Dial - Season 2 - Episode 76

4 years ago

Dial - Season 2 - Episode 76

He offered a short prayer, and then he nodded at me.

“You can eat now, Yao,” he said.
I dug in with a spoon, scooped up the oats and almond seeds, and then I just held it suspended near my mouth and a great sadness began to spread over me as I just sat there holding the spoon.

The woman was staring at me, her beautiful eyes wide with sudden concern.
“Are you not eating?” she asked softly. “Is there something wrong with the food, or something you don’t like?”

The Holy Man chuckled as he bit into toast bread and scooped oats into his mouth.
“He’s sad because he can’t eat the food,” he said with a merry glint in his eyes.
“Why not?” Attah Panyin asked with confusion.

“He put almond nuts in it,” the Holy Man said as he laughed suddenly. “He forgot he had just three teeth in his mouth, and he put in nuts! I was watching him, wondering how he was going to chew the nuts!”
Attah Panyin, formerly Okomfo Basabasa, saw the funny side of the situation, and began to laugh softly.

“Just leave him alone, would you?” the woman said with sad eyes.

The Holy Man looked at the woman as the smile disappeared from his face, and then he pointed his spoon at me.
“Yao Biko, my offer still stands,” he said quietly. “If you will marry my sister, your curse will break right now, and you’ll be able to enjoy your oatmeal. Otherwise, the curse remains.”

I looked at him sadly and dropped the spoon into the oatmeal. I had tears in my eyes as I looked at him silently for a while.
“It is not negotiable, Holy Man, or whoever you are,” I said as tears slowly spilled down my cheeks. “I’ve lived a life of evil, and I know different now. I’m going out there, even if I have one day left, and I’m going to marry Adobea, because I love her. Your sister was the best thing that ever happened to me before I fell in love, but I’m sorry, I love Abena Adobea. If it is okay with you, I’ll leave now.”

I stood up suddenly as my tears threatened to turn into a dam.

“And that is your final answer?” he asked quietly, his eyes hard.

“Not negotiable,” I said softly. “I love her, and I’ll live with her.”

“Even if you die,” he stated; it was not a question.

“To my last breath,” I replied.
He continued to look at me, and then he smiled broadly and nodded.
“I’m proud of you, Yao,” he said softly. “You’re almost the man I set out to change you to. Sit down and enjoy your food. At least you deserve to have teeth.”
I felt a slight s£nsat!on in my gums immediately, and felt something filling my mouth. I clicked my teeth with sudden awe, and slowly raised my forefinger and ran it across my teeth…

Incredibly, I had a full set of strong teeth!
“Sit, Yao, eat,” the Holy Man said and resumed eating himself.

As I lowered myself slowly into my seat, and scooped oatmeal with almond nuts into my mouth, and chewed slowly with relish, more tears brimmed in my eyes. I had always taken my teeth for granted, but losing them and having them back had taught me just how precious they were, and just how much precious life was.

I was scooping food into my mouth, and I was biting toasted bread, when I saw the woman’s sad eyes on me again, and as I looked at those eyes realization dawned on me finally.