Episode 43
A SECLUDED ROAD IN ABLORH-ADJEI
It is deep night, well past midnight.
A police sedan is parked by the roadside.
Parked behind it is a sleek Toyota Tundra.
Three men are standing in the dark shadows.
They are Chief Inspector Danso Cuger, Sergeant Ato McBaiden, and Jonathan Afful.
Afful hands over a huge brown envelope filled with money to Cuger, who hefts it, then passes it on to McBaiden.
CHIEF INSPECTOR CUGER
(coldly)
Thanks, Mr. Afful. You know how to do business.
AFFUL
Cut the crap, Cuger. How is Operation Darlett coming on?
CHIEF INSPECTOR CUGER
(puffing on a cigar)
Darlett comes out of prison in a month. He’s been briefed. The operation will go down as smooth as silk.
AFFUL
You better get Chris, man. He must return to prison.
CHIEF INSPECTOR CUGER
Don’t worry, man. I hate that son-of-a-b—h more than anybody. I’m going to get Chris. And he’s going in forever this time!
AFFUL
Thank you. Well, I’ll be on my way then. Good day, gentlemen.
He turns brusquely and returns to his car. A moment later the powerful engine of the Tundra roars, and then it speeds off.
McBAIDEN
Arrogant little p—k. Wish I can break my boot over his face!
ChiEF INSPECTOR CUGER
Me too, pal. But we need him, and he needs me. What’s that famous expression… the enemy of my enemy is my friend? It’s alright. Can’t wait to send Chris back to prison.
MCBAIDEN
That is if Operation Darlett goes well.
CHIEF INSPECTOR CUGER
Oh yes, it will. It certainly will.
In the front seat of the Tundra Afful reaches across and fondles the naked breasts of the topless Chinese beauty sitting beside him.
In the back seat is Steve Hollison, moaning gutturally as a beautiful prostitute with her face in his g—n works on him feverishly.
Afful looks across his shoulder and smiles at Steve.
AFFUL
Smile, bro. Bawa is gone within one month.
Steve smiles and pushes harder into the girl’s mouth.
STEVE
I can’t wait, bro.
AFFUL
CB byebye! Forever! Next time!
AFFUL RESIDENCE – MORNING
Elaine Boateng stretches and opens her eyes.
She is lying on the gigantic electronic water-bed in the upstairs master bedroom.
Their house is a magnificent sprawling two-tiered edifice. Located in the heart of East Legon, it is the envy of many.
It has a design almost similar to a mini castle.
With apertures and glass in the right places, beautiful grass lawns, a breath-taking swimming-pool, a mini golf course, a lawn table tennis court and a basket ball court, it has been described as one of the best homes in the country.
Best, Elaine thinks, but certainly not happiest.
It is huge, but there are no cries of children anywhere. She and Jon had dreamt of filling it with happy kids, but quite unfortunately, after three years of marriage, they still don’t have any children.
She looks across at Jon’s side of the bed. It is empty, as usual.
He will come in and claim of business deal closures, but she is sure he has just spent the night with one or two of his stinking Chinese prostitutes somewhere.
They do his bidding. They allow him to live his perverse sexual fantasies which she finds extremely demeaning and has refused time and again to let him have his way.
She turns on her back and reaches for the remote controller.
The bed has been revolving slowly, and she pushes a button on the remote that centres the bed.
She gets up from the bed, steps out of her negligée and pads n@ked into the huge bathroom.
She runs a warm bath in the Jacuzzi, pours in essential oils and liquid soaps and fragrances, and climbs into the bath.
She puts her head back, sets the massager, and enjoys the vibrating joys as the bath performs its magic.
She does not even remember the last time she and Jon had taken a bath together.
An hour later she steps out of the bathroom, refreshed.
She turns on the television which is mounted up high on one wall and then she sits in front of her exquisite golden dressing-table.
The channel is HEARTBEAT TELEVISION, where she works, and the morning show is on, hosted by GABRIEL ALIEFEH, a man Elaine detests with all her being because of his arrogance.
She listens to the newspaper headlines segment, and then loses interest and concentrates on her make-up kits.
She is gently blowing air on her polished nails when she suddenly sees the still image of Chris Bawa Junior on the television, and below it are the words:
THE KID THAT TAMED THE BEAST.
She quickly picks up the remote and increases the volume of the television because the picture has receded to the background and Michael is about to speak.
