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Doomed to Failure series…. Watch your mouth Alice!
As soon as Esaaba left, Alice called Maureen. ‘Hey girl. What is this I hear about you and Martin? I introduced you to him because you said you needed someone like you to help you set up your processing plant. And knowing that you were already doing well with the sale of fruit juices, I thought he would be a great help. But I hear he’s now more than your consultant. You are always with him, living it up’.
‘Hey, Alice watch your mouth. And what if in the course of business we have become a little close? The guy is good-looking, and so easy to get attracted to. I couldn’t help it’ ‘Well, Esaaba has just been here, and she’s not amused at all. She’s going to put a stop to it’.
‘What’s she going to do? Shoot me? I hope you didn’t tell her about Mr. C and Mr. F’. ‘I didn’t tell her anything. But I was hoping you would tell me what is happening, especially since you have gotten Martin involved in your mess’. ‘You think I did that deliberately? Listen, I have fallen badly for that guy, and if it weren’t for the current, er, financial problems, I would fight to win him. But things are not going well, so I will wait for a while, before letting him know.
For now, I hope to continue seeing him’. ‘Don’t count on it. Esaaba will skin you alive. And let me tell you, Maureen, you were not honest with me. If I knew you had problems with money, that the capital for the processing plant was not coming from you but from two sugar daddies, I would never have introduced Martin to you.
As things stand, you have no money to pay him, unless of course you will find another sugar daddy very quickly. And from the look of things, you don’t have money to continue with the project. But Maureen, you have always been an intelligent, hardworking girl, so when did you get into this sugar daddy thing?’
‘It’s not my fault that I’m pretty, Alice. They are always there, and whichever way you turn, they insist on buying you everything. And just at the time that I really need money badly they chickened out. Idiots’. ‘So what actually happened. How come both of them abandoned you just at the most crucial time?’ ‘They got wind of what I was planning to do. I think they got alarmed by my demands for money. They are both rich, so I didn’t think a few thousand dollars at a time would bother them. I bought the land and made part payment for the equipment, then they froze payments. I didn’t understand then, but I now realise that they suspected that I was either financing a young guy, or preparing to dump them, so they made discreet enquiries and found out I was building a plant, then they cut me off, right in the middle’. ‘Unfortunate, but you didn’t need to get involved with them in the first place. So, will you tell Martin or shall I tell him?’ ‘I don’t have the courage, so please do. Maybe he will agree to help me in the future’. ‘I will call him now, and let him know that the fling with you was doomed to failure’.
Martin stopped at the gate and greeted the security man politely. ‘Brother Martin, good morning. Esaaba is not in yet. She is normally here before eight. They must have been caught in traffic. So please park the car and wait at the reception. She will be here very soon’.
‘Okay boss’. I will wait in the car. I will be making some calls’. Martin had been having some serious thoughts since Esaaba gave her that brief but telling lecture. He wasn’t feeling too bad for having a fling with Maureen. That girl was a real bomb. But he felt stupid for falling for her charms, or tricks as he was realising.
She liked being pampered, but was that because she had been pampered as a child? Until Esaaba schooled her, he did not seem to find anything wrong with taking her round the fancy restaurants, eating all kinds of fancy stuff, when he and his buddies and, of course, Esaaba, were regular patrons of nice Ghanaian restaurants.
Esaaba, of course, had always treated him to delicacies like apapransa, epitsi, etor and others. And how come he had been able to virtually relegate Esaaba to second place, whilst showering time and affection on Maureen? Maureen was certainly beautiful and very charming, but Esaaba was the real queen, easily streets ahead in looks, intelligence and confidence. And she had a lot of time for Martin.
He had come to kneel down and beg her, and promise never to do that again. He saw her get out of the car and walk past his car, heading for the entrance. Then their eyes met. ‘Martin! Is everything okay?’ ‘No, not at all?’ ‘Ei! What’s happening?’ I hope nobody is hurt?’ ‘No, nothing of the sort. I just had to see you’. She walked silently with him to her office, opened the door and offered him a seat and sat down’. ‘I’m all ears. You gave me the impression that something has gone badly wrong’. ‘I just came to say that I am very sorry for my recent behaviour. I am really sorry. I cant explain my behaviour. But please, Esaaba, I was never going to leave you. You mean just too much to me’. ‘Okay, I accept your apology. You really hurt me. But I love you too much, and I know you also care for me, so let’s look forward. But let me ask, what did you see in that girl? Is she better-looking, or better in any other way, than me?’ ‘Certainly not! You know, she was always very flirtatious, pretending she was so vulnerable and needed me around, and all that. I was a little flattered that someone seemed to be all over me, but there was never a time when I thought of leaving you for her.
