Mawufemor had made friends with the police officers at the station by this point. They had been captivated by the young man's gentle and forgiving character. Although they were all involved in tormenting and making his life miserable at one point, he had swiftly forgiven and forgotten and accepted them as his friends.
Mawufemor had mended their phones, worked on their internet connectivity, and resolved a few computer issues while he was at the station, among other things. In turn, the cops had opened up to him, shared activities with him, and sought his assistance on a few matters. Even though he would stutter and take longer to respond, they learned that it was always worth the wait.
The ability of Mawufemor to quickly forgive those who had wronged him, even to the point of appealing for the release of those who wished to destroy, astounded the In-Charge. He considered himself fortunate to have met this young man, whose spirit and resolve they couldn't break despite their intimidation. Despite all of his mistreatment, he remains sweet and wonderful on the inside. This, he believed, could only be displayed by someone who had a deep understanding of God's love.
"Are you ready for your surprise, Mawufemor?" asked the in-charge.”
"Yes, I am," Mawufemor answered, his voice jittery.
They requested him to wait in one of the offices. They sent for him within the next fifteen minutes. He couldn't believe what he saw when he returned.
"Happy birthday, Mawufemor!" The officers' and a few civilians' choruses broke out.
"How did you find out it was my birthday?" he inquired, surprised.
Elorm approached him and embraced him.
"I told Dad on the way home. So, he called the officers and asked if we might surprise you!" Elorm muttered softly.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” Mawufemor protested.
“But we already have!” The in-charge and the reverend said in unison.
Mawufemor burst into tears. "I've never had a birthday party. What have I done to earn such honour?"
"You're an angel," Mrs Amenuveve said. "I never liked the concept of my spouse bringing you into our home. But now I see. You have made us reconsider our devotion to God as ministers of the gospel. Hitherto, we only preached Christ, but we never lived Him!"
"I wish all pastors were here to hear this!" quipped the DPO.
“Yeah! Yeah!!” the officers said in unison.
"Some of you guys have made our work tough, and made the police look like cruel and bad people," the DPO said.
"You purposefully put pressure on the police to prosecute and imprison innocent people when you know the truth!"
"The actions of this young man here have shamed all of you, including the police. We will now reconsider our methods of obtaining information from suspects!"
"What if this young man died in custody before the truth was revealed? How do decent men with conscience deal with the guilt?"
The DPO went on and on, obviously emotional. He took out a handkerchief and began wiping his tears. He swiftly turned towards Mawufemor and hugged him tightly for what seemed like an eternity.
The officers and Amenuveves then announced several compensation packages as gifts for Mawufemor's birthday. Even after tremendous coaxing, Mawufemor rejected them all. He expressed satisfaction that he had been exonerated and that everyone was happy again. The Amenuveves wanted to at least rent a room for Mawufemor, but he refused, claiming he was going back to the market, the place that formed him and made him who he was.
The Amenuveves left after the 2-hour party, disappointed that they had failed Mawufemor. Even more distressing was the fact that their failure had resulted in public humiliation. Rev Amenuveve could hardly put the tragedy exclusively on his daughter because he had also contributed to the embarrassment. Mrs Amenuveve consoled them both, telling them that it was all part of God's plan and that it was a wake-up call for them all to live their lives genuinely as God's children.
Something strange looked to be brewing back at the station. When Mawufemor asked to leave, the officers kept asking him to stay a while longer. Meanwhile, they were not dispersing as well. Mawufemor sat in one of the surrounding offices and began to sleep off. A few minutes later, an officer arrived to summon him.
"The birthday was not a surprise, Mawufemor!" The officer in charge stated.
Mawufemor appeared befuddled. "What surprise again?" he asked himself.
Barrister Kwawuvi entered, sheepishly smiling and grinning from ear to ear.
"Mawufemor!" exclaimed the barrister. "What a delightful surprise!"
“Hello, barrister!” Mawufemor said with a cracked voice, “So nice to see you!”
“I heard you are now a free man!” the barrister said.
“Yes, God came through for me. I am so grateful for your efforts!”
"Don't bring it up," the lawyer advised, "it's all good!"
"Yes," Mawufemor confirmed. "So, you're my huge surprise?"
"Not at all," the barrister replied, "but I certainly know a thing or two about your great surprise!"
After a few moments of silence, a marvellously charming and enchanting young woman entered, emanating an elegance that was both tasteful and refined. Her allure was both intriguing and seductive, perhaps even heavenly.
