Better late than never

It was morning. Mom could only provide porridge from her old guinea corn flour— flour, which even a hungry goat would not eat.

Holding his little cup, Saafaayir incessantly threw peeps into the other cups. 'I have been cheated,' he thought. Each person had only something little to keep going. It was as if they were prisoners who ate their daily ration. 

Dikpa was the father of Saafaayir, Dabajuun and Solomon. Kaarmah, the mother of the three boys, was his wife. They were from Dabuoyir. Dabajuun was the eldest and Solomon the youngest. Dikpa was struck dead by thunder for fighting the chief. The tradition of the town was that any one who fought the chief should be sent to the grave by thunder.

The three brothers had four friends. They were Mathew, Musa, Bon-ara and Tula. The dream of the group was for each of them to become very successful in life. Meanwhile, Mathew in particular thought success was about dependence.

Mathew and Musa appeared while the three brothers were still eating their porridge. The two were already set for their usual Parliament and passed to see if the others were also ready. The three brothers joined the others later. 

There was a put up where the group used to sit. This grass tent was what they referred to as Parliament. The members were called Generals. It was Parliament because every issue was raised and discussed there.

In their conversation at Parliament, Musa listed all the whites he had met who did not satisfy his ambitions. 'The skin of the leopard is beauteous, but not his heart,' he said. 

A beautiful Toyota SUV passed and Mathew's ambition was ignited once again. 'Waat, what a car!' He hoped one of the politicians they followed and supported would provide one of such vehicles for him as a reward. "You want money, wife, car and everything. Nothing good comes easy, so please be careful of wishing everything for yourself', Dabajuun cautioned. The others also yelled at Mathew. But they were only pretending not to be like their colleague in his desires. 'H-e-y! Ghana is not America or Canada oo…, so tune in,' they said. Then they diverged to their various roofs to wait for the morning.

Dabajuun had plans for work the next day. But the morning seemed very long in coming as he turned over and over again on his raffia mat. Finally, the sun's rays began to penetrate the atmosphere as usual. 'Thank God,' he said in his mind. 

The first friend to see Dabajuun was Tula. Dabajuun was coming from behind the mud-house they lived in. He had splitted firewood to set fire while his mother was away to get water for the day. Saafaayir and Solomon were still in bed.

'It is another day, Mr. Dabajuun,' said Tula. 

‘And so what?' He interrupted rudely because the two were really not the best of friends in the group. Reason? Tula often teased Dabajuun, a practice the latter hated very much. 

'How is family? And why are you sweating profusely this early morning?,' Tula continued.  

'Are you here to insult me today too? Better go away and leave me alone,' Dabajuun demanded. By that time Solomon was out of bed and joined Tula to cachinate his elder brother. 'He behaves hypocritically good and pius in the family,' said Solomon. Dabajuun left them without a word.

In their nightmares of poverty, the Generals dream of the birth of a messiah to whom when power is given will provide pillows for every work-shy and indolent person. He would even supply what Bill Gates controls.

It was Wednesday 5:00 am. Dabajuun had resurrected from his quietus and armed for his by-day living for which the Generals of the Parliament mocked him.

Nuofaabar, a beautiful damsel of the town, was the vendor of the kiosk where an announcement was made for a celebration. This party was to take place the following week, in the open and at the same place of the announcement. It would be an eventful night show. 

On the days before the party, obedient children who had portions of demarcated farmlands to weed for their parents were busy. They wanted to please their mothers and fathers so they could be spared the day for the party without confrontation for any failure to work.

Memories await the night. 

With the Sun going on coma, 

The moon is borne. 

The stars are foretelling the joy of the night.

Then came the long-awaited night. Everybody was highly expectant as teenage girls in particular were serious to finish cooking early for their parents, so they could permit them to be at the occasion. The brightly lit moon and stars provided enough light for these youths who wanted to demonstrate their newly learned dancing skills of modernity. It was 'azonto' time. 

At the party grounds were seats arranged squarely. The arrangement presumed that the earth was a square. One of the tables at the event was a four-leg antiquated wood inherited from an expatriate American artist who once lived in Dabuoyir. It was positioned with every kind of drink and each person sipped his choice. One hour was gone, two more to come. 

