Nneka was home alone. Her husband left very early in the morning for his usual Saturday morning exercise and he wasn't expected home until noon. The house was dead silent and that was exactly what she wanted. She had works to do, so noise was the last thing she could tolerate.
She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't realize that music was playing in the living room located downstairs. By and by, the music wafted into her ears as it became louder. Initially, she thought it was her imagination, but with time she became convinced that music was actually playing in their living room. She was alone in the house and therefore couldn't understand how music would just start playing. Besides, it was Enya's song and she was not a fan. Her husband wasn't either. She actually hated Enya's songs as they always sounded spine-chilling.
Gripped by fear and curiosity, she noiselessly climbed out of bed and started downstairs on tiptoes.
The music stopped playing and the lights went out the moment she stepped into the sitting room. She let out a muffled scream. She was so afraid that she couldn't move a muscle. She flinched when suddenly the music came back on, this time at full blast; then followed the lights.
She closed her eyes tightly. She never wanted to open them again. She didn't want to see her assailant. She neither wanted to see his face nor know what he was going to do to her. He should just go ahead and do it. But her curiosity got the better of her. And when she opened her eyes, she saw the message written in blood on the TV screen:
AVENGE MY DEATH!
Nneka screamed and fainted.
When Sam came home about an hour later, she was still unconscious. He panicked as he knelt by her side to ascertain that she was still alive. He was relieved when he noticed that she was still breathing. "What happened to her?" he wondered as he looked around to be sure that there was no danger lurking around the sitting room. There was no sign of break in and entry, and there was no sign that Nneka ingested poison or any harmful substance. She was hale and hearty when he left the house so what then happened to her? He decided to quit asking questions and take her to the hospital first. She might be able to recount what happened upon waking up. But right now, she needed to be reviewed by the doctors.
"Where am I?" Nneka asked when she regained consciousness.
"You are awake. To God be the glory!" Sam who had been sitting on the edge of her bed said with so much relief. He held Nneka's hand and squeezed it tenderly.
"Where am I?" Nneka repeated, as she tried to sit up in bed but her husband restrained her.
"Relax, my dear. You will be fine," Sam assured her.
"Okay," Nneka said after a moment of silence, "But where am I?"
"In the hospital," Sam answered simply and her eyes popped out.
"What am I doing in the hospital, Samson?" The panic and surprise on her face didn't reflect in her voice. She sounded very calm and tired. She sat up and started looking around her. She later focused her gaze on her husband's face as she waited for an answer to her question.
"I came back home and found you unconscious, so I brought you here," Sam explained.
"Really?" Nneka said and flinched. She seemed to have been hit by an invisible force. She obviously remembered something – something nasty. She sat huddled up on the bed and began to cry
"What is the matter?" Sam asked as he tried to hold her hands but she drew away.
Sam turned to stare at the doctor, confused. The doctor gesticulated that he should let her be for a while to enable her sort herself out. The doctor had earlier made a diagnosis of vasovagal attack and added that bad news and fear were among the major causes.
She cried for a long time and then became quiet and started gazing into space.
"Did you see it?" She asked suddenly, neither looking at her husband nor the doctor.
Sam glanced at the doctor. "Are you asking me?" he asked. He knew she was asking him but he didn't understand the question.
"Yes, did you see it?" she repeated.
"See what?" Sam asked, getting more confused.
"The message on the screen," Nneka said simply.
"Which message?" Sam was becoming very impatient and it was evident on his face and in his voice.
"The message was written in blood…"
"Written in blood?" Sam said and sprang to his feet. He was trembling with fear. "Where?"
Nneka hesitated. "On the TV screen," she said at last and fixed her gaze on Sam's face as if the answer she sought resided there.
"What are you talking about, darling? I don't understand you." Sam's patience had obviously been stretched to the limits.
Nneka closed her eyes and pursed her lips and silence followed. She opened her eyes after a while and hissed. She then narrated what happened to her husband. "I saw the message. It was clearly written on the TV screen." She said, clasping her hands between her thighs.
Sam sat close to her and held her across the shoulders. "There was no message on the TV screen, honey," he sounded very soft and reassuring. "I think it was your imagination."
Nneka glared at her husband. "How can you say that it was my imagination?" she asked angrily. "It wasn't my imagination, dear. I saw the message in clear consciousness." She paused and then continued. "I think it is Chinwe." She said as she nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Chinwe wants me to avenge her death. She wants me to bring her killers to justice."