"Mawufemor!" she said, arms wide open.
Mawufemor stood motionless, unable to say anything. He could feel his thirsty lips and tongue, and his saliva felt like the flowing gushes of a river that could satiate his thirst.
“Mawufemor!! Wake up, it’s me!” she said again.
Mawufemor awoke from his spell, unable to stare into the beautiful damsel's eyes or even see her face. He developed an inferiority complex anytime he saw or met an adorable woman.
He started fidgeting with his fingers and bent his head. One of the constables stepped up behind him and lifted his chin to raise his head.
"Be a man, Mawufemor, look at the woman!" The constable reasoned.
The entire police force present burst out laughing. But who was this mystery woman?
"So, you don't recognize me?" the lady inquired.
“No please...” Mawufemor stammered.
"OK, I know. I understand because it's been like 12 years!" the lady said, gazing Mawufemor in the eyes.
"It's me, Betty, your little friend!"
Mawufemor's eyes bulged out of their sockets, and he instinctively grasped the young lady and spun her around, as if inspecting her.
"This cannot be!" Mawufemor exclaimed with amazement.
“It is! It is me; your dear friend!"
Mawufemor dropped to his knees and begged.
“Please forgive me. I wasn’t involved in what happened...” he stammered.
"Oh, come on, I already know!" The lady intervened.
"And since then, my family and I have been seeking for you!"
“Hmm,” Mawufemor sighed.
"It's all good, my dear. Everything will be all right! Barrister Kwawuvi briefed me about your situation!"
Mawufemor's jaw fell as he looked at the barrister as if to question, "how?" The barrister shrugged and nodded contentedly.
Barrister Kwawuvi related how, after hearing Mawufemor's account, he had trouble sleeping. He'd promised to move heaven and earth to assist him. He began by attempting to locate Mawufemor's family using the information he had. This was never successful. Then, armed with the same information, he travelled to Accra, to the Abeka market, to discover the truth about Mawufemor's story and to learn if others knew and had connections to Mawufemor. During his search, he met Betty, who had been hunting for Mawufemor for the past 12 years.
Betty and her family have decided to relocate to Canada. However, because of Betty's obsession with Mawufemor and open declaration of her love for Mawufemor, the family had delayed for five years in the hopes of finding Mawufemor. Betty's father had departed with the other children after five years, leaving Betty and the mother alone. The mother departed two years ago when all efforts to locate Mawufemor had failed. Betty, on the other hand, had persisted in her hunt while also attending school.
She was about to give up until she ran into the barrister, who had been sent to her when he came to the market wanting to know about Mawufemor's previous connections. They soon made plans to visit Mawufemor in Ho.
Mawufemor thought the entire story sounded like a fairytale. The three bid their goodbyes to the officers at the station and drove to the Chances Hotel on the outskirts of Ho, where Betty was lodging.
Betty and Mawufemor caught up on what they had missed over the years. Whereas Betty had fared well, except for having to go from one psychologist to the next for psychotherapy following the rape episode, Mawufemor had fared poorly. They talked the entire night, holding and petting one other and sleeping in each other's arms.
Mawufemor joined Betty on a Skype video conversation with her family in Canada in the morning. The family was overjoyed to see Mawufemor again and find that he was fine and not dead, as had been thought.
Betty and Mawufemor travelled to Accra the next day. Betty and her family had already begun the process of obtaining a passport and, eventually, a visa for Mawufemor. Everything happened so quickly, and everyone involved was so helpful—as if heaven had asked them to.
Mawufemor and Betty departed Ghana for Canada in May 2018, a month after being released from police custody. Betty's father had made plans for Mawufemor to study computer science at a nearby institution in Calgary, Alberta.
Mawufemor's varied skills and strong work ethic came in handy now. He was able to work three jobs while attending school. Betty's mother, a clinical psychologist, had arranged for Mawufemor to see a speech therapist once a week to assist him to overcome his stuttering and enhance his speech and self-esteem.
He had saved enough money by January 2020 to move into his own apartment, not far from the residence of his benefactors.
Betty accepted Mawufemor's marriage proposal in February 2020, and they married in a modest ceremony at a small church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada!
The following year, when they welcomed their first child, he raised the child into the heavens and exclaimed, "Who am I, O Lord, that you are so mindful of me?"
Mawufemor's life and experience fulfilled the following verse from Romans 8:28:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
THE END
Comments
God bless you.
Great narrative skills
Thanks alot MD