Alika’s journey to find her father was easier than what lay ahead. The train had been on wheels for days across the borders of Port Harcourt, Benin, Congo and now, it was finally heading for Accra. At first her chest seemed to pound with the engines but she was grateful for her laptop. Now that the battery had gone out, Alika was thinking of a better way to kill the anxiety.
“Don’t you think you need an aspirin for that headache” a voice cooed in her ears. She turned to see the medicine man that had been advertising secretly on the train since they boarded. No one had the courage to stop him or report him to the officers, except Alika’s seat partner, Bobo.
“Brother, can’t you read? “No haukin is allowed here” he gestured at the red and white stickers pasted by the passenger seats.
But passengers only laughed harder at Bobo’s mispronunciation and he quickly coiled in his seat. The medicine man took that as an opportunity to announce his potent tongue unlocking syrup that would help people like Bobo with the pronunciation of difficult oyibo words. More laughter erupted from the train and Alika almost felt sorry for Bobo, she would have tried to ease his embarrassment but her novel had to be completed, so instead, she bent her head over the laptop and tried to shut Bobo and the medicine man out.
Now, the medicine man was staring her in the face and for the first time, she realized he wasn’t even Ghanaian. He had tribal marks like that of a Yoruba person but she didn’t ask him.
“I don’t have a headache, thanks”
“But you do” his voice sounded like a TV advert. Alika almost laughed but she stifled it to respect his profession at least. “I see you squinting all the time behind those thick glasses of yours, you must have a headache. Those things look like the bottom of a Coca-Cola bottle”
Alika looked round to be sure no one heard his statement. This guy surely has some nerve. She nervously pushed the tip of her glasses further up her nose, something she does whenever she gets nervous. For whatever reason, the medicine man made her nervous.
“So what say you?” he grinned to show unbelievably white teeth against his very dark gum. His eyes were huge and almost bulging out of the sockets, each eye had a red vein by the side. This made him look scary but his large grin often put people at ease but Alika couldn’t stop staring. She was scared of him anymore, now she found him an interesting character.
“Okay, I’ll have the aspirin”
“Oh no mon Cherie, no aspirin for an angel. I will give you herbs and your headache will be gone forever. All those oyibo drugs don’t help us, they are slow killers. African medicine is the best remedy I tell you”
“But I thought you had it all packaged and printed.”
“Yes I do, but that is just what you corporate people call branding”
He handed the small pack of yellow powder to Alika.
“Thank you. So what brings a medicine man to Ghana?”
“The same thing that brings a beautiful lady here”
“I have come to find my father, Kofi Appiah”
“Don’t you think you need an aspirin for that headache” a voice cooed in her ears. She turned to see the medicine man that had been advertising secretly on the train since they boarded. No one had the courage to stop him or report him to the officers, except Alika’s seat partner, Bobo.
“Brother, can’t you read? “No haukin is allowed here” he gestured at the red and white stickers pasted by the passenger seats.
But passengers only laughed harder at Bobo’s mispronunciation and he quickly coiled in his seat. The medicine man took that as an opportunity to announce his potent tongue unlocking syrup that would help people like Bobo with the pronunciation of difficult oyibo words. More laughter erupted from the train and Alika almost felt sorry for Bobo, she would have tried to ease his embarrassment but her novel had to be completed, so instead, she bent her head over the laptop and tried to shut Bobo and the medicine man out.
Now, the medicine man was staring her in the face and for the first time, she realized he wasn’t even Ghanaian. He had tribal marks like that of a Yoruba person but she didn’t ask him.
“I don’t have a headache, thanks”
“But you do” his voice sounded like a TV advert. Alika almost laughed but she stifled it to respect his profession at least. “I see you squinting all the time behind those thick glasses of yours, you must have a headache. Those things look like the bottom of a Coca-Cola bottle”
Alika looked round to be sure no one heard his statement. This guy surely has some nerve. She nervously pushed the tip of her glasses further up her nose, something she does whenever she gets nervous. For whatever reason, the medicine man made her nervous.
“So what say you?” he grinned to show unbelievably white teeth against his very dark gum. His eyes were huge and almost bulging out of the sockets, each eye had a red vein by the side. This made him look scary but his large grin often put people at ease but Alika couldn’t stop staring. She was scared of him anymore, now she found him an interesting character.
“Okay, I’ll have the aspirin”
“Oh no mon Cherie, no aspirin for an angel. I will give you herbs and your headache will be gone forever. All those oyibo drugs don’t help us, they are slow killers. African medicine is the best remedy I tell you”
“But I thought you had it all packaged and printed.”
“Yes I do, but that is just what you corporate people call branding”
He handed the small pack of yellow powder to Alika.
“Thank you. So what brings a medicine man to Ghana?”
“The same thing that brings a beautiful lady here”
“I have come to find my father, Kofi Appiah”
Really nice! but is this going to link up to the first chapter i am really getting more curious and interested in this kofi appiah character and i hope this translates into a book.
ReplyDeleteCheers