Sam wanted to argue further but the doctor's raised hand stopped him. The doctor pulled a seat close to Nneka and sat down "Can you repeat the story you just told us?" he asked and Nneka wasted no time in narrating her experience once more. "I think it was Chinwe. She wants me to avenge her death," she concluded with a cry.
The doctor looked steadily at Sam and said, "I think she has relapsed. The doctor knew Nneka's psychiatric history. It was the same hospital she was taken to the first time she had psychiatric breakdown following chike's death. It was also the same doctor that attended to her and later invited a psychiatrist to review and take over her management.
Sam was also aware of Nneka's psychiatric history. She never kept anything from him.
"She will need her psychiatrist," the doctor added.
"I don't need any psychiatrist," Nneka said slowly but sternly.
"Honey…," Sam made to persuade her but she interrupted him by raising her hand.
"I don't need a psychiatrist. I am not mad," this time she screamed the words as her eyes glowed with anger.
"Nobody says you are mad, my daughter."
Everyone in the room turned toward the door and saw Nneka's mother standing in the doorway. Her husband was right behind her. Nobody knew how long they had been standing there but the old woman's contribution showed that they must have stood long enough to understand what the matter was. Sam had earlier called to inform them of Nneka's condition.
"You are not mad," Nneka's mother repeated as she walked into the private room and sat on her daughter's hospital bed. Sam had to get up for her. Her father stood at the foot of the bed with arms folded, he was visibly disturbed. His daughter's mental problem started over ten years back following her fiancé's death. It lingered for about six months after which she had occasional nightmares for another six months. But for the past nine years, she had been free from psychiatric events and everybody thought it was over. Why the relapse? He wondered. Was it Chinwe's death? But Chinwe died over three years earlier. He reminded himself. Why would she relapse now when the precipitant occurred long time ago? Maybe it wasn't Chinwe's death after all. But if not why would Nneka say that Chinwe wanted her to avenge her death?
"Sweetheart…," her mother called softly, "how are you?" she asked while scrutinizing her face and smoothing her hair.
"I am fine, mom," her answer was standoffish.
"Good, but you have to allow the doctors do their job. They know better. If they think you need a psychiatric review, that doesn't mean you are mad. It only means that you might be stressed out or depressed. Remember you suffered PTSD after Chike's death. Maybe the relapse is because of Chinwe's death. You said she wants you to avenge her death. That means you have been thinking a lot about her lately. Please, my daughter, cooperate with the doctors," the older woman pleaded.
"I am fine," Nneka insisted after a brief moment of silence, "and I want to be discharged right now" she commanded. "Why is it difficult for you people to believe me?" she was screaming again. "I said I had an encounter with a ghost. I said I saw a message written in blood on the TV screen. How is that difficult to understand?"
The doctor excused himself at this point and later sent for Sam and Nneka's father. Shortly after, they joined the doctor in his office.
"I sent for you because we can't continue to argue with her. I can assure you that this argument will never end. She needs help and we have to help her willy-nilly. She won't give consent because she lacks insight. Lack of insight is the hallmark of mental disorders. I need your consent to sedate her while we wait for the psychiatrist to arrive.
The patient's relatives were yet to make a decision when a nurse barged into the doctor's office. "Doctor…," she called amidst pants, "the patient is threatening to leave the hospital. In fact she has removed her drip and pulled out the canula. Please, come with me." The nurse hardly finished before running out of the office with Sam, Chief and the doctor on her heels. Nneka was half way out of the room when they entered. Her mother was doing her best to restrain her but her best wasn't good enough. Nneka was determined to leave the hospital and the sooner she left the better for her.
With the men back in the room, it was easier to take her back to the bed and the doctor quickly administered a sedative. Her sleep wasn't long as the doctor just needed her to be calm until the psychiatrist arrived. When she opened her eyes, the psychiatrist smiled at her. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Nneka. How are you today?"
She stared at him for a while and then looked away without uttering a word. She was very angry. She felt so violated. Why would they keep her in the hospital against her wish? Wasn't she old enough to make her own decisions?
"You don't want to talk to me? You are not even looking at me," the Psychiatrist said with a laugh and Nneka wondered what was funny. She marveled at how insensitive humanity had become. She just had an encounter with a ghost and all that people could do was to declare her mad and make jest of her. What a wicked world! She resolved neither to talk to the psychiatrist nor anybody. Talking to them was of no use. It would amount to a mere waste of time and energy. Their minds were already made up. They should just go ahead and do with her whatever they wanted.
