Penfield's Greatest Swimmer

🌊~3

Kukua sparked up a narration of how her day went at school. She complained a lot about her teachers and told us about a group of boys in her class who decided to play a prank on their Maths teacher by putting a frog in one of his desk drawers.

I laughed but Ma didn't think it was funny. She then began to lecture Kukua on how important it was for her to concentrate on her studies. As if it would change anything. I knew my little sister well enough to know that Ma's lecture was going straight through one ear and out of the other. I chuckled under my breath.

We didn't have much, but it was during times like these that I appreciated what I had--a loving family. We weren't rich, we struggled to get by every day and we were far from the average nuclear family, but I knew very well that the people sitting right here loved me and would do everything they could to support me in all my endeavors. To me, that was what really mattered in life.

After finishing her speech along with her food, Ma gulped down the rest of her water and let out a satisfied 'ahh.' She set the empty cup on the table then her eyes shifted to the remaining balls of kenkey. A frown of worry found its way onto her forehead. "Ei, ndɛ Maadjoa akyɛr ooo." [Ei, today Maadjoa has kept long ooo.]

The sentence inadvertently revived the memory of my unpleasant encounter with my sister this afternoon. My mouth opened, ready to let the entire story roll off my tongue, but I quickly stopped myself. Ma already had a worrisome look etched onto her face. Telling her that Maadjoa was out smoking and drinking with a bunch of lunatics, instead of being in school, will only send Ma straight into panic mode. "I'm sure she's fi-"

A rapid knock on the door suddenly cut me off and we all turned to the wooden barrier.

"Woanaa?" [Who is it?] Ma shouted, and instead of replying, the person just knocked louder and harder than before.

My eyebrows descended into a frown as I stood up, washed off the bits of kenkey in my hand, grabbed a broom, and headed towards the door. I pushed the handle down and pulled, immediately regretting it when I caught a glimpse of the people who stood at the entrance. I quickly sent the door flying back to them, but one muscled man stopped it with his palm.

"Hey!" He glowered at me. "Yɛ steady." [Be careful.] He pushed the door further so he and his fellow muscled colleague could enter. Ma scrambled up at the sight of them, hands curling into fists. She knew who was coming and she was ready to fight him off like she always did anytime he showed up in our lives. "Stay behind me," she whispered to Kukua, who stood behind her, clinging to her clothes.

The pungent smell of smoke suddenly hit me and I turned to find a dreaded tall figure standing in the doorway, clothed in a long black coat and a matching hat. A burning stick of cigar danced at his lips as he smiled, "Hello ever-"

"Mensah, ɛpe dɛn wɔ ha?" Ma snapped. [Mensah, what do you want here?]

Mensah just shrugged. "Nothing." He stepped inside the room, carrying in the horrid smell. "What could I possibly want from this..." he cast a disapproving glance across the room "... rat-infested hole."

Rat-infested hole? My subconscious scoffed. As if he didn't use to live here four years ago.

"Then why are you here?" Ma bellowed out again, anger brewing in her eyes.

However, Mensah was unfazed. He threw himself in the old armchair and blew out a gray puff of smoke. His bodyguards moved closer to him, flanking their boss on both sides.

I stared at them, heart burning with so much pain and sadness at the sight of what my stepfather had become--a cold-hearted and ruthless drug lord. When I was younger, I used to look up to this man. To me, he was ten times better than my biological father.