EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE...EPISODE THREE (3).

Maxwell was checking on the lawn while he was still contemplating over his dilemma when Linda came rushing out to ask him a question. "Would you rather have boiled yam with sauce or you are a rice man so rice will do?", Linda queried. Maxwell, since childhood had always been a glutton. He was devoted to eating and drinking in excess when he had the chance. He carefully looked at the expression on Linda's face when he responded, "You know what?". "Add a few slices of boiled yam to the rice and stew and I would very much appreciate it if you poured me a big glass of that pineapple juice in the refrigerator to help me wash the food down". Linda raised her eyebrows out of reflex at Maxwell's huge appetite. She immediately cleared her throat and said, "I hope you are not in any way measuring your hunger by the work you are doing because that can be very tricky". "But I would do as you wish", she added. Linda turned to go and get Maxwell's order when he called out after her, "Who prepared the stew?", Maxwell asked. "Which stew?", Linda queried. "The one you are going to serve me with.", Maxwell answered sarcastically.  "I did", Linda responded. "Do you have a problem eating food prepared by a stranger?", Linda asked, walking back to the edge of the lawn. "No I don't". "I would actually love to taste your food because I have had one too any delicacies from grandma so a change in the menu would be splendid”, Maxwell added, hiding the fact that he did not enjoy his grandmother's dishes. In a matter of minutes, Linda had dished out Maxwell's food and served him under Maxwell's grandfather's summer hut. The summer hut which used to have four beautiful wooden beach chairs and a centre table which was made of marble was now left with two wooden chairs, one plastic chair and the once shining marble centre table had now faded. As he sat down to enjoy his meal, he heard many masculine voices. He recognized one of the voices as that belonging to Rudolph. Maxwell quickly signalled for Linda to clear the table but he was too late. The boys he grew up with had luck on their side and they had arrived just about the same time Maxwell was about to have his hard-earned lunch. "Heaven is really smiling on me today", Rudolph yelled as he giddily rushed to wash his hands to enjoy Maxwell's meal. All the other boys followed Rudolph's lead and in a matter of seconds, the plate of rice and boiled sliced yams was nowhere in sight. The boys cared less about Maxwell's grumbling as they devoured his meal with him. When the meal was finished, Raphael, Rudolph's twin brother grabbed the pineapple juice and downed it on the first attempt. Maxwell almost cried out in pain but he held his peace and kept his cool. Rudolph, Raphael, Frank and Prince, the young men who partook in Maxwell's free for all lunch had not seen Maxwell in a long while. Apparently, Rudolph had showed off his earnings when he met Maxwell earlier in the day so the other boys had also come to take their share of Maxwell's give-aways. "Maxwell, we heard what you did for Rudolph and we are here to receive our share because it is only fair that you treat all your brothers fairly", Raphael spoke, with authority. Maxwell looked at Rudolph who was already slouching in the plastic chair. "Right now, I have used up all my money but I will sort you all out shortly, hopefully by tomorrow morning", Maxwell said. "That is not good enough, Max", Frank said and gulped down the remnants of the pineapple juice in the almost empty glass. "Have I ever gone against my word before, Frankie"? Maxwell asked looking at Frank. "I should be the one complaining here because you guys came into my house uninvited, ate my food and you expect me to pay you for it too?", Maxwell fired out. Frank looked at Maxwell as if he had just been hit by an upper cut and as his finally words reached its intended target, Frank drew close to Maxwell and gave him a tight hug. "It is good to have you back, brother", Frank said with tears in his eyes. "You are still the straight-forward Maxwell I have known since infancy. Frank was the most emotional among all of them. He could cry at the least provocation. He was also the most adorable and coupled as the ladies' man among the boys. He had busy eyebrows and the ladies often fell over each other just to be with him. He had completed the university two years after Maxwell and had been unemployed ever since he completed his national service. On that same day, he had gone to town to submit his résumé to some firms in a bid to get a job. He was fair in complexion and like Maxwell, sported a faded haircut. Raphael had changed totally, he had grown lean and his face was plagued with pimples.  He was the brightest among all of them. He dropped out of the university in his final year because he spent all his tuition for his final year with his girlfriend, Ruth. She left him immediately she found out that it was his tuition that he lavishly spent with her. Even after dumping him, he still was doing everything he could to still be with her but it seemed that his efforts were getting the better of him. She was one very demanding girlfriend and the boys did not really like her company. Raphael had been advised to stay away from Ruth countless times but he always responded, "You've not seen what I have seen because if you have, you will not tell me what you are telling me now". Maxwell always sympathized with him because he always maintained that his predicament could befall any one of them. Maxwell liked Prince for many reasons but one. Prince had started making advances at Maxwell's sister and it made Maxwell very uncomfortable whenever he has in their company. His sister too had started developing a thing for Prince and it put Maxwell off. Maxwell had gathered that Prince had recently landed a job as a sales representative for a herbal medicine company. He always complained of how he was being exploited by his employers just because of the prevalence of unemployment. "If it had not been for unemployment, would these baboons even have the effrontery to employ me, a university graduate, to do the work that even high school leavers would reject?", he would often whine. Prince was the tallest among all the boys and Maxwell was the shortest. Prince and Maxwell used to get along till Maxwell found out about his plans about his sister. "We need your help, Max", Rudolph spoke as he lifted himself up from the seat. "We are moving from one room to another in our house and we could use your help in moving our stuff", Rudolph added. "Our father wants to rent out our room so we can make some money to start up a small business", Raphael chipped in. "Okay, let me grab my shirt so we go", Maxwell responded with haste. He always wanted to help all the boys out with their issues and they knew he would never let them down. Maxwell rushed into the hall and asked permission from his grandmother to step