Since she wasn't ready to talk, the psychiatrist turned to her relatives to get the history of the recent event. He later prescribed some oral medications and threatened to convert to injections if she refused to take them.
"It will be in your own interest to take your drugs. The more compliant you are, the faster you recover. Or do you want to remain like this?" The psychiatrist asked. She didn't bother to answer and the psychiatrist wasn't even expecting an answer. "Like I said earlier, if you refuse your drugs I will be forced to convert them to injections and rest assured that we would restrain you and give them to you. It is your choice." With those words, the psychiatrist majestically walked out of the room.
Dr. Dan was a very proud psychiatrist. His manner of approach was very poor. Unlike many other doctors who petted their patients, he was full of threats, making jest of his patients at any slight opportunity. Nneka resented his attitude so much that she almost threw a party to celebrate the end of her consultations with him when she had her first episode of psychiatric disorder. In the days that followed her last visit to his clinic, she had prayed fervently that nothing should take her to him ever again but it seemed she hadn't prayed enough in the past few years.
And here she was again at Dr. Dan's mercy. He shouldn't have been a doctor. Being an undertaker would have suited him better. Nneka hissed so loudly that her husband approached to see what the problem was.
"What is the matter, honey?" he asked, trying to take her hand but she snatched it away.
"Leave me alone," she barked.
Nobody should pretend to love or care for her. They were all pretenders. They ganged up against her to the extent that they kept her in the hospital against her will. They even restrained her and forcefully injected her. They humiliated her and Sam had the guts to act 'Mr. nice man' to her. She was really disappointed in him. She had thought that even if others didn't understand that Sam would. But he chose to betray her.
Nneka was discharged home after a week in the hospital. She had heeded Dr. Dan's advice and complied with her medications. She had reasoned that it was better to play along since defiance would give the doctors the impression that she wasn't yet well. And it wasn't like revolting would solve anything. Instead, it would attract more embarrassing moments and long hospital stay. So she took her drugs religiously and answered all questions posed to her without much ado. She even joined in social discussions at times.
It wasn't surprising therefore that Dr. Dan found her stable enough to go home after a week rather than a month as he projected earlier.
Shortly after she came home, her parents visited. They came along with her children who had been staying with them since their mother was hospitalized. Nneka was excited to see them. She hugged and kissed them severally. She inspected them closely to be sure that her parents took good care of them and noticed that they did. They looked quite good. In fact, they looked better than the last time she saw them. She must acknowledge that her parents did a great job.
After what seemed like a very short visit, even though they spent hours, her parents announced their intention to leave and they would still take the children with them. Nneka protested. She wanted her children back, claiming that she was well enough to take care of them. But her mother could neither be hoodwinked nor sweet talked into leaving the children behind. Nneka needed time to recover and that was final. Without waiting for her daughter's permission, she matched her grandchildren out of the house and into the car. She even took more of the children's clothes, implying that they weren't returning any time soon.
The arrangement suited Sam perfectly. The children could be difficult to handle at times and with their mother's condition, having them around would make things more difficult for him. He was going to miss them but staying with their grandparents was best for everyone at the moment.
Nneka could not hold back her tears as she watched the car depart. She continued to wave until the car was out of sight. Sam took her into the living room where he sat down and made her sit on his laps.
"Don't worry, honey, they will soon return," he cooed into her ear. "They will come back the moment you are strong enough. You hear?" he said and Nneka nodded slightly.
Apart from missing her children, she had another issue to contain with and that was the memory of her encounter with the ghost. Suddenly, the house became eerie and she was sure that she couldn't stay alone in the house anymore. She had the feeling that the ghost was associated with the house and would appear again once she was home alone. The fear waxed with every passing minute and she felt like staying away from the house for a while, in fact, forever, but she advised herself appropriately. She was sure that requesting to move house would give people especially Dr. Dan the impression that she had not recovered adequately. Dr. Dan would argue that he discharged her in error. He would certainly take her back into the hospital and who knew how long she would be hospitalized this time. He would definitely keep her for long and ruin her life with overdose of antipsychotics. A shudder ran down her spine at the mere thought of that.
"I don't ever want to see Dr. Dan again," Nneka cried. "Will you promise that you won't take me to him again?" she pleaded.
Sam turned her to face him and then planted a kiss on her lips. "We will see another psychiatrist if need be," he assured her.
