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The Gold Business - ebook
The Gold Business - ebook
See! Let me tell you, there is no legality in business, business is business, stop asking stupid questions," Wale angrily responded to his concerned friend who wanted to be sure the business idea he was pitching was a legit one. His worries were indeed in line, as this very business idea would eventually lead to an adventure, but who knows if this adventure would bring them the wealth they seek, or lead them to a death hole?
In this book, the author’s use of flashbacks takes us to a whole different world of business and the music industry deep inside the nook and cranny where dark secrets are stored.
The revelations it spills will leave you in a horrific shock for a minute. The themes in this book are relatable everyday themes that would have you reminiscing and rethinking the choices you make henceforth. Every page leaves you with a taste of goodness to savour, as you turn to the last page in a desperate attempt to satisfy the thirst that the previous pages leave you with.
| Kategoria: | Mystery |
| Język: | Angielski |
| Zabezpieczenie: |
Watermark
|
| ISBN: | 978-978-76898-1-3 |
| Rozmiar pliku: | 2,6 MB |
FRAGMENT KSIĄŻKI
The Gold Business
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chiara Asobo, better known as Rheiasing, is a musician, a storyteller, and a spoken word artist. She has a Bachelor's degree in law from the University Of Yaounde 2 Cameroon, where she initially studied Economics for a year.
Fueled by a lifelong love for storytelling, she has journeyed around the Coast of West Africa learning new cultures and telling short stories. In her words "It is my love for storytelling that got me to the instrument and as I strum this guitar, every song is a story."
In the last two years she has released a couple of songs including "Like You," and "Tell Me Now." Currently absorbed in the artistic world, there is no limit to the stories she can tell, and being a traveler has enabled her to understand the environment and people more. She incorporates all these in her stories.The Gold Business
Table of Contents
__Part One
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
Part Two
NOT EVERYTHING THAT SHINES IS VALUABLE: THOSE WHO WANT TO LEAP MUST FIRST LOOK.
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
Part Three
WHERE COMES A SOLUTION, RESOLUTIONS FOLLOW
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
Part Four
NOTHING STAYS HIDDEN UNDER THE SUN, NOW WE KNOW
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15The Gold Business
ABOUT THE BOOK
See! Let me tell you, there is no legality in business, business is business, stop asking stupid questions," Wale angrily responded to his concerned friend who wanted to be sure the business idea he was pitching was a legit one. His worries were indeed in line, as this very business idea would eventually lead to an adventure, but who knows if this adventure would bring them the wealth they seek, or lead them to a death hole?
In this book, the author’s use of flashbacks takes us to a whole different world of business and the music industry deep inside the nook and cranny where dark secrets are stored.CHAPTER 1
The noise from the pub had kept most of the people around that neighbourhood awake throughout that night. On a regular day, the music wasn't supposed to be that loud, but they had brought out their musical amplifiers, and the whole place was crowded. That day, most game boys from around town were present at the pub, in respect of the celebrant, Chatter Flamz. It was his birthday.
Chatter Flamz was a popular comedian in town and had recently started releasing songs, he was very popular in Tabora city, and so the guests that turned up were enormous. Chatter wanted to use that opportunity to declare his current interest in music officially,The Gold Business
And on that same day, he released a new single. The cheers from the crowd were huge, it was very clear the people loved him, there was just so much excitement that night, and it went on, and on until it was almost dawn.
Akua jumped up from the bed, stretched her body, and walked towards the window. She could still see some of Chatter's guests leaving the pub, while some of the boys sat on top of their cars, a bottle of whisky in each person’s hand. She enjoyed the view for a while, a pale smile on her face for a second.
"_Charlie_! _You no dey sleep_?"Kojo asked her, yawning, and stretching his hands into the air. He lifted his head from the couch and turned it left and right to get rid of the stiffness.The Gold Business
Kojo had slept on the couch, and his friend Kwesi, was sleeping comfortably on the carpet, while Kwame slept on the bed alongside Akua. It was a self-contained room, belonging to Kojo, and he loved to have his friends around.
"_Akua? you no dey hear me?"_ She had not bothered answering him the first time. Akua was seriously looking through the window not minding him. Kojo now got up from the couch and walked towards Akua following the direction of her gaze.
"_Look at them, having so much fun, as if there is no tomorrow,"_ Akua said with a sigh.
"_But is there really a tomorrow?"_ She had an unusual softness to her tone this time. She walked to the bed and sat down.The Gold Business
Kojo felt a little weird, so he went closer and took a seat beside her, " _Are you alright Akua?_" he asked
"Yeah, I am doing fine."
"_You see Kojo, life is just so hard, seriously why are we even here?_" she looked a little upset. Kojo stretched his hand on the table and got his weed, he put some in the crusher, glanced at Akua, and then focused on crushing his weed.
"_My dear, such is life, life isn't a bed of roses. Yes, life is hard, that's why we have to strive to be harder_," he answered with an air of solemness as he placed his rolled weed in his mouth,
"_Please Kojo, don't smoke that stuff right now, I am really not in the mood for a smoking room_," Akua said, she climbed on the bed and wrapped herself in a quilt.CHAPTER 2
It was already 2 pm that afternoon, and Akua was still fast asleep, even the noise from Kojo and the rest of her friends in the room didn't disturb her. It was almost 3 pm when Wale’s loud voice woke her up. It was almost always impossible to sleep when Wale was around, he had a very loud voice and was unapologetic about the noise.
"_Wale! Wale!! What kind of noise is this?_" Akua got up drowsily and sluggishly made her way to the bathroom.
"_Akua! My main chick!"_ Wale hailed her, his voice as loud as rumbling thunder. He made to touch her but she moved out of his reach swiftly.The Gold Business
"_Who is your main chick? Please don't flatter yourself_," she had a mischievous smile on her face.
Wale laughed and in his usual loud voice, he called out to her, "_Ohh freshen up fast! I have a business proposal_." Akua was already in the bathroom, but her ears stood at attention upon hearing ‘business proposal.’ She was so curious that she opened the bathroom door and asked, "_Which business?"_ Kojo interjected, “_Go freshen up, we are waiting for you._"
"_Charlie! If you see this car! Bhra! It's the latest model, only fresh for this man ehh, his watch, his designer clothes, his shoes, everything about this man is just fresh,"_ Wale recounted, rolling up his weed. He kept going on and on, about this man he met at the casino.The Gold Business
"_Wale! What even took you to the casino? Don't tell me you have started gambling?"_ Kwesi eyed him suspiciously.
"_Gam! wetti? I go there, go look for links_," Wale was almost out of breath as he puffed his smoke into the air, it created a circle before evaporating.
"_Which link?_" Kwame asked him in a very gentle voice. Kwame was the gentle one among them, gentle in all he did – in his dressing, in his speeches, and he rarely spoke. He was fond of just agreeing with nearly everything others said.
"_Business link bro,_" Wale’s deep voice, and his eyes bore evidence of the weed he was smoking.The Gold Business
"_Guys are out there making so much money,_
_we shouldn't just.._"
He stopped for a while staring at Akua, who pulled out a chair, getting closer to the boys, "_We shouldn't just what?"_ Akua asked. There was silence amongst the boys as they all stared at her. Their thoughts were the same, for even though Akua loved behaving like a boy, and dressed like a boy most of the time, she was still very beautiful, and after taking her bath, and wearing Kojo's shirt, she was just even more pretty. The boys dared not compliment her as she hated such compliments from them. It was already agreed that they were all one family, so none of them could talk about her beauty. Today, Wale couldn't hold his tongue.The Gold Business
"_The empress! Charlie, you look like fresh_
fish!"
"_Seriously? Fresh fish, are you for_ real?"
Akua’ stone was serious, Kojo
sensing that Akua was becoming offended by Wale's remarks, immediately redirected their attention back to what Wale was saying earlier.
"_So Wale, you were saying something about a business, you got all our attention now_." Wale pulled his smoke again and continued.
"_Let me just go straight to the point, I want us to get into the Gold Business,_” he stopped for a while, dragged another smoke, then continued," _We will move Gold from here to there, and get paid handsomely_," he stopped to weigh the reaction from his friends but they looked rather lost.The Gold Business
"_Why do you guys look so_ confused?"
"Because _we are indeed confused_, "Kwesi answered "_In fact, I am lost_, "Kojo said.”_Lost how?"_
"_Wait, wait, guys chill. Let me get this clear, Wale. You are saying, your business idea entails us transporting gold from probably, Ashanti to Togo, so it is more like a courier service, am I correct?"_ Akua asked.
"_Yes! Something like that_," Wale answered a bit unsure.
"_Well, I hear the Gold business is a very lucrative one_," Kojo said in a relaxed manner. "_Exactly, what I'm trying to say. We will be making real cash from this business_."
"_I seriously don't feel comfortable about this. Is it even legit?"_The Gold Business
Kwesi was a bit suspicious about the whole talk. "_Bhra I seriously doubt if there is anything legit in this world right now, one just has to be smart, it's a hard world_," Akua replied.
"_So it's probably an illegal business then?"_ Kwesi wanted to be certain the business was a legal one.
"_Which one be legal, illegal business_? See! Let me tell you, there is no legality in business, business is business, stop asking stupid questions." Wale was visibly upset, as he moved to the kitchen to get some water. Kojo who had been listening more, suddenly shrugged and said, "_Let's put this topic on hold for now, I think Wale has already introduced it, let's now process things in our minds,_" he stood up and walked out.The Gold Business
"_You are right bro_, "Kwame added,
They all moved from the room to the balcony, except Kwesi and Akua, who decided to go make some food in the kitchen. While in the kitchen, Kwesi shared his views on Wale's business idea with Akua, he seemed a little uncomfortable with the whole idea.
"_I won't be part of Wale's business plan if it's something illegal, I can't risk going to jail_." Wale had heard the statement from the balcony and in a very serious tone, he asked, "Who is talking about going to jail, Kwesi?”
“_Come on! Don't be negative, it's just business_," Akua addressed Kwesi in a relaxed manner, that got him staring at her for seconds with a look that was as unbelieving as it was loving.The Gold Business
"_Charlie you supposed know say, I be smart_ guy. See! I have already done my research, and I have a plan, on how to go about the whole deal."Wale was speaking to Kojo and Kwame on the balcony in a bid to convince them.
"_So we are supposed to go to this location your contact will later give us, and wait for the employer to locate us, and after that, we will undergo some training, and testing to be qualified for the job. I hope I am correct Wale?"_ Kojo asked, his eyes and ears moving with his mouth.