Please, never think that. I am really very sorry. This will never happen again. I’m glad you brought me back to my senses when you sat me down and lectured me. You know, for the first time I had started working for a client without asking her to sign a contract and making a down payment. I have been very, very foolish’. ‘Okay, you have learnt a lesson, and our relationship is still intact. Let’s look forward’. ‘Haven’t we looked forward enough? Why don’t we do what we’ve been preparing to do all along?’ ‘You mean get married?’ Martin nodded, and Esaaba broke into tears of joy. ‘Let me call my parents.
By Ekow De Heer
The driver stopped the vehicle at the gate of the large, fenced property along the Nsawam Highway, and Kakraba stepped out to meet the several workers who had gathered to wait for him.
He greeted them and went straight to the point.
“Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you have almost completed the clearing of the land. I’m happy to report that we have concluded all arrangements with Nana Serebour, and construction of the palace will start in a few days.
“I will need you to go and level the ground, and then come back to start this project. Some workers from a construction company will come and join us.
“My plan is to build twenty houses in four months. Then we will do twenty more until we reach two hundred.
“I am relying on you to help me deliver good-quality work to satisfy our clients and, as I have already indicated to you, I will reward you for your work.”
After an hour’s discussion, he closed the meeting and moved to drive away. Wofa Yaw drew closer.
“Director, can you please spare me five minutes? I would like to discuss a small issue.”
“Why, Wofa Yaw? Your wife has threatened to leave you?”
“No, Director. My wife will never leave me. This concerns a young niece of mine.”
“I hope it’s something I can help with. Please sit in the car and let me hear you.”
“Boss, my niece, Beesiwa, is a polytechnic graduate, very beautiful and with very good character.
“Unfortunately, her parents virtually forced her into a relationship with an idiot based in the US, which affected her badly. She has now recovered from that experience and, Boss, I am respectfully asking if you would find a job for her.
“I promise you that you will never regret it.”
“Well, Wofa Yaw, let me meet her and speak with her. I may be able to help, maybe not in the way you expect, but let me meet her.
“I will not be back here for another week, but I will be at the office throughout next week. You can come with her.”
On Monday morning, Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa were seated at the office by nine o’clock. Three young ladies welcomed them warmly, offered them soft drinks and assured them that Kakraba would be there shortly.
They then returned to their desks and sat behind computers with large screens displaying various building designs.
Kakraba walked in and greeted them warmly. After chatting briefly with the three ladies, he ushered Wofa Yaw and Beesiwa into his office.
“Director, this is my niece, Beesiwa. I mentioned her to you when you came to Nsawam.”
“Yes, indeed. Madam Beesiwa, you are very beautiful, just as your uncle said. Wofa Yaw is my colleague.
“We have just started a building project that will take about three to four years. He mentioned that you have a small problem, so I said I would like to meet you and see how I can help.
“So, Beesiwa, please tell me a little about yourself.”
Beesiwa described her childhood, her school experience, her brief work at the bank and the nasty episode with Sammy Abrokwa, which shattered her peaceful life. She also explained how she had been recovering from the experience.
“I am really sorry to hear this,” Kakraba said. “Now, here is what we are going to do.
“We are a small but very busy company. The three ladies out there spend most of the day on site and come back to report on their work in the morning.
“I have three main projects. The big one is an estate project in Nsawam, where your uncle is one of my main colleagues. I need a personal assistant who can take care of my activities, especially when I am not in town.
“Now, we will have to start with trust. Based on what I know about Wofa Yaw, and based on what you yourself have told me, I think we can start on a sound basis.
“So, Wofa Yaw will take you to my home. You can move into one of the four guest rooms.”
“Sir, I have taken some computer lessons, and I have even done graphics and web design,” Beesiwa said.
“Fantastic! I will give you a good phone and a laptop. I will also arrange computer lessons for you.”
“Now, Wofa Yaw, take her home. My sister, Kuukuwa, will meet you and show you around, and then you can return to Koforidua.
“When would you like to start work?”
“Sir, I would like to start today, but I would need to go and bring my things.”
“No problem. Take a taxi to my house, meet my sister, and let me know what you decide.”
Later that day, Kakraba and the three ladies met with some bank officials to conclude the sale of the three buildings at Adabraka.
They closed at five-thirty and, after rewarding the ladies for their hard work, Kakraba got home just after dark.
He was surprised to find Kuukuwa and Beesiwa sitting at the table enjoying supper.
“What’s happening here?” he asked. “Beesiwa, I thought you would return to Koforidua.”
“She changed her mind,” Kuukuwa said. “We went to the mall and bought a few things for her. Then we came back to cook. She has made some nice changes to your bedroom and cooked a couple of interesting dishes. Sit down; we will serve you.”
“Well, I certainly can’t refuse that. It’s been a busy day.
“So, what’s the plan now? Will Beesiwa go to Koforidua tomorrow, gather her things together and come down?”