"I neither want to see Dr. Dan nor any other psychiatrist. Their drugs make me sick." She whined as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"What if you have need for them tomorrow?" Sam tried to reason with his wife. It wouldn't be wise to agree to what Nneka was asking for but refusing to promise her would break her heart.
"I am fine. I will never need them again. I know I suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after Chike died but I am fine now. I have been fine for the past nine years and even as I speak right now, I am very fine. I only had an encounter with a ghost. That doesn't mean madness." She suddenly knelt before her husband and clasped her hands together. "Please, don't ever take me to the psychiatrists. I beg of you in the name of God."
The sight of her kneeling before him broke Sam's heart. He stood and dragged her to a standing position. He held her in a tight embrace. "I will never take you to them again." He whispered. There was a lump in his throat and it was obvious that he was fighting back tears.
Nneka bounced back to life about a month after she was discharged from the hospital. She hadn't been sick actually. She only had an encounter with a ghost as she had always claimed. And whatever she suffered was temporarily. But the drugs prescribed by Dr. Dan was what really made her sick. But now that she had finished taking those poisons, she had her life back. Her children had returned to the house and she had gone back to work. The ghost never harassed her again. It seemed that it had rested in peace. The eeriness hanging over her house had disappeared though once in a while she overreacted to unexpected sounds and images.
The psychiatrist had in addition to drugs, prescribed regular recreations and Sam had made it a duty to take her out no fewer than once in a week. Within three months, they had been to almost all the tourist centres in town and even beyond. Sam had promised to take her on a vacation to Ghana. They needed to explore and if possible exploit the world. They had both worked so hard. They deserved to enjoy the fruit of their labour in their youth. They didn't have to wait till old age. Sam had already contacted Mr. Ado to make some reservations for them. To make the trip memorable, Mr. Ado and his wife had also scheduled their leaves to coincide with the vacation of Sam and his wife.
One week before their trip to Ghana, they went to the mall to watch Genevieve's Lion heart that just started showing on cinema. The movie was the best in town and Netflix was already negotiating to buy the franchise. "Genevieve would soon become the richest film maker in Nigeria." Nneka said to her husband as they exited the cinema hall.
Sam nodded his agreement. "She is good. I love her." Sam said and Nneka jokingly glared at him.
He noticed how she looked at him and burst into a laugh. "Jealous woman," he said and Nneka punched him in the stomach.
"Ouch!" he screamed, grabbing his stomach. "That was hard. You are not just jealous, you are wicked, too." He said and sprang away from her to avoid more punches. In fact, he narrowly escaped.
"You are lucky," she laughed.
They walked into Joachin and Joan boutique. They had already shopped for their trip but Nneka wanted two more gowns, a pair of shoes and a black handbag. Joachin and Joan stocked the best designer's collections in Lagos. They were consequently very expensive but Sam and Nneka had more money than they needed. They didn't waste time in the boutique since Nneka had previously checked out their collections online and picked out those she wanted. So, she only fitted them, paid and off they went. They were about exiting the mall when Sam ran into an old friend. After pleasantries and introductions, Nneka left the two old friends to catch up. She was packing the items they bought into the car when a girl of about ten years approached and handed her a postcard.
She collected the card, "Thanks!" she smiled at the girl as she wondered who sent the gift and what for.
"He asked me to give it to you," the girl turned and pointed but Nneka could see no one in the direction the girl pointed. She could see the confusion in the girl's face. "He was standing right there," the girl tried to explain. "Where did he go? How could he vanish so quickly like a ghost?" the girl wondered aloud.
At the mention of the word 'ghost', Nneka's heart stopped momentarily. A shudder ran down her entire body and she suddenly started sweating profusely. Her whole body was shaking as she weighed the options of either checking out the write up on the postcard or throwing it away outright. She yielded to her curiosity and opened the postcard and the write up read:
AVENGE MY DEATH!
She hurriedly dropped the card and started screaming with her eyes shut tightly. Most of the passers-by ran away while some others rushed to her to see how they could help. But how could they help when they had no idea of what the problem was? Nneka would not answer any questions instead she was busy screaming; "Ghost! Ghost! Ghost! There is a ghost here and he is after me."
Sam was still chatting with his friend when the pandemonium started. He had no idea of what was happening. He decided to find out from a lady that came from that direction.