"_Yes you are very correct, Charlie you be smart guy, I knew you would get it,_” Wale replied, as he moved up and down, in excitement.The Gold Business
"_Bhra_, whatever you guys agree on, I'm game. I think I need some adventure," Kwame had a ridiculous smile on his face, Wale looked at him and burst into laughter, he then turned to Kojo, while pointing at Kwame.
"_This yah guy is on heroine, I fit set my life._" It wasn't really funny for Kojo who has always had his fears about Kwame, being on hard drugs. Kwame was from a wealthy family just like Kojo, but his allowances always finished in less than a week, and he didn't smoke much, but he ended up looking high in just two pulls. However, it was only a suspicion because Kwame always said "_The highest I can take is_ weed."The Gold Business
The aroma from the kitchen drew the boys from the balcony to the kitchen, where they met Akua already dishing out the food, she handed a plate of jollof rice to Wale, and another to Kojo, and then she and Kwesi carried the remaining plates to the room. They all settled down comfortably and enjoyed the meal.
_"Wow, this tastes good, kudos Akua_, "Kojo muffled with his mouth full of rice.
"_It was a joint effort, kudos to us both_," Kwesi smiled at Akua. As they ate, they shared funny jokes that kept everyone smiling throughout the meal.CHAPTER 3
On seeing Kwesi, Aunty Adjoa raised her two hands up mockingly.
“_Sir, so you finally decided to come home today, I thought this place was too uncomfortable for you, I wasn't expecting your face any time soon, how long has it been? Yes, about two weeks if I remember correctly. Not a sign of you in this house, big man!_"She clapped her hands as she spoke
"_Fine boy, no money, no work,_" she sighed and turned to leave through the backdoor that Kwesi had entered from.
"_Aunty good evening,_" Kwesi was very calm. "_Thunder fire that your mouth you use_ in
_pronouncing good! What is good_ about _this_
evening?"
Aunty Adjoa replied and clapped again.The Gold Business
"_See me see trouble ohh. Wait! Mr man, let me ask, have you gotten a job? Because this one that you are crawling into this house like a snail, looking like Oliver Twist, I hope it's not the same jobless self you have brought back to this house?_" She held her left ear. "_I hope so_ ohh!"
At this point, Nana Owusu walked in "_What is this noise all about, Adjoa? I could hear your voice from the entrance of this house, what is the problem?_" He looked at both of them sternly.
"_Is it not this useless boy, this boy you wasted money meant for my children's comfort, just to see him through school, and yet he has nothing to show for it, he still sneaks in and_
out of my house, as if I am married to him too."The Gold Business
She was breathing like someone who had just climbed down from a hill.
"_You still haven't answered my question, what has he done to warrant all the noise you are now making?"_ Aunty Adjoa, stood in silence for a while, she then tapped her leg and walked away. Kwesi who had been standing there, all along walked towards the table, took a sachet of water, drank from it, and said,
"_Good evening Nana, I just got home now, I am a bit tired, I am going to sleep, good night sir."_ He didn't even wait for Nana Owusu's response before he gently walked into the room. Nana Owusu stood there, a little confused, wondering, if his wife Adjoa, was actually referring to Kwesi.The Gold Business
He thought about this for a while, shook his head, and went back to his room. Upon seeing Aunty Adjoa comfortably sitting on the arm chair, he immediately asked, "_Adjoa? why won't you let this boy rest, why won't you give him peace of mind, whenever he comes home? Haven't you stopped to consider…_"Aunty Adjoa didn't even let him complete his statement.
"_Ehh! Hold it there, don't provoke me. It is bad enough that for 23 years you have forced it down my throat to accept that boy as my son_." She paused for a while, put her hand on her chest, and continued. _“...and now you want me to condone his laziness, to continue feeding him fat, from the little food I have reserved for my children_," she spoke with venom.The Gold Business
"_What feeding are you talking about? This boy who barely stays at home, how many times does he eat from your pot? Besides, do you provide money for food in this house, If there is any food short age in this house, tell me and I will bring out more money for foodstuff. Stop treating my son like a slave in his own father's house, he is still my first son_."
"Remember that woman! Remember he is my first son, and should be treated as such." As he said this, he hissed and stormed out of the room leaving Aunty Adjoa grumbling.
Meanwhile, in a very dark corner of their tiny room, Kwesi sat quietly, he didn't want to turn on the lights so as not to wake his younger brother up, moreover, he could really use a dark, and quiet place at the moment.The Gold Business
Many thoughts ran through his mind. He remembered working so hard to graduate with a first class, and how he had never imagined himself still returning to his father's house just for accommodation purposes at this point. He had dreamt of coming with his own car, at least for a visit, with gifts for his siblings and money for his parents. Even though Aunty Adjoa who was his stepmother didn't like him that much, it didn't stop him from still regarding her as his mother. Crazy thoughts ran through Kwesi's mind, threatening to bring him to tears, but as the man that he is, he held himself, took a deep breath, and smiled. He then quickly remembered the business proposal Wale talked about. He wanted to call Wale that instant to find out more about the deal.The Gold Business
He picked up his phone and made to dail the number but he saw it was already 2 AM.As he made for the closet to change into his sleeping shorts, the lights suddenly came on.
"_Oh! Did I wake_ you?"
_"No, I just want to ease myself,"_ Kofi, his younger brother replied. He made for the
toilet, and by the time he came back to the room, Kwesi was already fast asleep. Kofi had hoped to bombard him with questions. He stared at Kwesi for a while as though he knew he was only pretending to be asleep. He smiled and turned off the lights. As soon as the lights went out, Kwesi's eyes opened, and he went back to his thoughts. He didn't want any conversation with his brother at that point, he knew for certain it would be all about answering questions he didn’t have answers to.CHAPTER 4
His thought wandered from place to place until sleep finally enveloped him. It was still early, and the sun wasn't scorching yet. Kojo, Kwame, and Wale were taking a walk along Tabora Road. As they walked, Wale seized the opportunity to pitch his business deal. "_Charlie_, _I am a well-connected guy, our security is on point, and what's good is the boss himself likes me, he has personally given me the opportunity to bring my friends on board. Bhra! This is an opportunity we must grab."_He then pulled out his phone and started swiping past pictures of the latest models of cars to his friends.
"_I am game, however it's going to be,_" Kwame said, his hands clasped over Wale in solidarity.The Gold Business
_“We must decide now if we really want to include Kwasi and Akua in this deal, for as we all know, Kwesi had already expressed his fears, and clearly show she doesn't have the firmness we need for this deal, and as for Akua, we all know she is only but a woman, does she really need to be involved?_" Kojo’s voice was a little low as if he was afraid the air would carry his words to Akua.
"_Oh yes! We definitely need Akua, she is a hard girl, and very bold, we need her Bro. As for Kwesi, I sincerely hope he decides to be part of this deal_," Wale replied, he brought out two cedis from his pocket and paid for a pack of cigarettes he had just taken from the provision store they stopped at. As he made to light the cigarette, Kojo snatched it from him.
“_Guy, we dey road. Don’t smoke_ now.”The Gold Business
It wasn't so long, and the boys had already reached the T-junction, they took the left turn, and walked for about ten minutes, and soon enough, they were standing in front of an old uncompleted storey building, it looked abandoned, as though no one could possibly live in there. Kojo walked a bit closer to the building, picked a stone, and shot it at the most visible window on the first floor, suddenly footsteps were heard descending downstairs, and a tiny gate opened. Kojo quickly went to the gate, and the exchange was made, then the gate closed, as fast as it had opened. Kojo hurried back to join his friends, who were waiting for him a bit further away from the building, he showed the bundle of weed to his friends. Their faces lit in smile.The Gold Business
While at Kojo's place, Wale received a text message, as he read through the message, his face lit up in a warm smile
"_Hey guys, Kwesi just texted me, he seems really interested in the deal, in fact, he wanted to know when we can make a move_,” Wale was excited. He really wanted all his friends to be part of the business.
"_Okay then, that's nice, I guess that settles it, we are all doing this. So Wale, what's the way forward?_" Kojo asked.
"I will be seeing my contact tomorrow, so he can arrange an appointment for us, but we should all be prepared, I might hit you guys up any moment for us to move."The Gold Business
Kwame's phone rang, he answered the call, and stood up immediately, "_I have to go now guys,_" turning to Wale he added, "_Bhra, do make sure you keep me posted on every move_."
"_I got you, Bro_," replied Wale, as he stood to shake him."_Kwame keep your phone on. We should be able to reach you when it's time to move,"_ Kojo said with a serious look on his face. He had to say it again because Kwame had a habit of never answering his calls or even keeping his phone on.“_I got you, bro, don't worry, my phone will be on,_" Kwame hurried to the door, but for some reason, the door was stuck, he tried to open it but it just wouldn't open, he kept trying for a while before Kojo and Wale who had been watching his struggle, came to help.The Gold Business
They both tried, but the door just didn't open."_Where is the key?" Kwame asked_.
“_Which key?”_ Wale asked right back. This got Kwame furious, he stared at Wale intensively for like five seconds. Wale was kind of surprised, he had never seen Kwame in such a mood before, “_Calm down Bhra, let's look for the key,"_ Wale tried to calm him down. "Charlie we don forget that key outside," Kojo could see the key outside from the kitchen window. "So what are we going to do now?" Kwame was restless as he pondered on the next step. "_Let me call one of my neighbours to come open the door for us_," Kojo told him, "_Okay, cool, do that please_," Kojo was able to reach someone to come help them open the door, and in less than two minutes the door was opened.The Gold Business
Kwame couldn't even wait to say a word to his friends, he jumped out as one who was being chased, to the astonishment of his friends, who exchanged suspicious looks.
“_Bhra you don see Kwame like that before. That e look shock me o, I think he has a problem_," as Wale spoke, his mind went to all possible reasons for Kwame’s behaviour.