out for a while. He went by the kitchen where Linda was washing the dishes and said, "We really enjoyed your meal, thank you". "Stop flattering me", Linda said. "I know your huge appetite needs some more so I saved some of the food for you", Linda added. "You can have it when you come back or better still, I would put it in the microwave oven for you", Linda said and dished out the food. "You are so adorable", Maxwell said. "Will I see you tomorrow?", Maxwell asked. Linda wiped her hand on her apron, turned and said, “I will go to work tomorrow so you might see me the day after tomorrow”. “Okay”, Maxwell replied and stepped out of the house with the boys. On their way to Rudolph’s house, the boys passed by another drinking bar in the area called ‘Cool Running’. It was run by some Rastafarians. It was the only bar that was actively patronised in the entire neighbourhood. As they walked past the bar, Maxwell recounted how his father used to send him on errands to the bar to buy him two shots of dry gin and one shot of lime whenever he wanted to eat his evening meal. As they arrived at Rudolph’s house, Maxwell greeted Rudolph’s father and as usual, he gave his sons the lecture of their striving to be like Maxwell. As the old man gave the lecture, Maxwell looked straight on and just nodded, in his head, he thought to himself, “If only this man knew what I have been through, he would not wish for his sons to be like me”. When the lecture was over, Raphael gave Maxwell a knock on the head and said, “You see the disadvantages of being too good?” Maxwell laughed off the question and followed Raphael as he led the way to the room. Upon reaching the entrance of the room, Maxwell held his nose and asked, “What is that smell?” “What smell?”, Raphael asked with a surprised look on his face. As Raphael opened the door to the room, the suspicious smell filled the hallway. “What the hell have you boys been doing in this room?” The room was really stuffy with a lot of dirty clothes in it. “So are you guys able to be this dirty and still keep your girlfriends?”, Maxwell asked sarcastically. “I wonder the kind of girls that would date you lot”. “I guess they might be as dirty as you two”, Maxwell added, pointing at Rudolph and Raphael. In about two hours, they had managed to move the stuff from one room to the other. After the work was done, Rudolph picked up his football boots and headed straight to the pitch close to his house. “Do you still play like you used to when we were kids?”, Maxwell asked Rudolph who was already getting dressed. “Follow me to the pitch and you will see me in action”, Rudolph replied. As they all stepped out with Rudolph in front of them, they saw Ruth approaching from the opposite direction with one of the footballers. Maxwell walked past her as if he had never seen her before and sat on a short wall to watch Rudolph play. As he sat, Ruth walked to him and said, “I thought you always claimed that you never forgot faces but in just a matter of years, you have forgotten about me”, Ruth lamented. “I haven’t forgotten about you, Ruth, I am just ignoring you”, Maxwell replied. “You can be so annoying at times that is why we never lasted”, Ruth said and asked Maxwell to hug him which he reluctantly did. Ruth used to be Maxwell’s girlfriend but the two of them only dated for three weeks before they eventually broke up. Maxwell really loved Ruth but he could not keep up with her lavish lifestyle. “What brings you back to this part of town, Ruth queried. “Have you come to apologize so we get back together?”, Ruth added. “Hell no!”, Maxwell barked back at Ruth and broke out in hysterical laughter. “I have seen what you have done to Raphael and I don’t want to end up like him so thank you, I think I am doing just fine without you”, Maxwell said. “Moreover, I have enough on my plate already”, Maxwell added. “Welcome back home, Max”, Ruth said and left him alone. After the football match, Maxwell headed back to his grandmother’s house. When he got to the gate, he heard people arguing inside the house and rushed to see what the confusion was about. When Maxwell got into the hall, he saw his father and another brother arguing on top of their voices. “What is going on here?”, Maxwell asked as he pulled his father back from facing his brother in a fist fight. Maxwell’s grandmother had called her eldest son to inform him that Maxwell had visited her. Her eldest son in turn called Maxwell’s father to tell him to tell Maxwell to leave the house. The argument started over the phone and both of them ended up in the house to face off. Maxwell’s uncle looked at him and asked, “Hey you, do you think you can fight over this property with me?” “I have never for once sat down to think of taking over property from anyone”, Maxwell started. “All I have ever wanted since all of this started is for us to forget about our differences and live together as a happy family and I know this is not difficult to ask. Maxwell’s father, who was already speaking on top of his voice, asked his mother, “How can you allow him talk to my son in such a manner, mother?” “How else do you expect me to talk to him?”, Maxwell’s uncle asked. “You have sent him here to fight in your stead but I want you to know that your plan will not see the light of day”, Maxwell’s uncle added. All this while, Maxwell’s grandmother was in tears over what was ensuing between her sons. “All of this could have been avoided if you didn’t call your beloved son to inform him that your grandson has visited you”, Maxwell’s father said while pointing at his mother. “What have I done?”, Maxwell’s grandmother asked amid tears. “Aren’t you the one who called Donald to inform him that Maxwell was here?”, Maxwell’s father barked at his mother. Maxwell walked to the middle of the room and yelled, “Can’t you people see that you are killing your mother with these arguments?” “Tell, them my son”, his grandmother chipped in. “You people need to come to an agreement so we can all be happy once and for all”, Maxwell started. “This family is dying because there is no love in it”, Maxwell said. “We need to put all this greed behind us and live together as one happy family”. “I doubt if you would behave this way if grandpa was still alive”, Maxwell added. “Now, both of you should leave my grandfather’s house because the only one who is the legitimate owner of this edifice is this woman sitting here”, Maxwell barked, pointing to his grandmother. “You people are our role models and it breaks my heart to see you people fighting one another”. “You people should find a way to settle your differences”, Maxwell added….. IS MAXWELL GOING TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF HIS FAMILY? MORE TO FOLLOW SOON. MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND THIS IS ANOTHER MASTERPIECE TITLED “EVEN IF I DON’T FIND PEACE”. MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com

EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE...EPISODE TWO.

EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE...EPISODE TWO (2).
As Maxwell turned the door knob, he heard his grandmother ask, “Who is there?”. She asked that question out of fright rather than out of curiosity. After the death of her husband, she always complained of one day receiving a visit from him. It took the help of a clinical psychologist and a catechist to finally convince her that there were no such things as ghosts. She had been living in the house with a house help after all her children were made to move out of the house because of their constant arguments over their father’s property. Maxwell and his siblings always wondered why she was scared but left their curiosity to deal with itself. “It is me”, Maxwell responded with a smile on his face because he knew exactly what was going to follow his response. “You who?”, his grandmother queried. “Me, Maxwell, your grandson.”, Maxwell replied. Maxwell walked into the living room where his grandmother was seated. He had not seen her for ten years and the old woman had changed physically. Her once black hair had now greyed out totally. There was a walking stick not too far away from the couch in which she was seated. The only thing that Maxwell remembered from ten years ago that still remained the same was her face. His grandmother still had a wrinkle-free face. She had been served with a cup of tea and three slices of bread which she found difficult to eat. She was clad in a heavy sweater to prevent her from getting cold even though it was broad daylight. When Maxwell saw her, the first thought that came to mind was that his once beautiful grandmother had little time left on earth. When she saw him, her face lit up with joy mixed with surprise. “Today, you have remembered that you have a grandma”, his grandmother said as he leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. “Don’t say that, grandma”, Maxwell rebutted. “You know that I love you so much and like you would always say, 'I cannot go and take any other woman to fill you place as grandma' because”…. “No matter how poor I am, I am still your grandma!”, they both sung in unison and they both laughed out loud as they shared a hug. "What brings you here?", Maxwell's grandmother asked. "Does your father know that you are here?", she added. "Grandma, relax". "This house legally belongs to you and you have the sole right to determine who can come here and who cannot so your children have no right whatsoever to fight over this edifice", Maxwell added. "My children do not understand this, my child. They  have been blinded by greed and hatred and it is tearing our family apart and what hurts me is that I am too old to do anything about it", Maxwell's grandmother said with tears in her eyes. "You don't have to cry grandma, we will find a way to put a stop to all this nonsense and get back as the loving family we once were. Don't worry about it because I have a plan I believe will get us all together as we once were", Maxwell said, as he gave his grandmother his handkerchief to wipe her tears and patted her on the shoulder. After wiping her tears, she gave Maxwell her most 'famous' lecture. Maxwell's father disliked his mother for one thing. He knew deep inside that she always reported his activities and dealings to her other children and Maxwell could attest to the fact that she knew how to exaggerate when talking about his father. "Your father always says that I don't love him like I do his other siblings but the truth of the matter is that he is mistaken because among all my children, he is the one I love and cherish the most because of how intelligent he is", Maxwell's grandmother said. "Sometimes, he even says it to my face that I am not his mother because if I was, I would not allow his siblings to treat him the way they did", Maxwell's grandmother added. "But in all things, the Bible says we should give thanks so if your father says that I am not his mother, I have nothing to say because I remember when I was in the operating room some fifty years ago about to put him to bed, it was even raining that day and I had to borrow money from my next door neighbour to board a taxi to the hospital because on that day, your grandfather, my husband, may God bless his soul had left for work", Maxwell's grandmother continued her lecture. All this while, Maxwell listened quietly even though he had heard this story over a thousand times. He knew too well that interrupting her speech would only make her talk more so he had to wait for the right moment to end the 'lecture'. "That fateful Monday afternoon, my doctor was not on duty so another doctor helped me to deliver your father". "That doctor was called something something Michaels". "Hold on, I would remember her name", Maxwell's grandmother said as she tried racking her brain for the name. Maxwell saw this as the right moment to skip the long lecture so he quickly jumped in, "As you try to remember, let me take this empty tea cup and saucer into the kitchen, I am sure that by the time I get back, you would have remembered the name so we continue with the story". With that being said, Maxwell quickly cleared the table and started his way towards the kitchen. As he was about exiting the large living room, he turned and said, "Take your time grandma because we have all day to talk". As he stepped into the kitchen he was greeted by a familiar aroma, his grandmother's trademark fish stew. He never liked the taste of the stew because he claimed it was not spicy enough. There were a few dishes already in the sink so Maxwell took them all out and filled the sink with water to use to wash the dishes. As he opened the tap, he had a flashback of how he used to stand on a kitchen stool as a child trying to help his father's elder sister with the dishes while his younger sister swept the kitchen floor. Even though his sister did a shabby job, she was still lauded for a job well done and they all enjoyed each other's company. "Those were good times and I would give anything to see this family return to its former place", Maxwell said, as he grabbed the