"A woman just went mad. I learnt she killed her husband and inherited his wealth. Now the ghost of her late husband is haunting her. Serves her right!" she finished and walked away.
A woman just went mad…., … the ghost of her late husband is haunting her.
Sam ran off immediately. He was so dramatic that his friend wondered if he thought he was the ghost in question. As Sam got closer to the scene, he became more convinced that Nneka had had another relapse.
"Please God, let it not be what I am thinking," he prayed but that prayer was belated and of no effect.
Nneka was frantically jumping about and screaming "Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!" Her eyes were still shut tightly.
Sam grabbed her around the waist and shook her vigorously, calling out her name in the process. On hearing her husband's voice, she became still, opened her eyes and collapsed into his arms.
With the help of some men, Sam took her into the car. He then jumped into the driver's seat and zoomed off. His destination was the hospital but half way, he remembered his promise never to take her to the psychiatrist ever again. But he was taking her to the regular hospital not a psychiatric hospital. Even as he tried to justify his decision, he knew that any good doctor would invite a psychiatrist to review her. He must not renege on his promise. The only option was to take her home. He was sure she would be fine. He made a U- turn and headed home. His mind pricked him as he thought that he could be making a grave mistake but he must keep this one promise. The picture of her kneeling down, clasping her hands and begging him never to take her to the psychiatrists flashed through his mind and broke his heart.
He reflected on the countless speculations from people that gathered at the scene. Some said his wife killed her rich husband and inherited his wealth and now the ghost of the poor man was haunting her. Some others speculated that he, being her boyfriend, was the person that encouraged her to kill her husband to pave way for him. There was yet another group who believed that he, being her husband, had used Nneka for money ritual. People said all manner of damning stuffs but Sam wasn't bothered. His only concern was his wife's wellbeing. He just prayed that he wouldn't have any reason to regret his decision of taking her home instead of taking her to the hospital.
By the time they got home, Nneka had already regained consciousness and was calm and stable. When he wanted to help her out of the car, she refused.
"Stop treating me like an invalid," she said tiredly as she alighted from the car. "I am fine," she insisted as she walked towards the front door.
Sam locked the car and followed her into the house. She was seated in the living room when her husband entered. He squatted before her and took her hands in his.
"How are you, honey?" he asked tenderly, squeezing her hands gently.
Nneka answered by nodding slightly. Sam noticed that though she was stable, she was very tired. She expended so much energy at the mall as she jumped about. All she needed at the moment was a cold shower and good rest, not question and answer session. Her children were on holiday and had already gone to stay with their grandparents to pave way for their trip to Ghana. The house was quiet and that was perfect for her. Her rest would suffer no disturbance. She got up swiftly and staggered, prompting Sam to reach out to catch her.
"I am fine," she whispered and matched upstairs, while Sam watched with his heart in his mouth as he prayed that she wouldn't trip and fall. He decided to remain in the sitting room, reasoning that she needed space. He had to accord her that. Even though he knew that leaving her alone might be risky as she could do something funny, but fussing around her wouldn't help matters either.
Nneka wasn't fine and she knew it. Nobody would have an encounter with a ghost and be fine. She was scared to death, but she decided to be strong so as to convince her husband that she was fine, otherwise he might consider taking her back to the psychiatrists. As long as she was concerned, it was better to have an encounter with a ghost than to encounter Dr. Dan or any other psychiatrist.
Sam didn't follow her upstairs but his mind did. He kept his ear to the ground as he listened for strange sounds and movements.
When eventually he came up to the bedroom, Nneka had tucked herself into bed and was fast asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited on her. Her sleep was surprisingly peaceful. She was even smiling in her sleep. Sam was happy that whatever that was happening to his wife in the physical didn't follow her to the spiritual realm.
"But why is she having these visual and auditory hallucinations?" Sam wondered aloud. He stood and started pacing. The psychiatrist called it schizophrenia and explained that the causes included genetics, environment and altered brain chemistry and structure. Since no one else in Nneka's entire lineage had suffered schizophrenia or any other mental disorder, Sam reasoned that the cause of Nneka's condition was environmental. He must take her away immediately. Their trip to Ghana was scheduled for a week's time but there was no need to wait that long. They had to leave the next day.
He reached for his phone and called Mr. Ado. "There is change in plan," he said the moment his friend answered. "We are coming tomorrow."
"Why? Hope there is no problem." Mr. Ado asked, surprised. He couldn't understand the sudden change in plan.
