BAD COMPANY

Calvin Osei, like most youth of today was caught up in a web of foolery. He had begun a good Christian life from home till he began his second cycle education. It is said that bad company corrupts good morals. Despite the Christian foundation his parents had laid for him, he became blinded by the follies and vanities of this world. School life taught him that if you want to move with the 'great', you have to be cool and play by the rules. So, this was what he did by getting himself the 'best of friends'. His friends Master Kululu, Emaa Formula and Gbeekane had initiated him into the Boneshakers Cult- whose members were made of the richest and 'coolest' students in the school. The unique aspect of this cult was that members were also expected to be academically good in order not to attract unnecessary attention from school authorities and other nosy students. They moved in cliques too. Interestingly Calvin was made the head of the cult in his final year after he had passed all his tests. The tests included stealing at least 20 fowls during your stay on campus, taking in some hard drugs and sleeping with some of the beautiful girls. The worst of these tests was drinking a concoction made up of rotten eggs, green grass, ground cockroaches mixed with honey. The mixture is kept in a toilet for 3 days. The mixture is sieved and the member drinks this. As a handsome young man, Calvin had no problem getting involved with the girls he fancied and almost every two months, he had a new girl. Calvin carried on with this notorious behaviour till his second term in his final year. He went on vacation and as his parents were abroad, he decided to go to the nightclub on the eve of Christmas with his three friends. As usual they went to the club with four of their numerous girlfriends. They had a good time drinking and flirting with the girls till 11p.m. when they decided to go home. They saw the girls off. They waited for a taxi and when it seemed they wouldn't get one, they decided to walk along the dark, quiet lonely road. At a distance, they saw a white BMW car. They driver was driving slowly as he approached them. They stopped and looked at the car in awe. Who was the owner of this latest model BMW model? The driver parked the car by the roadside, just some few metres from them. He switched on the inner light of the car and got out of it. He went to the boot of the car and took out some tools. When Calvin and his pals saw this, they guessed what has occurred. The car has developed a fault. "Hey, what do you guys say? Should we help him?" Emaa Formula asked. The others stared at him as if he was from Mars. "Who supports me?" he asked again. His friends burst into wild laughter. "Hey, what's funny? Have I peed on myself?" Emaa Formula asked again. Master Kululu gripped his shoulders, gave him a wicked smile and said, "Buddy, since when did you become a good Samaritan? Have you forgotten the rules? I guess not. Ours is to destroy, not build. We are no saints, so think properly." Emaa Formula blinked twice and shook his head. "Look, we've done bad things but not this time. What if he's your father? Would you do this? Come on, let's help him." The others froze. Calvin cleared his throat. "Guys, what do we do with a member who has no testicles?" "Do away with him!" Gbeekane and Master Kululu said in unison. "Come on, Calvin. You wouldn't do that to your father, would you?" Emaa Formula pleaded with him. Calvin ignored his plea. "Action," he said slowly. Before Emaa Formula could say jack, they grabbed him and despite his struggle they threw him roughly into the bush. "Good," Calvin said, ' the coward is gone. So, what do you guys suggest?" The decided on what to do and walked towards the man who was under the car, their eyes as wild as that of a lion. Their bloodshot eyes looked like they had used 'Akpeteshie' for soakings. As they got closer to the man, their faces became meaner. Danger really loomed ahead for the man. When they got to his car, they separated- Gbeekane moved to back of the car, Master Kululu moved to one side of the car and the boss, Calvin stood at the front. Fortunately or unfortunately for the man, he moved from beneath the car. Just as he stood on his feet, Calvin ordered, " The keys mister!" The man was flabbergasted. What the heck was going on here? "Who are you?" the man asked angrily. "I am the one I am," Calvin replied cheekily. Without another word, he turned to his pals. "Attack!" Calvin ordered. "Hey, what-," the man began. He was not allowed to say more. They beat up mercilessly. When he felt as limp as a possum in their hands, the left him crashing to the ground. They got into his car; Calvin behind the wheel. The car zoomed into action. When Calvin had driven far away from the crime scene, he shut the engine and the car came to a halt abruptly. "What now?" Master Kululu grumbled. Calvin glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? Mind you, it's not too late to throw you out like that coward." Master Kululu was pissed and he pointed a finger towards Calvin and said, " Watch your words, boy. I'm not- " "For Pete's sake, shut up you two," Gbeekane said coolly. "We should decide on how to keep this car. The man may become conscious soon and we would be in hot waters. Use your heads to think rather than shout at each other like some kindergarten kids. Mind you, we are not in the animal kingdom. Even in the animal kingdom where stupidity is the order of the day, order is maintained," Gbeekane concluded. "Who said we are in that kingdom? Perhaps you are the one there," Calvin said cheekily. "Moreover," Gbeekane continued, ' I bet none of you want to end up as a jail bird." "Mr. I- Know- Too-Much, this is not a philosophy class," Master Kululu snapped. They remained silent for some time and deliberated on what to do. They took the man's brief case. Calvin drove the car into the bush and parked it there. They covered the car with branches with wide wide leaves. After this, they opened the