"_We all have our issues,"_ Kojo replied nonchalantly. Wale sensed Kojo didn't want to talk about the matter, so he immediately brought out a new pack of cards from his pocket and placed it on the table. "_Let’s play a game_," Kojo nodded. A short while later, they were already feeling sleepy, "_Let me sleep for a while,"_ Wale said yawning and stretching his hands. "_Charlie,_ me too."The Gold Business
Wale woke up with a start and tried to cover his eyes from the sun which had found its way into the room from the window directly above where his head was... Realising what time it was, he screamed. He tried to wake Kojo up, shaking and shouting his name but it appeared that he was trying to rouse a dead man. It was Kojo’s way of sleeping. He hardly ever slept but when he did, it would take a legion of truck horns blasting above his head to wake him up. Wale rushed to the bathroom and washed his face. He got his phone from the table and tried to wake his friend up for the second time, so he could let him know he was leaving, but Kojo just would not budge.The Gold Business
Wale realizing Kojo wasn’t waking up anytime soon, decided to take his leave, he was in a haste, he had to run some errands for his father early that morning, and he was already late for that. Getting to his house, Wale could hear the noise from his father's car, his heart skipped, he knew for sure that he was late. The gates opened, and his father drove out, with such speed, as if to run him down, he quickly moved to the other side of the gate, and he stood there for a while wondering what could be running through his father's mind. His father had
specifically instructed him not to spend the night out, because he would be needing him early the next morning to run some errands. Wale's father was a hard man, he wasn't easily appeased whenever he was angry, so Wale knew he was in big trouble. Wale was not ready for any problem today at all.The Gold Business
After standing at the gate for a long while, he went in, and his younger brother who has been standing there waiting for him to come inside, closed the gate after him.
"_Wale!_ Dad is really furious with you, he needed you to help him with the car this morning, and I think he is late for his appointment because you weren't around,"
"_I know John, I saw the look on his face when he passed by_."
"But,_ _where_ _have_ _you_ _been_ _since _yesterday, and where did you spend the night?"_ "_One question at a time,"_ Wale answered him as he walked towards the door, and went straight to his room. He didn't want his mother to start her usual nagging, he had to reserve all his strength for his father's. He knew certainly some heat would be coming from the latter. He was about to take his bath when a call came in.The Gold Business
"_Sure Bhra, I will be there in thirty minutes_," Wale said to the person on the line. He hurriedly took his bath, and in a few minutes, he was rushing out of the house when his mother stopped him.
"_Wale! When did you_ return?”
"_And why are you rushing out of this house like a man who just received a call from his pregnant_ wife?”
"_Mom, I have an emergency, please! I will explain myself when I get back_," Wale tried to dodge the questions as he
quickly rushed out, his mother tried going after him, but he was just too fast, she couldn't catch a glimpse of him.CHAPTER 5
"_Bhra we go fit make something for chop noh_," Kwesi was in the kitchen searching through the pots.
"_No, I think we should just go buy some food, I have no provisions left,"_ Kojo replied. He was sitting on the couch and going through his phone. "_Okay, that's better_," Kwesi responded, joining him on the couch. A few minutes later, there was a bang on the door, and at once the handle of the door was shaking.
"_Who is there?"_Kojo asked.
"_Charlie!_ Come open this door," a deep loud voice responded, one needed no soothsayer to tell it was Wale. Kwesi rushed to the door and opened it for him.The Gold Business
As soon as he stepped inside, they hugged each other in excitement, and Wale kept going on and on, with his signature loud voice.
"Is it time to make a move?"
"Smart guy, you can read the modes," Wale answered him in that loud voice of his."I had a call with my contact a few minutes ago, and we are meeting the boss today, 8 pm sharp."
"That's cool by me," at this moment the smile on Kwesi's face had been deemed a little.
"Does it have to be at night?" Kwesi asked. "No! It has to be in the morning, I guess we are going for a church service," Kojo replied in a sarcastic tone.
"Kwesi! I don't understand your questions sometimes. Let me tell you, good transactions are done at night, this is a busy man we are going to see,The Gold Business
He well be free to attend to us, only at that time." Wale moved closer to Kwesi as he spoke.
"Oh _Bhra_, I get it, I am cool with it, I was just wondering…"
"Stop wondering, you have to be hard, if you will do this, remember it's gold business _Bhra_," Kojo interrupted him impatiently. Kwesi took a deep breath and quickly replied.
"_I_ know."
"_So ,I guess we should contact the others, so they can make it on time, sure, great idea, let me text them_," Kojo replied.
"_Oh! no need, I already called them on my way here,_" Wale added.
In less than an hour, there was a knock on the door, and Akua entered, she was looking very bright and smart.The Gold Business
Wale gave her his regular welcome shouts, he stood up, hugged her, and complimented her for making it on such short notice.
"_I can see you are really in for some gold business_," Kojo said as he gave Akua a look that said he didn't want her there.
"_It's a hard world, we need the money,_" Akua replied in a firm tone, she sat comfortably on the bed. It was about 5. pm, and there was no sign of Kwame, he had not left any message either. Wale asked Kojo to call him because they planned to leave the house by 6. pm, to combat the traffic, and get there on time. Kojo then tried calling Kwame, but his line was switched off, he tried again three times more, but his line was still switched off.
“_Leave a message in case he turns his phone on later_,” Wale told Kojo.The Gold Business
Akua was already set to go, so she just lay on the bed browsing on her phone.
"_Akua, can you please order Uber for us?"_Wale asked, before Akua could utter a word, Kojo said, "_No worries, I will do it._" He was already dressed. In less than thirty minutes, the car had arrived, and they all rushed downstairs. As they were about to enter the car, Akua screamed.
"_Oh! I have left my purse in the room. Let me go get it_."She rushed back upstairs to get it, but as soon as she got to the door, she remembered the keys were with Kojo downstairs. While she stood there confused, and thinking of going back downstairs, she suddenly heard footsteps coming up, it was Kojo He immediately opened the door, and after Akua had gotten her purse, he askedThe Gold Business
"_I hope you haven't forgotten anything again."_ "_No, I haven't."_"_Good then."_ They both returned downstairs, and the car took off.
They had not gone so far on their journey when Kojo's phone rang, it was Kwame calling.
"_Where are you guys? I am at the house right now_," Kwame said over the phone.
"_You should get a taxi and follow us to Legon City_," Kojo looked at Wale for confirmation.
_"Sure bro, on my way_ now."
_"It's a good thing Kwame is joining us, I almost thought he wouldn't make it,"_ Kwesi said, the relief on his face was obvious. "_Yes, bro me too, I wasn't expecting him to show up anymore,_" Wale agreed.The Gold Business
Kwame is like that he always shows up, when you least expect him to, Kojo added relaxing himself on the back seat. “Akua? Are you okay? Wale asked, he had noticed that she had been silent throughout the trip.
“Sure bro, I am good, just enjoying the ride” They were stuck in traffic for a while, but in about an hour and thirty minutes, they arrived in Legon City.
Where can I stop, please?” the driver asked. Kojo turned and looked at Wale who was supposed to answer the question, but he was in a deep sleep. A spank on his back woke him up as he stared at Kojo who had hit him.
Answer the question, where are we stopping?” Kojo asked again.The Gold Business
"_Oh at Dragon Casino, "_Wale rubbed his eye sin an attempt to rid himself of all traces of sleep. Dragon Casino was just a few seconds ahead. When they dropped, there was an astonished look on their faces except for Wale.
"_Why do you guys look confused, and surprised? What's up_?" Wale asked.
"_Bhra! You didn't mention that the venue would be Dragon Casino_," Kojo spoke for others.
"_So sorry I didn't, I actually thought I_ did
oh!"
"See guys, this is it. We will be seeing
the boss soon, and he happens to be the owner of this Casino, guys! This man will blow your mind, let's just relax and make a good impression."The Gold Business
"_Well! We are here, so let's just do this,"_ Akua replied with a very care free attitude. Kwesi drew closer to Wale and whispered in his ear. Wale thought for a while and patted Kwesi on the back.
"_Relax,_" before he could add another word, a tall slim dark handsome young man, came out of the Casino, he was dressed in a very expensive black suit, and as soon as he saw Wale standing outside with his friends, he immediately called out, "_Wale! what are you doing outside?"_ He walked closer to Wale and continued.
"_Are these your_ friends?"
"Yes _Sir, this is Kojo, Kwesi, and Akua_," Wale pointed at each person as he introduced them.
"_Very good then, but I thought you were five in number, where is…_CHAPTER 6
They walked right through the already-opened door, as soon as they entered, the door was shut immediately by the guard who had opened it. The first sight was a beautiful one to behold, there were just so many bright lights, and the people there were all fancily dressed.
"_Can you please show my guests to table four, and please do attend to their every need_," the man said to one of the waitresses who was passing by.
"_Sure, Sir_."Turning to Wale and his friends, he said, "_I will be with you shortly._" He left them and exited through a door just opposite them. Wale and his friends followed the waitress to their table.The Gold Business
As sib as they were comfortably seated, their orders were taken by the waitress who then left to go get what they ordered. When she was gone, Wale realized there had been some sort of tension amongst his friends since they first spotted the man in the black suit, "_Guys, the man you just saw, the one who brought us in, that's my contact, he is the one I have been talking to_," Wale said.
"_Is that so? I thought as much_," Kojo replied. "_Well, I didn't expect the Casino to_ look
_like this, it looks more like a restaurant_," Kwesi added with an honest smile on his face.
"_Oh no, this is not the Casino, this is the reception_," Kwame replied. He was sitting so relaxed on the chair.
"_Bad guy! So you don come here before_," Wale said grabbing Kwame and shaking his shoulders excitedly.The Gold Business
"_Leave me, bro, I have been here before, once or_ twice."
"_That be hard oh_," Kojo said with admiration. Meanwhile, Kwesi sat back relatively quiet. He kept imagining what the Casino actually looked like. While he was still in his thoughts, the waitress soon returned with their orders, except Akua's, she carefully placed the drinks, and wine glasses on the table, and apologised for the incomplete order.
"_There are no cranberries, miss, can I get you something else_," the waitress asked, "_Don't worry I am good, just get me a bottle of water_, "replied Akua, in a very calm manner, the waitress then left, and in less than five minutes, she returned with a bottle of water.
"_Are you sure you will be okay, with just water?_” Wale asked.The Gold Business
"_Sure, water is_ good."
_"Will you be needing anything else?"_ the waitress asked.
"_No, thanks, I guess we are good,_" Wale answered, looking at his friends for confirmation. After the waitress had left, Akua who was sitting in between Kwesi and Kojo, stretched out her left hand and tapped Wale who seemed to be having an exciting conversation with Kwame.
"_Wale, when are we meeting your boss?"_ Akua asked.
"_Oh the boss, don't worry, pretty soon he will send for us,"_ he went back to his conversation with Kwame. Akua wasn't much impressed by the elegance of the place so far, but remembering this was only the reception, she anticipated a more astonishing look.The Gold Business
Kwesi had been silent all this while, he kept observing the whole place, as his eyes moved from one end to another, one could tell, a lot was going through his mind. He soon noticed that most of the guests at the reception were gradually going through the door at the west end, he ignored this at first, but when the number of those waiting at the reception drastically reduced, he became a bit concerned, and turned to Wale.
