??Love and betrayal ??
?? ???????
??Episode 16??
❤❤❤❤❤❤
From U.S Bah ❤✌?
Effe wakes up with a little M0-n and sits
up in bed.
She had had a nightmare!
She had seen Chris lying in a pool of blood!
She looks at the bedside lamp. It reads
5.00 a.m.
She picks up her phone. There is no
missed call, and her heart sinks. She calls
his number. The phone is still switched off.
Her fear begins to mount. She has never
given much thoughts to dreams and
nightmares in the past, but somehow,
she can’t shake off the feeling that Chris
is in danger.
She gets up quickly and takes a quick bath.
Dressed in a hu-gging black jean and a
beautiful pink and white top with a
beaded strand hem, she quickly
descends to the living-room to find her
mother sitting in front of the television in
her nightdress.
Her Mom looks at her from a face that is
cold.
MADAM IVY
You’re not dressed for the office, and you’re up early.
I’m convinced it is about that Chris boy.
Effe stills her sudden flaring anger, and
goes and kneels by her mother’s side.
She strives to remain calm as she looks
at her mother.
EFFE
Mama, I love you very much. You’re
everything to me. You’ve always been
the backbone of this family. I have
always done my best to please you.
I must tell you, however,
that this collision course
we’re embarking on is really
beginning to hurt me.
Madam Ivy leans forward, her face
earnest, almost pained.
MADAM IVY
My love, but whatever I do, it’s out of love!
I’ve never stood in your way, ever,
have I? I just feel this is wrong! He’s the
wrong type of man for you!
Effe shakes her head, confused.
EFFE
But why, Mama? Because he’s poor?
I have enough money for both of us!
Because he’s not highly educated? He
can further his studies because he’s still
quite young and smart! Because he
drives a cab? I can make him stop and
help Daddy at the Company!
But you know I don’t really care about all these
things!
MADAM IVY
(sighing, still earnest)
Do you love him, Afi?
Effe looks at her mother
and shakes her head slowly.
EFFE
I care about him, yes. But love… I don’t
think so. I just met him two weeks ago,
and since then so many things have
happened. My divorce, Steve’s betrayal,
his marriage to Elaine. Time has pas-sed
in a blur, but I can tell you that I didn’t go
mad over all that Steve did to me simply
because I met Chris. He saved my sanity,
and I like him a lot, but I don’t think I’m in
love with him. Yet.
MADAM IVY
Has he tried to se-duce you, make love to
you?
EFFE
(shocked, outraged)
Mama! Give me a little respect!
MADAM IVY
(remorseful, contrite)
I’m sorry, baby girl. I’m terribly sorry. But I
just want to make sure you don’t make a
mistake. Handsome guys like Chris have
the propensity of breaking a lot of hearts.
Just be careful.
EFFE
(icily)
I will, Mama. Thanks. Can I borrow your
car this morning?
MADAMIVY
(looking concerned)
But your arm? Is that not why Chris is
driving you?
EFFE
Oh, it’s better. I won’t strain it.
Madam Ivy picks up her car keys
from the coffee table and hands it to her.
MADAM IVY
Be careful, baby.
EFFE
I will. Thanks, Mama.
She drives on the lonely streets of
Dzorwulu and soon reaches Madina.
When she gets to Elm’s Bar she sees
that a lot of sleek cars are parked around
the premises.
There are lights inside and she is
surprised to see that there are four hu-ge
men guarding the entrance.
She parks and walks rapidly to the
entrance where the four men block her
path.
ONE BOUNCER
(voice cold) Where are you going to, Madam?
EFFE
Inside, of course.
ONE BOUNCER
We’re sorry. It’s closed. Public entrance
opens at ten in the morning.
EFFE
(exasperated)
But there’re people inside!
ONE BOUNCER
They’re Gold Members, please.
Effe opens her bag and brings out two
hundred cedis in fifty-cedi notes.
EFFE
Please, I have to go in. I’m looking for
Chris, please.
