Eli's Wife 14

Sena sat in the canteen calling Charles. He wasn’t answering his phone. She called her detective next and asked him to find out where Charles was. She needed to get to him before he did anything scary. She looked around hoping to see Eli return but he didn’t. After an hour she decided to go and check up on him. She met President Tamakloe with his wife alone in his room. Afi was just a few steps outside the room on the phone. She knocked and went in. Mrs. Tamakloe signaled for her to sit down. “I don't understand. Why hasn't Charles told the press who he really is? All he needs to do is a DNA test.” She asked. Sena looked at President Tamakloe and he nodded. "Maybe he needs a way to get the president's attention or maybe he's saving it for last. These are my guesses." Sena added. When Sena found out Eli had left, she left immediately to find him.

Sena didn't have to look far. Eli was in his car. Just sitting there and staring into space. Sena walked to him and knocked on the window. Eli turned around and unlocked the car when he saw her. She shook her head and went around to his side. "Get into the other seat. You shouldn't drive." She said. He said nothing but did as she said. "Let's go home, take a shower and eat. We can talk whenever you are ready." She added and drove off.

Sena's phone rang as she drove Eli home. It was Charles so she quickly answered the call. "Were you calling to laugh at me?" he said. Sena asked to meet him in private and that it was important. Charles asked a number of defensive questions but later agreed to meet her at a familiar venue. "Was that Charles? The true president's son?" Eli asked. Sena hesitated but replied. "All these years I wasn't theirs. No wonder I'm such a screw up." He added. Sena felt bad. She tried to comfort him but it was like she wasn't even there. Eli kept talking. "Do you know what happened to my mother?" He asked. Sena swallowed hard. "My detective told me she died of breast cancer but I know she had good medical care. Eli I know it's a lot to take in but honestly, the people who love you and are always there for you ARE your family." Sena said. Eli asked for her detective's number. He had more questions he needed answered. She gave him her phone to call him.

When they got to the meeting point Eli stayed in the car while Sena went to meet Charles. It was an old playground. It had a lot of dark shady places to sit with almost no one around. She used to meet Charles there when she had no idea what his real intentions were. She sat down on their usual bench and waited. She turned to look at the car. Could Eli ever get over this? She asked herself. She felt very sad for him. Who was to blame? Charles? President Tamakloe? The new hierarchical rule of government? Perhaps all of them. All but Eli who was in pain.

Sena was about to head back to the car to wait with Eli when Charles appeared. "I didn't know I had to tell you I was done using you." He said and smiled. Sena wished she could slap him. "I know who you are." She said. His smile faded. "Why you saved it for the last I have no idea Charles Quaye, what is it really you want?" she asked. Charles giggled and sat next to her. "Aha, now you are talking. How about 50,000 Cedis? No that's not enough maybe 100,000? A million? I find deciding hard. What do you suggest?" He asked. "Money? All this was about money?" Sena asked. "Ah why you thought I wanted to have a family reunion? No please!" Charles said.

Before Sena could say another word Eli appeared. Sena noticed something different in his eyes. "Charles Quaye?" He asked. Charles smiled and nodded. "You know who I am right? Let me tell you something. I'm a few years away from being president. I'm not going to allow you to take that away from me." Eli continued. Charles shook his head. "I just want some cash and I'll be out of here." Charles confessed. Sena nodded but Eli shook his head. "No that's not a good plan for me because you can always come back for more. I have a better solution." Eli said and brought out a gun, a silencer.

Charles and Sena stood up immediately. "Eli what are you doing?!" Sena cried. Charles started to sweat profusely. "Look if you kill me you will go to jail and that will...” Charles started as Eli pointed his gun at him. An evil smiled crept up Eli's face. "There's no one here but my wife. We'll dump your body somewhere far away and I'll be the only true son of the president. Clean job." he replied. "Eli, this is crazy. Let's look for another option please. This is wrong." Sena pleaded. "Shut up! I need to focus! I don't have many bullets in this gun I need to kill him on the second shot." Eli yelled putting his finger on the trigger.

Charles in tears now screamed "wait I'm not the President's son. I'm not Debora Quaye's son. I just worked on a cancer article with her and she told me about it before she died. She asked me to tell her son but I decided to use it to make some money. Please, I am a nobody. Don't kill me." Charles confessed. Eli squinted and yelled “lies!” Charles shook his head. "No, no I swear it's true. I can show you the documents for the cancer article. I'm telling the truth!" Charles pleaded with tears falling down his face and Sena pleading in the background. Eli lowered his gun. Sena and Charles were relieved. He brought out a phone from his pocket. "I have all you said recorded. The sentence for identity theft, deception of the state, blackmail and extortion is about 40 years. If you don't disappear this tape is going to the police." Eli said. Charles nodded several times, got up and run off. Sena stared at the gun as Eli put it back into his pocket. He smiled at her. "Don't worry it's not even loaded." She giggled as they went into the car and drove off. This time Sena wasn't the one driving.

