CHILDLESS – Episode 3

PRESENT Many people are crying now. Kwabena Dompreh scre-ms, and tears fall down his cheeks in torrents. KWABENA (heart shattered) Oh, no, no, no! Tell me it’s a lie!! I went to the United Kingdom! When I came back to Ghana I couldn’t find her, or anybody who remembered her! I thought she went back to her mother!! Oh, no! Oh, Jesus! Dede, Dede!! I have sinned!! Oh, what have I done? And, for the very first time since his wife died, tears form in Tutu’s eyes, and trickle down his cheeks. TUTU DOMPREH (hoarsely) Goodness me! Don’t tell me she died that day, just like that! Oh, no! Tell me she didn’t die!! Tell me I didn’t kill that poor girl! Oh, dearest me! What did I do? Akua takes a huge shuddering breath as her tears fall down her cheeks, and at that particular moment all the love she feels for Kwabena evaporates. She looks at him and his father. Such heartless monsters! She can’t believe they had been capable of such a terrible atrocity! Dazedly, she sees how agonized they are, and she is happy. She wants to take the gun and shoot both of them, and she has nothing but revulsion in her heart for them. THE STRANGER (gently) Well, I won’t tell you she didn’t die! She died! Your cruelty killed her, and her unborn child, a creation of God! She was the only child of her mother! Well, her friend Mintah went to her village to give them the bad news. A delegation was sent to Accra to bring Dede’s body to the village for burial. Her mother came too. That woman is a great Christian, I tell you, and she wasn’t about to stand by and let you bastards destroy her daughter just like that. She came to the mortuary, and she was the first to see her dead daughter on that cold slab. With tears of anguish drowning her, the poor woman put her right hand on her dead daughter’s heart and prayed… FLASHBACK MADAM BAJOE NAAR (weeping) My dearest Father above, my God and my Lord, you gave me only one daughter to gladden my heart in my old age, but here she lies, Father! Destroyed by the unfeeling hearts of men who walk in the paths of their own thinking! Father, today I stand on Your word which says whatever is bound here on earth is also bound in Heaven! I bind the loins of Kwabena Dompreh, that boy who did this to my daughter! May he never be able to give birth, and may his father never know the joys of being a grandfather, until they realize the folly of their ways for this evil they have done my daughter, Dede Ahiawey Naar!! This, dearest father, is the only wish of an agonized mother, prayed in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! AMEN! PRESENT The stranger gets to his feet and looks down at the faces of the wicked man and his son. THE STRANGER So, Mr. Tutu Dompreh, you evil man! Stop heckling Akua! She came to your evil son’s bed a V-rgin! There’s nothing wrong with her! She’s fertile and capable of being pregnant. It is your son, Kwabena, whose loins the Lord has locked because the mother of Dede prayed a fervent prayer, and the Lord granted her request because, the prayers of a righteous person availeth much, and whatever a righteous person binds here on Earth is also bound in Heaven! He reached down for a chicken delicacy and popped it into his mouth, and munched with obvious relish. THE STRANGER Kwabena will never be able to give birth, with any woman, unless he goes to Madam Bajoe Naar and begs for forgiveness for the evil he did to Dede! And do you know something, you ugly bastards, I wish Akua will divorce your son, and I wish that by the time you get to Madam Bajoe she will be dead peacefully, so that you and your son WILL DIE WITHOUT HIM KNOWING THE JOYS OF BEING A FATHER, AND YOU KNOWING THE JOYS OF A GRANDFATHER!! You two are wicked, and do not deserve any form of happiness for the terrible way you treated that poor girl! The stranger begins to hum a song as he gets down from the podium and begins to walk away. Kwabena and his father are both weeping miserably. Kuukua gets up and looks at Tutu with fury. KUUKUA Aaaah, Uncle! You did this to a poor girl? How would you have felt if somebody did that to your daughter? You should be ashamed of yourself! She gets down quickly, followed by her husband. The family’s Clan Head stands up and wags a finger at Tutu. CLAN HEAD You’ve shamed our family, Tutu, son of Tutu! The Elders shall hear of this! You’re a pig! For once Tutu cannot utter a word. He is shattered. In ones and twos the guests get up and leave. The guards who had touched the stranger and been zapped also get up finally on their feet and leave. Only four