Jailbird
Episode 48
He walks with a heavy heart to the door, enters and locks it.
He feels so sad. Baaba had been the perfect lady for a while now, so sweet and dependable, so cool, and he had thought her moments of abrasive mood swings were over.
He feels dirty, used and abused. He had not derived any physical joy from her passionate adventure.
He strips down and enters the shower.
He takes a long cool bath, slips into pyjamas, and goes to the bedroom.
Junior is lying on his side.
Chris slips silently into bed besides him, and a moment later Junior reaches out and holds his middle left finger.
JUNIOR
(sleepily)
I heard the Transformer Baaba screaming.
Chris is suddenly alert, and confused.
CHRIS
(softly)
The what?
JUNIOR
Oh, you haven’t watched Transformers before?
CHRIS
No, Champ, what is it?
JUNIOR
They’re cartoons. Well there are Transformers movies too, but Mom says I should be thirteen years before I can watch the movies, and so I watch the cartoons. The Transformers are these cars that can change into this really cool, huge metal robots that can do hero stuff. Auntie Baaba is like that. Sometimes she transforms into a very bad woman!
Chris’ blood runs cold.
He sits up in bed and switches on the light, and Junior winces. He takes Junior’s arm and draws him up.
He is very, very shocked.
CHRIS
(scared)
Baaba? She behaves strangely when she’s with you?
JUNIOR
(giggling)
Sometimes yes, but only when she changes into Transformer Baaba. Daddy, Auntie Baaba is fun to be with, but when she becomes Transformer Baaba she is awful! But don’t worry, I’ve learnt how to change her back to Auntie Baaba when she transforms into Transformer Baaba.
Chris looks intently at his son.
He is very angry all of a sudden, and he feels like killing Baaba.
It had never occurred to him that Baaba’s strange mood swings could happen around his dear son.
Chris is angry with himself for exposing Junior to something like that.
CHRIS
Champ, has she ever hit you, or done anything mean when she… when she transforms?
JUNIOR
(shrugging)
No, no, Daddy. I told you I can make her change from Transformer Baaba to Cool Baaba. It’s always fun!
CHRIS
(tersely)
Listen, Champ! It is not fun, do you understand? I’m going to keep her away from you, and I want you to promise me you’ll never ever be alone with her again.
JUNIOR
(sad)
But Daddy-
CHRIS
(seriously)
Promise me, Champ! Now!
Junior is shaken up. He throws his arms around his father.
JUNIOR
Don’t be angry, Daddy. I promise! Don’t be angry at me! It makes me sad.
Chris pats his back lovingly. He switches off the light and lies down, keeping his son on his chest.
CHRIS
Daddy is not angry with you, Champ. It’s just that when Auntie Baaba is in that mood, she does very bad things. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, okay?
JUNIOR
(relieved)
Okay, Daddy. I love you.
CHRIS
I love you too, Champ. I love you very much.
GHANA INTERNATIONAL GOJUFIST ARENA
There are a lot of people milling around the private parking park below the Ghana International GojuFist Arena.
The excitement from the fight is still raging fiercely.
There are some who are thrilled with the brutal display by Mike Crankson, and there are some who are saying he is too mean.
Some are saying Mike is the best, whilst some die-hard fanatics are defending their views that Chris Bawa is the best GojuFist Grandmaster ever.
Effe follows Elaine out of the private entrance to the parking lot.
Effe is looking absolutely radiant in a designer black evening dress that reaches to her ankles and fits her like a dream.
Elaine is in a short blue dress, and she takes Effe’s hand as they walk towards the cars.
Mike Crankson and his entourage are already noisily getting into their huge three Hummers.
Mike has changed into an all-white jeans affair: jeans trousers, white singlet, jeans jacket, white sneakers, white hat, and with a lot of gold chains and rings.
He is walking with three women, one of them oriental-looking.
He pushes her against a black Hummer, and grossly f0ndles her bre@sts as he kisses her.
They scramble into the car, and soon they all leave the parking lot with a screech of tyres.
EFFE
(shuddering)
Lord, I dislike that guy! He’s so uncouth!
ELAINE
(sighing)
Me too. But he makes money for my husband, so I have to tolerate him.
Elaine takes out a cigarette and lights it nervously.
Afful and Steve emerge from the entrance.
Steve takes Effe’s arm and kisses her lightly on the lips.
STEVE
(slurring)
Come on, darling. Lemme take you home.
They walk towards his shiny Lexus and he opens the passenger door for Effe.
