Chapter 3: 🌊~2

I hopped out of the pragya and continued my journey to Wɔfa Yaw's mechanic shop. He wasn't really my uncle. I just called him that because everyone called him that.

Wɔfa Yaw was currently the only father figure in my life. After I'd finished senior high and couldn't get into university due to financial issues, Wɔfa Yaw took me under his wing and taught me how to repair cars, motorcycles, and other electronic stuff. Everything I knew how to fix, I learnt from him and even though I'd been at it for the past two months, there was still a lot I needed to cover.

The rusty metal gate squeaked loudly when I pushed it open and let myself into the backyard of Wɔfa Yaw's residence. Two older versions of a Peugeots and a Volvo sat under a mango tree, rotting away. All the important parts had either been sold or fixed in a different car. I moved towards the open garage, that served as the mechanic shop. Three new saloon cars had arrived and Wɔfa Yaw's two sons were already hard at work, each one busily trying their best to repair the faulty vehicles.

The youngest, Phil, looked up the moment he heard me approaching and smiled, "Daa! Akwasi aba!" [Dad! Akwasi is here!] He extended an oil-stained hand for a fist bump. "Yo, ɔtse den?" [Yo, how are you doing?]

"Oye oo," I replied. "W'apɔw mu ɛ?" [Good, oo. How are you doing?]

Phil let out a dramatic yawn, "Mabrɛ dɛɛ..." [The way I'm tired erh...]

"Hey, hey. It's ok. Close your mouth before you swallow him," Wɔfa Yaw announced his presence with a playful smile.

We both laughed before I walked over to the middle-aged man, who had a sprinkle of gray in his hair and was dressed in blue overalls. "Good afternoon."

"Afternoon, Akwasi." Wɔfa stood akimbo. "Ayɛ late." [You're late]

Reminded of today's unfortunate list of incidents, my eyes darted to the ground. "Me nyim... sorry." [I know... sorry.]

"Ebɛn asɛm na ɔsii?" [What happened?] Wɔfa Yaw moved towards a nearby shelf.

My eyebrows pulled into a frown of confusion. "But ma n-"

"You're having a bad day, Akwasi. It's written all over your face." He returned with a rusty old toolbox. "So, tell me, what happened?"

I hated that he could read me so easily. Wɔfa Yaw always had this strange ability to tell when I was lying or keeping something from him. It scared me sometimes, but it also gave me the assurance that I could always talk to him about my problems, and that was why I pulled in a deep breath and told him about everything that had happened today. He listened attentively, whilst working on the engine of a silver Toyota Corolla.

When my narration finally came to an end, Wɔfa Yaw stood upright, looked me in the eye and said, "Akwasi, you need to stop working for Pinto."

I blew out a puff of air. "I know. But I need the money."

"And he's not giving you the money," Wɔfa Yaw stated, staring at me with a blank look. "I don't know when you started working for Pinto, but I'm a hundred percent sure that this isn't the first time he has cheated you like this. The man is not treating you fairly and you cannot let him continue doing that. This is your life, Akwasi and you only get one. So, grab it by the horns and make the best out of it."

"But what if I-"

"-don't find another job?" The middle-aged man finished my question and didn't hesitate to follow up with a reply. "That's the thing, Akwasi. Life is full of what-ifs. But we can't let those what-ifs stop us from doing what needs to be done. To build a better life, you need to overcome your fears. And it starts by taking the most challenging and frightening steps."

Folding my arms, I leaned against the Corolla, letting Wɔfa Yaw's short speech sink in.

"Why do you think I decided to take you under my wing?" He asked, fumbling for a specific tool in the old red box, and amidst the rattling sound of metal, I tried to think of an answer to the question.

"Hmm... because you don't want me to become like those rascal wee smokers on the street?"

Wɔfa Yaw chuckled, "Yes. But that's not the main reason."

I quirked up a curious eyebrow. "Then what is it?"

"You're gifted, Akwasi. You're capable of a lot more than you think and that's why I decided to put you on the right path by teaching you what I know about mechanics." Finding the tool he wanted, the middle-aged man pulled out a spanner gear wrench and held it out. "Now the real question is, are you ready to continue down this path or not?"