sponge dish. In a matter of minutes, he was done with the dishes. He opened the fridge and took out some pineapple juice and poured some into a glass for his grandmother. "Here you go, grandma", Maxwell said, as he took a sip from the glass and handed it over to his grandmother. His grandmother had become very 'sensitive' because of her old age and could make a case out of virtually every situation no matter how harmless they were so Maxwell knew that taking a sip from the same cup  was a step in the right direction because he knew it would put to bed any 'suspicions' his grandmother had of he being sent to poison her. "I want to look around the house, it has been a while", Maxwell said. "Let me know if you need anything, grandma", he added and stepped outside. Maxwell's grandfather's house was the first house in the neighbourhood to be walled when it was built. It was also the first house and still the only house that had a big sliding glass door. As he went through the door, he remembered his grandfather's famous warning as they played around the living room close to the glass door. "I have told you children not to play around this door", he would say. "It cost billions!", he would often scream if any of his grandchildren even so much as touched the glass door. Maxwell loved his grandfather so much because even though he was seen as a disciplinarian by all of them, he always found a way of keeping both his house and his family in check. Their once beautiful lawn had now withered and all the beautiful trees and colourful flowers  had either died or was at the final stage of losing its last flower. Maxwell remembered how their house used to be the talk of the town. Many people referred to his grandfather's house as 'The flower house' because of the many flowers and trees in the house. Maxwell remembered how people often came into the house to take pictures while posing by the many colourful flowers. They often did this when his grandfather was not at home because the only time he would allow someone step on his lawn was when the gardener had to water them. That was how much he cherished his house. While his grandfather was still alive, Maxwell recalled him always standing in the middle of the house at night when all the lights had been turned on admiring the beauty he and the gardener had painstakingly created. Unfortunately, the beauty of the house faded away along with his death. Maxwell fetched the water hose from the backyard, connected it to the tap and put the running water into the already withered lawn to try to revive it. He took off his shirt, leaving only his undershirt, rolled up his denim jeans trouser and fetched a small garden fork from his grandfather's garden shed. He loosened up all the flower beds in the few flower pots that had anything left in them and filled them with water. As he worked tirelessly, the gate to the house cranked open. A young lady in her twenty's began the walk along the long walkway heading towards Maxwell's direction. "Wow!", Maxwell said, as the figure was a few feet out from where he stood. "Good morning", she greeted. "Please when you finish with this one", pointing to the flower pot Maxwell was currently working on, "come and let me show you something in the backyard", she added. "I think our pear tree also needs pruning", she added. Maxwell was dumbfounded but he managed to nod his head in agreement. The young lady, after saying this, made her way  into the house. "This is a very beautiful young lady", Maxwell said to himself. "I shouldn't have rushed into getting myself into all this mess in the first place if I knew I was going to meet such a beautiful young woman like this", Maxwell said as he wiped the sweat off his face with his palm. After about twenty minutes, the young lady came rushing back with a glass of pineapple juice in her hand. "I am so sorry, I mistook you for a gardener", she said. "Your grandmother was just telling me about you", she said, as she offered Maxwell the glass of juice. "So you wouldn't have given me anything to drink if I was really a gardener?", Maxwell queried. "Oh, far from that", the young lady replied looking pretty much embarrassed. "All people deserve the same treatment whether that person is a gardener or the landlord", Maxwell scolded. The young lady was speechless. "Don't mind me, I am only messing with you", Maxwell said as he took the glass from the tray. "I am Max and this is my grandfather's house.". "As you can see, I am trying to restore it to its former glory so that my grandfather can at least smile down on me from heaven", Maxwell added jokingly. "What's your name?", Maxwell asked. "My name is Linda and I live across the street". "On my free days, I come over to give your granny a helping hand with a few chores", Linda said. Linda was a joy to behold. She had all the outstanding features Maxwell dreamed about. She was curvaceous and busty. Her hair was put in place with a yellow ribbon and she had one of the smoothest faces Maxwell had ever seen. "Okay Linda, let me get this one done so we look at the flowers in the backyard together". "Hope you would stay for a while", Maxwell added and Linda nodded in affirmation. Linda walked back into the house with the tray in her hand and Maxwell watched her as she graciously cat walked into the house. A feeling of deja vu hit Maxwell as he bent over the next flower pot. "This won't work out, Max", Maxwell thought out loud. "You have too much on your plate to add more to it", his inner voice spoke to him. "If only I can find a way to free myself", Maxwell said and went back to his gardening.... WHAT HAS ENTANGLED MAXWELL? FIND OUT IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF "EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE". MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND THIS JUST ANOTHER MASTERPIECE. MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com

EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE...EPISODE ONE (1).

NEW SERIES! NEW SERIES!! NEW SERIES!!!


"EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE"... EPISODE ONE (1).
