Eno was in a fix. The holy water Prophet Methuselah had given her to sprinkle around the house to prevent the works of the devil which had seemed to be at work in her household for a long time had proven either too weak to fight the devil or totally impotent.
“Lord why me? Why has the devil decided to plant his seeds in my household?”
Eno wailed.
Frimpomaa, her neighbor and friend who looked even sadder than Eno took a deep breath and sighed…
“My sister, the last time the devil tried playing such tricks on me, I fought him with his own poison. That’s how to go about it these days, you know. And so I did just that! I tell you, that juju man is the best in this area. He gave me instant results. You must go to him quickly before the evil enters your last daughter too. Leave that good for nothing prophet alone.”
“That will mean all three of them! No, I won’t be able to handle that! Oh how I wish my husband was here to support me. Kwabena, why did you have to die and leave me to swallow such bitter medicine?”
She began lamenting, causing Frimpomaa to join her with supporting moans and even deeper sighs.
A few minutes later, when both ladies had settled down considerably, in walked a young man of about 24 years, dressed sharply in white slacks, and a matching white shirt. He had a backpack on his back and earphones in his ear. The moment Eno set eyes on him she started to lament again.
“God She is at it again!”
The young man whispered to himself and greeted his wailing mother and her rather angry looking friend.
“Today of all days, young man, why do you decide to come in and remind me of my pain? Why do you have to even walk in here wearing that? Reminding me yet again what the devil is busily working out in my life.”
The young man laughed softly and cleared his throat.
“Mother, how many times do you want me to explain to you that this is exactly what I want to be and the devil has no hand in it? Nobody forced me into this. It was my personal choice to become a nurse!”
Eno jumped up suddenly and started pacing.
“Oh no, he has mentioned that abominable word that should not be attached to a man’s name! Oh gods of my native land! My ancestors! Why are you slumbering in your graves while my enemies take control of my son’s brain?”
Her son was beginning to get uncomfortable.
“Mom, I am not mad!”
His mother rushed towards him and stopped abruptly directly in front of him, looking him straight in the eye.
“Oh, but you are because I don’t understand you and your choice! Why not a doctor? Why a nurse? Why do you choose to be a woman? Is it because I had a daughter before and after you? No! That is not the reason. It is the work of my enemies! If it were not so, my firstborn will not be off on…what do they call it? …aha! Peacekeeping! My daughter will not be off keeping peace in some war-torn faraway land while her mates are exactly where they should be, in their husband’s homes, making babies! So I know, my enemies, I know you are seriously after me. But you will not get hold of my last child! No, she will have a nice gentleman, who surely will not be a nurse, come asking for her hand in marriage. Yes, you won’t have it all, devil…you won’t have it all!’
The young man, who could not stand any more of the drama, picked up his bag and silently left.
“Eno, this is a sign of darker things to come! Tomorrow morning, prepare, I will go with you to the man I talked to you about. This will surely come to an end!”

*******************************************************************************
SOME MONTHS AND SEVERAL VISITS TO THE JUJU MAN LATER…

The last born was on the porch with the young man who was a nurse.
“Brother, it has been 3 weeks since mother left to the village and I have not heard a word from her. I’m beginning to get worried”
The young man laughed.
“Do not be worried, my dear, she said she was going to consult the gods and her ancestors, right? Only God knows exactly where she is right now. And if she is there because of my being a nurse or our elder sister being an army officer, then it might take a while”
He laughed some more and the last born joined him.
“I wonder what will happen when she comes back to see what I’ve decided to do to raise money for medical school.”
The last born said.
“Medical school? You want to become a doctor? Now you are going to have mother thinking the devil switched our souls or something weirder than that! But I say, go ahead and do it. Your idea is brilliant. If I had time on my hands like you have, I would have done the same thing to raise money for myself too. Just be careful because you know you’ll be virtually the only female out there.”
“Thanks brother, I sure will be careful. Let’s go inside, I’m sure the rice is cooked. You can have some to eat before you leave.”
“Just make sure mother never gets to know you fed the male nurse under her roof”
They both laughed.

SOMEWHERE IN SOME WAR-TORN FARAWAY LAND….

The first daughter who was off keeping peace had just finished reading a letter from his nurse brother and last born sister.
“Mother started going crazy when I turned down the seventh and last suitor that came knocking on our door and broke the news that I had joined the military and was going off to camp in a week. She cried and begged me to rethink my decision. She called in her prophet to pray, she sprinkled holy water on my pillow and did all she could to stop me but here I am.”
The peace keeping daughter was talking to no one in particular. She and the rest of the troops were all relaxing under a tent, resting their tired limbs…it was evening, and peace had almost been restored so the region was quite calm.
The first daughter continued.
“A couple of years later, my brother borrowed money from me, got forms from a nursing school, had me help him fill them, and got enrolled in nursing school. For about two weeks my mother made herself believe we were pulling a practical joke on her. Then after she realized it wasn’t a joke, she got the prophet to come live at home with us for about three days for thorough cleansing of our home and souls. Eventually, she begged my brother to move out so she wouldn’t go mad and I also moved out soon after. Now I have news that my sister is up to something that I’m sure mother will suffer cardiac arrest from when she finds out, and I’m not exaggerating.”
By then, the tent was quiet. The men were all asleep.
First daughter straightened up in her sleeping bag and went off to sleep too.

IN THE VILLAGE WHERE THE GODS AND ANCESTORS WERE BEING CONSULTED…

“Who did you say you are again?”
Eno asked the middle-aged man.
“I’m the head teacher”
The man replied
“And what did you just tell me?”
Eno asked again.
‘I said I’m glad you’ve decided to go home now. You’ve been here for over a month, and that fetish priest is just draining you of your money. I have heard why you are here and I just want to tell you that there is nothing spiritual at work. It’s perfectly normal for a man to be a nurse and a woman a soldier.”
Eno looked furious.
‘I will go, but know that I have eyes watching you. I know now that you’re one of my enemies. My stay here is hindering your works isn’t it? I am going so don’t worry, just beware”
With that, she walked off, carrying her luggage.

AFTER A LONG JOURNEY FROM THE CENTRAL PART OF GHANA TO ACCRA…

Eno walked out of the lorry station to the roadside and hailed a taxi. The taxi stopped and she got in.
“Mother! You’re finally back!”
The last born who had turned taxi driver to raise money for medical school exclaimed.
Eno, the mother, looked up into her lastborn’s eyes, clutched her chest and collapsed onto the seat.
Last born was in tears as she sped to the nearest hospital.
Mother was not moving…mother was not breathing.
She was pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital…Cardiac Arrest.