(written by)

I was a cursed child. Anyone that came my way will either be poor or die; I remembered I told the old woman that, yet she wouldn’t believe me. Now just look at what happened to her. Gerald wanted to drink water and Grandma was short of the bottles so I decided to rush out to buy one for Gerald. I returned with the water but from a distance I saw Gerald crying. I run to him only to find Grandma lying on the ground dead. I became empty in thoughts, blind with my mind’s vision and finally I felt I needed to die. I immediately screamed for help. I asked Gerald where Grandma’s phone was. He pointed to the fountain. He had dropped the phone in the water. O my God! In some few minutes the whole place was filled with people asking questions with no answers. All they wanted to do was to be the first to report on social media. Absolutely, disgusting; flashes of cameras all over. In no time, the Police arrived at what was now termed a crime scene. Gerald was so confused. At a tender age of six years, death was a mystery. He held my hands and kept asking me, why Grandma was not waking up. I had no indelible answers for him. I narrated the whole incident to the Police. I even told them the daughter was going to report in no time. The Police took the mortal remains away and asked one of the Policemen, myself and Gerald to wait for the old woman’s daughter. I couldn’t control my tears. Gerald who was gradually coming to realization that Grandma wasn’t going to come back joined me in my teary mood.

, the old woman’s daughter wasn’t in. I became so worried and scared. I did not want to believe I was going through another misfortune. The Policeman realizing Gerald and I were getting soaked in untamable sorrow decided we went to the Police Station. We walked to the exit of the *Kwame Nkrumah’s Mausoleum* and at the entrance there arrived a white *Range Rover Vogue.* Gerald shouted, “Mummy!” we hurriedly turned to that direction. The Policeman, L/Cpl Sarkodie stopped the car and rushed to the driver. It was Mawusinu, Gerald’s mother. She parked her car well and alighted from it. She was greeted with the sad news. Expectedly, she wept like a child. Introduction was done and immediately we all rushed to the Police Hospital where the mortal remains of Mawusinu’s mum was. Without much time she requested the body was sent to Lashibi Funeral Home.

returning from the Lashibi Funeral Home; Mawusinu asked me where I was alighting. I told her nowhere. She sorrowfully laughed. I told her a bit of my story and how I met her mother. She asked whether I wanted to stay with her. Gerald answered yes. She looked at her son and smiled. I sat in the front seat and Gerald sat at the back seat. I was glad at this tender age he had everything and even someone to call, mother. Mawusinu revealed her mother had high blood pressure. She was sad she couldn’t wait to celebrate her eightieth (80) birthday. It fell on exactly 25th December of which they had plans to invite the entire family; home and abroad to be part of the celebration. We got to her house. With a remote control she opened her gate from afar. I looked on with my mouth widely opened. We entered and by the same procedure she closed it. We were greeted by a German Shepherd Dog. Mawusinu, she preferred to be called only that without the adding auntie took me to the guest room. It was really a home. She had two house helps. They were all men. One was the Cook and the other was a Cleaner. They were equally nice as if they were been paid for that.

. I had series of nightmares. I saw my parents and surprisingly I saw Mawusinu’s mum. She thanked me for accepting to stay with the daughter. In the dream she warned me to be careful; but careful of whom? She was just about to say it when I heard a soft knock on my shoulder. It was Gerald. “Auntie Adobea, I am hungry.” I checked the time and it was 2:15am. Holy Jesus! I screamed. *“Gerald, it is late.” I tried convincing him to go back to sleep. I even told him mum won’t be happy if she got to know he was awaked at that time. He told me mum wasn’t home. I got confused. I asked of the two house helps. He said they were also not there. It sounded strange to me. I got up; a little scared walked to the sitting room. The television was on. I peeped through the window and Mawusinu’s car was still there. “Eeei! Where am I?” I asked myself. I became frightened and started to shiver. Gerald looked at me and whispered: “Mum will be back soon.”* My fear was no worry to Gerald. He knew the mum was out yet in. In just five minutes of staying in the sitting room, the television channels changed thrice by itself. I thought it was one of Kantanka’s Televisions that responded to feelings. I got closer it was Panasonic. Meaning, it had an external force changing it. I hurried to the kitchen to fetch some biscuits for Gerald. I got there and the Microwave was on. There I screamed Jesus. Gerald realized it wasn’t fun anymore. He asked we run back to the room. I put the microwave off and opened it. Goodness! It was empty.

and it was locked. It had been locked from the inside. I had no other choice than to rush out of the house. Surprisingly, the entire doors were locked with the keys taken out. I knew God was watching. The last was Gerald’s room. We got closer, and we heard voices. Gerald looked at me, smiled and said, Auntie Adobea. “I told you mum will come back”…..