Liberian Literary Magazine
you men want to credit it, I
have no objection.”
“That's what I like you for,
Gbiti, you got a solution for
all my problems. Bring the
bottle. I will pay you double
interest for it.”
“I know it's the truth. If you
pay me all the interest you
owe me, I will be rich.” Gbiti
pointed out.
Tene reached in her
bossom and pulled out a
handkerchief with a knot at
one end. She opened it
and took out a dollar bill.
“Gbiti,” she called, “here is
the cold water for the
men.” I pitied her for the
gesture, but nevertheless
accepted it.
The watchman's wife had
some cane juice and beer
under her bed to seil, so we
did not have far to go. This
illicit selling of rum helped to
augment the watchman's
meager income.
Our host, a jovial little
stooped shoulder fellow
soon joined us. The first joke
he cracked was, “I see the
liquor palava's coming on
all right, but where do I pen
you two billy goats for the
night?”
He asked us to excuse
ourselves and follow him. “I
know it is the sleeping place
palava you have called us
here to hang head.” Karmo
observed. “Old man we
don't want to embarrass
you. When we are finished
with our drinks, we will go to
Cooper Farm to ask some
friends to put us up for the
night.”
“You boys sound like two
asses. You know I wouldn't
agree
to
such
a
preposterous idea.” The old
man pointed out. After a
Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture
further search of the
warehouse facilities, the old
man came up with a new
suggestion.
“You
boys
follow me,” he invited. “The
boatboys are not here.
They left a big tent capable
of accommodating ten
couples.”
We went over and
examined
it.
“There's
nothing wrong with it,”
Karmo remarked. I didn't
know how well Tene would
accept the idea of sleeping
with me, having just left her
husband and returned to
her parents in Bendabli.
When the old watchman
observed my indicisiveness,
he asked, “what, you not
sure of your woman?”
“Weil, she's got a young
baby,” I replied.
Karmo interferred, “man
move from here, with your
baby business. You will be a
big fool if you don't begin
cashing in for all your lost
labor.”
That night under our tent
room, Tene did not resist my
approaches. We played
until very late in the night.
Early the following morning
we all scattered in different
directions; Karmo and Gbiti
headed for Suehn, Tene for
Bendabli and I to Cooper
Farm to stay with some
17
friends. Before leaving for
Suehn, my friend offered to
come to a family council in
Bendabli, if I thought it is
useful.
Three weeks after the
encounter with Tene I paid
a visit to Bendabli. I noticed
that
our
quarter,
particularly, the big house
was in a very dilapidated
condition. The rains had
washed
away
a
considerable portion of the
outer walls.
The old folks found it
convenient to move into
my kongo, the annex I built
in the back of the house.
Tene and her baby shared
a room with Kema in a
neighbor's hut.
Old man Joma asked
friends to beg me to come
back and settle down in the
village. He and the old lady
promised that, under no
circumstances would they
allow Tene to put her foot
out of the village. To further
convince me, one morning
old lady Karn invited me
into the kongo to tell me
that from now on she would
not permit Tene to be
dominated by her sister. I
pitied the old lady very
much. The wrinkles in her
face had become deeper,
and her ribs, jaws and
shoulder bones protruded
sharply.