Kwame Mainu's partner, Afriyie, had carried on her dressmaking
activities in Warwick and when business became successful she brought
her niece, Elsie, from Ghana to help with the work. Dissatisfied with
her salary, and jealous of other young girls' freedom to enjoy
themselves, Elsie had run away. Kwame was afraid that because Elsie
spoke little English she would fall into the hands of Kumasi-based drugs
traders. He was relieved when Auntie Rose reported that Elsie had been
found.
Auntie Rose explained how she had pursued her own enquiries and had traced Elsie to a house in Birmingham that was known to be a brothel. Through Leon, she had learned that the police were planning to raid the place to make arrests of suspected people traffickers. Auntie Rose had pleaded for the raid to be brought forward and Elsie had been released, but not before she had sustained a severe beating. 'She wants to come back when she is well but she is shy to face Afriyie,' said Auntie Rose. 'So I persuaded her to see you first.'
They drove to the hospital and found Elsie in a comfortable single room that Kwame guessed was private. He suspected that Leon had something to do with these arrangements. He couldn't help wondering whether if Akos Mary could have been brought to such a place she might have survived. From the look he exchanged with Auntie Rose he guessed the thought was shared.
Elsie lay sleeping with her head bandaged. Her arms, also wrapped in bandages, lay above the white sheets. A nurse who had been sitting by the bed offered her seat to Auntie Rose and told them, 'She will soon wake up. She was anaesthetised to reset some bones in her arm. Why don't you go to the restaurant for a cup of tea? I'll let you know when she's conscious.'
Kwame was only half way through his Danish pastry when the call came. Quickly wrapping the residue in a paper napkin, he followed his little companion back to Elsie's room. The bandaged patient seemed both pleased and startled to see him. 'Please, I want to come back?' she asked quietly. 'Yes, you can,' Kwame replied and wanted to hug the redeemed absconder, but fearing causing further harm to her frail frame he contented himself with a kiss on her cheek.
'Afriyie will be very angry.'
'No, she won't be angry, I'll explain everything. Try to get well quickly.'
They left Elsie to sleep some more, promising to come back soon. 'How do you think she came to be beaten so badly?' he asked Auntie Rose. 'She hasn't told us yet but we suspect that she refused to do what they wanted,' Auntie Rose replied. 'Will they need her to give evidence?'
'Yes, I expect so, but later when she is healed.'
Auntie Rose explained how she had pursued her own enquiries and had traced Elsie to a house in Birmingham that was known to be a brothel. Through Leon, she had learned that the police were planning to raid the place to make arrests of suspected people traffickers. Auntie Rose had pleaded for the raid to be brought forward and Elsie had been released, but not before she had sustained a severe beating. 'She wants to come back when she is well but she is shy to face Afriyie,' said Auntie Rose. 'So I persuaded her to see you first.'
They drove to the hospital and found Elsie in a comfortable single room that Kwame guessed was private. He suspected that Leon had something to do with these arrangements. He couldn't help wondering whether if Akos Mary could have been brought to such a place she might have survived. From the look he exchanged with Auntie Rose he guessed the thought was shared.
Elsie lay sleeping with her head bandaged. Her arms, also wrapped in bandages, lay above the white sheets. A nurse who had been sitting by the bed offered her seat to Auntie Rose and told them, 'She will soon wake up. She was anaesthetised to reset some bones in her arm. Why don't you go to the restaurant for a cup of tea? I'll let you know when she's conscious.'
Kwame was only half way through his Danish pastry when the call came. Quickly wrapping the residue in a paper napkin, he followed his little companion back to Elsie's room. The bandaged patient seemed both pleased and startled to see him. 'Please, I want to come back?' she asked quietly. 'Yes, you can,' Kwame replied and wanted to hug the redeemed absconder, but fearing causing further harm to her frail frame he contented himself with a kiss on her cheek.
'Afriyie will be very angry.'
'No, she won't be angry, I'll explain everything. Try to get well quickly.'
They left Elsie to sleep some more, promising to come back soon. 'How do you think she came to be beaten so badly?' he asked Auntie Rose. 'She hasn't told us yet but we suspect that she refused to do what they wanted,' Auntie Rose replied. 'Will they need her to give evidence?'
'Yes, I expect so, but later when she is healed.'
John Powell
John Powell weaves a tale of tension and intrigue into the lives and loves of Kwame Mainu and his family and friends, against the rich social, cultural, economic and political background of the first four decades of Ghana's independence, in his two novels: The Colonial Gentleman's Son and Return to the Garden City.
John Powell weaves a tale of tension and intrigue into the lives and loves of Kwame Mainu and his family and friends, against the rich social, cultural, economic and political background of the first four decades of Ghana's independence, in his two novels: The Colonial Gentleman's Son and Return to the Garden City.
