The Akroma File

Chapter Twenty-Two

127 The Akroma File Chapter Twenty-Two (Wednesday, May 23rd, 1984) P a Sabbas did not inquire to know any further what exactly Kojo and Sons intended to set up. He was too excited to ask any questions. He had suffered so much that news of resurrection such as this was bound to put reason and caution behind him. Within one week he was able to obtain all the required documents. “Now it is only the participation fee that is left. Once that is paid we will be able to work out the percentage of involvement, whether you are coming in on a fifty-fifty basis or sixty-forty. What all this means is that we shall have to agree on the percentage of shares for each of us, considering that I am bringing in money and the personnel.” Pa Sabbas was hardly paying any more attention. He was lost in the figures that criss-crossed his mind. 128 Linus T. Asong 2 S ebastian Nganpior’s participation fee of 500,000 francs was paid on Wednesday July 4th. To raise the money the man was forced to do what he had vowed never to do – sell land earmarked for the children. There was a piece of land behind his abandoned mill, half of which he had sold to solve some of his financial problems. “You will never solve all those your financial problems,” his wife told him once. “If you think you can sell the land to solve them then you will have to sell all of it. And even if you have sold all of it, they will remain unsolved. So leave this land alone for your three children. I do not think in your absence the people you owe will treat your children with the same harshness. Leave their land alone.” He had promised never to sell any piece of it any more. The arrival of Kojo Hanson and all that he seemed determined to do compelled him to raise money by all means. Nobody was willing to lend him any money. The sale which would normally have fetched him about two million francs, was virtually given away for 900,000 francs. Pa Sabbas had not touched that kind of money for over five years. He gave Hanson 500,000 francs as his participation fee in the Kojo Hanson and Sons Enterprise. With the 400,000 francs left, his life style changed overnight. For one thing, he saw money coming. Within months all his debts shall have been paid. His total assets had been estimated by an expert at 227 million francs. It was agreed between them that since Sabbas had no money, and since Kojo Hanson would supply the entire financing, Sabbas 129 The Akroma File would be entitled to one third of the 227 million francs which he could decide to plough back in as an investment capital. Alternatively, he could invest the money in a bank and live on its interest while Kojo Hanson ran its business undisturbed. 130 Linus T. Asong 3 D uring the period that Sabbas was looking for the money Akroma tried to study his new environment. Sabbas had two taxis from which he eked out a living. J-P offered to drive one for his uncle. On the 31st May therefore, J-P began driving for his uncle. Hanson said it would facilitate his prospecting enormously if one of the vehicles was placed at his disposal. Sabbas immediately accepted, even offering to fuel the car for his visitor. Sabbas complained about the unscrupulous nature of the taxi men. “They work 10,000 francs, give you 2,000 francs and even ask you to fuel the car for them.” “I’ll solve the problem,” Hanson said. He discussed the matter with J-P whom he encouraged to take over the driving of the taxi and ensure that Sabbas got as such of the money J-P worked as possible. That would justify his stay in Sabbas’ house. A few days after the taxi was placed at the disposal of Kojo Hanson for prospecting, the latter asked the original driver to teach him how to drive. He had actually learned some driving long ago and so it did not take him a week to master it. He kept the driver by his side for another week, during which time Petit-Pierre, the driver showed him round the town. As...