NANA AND THE DEBTOR

Once
When the mukyia was the freshest cooker
And daresen with water were its first meet-and-greeter every morning
A young Fante woman lived in Israel
…near Tabora-Alhaji

**
She was a known hard core debtor
She bought things with the face of a hungry and lonely cat
But faced payment with roars of a dog with rabies
Her notoriety was well known
…even by my mother
So she advised my Nana not to give her yams to her
…on credit
But Nana paid no heed

---

What was supposed to be paid in one moon
Bypassed three moons
Nana traveled from Obo-Kwahu to Accra just to collect her money from Maame Fante
But Maame Fante went about her tricks
If she was not sick
…her child was sick and had been admitted at a hospital
If her mother was not dead
…her aunt who took care of her since childhood was
If she did not misplace her money
…one of her stubborn family members had stolen it
Her escuses were always hot and ready
…minutes before my Nana appeared
When her excuses got finished
…she resorted to sneaking out through her windows
…whenever she heard the voice or name of my Nana

---

Nana got confused as to the kind of woman
…Maame Fante was
Then she got intrigued
And finally she got upset
…ready to play her game

---

One dawn
My Nana woke me up
…and forced a stool on my head
It was barely 3am
We walked through the weeds and mud
Through Israel Park to her house
…close to where the now Pentecost University is
She occupied an unplasted single room
…with a door made to accommodate mosquitoes at the top and bottom
When we reached there,
Nana took the wooden stool from my head
…situated it in front of her door
…sat down and sat me on her laps
She put her forefinger on her lips
…to signal my silence
And covered me with her cover cloth

---

An hour or so passed
I woke from my nap to see my Nana’s eyes
…as vigilant as that of bats at night
The only things which kept us company
…were the mosquitoes and the whistles of tall grasses
At 4:32am
We heard a key unlocking a lock in a loud smack
Out came Maame Fante
…already dressed with a cover cloth
…ready to bolt to wherever

---

Before she could cover her head like a sneaky, shy and sly fornicator
My Nana held her kaba by the neck
There was a whimper
…then a shock
…before her hands went up in submission
“I heard you came yesterday Teacher Asew
…I was going to town but would’ve passed by your house to tell…”
Her lanky and fleshless body shook like the lifeless body of a freshly dead chicken
“You will not tell me anything today
You will pay my money today
…all of it
One moon has turned to six
My bayerɛ ɔha’s worth will be fully paid today
…or you will know no peace
…take no step
…eat no food
…drink no water
Till I get it”

---

Maame Fante realized my Nana was a bigger force
In her eyes were fire of determination
In her fallen cloth were roasted yam and a calabash of water
She was ready for a battle
So she struggled and located money
…knotted at a tip of her cloth
And gave it to my Nana
She counted and gave her back her change
“Yieee, this was the money I was going to use
…to buy my things today o!
You know today is Agbogbloshi Market Day!
You’ve killed me Teacher Asew!
How will I trade in the coming week?”

---

My Nana took our stool
Gently put it on my head
…and asked me to lead the way home
Neglecting the whimpers of the devastated debtor
That, my people, ended the exploits
…of Maame Fante the notorious debtor
As just the few eyes who woke to witness
…hawked the news to a convention of the cheated
…by Maame Fante
Amoafowaa Sefa Cecilia © August 11, 2020