Maxwell sat in the back seat of the commercial taxi with two passengers flanked on both his right and left side. He was on his way to his family house which was some miles away. Even though he used to be a regular customer of the route he was on, many things appeared differently. It had been ten long years since he used that road and the passage of time had left in its wake, desolation in some places, renovation in other places and at certain places, totally new structures had been put up. He saw an old bar which was called "The Place". It used to be the talk of the town because at night, all sorts of people gathered there to have fun and especially get drunk but now, it had become a deserted place. The walls of the once famous pub had now been eroded by constant rainfall. His face gave off a smirk when he saw an eatery which was famous for its name and type of food served. The eatery was called "Today be cat". It literally meant cat meat was the only meat on their menu and surprising enough, the place was always filled to capacity. Most of the customers of the 'restaurant' were customers who had been 'wasted', from 'The Place' and wanted something to eat to deal with their hangover. "This place too is still here", Maxwell said to himself as he reminisced on how he used to play around that place as a child. Maxwell smiled and said, "The life I have lived", as the taxi took another turn leaving "Today be cat" out of sight. Maxwell was off from work and decided to pay his grandmother a visit. It had been ten years since he last saw her. He had moved out of their spacious family house with his family to rent an apartment. After three years, he also decided to separate from his parents and siblings because he felt he was growing into a man and had to separate himself from family to start living an independent life. He had been working for the past two years after completing the university five years ago. The taxi maneuvered a turn into the neighbourhood he grew up in. As the car passed by a kindergarten school, Maxwell looked through the school to see if would chance upon someone he knew as a child. His face lit up as he saw his first teacher, Aunty Rosemary. She had grown into an old woman now. After going on ahead a few blocks, Maxwell ordered the taxi driver to stop, "I would alight here", he said in his usually cool and collected voice. He paid the driver what he owed and politely asked the passenger on his right side to allow him disembark from the rickety taxi. Maxwell had a masculine figure and was well built. He was dark in complexion and had very tough skin. He always spotted a faded haircut. He loved to wear long-sleeved shirts but with him, he always folded the sleeves to his elbow level. It had become his trademark. As he alighted, he walked back to his first school, 'Christian Children's Centre'. As he approached the gates, Aunty Rosemary came outside. "Who am I seeing?", Aunty Rosemary  blurted out in surprise as Maxwell approached her. "Is that cry baby Max?", she asked jokingly. Maxwell smiled and remembered being told by his mother how he often would cry nonstop when he was being taken to school as a toddler. "Good morning, mummy", Maxwell greeted politely. "Good morning, son". "You have grown into a big boy now and you are even growing a beard", Aunty Rosemary said as she hugged Maxwell and touched his chin. "Where are mummy and daddy", the inquisitive Aunty Rosemary asked. "They are all well and are still around", Maxwell replied to avoid any further interrogation. "We thank God", Aunty Rosemary said. "So what brings you here?", she pressed for more information. "I came to visit grandma", Maxwell replied. "That is so thoughtful of you". "You know that ever since your grandfather passed, she has been very lonely and it would do her a lot of good if she saw you", Aunty Rosemary added. After answering a  few more questions , Maxwell asked to take his leave and started walking along the dusty path to his grandmother's house. Maxwell's family was at war. His grandfather had died intestate so his children were at each other's throats trying to scramble whatever property they could lay their hands on. It was chaotic because it was sometimes embarrassing how they could engage in a war of words with each other over a dead good man's property. It was out of this scramble that led to his father asking them to move out of the family house till their differences had been settled. It had been ten years and still their disagreement continued. Maxwell's grandfather's property had become a curse to his family. It managed to take out all the love that this once big and happy family shared and replaced it with greed and hatred. Maxwell was trying the best he could as one of the oldest grandchildren not to allow the differences of his father and his siblings to trickle down the family tree. He was always in touch with all his cousins and ensured that they incubated the premature love and affection they had managed to birth in their own small circle. Maxwell's own life had been shattered into many different fragments over the past few years. He was a happy person and was always there to listen to anyone who needed a listening ear and offered advice freely. His own soul was in need of saving. He was in a constant battle with his pillow anytime he lay his head on it. He had countless sleepless nights. He wanted solutions for his problems but he wanted to find the solutions himself. He was involved with two different women. These women had become his undoing. He allowed himself to be carried away by the pleasures their bodies provided and it had led him into what seemed like a bottomless pit of endless pain and torment. As he walked along the path, he met many faces from the past. He made many stops at shops, homes, eateries and workplaces to exchange pleasantries with people he knew as a child. His famous walk down memory lane was one he cherished because in that moment, he at least got some respite and for the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of peace, love and belonging return to him. Close to his family house lived another extended family just like the size of his. They shared a very big wooden structure which served as a house but lived in harmony. Maxwell knew that they had their own differences but they managed to overlook their differences and more often than not, they agreed to disagree. "Why can't my family be like these people?", Maxwell thought to himself as he waved at them. They all appeared hearty even as they sat to have a round table breakfast of a big bowl of porridge. As Maxwell approached the gate to his grandfather's house, he heard his name being shouted out from a distance. "Max, Max!". The voice belonged to his childhood friend, Rudolph. Rudolph was more like a brother to Maxwell. Maxwell used to idolize him as they were growing up even though Rudolph was just a year older