The Market Flirtation (Kumasi, 1970)**
The air smelled of **ripe plantains and diesel** when Kwabena Mensah first saw Akosua at Kejetia Market.
- **His Vices**:
- **Rolling tobacco** between calloused fingers (a habit learned from colonial soldiers)
- **Gambling** away his father's cocoa profits
- **Her Burdens**:
- Orphaned at 16, selling **woven baskets** to survive
- A face **"too pretty for her own good"** (Grandma's words)
**The Seduction**:
Kwabena "accidentally" knocked over her display, then spent **three days' wages** buying every basket.
*"You burn like akpeteshie liquor,"* he whispered. *"I want to swallow you whole."*
Akosua laughed—but Grandma Ama **saw the shadow** trailing him. A **scorpion-shaped** smog clinging to his lungs.
#### **II. The Goddess's Contract (Mythic Interlude)**
**Ancient Ghana, 1023 AD – The Scorpio King's Bargain**
Wounded and bleeding out on the dunes, Adjo the Unbroken choked on his own blood as the **Goddess of Reincarnation** materialized.
*"I can spare you oblivion,"* she offered, her seven mouths speaking in unison.
**Terms**:
1. **His Soul**: Would be reborn **through a mother's betrayal** (symbolic justice for his warlord sins).
2. **His Power**: Locked until he **shed mortal blood** (his first kill).
3. **The Fine Print**: *"You will hate the womb that carries you."*
Adjo spat in her face—but his **dying hand** signed the contract in the sand.
**Only the Scorpio King remembers this.**
#### **III. The Pregnancy (1975 – Modern Timeline)**
Akosua's belly swelled too fast. **Nightmares** plagued her:
- A **gold-armored warrior** drowning in her womb
- Her reflection **mouthing words** she couldn't hear
Kwabena's smoking tripled. When Grandma Ama confronted him, he **knocked out her tooth**.
*"This child is cursed!"* he roared. *"Look at the scans!"*
The ultrasound showed **two heartbeats**:
1. A normal fetal pulse
2. A **slower, rhythmic thud**—like a war drum
**The Abortion Attempt**:
Akosua drank the bitter tea. Kwabena held her down.
For **37 seconds**, the baby died.
Then the **Scorpio's spirit crashed into the void**, merging with the corpse-flesh.
**Last Line**:
*"When you were born,"* Grandma Ama tells Adjo, *"you didn't cry. You whispered your father's name… and he screamed for hours."*