people stay behind. Kwabena and his father. Akua and the stranger. The stranger reaches Akua’s table and looks at her. THE STRANGER I wish you’ll divorce him and marry someone else. You’ll be pregnant the first day you make love to your new husband. AKUA (smiling sadly) I know I should divorce him, yes. Only problem is, I still love him. THE STRANGER (bleakly) But he’s a fool! AKUA (nodding) He is, yes. But I think all that is going to change now. I forgive him. We’ll go and look for Madam Bajoe. I know she lives. THE STRANGER (nodding) Oh, yes, she lives. I got the story from her two days ago when God sent me to her. She waits for i see happiness ahead for you, Akua. Keep loving the Lord! AKUA The Lord is all I have. Where would I have been without him? I would’ve been dead by now. THE STRANGER (smiling briefly) The more reason that you should divorce that fool! He doesn’t deserve you. Or, why don’t you go out and make love to some man and get pregnant, hm? Then give birth for the man, and bring him to live in your Boys Quarters with your child whilst you live in the main house with your husband. Kwabena, that fool, was planning to do that to you, so if the tables have turned, you should also do it to him. What do you think about that? And, for the first time in many years, Akua laughs uproariously, with real mirth, so much so that tears come to her eyes. AKUA I’m really glad you’re not God, mister. Otherwise I’ll be scared of your revenge! THE STRANGER I would’ve struck your husband’s p*n*s with leprosy long, long time ago, Akua, the moment Dede died! They both laugh this time. He turns and begins to walk away. Akua scrambles to her feet. AKUA (desperately) Please, sir, please, wait! The stranger turns. THE STRANGER Mm-hm? AKUA Please, I beg of you, with all humility. What’s your name? Where do you stay? Where did you come from? I want to come and thank you. THE STRANGER Thank the Lord, not man. And my name is of no import to you now, my dear lady. Keep your faith! God loves you!x He turns and quickly walks away. When Akua turns Kwabena and his father have come down and are facing her. Almost in slow motion both of them fall to their knees in front of her. KWABENA (weeping) Forgive me, Akua! Oh, please forgive me! I’m so sorry! TUTU DOMPREH (sadly) Forgive me, Akua! All my life I’ve been a bastard, an unfeeling ogre! I’ve learnt a great lesson today! Please, dear, forgive me and my son! AKUA (humbled) Please, stand up! There’s nothing to forgive! We have a journey ahead of us. Let’s prepare and go and look for Madam Bajoe Naar! A YEAR AND A HALF ON… Akua Dompreh just can’t be happier! Everything had seemed lost! She had even been contemplating killing herself, but the God she worsh¡ps and leans on hadn’t left her in a lurch! God had sent a stranger into her life, and following the amazing things and revelations the stranger had laid bare, she and her husband and her father-in-law had made the long journey to the heart of Kroboland to seek a gentle Christian lady called Madam Bajoe Naar! She had turned out to be a most beautiful elegant woman, even in her matured ages. They had arrived on a Sunday, and found her in church. That day she had been up on the pulpit. It had been a Women’s Week celebration, and Madam Bajoe Naar had been teaching the women in the church about the blessings of forgiveness when three people entered the church. Akua had asked one of the congregation members where Madam Bajoe was, and the member had pointed at the gentle mature woman standing behind the pulpit. Akua had moved forward, climbed the pulpit, and fallen to her knees in front of the woman. Kwabena had run to her and fallen down on his knees too, bawling his head off like a baby. Tutu Dompreh had just stared at the woman. He had never seen a lovelier woman in his life! He had fallen down flat on his stomach in front of her with genuine tears in his eyes. KWABENA (wailing uncontrollably) Oh, Dede, Dede, Dede! Madam, please forgive me! I’m a bad man! Forgive me for making you lose your daughter! Forgive me for making your daughter go through so mucho misery! Oh, Lord! Dede forgive me! Forgive me, my love! Oh, I don’t deserve to live! I deserve to die!! TUTU DOMPREH (remorsefully) It is all my fault! My stupid pride! Thinking I’m more human than everybody else! I’m a murderer! Please, please, please, forgive me and my son, madam! The news had spread, and of course the dear, good woman had also cried, and had forgiven them immediately! It had been a great day in the small village that day. They had stayed for