All the members of Parliament had now gathered, but Mr. Dabajuun was missing. No budget for pleasure. 

He, a form two student of St. Peters Senior High School was preparing seriously towards going back to school.

Amidst excitement, there was an interruption at the party. There was unanimous anger. Tula had suddenly arrived with a strange noise. ‘Boom! Boom!,' he shouted to frighten the others without reason. His behaviour brought questioning as they shouted at him.

' Nonsense!', one said.

 By that time, Saafaayir was telling a story of how he stole Baba's goat. The pensioner was rearing the goat for kids to pacify his god who never accepted fowls.

The anger stirred up by Tula made Bon-ara who was already tipsy attempt to kick him in the stomach but landed on the ground. Rising with shame, he resumed his seat and continued to listen to Saafaayir's sermon. ‘Stealing goats? Bro..., waat! What do u tink u were ap tu?' He asked. As if he wanted to dish out a blow, Saafaayir stood up, but dangled with his index finger pointing…'Y-o-u i-diot. You call me teef?' A swing of the storyteller's left arm to hit Bon-ara in anger saw Saafaayir also on the ground. Because he was also intoxicated, he had no option than to lie there with fumes of alcohol while foaming. 'Y-o-u...', Bon-ara also pointed out his finger with his face to the ground. The two passed the night there on the ground. 

The following day, Bon-ara joined the rest at their usual meetings. He wanted to see them before Saafaayir adjourned. Musa blamed Bon-ara and Saafaayir for being so drunk at the party. Saafaayir became angry so Musa immediately dropped what he wanted to say besides blaming the two. 

‘Do you know that the president of this country is sleeping? How can he be so reluctant to feel the agony of the citizens and how we labour?', Mathew asked. 'Must we always hang here worrying about those who disappoint us? People are in the sun trying to get bread home.' Dabajuun advised them to go search for pasture for their three-month-old seven goats— the only reward they each received from the president for whom they campaigned. 'It is better to do something for yourself rather than having unattainable wishlists and building castles in the air.' 

'Dabajuun, is this what you say? Doom you! When one is brainwashed, he sees nothing wrong with wrongs in society.' Dabajuun believes that a wicked tyrant will expect no servants to have farms after turning them into ladder for his higher glories, hence there was no need complaining. He had one more lesson for them —'Patience and endurance is the key to success. Go out there and do something for yourself, period.' 'Any other thing?' But at that moment none of them said a word. ‘Am gone!' Mathew left throwing his hands in the air like a mad man.

Two weeks later, Mathew and Saafaayir were at a friend's burial. Matthew tried bringing up their previous conversation on how they had been neglected by the president of the country. Sanfaayir on the other hand was not interested. He had found a new catch. To him, being without a girl was another form of poverty he would not entertain. 'Nice girls like this one take away poverty', he thought. He was seventeen years then. Schooling, farming and staying home were the last things he would do or like to hear. 

Being with girls at that moment infuriated Matthew who heaped insults on Saafaayir for being selfish. He left him at the burial site with his new catch.

The next morning, Mathew went to tell Kaarmah about what Saafaayir did the previous day. To his surprise, he saw Dabajuun munching gari like a hungry bull on the field. 'Gari this early morning? What are you eating?,' he asked. Dabajuun was taken aback; he did not understand why Mathew should ask since he knew he was eating gari. 

‘You see this is gari. What else do you want to know? What do you want me to tell you? It is better you were blind! Then your question would be relevant. If I should even eat sand and go to school, I should be ok'. Mathew asked because Dabajuun received some money for working on Mathew's father's farm. Dabajuun told Mathew that the money was inadequate for him to go to school. Dabajuun was serious about education so he never joked when it was about money.

'No more jabs', Matthew pleaded and apologised. He then proceeded to announce his mission for that morning. In brief, he reported that Saafaayir disappointed and embarrassed him before Sandra.

It was Friday evening when wood was shortening womens' necks. Mens' hands were swinging left-right left-right as they followed their wives home. 

The town was back again. 