The bouncers look at each other
uneasily, and Effe adds a hundred cedis more.
The bouncer takes the money
reluctantly, and he takes a tag from one
of his friends and hands it to Effe.
ONE BOUNCER
You’re really putting us in trouble,
madam. It’s because you mentioned the
Darling Boy’s name that’s why we’re
helping you. Put the tag around your
ne-ck, please.
Effe puts the gold-plated tag around her
ne-ck.
EFFE
Thank you very much. Chris is here, isn’t
he?
ONE BOUNCER
Yes, madam. Upstairs.
Effe shakes her head with
disappointment.
EFFE
Arm-wrestling, isn’t he?
ONE BOUNCER
No. Knuckle fighting. He won the last
time, but his friend Abdul Adams owes
Mrs. Simpson a lot of money,
and so she arranged the fight for Abdul to pay off,
but he lost. They threatened to send him
to prison if he didn’t pay. So, he begged
Darling Boy to fight for him to pay off the
debt. But madam, I’m afraid for the boy
paa o! The man they brou-ght is a
Chinese man who can fight Kung Fu. He
beat Abdul papa!
Effe stares at the men with a fear so
great that she feels her legs shaking. She
shakes her head numbly.
EFFE
Wait, let me get this straight. Chris has a
friend called Abdul, who owes a Mrs.
Simpson a lot of money. This Mrs.
Simpson arranges a fight for Abdul to pay
off the debt if he wins, and Abdul loses
the fight, so he owes Mrs. Simpson more money.
And so, Abdul now asks Chris to
fight for him, against a Chinese skilled in
martial arts?
The bouncer nods.
ONE BOUNCER
Ten rounds. They’re upstairs.
It seems Darling Boy is losing.
Please don’t tell
them I told you this o! If you’re his friend
please go up and save him, I beg,
because we love Chris paa!
Effe does not wait for more. She enters
the bar. There are tables and chairs,
as usual, but there is nobody around.
She hears commotion coming from
upstairs, and she quickly begins to climb
the stairs leading up where Chris had
emerged from the first time she came to
the Elm’s Bar.
She can’t believe such things happened
in Ghana.
With her heart beating with fear she finds
herself on a beautiful corridor. There are
two other men at the end of the corridor
guarding a door. She approaches them.
When they see
the tag around her ne-ck they open the
door for her.
When she enters she is shocked at what
she sees.
There are a lot of beautiful
cushioned chairs around a boxing ring.
The place is filled with expensively-dressed
men and women. She recognizes
some of the faces; they are very
important people in society.
Some of them are drinking.
Some are screaming.
Effe’s attention goes to the ring, and
what she sees almost makes her faint.
EFFE
Oh, dear Lord! Oh, Chris!!
Chris is wearing only black boxing shorts.
In front of the shorts are the words
DARLING BOY.
He has black gloves on his hands. He is
in one corner, and a muscular Chinese in
red shorts is hitting Chris over and over
with his white gloves.
The Chinese is not as tall as Chris, but
he is very squat and very broad.
There is blood on Chris’ face, and he is
holding his arms across his che-st to stop
the blows from the Chinese man.
The Chinese fighter steps back and
delivers a terrible right hook to the side of
Chris’ head.
The blow flings Chris ha-rd to the canvas.
The crowd cheers and screams. A referee
in black trousers and white shirt and
bowtie begins to count.
Chris is lying on his back, blood around
his face… just like she had seen in her
dream, her nightmare… and the tears
flow down Effe’s beautiful cheeks
unchecked.
Chris tries to get to his feet,
and he crashes heavily to the canvas again.
The referee is still counting. Chris
screams and pushes first to a sitting
position, and then he stands up and
trembles unsteadily on his feet.
Suddenly a bell rings, and the Chinese
man turns and holds up his arms in
victory. The people scream and cheer.
The Chinese man heads for one corner
and sits down.
