Hushed Echoes

The moment the next bus appeared with the conductor hanging precariously at the door in their usual manner of attracting passengers, shouting” Lawnson” marco wasted no time in leaping into the bus.

“What is the fare?” he enquiried from the bus conductor, as he chose a place close to the rear window, apparently to enable him catch a good view of the metropolis.

“Just pay your ten cash. No more, no less” responded the bus conductor.

When the bus reached lawnson, he alighted and scanned the whole area in the attempt to familiarize with it, this time around, he did not want to enquire anything from anybody.

As soon as he saw another bus conductor yelling his last location, he quickly hoped into it and within ten minutes, he arrived at his destination.

He stood by at one corner basically to watch the movement of the people and vehicles, he would have remained longer than that were it not for the merciless hunger that was biting his stomach.

He needed food desperately to banish the hunger, but at the same time it was getting very dark, he needed to locate his friend’s place first to be sure of a decent night rest after a long journey.

He brought out the address and showed it to one tall man that was returning from work.

” You will have to go forward a bit, when you get to the third turning you branch left. Then, enter the next street on your right and you will see a house they has a kios in front of it, you ask them for the person you are looking for” the man concluded.

Just like a faithful cock, he followed the direction intently until he got to the house described by the man.

“Please i am looking for Fred”, he asked the petty trader inside the small shop..

” Go this way and knock on the second floor” the trader pointed his finger to the exact door, then paused and looked at him momentarily before he continued. “… That is why the person you are looking for lives, thank your star he is at home”

Thank you very much” Marco smiled to himself and proceeded directly to where he was directed to knock, when he got to the door to Fred’s room, he knocked at it gently.

“Who is that tapping at my door?” a voice responded from the room. It was no other than his friend’s voice.

” It’s me Fred”

“Who are you now?”

“It is me Marco” he replied.

Fred opened the door and chuckled with glee when he sighted his friend.

” Welcome, when did you arrive?”

“I am just coming.”

“I hope you did not find it difficult tracing this place?”

“Well! Not as difficult as climbing a mountain” marco said as he yawned rubbed his hand over his eyes.

Fred patted him on the back and helped him carry his bag inside his room, He then shut the door behind them.

“You look extremely tired. Sit down and relax, I will prepare something for you to eat.”

“I will like to take a bath first”

” okay, I will get you some water from outside”

“Meanwhile, that is a soap dish over there, just give me two minutes and I will be right back” Fred told him cheerfully, he went out with a bucket to fetch water and returned exactly two minutes after.

Then he took marco to where the bathroom was, and quickly came back to start cooking. When he had finished preparing the rice and chicken stew, they sat down together and ate to their satisfaction.

“You are a very good cook, Your wife would have to be very careful otherwise, you will relagate her to second division” he complimented Fred.

“She had better return early, or else i would win her trophy” Fred chuckled.

“So, you are married?” asked marco in amusement.

“Yes! My wife traveled yesterday to see her parents, she would be back next week” he chuckled on seeing the surprise look on his Friend’s face.

” But you never told me that” marco said as he drank a glass of water in on gulp.

“Well maybe it never crossed my mind then, but all the same, enjoy yourself and feel at home.”

When they had finished eating, both of them sat back to watch television and discuss their past, the present and the future, fred took his time to lecture him on a lot of things he needed to know about Accra.

The following day, marco spent the amount of money he had on him to buying newspaper, hoping to come across any vacancy that may be advertised in the dailies.

To his delight, he came across a lot of adverts, and proceeded immediately to writing his application letters.

To further enhance his chances of getting a job, he tried his luck by going round the street looking at billboards and every posters at different junction as many as he could lay his eyes on.

One fateful afternoon, five days after he arrived accra, an incident occurred which marked a turning point in his life, in a very humiliating way.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!