“_When are we meeting with the boss? We seem to be the last ones here."_ It was then that Wale and the rest realised the number of those present at the reception had drastically reduced. Wale, Kojo, and Kwame had been busy with their football argument, and Akua was browsing through her phone. Wale then checked his wristwatch, and realised it was 9:30 pm.The Gold Business
He then asked Kwesi to check his phone for confirmation, and for sure it was 9:30 pm. Wale took out his small Nokia phone, and as he was about to make a call, a tall black man, who was dressed in the same manner as the man who had first received them, placed his hands on his shoulders from the back, and asked, _"Are you Wale?"_
_"Yes,_ please."
"Then I guess these are your friends." "Sure, Sir."
"_Follow me_," the man said, walking ahead. Wale urged his friends to quickly follow the man, there was clearly no time for questions. They all followed him through another opened door which was immediately closed by the guard who had opened it. They walked right through a long corridor, with dimmed lights, and soon, another door was opened.The Gold Business
It was a pub, with multiple lights and the waitresses there were all putting on sexy red dresses, with their black heel shoes. The seats at the pub had white and gold colour, and each section had its own dancing space. This was nothing like what the boys had seen before, even Wale, and Kwame, who had been to the Casino before had never been to this section. The music wasn't so loud, and the place wasn't crowded either, just some few wealthy-looking people, seated in their own comfort, it looked more like a VIP section. As they moved Akua’s eyes caught that of a popular celebrity in town, but since they were all moving in some kind of a cue, she ignored him.
Kwesi was a little worried as usual, he had thought they would go through the door at the west end like the others, but the man took them somewhere else, and just when he thought that was it, they walked towards another door.The Gold Business
The guard standing at the door was very huge, and he had a dreaded scar on his face which prevented one from looking at him twice. This time it was a smaller place, and the lights were all red. There were three young men of their age, already seated there.
"_Take a seat, all of you, someone will be with you soon_," the man said before he swiftly walked out. Wale and his friends greeted the three boys and sat down, it was more like a round table, and all the chairs were joined together.
They were all nervous, but in order not to show some weakness, they maintained a serious look. Kojo was kind of worried for Akua, but he couldn't show it, he just kept staring at her, to see if she was alright, but Akua looked okay, she was still smiling at her phone, he felt relieved seeing her in that mood, but as his eyes caught hold of Kwesi, he noticed Kwesi was trembling.The Gold Business
"Bhra, what's up, why are you trembling?" He asked, "_Man, the AC here is too high_," Kwesi replied. Everyone looked at Kwesi and smiled, they knew it wasn't about the AC. As they all settled down in the waiting room, they tried to be comfortable with the red lights. Wale then tried to establish a conversation with the three young men they met there, but it wasn't so healthy as they didn’t seem to care for a conversation. One of them had his eyes on Akua like he would swallow her whole if he got the chance. He just couldn't take his eyes off her, Akua had noticed it, but she ignored him and pretended to be very busy with her phone.
Soon enough, a tall slim fair-skinned woman, dressed like Trinity in "The Matrix" entered the room, she looked stern and formidable. She had a medium-sized leather bag in hand. As she came in, she opened the bag.The Gold Business
“_Everybody, drop your phone in here,_” her voice carried an air of finality. It was obvious she had no intention of explaining why they had to drop their phones. There was no hesitation, they all quickly dropped their phones, except Akua who tried asking why, but with the look on the woman's face, she just quickly dropped her phone. The woman then closed her bag, and left the room, before they could even look at each other, the lights changed from red to blue, and there was this noise coming from underneath them like a plane about to take off.
Suddenly a door automatically opened at the extreme side of the room. One could never have imagined there was a door present there. A man casually dressed came through the door, he was of average height and looked like he was in his mid-forties.The Gold Business
He sat comfortably on a chair placed on the right-hand side, not too far from the door that had just opened, the chair looked like it had been designed for a boss.
"_Is that the boss?"_ Kojo whispered to Wale. "_Probably._ "Kojo looked surprised by
this response, he thought Wale knew the boss, and that they were there based on the boss's invitation.
He tried whispering to Wale again but was immediately interrupted by the man who had just entered the room.
"Have you all been briefed on what we do, I mean the kind of business we are into here?" asked the man, in an unexpectedly accommodating voice.The Gold Business
"_N t really sir, "_Wale replied.
"_Do you speak for yourself or for everyone present here?"_ The man asked.
"_No, sir, I speak for me and my friends. I am Wale, and this…_" As he tried introducing his friends, one of the three boys came up, “_As for me and my brothers, we are totally aware of your kind of business. I am Ofori, and these are my brothers, Gyan, and Boamah_."
"Well, that's great, at least some of us know what we are here for," he turned to Wale and asked, "Can you tell me what you are here for?" There was some sort of silence for a while, as Wale stared at his friends who stared right back at him. Kojo took the lead.The Gold Business
"_I am Kojo Sir, and if I can remember correctly, we are here for a gold business_." Pointing to Wale he continued, "_My friend here can tell you more, we are all here because of him_."Wale choked on his saliva, and added, "_Oh yeah, he is right, we are all here for a gold business. Mr Smith had introduced it to me, he said I could bring my friends_." He stopped for a bit and continued, "_As a matter of fact, he was the one who brought us in._" He was more confident in speaking this time.
"_Oh, you are the boy from Mr Smith."_
_"Yes Sir_," replied Wale "
_And these are your friends? "_He asked again
"_Sure Sir,"_ He was more confident now.The Gold Business
"_And you are here for a gold business? "_he asked again.
"_Certainly, Sir_," Wale had expected the man to be contented with his response so far, but instead, the man laughed out loud, he looked at them and laughed even harder. It looked like, each time his eyes caught Wale’s, he would just burst into another bout of laughter. This went on for over two minutes after which he then took a cigar, and a lighter from his left pocket and began smoking.
"_Indeed! It's the Gold Business_," he waved his hands above his nostrils.
"_Gold is blood, and blood is money, and our business is where the money is_," he had a solemn tone as he said this,The Gold Business
Puffing smoke into the air, when he saw the look on the faces of Wale and his
friends, he burst into another round of laughter. "_Oh my young friends, I am just_ pulling
_your legs. You see! We do a very lucrative business here, all you need to do is carry some little white stuff, from here to there and get paid handsomely_," as he spoke, he kept putting on this tricky smile, and pulled his cigar, in the most passionate manner. At this point there was much silence in the room, one could immediately imagine what went through the minds of Wale and his friends. Kwesi kept staring at Wale intensively, as though he had been tricked by him, meanwhile, Wale couldn't look into the eyes of his friends, he too had a lot running through his mind.The Gold Business
He cleared his throat as one who was about to say something but hesitated. Akua who all this while had been relatively attentive to all the man had to say, suddenly spoke up.
"_Sir, I certainly think your line of business is no place for a girl, I had hoped…"_ Before she could complete her statement, the man immediately cut her short.
"_My pretty one, you are no girl, you are a bold young woman. Only female among eight men!”_ "_You are certainly the type we need._" As
the man spoke he wore the most pretentious smile, any dummy could tell he was not a person anyone should trust. Kwame who has been quiet and observant all along, stood up.
"_Sir, I apologise for myself, and my friends. There certainly has been some_The Gold Business
_Sir, I apologise for myself and my friends. There certainly has been some kind of misunderstanding here_," he took a deep breath and continued. "It is quite obvious we didn't understand things before coming here.
Can we please be excused, so we could go think this through?" He joined his hands together, as he completed his statement.
"_So you all want to be_ excused?"
_"Yes, Sir!"_ they chorused, Wale’s voice was the loudest.
"_Not us, sir, we are totally ready, "_the three brothers protested.
As he listened to them, the man burst into another bout of laughter, and as he laughed he pointed at the ceiling. _"Read!"_ he said, his voice was hard and bloodless.
They immediately looked up the ceiling "ONE WAY IN, NO WAY OUT," was the inscription boldly written up there on the ceiling. Wale and his friends lookedThe Gold Business
A tone another with fear in their eyes. They knew there was no way out for any
one of them. The man suddenly stood up and said, "_You are smart people, I trust you will be of good behaviour. Though you might fancy me to be the boss, I’m not. Before you meet the boss, you must be ready_." Turning to the three brothers, he smiled, and at once the door through which he came automatically opened again, and he went through, it immediately closed with the same noise it had made when it first opened, and the lights changed back into red.
There was total silence in the room, the three brothers kept smiling at Wale and his friends.
"_I can see you guys didn't do any research before taking this step,_" Ofori said, shaking as if he felt sorry for them.The Gold Business
"_You heard the boss, be of good_
_behaviour, because once you are in, you are in_." Gyan who had been sitting so relaxed, and staring at Akua all this while, turned to her, blew a kiss, and said, "_Don't worry love, I got you,_ "he had this weird smile on his face as if he wasn't smiling, but just showing up his cream teeth. Kojo seemed to have had enough, he suddenly got up, grabbed Akua by the hand, and walked towards the door, Wale and Kwesi except for Kwame stood up to follow them. Kojo was still struggling with the door, as the door just wouldn't open, Kwesi himself tried it as well, but it just wouldn't open. They kept shaking the door handles angrily, when Kwame suddenly said, "_Don't waste your strength, you will sure need it”_ as he spoke he sat even more comfortably on the chair_._CHAPTER 7
"_Why will she not take her calls, I have been trying this girl's line for more than an hour now. Where could she be? Where did she even keep her phone? She didn't say she was sleeping out today_" Mami was restless, moving from one end of the room to the other, and punching her keypad nonstop.
"_Mami you said you were to bring home the ceiling fan today, but you came back with none, even with the windows open, there is just so much heat_," Ama said, stretching her body on the bed. When Mami didn’t pay her any attention, she called her name over and again but Mami’s mind was far away in worry. Ama got up from the bed and went closer to her.The Gold Business
"_What I sit? Why aren't you sleeping,"_ Mami in a very harsh manner.
"_How can I sleep in this heat, and with you moving up and down the room?"_ Ama answered in her little humble voice. Mami then took a deep breath, sat on the bed and sighed.