Chris begins to walk slowly to another
corner. His legs are unsteady. There is a bad cut
over his right eye and it is bleeding
profusely.
His hands hang limply by his sides, and
his head is bowed. He seems to be in a
lot of pain. He sits down on a chair which a tall
muscular man with a hu-ge beard puts
down in the corner.
Chris hangs his head.
The tears fall down Effe’s cheeks as she
runs throu-ghthe rows and climbs
the stairs leading up to Chris’ corner.
The hu-ge man with the beard is towelling
Chris, and then trying to stem the flow of
blood on Chris’ face with a towel
unsuccessfully.
People scream at Effe,
but she does not mind them.
She pushes the hands that
try to stop her aside, and then she climbs
throu-ghthe ropes and falls to her knees
in front of Chris.
The man towelling Chris looks at her with
sudden shock.
EFFE
Are you Abdul?
ABDUL
Yes, madam. But who’re you? You’re not
supposed to be in the ring, please.
Effe wipes tears from her face and
looks at the bearded man severely.
EFFE
You should be ashamed of yourself! Why
should you let your friend take such a
beating for you?
Chris looks up slowly, and
Effe gasps at what she sees.
His face is very swollen, and his right eye
is almost shut because of the de-ep cut
above it.
His li-ps are also swollen badly.
CHRIS
(his speech slurred)
Effe? My God, Precious! What’re you
doing here?
EFFE
You shut the hell up, Chris Bawa. You’re
stopping this nonsense right now!
You’re coming with me!
Suddenly there are two hu-ge men in
coats in the ring. They take hold of Effe’s
arms and drag her to her feet.
CHRIS
(getting up and screaming)
Hey! Leave her alone, b——s!
He tries to move forward but Abdul holds
him ti-ghtly to prevent him.
ABDUL
Come on, Chris! She’s in the ring, against
the regulations. Just one more round, boy!
You survive this round and we’re
home dry!
The men forcibly drag Effe out of the
ring. She screams and struggles, but to
no avail. She is crying now, calling Chris’
name over and over.
CHRIS
(his voice tortured, pained)
EFFE! EFFE! Hey, leave her alone, you
d–n b——s!
He tries to get out of the ring, but a grey-
haired man in a black suit suddenly
pulls out a gun and aims it at Chris, his eyes
filled with hatred.
GREY-HAIRED MAN
(harshly)
Get back in there, Chris! You flout the
rules and I’ll put a bullet throu-ghyour knee!
The two men rou-ghly shove Effe into an
empty seat beside a woman dressed in a
smashing white dress. The woman looks
distinguished, but she is a bit old and her
expensive make-up can’t hide
the crow’s feet around her eyes.
MRS. SIMPSON
Hello, I’m Vivica Simpson. Sorry, but you
can’t rescue your darling boy until my
Chinese fighter cuts him to ribbons!
She laughs and blows cigarette smoke into Effe’s face.
Effe stares at her with tears streaming
down her face.
EFFE
Jesus, who’re you people? You’re very
terrible people!
The woman laughs.
Just then the bell rings again.
Chris is still standing inside the ring,
looking across at where Effe is sitting,
guarded by the two men.
The Chinese is on his feet,
taking a Kung Fu stance and screaming.
Effe sees that Chris’ face is suddenly
filled with a terrible rage. He turns and
faces the Chinese man.
He begins to walk towards the Chinese
man who runs towards Chris
and leaps into the air, still screaming, his knee
crooked to smash into Chris’ face.
Chris turns to one side in a flash, catches
the flailing leg of the Chinese man,
swivels and slams the man into a corner
of the ring with such brute for-ce that
the Chinese man gives a terrible scream of
pain.
The whole auditorium goes as quiet as a
cemetery. The Chinese gains his feet,
but he is hurt, and stands tottering. Chris
crashes a fist into the man’s face,
again with beastly for-ce, and the man falls flat
on his back, and blood erupts from his
mouth in sprays.
The Chinese struggles to his knees as
the referee begins to count.
