Bitter Honey is a Ghana-based series, centered around the Quartey family. Kojo Quartey; a taxi driver, his wife Aba; who runs a bank’s canteen, and their three children; Kuku, Abena and Maama live through a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. The Bitter Honey series tells the story of different bittersweet experiences that build their characters and teach them life lessons. Enjoy.
Kuku got ready to leave the house to meet Ma Dee. He had asked her to meet him at “their spot” and now, he wondered why.
The kelewele seller would’ve been sold out at this time. It was 8:50pm. He was ready to leave.
He walked back out and his mom’s head jerked up; “Ei you’ve really sprayed yourself perfume oo.”
“Aba, allow the boy. A man must smell good. Kuku where are you going?” Kojo asked.
Kuku shrugged, “Going to meet a friend,”
Before Kojo could respond his mobile phone started ringing.
—-
“Hello? Please is this Kojo?”
“Yes, who am I speaking with?”
“I’m Sarah. I got your number from…..
Please can you come and pick me …”
As Kojo listened to the frightened voice at other end of the call, he watched as his son left the house to meet his mystery friend.
Kojo got up and started putting on his slippers. “Ok, where are you?”
—-
Kuku was siting in the driving seat, and Ma Dee was in the passenger seat. As he had suspected, the kelewele seller had already packed up when they got there.
Ma Dee was craving local food so they had stopped at a kenkey stall and bought a little for her to eat. He enjoyed her spontaneity- ‘There’s a freedom that comes with having all the money you need’ he thought to himself.
Ma Dee took the last bite and sighed in satisfaction. Then she turned to him and said
“I want you to meet someone.”
“Who?”
“Just… someone,” she shrugged. “Are you up for it?”
“Now?” Kuku looked at his watch and stared at her in disbelief. It was 11:38pm
Ma Dee smiled, “No, when you’re ready,”
Kuku was uncomfortable with all the mystery “What are we meeting the person for?”
“I’ll tell you when the time comes. Right now, it’s my bedtime. Will you take me home?”
Kuku had a lot to say, he frowned, but his lower lips, and turned the key in the ignition.
—-
Kojo had just gone to pick Sarah up. It was about 10pm.
She was standing outside a White House holding a baby very close to her chest, wrapped in a white cloth. She was standing next to two suitcases, the bigger one looked like a hand luggage. The other looked like a mini duffel bag.
Kojo got down and opened the door to the backseat for her. He put the suitcases next to Sarah at the backseat. The hand luggage one on the seat, and the smaller one floor behind the drivers’ seat.
When Kojo closed his car door, he must have startled the baby because the little infant started wailing and Kojo apologized profusely.
She attempted to soothe him and breastfeed him, but the baby wasn’t happening.
Sarah sighed, “He’s sleepy.”
Kojo suggested one of the tricks he could remember and caught Sarah smiling in the rear-view mirror.
“Where are you going to?” Kojo tried to make conversation,
Sarah looked down at her crying baby and said, “Somewhere safe. For my son.”
Pow. Pow. Pow.
Kojo thought for a split second that his tires had burst. But then two masked men in black jumped in front of the car and started hitting the car bonnet and passenger side door.
“Hey, hey!”
“Stop the car!”
“Get down!”
Kojo thought through the scenario in a second and was about to speed off;
“Driver, Driver! Stop! They have guns!” Sarah was hitting his arm and shouting.
Kojo stopped the car.
“Hey, I said get down!”
Kojo did as he was told and watched as they pulled Sarah out of the backseat.
“Boss, we beg- I no get anything” Kojo felt his pockets for some money.
“Hey put your hands up!” One of the men pointed a gun at Kojo.
The other was searching in hand luggage.
Sarah was quiet. Her baby, as though he knew what was going on was dead silent too.
“You see anything?” The gunman asked the search agent.
“Where’s the money?”
The search agent asked Sarah. She just looked back at him in response.
“Where’s the money?!” The gunman shouted at Kojo.
“What money?!” Kojo was confused.
The search agent pulled out the small duffel bag. He opened the zipper to reveal wads of GHS50, GHS20 and GHS10 notes.
The whole bag was filled with money!
Sarah pleaded “Please don’t hurt my son. You can take everything.”
Kojo was shocked. With hands still in the air, he gazed wide-eyed at the scenario in front of him.
What a shock!
*** to be continued ***