"_It was a strange dream. I saw several dogs surrounding your sister, and closer to your sister was a big snake, just lying beside her. She seemed very comfortable with the snake, but was terrified at the site of the dogs_." She stopped to kill a mosquito that had perched on her leg…
"_As I woke up from that dream, I checked the time, and it was 10 pm prompt. Since then I have been trying to reach your sister, to find out if she is ok, but she won't take her call, her phone has been ringing but she wouldn’t answer._The Gold Business
"_Oh my boy, my beautiful boy,"_ she had tears coming down here yes as she peeped through the window. It was 10 pm already, and the guests had started leaving. Soon, only Kwame’s friends were left. They stayed back and helped with the cleaning. When they were done, they fell asleep in the living room, they had been talking into the night. By midnight, his mom came to the living room to wake them to use the guest room and Kwame’s room but seeing them all sleeping peacefully together, she hesitated and let them be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chiara Asobo, better known as Rheiasing, is a musician, a storyteller, and a spoken word artist. She has a Bachelor's degree in law from the University Of Yaounde 2 Cameroon, where she initially studied Economics for a year.
Fueled by a lifelong love for storytelling, she has journeyed around the Coast of West Africa learning new cultures and telling short stories. In her words "It is my love for storytelling that got me to the instrument and as I strum this guitar, every song is a story."
In the last two years she has released a couple of songs including "Like You," and "Tell Me Now." Currently absorbed in the artistic world, there is no limit to the stories she can tell, and being a traveler has enabled her to understand the environment and people more. She incorporates all these in her stories.The Gold Business
Table of Contents
__Part One
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
Part Two
NOT EVERYTHING THAT SHINES IS VALUABLE: THOSE WHO WANT TO LEAP MUST FIRST LOOK.
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
Part Three
WHERE COMES A SOLUTION, RESOLUTIONS FOLLOW
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
Part Four
NOTHING STAYS HIDDEN UNDER THE SUN, NOW WE KNOW
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15The Gold Business
ABOUT THE BOOK
See! Let me tell you, there is no legality in business, business is business, stop asking stupid questions," Wale angrily responded to his concerned friend who wanted to be sure the business idea he was pitching was a legit one. His worries were indeed in line, as this very business idea would eventually lead to an adventure, but who knows if this adventure would bring them the wealth they seek, or lead them to a death hole?
In this book, the author’s use of flashbacks takes us to a whole different world of business and the music industry deep inside the nook and cranny where dark secrets are stored.CHAPTER 1
The noise from the pub had kept most of the people around that neighbourhood awake throughout that night. On a regular day, the music wasn't supposed to be that loud, but they had brought out their musical amplifiers, and the whole place was crowded. That day, most game boys from around town were present at the pub, in respect of the celebrant, Chatter Flamz. It was his birthday.
Chatter Flamz was a popular comedian in town and had recently started releasing songs, he was very popular in Tabora city, and so the guests that turned up were enormous. Chatter wanted to use that opportunity to declare his current interest in music officially,The Gold Business
And on that same day, he released a new single. The cheers from the crowd were huge, it was very clear the people loved him, there was just so much excitement that night, and it went on, and on until it was almost dawn.
Akua jumped up from the bed, stretched her body, and walked towards the window. She could still see some of Chatter's guests leaving the pub, while some of the boys sat on top of their cars, a bottle of whisky in each person’s hand. She enjoyed the view for a while, a pale smile on her face for a second.
"_Charlie_! _You no dey sleep_?"Kojo asked her, yawning, and stretching his hands into the air. He lifted his head from the couch and turned it left and right to get rid of the stiffness.The Gold Business
Kojo had slept on the couch, and his friend Kwesi, was sleeping comfortably on the carpet, while Kwame slept on the bed alongside Akua. It was a self-contained room, belonging to Kojo, and he loved to have his friends around.
"_Akua? you no dey hear me?"_ She had not bothered answering him the first time. Akua was seriously looking through the window not minding him. Kojo now got up from the couch and walked towards Akua following the direction of her gaze.
"_Look at them, having so much fun, as if there is no tomorrow,"_ Akua said with a sigh.
"_But is there really a tomorrow?"_ She had an unusual softness to her tone this time. She walked to the bed and sat down.The Gold Business
Kojo felt a little weird, so he went closer and took a seat beside her, " _Are you alright Akua?_" he asked
"Yeah, I am doing fine."
"_You see Kojo, life is just so hard, seriously why are we even here?_" she looked a little upset. Kojo stretched his hand on the table and got his weed, he put some in the crusher, glanced at Akua, and then focused on crushing his weed.
"_My dear, such is life, life isn't a bed of roses. Yes, life is hard, that's why we have to strive to be harder_," he answered with an air of solemness as he placed his rolled weed in his mouth,
"_Please Kojo, don't smoke that stuff right now, I am really not in the mood for a smoking room_," Akua said, she climbed on the bed and wrapped herself in a quilt.CHAPTER 2
It was already 2 pm that afternoon, and Akua was still fast asleep, even the noise from Kojo and the rest of her friends in the room didn't disturb her. It was almost 3 pm when Wale’s loud voice woke her up. It was almost always impossible to sleep when Wale was around, he had a very loud voice and was unapologetic about the noise.
"_Wale! Wale!! What kind of noise is this?_" Akua got up drowsily and sluggishly made her way to the bathroom.
"_Akua! My main chick!"_ Wale hailed her, his voice as loud as rumbling thunder. He made to touch her but she moved out of his reach swiftly.The Gold Business
"_Who is your main chick? Please don't flatter yourself_," she had a mischievous smile on her face.
Wale laughed and in his usual loud voice, he called out to her, "_Ohh freshen up fast! I have a business proposal_." Akua was already in the bathroom, but her ears stood at attention upon hearing ‘business proposal.’ She was so curious that she opened the bathroom door and asked, "_Which business?"_ Kojo interjected, “_Go freshen up, we are waiting for you._"
"_Charlie! If you see this car! Bhra! It's the latest model, only fresh for this man ehh, his watch, his designer clothes, his shoes, everything about this man is just fresh,"_ Wale recounted, rolling up his weed. He kept going on and on, about this man he met at the casino.The Gold Business
"_Wale! What even took you to the casino? Don't tell me you have started gambling?"_ Kwesi eyed him suspiciously.
"_Gam! wetti? I go there, go look for links_," Wale was almost out of breath as he puffed his smoke into the air, it created a circle before evaporating.
"_Which link?_" Kwame asked him in a very gentle voice. Kwame was the gentle one among them, gentle in all he did – in his dressing, in his speeches, and he rarely spoke. He was fond of just agreeing with nearly everything others said.
"_Business link bro,_" Wale’s deep voice, and his eyes bore evidence of the weed he was smoking.The Gold Business
"_Guys are out there making so much money,_
_we shouldn't just.._"
He stopped for a while staring at Akua, who pulled out a chair, getting closer to the boys, "_We shouldn't just what?"_ Akua asked. There was silence amongst the boys as they all stared at her. Their thoughts were the same, for even though Akua loved behaving like a boy, and dressed like a boy most of the time, she was still very beautiful, and after taking her bath, and wearing Kojo's shirt, she was just even more pretty. The boys dared not compliment her as she hated such compliments from them. It was already agreed that they were all one family, so none of them could talk about her beauty. Today, Wale couldn't hold his tongue.The Gold Business
"_The empress! Charlie, you look like fresh_
fish!"
"_Seriously? Fresh fish, are you for_ real?"
Akua’ stone was serious, Kojo
sensing that Akua was becoming offended by Wale's remarks, immediately redirected their attention back to what Wale was saying earlier.
"_So Wale, you were saying something about a business, you got all our attention now_." Wale pulled his smoke again and continued.
"_Let me just go straight to the point, I want us to get into the Gold Business,_” he stopped for a while, dragged another smoke, then continued," _We will move Gold from here to there, and get paid handsomely_," he stopped to weigh the reaction from his friends but they looked rather lost.The Gold Business
"_Why do you guys look so_ confused?"
"Because _we are indeed confused_, "Kwesi answered "_In fact, I am lost_, "Kojo said.”_Lost how?"_
"_Wait, wait, guys chill. Let me get this clear, Wale. You are saying, your business idea entails us transporting gold from probably, Ashanti to Togo, so it is more like a courier service, am I correct?"_ Akua asked.
"_Yes! Something like that_," Wale answered a bit unsure.
"_Well, I hear the Gold business is a very lucrative one_," Kojo said in a relaxed manner. "_Exactly, what I'm trying to say. We will be making real cash from this business_."
"_I seriously don't feel comfortable about this. Is it even legit?"_The Gold Business
Kwesi was a bit suspicious about the whole talk. "_Bhra I seriously doubt if there is anything legit in this world right now, one just has to be smart, it's a hard world_," Akua replied.
"_So it's probably an illegal business then?"_ Kwesi wanted to be certain the business was a legal one.
"_Which one be legal, illegal business_? See! Let me tell you, there is no legality in business, business is business, stop asking stupid questions." Wale was visibly upset, as he moved to the kitchen to get some water. Kojo who had been listening more, suddenly shrugged and said, "_Let's put this topic on hold for now, I think Wale has already introduced it, let's now process things in our minds,_" he stood up and walked out.The Gold Business
"_You are right bro_, "Kwame added,
They all moved from the room to the balcony, except Kwesi and Akua, who decided to go make some food in the kitchen. While in the kitchen, Kwesi shared his views on Wale's business idea with Akua, he seemed a little uncomfortable with the whole idea.
"_I won't be part of Wale's business plan if it's something illegal, I can't risk going to jail_." Wale had heard the statement from the balcony and in a very serious tone, he asked, "Who is talking about going to jail, Kwesi?”
“_Come on! Don't be negative, it's just business_," Akua addressed Kwesi in a relaxed manner, that got him staring at her for seconds with a look that was as unbelieving as it was loving.The Gold Business
"_Charlie you supposed know say, I be smart_ guy. See! I have already done my research, and I have a plan, on how to go about the whole deal."Wale was speaking to Kojo and Kwame on the balcony in a bid to convince them.
"_So we are supposed to go to this location your contact will later give us, and wait for the employer to locate us, and after that, we will undergo some training, and testing to be qualified for the job. I hope I am correct Wale?"_ Kojo asked, his eyes and ears moving with his mouth.
"_Yes you are very correct, Charlie you be smart guy, I knew you would get it,_” Wale replied, as he moved up and down, in excitement.The Gold Business
"_Bhra_, whatever you guys agree on, I'm game. I think I need some adventure," Kwame had a ridiculous smile on his face, Wale looked at him and burst into laughter, he then turned to Kojo, while pointing at Kwame.