Cooking pots were set for the fire in other homes. Sitting beside Kaarmah was Dabajuun. Mom looked very dejected with her hand supporting the left lower jaw. She wished her husband was alive, so she could tell him there was nothing for the kids. Meanwhile, Dikpa when he was alive, often quarreled with his wife. Kaarmah never had peace in their marriage. She however tolerated her husband who was very responsible for his family. His role as husband and head of the family was very crucial to them. But now he was no more. All that while, Saafaayir and Solomon were still absent from home.

Kaarmah and Dabajuun had an important conversation. They wondered why they were suffering. She sorrowed for her husband's death. Dabajuun was going to school the next day. 

No sooner did they enter their cracked building with hunger to sleep than Solomon knocked. 'Mom! open the door,' he commanded. Saafaayir was still behind. He was secretly seeing Sandra. 

Saafaayir who thought women would help him get rid of poverty went to his uncle to tell him he was ready to marry Sandra. He did not tell his mother who regarded him too young to marry. He sold his goat to Tula and the money he earned was all that he had for the marriage. Little did he know that his uncle too would disagree with his intention. 

Dabajuun left for school at dawn after his mother had prayed and blessed him. None of the two boys cared about Kaarmah when Dabajuun left for school. 

Tula, their friend, told his father he would no longer go to school. He said this because he was not academically sound. 

Except Tula's goat and the one he bought from Saafaayir, the rest died. Besides, Dabajuun's was stolen. Tula took care of the two goats which increased to 350 in number. He had enough money to marry without any objection from his parents. 

Saaafaayir, who would not accept advice from anybody, impregnated Sandra. When Sandra's father, an ex-serviceman, heard that Saafaayir was responsible for the pregnancy, he was mad and wanted to behead Saafaayir. Sandra's father only rescinded his decision after the chief of the town intervened. Sandra became Saafaayir's wife to the displeasure of his parents. But Saafaayir was temporarily happy, for he had his desire. 

Sandra, Saafaayir and his brothers all lived in the same mud room. Sandra made hard demands everyday. One such demands was that she wanted better accommodation for herself and her premature husband. She also always wanted new clothes which her husband could not afford. With poverty biting the two, Saafaayir was as lean as broom stick. He regretted bitterly for disregarding the advice of his parents.

Saafaayir's wife neither cooked nor fetched water. Prior to their marriage, Sandra always ran from home when it was time to cook. Therefore she never learned to cook. Solomon seemed to be unconcerned with that. He saw something wrong with the belief that the workplace of girls is the kitchen. 

Solomon was academically intelligent. He liked singing and dancing. He was however very lazy at work. Due to the poverty at home and the death of their father, he dropped out of school since Kaarmah could not easily cater for the family as a single parent. Dabajuun continued with his education because he did every kind of menial job that earned him money. 

Ten years later, Dabajuun had a scholarship to study abroad. He was also given a house for winning an international Mathematics and Science competition. ‘Mother, I want you to live here.' He moved Kaarmah into his new house. She was very happy. Dabajuun encouraged his mother to continue praying for him. 

Solomon, who was dexterous but never liked school was very skilled at using the internet. With his skill, he connived with a banker to steal from the bank. He was arrested and imprisoned for two years while his accomplice escaped for good. He was released the same year Dabajuun returned from abroad, having completed his studies as an architect.

Dabajuun was gainfully employed. After Solomon was released from prison, Dabajuun saw the need to engage him. He established an ICT centre for him where he profitably employed his skill in legitimate business.

Mathew, Saafaayir's best friend, continued to follow the politicians with the hope that he would be recruited into the army. 

After Saafaayir's marriage, there was no more galavanting. His movement was curtailed by his wife Sandra. He became a drunkard to forget his daily problems.

When Sandra was seven months pregnant, Saafaayir's uncle advised him to get a job, a source of income to support his wife. He now listened. By the ninth month he had enough money to cater for the baby and the whole family. Saafaayir named his son Maatabon, meaning 'Had l known'.

Saafaayir mused over his past mistakes. He started a small farm, taking advantage of the government's Planting for Foods and Jobs programme. He worked very hard to become one of the best farmers in Dabuoyir. He even won the district best farmers award.

Matthew continued to follow the politicians till his thirty's. He became disappointed after realising that those he was running after only took advantage of him to achieve their goals. In the end, he joined himself to a carpenter as an apprentice in his forties. His reason was, 'better late than never.'