Afful walks towards Elaine.
AFFUL
Sweetcakes, listen, are you coming for the victory party?
Elaine’s face drops.
She exhales cigarette smoke, drops the cigarette and steps on it viciously.
ELAINE
(almost sadly)
You promised me, Jonathan. You told me you would go home with me and spend some time with me.
Afful clucks with sympathy and holds her elbows, his face concerned.
AFFUL
Yes, yes, I promised! But look, Micky wanted me to be present, ok? He’s now making a lot of money for us, and a lot of promoters are after him. I have to please him. Listen, we can go to the party, spend about an hour and then leave. It will be fun!
Elaine turns away from him.
ELAINE
I’ll be home waiting, Jon, if you change your mind.
AFFUL
(faking sadness)
Don’t be like this, darling. A few minutes, and I’ll be home. I promise.
He gives his car keys to a chauffeur standing by, and then he hurriedly walks to a waiting Mercedes.
He gets in the back, and as the driver speeds off, a long-legged Chinese beauty sits up in the back seat.
She is wearing a huge bulbous black fur coat.
She throws the coat open and reveals her naked body underneath.
CALL GIRL
(seductively)
Come to Mama, you bad boy!
Jonathan Afful pulls his belt buckle open and unzips fast.
He pulls out his inflamed organ from his boxers and as the pr0stitute’s head moves down over him he looks through the tint glass of the window and sees Elaine getting into the back seat of his other car.
AFFUL
Tonight is for bad girls, Elly, my dear! Not for home chow!
In the back seat of the other car Elaine puts a cigarette to her lips.
She takes her lighter, flips it open, and crank it several times but the flame does not shoot out.
It seems the gas is exhausted in the lighter.
She yells and throws the lighter. It smashes into the windscreen, and it cracks in several places.
The startled chauffeur almost loses control and the car almost crashes into a concrete pillar, but he recovers and continues driving.
CHAUFFEUR
Is everything alright, madam?
ELAINE
(screaming)
Shut the f–k up and drive!!
She leans back, takes the cigarette from her mouth, and shuts her eyes.
After a few minutes her shoulders shake as she weeps bitterly.
EFFE’S RESIDENCE
Steve stops the car, but keeps the engine running.
He turns in his seat as Effe unbuckles her seat-belt.
STEVE
(tenderly)
You sure you don’t want me to come up for a bit, darling?
Effe smiles at him and rubs his cheek briefly.
EFFE
No, Steve. I’m quite tired. Thanks for a wonderful night out. I’ll see you in the morning.
She turns to open the door.
STEVE
(quietly)
Are we ever going to get married, Effe?
Effe stops. Slowly she sits back down and turns to him.
EFFE
It’s a bit late, Steve. Can we talk tomorrow after church?
STEVE
Just a simple question, Effe. Are we going to get married?
EFFE
(worriedly)
Oh, Steve! There’s so much happening right now, and I’ve so much on my mind, frankly-
STEVE
(coldly)
Nothing much is happening, Effe, and nothing is going through your mind! It is only Chris who is happening, only Chris on your mind! Stop playing me for a fool, Effe! It’s him, isn’t it? Somehow, you’ve failed to get him to sign the divorce papers! Maybe you don’t even want him to sign it anymore!
Effe can feel his frustration and feel his pain.
He has been with her through it all.
From Chris deceit, his rape of Elaine, his assault on his uncle, the accident, the drugs found in his car, his trial, his imprisonment… through all that Steve had waited at her side.
He doesn’t deserve her coldness, her confusion and her indecision.
She reaches out and touches his arm.
EFFE
(tremulously)
I’m so sorry, Steve! So sorry! You don’t deserve to be treated like this. Please, just give me a little bit more time, okay? I promise to come to a decision, and you’ll be the first to know!
STEVE
(harshly)
But it’s Chris, isn’t it? You don’t hate him anymore, do you?
Silent tears now spill down Effe’s lovely cheeks. She exhales tremulously.
EFFE
You’re a good man, Steve. You’re the kind of man every woman would love in her partner. Please, just-
STEVE
(cutting in angrily)
You don’t love him anymore, do you, Effe?
Effe flinches, and she clasps her hands nervously, but when she speaks her voice is calm now, and sure.
EFFE
I’ve never stopped loving him, Steve. That does not mean I’m going back to him, though. I’m just so terribly confused and I don’t know what to do. Please, just give me a little time to get myself sorted out, I beg of you!
Effe opens the door and runs into her house.
Click 9 below to continue reading