"_This yah guy is on heroine, I fit set my life._" It wasn't really funny for Kojo who has always had his fears about Kwame, being on hard drugs. Kwame was from a wealthy family just like Kojo, but his allowances always finished in less than a week, and he didn't smoke much, but he ended up looking high in just two pulls. However, it was only a suspicion because Kwame always said "_The highest I can take is_ weed."The Gold Business
The aroma from the kitchen drew the boys from the balcony to the kitchen, where they met Akua already dishing out the food, she handed a plate of jollof rice to Wale, and another to Kojo, and then she and Kwesi carried the remaining plates to the room. They all settled down comfortably and enjoyed the meal.
_"Wow, this tastes good, kudos Akua_, "Kojo muffled with his mouth full of rice.
"_It was a joint effort, kudos to us both_," Kwesi smiled at Akua. As they ate, they shared funny jokes that kept everyone smiling throughout the meal.CHAPTER 3
On seeing Kwesi, Aunty Adjoa raised her two hands up mockingly.
“_Sir, so you finally decided to come home today, I thought this place was too uncomfortable for you, I wasn't expecting your face any time soon, how long has it been? Yes, about two weeks if I remember correctly. Not a sign of you in this house, big man!_"She clapped her hands as she spoke
"_Fine boy, no money, no work,_" she sighed and turned to leave through the backdoor that Kwesi had entered from.
"_Aunty good evening,_" Kwesi was very calm. "_Thunder fire that your mouth you use_ in
_pronouncing good! What is good_ about _this_
evening?"
Aunty Adjoa replied and clapped again.The Gold Business
"_See me see trouble ohh. Wait! Mr man, let me ask, have you gotten a job? Because this one that you are crawling into this house like a snail, looking like Oliver Twist, I hope it's not the same jobless self you have brought back to this house?_" She held her left ear. "_I hope so_ ohh!"
At this point, Nana Owusu walked in "_What is this noise all about, Adjoa? I could hear your voice from the entrance of this house, what is the problem?_" He looked at both of them sternly.
"_Is it not this useless boy, this boy you wasted money meant for my children's comfort, just to see him through school, and yet he has nothing to show for it, he still sneaks in and_
out of my house, as if I am married to him too."The Gold Business
She was breathing like someone who had just climbed down from a hill.
"_You still haven't answered my question, what has he done to warrant all the noise you are now making?"_ Aunty Adjoa, stood in silence for a while, she then tapped her leg and walked away. Kwesi who had been standing there, all along walked towards the table, took a sachet of water, drank from it, and said,
"_Good evening Nana, I just got home now, I am a bit tired, I am going to sleep, good night sir."_ He didn't even wait for Nana Owusu's response before he gently walked into the room. Nana Owusu stood there, a little confused, wondering, if his wife Adjoa, was actually referring to Kwesi.The Gold Business
He thought about this for a while, shook his head, and went back to his room. Upon seeing Aunty Adjoa comfortably sitting on the arm chair, he immediately asked, "_Adjoa? why won't you let this boy rest, why won't you give him peace of mind, whenever he comes home? Haven't you stopped to consider…_"Aunty Adjoa didn't even let him complete his statement.
"_Ehh! Hold it there, don't provoke me. It is bad enough that for 23 years you have forced it down my throat to accept that boy as my son_." She paused for a while, put her hand on her chest, and continued. _“...and now you want me to condone his laziness, to continue feeding him fat, from the little food I have reserved for my children_," she spoke with venom.The Gold Business
"_What feeding are you talking about? This boy who barely stays at home, how many times does he eat from your pot? Besides, do you provide money for food in this house, If there is any food short age in this house, tell me and I will bring out more money for foodstuff. Stop treating my son like a slave in his own father's house, he is still my first son_."
"Remember that woman! Remember he is my first son, and should be treated as such." As he said this, he hissed and stormed out of the room leaving Aunty Adjoa grumbling.
Meanwhile, in a very dark corner of their tiny room, Kwesi sat quietly, he didn't want to turn on the lights so as not to wake his younger brother up, moreover, he could really use a dark, and quiet place at the moment.The Gold Business
Many thoughts ran through his mind. He remembered working so hard to graduate with a first class, and how he had never imagined himself still returning to his father's house just for accommodation purposes at this point. He had dreamt of coming with his own car, at least for a visit, with gifts for his siblings and money for his parents. Even though Aunty Adjoa who was his stepmother didn't like him that much, it didn't stop him from still regarding her as his mother. Crazy thoughts ran through Kwesi's mind, threatening to bring him to tears, but as the man that he is, he held himself, took a deep breath, and smiled. He then quickly remembered the business proposal Wale talked about. He wanted to call Wale that instant to find out more about the deal.The Gold Business
He picked up his phone and made to dail the number but he saw it was already 2 AM.As he made for the closet to change into his sleeping shorts, the lights suddenly came on.
"_Oh! Did I wake_ you?"
_"No, I just want to ease myself,"_ Kofi, his younger brother replied. He made for the
toilet, and by the time he came back to the room, Kwesi was already fast asleep. Kofi had hoped to bombard him with questions. He stared at Kwesi for a while as though he knew he was only pretending to be asleep. He smiled and turned off the lights. As soon as the lights went out, Kwesi's eyes opened, and he went back to his thoughts. He didn't want any conversation with his brother at that point, he knew for certain it would be all about answering questions he didn’t have answers to.CHAPTER 4
His thought wandered from place to place until sleep finally enveloped him. It was still early, and the sun wasn't scorching yet. Kojo, Kwame, and Wale were taking a walk along Tabora Road. As they walked, Wale seized the opportunity to pitch his business deal. "_Charlie_, _I am a well-connected guy, our security is on point, and what's good is the boss himself likes me, he has personally given me the opportunity to bring my friends on board. Bhra! This is an opportunity we must grab."_He then pulled out his phone and started swiping past pictures of the latest models of cars to his friends.
"_I am game, however it's going to be,_" Kwame said, his hands clasped over Wale in solidarity.The Gold Business
_“We must decide now if we really want to include Kwasi and Akua in this deal, for as we all know, Kwesi had already expressed his fears, and clearly show she doesn't have the firmness we need for this deal, and as for Akua, we all know she is only but a woman, does she really need to be involved?_" Kojo’s voice was a little low as if he was afraid the air would carry his words to Akua.
"_Oh yes! We definitely need Akua, she is a hard girl, and very bold, we need her Bro. As for Kwesi, I sincerely hope he decides to be part of this deal_," Wale replied, he brought out two cedis from his pocket and paid for a pack of cigarettes he had just taken from the provision store they stopped at. As he made to light the cigarette, Kojo snatched it from him.
“_Guy, we dey road. Don’t smoke_ now.”The Gold Business
It wasn't so long, and the boys had already reached the T-junction, they took the left turn, and walked for about ten minutes, and soon enough, they were standing in front of an old uncompleted storey building, it looked abandoned, as though no one could possibly live in there. Kojo walked a bit closer to the building, picked a stone, and shot it at the most visible window on the first floor, suddenly footsteps were heard descending downstairs, and a tiny gate opened. Kojo quickly went to the gate, and the exchange was made, then the gate closed, as fast as it had opened. Kojo hurried back to join his friends, who were waiting for him a bit further away from the building, he showed the bundle of weed to his friends. Their faces lit in smile.The Gold Business
While at Kojo's place, Wale received a text message, as he read through the message, his face lit up in a warm smile
"_Hey guys, Kwesi just texted me, he seems really interested in the deal, in fact, he wanted to know when we can make a move_,” Wale was excited. He really wanted all his friends to be part of the business.
"_Okay then, that's nice, I guess that settles it, we are all doing this. So Wale, what's the way forward?_" Kojo asked.
"I will be seeing my contact tomorrow, so he can arrange an appointment for us, but we should all be prepared, I might hit you guys up any moment for us to move."The Gold Business
Kwame's phone rang, he answered the call, and stood up immediately, "_I have to go now guys,_" turning to Wale he added, "_Bhra, do make sure you keep me posted on every move_."
"_I got you, Bro_," replied Wale, as he stood to shake him."_Kwame keep your phone on. We should be able to reach you when it's time to move,"_ Kojo said with a serious look on his face. He had to say it again because Kwame had a habit of never answering his calls or even keeping his phone on.“_I got you, bro, don't worry, my phone will be on,_" Kwame hurried to the door, but for some reason, the door was stuck, he tried to open it but it just wouldn't open, he kept trying for a while before Kojo and Wale who had been watching his struggle, came to help.The Gold Business
They both tried, but the door just didn't open."_Where is the key?" Kwame asked_.
“_Which key?”_ Wale asked right back. This got Kwame furious, he stared at Wale intensively for like five seconds. Wale was kind of surprised, he had never seen Kwame in such a mood before, “_Calm down Bhra, let's look for the key,"_ Wale tried to calm him down. "Charlie we don forget that key outside," Kojo could see the key outside from the kitchen window. "So what are we going to do now?" Kwame was restless as he pondered on the next step. "_Let me call one of my neighbours to come open the door for us_," Kojo told him, "_Okay, cool, do that please_," Kojo was able to reach someone to come help them open the door, and in less than two minutes the door was opened.The Gold Business
Kwame couldn't even wait to say a word to his friends, he jumped out as one who was being chased, to the astonishment of his friends, who exchanged suspicious looks.
“_Bhra you don see Kwame like that before. That e look shock me o, I think he has a problem_," as Wale spoke, his mind went to all possible reasons for Kwame’s behaviour.
"_We all have our issues,"_ Kojo replied nonchalantly. Wale sensed Kojo didn't want to talk about the matter, so he immediately brought out a new pack of cards from his pocket and placed it on the table. "_Let’s play a game_," Kojo nodded. A short while later, they were already feeling sleepy, "_Let me sleep for a while,"_ Wale said yawning and stretching his hands. "_Charlie,_ me too."The Gold Business
Wale woke up with a start and tried to cover his eyes from the sun which had found its way into the room from the window directly above where his head was... Realising what time it was, he screamed. He tried to wake Kojo up, shaking and shouting his name but it appeared that he was trying to rouse a dead man. It was Kojo’s way of sleeping. He hardly ever slept but when he did, it would take a legion of truck horns blasting above his head to wake him up. Wale rushed to the bathroom and washed his face. He got his phone from the table and tried to wake his friend up for the second time, so he could let him know he was leaving, but Kojo just would not budge.The Gold Business
Wale realizing Kojo wasn’t waking up anytime soon, decided to take his leave, he was in a haste, he had to run some errands for his father early that morning, and he was already late for that. Getting to his house, Wale could hear the noise from his father's car, his heart skipped, he knew for sure that he was late. The gates opened, and his father drove out, with such speed, as if to run him down, he quickly moved to the other side of the gate, and he stood there for a while wondering what could be running through his father's mind. His father had
specifically instructed him not to spend the night out, because he would be needing him early the next morning to run some errands. Wale's father was a hard man, he wasn't easily appeased whenever he was angry, so Wale knew he was in big trouble. Wale was not ready for any problem today at all.The Gold Business
After standing at the gate for a long while, he went in, and his younger brother who has been standing there waiting for him to come inside, closed the gate after him.
