Liberian Literary Magazine January Issue 0115
an excuse to get the old folks to send Tene to see me .
A week later , Tene and Kema arrived in Suehn . They came on a crowded Monroviato-Bopolu passenger truck . I lived in a quarter far removed from the main road , so that they had a hard time finding me .
Luckily , Tene came across a friend who knew where to locate me . When the girls saw me way off , they rushed to the veranda where I was sitting . Kema reached me first . She gave me a big hug . “ What is the matter , Gortokai ?” She asked when she looked at my wounded toe .
“ I nearly lost it , Kema ,” I said .
“ Gortokai , it is God who helped you . We must thank him .” Tene sympathizes . “ Never mind , you bear ?”
“ I suppose you girls never heard of my misfortune ?” “ Gortokai , I swear on the Sande Society , we heard of it in Bendabli only yesterday .” Kema said . “ The person you gave the message to did not reach our way but went to Monrovia instead . Some people from Bendabli happened to be in Monrovia two days ago selling farina and heard of your misfortune . When they went back to the village they told the old folks . This is how we got it .”
“ For true ,” I said , “ times are changing . It ' s hard to depend on people these days .” Kema admitted however , of receiving the eight dollars I sent , immediately upon my arrival in Suehn .
Tene was generous in bringing me gifts - country bread with peanuts and sugar and plenty of fried chicken , and I loved her for this . We put everything away pending the arrival of my landlady who was expected at any moment from the farm where she was harvesting rice .
Before the girls could finish telling me all the important news from the village , the landlady arrived and I introduced the girls to her . She at once showed admiration for Tene . “ I can see why Gortokai has been killing himself to make enough money to pay your dowry .”
The guest room which adjoined mine , was put in order for the girls . When she got through making up the bed , Juku , the little girl whom my landlady was rearing , said , “ Kai , tell your strangers the room is ready .”
The landlady herself inspected the preparations before ushering the girls into the room . “ Tene and Kema , make yourselves at home , while I go and get something to eat . I know you must be hungry , coming all the way from the Dewoin country as you did today .”
Before repairing to the kitchen , the landlady called me aside and said , “ Kai ,” for so she called me , “ The palava reach you know . What shall we do for the girls to make you happy ?”
I had a dollar bill in my pocket . I pulled it out and handed it to her . “ Here , can this help ?”
“ O no Kai ,” the landlady refused . “ Put your money in your pocket . Can ' t you see that you are my stranger son ? Anything my husband and I can do to make the girls happy will be a pleasure to us .”
My landlord , who was also my employer , joined us in the kitchen . He immediately approved of everything the landlady had decided and suggested we leave all the details to her . We proceeded to the veranda where Tene and Kema awaited us .
“ Kai ,” said my landlord , “ I don ' t know which one is Tene , but I must congratulate you for your fine taste , the girls are indeed beautiful .” The girls got up and shook hands with the landlord .
The smell of fried chicken and onions from the back of the house suggested that the landlady was busy preparing a special delicacy for our guests . Every now and then she would come on the veranda to see how we were coming along . When she observed that her husband had not offered the girls anything to drink , she inquired , “ Jaa , why have you not given the strangers some cold water ?” My landlord at once asked to be excused . He headed towards the main road through the town where the shops were . When he returned , he was laden with bottles of cane juice , beer , soft drinks and some sweet biscuits . I surmised he had in mind giving a small party for the girls .
I knew that my landlord ' s generosity also had an ulterior motive . He was trying to entice me to remain in his employment . The few weeks I had been with him had convinced him that I was a hard worker . Someone he could depend on to keep his rubber farm going .
The landlord had several times proposed that I remain with him after my contract was over .
Just before the girls had come he offered me the daughter of a distant relative as a wife . The girl in question
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