A Day In The Life.
I’m standing in front of this shop, one leg over the gutter, and I look like I’m ready to sprint down the street. But I’m a bit distracted… this woman is beautiful — stunning, actually. Her even-toned skin glows beneath a sun-faded African print outfit, and the tribal marks on her face somehow make her features even more striking. Flawless. But her shop? Absolute chaos. Canned goods dusty from staying long on the shelf, greasy pastries in clear bags, houseflies bonding on corn dough…I wonder what I’d say she sells if someone asked me…aha!
Provision store.
General. Collective. Ghanaian.
Like how all toothpaste is “pepsodent” and how all powdered soap is “omo”.
Good stuff.
Her: “Hei! Didn’t I tell you to remove it from your mouth?! You see you have hurt. You see!”
intense crying
Her: “Ehn? Look look. Look at how auntie is looking you. You have spoilt yourself”
more intense crying
Now I’m shifting my weight on the gutter.
Her: “Hei shut up! Oh auntie sorry ern, don’t look this boy, tsw. Please what is you wanting?”
Me: “Oh auntie, he’s sorry”
Look at me begging for this boy. Where is his shorts sef?
Get Naomi Tanefa Ackah’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Her: “He doing this always! I always tells him stop stop. But he doing it always!”
Me: “Oh my friend, ern. When mummy says stop, stop, okay?”
Look at my “friend” glaring at me.
His whole auntie.
I look up momentarily and chuckle. “The Lord is my Defender Provision Shop”, is written boldly above her head, painted in blue on the white wood attached to the door frame.
Me: “Hm, I’ll buy two cedis wai, the chewing gum”
Her: “Blue anaa yellow?”
Me: “Biaa, auntie.”
She reaches for the mismatched container on top of the kpakposhito, pouring a lot into her hand before counting mine and putting back the rest. She hastily half-screws the lid and drops them in my waiting palm.
Her: “Medaase wai”
She smiles gratefully as she responds to my thanks.
Me: “Ndaase, auntie”
I give the boy a final look. He looks at me. With a smirk and a chuckle, I tear open one of the gum wrappers and pop the gum in my mouth.
Mmm.
Three steps away…
intense crying.