"I will explain everything when we get there," Sam assured him. "For now, go ahead and make the necessary arrangements. We will be in Accra before noon tomorrow. Thank you," Sam muttered and hung up. He glanced at Nneka and noticed that she had just started smiling again.
"You are so peaceful outside this environment, my dear," Sam said, stroking her cheek. "I promise to take you away from here tomorrow. I promise you that, my dear. Tomorrow morning," he repeated. "And if you find enduring peace in Ghana, we will relocate for good."
When Sam and his wife arrived at the Kotoka international airport, Mr. Ado and his wife were waiting for them. The airport which was the only international airport in Ghana was located in the capital city, Accra. It was originally a military airport used by the British Royal Air force during the Second World War. The airport was later handed over to the civilian authorities after the war. In 1956, President Kwame Nkrumah launched a development project that reconfigured the facility into a terminal building. The project was completed in 1958 and named Accra international airport. But in 1969, the airport was renamed Kotoka international airport in honour of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a member of the National Liberation Council, who was killed in an abortive coup attempt at a location which later became the forecourt of the airport.
Mr. Ado and his wife smiled boldly when Sam and Nneka emerged from the Terminal. Nneka had met Mr. Ado before but hadn't met his wife, nevertheless, she recognized her instantly, having seen several pictures of her. The couples greeted one another with hugs.
"Here she is at last," Sam introduced his wife to Mrs. Ado.
"Welcome to the land of Gold," Mrs. Ado said to Nneka with a warm smile.
"The land of gold?" Nneka laughed.
"Yes, we were called Gold Coast from fifteenth century to 1957 when we became Ghana at independence. " Mr. Ado interjected. Gold Coast originated from the large deposit of gold in our land. We are the world's seventh largest producer of gold and second in Africa behind South Africa. We also have the ninth largest reserves of Diamond in the world. So we are going to spoil you with gold and diamond." Mr. Ado ended with a laugh.
Wow! Nneka exclaimed. "I didn't know that. Did you?" she asked, looking at her husband.
"The Ados have not started with you yet. You will hear much more about Ghana in the coming days. Get your jotter and pen ready," was all Sam said.
Nneka was sure to enjoy her stay in Ghana. The vacation promised to be entertaining, informative and educative. The educative aspect had actually started. She hadn't spent up to an hour in Ghana but she had already learnt a lot about the country. She would no doubt become a Ghanaian historian before the end of her vacation.
Mr. Ado had already booked a suite for them at the Fiesta Royale hotel which was about five minutes' drive from the airport and fifteen minutes away from the Accra city centre.
The hotel rooms were luxuriously appointed and elegant, with contemporary décor. It haboured all facilities expected from a first class hotel, such as swimming pool, a gym, business centre and much more. The hotel offered unrivaled combination of hospitality, delightful amenities, efficient services and modern luxury.
When they were shown to their suite, Nneka marveled at the refined architectural details and rich fabrics which created an aura that was inviting, opulent and relaxing. The room facilities included direct internet access, direct dial telephone, multi-channel television, mini-bar, and room and laundry services. The hotel was indeed a home away from home.
The Ados left shortly after. The visitors needed to settle in and get some rest before heading to Mr. Ado's house for a welcome dinner. Mr. Ado had also invited some other friends to the dinner.
The hotel offered a car rental service, so Sam decided to rent one. He opted for self-drive because he found driving pleasurable and he hated leaving his driver in the car, waiting for him hours on end.
"That is a waste of man power", he would always argue. He was familiar with Accra, having lived in the city in the past, so locating his destinations wouldn't be a problem.
The dinner was scheduled for 7pm but Sam and Nneka left the hotel at 6:30pm and at 6:50pm, they were ushered into the massive living room where the dinner would hold. Most of the other guests were already seated by the time the Nigerians arrived. They all stood to welcome Sam and Nneka who happened to be the special guests. There were over 40 guests both men and women, present. Mr. Ado introduced them one by one, and Sam and his wife shook hands with each of them. Sam knew some of them as he had met them during his previous visits but it was a whole new world to Nneka. This was her first time in Ghana and she loved everything about the country and the people.
The dinner was grand and the other guests were fun loving people. They were full of jokes. By the time the dinner was over, Nneka needed urgent massage with balm as her ribs ached severely.
When they returned to the hotel, it was few minutes to 10pm. "Oh my God!" Nneka exclaimed as she undressed.
Sam's heart stood still as he turned to see what the problem was. He feared that the ghost might have traveled with them.
