‘Listen my master, does it matter if your father has three pounds of your pay? It does not matter, I am telling you. Because then they shall not be able to say you have not given him anything since you started working.’

‘But Mother, I am not starting work permanently.’

‘And what do you mean?’

‘Mother, I have done an examination. If I pass very well, I shall go to school again.’

‘Ah, and were you not the one who made me understand that you would finish after five years?’

‘Yes, but the government asks those who do very well to continue.’

‘And does the government pay their fees too?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then that is good because I do not think your father would like to pay any more fees for you. Anyway, it does not matter about the money. You give it to him. His people do not know all these things about the government asking you to continue. What they know is that you are working.’

God!

I hadn’t thought of giving anything of that sort. Certainly not that soon. . . . However, Sunday came and I ate the oto mother prepared with the yam and palm oil. I ate it with some of the eggs to congratulate my soul. Then I went to say goodbye to people, and Mother took me up to the mouth of the road. Being a Sunday, we thought it would be useless to wait for The Tailless Animal to wander in. Because it simply wouldn’t. It did that only on the weekdays.

And I was to realise that I hadn’t heard the last of the money business. Mother thought it would be good if I continued to give that ‘little something’ to Father as long as I worked.

‘Ho, Father?’

‘Yes. You know he has done very well. Taking you through college. Now, giving him something would not only show your gratitude but also go towards your sisters’ fees.’

Ei, I say, have you heard a story like this before? I tell you, eh, I caught a fever in the raw. But Mother was still talking.

‘I had thought of a nice dignified something like five pounds. But you brought four this time and maybe it will be better to maintain just that.’

‘And how much do I give you?’

‘Me?’ She sounded quite shocked – ‘why should you bring me anything? I do not need your money. All I want is for you to be happy and you shall not be if they say you are bad. And do you think I am an old fool to ask you for money? If you give that to your father, you will be doing a lot. Say you will do it, Kofi.’

‘I shall do it, Mother,’ I parroted.