GIFTS

I sliced it carefully and laid it sideways on the plastic cutting board. I took wedges off the core and peeled the skin off carefully. It was just as I like them, not too ripe and a bit crunchy. They are quite deceptive. They seem very green on the outside, so you’d think they are… Continue reading

At 4.30pm earlier on this week, she entered my class through the connecting door. I turned my head at an angle staring directly at her. What was she doing here at this time of the school day? She kept walking towards me, stood and smiled. I tilted my head even lower, with widened eyes and… Continue reading

A loud moving curtain pounding the ground suddenly came with a noisy friend. All I could do was smile. This was welcoming the holiday (our spring holiday- brought forward). A fresh breeze is always welcome as it has been sweltering.  The monster was here. It came with it’s own rhythm, slapping the different surfaces. I… Continue reading

Arriving at school this morning, I did not have a clue the kind of day I was walking into. What I noticed was the scanty number of students on the playground. It dawned on me that many of our families had chosen to keep the children at home. Students had been kept at home in… Continue reading

Collaboration is a word I have heard many times this week.  Today, teachers, parents, students and support staff worked together to create a simulation of the journey to Ellis Island. This simulation was as realistic as could be. The students migrated in 1914, from different countries and took on the name and life of a… Continue reading

Red, Yellow, Green and Blue All spread around The park   Hands sway Bodies sashay Heads bob Fingers snap   Barking music Fills the air Although outside We declare   A day of fun A dance to remember   This was our Elementary School Dance-Off, that happened some time ago.  Today we have another House… Continue reading

In class, across the room sat a quiet, gentle looking lady with long. braided hair, donning a thin pastel cardigan.  She wore a welcoming smile. Everyday, she sat by herself and did not contribute much to the class conversations. I thought she was reserved and seemed rather alone.  One morning, I managed to sit closely… Continue reading

Counting down Looking forward   Memories driving That need Imagination helping Complete it   Dim Lights Rich aromas Gloved hands Like a surgery   Tiny portions Colorful rendition Different levels Sit up, sit down   All halted With a bang Disappointment Expectation quashed   Like a plate thrown “Splat!” The dream  Shattered A dear friend… Continue reading

If my parents were around they would have been chief mourners.  Mama met Mrs. O in the early 1960s, when she was a young teacher in Takoradi, she lived with her father, then.  Mr. O’s passing has been a blow to our family, too. We became neighbors and grew up with their children. Many fond… Continue reading

I needed a skipping rope. I had talked about it so much E, my daughter, was also on a look out for one for me. The plan was to buy one over the weekend.  On our ride home, this coincidence I believed was truly God sent, happened, especially when I had never seen a roadside… Continue reading