"_Wale!_ Dad is really furious with you, he needed you to help him with the car this morning, and I think he is late for his appointment because you weren't around,"
"_I know John, I saw the look on his face when he passed by_."
"But,_ _where_ _have_ _you_ _been_ _since _yesterday, and where did you spend the night?"_ "_One question at a time,"_ Wale answered him as he walked towards the door, and went straight to his room. He didn't want his mother to start her usual nagging, he had to reserve all his strength for his father's. He knew certainly some heat would be coming from the latter. He was about to take his bath when a call came in.The Gold Business
"_Sure Bhra, I will be there in thirty minutes_," Wale said to the person on the line. He hurriedly took his bath, and in a few minutes, he was rushing out of the house when his mother stopped him.
"_Wale! When did you_ return?”
"_And why are you rushing out of this house like a man who just received a call from his pregnant_ wife?”
"_Mom, I have an emergency, please! I will explain myself when I get back_," Wale tried to dodge the questions as he
quickly rushed out, his mother tried going after him, but he was just too fast, she couldn't catch a glimpse of him.CHAPTER 5
"_Bhra we go fit make something for chop noh_," Kwesi was in the kitchen searching through the pots.
"_No, I think we should just go buy some food, I have no provisions left,"_ Kojo replied. He was sitting on the couch and going through his phone. "_Okay, that's better_," Kwesi responded, joining him on the couch. A few minutes later, there was a bang on the door, and at once the handle of the door was shaking.
"_Who is there?"_Kojo asked.
"_Charlie!_ Come open this door," a deep loud voice responded, one needed no soothsayer to tell it was Wale. Kwesi rushed to the door and opened it for him.The Gold Business
As soon as he stepped inside, they hugged each other in excitement, and Wale kept going on and on, with his signature loud voice.
"Is it time to make a move?"
"Smart guy, you can read the modes," Wale answered him in that loud voice of his."I had a call with my contact a few minutes ago, and we are meeting the boss today, 8 pm sharp."
"That's cool by me," at this moment the smile on Kwesi's face had been deemed a little.
"Does it have to be at night?" Kwesi asked. "No! It has to be in the morning, I guess we are going for a church service," Kojo replied in a sarcastic tone.
"Kwesi! I don't understand your questions sometimes. Let me tell you, good transactions are done at night, this is a busy man we are going to see,The Gold Business
He well be free to attend to us, only at that time." Wale moved closer to Kwesi as he spoke.
"Oh _Bhra_, I get it, I am cool with it, I was just wondering…"
"Stop wondering, you have to be hard, if you will do this, remember it's gold business _Bhra_," Kojo interrupted him impatiently. Kwesi took a deep breath and quickly replied.
"_I_ know."
"_So ,I guess we should contact the others, so they can make it on time, sure, great idea, let me text them_," Kojo replied.
"_Oh! no need, I already called them on my way here,_" Wale added.
In less than an hour, there was a knock on the door, and Akua entered, she was looking very bright and smart.The Gold Business
Wale gave her his regular welcome shouts, he stood up, hugged her, and complimented her for making it on such short notice.
"_I can see you are really in for some gold business_," Kojo said as he gave Akua a look that said he didn't want her there.
"_It's a hard world, we need the money,_" Akua replied in a firm tone, she sat comfortably on the bed. It was about 5. pm, and there was no sign of Kwame, he had not left any message either. Wale asked Kojo to call him because they planned to leave the house by 6. pm, to combat the traffic, and get there on time. Kojo then tried calling Kwame, but his line was switched off, he tried again three times more, but his line was still switched off.
“_Leave a message in case he turns his phone on later_,” Wale told Kojo.The Gold Business
Akua was already set to go, so she just lay on the bed browsing on her phone.
"_Akua, can you please order Uber for us?"_Wale asked, before Akua could utter a word, Kojo said, "_No worries, I will do it._" He was already dressed. In less than thirty minutes, the car had arrived, and they all rushed downstairs. As they were about to enter the car, Akua screamed.
"_Oh! I have left my purse in the room. Let me go get it_."She rushed back upstairs to get it, but as soon as she got to the door, she remembered the keys were with Kojo downstairs. While she stood there confused, and thinking of going back downstairs, she suddenly heard footsteps coming up, it was Kojo He immediately opened the door, and after Akua had gotten her purse, he askedThe Gold Business
"_I hope you haven't forgotten anything again."_ "_No, I haven't."_"_Good then."_ They both returned downstairs, and the car took off.
They had not gone so far on their journey when Kojo's phone rang, it was Kwame calling.
"_Where are you guys? I am at the house right now_," Kwame said over the phone.
"_You should get a taxi and follow us to Legon City_," Kojo looked at Wale for confirmation.
_"Sure bro, on my way_ now."
_"It's a good thing Kwame is joining us, I almost thought he wouldn't make it,"_ Kwesi said, the relief on his face was obvious. "_Yes, bro me too, I wasn't expecting him to show up anymore,_" Wale agreed.The Gold Business
Kwame is like that he always shows up, when you least expect him to, Kojo added relaxing himself on the back seat. “Akua? Are you okay? Wale asked, he had noticed that she had been silent throughout the trip.
“Sure bro, I am good, just enjoying the ride” They were stuck in traffic for a while, but in about an hour and thirty minutes, they arrived in Legon City.
Where can I stop, please?” the driver asked. Kojo turned and looked at Wale who was supposed to answer the question, but he was in a deep sleep. A spank on his back woke him up as he stared at Kojo who had hit him.
Answer the question, where are we stopping?” Kojo asked again.The Gold Business
"_Oh at Dragon Casino, "_Wale rubbed his eye sin an attempt to rid himself of all traces of sleep. Dragon Casino was just a few seconds ahead. When they dropped, there was an astonished look on their faces except for Wale.
"_Why do you guys look confused, and surprised? What's up_?" Wale asked.
"_Bhra! You didn't mention that the venue would be Dragon Casino_," Kojo spoke for others.
"_So sorry I didn't, I actually thought I_ did
oh!"
"See guys, this is it. We will be seeing
the boss soon, and he happens to be the owner of this Casino, guys! This man will blow your mind, let's just relax and make a good impression."The Gold Business
"_Well! We are here, so let's just do this,"_ Akua replied with a very care free attitude. Kwesi drew closer to Wale and whispered in his ear. Wale thought for a while and patted Kwesi on the back.
"_Relax,_" before he could add another word, a tall slim dark handsome young man, came out of the Casino, he was dressed in a very expensive black suit, and as soon as he saw Wale standing outside with his friends, he immediately called out, "_Wale! what are you doing outside?"_ He walked closer to Wale and continued.
"_Are these your_ friends?"
"Yes _Sir, this is Kojo, Kwesi, and Akua_," Wale pointed at each person as he introduced them.
"_Very good then, but I thought you were five in number, where is…_CHAPTER 6
They walked right through the already-opened door, as soon as they entered, the door was shut immediately by the guard who had opened it. The first sight was a beautiful one to behold, there were just so many bright lights, and the people there were all fancily dressed.
"_Can you please show my guests to table four, and please do attend to their every need_," the man said to one of the waitresses who was passing by.
"_Sure, Sir_."Turning to Wale and his friends, he said, "_I will be with you shortly._" He left them and exited through a door just opposite them. Wale and his friends followed the waitress to their table.The Gold Business
As sib as they were comfortably seated, their orders were taken by the waitress who then left to go get what they ordered. When she was gone, Wale realized there had been some sort of tension amongst his friends since they first spotted the man in the black suit, "_Guys, the man you just saw, the one who brought us in, that's my contact, he is the one I have been talking to_," Wale said.
"_Is that so? I thought as much_," Kojo replied. "_Well, I didn't expect the Casino to_ look
_like this, it looks more like a restaurant_," Kwesi added with an honest smile on his face.
"_Oh no, this is not the Casino, this is the reception_," Kwame replied. He was sitting so relaxed on the chair.
"_Bad guy! So you don come here before_," Wale said grabbing Kwame and shaking his shoulders excitedly.The Gold Business
"_Leave me, bro, I have been here before, once or_ twice."
"_That be hard oh_," Kojo said with admiration. Meanwhile, Kwesi sat back relatively quiet. He kept imagining what the Casino actually looked like. While he was still in his thoughts, the waitress soon returned with their orders, except Akua's, she carefully placed the drinks, and wine glasses on the table, and apologised for the incomplete order.
"_There are no cranberries, miss, can I get you something else_," the waitress asked, "_Don't worry I am good, just get me a bottle of water_, "replied Akua, in a very calm manner, the waitress then left, and in less than five minutes, she returned with a bottle of water.
"_Are you sure you will be okay, with just water?_” Wale asked.The Gold Business
"_Sure, water is_ good."
_"Will you be needing anything else?"_ the waitress asked.
"_No, thanks, I guess we are good,_" Wale answered, looking at his friends for confirmation. After the waitress had left, Akua who was sitting in between Kwesi and Kojo, stretched out her left hand and tapped Wale who seemed to be having an exciting conversation with Kwame.
"_Wale, when are we meeting your boss?"_ Akua asked.
"_Oh the boss, don't worry, pretty soon he will send for us,"_ he went back to his conversation with Kwame. Akua wasn't much impressed by the elegance of the place so far, but remembering this was only the reception, she anticipated a more astonishing look.The Gold Business
Kwesi had been silent all this while, he kept observing the whole place, as his eyes moved from one end to another, one could tell, a lot was going through his mind. He soon noticed that most of the guests at the reception were gradually going through the door at the west end, he ignored this at first, but when the number of those waiting at the reception drastically reduced, he became a bit concerned, and turned to Wale.
“_When are we meeting with the boss? We seem to be the last ones here."_ It was then that Wale and the rest realised the number of those present at the reception had drastically reduced. Wale, Kojo, and Kwame had been busy with their football argument, and Akua was browsing through her phone. Wale then checked his wristwatch, and realised it was 9:30 pm.The Gold Business
He then asked Kwesi to check his phone for confirmation, and for sure it was 9:30 pm. Wale took out his small Nokia phone, and as he was about to make a call, a tall black man, who was dressed in the same manner as the man who had first received them, placed his hands on his shoulders from the back, and asked, _"Are you Wale?"_
_"Yes,_ please."
