Chapter 22

At night, Akyaa was solo walking in the road while carrying a basket full of fruits. At that time it was late at night where nobody was walking outside. Due to the heaviness of the basket, Akyaa was walking slowly while bending to the side of the basket and slow.

She walked while switching hand to which was carrying the basket. Reaching a place she was very tired where she needed a little rest, she placed the basked down and breathe in deeply. As she was placing down to switch hands, she looked back where she saw a man at a distance moving toward her. Suddenly from her back, she heard some movement, without facing back she took the basket and started walking away faster.

When she had walked a distance from where she was she turned back still as she was walking faster to find a human figure standing at the position facing her. Confirming as if the man was following her she continued walking constantly facing back. Due of her reckless speed walking she trembled and fell on the ground. The fruits jumped off the basket and spread all over. Quickly Akyaa squatted and started putting back the fruits in the basket knowing somebody was following her, turned backward to see if the man was following her she found the man was missing.

Thinking the man had completely left she calmed down as she continued putting the fruits inside the basket while saying, “Mother you are the cause of all this now I should be in my bed sleeping.” Immediately she fully kept, back the fruits in the basket she turned back to confirm the man had left. Seeing it was all clear, she faced forward where she was shocked to find the man before him.

The man with a soft voice called out her name, “Akyaa!” Akyaa who was squatting facing the man upwards responded, “Ofori!” Ofori reacted by silently facing Akyaa waiting her to digest what she was seeing. After a moment of her watching him. Out of his expectations she stood while saying, “No it cannot be real am seeing my things Ofori is dead.” He expected when she will see him she will pounce on him and hug him because of the connection that they both shared but it seems his memory were easily washed away from heart and thoughts.

Ofori trying to prove to her that he was real he gently picked her hand to feel his face flesh. Immediately Akyaa’s hand felt his, he said, “Feel my flesh it’s me am real.” She paused gazed at him where it did not added, she could noty feel the energy between them again. Quickly as she had been offended she pulled off her hand took the basket, and said, “No! No! it cannot be.” He softly responded, “Akyaa it’s me Ofori.”

She tuned rudely to him and shouted,

“You cannot be Ofori because I saw him die before me.”

“Yes I died but I am nowhere.”

“And how did you come back to life?”

This question made him silently face her innocently. Saying that he was risen by a witch would worsen things, Akyaa added, “The only way a dead person can rise back is by demonic acts.” This question render him silent where Akyaa took the basket and continued moving away.

After she had walked some few distances away, he shouted to her, “Akyaa!” Akyaa paused where he added, “The first time we both meet was in the market and the last time you saw me is when your father ruthlessly hit me.”

Akyaa still as she was facing away she said, “Don’t follow me again and if you were Ofori I would have felt it.” Then she walked away leaving him sadly. He needed a friend at the time and the only hope he had to remove him off her lonely state was over.

The next morning Chief Ashanti and Owusu were walking in the woods and two guards were leading them. At the time had fully risen where its rays were reflecting in the woods making the woods beautiful. As they walked, Chief Ashanti said to Owusu,

“Owusu in this community you are the only person that I can trust.”

“Why me?”

“With all the kinds of stuff that is going in our community, witchery and the beast now if hard for me to trust anybody.”

“I understand you; you are doing your best to save the community.”

“That is my duty as the head of the clan of elders.”

“Ok but don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself.”

“It’s ok, that was not the reason I wanted to talk to you.”

Immediately Owusu stopped faced Chief Ashanti where Chief Ashanti also stopped curiously and faced him back. Then Chief Ashanti replied,

“It’s nothing serious.”

“What do you mean?”

“With all the things that have been going on in the community I want now my daughter to be married to jump off all what is happening in the community.”

“She is your daughter and anything you do is to protect her.”

“Am telling you this because I want you to help me to negotiate with the bride family about the dowry.”

“Chief Ashanti you are like a brother to me that will be a pleasure to me.”

Suddenly the guards who were before them stopped beside a bush where one of them shouted, “Come and see,” Quickly Chief Ashanti and Owusu rushed to the guards where they found the guards were standing before two dead men. The killing in the village started to be in massive and if the chief won’t work towards it his leadership would be questioned.

Immediately Chief Ashanti reached where the two men were lying dead on the ground and noticed the bodies were of two spices that he had previously send. Owusu to where he was standing he asked, “Who are these?” Chief Ashanti responded, “I don’t know.”

Then Chief Ashanti faced the guards and said, “Take and secretly bury the bodies.” Then after the words, Chief Ashanti left away full of questions that he had no clue to answer one of them, all that he speculated it is the work of the beast.

On the other side beside the river, Akyaa washed her clothes silent as her friends chatted loud washing their clothes. One of her friend noticed she was silent in an awkward way where she asked her, “What's wrong today you are quiet?” Pretending to be ok she answered, “Nothing.”

The story in burning her where she paused faced her friend and asked, “Do you remember Ofori.” Her friend also paused faced Akyaa and responded,

“Which Ofori?”

“The one who was my friend.”

“You mean the one who was sentenced to death?”

“Yes! Imagine yesterday night I saw him.”

“How and he is dead?”

“That is the same question that I have been asking myself the whole night.”

“That is not good because it might be his ghost and you know a dead man spirit encounter means you are near to die.”

“It was neither a ghost nor a spirit because I felt his flesh.”

“Maybe it was a demon trying to trick you into temptations. And what did you do?”

“I did nothing I just assumed it.”

“And did you report this in the council of elders?”

“Not yet actually you are the first person am telling you this.”

