DNA

Golden Creek, Accra Central, Ghana - 3:33 PM   The late afternoon sun was gradually drifting out of its dry skies. The hot atmosphere was charged up by discorded cacophonies of blasting horns from cars, street hawkers rattling towards cars for their daily survival and careless motor riders ignoring the red light exuding from the traffic light. These were the elements of normal day. Inside a Black Opel Camry sat a middle-aged man in his early thirties, whose hands were clutched to the steering wheel and his eyes focused on the red traffic light, waiting to be liberated by the green light. Beside him in the car was little Kwesi Quansah ten years of age, dark and with small ears whose attention was fully encapsulated in the video game he was playing on his iPad. With time, he would watch through the rear mirror to observe how farther or close the car next to them was, then re-fix his gaze back on the iPad.   At the back seat of the car was Abena Quansah, the eldest of the three children. Abena was beautiful, a little plump and sixteen years of age. Beside her was his young brother, Yaw Quansah, a bit slim with an oval head, fourteen years old. Abena’s back was hunched a little, with her neck bent, as her eyes followed word after word the novel she had been reading. Yaw had head phones planted into his ears and seemed to be enjoying some nice music. The man driving them was Koby Offei. He was their driver, and his job was to pick them up from school each day at three o’clock in the afternoon. All three children where in their yellow and blue coloured school uniform, that always sparkled from afar. They all sat in silence waiting for the car to move.   Abena’s sudden mischievous laughter broke and pervaded the long silence in the car. The laughter almost amused everyone else in the car.    “Is everything alright Abena?” Uncle Offei their driver asked. Little Kwesi had to control his tongue from saying anything that may sound to Abena his big sister as impolite. With reason that, her laughter distracted the silence and concentration with which he was winning the game he was playing.    “Yes, Uncle Offei.”  Abena affirmed.   “I am sorry guys, but something really funny is going on here in the book I am reading.” Abena replied snappishly.   Yaw then turned his head, having heard what was going on all this while.   “Do you mind sharing it, Abena?” Yaw asked, plucking out the head phone from his ears.     “It’s A Walking Rainbow - a novel by Jacob A. Osae.” Abena said, “Have you not heard about it at school?”   “No I have not.” Yaw replied. Abena smiled faintly, squinted and barked. “I think you should just listen to your music.”   Yaw just shook his head and shrugged, digging the head phone back into his ears and nodding alongside with the rhythm of the music. Little Kwesi wasn’t interested in the drama taking place behind him.   “Uncle Offei, I hope we will be passing by Devon’s Supermarket?” Abena politely asked, intruding the serenity inside the car again.   “Yes, we are passing there. Today’s traffic is minimal. And what are you going to do there exactly?”   “Oh, we are getting Ice Cream. It’s something we did last Wednesday with mummy. When mom comes to pick us up.” Abena had convinced Uncle Offei in her innocent soprano voice.    “Who doesn’t like ice cream?” Abena blurted out. There was absolute silence, like nobody heard her.  “Who likes ice cream?” She asked again.   “Yahhhhhhhh” little Kwesi screamed.    “Hey…I am also in. Who does not like Ice cream?” Yaw added taking off his ear piece and fixing it back.   “Everyone likes ice cream.” Abena answered her own question. Uncle Offei peered through the driver’s front mirror nodded and said “of course everyone does.”   “And who is paying for it all, if I may ask?” Uncle Offei asked.   Kwesi quickly exploded, “Abena will pay, she has a lot of money.” and continued playing his game.   “We were each given money by Daddy. You just like to spend yours extravagantly.” Yaw snared. “Leave the little boy alone Yaw, you did worst when you were at his age.” Abena debated.   Uncle Offei loved his boss’s children. They were very intelligent and polite. They had become his friends since the last three years he was employed as their driver. He enjoyed listening to each of them share his or her own opinion about their little understanding of the world. He wished he had kids of his own, he always thought. From the stereo of the vehicle, a cool music was being played.   Offei quickly increased the volume of the music he was playing in the car.  The song was ‘The World’s Greatest’ by R. Kelly. The next moment, he started singing under his breath, then little Kwesi joined him in singing with his funny little voice.   “I am the Little Bit of Hope, When Your Back Is Against the Ropes. I Can Feel It, Hmm I Am the World’s Greatest.”       The silent atmosphere in the car was then subdued. The green light from the traffic light quickly lighted green. And the elation of freedom for the car to move cajoled the whole family into blasting out the chorus of the song. Uncle Offei always loved this moment with the kids. The kids also loved him very much. He took a turn left, and there it was. Finally, right posterior to the vehicle was a nicely decorated and embellished supermarket that had a glowing caption;   The Devon’ S Supermarket   “We are here. Who will like to go with me?” Abena inquired as Uncle Offei got ready to pack the car at the parking lot.   “Me…Abena…” Kwesi said and quickly turned off his iPad. The car finally came to a halt, Offei unlocked the doors and lowered the air-condition in the car. “I guess Yaw and myself will be waiting for you two. You have fifteen minutes. And your time starts now.”   Abena opened the door, and stepped out straightening her school uniform with her bare palms. Kwesi also got out and they both headed for the supermarket. Then minutes later, Yaw also took out his ear plugs from his ears for real.     “Ahh.” He gnashed his teeth, but Abena and Kwesi were long gone. “I do not like strawberry, I prefer vanilla. I need to go and chose for myself. Uncle Offei, can you unlock the door for me please.”   Offei quietly unlocked the door and Yaw bolted away from the car as if he had been enlisted in a 100-meter race.     -------   The super market was a little free, though there were customers around. There were two attendants - one male and the other a female. They smiled to everyone who entered the shop, even if the person had come to ask of the price of a thing. Abena’s parents had been buying a lot of stuffs from the shop, so the Quansah family was more like regular customers for them. The shop also did not disappoint. Fully in stock, were all kinds of goods and services—food items, culinary, provisions, canned foods, kitchen wares, utensils, home appliances and home upholstery. Elated, Abena and Kwesi entered and moved straight to the place they knew would have ice cream. This was not their first time there; their mom had been bringing them to the shop, so they knew where to find Ice cream. The two-shop attendants were busy attending to four clients who were paying for their goods. The clients had inadvertently shielded Abena and Kwesi from the shop attendants.   Abena and Kwesi got to the place that had been inundated with myriads of Ice creams and they eyed the ice creams amorously. “So here we are Kay. As usual I never go and leave the Strawberry.” Abena teased and moved on and picked a straw berry ice cream. Kwesi also followed suit picking his favourite – the Chocolate Ice cream.   The Ice Cream was designed in a cup like format. The Ice cream itself was in the external hard cup cover case and you ate it with plastic spoon that was attached on the top of the Ice Cream. Abena took hers and started enjoying her ice cream already. She then picked another one. She had two now.   “Is the second one you have picked for Yaw?” Kwesi inquired still holding only one ice cream.   “No…I am eating this two. I would get one for Yaw’ when we are going back.” Abena said so into the ice cream she was eating. “Today’s Ice cream is the best ever.” Kwesi nodded to that as he scooped a ladle into his mouth. He tasted and lavished his ice-cream. He then nodded to her sister.   “Hmmm, it really sweet indeed.” Kwesi kept eating. Then far outside the exit of the supermarket, two town guys with bushy dread-locked hair and shabbily dressed, with a sagging shots walked into the supermarket. From their looks, it could be extrapolated that, they were the same age as Abena. They were his age mates. As usual the two shop attendants were still held up with work, so they did not catch the glimpse of the two guys walking into the super market.   Their demeanor was terrifying and repugnant. The sad part of it was that, they did not see anything wrong about their countenance. Most of them were Junior High school graduates who somehow had decided not to continue any further. Instead, they had become a g**g who went around causing a lot of trouble in the town. The leader of this g**g was; was the son of the town Chief, and that gave them some kind of superficial potency to just vandalize every place their rebellious presence went. Such bizarre reputation preceded them. They prided themselves with the name, The Pirates. They cared less about others, logic or morality, all they did was to act based on their whims and caprices.   The two members of The Pirates who had entered the supermarket moved closer to the center. They quietly moved around the shop goods, but then one saw Abena with her brother. The one who had seen Abena then quickly informed his friend and for some reason we do not know, both guys started moving towards the same place where Abena and Kwesi were busily wetting the corner of their lips with the ice cream and chatting animatedly. The one who had seen Abena first Abena beckoned the other, and whispered something into his ears.   It was about something that happened weeks ago. It happened that, some days ago the two guys and Abena had their paths crossing at a shop. Whilst Abena eyes were busily scanning through the prices of items in their shelves, her gaze fell upon two boys trying to steal some items. From a noble upbringing, she found this act unethical and immoral. She did the only thing her parents would expect from her. Either confront them about it, or report them to the shop owner. Abena choosing prudently decided to report them to the attendants and they were apprehended immediately. The two boys since then had taken note of Abena’s face, and have been earnestly praying for a second chance to meet here again. And this afternoon, they could not believe their prayers had been answered.