"Then I guess these are your friends." "Sure, Sir."
"_Follow me_," the man said, walking ahead. Wale urged his friends to quickly follow the man, there was clearly no time for questions. They all followed him through another opened door which was immediately closed by the guard who had opened it. They walked right through a long corridor, with dimmed lights, and soon, another door was opened.The Gold Business
It was a pub, with multiple lights and the waitresses there were all putting on sexy red dresses, with their black heel shoes. The seats at the pub had white and gold colour, and each section had its own dancing space. This was nothing like what the boys had seen before, even Wale, and Kwame, who had been to the Casino before had never been to this section. The music wasn't so loud, and the place wasn't crowded either, just some few wealthy-looking people, seated in their own comfort, it looked more like a VIP section. As they moved Akua’s eyes caught that of a popular celebrity in town, but since they were all moving in some kind of a cue, she ignored him.
Kwesi was a little worried as usual, he had thought they would go through the door at the west end like the others, but the man took them somewhere else, and just when he thought that was it, they walked towards another door.The Gold Business
The guard standing at the door was very huge, and he had a dreaded scar on his face which prevented one from looking at him twice. This time it was a smaller place, and the lights were all red. There were three young men of their age, already seated there.
"_Take a seat, all of you, someone will be with you soon_," the man said before he swiftly walked out. Wale and his friends greeted the three boys and sat down, it was more like a round table, and all the chairs were joined together.
They were all nervous, but in order not to show some weakness, they maintained a serious look. Kojo was kind of worried for Akua, but he couldn't show it, he just kept staring at her, to see if she was alright, but Akua looked okay, she was still smiling at her phone, he felt relieved seeing her in that mood, but as his eyes caught hold of Kwesi, he noticed Kwesi was trembling.The Gold Business
"Bhra, what's up, why are you trembling?" He asked, "_Man, the AC here is too high_," Kwesi replied. Everyone looked at Kwesi and smiled, they knew it wasn't about the AC. As they all settled down in the waiting room, they tried to be comfortable with the red lights. Wale then tried to establish a conversation with the three young men they met there, but it wasn't so healthy as they didn’t seem to care for a conversation. One of them had his eyes on Akua like he would swallow her whole if he got the chance. He just couldn't take his eyes off her, Akua had noticed it, but she ignored him and pretended to be very busy with her phone.
Soon enough, a tall slim fair-skinned woman, dressed like Trinity in "The Matrix" entered the room, she looked stern and formidable. She had a medium-sized leather bag in hand. As she came in, she opened the bag.The Gold Business
“_Everybody, drop your phone in here,_” her voice carried an air of finality. It was obvious she had no intention of explaining why they had to drop their phones. There was no hesitation, they all quickly dropped their phones, except Akua who tried asking why, but with the look on the woman's face, she just quickly dropped her phone. The woman then closed her bag, and left the room, before they could even look at each other, the lights changed from red to blue, and there was this noise coming from underneath them like a plane about to take off.
Suddenly a door automatically opened at the extreme side of the room. One could never have imagined there was a door present there. A man casually dressed came through the door, he was of average height and looked like he was in his mid-forties.The Gold Business
He sat comfortably on a chair placed on the right-hand side, not too far from the door that had just opened, the chair looked like it had been designed for a boss.
"_Is that the boss?"_ Kojo whispered to Wale. "_Probably._ "Kojo looked surprised by
this response, he thought Wale knew the boss, and that they were there based on the boss's invitation.
He tried whispering to Wale again but was immediately interrupted by the man who had just entered the room.
"Have you all been briefed on what we do, I mean the kind of business we are into here?" asked the man, in an unexpectedly accommodating voice.The Gold Business
"_N t really sir, "_Wale replied.
"_Do you speak for yourself or for everyone present here?"_ The man asked.
"_No, sir, I speak for me and my friends. I am Wale, and this…_" As he tried introducing his friends, one of the three boys came up, “_As for me and my brothers, we are totally aware of your kind of business. I am Ofori, and these are my brothers, Gyan, and Boamah_."
"Well, that's great, at least some of us know what we are here for," he turned to Wale and asked, "Can you tell me what you are here for?" There was some sort of silence for a while, as Wale stared at his friends who stared right back at him. Kojo took the lead.The Gold Business
"_I am Kojo Sir, and if I can remember correctly, we are here for a gold business_." Pointing to Wale he continued, "_My friend here can tell you more, we are all here because of him_."Wale choked on his saliva, and added, "_Oh yeah, he is right, we are all here for a gold business. Mr Smith had introduced it to me, he said I could bring my friends_." He stopped for a bit and continued, "_As a matter of fact, he was the one who brought us in._" He was more confident in speaking this time.
"_Oh, you are the boy from Mr Smith."_
_"Yes Sir_," replied Wale "
_And these are your friends? "_He asked again
"_Sure Sir,"_ He was more confident now.The Gold Business
"_And you are here for a gold business? "_he asked again.
"_Certainly, Sir_," Wale had expected the man to be contented with his response so far, but instead, the man laughed out loud, he looked at them and laughed even harder. It looked like, each time his eyes caught Wale’s, he would just burst into another bout of laughter. This went on for over two minutes after which he then took a cigar, and a lighter from his left pocket and began smoking.
"_Indeed! It's the Gold Business_," he waved his hands above his nostrils.
"_Gold is blood, and blood is money, and our business is where the money is_," he had a solemn tone as he said this,The Gold Business
Puffing smoke into the air, when he saw the look on the faces of Wale and his
friends, he burst into another round of laughter. "_Oh my young friends, I am just_ pulling
_your legs. You see! We do a very lucrative business here, all you need to do is carry some little white stuff, from here to there and get paid handsomely_," as he spoke, he kept putting on this tricky smile, and pulled his cigar, in the most passionate manner. At this point there was much silence in the room, one could immediately imagine what went through the minds of Wale and his friends. Kwesi kept staring at Wale intensively, as though he had been tricked by him, meanwhile, Wale couldn't look into the eyes of his friends, he too had a lot running through his mind.The Gold Business
He cleared his throat as one who was about to say something but hesitated. Akua who all this while had been relatively attentive to all the man had to say, suddenly spoke up.
"_Sir, I certainly think your line of business is no place for a girl, I had hoped…"_ Before she could complete her statement, the man immediately cut her short.
"_My pretty one, you are no girl, you are a bold young woman. Only female among eight men!”_ "_You are certainly the type we need._" As
the man spoke he wore the most pretentious smile, any dummy could tell he was not a person anyone should trust. Kwame who has been quiet and observant all along, stood up.
"_Sir, I apologise for myself, and my friends. There certainly has been some_The Gold Business
_Sir, I apologise for myself and my friends. There certainly has been some kind of misunderstanding here_," he took a deep breath and continued. "It is quite obvious we didn't understand things before coming here.
Can we please be excused, so we could go think this through?" He joined his hands together, as he completed his statement.
"_So you all want to be_ excused?"
_"Yes, Sir!"_ they chorused, Wale’s voice was the loudest.
"_Not us, sir, we are totally ready, "_the three brothers protested.
As he listened to them, the man burst into another bout of laughter, and as he laughed he pointed at the ceiling. _"Read!"_ he said, his voice was hard and bloodless.
They immediately looked up the ceiling "ONE WAY IN, NO WAY OUT," was the inscription boldly written up there on the ceiling. Wale and his friends lookedThe Gold Business
A tone another with fear in their eyes. They knew there was no way out for any
one of them. The man suddenly stood up and said, "_You are smart people, I trust you will be of good behaviour. Though you might fancy me to be the boss, I’m not. Before you meet the boss, you must be ready_." Turning to the three brothers, he smiled, and at once the door through which he came automatically opened again, and he went through, it immediately closed with the same noise it had made when it first opened, and the lights changed back into red.
There was total silence in the room, the three brothers kept smiling at Wale and his friends.
"_I can see you guys didn't do any research before taking this step,_" Ofori said, shaking as if he felt sorry for them.The Gold Business
"_You heard the boss, be of good_
_behaviour, because once you are in, you are in_." Gyan who had been sitting so relaxed, and staring at Akua all this while, turned to her, blew a kiss, and said, "_Don't worry love, I got you,_ "he had this weird smile on his face as if he wasn't smiling, but just showing up his cream teeth. Kojo seemed to have had enough, he suddenly got up, grabbed Akua by the hand, and walked towards the door, Wale and Kwesi except for Kwame stood up to follow them. Kojo was still struggling with the door, as the door just wouldn't open, Kwesi himself tried it as well, but it just wouldn't open. They kept shaking the door handles angrily, when Kwame suddenly said, "_Don't waste your strength, you will sure need it”_ as he spoke he sat even more comfortably on the chair_._CHAPTER 7
"_Why will she not take her calls, I have been trying this girl's line for more than an hour now. Where could she be? Where did she even keep her phone? She didn't say she was sleeping out today_" Mami was restless, moving from one end of the room to the other, and punching her keypad nonstop.
"_Mami you said you were to bring home the ceiling fan today, but you came back with none, even with the windows open, there is just so much heat_," Ama said, stretching her body on the bed. When Mami didn’t pay her any attention, she called her name over and again but Mami’s mind was far away in worry. Ama got up from the bed and went closer to her.The Gold Business
"_What I sit? Why aren't you sleeping,"_ Mami in a very harsh manner.
"_How can I sleep in this heat, and with you moving up and down the room?"_ Ama answered in her little humble voice. Mami then took a deep breath, sat on the bed and sighed.
"_It was a strange dream. I saw several dogs surrounding your sister, and closer to your sister was a big snake, just lying beside her. She seemed very comfortable with the snake, but was terrified at the site of the dogs_." She stopped to kill a mosquito that had perched on her leg…
"_As I woke up from that dream, I checked the time, and it was 10 pm prompt. Since then I have been trying to reach your sister, to find out if she is ok, but she won't take her call, her phone has been ringing but she wouldn’t answer._The Gold Business
"_Oh my boy, my beautiful boy,"_ she had tears coming down here yes as she peeped through the window. It was 10 pm already, and the guests had started leaving. Soon, only Kwame’s friends were left. They stayed back and helped with the cleaning. When they were done, they fell asleep in the living room, they had been talking into the night. By midnight, his mom came to the living room to wake them to use the guest room and Kwame’s room but seeing them all sleeping peacefully together, she hesitated and let them be.
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