Thursday, May 3, 2012

I DEY FEEL YOU DIE

I returned to Sunyani, rural city in West Africa, in one year since I left Ghana.

I really missed Ghana.
I missed my friends.
I missed my sisters and brothers.
I missed Sunyani.
I missed remote communities.
I missed children and motheres there.
I missed everything of Ghana, Africa.

Among them, I wanted to see two guys in town, Sunyani.
They were students in Sunyani Polytechnic school and working in the netcafe at times.
I visited to that cafe again.

'Hi! mohot3sen? Ben ne Samson ewo ho?'
(Hi! how are you? Ben and Samson are there? in local language)

The young lady replied.
'Ben wawu.'
(Ben has died.)

I doubted my ears.

'oba yaa'
(my ghanaian nickname in this cafe)

Samson appeared and called my name,
then brought the card and pictures of funeral.

It was real.

He has passed away in the same age with me, 28.
Before 2 months I return to Ghana.

'akye paaa'
(long time ago)
she said.
Because I replied to her I stayed in Ghana 'akye kakura' (short time ago). 

Samson and I were talking about the days and browsing Facebook.
Nice picture of fufu with fish was shown on his page.
'This was in Oba Yaa Chop Bar.'
He said.
'Ah I know there! I used go with my colleague in Forestry.
He taught me a habit of apetesie before fufu!'
I said and he smiled.

'and do you remember that...'
'we also went out to eat together banku'
'Yes! we three!'
'after drinking voka'
we laughed.
we were thinking about the same things.
we were living in the same moments. 
I was pleased that I could talk and share those time with him.

'But I wish Ben was here'
Once the word coming to mouth, one drop has fallen on my cheek.

Turning into my page, I found my recent notes.
'aah this is my latest favourite track. AFRO ROCK'




'Let me listen'
Samson turned up the volume.

Yes we do. We used to listen latest music here in the netcafe.
Ben was a big fan of Tema because he was from Tema.
Not only him, Music of Tema is greatly supported among youth and the latest information spread from here netcafe, especially in such kinda rural area of Ghana.

'I like it so much.'

As usual in Africa, it is troublesome to download even one data.

I couldn't wait to complete it and rushed him up then asked him like what I used to do.

'What he rapped? What is the meaning?'

'Ei, oba yaa!'
He laughed because we haven's changed at all.

We are listening to the music and downloading it, and
I am asking about lyrics as the same as we used to do so.

Sarkodie, Dr.Cryme, Stay-J...

We talked about them so much when I was close with them.
But suddenly I was invited to Pidgen Studio then became close with Yaa Pono.

He is good friend, but still my dude.

I lost some friends in Sunyani and communities in this one year.
Scenery I missed in this one year
Such a beautiful forest
Energetic trees
Rough road
Wooden sachet houses 
People living there
Strong Big mamas and sisters
Lovely uncles and brothers
Nkora Nkora (children)
Akoko (chicken)
Aponkye (goat)

Dry dust and fucking heat makes me feel am in Ghana
But they are not more there.
And definitely the life in countryside is not easy at all.

I loose my sense and control
between beautiful reflection and painful reality.

Only Yaa Pono's shout and Kyekyeku's guitar and Sewor's base
come to my heart and feel me beats.

I am sure Ben is also listening with us, to his addictive tune.

'adwoaasa mepese meko'
(Its late, I like to go)
We walked under orange oudoor light through the din and bustle of town.
Samson sent me off to the taxi station.

We said good bye and see you again.
I came all the way to see you, Ghana.
I found that I lost so many precious.
But I won't forget you welcomed me.
Mi do wu x