Boma doodled on the blank sheet of paper in front of him.

He glanced left, then right, head still bowed as if engrossed in some paperwork. But it was all a façade. Deep down he knew, he was only fooling himself. He was illiterate. But he had suddenly been put in the spotlight and he didn’t know how to act the new role given him.

What did these people see in him? Perhaps he looked important, but to himself, he was a nobody.

But this new position, could he handle it? P. T. A Chairman of Muzama SDA Basic School.

All the years he’s attended their meetings as a parent, he’d seen the former P. T. A Chairman writing down points raised by concerned parents and teachers. The former Chairman, Mr. Alhassan, is a big man in town. Everybody knows him and the things he’s done for the community.

Bona wondered who recommended him for the post. If there were to be fundraising for a school project, what could he contribute?

His wife Azumah has been very excited ever since she heard the news. The silly woman, she doesn’t know how carefully he had to thread in order to not disgrace himself and his family.

Thank God most of the PTA meetings were conducted in frafra, his mother-tongue. If it had been in English, it wouldn’t be funny. He, Boma, what English does he speak?

But this new office is a major milestone in his life. He, who used to be a cobbler many years back, with nowhere to sleep, roaming from one uncompleted building to the other with his mother, today he’s Chairman of the parents and teachers association of the only school in his community. How time changes.

It comes with no pay, but it’s certainly an honor. He must give testimony in church on Sunday of the Lord’s goodness.

For now, he must concentrate on the meeting. One woman was on the floor.

“Why must we pay exams fees? What is the essence of the school fees we pay?” the fuming woman made her case.

All eyes turned to the proprietress, then to the Chairman. Boma always knew that a fool is respected so long as he’s quiet. He looked at the proprietress, his indirect way of saying ” respond to this”.

Thankfully, the school owner took the bait.

“I bear a lot of costs in this school that I never inform you parents. If I ask you all to contribute something little for the printing and photocopying of exam papers, am I asking too much? “

There was silence, followed by some murmuring.

” I and my husband do not depend on monies paid to the school. The fees and other monies you pay are not enough to even pay the teachers for one full year. My husband is the one who supports me in paying for the expenses of the school…”

One woman interrupted the proprietress, much to her displeasure and that sparked fire. It took a while to quench the flames. The meeting was brought to an abrupt end when the proprietress stormed out of the meeting in anger. A certain man made a very unpleasant statement of some incident that happened to his daughter in the school. He claimed his daughter had an infection because of the poor toilet facilities in the school.

It was then Boma realized his new position was not going to be an easy job. But he had already accepted to have the shackles hanged over his neck. It was now too late to request that the chains be broken.

He went home in a pensive mood.