"How did you know to record Charles?" Sena asked finally. Eli smiled. "He could have gone the straight route with a DNA test but he didn't. He only appeared after Debora Quaye died. He just wanted money. I just suspected him and you are right, the people who love me are my family and no one messes with my family. Thank you for letting me see that." He said and kissed her hand. Sena smiled. She had never met any man like Eli before. She knew he would make a fine president one day and right by his side she would be. "Now that all this is said and done how about we go on that honeymoon?" Eli said smiling.

The End

I wanted to be just like you

I wanted long curly hair so I would look like you

Practiced several times in the mirror to smile like you do

I never got it right but each time I seemed closer

I wanted so so much to be just like you

Each time you walked by I would stare at you

Memorize your steps and when I’m alone try to do it too

I tripped and fell because your skills was out of this world

But all I needed was practice to be just like you

One day I gave up because I knew I couldn’t be you

You were taller than me, curvier than me and smarter too

Maybe I needed some more time to get there, more practice

So I yelled with my little mouth, ‘mummy, when can I be just like you?!’

hehehe

My passion

My mother is so annoying sometimes. When I spoke to her over the phone some days ago I told her I was coming home for the weekend to rest after my stressful mid semester week. She was so excited and said the house had been boring without me. I knew she missed me. Hannah, my older sister had moved out of the house when she got married. Being a single parent we were all my mum had. Well sort of. On Saturday morning my mum came into my room at about 6am! She tapped me and asked "oh are you awake?" I was so close to saying no. "Oh Frank. Wake up." She said when I didn't mind her. I turned around and looked at her with my eyes squinted. "Sweety, I need you to pick some roses from Mrs. Quaye's place for me." She said pulling my cover cloth off me. "Oh Ma, at this time?" I complained. She made her usual surprised face and nodded. "I have a client coming to pick up some orders this morning." She said, looking through the magazines I had on my bedside table. I stretched and took them from her. "Ok, I will go. Give me some minutes to get dressed." I quickly said. She smiled and rushed out. She was so close to opening my magazines! They weren't even mine like that. I was just, you know...keeping ...them for..ermm..whatever! I think my mother just manipulated me.

I dressed up fast and went to the dining table. My mum usually did her hamper arrangements there. She works as a teacher for a junior high school but she makes hampers and gift items as a side business to substitute her income. When my father left us she realized her lean salary couldn't take care of us so she turned her hobby into a business. She makes so much money from it too oh, purely because she has very satisfied clients and knows how to bargain. Eii, that woman can bargain! "Mum, I'm ready oh." I said with music plugged into my ears. "Ei Frank isn't your music too loud? I can even hear the lyrics." She said. I giggled and reduced the volume. She leaned over and pulled the phones out of my ears. "Oh." I said. She giggled and replied. "Oh sen? Because you are in the university you want to do things by heart eh?" I rolled up the phones and put the ipod in my pocket. I laughed aloud. "Sorry oh but you know I love music. It's my passion." I said playing with one of her ribbons. "Just like how making hampers and gifts is yours." I added. Then something super funny happened. My mum shook her head and said. "Me my passion saved me financially oh. Yours will make you deaf. That's the money. Please hurry up eh?" I picked up the money and walked out. Just before I got out I heard hear shout. I turned around. A needle had pricked her finger. "Aha! Your passion has hurt you." I teased. "Herr! Go away." She said pretending to throw something at me. I rushed out laughing.

I walked to the junction and waited for a trotro. The woman's shop wasn't far from ours at all. In less than 6 minutes I was at her shop. She already had the roses ready. I paid her and collected them. And left immediately. I hopped into another trotro and was about a minute to my junction when I realized that I hadn't listened to my music at all. Ahh, this woman made me forget. I plugged in nicely and increased the volume to the max...just for shege sakes. Lol. I didn't like the song that was playing so I took the ipod out to change it but it slipped out of my hand and fell. It was a big trotro too so I had to bend real low for it. Just when I grabbed it I heard an odd sound. It was a bit piercing. Then I felt the bus move sharply to the left. I hit my head on the lower metallic part of the seat in front of me and everything went black.

The next thing I heard was a beeping sound. I woke up and realized I was in a hospital. A doctor was standing beside me and talking to a nurse. I heard him say "his mother can see him now. Oh we can discharge him too." The nurse left and a few seconds later my mum was here. She was smiling but I could tell she had been crying. The doctor spoke to her and she came to me. "I'm so sorry Frank. I should have let you rest." She said. "Oh mum its not your fault. If I had not been listening to loud music I wouldn't be here." I said feeling bad. She laughed out loud. "You must have passed out pretty soon." She said and took my ipod from her bag. She took a deep breath and said. "The bus run into a crane...you were the only one who survived. Looks like your passion saved your life." She waved the ipod at me. DON'T LET ANYONE STEAL YOUR PASSION! 

