei and what’s wrong with you?”

Ofori who was on the ground holding on to Osei as he was getting off the ground and responded,

“Oh, are you Osei.”

“Where were you from?”

“I am from the cliff.”

“Doing what there?”

Ofori stammered, “aaaah I was, “Then he suddenly stopped held Osei’s shoulder, and continued, “Look Osei I have many things in my mind and I want to free them up.”

“If you won’t tell me it’s ok but don’t you know is risky at night at the cliff.”

“Now am going through a lot and I don’t care about my safety.”

“I heard all about Akyaa’s father I am sorry about that.”

Ofori then moved back giggled and responded, “That is all long gone,” and walked away. For some moment Osei watch him as he walked away then he shook his head and the flaming torch that was on the ground he took it. He felt petty on to him but could not help him because Ofori admiration is his lose. The light of the flaming torch struck his chest to where Ofori had held him he noticed bloodstains. Where it rose suspense to him what was he doing at the base of the cliff.