THE STRANGER
I’m informed you devised a way of speaking to this iron-hearted fool.
MAAME AKOSUA
Oh, yes, yes. He blinks once for a no, and twice for a yes.
THE STRANGER
I see. Mr. Kwame Awuah. Do you see me?
Kwame Awuah blinks twice.
The STRANGER
Can you hear me, and understand me?
Two blinks.
THE STRANGER
You saw your wife making love to your son. Today your son tried to kill you. That’s not the end. Your wife sent her other lover, a killer called Sereboe Abokyi, who is your chauffeur, to lie in wait and kill your son. She wants all your money for herself and her lover. She has been married twice, and each husband died, killed by Abokyi to make it look like an accident, just for the money, because their greed is insatiable. You married a cold-blooded killer who will use all weapons to achieve her ungodly aim. Your son was such a weapon. She never loved any of you.
The sick man blinks twice.
In one corner of the room Nana Yaw sinks slowly down to the floor, looking at the stranger with horror.
NANA YAW
(shattered)
No, no, no! That can’t be true! You liar! She loves me! Araba loves only me!
The other people in the room gasp with shock, but the stranger and Maame do not pay him any attention.
THE STRANGER
They have been captured by the police, but Sereboe died, unfortunately. This woman who has been giving you care prayed to the Lord, who brought me here as an answer to her prayer. Mr. Kwame Awuah, do you believe that the Lord can save your soul?
Tears well up in Kwame’s eyes, and he blinks rapidly.
Yes, yes, yes…
THE STRANGER
Do you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour who came and died for your salvation?
Rapid blinks twice.
THE STRANGER
I’m but a mere man, and I cannot see into the heart of man! But the Lord does. I want the Lord to search your heart. If indeed you’ve repented, may He bless you, and heal. If you’re lying to me, as I believe you may be, because all your life you have hardened your heart against the Lord, may He punish you, old man!
Kwame Awuah is weeping openly now, and blinking his eyes.
He is ready!
He now believes!
THE STRANGER
Woman, take away the cables of the machines. Now! And take off his clothes. Leave his underwear on.
Trembling, Maame removed the attachments on Kwame’s body, half-expecting the doctors to stop her, but they do not. Next she removes his pyjama tops and bottoms, leaving the multimillionaire in his boxers.
The stranger steps forward and lifts up Kwame Awuah.
He carries him to the bathroom.
The others follow, intrigued, and stand in the doorway of the bathroom watching.
THE STRANGER
Mr. Kwame Awuah, before you were born, even as a clot of blood, the Good Lord knew you. Having accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour who came to die for you, and saved you from death unto life eternal, and having decided to forsake your old ways and live the life of a righteous soul acceptable unto God, I now baptize you in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!
He drops Kwame Awuah into the water in the bathtub, immersing him completely for a moment, and then he pulls the man’s head out of the water.
Kwame Awuah is spluttering…
And then he raises his right hand and wipes water from his face!
The stranger turns away without another word as Kwame Awuah, gasping and spluttering, holds the sides of the bath and sits up.
The doctors are screaming; the nurses are whooping!
The stranger comes out of the washroom with his hands linked behind his back.
Nana Yaw, sitting on the floor, looks up at him with his face tortured and absolutely filled with remorse and deep pain.
In the washroom, Kwame is looking at a weeping Maame Akosua with large loving eyes as tears fall down his own face.
KWAME AWUAH
(crying happily)
Come here, Maame, you dear girl!
Maame runs to him as he stands in the bath, and he wraps his arms around her, and he loses his balance, and he crashes into the bathtub, still holding her, and dragging her into the bath.
MAAME AKOSUA
Oh, Kwame, Kwame, Kwame!!
KWAME AWUAH
Thank you, my love! Oh, Maame! You’ve brought such light into my life, my love!
MAAME AKOSUA
(shudderingly)
What did you just call me?
KWAME AWUAH
(tenderly)
My love! My only love! God brought you into my life to save me, and we’re going to get married, my love!
There are cries and cheers in the bathroom.
Nana Yaw cannot stand it.
He cannot believe it!
He gets to his feet and rushes out of the ward, his guiltiness totally crushing him.
*******
Araba is standing at the upstairs window gazing out, her face filled with tension.
What is going on?
Where is Abokyi, her love? What has gone wrong? Why can’t she reach him on the phone?
She is worried.
He should’ve been with her a long time ago!
She paces aimlessly and smokes continuously.
And then she hears the sound of an approaching car.
She stands up and gazes out of the window again.
It is the Lexus!
Abokyi is coming back!
Everything is alright!
With her heart beating with happiness, she runs out of the room and descends the stairs to meet him.
Her body is already tingling with anticipation.
The security guards have opened the gates, and the car slips through and comes to a halt in the courtyard.
She throws the front door open and runs towards the car.
The driver’s door opens…and Kwame Awuah gets out.
_____
The happy laughter turns into a massive shock on Araba’s face, turning her face into the ugly lines of a gargoyle!
Fear, panic and shock make her arms flail, and then her eyes suddenly rolls in her head as a form of electric current rips through her body, and she collapses to the ground, her limbs going liquid, foaming at the mouth!
She has just had a massive heart attack brought about with the earth-shattering shock of seeing Kwame again.
Chief Inspector Nii Lante and another policeman emerge from the car and run towards her.
Kwame Awuah stays some distance away and watch as the police stretches her out on the ground and call for an ambulance!
Nana Yaw’s car then enters the yard, and when he sees Araba on the ground he runs forward, but when he sees that she is half-paralysed he turns away and falls down at Kwame’s feet, bawling with remorse.
NANA YAW
Oh, father, father, father! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me, please! She is evil father! She used me! She even tried to kill me! I went to the police station and found some men called Adamu and Tawiah! They’re accomplices of Abokyi! They were going to kill me, and Araba knew about it! I’m so sorry, father! Please forgive me!! I have been such a fool!!
KWAME AWUAH
(calmly)
You will keep the hospital, boy. But as an employee, and nothing else. For the sake of your mother, I forgive you, and will not press charges against you. But, you’re no longer my son. You’re an employee now, and will receive only salaries from me. You can keep the house in East Legon, and you can keep the two cars I bought for you, but that’s the end. You’re no longer my son, do you hear me? Now get the hell out of my face before I change my mind and kill you where you stand!
The ambulance arrives, and as they carry Araba away on a stretcher she turns her head, and Kwame sees that her mouth is so twisted that it is almost into her neck!
Her beauty is gone, and what is left is ugly. Her right hand is folded up against her chest, but her left is okay.
She reaches out with her left hand to touch Kwame as tears course down her face, but Kwame moves away from her hand.
Weeping, torn, and tortured, Nana Yaw runs to his car, gets in, and drives out.
And so, Araba is admitted at the hospital her husband has just left, with a massive stroke.
And the doctor who attends to her, Nana Yaw, is no longer the owner of the hospital, but an employee!
Mr. Kwame Awuah is home again, and his workers fawn around him and embrace him with happiness and tears.
