ANTICIPATION 3

Page 3

The Omanhene had taken his bath, and changed into a gold and green brocaded cloth. Two male servants stood on either side and fanned him with large ostrich feathers as he reclined on a velvet-cushioned settee in his private sitting-room. An envelope containing fifty golden sovereigns was near him. He knew his linguist as a man of tact and diplomacy and he was sure that night a wife would help him to celebrate the anniversary of his accession to the Akwasin stool.

He must have dozen. When he woke up the young woman was kneeling by his feet. He raised her on to the settee

‘Were you pleased to come?’

‘I was pleased to do Nana,s bidding.’

‘Good girl, what is your name?’

‘Effua, my lord and master,’

‘It is a beautiful name, and you are a beautiful woman too. Here are fifty golden sovereigns, the balance of the marriage dowry . We will marry privately to-night and do the necessary custom afterwards.’ Nana Adaku 11 is not the first man to use this technique; civilized, semi-civilized, primitive men all over the world have said the very thing in nearly the same words.

` I shall give the money to my mother; said the sensible girl: ‘she is the corridor. May I ?’ The chief nodded assent.

Effua returned

‘Nana, my mother and other relatives want to thank you for the hundred pounds’

‘There is no need ,my beauty; and he played with the ivory beads lying so snugly on her lovely bosom.

‘They think you must have noticed some extraordinary charm in me for you to have noticed some extraordinary charm in me for you to have spent so much money.’ She smiled shyly at the Omanhene.

‘But, my dear, you are charming. Haven’t they eyes ?’

‘But, Nana, I cannot, you modest woman; look at yourself in that long mirror over there.’

The girl smiled mischievously, went to the mirror, looked at herself. She come back and sat on the mirror, looked at herself. She come back and sat on the settee and leaned her head on his bosom.

You are a lovely girl, Effua.’ He caressed her shiny black hair so artistically plaited.

'But , my master, I have always been like this, haven’t I?’

'I suppose so, beautiful, but I only saw you today?’

'You only saw me today ?’

'Today.’

'Have you forgotten ?’

'Forgotten what, my love ?’

'You paid fifty pounds … and married me two years ago.’

THE END

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