than him. Maxwell was so fond of him that he would often cry when they made selections for a game of football and he was not in Rudolph's team while they were still kids. Maxwell's mother always left Maxwell in the care of Rudolph's mother because of her busy work schedule. Rudolph's mother was like Maxwell's second mother so to Maxwell, Rudolph was like the brother he never had. Though Rudolph had a twin brother, Raphael, Maxwell was more fond of Rudolph than Raphael. When Rudolph got close to Maxwell, he said, "As for today, my breakfast, lunch and supper are on you", as he hugged Maxwell tightly and patted him on the back. "I miss you my brother", Maxwell said as they broke up the hug. "How have you been and how is Raphael?", Maxwell asked Rudolph. "As you can see, this place hasn't done us much good", Rudolph replied. Rudolph had been a talented footballer from birth. Right from the get go, he was a joy to watch on the football pitch. His skills surpassed that of the other footballers his age then in the neighbourhood so more often than not, he was selected to play in the 'big leagues' while the rest of the children his age, including Maxwell served as ball boys. Maxwell was the least perturbed by his position because so far as Rudolph was on the pitch, he represented all the other children. All his age mates were proud of him and it appeared that Maxwell was not the only one who envied Rudolph for his football prowess. Now, Rudolph had stopped playing football. He was poor but proud. He always saw himself as the best among his peers and that caused his expulsion from the countless football academies he joined. He had now taken to drinking and had even started to develop a potbelly. Maxwell looked at Rudolph's protruding stomach and said, "I can see why this neighborhood has done you no good". "I know what you are thinking but I don't need a lecture from anyone and that includes you", Rudolph said to Maxwell. "If only you knew what I was thinking about", Maxwell said. "So what brings you here after so many years?", Rudolph asked. Maxwell sighed and said, "Brother, I am going through some personal issues and I want to cool off a bit so I figured coming back here would help me find my sense of purpose because it seems I have lost it". "I can see that the years have done no damage to your philosophies of life because you are still talking about purpose and all", Rudolph said jokingly. "There is no purpose in this part of town brother, just a bunch of people trying to get food on the tables and a place to sleep", Rudolph said. "Just look around and tell me if this was how you left this place ten years ago". Maxwell took a look around and realized that the neighbourhood in which he had dreams of growing up as a child now stood as a shadow of itself. The only thing that kept them going was their communal nature and sense of hospitality. "Anyway, it is good to have you back, Max", Rudolph said. "Now, pay up!", Rudolph added. Maxwell dipped his hand into his back pocket and doled out some notes to Rudolph who greedily counted them wide-eyed and stashed them into his pocket. Maxwell asked Rudolph to join him in the house but he refused the invitation with the excuse of going to buy something from the market. Maxwell pushed the big gate open and started his way down the pathway toward the main entrance to the house. "What am I going to say to this woman?", Maxwell thought out loud as he slowly approached the main door. "Here comes your prodigal grandson", Maxwell said silently and with that, he said what seemed like a prayer and put his hand on the door knob.... THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN, "EVEN IF I DON'T FIND PEACE" WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE EPISODES OF THIS MASTERPIECE IN THE MAKING. MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com
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IN THIS RUBBLE WE MAY BE, BUT STILL, WE RISE.

The sun is scorching. It is typical in our part of the world. Today, the heat is unbearable; it is at an all- time high. Other parts of the world are gearing up for the cold. Well, same cannot be said of our part of the globe. We are lashed by rays of heat; unimaginable heat. On this busy road, activities are taking place. The passengers in the commercial vehicle are using whatever means they can to get ‘additional’ air as they sit cramped shoulder to shoulder in the hot and rickety bus. The blind beggar is singing her tunes in a bid to get some munificence from impatient, sweaty passengers who cannot wait to get to their destinations in the midst of the endless traffic. The passenger in the front seat puts his hand in his pocket in hopes of helping; he pulls out a note. He notes the times we are in; two weeks to pay day. He retracts the action and shakes his head. The handkerchief seller, under the mercy of the hot sun, is sweating profusely. His plight is a classic example to humbly but in a funny way remind us that, “Possession is not the same as ownership”. The government is on the radio and as usually, they are announcing ‘unseen’ monumental developmental projects. The little baby is crying. Its throat is in need of succour; the mother is woken up from her slumber by an older woman and is scolded for neglecting the “future president”. The newspaper seller is busy showing off the appetizing front pages of the newspapers he has in his hands to attract curious buyers. This might not be his day, maybe this vehicle has no occupants who are in need of ‘brain food’ at the moment. It is getting hotter by the second, the only school boy in the bus is wearing a crumpled school uniform. There seems to be an interviewee in the bus, he is wiping the sweat that has gathered on his brow with his already wet and dirty handkerchief. The sweat has trickled down unto his brown envelopes. This is not the time and continent to be clad in a full piece suit at this time of the day. In the midst of all this, we hope. We hope for brighter ‘tomorrows’ if there is any such thing in our part of the world. We hope for better health care, better educational systems not the ones inherited from tattered lecture notes of dead professors, we hope for better jobs and with it, better remunerations so that even in this hot bus, the journey to the bank on glorious pay day will be worth every little sweat. We hope for human angels to grace our part of the world. But till then, we will keep fighting on. We will do the best we can, to put smiles on the faces we care about. Hard it may seem; better still, hard it is. But we press on despite the odds. I need not remind you but, in this rubble we may appear to be, but still; we rise. My name is Edwin Oko Lamptey and this is just a RANDOM AFRICAN THOUGHT. MORE AT randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com

BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS...EPISODE FIFTEEN (THE FINALE).