Nneka noticed Sam's fear and smiled. "I am sorry, dear. I didn't mean to scare you. I just remembered that we are yet to call mom and tell her that we had a safe trip and of course find out how the children are doing." She said as she swept across the room to her husband and brushed his lips with hers and Sam heaved a noisy sigh of relief.
"I spoke with her when I went out to rent the car. Sorry that I forgot to tell you." Sam apologized.
"Oh, thank God," Nneka was relieved. "They must have slept by now. We will call them in the morning so we can talk with the children." She said and Sam answered with a nod.
They showered and later strolled through the open terrace of the hotel. They embraced the evening breeze and caught a panoramic view of the beautifully manicured lawns and landscaped swimming pool. They eventually sat at the pool side, holding hands, chatting and laughing like a newlywed on honeymoon.
The sun had risen when Nneka woke up the next morning. She opened her eyes and saw her husband staring at her and smiling. He was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What?" she asked with a fake frown.
"Hm?" Sam pretended not to understand her.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"Is it an offense for a husband to admire his wife?" he asked with a fake seriousness. "Anyway, you were so peaceful and beautiful while you slept and I couldn't help admiring you," he explained and Nneka sat up and spread her arms for a hug. She held him tightly and whispered into his ear, "thank you."
"You are welcome," Sam said as he freed himself from her strangulating hug. "Eat your breakfast quickly. We have many places to go and the day is no longer young." Sam said, pointing at the breakfast on the nightstand. He had earlier called room service for their breakfast.
"Oh my God!" Nneka screamed with joy. "This is so romantic," she threw her arms open once again and hugged her husband tightly. "Thank you so much!" she whispered again.
It wasn't Nneka's first breakfast in bed. Her husband used to serve her breakfast in bed in the early days of their relationship but the stress of work and children had made that impossible lately.
She was no doubt enjoying this vacation. The day before, she had a good time at the Ados and laughed like never before. Her husband even had to massage her ribs to ease off pain because she really cracked her ribs. After dinner at the Ados, she had strolled the open terrace of the hotel, savouring the cool breeze and panoramic view of the landscape. She later had the most peaceful sleep she had ever had in recent times. On waking up in the morning, her husband served her breakfast in bed. Her encounter with the ghost seemed to be a blessing in disguise. Maybe, she should see more ghosts whenever her husband started being too busy to show her love. She smiled and attacked her breakfast.
In the days that followed, Nneka toured Accra in the company of her husband. They visited almost all the tourist sites including Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and memorial park; the independence square; the national theatre; Jamestown; Osu castle; W.E.B Dubois memorial centre; Artists Alliance Gallery; Labadi Beach among others. They even traveled to Cape Coast to visit the Cape Coast castle. The castle in question was used to hold slaves before they were loaded onto ships and sold in the Americas especially the Caribbean. It was tagged the gate of no return as it was the last stop before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
The couple took lots of pictures and bought so many art works and jewelries.
"I think we should stay here for good. We seem to be better off here," Sam thought aloud and Nneka looked up at him. He was standing by the window and looking out.
"Hm?" She heard him but didn't understand what he meant.
Sam looked admiringly at her. "Look at how you glow. You shine like a star in the firmament. You have been so at peace since we arrived in this country," he walked across the room to join her on the bed. "Would it sound unreasonable if I suggested that we relocate to Accra for good?"
Nneka burst into a laugh after few minutes of husband and wife staring at each other in silence. "Are you kidding me?"
Sam shook his head severally, "I am serious, very serious."
"No!" Nneka sprang out of bed and started pacing the floor. "Are you suggesting that we leave everything and come and stay in Ghana?" She stopped pacing and stared at Sam with disbelief. "You want us to leave our businesses, our family, friends and neighbours – in fact our whole world, behind and come and stay here? Why?" She was rooted at a spot as she waited for her husband's answer.
Sam got up, walked to where she was standing, held her in his arms and kissed her passionately. He then led her to the bed where they both sat down.
"Honey…," he started, cupping her cheeks with his hands, "businesses and friends or even family ties don't matter to me. The only thing that matters to me right now is you. My only interest is your health and happiness. This place seems to offer you both." He paused for a while. "We can move our businesses to this place and our parents can come and stay here with us, but if they refuse, we will visit them regularly and vice versa." He concluded.
