GIFTS

For a few years, I have been writing Ama’s stories here. As I’m struggling to find a topic to write about today, I will write another of Ama’s stories. Ama’s stories share images and realistic stories about the life and people in Ghana. It builds a picture and hopefully shares a snippet of a different place and life.

Trudging through the sidewalk , Ama struggled to break through the hundreds of pedestrians also trying get past each other. She stopped only to buy some green mangoes and thought her decision to buy from this particular lady was the right one. Instead of the four mangoes she had paid for, she was gifted an extra for free. Ama thanked the lady and kept moving.

This is an interesting place, how do all the stalls with the same goods end up close to each other? It helps customers though. Ama was deep in thought.

Her next stop was at the tomato market. When she got there, she was amazed at the sounds and sights. There were hundreds of women in red cloth, most of them were carrying old crates on their heads, filled with tomatoes, red, organic tomatoes. It was a beautiful but unexpected sight. There was a man on the tannoy making an announcement when the loud music was paused. Ama was stopped in her tracks, moved to the side and stared at the stream of red flowing around that portion of the market. She dared to ask one other by stander.

“What is goung on here? Is there a festival?” “One of the elderly tomato sellers died and this is her market funeral,”explained the lady nonchalantly.

The scene was both enchanting and sad, but Ama felt lucky to have observed this tradtion. She forgot she was in a rush and stood to hear the dirge and eavesdrop on the gossip about the elderly lady’s life story.

“She did not have any children.” “She built a huge house in her village, now her relatives are going to enjoy her investment.” “I wonder who will take over her stall?” “She has gone to rest, she overworked when she was young.” “She did not even get to enjoy her money. How sad!”

Ama had all the gist, just from eavesdropping. She could move on now.