Never marry

When I was younger my mother would sit me down and say to me

Never marry a doctor. He will spend so much time healing complex diseases that he would ignore your pains.

Never marry an actor. He will easily deceive you with his staged role plays.

Never marry a photographer. He will not see your beauty because he takes pictures of models everyday.

Never marry a lawyer. If he can lie to make a whole jury believe him, he will do it to you.

Never marry a business man. He will always put his money ahead of you.

She would go on and on till the list was impossible to remember. Then one day I asked. "What man should I marry then?"

She smiled and said. "Marry  a carer, a motivator, an understander, a protector and most of all a lover."

My mother was right. Don't marry a man for what he does for a living but rather marry him for who he is :)

A wife, a mother, a woman

"Mum look. Is it ok?" Kofi asked his mother, holding up a clay mould. "Wow, Kofi your father will love this!" She responded. Kofi smiled and run off to his cousins. "What was that?" Her sister asked taking a pot of soup off the fire. "I have no idea oh. So far as it keeps him happy, he can make as many as he wants." She answered and they both burst out laughing. The two women were cooking a meal for their parents. It was their fathers birthday and they decided to take the burden off their mother to prepare dinner. "Wow, it should be my birthday everyday." Mr. Obeng said walking into the kitchen. "Adjoa, when is Henry coming again? It's been how long 2 years?" He asked. "Yes ohh, two years. They arrive in two weeks." Adjoa replied. "Daa you should see the present Kofi made for him. It's priceless." Akua teased.

After the huge meal, the family sat in the backyard enjoying the breeze. The children where in the room watching cartoons with the nanny. "Since your mother is here I can't keep talking about how nice the meal was or else she will starve me when you leave." Mr. Obeng teased. "Oh Daa." Akua said and they all giggled. "It's good you know your wife well." Mrs. Obeng responded and they all laughed. The stars were bright and the full moon lit up the sky. "Henry and I will be moving to Accra when he comes back."  Adjoa said. "Oh that's good. What's the reason though?" Mrs. Obeng asked. "He wanted to tell you himself but it looks like my passion for kokonsa has caught up with me. He is getting promoted." She blurt out with a smile. Akua and Mrs. Obeng clapped in joy. "That is amazing. After just two years on the field? Congratulations." Mr. Obeng said with a smile. "Yes oh. His superiors were so impressed with him. He is moving to ... position just next month. I'm so excited!" Adjoa went on. "Aww I'm happy for you. Now Kofi can see his father more." Akua said.

"Mrs. Dodoo, I'm sorry but I would be a little late for our meeting. Yes, ok, thank you for understanding." Adjoa said and hang up the phone. She was dropping Kofi off at school. Her neighbours who usually took him to school along with their daughter couldn't do it. Apparently their daughter was a little under the weather. "I will come for you at 5 o'clock ok? Don't go home with anyone else. Just wait for me alright?" She ordered and Kofi got out of the car. As he rushed off she turned and saw his lunch money on the backseat. "Kofi, you left your money!" She yelled. He turned around and started running back to the car. Then her phone rang. "Hello, is this Mrs. Henry Dartey?" a male voice asked. "Yes it is." She replied. Kofi was infront of the car now. She stretched for the money. "I'm calling from the Ghana Armed Forces. I am calling to inform you that you husband...passed away yesterday. He was indeed a great man and his death is deeply felt by all of us..." He went on. Adjoa dropped the money immediately. Kofi picked it up and looked at her. She looked at him fighting the tears. "Mum are you ok?" Her son asked her. She managed and smile and nodded so he turned around and left. She waited till he entered the school and put the phone on the passenger seat. The officer was still talking. Then she put her head down on the steering wheel and started crying.

"Thanks for the ice cream mum." Kofi said smiling from ear to ear. "Anything for my darling. Come here." She said. He rushed and sat right next to her. "Do you remember the really cool place I told you about?" She asked. "Which cool ...oh yes Heaven?" Kofi responded. "Yes Heaven. It's a big beautiful place with lots of nice people and plenty ice cream and chocolate. Remember the Angels too?" She added. Kofi nodded and smiled wider. "Daddy is gone there. He is having so much fun with Jesus and the angels." She explained. "Wow, that's so cool but they say if some one goes to Heaven you will never see them again." He said looking at his mother. "You won't see him here but you will see him when you go there." She added. Kofi turned to look at the clay molds he made for his father. "Then I can give him his presents when I get there." He said and smiled to himself. "Let's go tomorrow mum!" He screamed. "No my darling we can't go ourselves. God has to invite us or else we will get lost. So when God wants us to go I'll tell you ok?" She replied, a bit startled. "But for now, your father can see you so you have to be a good boy so that he will be happy with you." She added. He looked up into the sky and waved. "Bye bye daddy." He said and Adjoa smiled.

This story is dedicated to all wives, mothers and women :) Happy mothers day and to all kids who have lost a parent.