Nneka made to protest but he hushed her lovingly, placing a finger across her lips. "Sh! Please, don't argue with me on this. Just sleep over it." Nneka nodded slightly. She didn't like the idea but her husband had urged her to give it a thought and she had to respect him. But at the right time, she would maintain her stand.
When the music drifted into Nneka's ears, she thought it was a dream. She was probably having a nightmare. Yes, a nightmare because that was what Enya's music represented. She wished the nightmare would stop but instead, the music got louder. She had to wake up and end the nightmare.
But why was she having a nightmare about the ghost, again? Her stay in Ghana had been very peaceful and her husband was already considering relocating the family to Ghana for good. Why would this ghost follow her around the world? She began to toss about as she struggled to wake up and end the nightmare. She eventually succeeded and opened her eyes. But when she did open her eyes, she wished she never did. Because standing at the foot of the bed was a man dressed in a white robe, staring at her. The light in the room was dimmed, so she couldn't decipher his face properly. She also realized that the music wasn't a dream. It was real. She quickly closed her eyes, believing that the waking up was part of her nightmare. She was still dreaming. When she opened her eyes the second time, the man was gone and the music wasn't playing anymore. She sat up and covered her face with her hands as she pondered on the significance of the event that just played out. When she removed her hands from her face, she looked at her husband and discovered that the young man was sleeping soundly. That further convinced her that all she saw and heard was in a dream, otherwise Sam would have been awoken by the music. He was such a light sleeper. She climbed out of bed and stretched, patting her mouth as she yawned elaborately. She needed to ease herself, so she switched on the brighter lights and was heading to the toilet adjoining the room when the tail of her eye got a glimpse of it. She stopped suddenly and slowly turned to face the mirror. Just like the first encounter, the message was written in blood:
AVENGE MY DEATH!
Nneka let out a loud scream that caused Sam to jump out of bed and in his poor wakefulness, staggered for a while before becoming fully awake. Fully alert, he discovered that Nneka was jumping about, screaming; Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!
He reached for her and grabbed her by the waist. "What is it honey?" he asked, shaking her vigorously. He thought she was having a nightmare and decided to shake her to wakefulness.
She pointed at the mirror and Sam focused his gaze on it but couldn't see anything other than their images.
"What are you showing me?" Sam panicked. "I can't see anything." There was frustration in his voice.
She continued to point and suddenly, she passed out and collapsed into Sam's arms.
He carried her to the bed and quickly checked to ensure that she wasn't in danger. With her respiration and heartbeat appearing to be normal, he sat beside her and awaited her recovery of consciousness.
Taking her to the hospital wasn't an option as he had earlier promised never to take her to the hospital for such incidents. She would be okay. He was startled of the bed when his phone rang. He snatched it from the nightstand and answered at the first ring. He didn't even bother to check who the caller was. But that wasn't a problem because he recognized the voice immediately. It was Mr. Ado.
"Hello!" Mr. Ado said urgently. There was panic and fright in his voice. "Who is Chike?"
"I don't understand." Sam was very confused and it showed in his voice.
"I just got a call from someone who introduced himself as Chike and claimed that he died some years ago. He said that I should tell Nneka to avenge his death. He added that he would make her life miserable if she failed to do his bidding." Mr. Ado explained. "Please, give Nneka the phone so that I will deliver the message to her by myself. I don't want some ghosts calling my line and scaring the daylights out of me." Mr. Ado was sweating profusely.
"As I am talking to you, Nneka is unconscious," Sam stated. His voice was surprising calm. He was already used to her dramas. Though he was concerned, he was no more frantic.
"What!" Mr. Ado screamed. "What happened to her?" he asked.
"She woke up a short while ago and started screaming, calling ghost severally. She later passed out. Before she passed out, she tried to show me something on the mirror but I didn't see anything," Sam explained and Mr. Ado could see the connection between the story Sam just told him and the phone call he received. A certain ghost was on the rampage, trying to get his death avenged. And he knew that the only way to assuage the ghost was to do his bidding.
Mr. Ado was only patient for the crack of dawn before running to the hotel to meet Sam and Nneka. By the time he got there, Nneka had recovered consciousness. He narrated his encounter with the ghost once again. He added more details, such as the evidence to nail the ghost's killers and where to find it; and the people to invite as witnesses in court. He ended by encouraging Nneka to avenge Chike's death, if not for the time and love she shared with him, at least to get him off her back. He also encouraged Sam to give Nneka all the support she might need, and she would sure need lots of it.