brief case to see its contents. Good sweet God, it was full of crisp Benjamins- $100 bills. Their eyes widened in shock. Calvin let out a deep sigh he didn't know he has been holding. Gbeekane shook his head in wonder. "True, it is said that the world is like a comedy to the rich; a tragedy to the poor and the dream to the fool!" "And whom are you quoting now?" Calvin asked in disgust. His friend ignored him. "So, how do you see the world, Gbeekane?" Master Kululu asked. Gbeekane shrugged. "Perhaps, like a- I don't know." "Oh, you do. You see it like a fool." Master Kululu said. Gbeekane was furious. "What do you mean by that, Master Kululu? Calvin, what do you say?" Calvin looked at the two and laughed out loud like a banshee. "Well, it's rather unfortunate, Gbeekane. He is right. I think Master Kululu sees it as a tragedy." It was Gbeekane's turn to laugh. Master Kululu was angry. "Look, just because your dad is richer than mine doesn't mean you're better off than me, okay?" Master Kululu shouted at him. Calvin ignored him. "Well, who sees it as a comedy?" he asked. When they didn't look his way, he said, "You know. But for now, we have this money to share so I guess you've been updated to my status. I've decided to send the money home since my parents have travelled to Washington. You can come tomorrow if you like and we can share it. Happy?" They agreed after a minute's silence, took taxis and went to their houses. The next day, at Calvin's end, they shared the money equally. Each with his eagle eyes making sure he was not cheated. A few days later, Calvin's parents arrived in the country. Like the innocent boy they knew, he pretended to be a saint. They bought him lots of goodies. One morning as the family was having breakfast, Calvin's father said, " You excelled in your exams last term, son. I pray you continue with it. Anyway, where are your friends? I haven't seen them since we arrived." He gave his father one of his disarming smiles. "Oh, you mean Gbeekane and-." "Gbee what?" his father asked in shock. Calvin recovered and remembered he was talking to his dad. He ran his hand carelessly through his hair. "Sorry dad. That's his nickie- I mean his nickname." Mr. Osei shook his head in disbelief. "Is that the best nickname you both chose for him? I thought you were a gentleman, Calvin." "I am dad. It's just that sometimes..." "Tell him to change it." Mr. Osei rose from his chair. "So, what's yours?" "I have none dad. I promise." "I trust you, son. Have a nice day." When his dad left, he let out a deep sigh of relief. That was really close, he thought. He hoped nothing negative occurs during their stay. If not, he would be dead meat! Later that night, Mr. Osei received a letter and read it. The letter was from his brother in Germany who was informing him about his arrival in Ghana soon. He stated that he would call him a day before his arrival. The stamp on the letter showed that it was posted about a month ago. Mr. Osei's cell phone rang. "Hello," he said softly. He listened for some time with worry written on his face. He told the person on the line that he would be there. He went out of the house and later came back with a man. When the man came out of the car, his arms and head were in bandages. Mr. Osei helped him into the living room. As soon as they sat, the man began to narrate his ordeal. The next day, as Calvin was getting ready to go out, he entered the living room to find the man there. The man was about to say something when Mr. Osei came in. "Calvin, meet your uncle, Enoch. The one I've told you so much about. You've seen some of his old pictures. Well, he's older now and has changed a bit. Say hello to him," his father said, beaming with smiles. "What happened to him, dad?" Calvin asked, worried. The man smiled wryly. "Hey, don't panic. I would be fine. Your dad would tell you how I ended up this way," the man said. Mr. Osei told Calvin about his uncle's ordeal. When his father was done, Calvin's remembered what he and his friends had done a few days ago. His uncle's story was similar to that of the man they had attacked. He looked intently into his uncle's face and panicked. What has he done? That night, the street light had been dim and they were drunk but looking at the man now, he knew without a shadow of doubt that they had attacked his uncle. His uncle! His heart began to beat faster and he felt hot suddenly. "Calvin, why are you staring at your uncle as if you have seen a ghost?" his father asked him with concern in his voice. Tears began to roll down his cheeks. What have I done? he thought. "Dad, I..." Words failed him. His throat felt dry "Dad, I'm truly sorry." He fell in his knees. "Uncle Enoch, can you ever forgive me?" His father and uncle were shocked about the event unfolding before them. What was going on here? They were at sea. "Calvin, what have you done?" his father asked. Just then, Emaa Formula entered the hall with a maid. When Calvin saw him, his jaw dropped. His friend smiled and greeted them. He turned to Calvin. "Are you confessing your sins, Calvin? I came here to do that too. We are destroying our lives." Calvin confessed his sins. "Please forgive me dad. Please forgive me uncle. I didn't mean to..." Mr. Osei shook his head in regret. " You've disgraced me, Calvin. I didn't expect you to- damn it! Where is the money?" "I shared it with two of my friends. I would get it back, dad. I would do anything you like but please don't disown me or have me arrested. I'm truly sorry." "Get up, Calvin. We would talk about this later. I guess I have no choice but to forgive you. After all, you are my nephew. To err is human and to forgive is divine. Get your friends here so we can settle this whole mess," Enoch said seriously. "Get into your room now!" his father ordered. As Calvin walked with jelly legs into his room, he wondered if he could ever forgive himself. He has brought shame to his family. What was left of him? He vowed to leave the Boneshakers Cult. No more bad company! THE END..