“No, I will stay here for a while,” Beesiwa replied. “Kuukuwa bought me the things I need, so I may go back next week. I’m ready to start work. What would you like me to start with?”
“Well, you can come to the office tomorrow morning, meet the three girls and get a feel for what we do.
“Since you are living here, at least for now, we can discuss the plans for the next few weeks.
“Sometimes there are gaps when I travel up north. You can take care of things from now. I think the girls would like having someone like you around.”
By Ekow de Heer
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A frequent question following breast surgery is whether human tissue possesses the regenerative capacity to restore an excised organ.
From a strict physiological standpoint, a completely removed breast cannot regrow. Unlike certain organisms that can regenerate complex limbs or organs, adult human tissues—particularly specialised glandular structures—lack the cellular machinery required to rebuild an entire organ after its total surgical removal.
Instead, the body heals the surgical site through processes such as scar tissue formation and re-epithelialisation rather than complete cellular regeneration.
What a mastectomy actually removes
To understand why natural tissue regeneration does not occur, it is important to examine the surgical scope of a mastectomy.
Depending on the type of procedure and the medical reason for surgery, a mastectomy may involve the removal of:
Glandular architecture: The milk-producing lobules and ducts that form the functional core of the mammary gland.
Adipose tissue: The fatty tissue that contributes to breast volume, projection and contour.
Other breast tissue: The extent of tissue removal varies according to the type of mastectomy and the need to achieve appropriate surgical clearance.
Because specialised breast structures are physically removed, the body does not rebuild a complete mammary gland. Instead, healing occurs through tissue repair and scar formation.
Distinguishing residual tissue from “regrowth”
Patients or observers may notice changes in the chest area after surgery, sometimes leading to misconceptions about tissue regeneration.
Skin- and nipple-sparing procedures
Modern breast surgery may preserve the outer skin envelope or, in selected cases, the nipple-areola complex. Small amounts of breast tissue may remain depending on the surgical technique. Any changes in remaining tissue due to hormonal fluctuations represent residual tissue responding to the body, rather than the regrowth of a completely removed breast.
Adipose accumulation
Weight gain after surgery can increase the amount of subcutaneous fat across the chest wall. However, this is part of general body fat distribution and does not represent the regeneration of a mammary gland.
Modern reconstructive pathways
Because a completely removed breast does not naturally regenerate, modern medicine offers reconstructive options aimed at restoring physical symmetry, contour and body image.
The two main approaches are implant-based reconstruction and autologous, or tissue-based, reconstruction.
Implant-based reconstruction
Implant-based reconstruction uses synthetic medical devices, typically filled with silicone gel or saline, to rebuild the breast mound following a mastectomy.
The two-stage process: This approach may begin with the placement of a temporary tissue expander to gradually create space and stretch the surrounding tissues. A later procedure may then be performed to place a permanent implant.
Recovery profile: Implant-based reconstruction generally involves a shorter initial surgery and recovery period compared with procedures that require tissue to be harvested from another part of the body.
Long-term considerations: Breast implants are not lifetime devices and require ongoing medical monitoring. Some patients may need additional procedures over time because of complications or changes in the implant or surrounding tissue.
Autologous or tissue-based reconstruction
Autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own living tissue to create a new breast mound. Tissue may be transferred from another part of the body, commonly the lower abdomen, using procedures such as a DIEP flap.
Natural look and feel: Because the reconstruction uses living tissue, it can provide a natural warmth, texture and softness. The tissue may also change with the patient’s body weight over time.
Long-term durability: Once healing is complete, autologous reconstruction can provide a long-lasting result without the need to replace an implant. However, some patients may still require further procedures.
Complex surgery: This option usually involves a longer operation and recovery period. In microsurgical procedures, surgeons may need to reconnect tiny blood vessels to establish blood flow to the transferred tissue.
Direct comparison
When choosing between these two reconstructive pathways, patients and their surgical teams must consider several physical, medical and lifestyle factors.
Surgical burden: Implant surgery is generally less invasive, while flap reconstruction involves surgery at both the chest and the donor site.
Foreign material versus native tissue: Implants involve the use of a medical device, while autologous reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue.
Recovery: The recovery timelines and rehabilitation requirements differ significantly between the two procedures.
Recovery and physical rehabilitation
Recovering from breast reconstruction requires patience, careful pacing and, in some cases, structured physical rehabilitation.
Because implant-based and autologous tissue-flap procedures involve different surgical techniques, their healing timelines and physical therapy milestones can vary considerably.
Understanding these differences is important for patients considering reconstruction, as the choice involves more than restoring physical appearance. It also requires careful consideration of recovery, long-term monitoring, lifestyle and individual medical needs.
Part 2 will examine recovery timelines, physical therapy milestones and other factors patients should consider when choosing between reconstructive options.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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