He drags himself up, sways a bit,
and then he screams and aims a blow at
Chris’ ne-ck, but Chris steps gently to one
side and kicks the Chinese man’s right
knee.
This time the Chinese yowls in a blood-
curdling manner, and falls down
with both hands grabbing his shattered knee.
He remains down, and the referee counts
him out.
The woman beside Effe screams with
sudden fury.
MRS. SIMPSON
No, no, no, noooo! F–k you to hell, Chris!
F–k you!
Abdul is screaming with joy as Chris
emerges from the ring. He hu-gs Chris
ti-ghtly.
ABDUL
Oh, God, you did it, Bro. Thank you, and
thank you!
People are on their feet, applauding.
Effe gets up slowly. She watches as
Chris limps towards her, his face puffy
and bloody, but a strange look on his face.
She is crying, and as she watches him
coming towards her she knows, without
any doubt, that somehow, incredible as it
seems, in just two weeks, the reckless,
violent, undisciplined man
approaching her has done to her heart what no man
has ever really succeeded in doing.
She has been exp-osed to a world she
never knew existed, to excitement, to
danger, and to emotions she has never
experienced and never believed possible.
He stops in front of her.
There are a lot of emotions playing on his
bruised face. She tries to stop crying
because seeing him so bruised makes
her heart pain her.
He does not speak.
He grabs her wai-st and pulls her into a fierce embr@ce.
She hu-gs him back, fiercely, ti-ghtly,
desperately, as tears still course down
her cheeks.
She does not mind the blood and sweat
that stains her blouse.
She does not want to let go,
she just wants to be in his arms,
within his embr@ce, forever.
EFFE
(whispering against his ear)
D–n you, Chris Bawa! D–n you to hell!
Why do you put me throu-ghthis?
You promised me!
He steps back. He’s still wearing the
gloves, and he holds her face with his
gloved hands. His face is remorseful,
filled with love.
CHRIS
Sorry, Precious. I promised you. I did this
for a friend, a promise I couldn’t break.
It’ll not happen again. And that’s a
promise, and I won’t break it.
Effe rests her head against his che-st for
a while.
EFFE
Let’sget out of here, Chris, so that I can
take a look at your wounds.
CHRIS
Yes, Precious. Whatever you say!
Abdul unlaces the knots of the
gloves and pulls them off.
Chris puts his arm around Effe’s
shoulders, and she supports him with an
arm around his wai-st.
As they begin to leave the auditorium the
people applaud again,
and some touch Chris’ shoulders admiringly.
Once outside, Effe gives back the tag,
thanks the bouncers, and puts him in the
back seat of the car.
She drives to the Ameyaw-Eden Clinic,
cleans his cuts and stitches
the cut above his eyebrow.
She stands back and looks at him. He is
sitting on the edge of a ward bed. He
stands up, and without a word he takes
her into his arms.
She stops breathing as she looks up at him.
The look on his face is that of
adoration, of love, of something
precious… and she is convinced it is
mirrored on her own face.
EFFE
(in a whisper) Chris.
His head bends, and when his li-ps touch
hers she opens up to receive him.
It is gentle, but it sears their souls with
the for-ce of a volcano. She puts her hand
on his che-st, tracing the luxurious hair,
and the other arm winds around his ne-ck.
CHRIS
(in a whisper)
Effe.
His li-ps burn a searing path down her
throat. She trembles,
alien primal feelings making her tremble,
to want more, to go beyond the borders.
With the strongest of willpower, she pulls
from him and puts a hand on his li-ps. She
stares de-eply into his eyes.
Reluctantly she steps back from the circle
of his arms and moves to the door.
Without a word she goes out, and after a
while he follows her.
As they walk towards the car she reaches
out and takes his hand.
EFFE
(in a very soft voice)
You know I can’t go all the way.
CHRIS
I know, Precious.
She does not look at him. But she smiles
to herself. She realises that she is happy.
To be continued.