A lot was running through my mind at this point. Wɔfa Yaw had just told me what I needed to do to make my life better and he was giving me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that life-changing choice. Most boys my age never had the chance to meet people like Wɔfa Yaw, and that alone made me feel special. It made me feel unique like there was something great ahead of me.

Unfolding my hands, I took the wrench from my teacher with a growing smile. "I am ready to continue down this path."

A wide grin found its way onto Wɔfa Yaw's face. "Good. Now, loosen the bolts near the battery. We have a lot of work to do today."

¤¤¤¤¤

By the time the clock struck six pm, all my hands were stained with black engine oil, and beads of sweat decorated my forehead. But I felt relaxed, knowing they were the signs of a job well done.

Phil revved the Corolla's engine three more times before turning it off. "Nice work, Akwasi," he smiled. "It sounds ten times better than when it came in."

"Well... I learn from the best," I said, shooting his father a grateful smile and the old man chuckled.

"You boys should close the shop and wash up," Wɔfa Yaw instructed. "We're done for the day."

Phil and I proceeded to scout the garage, turning off any appliances that were on before plunging the room into darkness. The metal gates screeched loudly as we pulled them close, and finally latched the padlock in place.

Leaving Phil, I headed over to the nearby standpipe and washed off the black oil stains on my hands and arms. There were a couple of stains on my shirt, but I made a mental note to wash those out later. Cupping my hands, I splashed some water on my face to rinse off my sweat, then close the tap.

Wɔfa Yaw's mechanic shop was located in his residence, right behind the three-bedroom house he shared with his wife and sons. Brushing off the droplets of water on my face, I covered the short distance to the front of his house, to find him sitting in the porch, calculating how much we had spent on repairs that today.

Dusk had begun to set in, painting the sky in a deepening shade of blue. I had to get home soon before my mother started to worry.

"Hi, Akwasi." The trap door squeaked open and out stepped Auntie Naa, Wɔfa Yaw's wife. "Ɔtse den?" The short plump woman greeted me with a warm smile. [How are you doing?]

"Oye oo, ma," I replied, smiling back. [Good oo, ma.]

"Wo maame soɛr?" [And your mother?]

"Oh, ne ho yie paa." [Oh, she's doing fine.]

"Mbo. Yɛda nyamɛ ase." [Good. We thank God.] The elderly woman adjusted the cloth round her waist, then turned to her husband, engaging him in a conversation about tonight's supper.

My ears picked up on rapid shuffles and it wasn't long before the trap door squeaked open again. Two teenage girls stumbled out, carrying a large metal basin, containing several balls of hot *kenkey wrapped in layers of colourless rubber. A third girl followed with two margarine buckets sealed tight. They all hobbled past me to an awaiting taxi, with its boot open.

Auntie Naa was a Ga kenkey seller. She sold the cooked balls of maize dough with a variety of fish, shrimp, and red and black pepper at a stall close to the market.

"Ok, I'm leaving for work. This kenkey will not sell itself," Auntie Naa said with a laugh before turning to me. "Ehe, Akwasi..." Reminded of something, the short woman summoned one of the girls who quickly brought her a black polythene bag. She took the bag from the girl and gave it to me. "Take this home, ok. It's a token of gratitude for the good deal your mother gave me on the salmon last week."

I looked inside to find a generous serving of five balls of kenkey, and two packs of redfish with a mixture of red and black pepper. My stomach growled violently at the sight of the mouth-watering meal. "Th-thank you, Auntie Naa. May God bless you."

"And bless you too, my son," she smiled. "Bye-bye."

"Bye." I waved at her as she joined the girls in the taxi taking them to the market. Once the car moved onto the road, I turned back to Wɔfa Yaw to wish him a goodnight and head home. The man stood out of his chair, pushed his hand into his side pocket, and pulled out a neat twenty cedi note.

"Good job on the car today," he grinned. "I expect you to keep it up."

Bursting with excitement, I took the money from him. "S-sure boss. I won't let you down."

"Good." Wɔfa Yaw stood akimbo. "I'll see you tomorrow, Akwasi. Don't be late."

"I won't!" I waved enthusiastically before carrying myself out of his residence. Even though today started on a very bad note, I was happy with the way it ended. I had just earned twice the amount Pinto refused to pay me and had received a free meal for tonight and tomorrow morning.

Today must be my lucky day.

*****

Do stick around guys, cuz in the next chapter, we're finding out what it means to be the son of a drug lord