April 24, 2009, Friday
Kraakradubi, Kwa Kwa Doobie, black crows
flying over with white breasts that wrap
around to the back of their necks like a white
t-shirt,a muscleman shirt, a wifebeater.
At the back of the house, Rose is teaching
me back stretches. She wants me to go to
the local masseuse/healer. Said she won't
charge because her mother taught her.
It's Friday morning. Yaw Gyamfi stopped by
carrying a bag. He said he will be heading to
Kumasi for two weeks to his mother's house.
His mother died a little while ago.
Meleama stopped by, said she is going to pray
at the local mosque and then go to the farm.
She looked at my drawings.
The neighbors sell a strong, homemade alcohol
called apetashi. People come and go. The
younger boys are playing soccer. Bea chews
on a Sokuadua stick, flossing her teeth.
The chickens are rustling about in the plaintain
fields. The cocoa and yams are drying. It's
cloudy and breezy today. Nice relief.
Rose gives me a taste of fried beans like a
donut and Nana comes back with fried cassava
and a coconut and gives me a taste.
Sandra, Kofi, Gloria and other little kids
are running with little toothpick-like sticks
and a leaf stuck in the middle.
The leaf spins as they run.
Bofrotu-fry bread, like mini-donuts but bigger
AY Day PA PAAAAHH! Delicious!
Bakyeakragro--fried cassava
April 25, 2009, Saturday:
4:30 am, call to prayer, Azzan?
the Koran over the loudspeaker wakes me up.
Again 20 minutes later. Then at 5:00,
reggae blasts from the neighborhood
spot (bar/saloon.
Call to prayer. Call to Alcohol.
Adugyama, Dwinyama.
I stay in bed til 6:45 am.
Most people are up at sunrise,
between 6 and 6:30, many earlier.
I get ready to shower and see
a group of goats out front.
Two are ramming heads.
They get up on their hind legs,
twist sideways and then butt heads.
I see an udder on one. Other goats
stand around and watch. They are in
a grassy patch.
Now I sit at the side of the house
where laundry and farmwork are done.
Bea is working on corn. Ama is brushing
her teeth. Sandra, Kofi, and Raymond
are cooking with tomato and sardine cans,
making dirt stew. The dog hangs by me
because I pet her a lot. Now Bea is
brushing her teeth and singing,
a gospel song. She shoos away a goat,
shweyy! Then looks in the mirror.
April 26, 2009, Sunday:
The fermented smells of cocoa:
acrid, sweet, dank. A goat
sneaks back away from the hall,
piles of corn cobs waiting to
be shucked. I take a photo of the
front of the house, a grey day, cool.
Three yr. old Kofi's face is covered
with chalk. Sandra put it on. I take
pictures of him and also the dog who has
a razorblade by her paw. Bea has her
hair all wild and I pretend to take
her picture. She runs away. Yaw Bimpe
is in the little plantain field hitting
plastic bags with a sling shot.
A well known song is on the radio. Hi-life.
I've heard it before. Ama and Bea say
they don't know the name.
Phone numbers on scratched, textured,
concrete walls. Chalk marks, Xs, lines,
the letters U2 circled in white.
Little drawings, ancient-like, layered.
Cy is with me and so is Antoni.
My own museum right here in Adugyama.
Cy Twombly and Antoni Tapies, my friends, my
mentors are alive and well in Adugyama.
I stop to take pictures. Bea is cutting
yams, putting them into a pot. Ama is
doing laundry.
Sunday Evening:
The afternoon, watching television with
Sarah sleeping, Kwaku Baah on the floor,
Yaw Bimpe on the bed. Me on the couch.
Bea watching from the hall. Nana walks
in and sits on the couch. We're watching
the Asantahene celebration in Kumasi.
Chief Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, his 10 yr. reign
as the Ashanti leader is being honored.
J.J. Rawlings enters the stadium with his
entourage to pay his respects. The Nigerian
delegation enters, a delegation from Swaziland
with impressive, traditional regalia.
President John Atta Mills,
many Obrunis (white people) lining up
to shake Chief Osei Tutu II's hand,
bedecked in gold, large gold rings, the
golden stool next to him. Other chiefs
with lots of gold, big triangle gold medallian.
The Chiefs' wives, dancers, and drummers,
The television announcer showing respect and
awe. I see Bea smiling, proud. Nana right by
the T.V. Sandra sleeping. Yaw Bimpe falling
asleep.
April 27, 2009, Monday:
This morning while doing laundry,
a goat gets on its hind legs and
sneaks some cassava drying on the
racks. Stephen's brother stops
by and chats. He's studying math
up north and wishes to go into business.
He has three years left. He asks me
what New York is like. He talks about a
brother/priest from here who visited
Texas and they treated him really well,
giving him lots of dinners. The dog
is lying on the path sleeping, resting.
Bea is sifting corn.
Music in the background, chickens,
a bird chirping. My silk sheet, drying,
falls on the ground. I make tea,
Lipton fro Rose, Moringa tea for me.
I pack to go to Nsawam and Accra.
Sandra's throat/jaw is swollen.
Rose puts on "Ghana medicine".
I believe it is dirt, ash, charcoal,
maybe something else. Sandra now
has black and brown spots on her neck.
Tomorrow they're going to the hospital.
A rooster crows, the chickens are clucking
by the gyaade (kitchen). A chicken hangs
out near Bea and me. The sounds of corn
scraping the metal basin as Bea sorts.
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