part one
Asiedu returned home to Ghana on August 5, 1989 after
spending fifteen years in Lagos, Nigeria. Not only has his attitude changed for
Lagos life due to his long stay there, but his Nigerian accent betrayed his
encounter with their ‘eba’ food, which is one of the common delicacies in Lagos.
He did not come home empty handed as some of his colleagues
who shunned their root when hunger visited their mother’s home did in 1983. The
ingrate children came back when honey started over running their mother’s jugs.
Most of them came willingly while others were evicted by their foreign mother
who knows no suffering of the orphan. Ibo land laughed at the ingrates as they
packed out in their multi-coloured bags which they bought on Lagos streets, popularly
called “Ghana must go”. Their hospitable mother land received them warmly
irrespective of their ordeal betrayal.
Wealth was sparkling on Asiedu when he came. Old school friends
and those he made at Lagos followed him like bees sensing the aroma of nectar
plant. He lavished money on bottled drinks for his friends to demonstrate his monetary
muscles. His extravagant spending on the streets of Cape Coast earned him so
many friends. His siblings thought his wife and children would come to see him later
after he returned from Nigeria since those who came earlier, their Yoruba wives
and children followed them to Ghana.
Five months on after Asiedu stepped his feet on the coastal soil,
he did not even received a telephone call let alone a letter or mail from
anywhere for his family to believe that he has a wife or children somewhere. He
is still a bachelor just as he went to Lagos.
Takyi, Aseidu’s elder brother called him to his house one
evening and had a chat with him.
“As days go and come, you are not growing younger. You are rather
advancing in age. Ever since you came home, we thought your children might
follow you but we haven’t seen anything like that. Its high time that I sit you
down to talk about certain things in life with”, Takyi seriously said, looking straight
at his brother’s forehead.
“Thanks for your concern. I knew you would be talking about
marriage. I decided not to marry a Yoruba woman because of their cumbersome
customs. I want to marry a Ghanaian. I mean a Fante woman. Elders say that vultures
spare the bones of old men so that they can tell the new generations of their generosity
in rejecting the bones of the aged”
“You have actually spoken like a core Fante from the capital.
You are a true son of our late father. The same elders say we don’t spit and
lick it back with our tongues. As you have said, find one of the young women
around and make family with. The friends you see today will disappear when your
pocket becomes dry of money”
‘Bros’, I want to thank you so much for the brotherly love
you have shown. As I said I have thought of it. I will get myself a wife”
After their conversation, Aseidu asked to leave. Most of the
young women in and around Kotokuraba eyed the ‘Lagos Man’ as they affectionately
called Aseidu. Some started making advances towards him. One of the ladies got attracted
to Asiedu’s eye. Her name was Frema. She was an Ashante but her father teaches
science at Mfantsepim secondary school where Asiedu attended for his post-secondary
school education before going to Lagos to teach. She was slim and fair with obvious
natural teeth gap partitioning her front incisors nicely. Her dimples were
enough charm to attract any man searching for a wife.
Asiedu saw her one evening after she had closed from choir
rehearsals at Pedu Presbyterian church branch. She was going with her friend,
Adoma, when he called her. The two went to him but Adoma excused them and went to
wait for her some distance away. After a while, Frema came to her friend smiling.
Aseidu told her to meet him at Spot Five restaurant behind the Robert Mensah’s
sport stadium at Pedu junction. She told Adoma about what transpired between her
and the Lagos man. She also laid bare their plans of meeting at Point Five
restaurant. Point Five, is a restaurant for middle class people. The money that
can buy ordinary water there can take you to any other spots for three good days
in Cape Coast. The spot normally features politicians, business men and women and
highly ranked personalities in Cape Coast. Adoma expressed interest of going to
Point Five with her, but because Frema didn’t tell Asiedu of coming there with
her friend, she told her to wait for another time. Adoma had heard of Asiedu’s profligate
attitudes since he came back from Lagos.
Early morning the following day, Frema who had completed a
sowing course at Nash Fashion Centre after her middle school, dressed in a red blouse
on mini skirt to show her dexterity in fashion, ready to meet Aseidu at Point
Five restaurant as they have planned. Her red shoe matched perfectly well with
her top. She clipped her hair at the back of her neck with rose flower as most
of Cape Coast ladies imitate the white ladies around blindly.
Although Cape Coast ladies are known to be playing with English
language but Frema was different. She speaks her Ashanti dialect fluently with
occasionally mixing it with her ugly accent in Fante. She picked a taxi to
Point Five restaurant.
Asiedu had already arrived at the restaurant waiting for her.
He is a lanky man with fair hairy skin. His body stature speaks voluminous of rich
handsomeness. He was in his traditional outfit showing clearly a Nigerian man. As
soon as Frema got down from the taxi, he saw her and ran to pick her. They
walked to the restaurant together. As soon as they sat down, one of the waitresses
came to them with the menu sheet.
“What do have on your list?” he asked.
........to be continued.........
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