As they were talking Chief Ashanti and Owusu passed by them chatting. Akyaa noticed them where she said to her friend, “There they are, should go I and report it?” Her friend responded, “This is the best time to go I will take care of your linen.” Akyaa responded, “Thank you,” then quickly washed her hands, and walked to Chief Ashanti and Owusu.

Akyaa appeared behind them where she said, “Good morning elders?” Chief Ashanti and Owusu paused faced her where Chief Ashanti responded, “We are fine my daughter.” She responded, “I have something important to tell you.”

Chief Ashanti and Owusu attentively gazed at her so as to prevent any chance for them to miss any of her words. She continued, “I think I saw a dead man yesterday at night and I mean Ofori whom you persecuted before the whole community.” Owusu asked,

“And what did it do to you?”

“Nothing at all.”

Chief Ashanti having a clue of the night beast he said to her, “Go we will deal with it.” Feeling as if she has helped the whole community from damnation, she proudly added, “And what am afraid of is maybe he is the one under the strange killing in the community.” Chief Ashanti grabbed Owusu’s hand and pulled him away from her wanting to say something confidential. Something confidential had spark in his head where he did not wanted Akyaa to hear.

As Akyaa gazed at them trying to intrude into their conversation but they were very silent and she did not know to lips read. Behind her Osei appeared and whispered into her ears, “What’s wrong?” She did not expected it, she sprinting forward and turned to find it was Osei. She angry said to him, “Never do that to me again.” Osei as he was smiling he responded,

“Why my love?”

“What if I get a heart attack?”

“Ok am sorry. I say you talking with Chief Ashanti and my father what were they asking you?”

“First tell me where you were the time you were missing?”

“I told you I was kidnapped, why?”

“Yesterday I saw Ofori and don’t tell me I was seeing my things because I also touched his flesh.”

“You cannot be serious and he is dead.”

“Do I look as if am joking?”

“Ok, how did it come for you to see him?”

“He appeared to me at night and said he is not dead anymore and he still remembers me.”

“Was that the thing you were talking about with Chief Ashanti and my father?”

“Yes and is it wrong.”

Osei quickly responded as he held both Akyaa’s arms and said, “No! no, but you should have waited.” She changed her tone and asked, “So you don’t care about my safety.” Osei knew about Ofori but kept secret because he believed him but as a good boyfriend, he had to stay on her girlfriend side. He pulled her closer, hugged her, and said,

“Love I do care but do me a favor now just forget all about what you saw last night.”

“But it was real.”

“I believe you.”

Late in the evening, Chief Ashanti and two guard were standing before two men that were kneeling beside the river where nobody else was. The two kneeling men were heavily chained. Chief Ashanti who was before them he asked them, “The body that you were assigned to throw deep in the savanna where did you dispose it?” one of the kneeling men responded looking afraid,

“We are sorry we did not manage to throw it into the savanna because that night was heavily raining.”

“And did you come to report it?” the other kneeling man pleaded, “No. please forgive us.” Chief Ashanti angrily responded, “You both thought we won't know?” then Chief Ashanti pushed the two men into the river and watched them as they were drawn. The current situation had turned on Chief Ashanti dark side that was non-reversible.

Ama was standing under a tree where a guy walked towards her looking lonely. Immediately the man reached her, she jumped and hugged him. After a moment of emotional hug she pulled of the hug where she noticed the guy was looking sad.

Ama calmly asked the man whom was her secret lover, “What’s wrong?” the guy responded looking lonely,

“I love you Ama but it’s better this thing between us to break.”

“Do you men this relationship.”

“Yes, you are not the one with the problem I am.”

“Please don’t do this.”

The guy moved closer to Ama who had paused gave her a peek in her cheek and walked away leaving her silently tearing off. Remembering the threats of losing his life by her father, he was to da anything to keep his life. Then to where she was standing, she noticed at a far distance there was a man peeping at her. Not knowing their intentions, she walked away.

At night Ama was solo walking in the woods. As she was walking she heard some movement in some nearby bush. Quickly she reacted by walking faster to her destination. As she was walked she noticed the movement in the bush was following her. This rose a bad instincts where she started running. In bad luck she was trembled by a rock and fell.

Strong that many ladies in the community she quickly stood to run where she was astonished to find Ofori on a long clock before her. The long clock made her not to notice him; Ofori had worn this to prevent people to run away from saying that he is dead. Ama asked him in a calm voice wanting to know who he was, “Who are you?” Ofori remembering his previous meet with Akyaa he responded, “Am not here to harm you.” Before Ama said any other word, she heard some roaring behind her where she turned to find three red eyes large dogs. After the hunters do ate the cursed rabbit, some darkness had fall into them.

This made her move slowly backward towards Ofori who was gazing at the dogs. Even before knowing the person she had already started feeling positive vibes to him. Immediately Ama reached Ofori she paused and looked at the dogs astonished. The dogs that at the time had grown thrust of human blood rushed to where they were standing where Ofori rushed to them to.

The first dog as it pounced on Ofori, he quickly held its neck and banged it to the ground killing it. The second dog when it pounces on him he held its two jaws and ripped them into two. The third dog to where it was standing it faced Ofori for some time where it felt that he was not an ordinary man and it ran away.

In the whole scene, Ama was silently facing him. Immediately he saw the demonic dog had run away he walked back to where Ama . Reaching to her he asked her, “And who are you.”

Ofori dropped the cap of the clock making himself visible to her. He was ready to take any rejection because the person whom he cared her comments the most had rejected him. Ama knowing for the fact she saw him die that she will never see him she asked,

“Ofori aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

“I was dead but now am here.”

“How did you raise from the dead.”