Traces of Eve

Chapter 3

EVE | Then

Dear Alice,

There's something you should know. Something they don't really teach you in school, that only life has the luxury of doing. 

Monsters come in different shapes and sizes. I remember when the real monster came into my life. It's not the kind of monster we think is under our beds or the ones we read about in fairy tale books—no, those are too pretty. A figment of our imagination. The actual thing was big, bad and ugly. And whether I liked it or not, he was my monster.

He was tall, all six-foot-six of him mocking my and mama's short frames, with serious hawkish eyes that must've seen a lot in his days. They were hard and cold, almost frost-like, but then on some days, they'd be almost as warm as a hearth. He looked oddly out of place with his burgundy V neck T-shirt and blue faded jeans that hang low around his waist and dropped to his feet.

It was the first time mama and I ever stepped foot in OutBox, a movie store a few blocks away from our home in the city, Accra. Mama's friend Doris told her about it one Friday night when we visited.

"They have all kinds of movies," she said. "I'm sure Eve would like to watch some new movies, isn't that right, sweetie?" and patted my knee while shooting me her infamous toothy grin.

I watched as mama stared at the old rickety red and white painted signboard and scrunched up her nose in disdain.

I didn't know if it was from the stench wafting around our noses or the look of the building, but mama seemed uneasy that day. 

She was used to these areas, no doubt because of where we lived, but her facial expressions were always difficult for her to control.

We walked into the dimly lit store and saw him. He stood behind a glass counter, typing away at his HP computer, oblivious to the likes of us. I took in the numerous stack of CDs meticulously arranged on the shelves with a look of ecstasy plastered on my face.

Mama and I loved movies so much. I remember before papa passed away, we'd huddle ourselves up in an African print cloth, the kind we usually lay on our ironing table and watch any movie with any we could get our hands on. Sometimes they were foreign movies but mama liked her Ghanaian ones, she was overly patriotic but I preferred the former.

Mama cleared her throat to gain his attention, and he raised his head. His eyes took in his fill of us.

"I'd like to rent a few of your movies," she said, and her eyes immediately started their hunt.

He smiled, a warm melting smile that should leave your insides curdling. "Well sure, which ones would you like?" He asked.

She pointed to a stack of movies arranged in the glass case. She was gesturing to a case with colourful packaging. I squinted at the label and read, The Playful Six. He followed her gaze and retrieved it, then frowned.

"This is not a movie for kids," he smiled down at me and sent me an impish look. I quickly hid behind her, but it was no use because she was slim like me.

Mama stayed quiet for a little while and then offered a soft chuckle, "That's why I'm going to be watching it alone."

"Okay, but she'll probably be bored with nothing to watch, " he said, and reached out to his right to take something off the shelf. He handed it to her. "Here, maybe she'll like this. "

Mama took it with her right hand while the other held my quivering hand firmly. Her perusal lasted for a movement before she showed me the cover. "Do you want it?"

It had Shrek written on the cover, and I couldn't help but smile. Well, of course.

I gave a weak nod.

"Okay," she shrugged and handed it back to him. "I'll take only these two then. How much will it be in total?"

"Ten cedis," he replied.

I saw mama frown, the skin creasing atop her eyebrows. "That's so little," she said, while picking at the frayed edges of her cloth. "I thought it'll be more than that regardless of it being a rental."

"It is," he retorted, "but I won't charge you for the animated movie. I'll give it to you for free."

He looked down at me again and smiled that dazzling smile. I instantly darted behind Mama again. He's just being friendly, I told myself. I was only twelve. I looked up at him again and saw it's not me he was looking at, it was mama. He had only eyes for her, but she'd got her eyes on her blue Chanel purse.

"I don't think I like the sound of that, " she frowned. She's distrustful, I thought.

"Consider it a first timer's benefit." He coerced.

She thought about it for a second, then shrugged and pulled out a ten Ghana cedi note.

"Thank you, " she said and grabbed the packages

"You're most welcome." He smiled.

When we were outside the store and walking down the street to hail a taxi, I don't know if it was my eyes playing tricks on me but when I looked up at Mama, her hair battling with the raging cool wind and slapping her face frantically, I thought I saw a ghost of a smile on her lips, but like the wind one moment it was there and the next it was gone.

It was the first time I'd seen her really smile in two years and I had no idea that one gesture, however small it seemed, was soon about to change everything.