almost two weeks in the village! Tutu Dompreh had insisted on a fitting burial for Dede! He had ordered experts to come from the city and Dede’s grave had been redesigned with incredible marble, glass and gold. Brochures had been printed, and a fitting burial had been performed. Tutu had flooded the village with food and drinks.q The villagers just couldn’t stop marvelling. A lovely bronze statue of Dede was even er-cted behind the gravestone. Afterwards, Kwabena and Tutu had accepted Jesus Christ in the village, and Akua couldn’t stop laughing when the great Tutu, the proudest, most arrogant man she had ever known, was baptized in the village’s dirty pool of water… and he had been smiling all along! And then Madam Bajoe had prayed for Kwabena for thirty minutes in the church, beseeching the Lord to be merciful and let His grace fill Kwabena and release his loins. Later, Tutu had insisted on bringing Madam Bajoe back to the city. Akua, who had lost her mother just after completing university, suddenly had a new caring mother in Madam Bajoe. She had begged Madam Bajoe to come and stay with her for a while, and the gentle woman had agreed, albeit reluctantly, and come to stay with Akua. Tutu had been a constant visitor to the house on various pretexts, but they all knew he was just interested in seeing Madam Bajoe. Two months later, she and Tutu had been married, just around the time that Akua did five pregnancy tests and they all showed positive! And that day she and her husband had been over the moon, and cried with thanksgiving! Tutu has built a huge building for the church, and his wife, Mrs. Bajoe Dompreh, is now the Women’s Leader! One and a half years on, and God has made everything so beautiful, in His own time! Akua is now the mother of triplets… Two boys and a girl! Yes, she serves a most powerful God! Finally, her own naming ceremony has come, and this time it has been held in church! Performed by Pastor Fiifi Addo! Akua is so happy that she fears she is going to burst! Later they all go out to have pictures taken. There is much laughter and happiness. After several pictures, Akua, Kwabena, Tutu and Madam Bajoe pose for a final picture. Kwabena is holding his daughter. Tutu is holding one boy, and Madam Bajoe the other. As soon as the picture is taken Akua’s eyes are drawn to the entrance of the church. She sees a tall figure in an excellent cream suit standing there. The man has no beard this time, and he is not wearing a hat. He is wearing dark glasses though, and has a round growth of hair around his l-ips and down his chin. He is too far away, but even from the distance Akua is quite taken aback by how young and handsome he looks! Kwabena is looking at her with great love in his eyes. KWABENA Sweetheart, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Akua does not speak, and she does not shift her gaze. Kwabena stares at the direction she is looking at, and he gasps. AKUA (hoarsely) It is him! KWABENA (hollowly) Yes, the stranger! There’s something different about him… I can’t seem to place it! AKUA (wonderingly) He looks younger! KWABENA Yes, yes, that’s it! Far younger, handsomer! Suddenly Akua begins to run towards the stranger. He raises his hand and waves, and then he turns towards the entrance! AKUA (shouting) No, no, wait! Somebody stop that man for me! Please wait! But when she gets out she sees a sleek, powerful car speeding away, and she stops with frustration as she stares after it. AKUA Thank you, whoever you are! Thank you, stranger! The stranger is looking through his driving mirror at her, and then he smiles, shakes his head, and turns a corner, losing sight of her. He is now on a straight stretch of road. THE STRANGER Father, you’re great! But sometimes I don’t understand Your ways! That Tutu man and his silly son didn’t deserve happiness! They don’t deserve another chance! Now they’re Christians! I wanted them to suffer so much for their wickedness, but You knows best, so that’s okay. If I had my own way- Suddenly a brilliant lightning splits the sky and a ground-shaking thunder booms, rocking the car. The stranger laughs and shakes his head ruefully. THE STRANGER Yes, Lord! I’ve heard You. Your ways are higher than mine! Yooo, I hear, Father! You’re Lord, You alone are Lord! And I’m loving this life You’ve given me! The stranger laughs hærd and presses down h-rder on the accelerator… and for a brief moment people who were watching the huge beautiful car later said they saw the interior shining brightly as if the car was filled with angels! End of CHILDLESS