Fred had gained the admiration of Ellen. On ‘special’ occasions, as Fred put it, he basked in the glory of Ellen’s love. On one of such occasions, Ellen called Fred “Daddy”. That night, Fred could not sleep. He was so elated that he and Ellen were finally beginning to get along. Fred was determined to keep the rapport going. Ellen on the other hand was beginning to also get some liking for her father. She was once praising him to Cheryl saying that she really appreciated the time he spent with them when he was off work. On the eighth day, after the birth of Fred’s son, a plush naming ceremony was held for him. Fred’s eldest Uncle chaired the event. Fred’s father had passed on two years earlier so his younger brother stood in his stead. Fred decided to name his first son, ‘Isaac’, which meant 'laughter'. Fred’s wife, the ever beautiful Cheryl, could not agree more to this name. When word got out that Fred’s son was to be called ‘Isaac’, the news was received with mixed feelings. Some were of the view that God had smiled on Fred to regain his lost ‘possession’. Another school of thought stipulated that the name was chosen to spite David because Fred had managed to constitutionally take away from him the one thing he so much desired. This, though a rumour, was not far from the truth. Many years passed after the naming ceremony of baby Isaac was held. With the passing of time, many events had taken place. Significant of all these were the many birthdays that were held for Isaac. Ellen could count ten of them. For Isaac, the next birthday was more exciting than the previous one. On his sixth birthday, Fred and his family had two reasons to celebrate. His wife Cheryl had put to bed again. She had given birth to a bouncy but cute baby girl. Both of them had decided to name her Macaria. Macaria was almost four years old on Isaac’s tenth birthday party. Ellen too had made much progress. She was now the manageress of Fred’s fleet of transport companies and was the Director of his luxury car dealership. She had graduated from the university some years back and was very successful at running her father’s business. Many of her customers knew her to be a very shrewd business woman who always fulfilled her part of any business deal. Her father respected her for that. Ellen was still very much in love with her first love, Collins. On their graduation day, Collins managed to make it a memorable day. After the graduation ceremony, both the families of Ellen and Collins hosted both of them at an exquisite dinner to celebrate their achievements. The dinner was held in one of the best restaurants in the city. After the families had all had their fill of the many delicacies served them, Collins proposed a toast and asked for the waiter to bring in the cake he had ordered to crown the evening’s celebration. Before Collins proposed the toast, he asked permission from Ellen’s father to allow her stand by his side. Ellen was wearing an exquisitely made blue evening gown laced with the traditional ‘kente’ cloth. She was wearing a beautiful emerald necklace which was given to her as a graduation gift by her step mother, Cheryl. Fred had gathered from Erica that ever since Ellen started growing up, she had harboured the ambitions of one day marrying a prince to make her a princess so on her graduation, Fred bought a crown for her which she fixed in her hair. That night, Ellen looked like a true beauty queen. Ellen was looking all gay and excited by the fact that she had all her family members around even though Fred disagreed to her suggestion to invite David to the celebratory dinner. Ellen managed to find her way to Collin’s side and Collins proposed the toast saying, “I would like to thank you all for all the support and encouragement over these four years”. “We find ourselves here today because of your efforts and words of encouragement.” “This toast goes to all of you”, Collins added and asked if Ellen wanted to add something else but she was so full of excitement that nothing really mattered at that material moment. The waiter finally came in with the cake Collins had ordered. He placed the cake in front of Collins. Collins asked Ellen to help him unpack the cake as he took a second sip from the glass he had in his hand. Ellen took a little peak and saw that it was her favourite type of cake; chocolate cake. “Wow, It is chocolate!”, an excited Ellen exclaimed. When she went on to open the cake all the way, she received the shock of her life. The cake was coated in creamy chocolate and had little love-shaped toppings. There were some writings on the cake but the cake was turned backwards so Ellen could not make out what was written on it, when she turned the cake to be able to read what was written on it, she put both hands over her mouth in surprise. On top of the cake were the inscriptions, “Baby, Please Marry Me”. “Oh my God!”, Ellen exclaimed and looked at the faces of all the people gathered and instantly knew that she was the only one who was not aware of the surprise they had planned. Collins took Ellen’s hand into his and said, “Ellen, from the first day I met you, I knew that a day like this was going to come”. “You make all my pain and sorrow go away and you are one answer away from making me the happiest man on earth.” “This is my question to you, Ellen, will you spend the rest of your life with me by being my wife?”, Collins asked in a trembling voice. The room was dead silent and Ellen still had her mouth cupped with her right arm. All efforts to get her to say anything apart from “Oh my God” and “Oh Collins” proved futile. Collins started to fear that his proposal was going to be rejected. Ellen looked at all the people gathered again and looked back at Collins. “You are making me nervous, Ellen”, Collins said. Ellen nodded three times in quick succession. “Baby, to make this binding, this is the right time to say ‘yes’ if you are going to accept the proposal”, Collins jokingly said, when he sensed how tense the atmosphere was getting. The people gathered room broke out in uncontrollable laughter and anxiously waited to hear Ellen’s response. “Yes!”, Ellen yelled out. Collins went down on his knees, brought out a ring he had kept in his pocket, slowly took Ellen’s hand and slowly placed the ring on her finger. He rose to his feet amidst cheers and applause and hugged Ellen who was already in tears. Collins whispered into her ears, “Thank you for making me the happiest man on earth, now, we have two reasons to celebrate”. Ellen never forgot the events of that day. Three years had passed since that night but Collins and Ellen had still not walked down the aisle due to Collins’ commitment. He had won a scholarship to study in South Africa. He was already in his third year and was bound to return the next year so that they could finally get married. The distance and time that had passed did not worry Ellen or Collins. Collins was bound to return the following year so they could finally walk down the aisle to merit the title 'man and wife'. Ellen was always caught up in business