ALIEFEH
(happily)
And now, a very inspirational story that has touched our hearts. You remember Mr. Chris Bawa, don’t you, the man that is known nowadays as The Beast because of his nefarious role in the accident that took off one leg of Miss Adwoa Timtim a little over five years ago. Well, there have been speculations that he might return to the ring to face the current undisputed GojuFist Champion, Mike Crankson, but this speculation can’t be further from the truth. We received a call yesterday from young Chris Bawa Junior. Junior, of course, is the eight-year-old son of The Beast with his former wife Effe Kedem. It seems Junior does not want his father to step into the ring anymore, and so the little boy bought his father a food joint! It seems our former GojuFist fighter, the dreaded Beast, is going to use his hands again, but this time in an entirely new kind of sport. Kuukua Siaw has the full story. Watch!
The page screen zooms out, and then the video of the beautiful Kuukua Siaw, the reporter, begins.
She is standing in front of what once used to be the famous DIDI’S RESTAURANT.
KUUKUA SIAW
(excitedly)
Think about Chris Bawa and what comes to mind? He’s the young fighter who rose to become the undisputed Grandmaster of GojuFist, and later trained other champions. But you wouldn’t really remember him for that, would you? You would definitely remember him as The Beast, the man who almost killed an innocent old man who tried to take a joint of marijuana from him. You would remember him as the man who knocked down a girl and made her lose a limb, and you will also remember him the man who resisted arrest so violently that he burst one eye of a policeman. Yes, Chris Bawa is The Beast. But it seems those days of mayhem are over. Chris was pardoned for putting up an extremely good behaviour in prison, and was released just after five years in prison. Evidently, he learnt how to cook when he was in prison! And now he is out, and his son has bought him DIDI’S to help him start all over in life. Now, let’s listen to the young giant himself!
The video zooms in on Junior and Madam Didi in the background.
Elaine watches the feature, stunned, and then she begins to get angrier by the second.
She cannot believe her eyes!
She has gone to great lengths to destroy Chris, great lengths to demonize him. He is now known as The Beast, and his acceptance in society has reduced to a zero factor.
What is Gabriel Aliefeh and Kuukua Siaw doing?
Making him a hero? Some sort of a refined criminal?
Gabriel, apart from being the host, also serves as the director of the morning show.
She knows she cannot get him as long as he is on air, and so she begins to dress quickly.
By the time she picks up her handbag the show is over, and the end credits are rolling on the screen.
She takes her phone and calls.
She has to do it several times before he finally picks the call.
ALIEFEH
(laughing happily in the background)
Hello, Elaine.
ELAINE
(furiously)
Why the hell did you do a feature on Chris Bawa, a known r@pist and a terrible man who refuses to apologize for knocking a poor girl down and making her lose a leg? What the hell were you thinking?
ALIEFEH
(coldly furious)
And since when were you appointed my supervisor? You now want to tell me what programmes I can run?
ELAINE
(still furious)
Of course not, Gabby, but you have to use your common sense-
ALIEFEH
(cutting in)
Go to hell, Elaine! We’re running it as a major headline news today, at all prime times. Don’t annoy me, or I swear I’ll add all the edited parts about you being Mr .Bawa’s former girlfriend to the report! Maybe I should’ve done that in the first place.
Elaine is stunned instantly, and she gives a terrified intake of breath.
She is so shocked that for a moment she feels dizzy.
How did Gabriel know? That relationship is a secret between Chris and her! How did they find out?
Had Gabriel done a private check on her, or the news had come out during the Junior interview?
She has to know! If it came out at the Junior interview then it means Effe might also know by now.
She knows Gabriel Aliefeh hates her. The feeling is mutual; she also detests him, but this is the time to swallow her pride and eat humble pie.
When she speaks again her voice is calmer, and she sounds almost pleading.
ELAINE
That is not totally true, Gabby. How did you know?
ALIEFEH
(coldly)
A journalist never discloses his source, Elaine. You should know that. Goodbye.
He cuts the call.
There is a gentle chime from the gold telephone on the bedside table. It is a house intercom. She glances at it irritably, and ignores it.
It might be the maidservant.
It rings again, and she crosses the room angrily and picks up.
ELAINE
Yes? What is it?
MAIDSERVANT
Please madam, your friend Madam Effe is here.
Elaine’s intestines quails. Effe? Here this early? Maybe she is looking for Steve, just as Elaine is also looking for her husband.
But Elaine knows.
This visit is not about Steve.
It is about Elaine and Chris.
Somehow, Effe has found out.
Elaine shuts her eyes as she begins to marshal her thoughts about how she is going to respond to Effe and defend herself.
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