Mowabites Worldwide

We had a new headmaster, a retired district education officer. It seemed the most important lesson he’d learnt during his active years of service was that pupils ought to know hymns.

“Gentle Jesus, meek and mild!…” he intoned. He sang it like it meant so much to him. I and my friend Karim would look at each other, wondering what’s gotten into the old man. We were made to repeat the line till we were sore.

By this time, my dad was transferred to the capital city, Accra. We were preparing to relocate.

When we first heard news of the transfer, we couldn’t sleep. We were like men that dreamed. Accra, unbelievable!

I heard so many rumors of Accra but I had never been there. All my life I’ve lived in the arid, scotchy north. I only saw parts of the capital city on TV. Now that we were going there, I began studying the map to learn names of Accra’s suburbs. Some of the names were funny. I thought it would be a good idea to learn a few greetings and other words in Ga, the language spoken by the people who first settled in Accra. There was a passage in our English textbook about Homowo, an annual festival celebrated in Accra. Staring at the images in my textbook, I imagined myself among the crowds that had gathered by the street to witness the processions.

My mom attributed our luck to generosity. She claimed God had rewarded us for the many times we’ve been hospitable to strangers and the many gifts we’ve given to poor families. Amazing how we attribute the good times in our lives to good deeds and bad incidents to past sins.

I noticed the attitude of most of the teachers in the school changed towards me. Even those that never smiled, smiled at me each time they run into me. “I hear you’re going to Accra, ” they would say. “Yes, ” I confirmed. And whoever it was would say some fascinating fact they heard about the place. If they had ever been there, they went on to narrate their experiences.

Piece by piece, I tailored these tales into my perception of Accra. The clearer the picture became, the slower our departure appeared.

Strange things began happening during our final days in the north. Accra was full of opportunities. And when bright opportunities are ripe and about bursting open, the forces of darkness are restless…