dealings. She had somewhat built for herself and her father, an unparalleled dynasty of business. Many business moguls respected her for the unmatched success she had bestowed upon her father's company. With her help, Fred managed to win a contract from the government to supply vehicles to all the ministries and arms of government. It was the biggest contract ever won by anyone in the transport business. Ellen who knew the terrain and type of competition that was available advised her father to send her step family abroad till the contract was sealed. She was concerned about their safety. Fred agreed and had Cheryl and her children flown to France to spend sometime there. Ellen and Fred then got to work to ensure that they won the contract. On the final day of the presentation, Fred was awarded the contract because of the many recommendations he had managed to get. He wanted to be the first person to break the  good news to Ellen so he quickly sped off in his Range Rover Evoque homebound to celebrate with his hardworking daughter. He got to his gate at exactly 7:30pm on the Thursday night. The whole house was plunged into pitch-black darkness. Fred never spent more than two minutes outside his gate because Ellen was always there to open the gate for him even before he honked. Today was different, he had honked for close to ten minutes but there was still no response from the other side of the gate. He used his copy of the keys to gain entry into his mansion and parked right in front of the main door. He used the light emanating from his IPhone 6 to find his way into the hallway where the main switch to his house was. He managed to get to the switch and illuminated the house into the Christmas tree it was on a nightly basis. He called out Ellen's name. Upon calling for the third time without a response, he knew instantly that something was amiss. He always had the police emergency line on speed dial so he selected it waiting to hit the 'send' button if he suspected any foul play. He walked through his enormous hall looking for signs of forced entry. Upon reaching the side of his giant LED TV, he saw a figure coiled on the tiled floor. "Ellen!", Fred yelled and rushed to her side. She was in pain and was crying. "Ellen, what is wrong with you?" "Who did this to you?", Fred asked all at once looking for signs of an intruder. Any effort to get Ellen to say anything else apart from squeaks and gibberish proved futile. Fred bundled her in his arms and gently placed her in the backseat of his Range Rover. He quickly sped off to the nearest hospital which was a few blocks away from their house. As he hit the main street, Ellen managed to finally speak, "Please take me to my doctor", an alarmed Fred who was trying to dodge the legendary potholes on the road and at the same time trying to save the life of his first child looked back and said, "Please let me take you to the community hospital for first aid then we can go and see your doctor." Moreover, I don't know who your doctor is". Fred then turned to face the road. Ellen spoke again, "Daddy, please, I don't want any other doctor aside Dr. Johnson". "He is at the Durban Clinic which is close to the underpass near the new Bayview hotel which is under construction". When Fred heard the title Ellen used, he agreed and sped off like a formula one car driver heading towards the underpass. The underpass was usually deserted at night. When Fred got to the middle of the dark underpass, another car started approaching from the opposite direction. "Can't you see me coming?", Fred yelled out at the oncoming vehicle. He honked for the car to make way but there was no response. He tried to reverse to allow the troublesome driver to pass but when he tried, another car shone its light on his car from behind. "What is the meaning of all this?", a frustrated Fred let out. Fred got out of his car to find out what was going on. Immediately, two masked men wielding locally-manufactured pistols got out of the car behind him. "Where do you think you are going?", one of the gunmen asked, pointing his weapon at Fred. Instantly, Fred knew that they had fallen into the hands of robbers because everything seemed so professional. "Who is in the car with you?", the second gunman barked at Fred. "Please sir, it is just my daughter". "She is not feeling well so I am taking her to the hospital". "Please don't harm us, I would give you anything you want", Fred said in a trembling voice. The gunmen ordered Ellen out of the car and ordered both of them to lie face-down on the ground. All this while, the occupants of the first car were still inside the car. Immediately both of them were face-pressed to the ground, the door of the first car flung open and a masculine figure started to make his way to the spot where Fred and Ellen were pinned. Immediately the figure was standing over the two captives, Ellen jumped up like a child on an early Christmas morning and hugged the person. Fred was in a state of shock and left confused as he calmly lay on the tarred ground but waited for his captors to make the next move. "Did you ever think that things were going to turn out this way?", the figure asked. Fred's world came crushing immediately the last words of the masculine figure touched his eardrums. The words belonged to no other than David, his worst nightmare. "Fred, you left a permanent scar in my heart". "I trusted you even to the point of death but what did you do?" "You were so selfish and thought of only yourself and your happiness". "How does it feel now to have the tables turned in my favour now?", David asked and gave Fred a kick in the stomach. "Ellen took over proceedings. She recounted how they both orchestrated this turn of events. "I have never loved you because of what you did to David". "Ever since I found out the truth, I have hated you with so much passion with each day that passed". "I had to be patient just as David said and do my best so that I gain your trust". "Unfortunately for you, this is the end of the road". David and Ellen had fake passports made for them and first class tickets bought for South Africa that night stashed on the glove compartment of David's car. Fred knew his end was near so he let out shrill sounds and pleaded for mercy. "Mercy is the last thing you need", David said. He requested for a pistol from one of the gunmen and began to attach a silencer to the muzzle. "Before your world ends, I want you to take a good look at me", David said.  Fred kept his face pressed to the ground disobeying David's request. "Look at me, Fred!", David yelled. The pistol began to speak with David's help *clock*clock*clock. It was 11:39pm and  Emirates Flight 419 was bound to touch down in Johannesburg Airport in approximately 7 hours and 35 minutes. David and Ellen looked at each other as the plane was about to take off. THE END. MY NAME IS EDWIN OKO LAMPTEY AND THIS HAS BEEN "BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS". THANK YOU FOR BEING A LOVELY BUT PATIENT AUDIENCE. MORE at randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com