From Pasta to Pigfoot

by Frances Mensah Williams

  At Faye’s enquiring look, she went on. ‘It’s a year of community service that every graduate has to do. Edwin was away teaching maths at a primary school in the north of the country for most of the past year.’ She turned off the engine and added with a wry grin. ‘The car belongs to his mother – she usually lets him use it at weekends.’

  Faye opened the door, reluctant to leave the cool interior of the car, and grimaced as the relentless heat assaulted her once again. She jammed the straw hat onto her head and slung her leather duffle bag over her shoulder. Her slim feet were encased in a pair of rubber flip-flops that quickly filled with sand as she trudged behind a suddenly energised Amma.

  Amma wheeled round, seized Faye’s elbow and pointed to a small group of people lounging on the sand a few feet away.

  ‘Look!’ she said excitedly. ‘There’s Edwin and the others. Let’s go and join them.’

  Wincing at the combination of heat, sand and slippery sandals, Faye dutifully stepped up her pace and was soon being scrutinised by several pairs of curious eyes. Panting slightly from the exertion of her near gallop across the sand carrying the mat and the heavy bag, Amma took a couple of deep breaths before speaking.

  ‘Everybody, this is Faye – our friend from London.’ She pointed to a tall, rather lanky man lounging on a beach mat. ‘This is Edwin, my boyfriend.’ He stood up, easily towering over her, and took off his sunglasses before wiping his hand on his shorts.

  ‘Welcome to Ghana, Faye. It’s nice to meet you.’ He shook her hand, his grip firm and slightly damp.

  Amma continued with the introductions. ‘This is James Brown’ – gesturing with a giggle at the man who had been sitting next to Edwin – ‘well, actually his real name is Kwamena Pratt, but we all call him JB.’

  James Brown – alias JB – looked around twenty-five. He was small in build and very dark and wore his hair in a full, round afro. His only clothing was a pair of black swimming shorts and a heavy gold chain around his neck. A gold signet ring sat loosely on his thin middle finger and as he smiled in greeting, a glint of gold was clearly visible in the gap between his two front teeth.

  Unlike Edwin, he didn’t stand up or try to shake Faye’s hand. Instead, he tapped a skinny forefinger against his forehead before pointing it at Faye with a loud ‘pshoo!’ as if firing a gun, all the while flashing his gold tinged smile.

  ‘How ya doin’?’ His voice was high, with an accent that sounded to Faye like a cross between a Texan and a Korean.

  The girl sitting next to him rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed by JB’s performance. Her generous cleavage was almost spilling out of a low cut, stretchy black T-shirt that seemed to have reached the full extent of its elasticity. Even seated, her colourful wrap-around skirt could not hide what appeared to be very sizeable hips. Her hair was braided into short plaits that framed a small face with penetrating dark eyes and full pouting lips.

  She smiled engagingly at Faye and reached out a languid arm encased in jingling gold bangles. ‘Hello. I’m Baaba,’ she said. Her voice was surprisingly deep and incredibly sexy. Faye smiled back and murmured a greeting.

  Her attention was immediately diverted by the sight of a new arrival. He had clearly been swimming and his low-slung black swimming shorts highlighted a muscular abdomen and perfectly sculpted muscles. He picked up a towel from the beach mat, wiped his face and then turned to smile at Faye, displaying a dazzling set of even white teeth.

  Transfixed, Faye simply could not tear her gaze away. Ghana was definitely proving to be a very attractive adventure!

  Smiling broadly, Amma slapped her hand against his raised one in greeting and turned back to her friend. ‘Faye, this is Sonny – Sonny, this is our friend Faye from London,’ she said. She winked at Faye. ‘Sonny is our local hottie – women just melt whenever he’s around.’

  Sonny gave Amma a gentle punch on her shoulder and after unsuccessfully trying to dry his hands on his wet shorts, held out his right hand. Slightly dazzled by the high-beam smile he was directing at her, Faye shook his hand and mumbled something unintelligible.

  ‘Please take no notice of Amma,’ Sonny said in a low husky voice that suited his handsome features perfectly. ‘She just likes to tease me.’

  ‘How long are you staying in Accra?’ The silky voice so close to her ear startled her and Faye spun round in alarm. Her hat fell forward over her eyes and pushing it back, she found JB standing only inches away from her. In her flip-flops, they were almost the same height and now, up close, she could see the faded marks of old scars on his face. Faye took a step back before answering.

  ‘I’ll be here for about three weeks.’ A rare gust of wind almost blew her hat off and she held it down firmly with both hands.

  ‘Oh man, that’s just great, man!’ he said. His accent was so strange that she could barely make out what he was saying. Of greater concern was the fact that whenever she took a step back, he would take another step forward, oblivious to her efforts to create some space between them.

  Seeing her discomfort, Sonny pulled JB’s arm and dragged him backwards, ignoring the angry glare his friend directed at him. ‘Heh, abongoman! Give her some space. Can’t you see you’re crowding her? Seriously, bro!’

  He turned his back on his friend and flashed another high-wattage smile at Faye. ‘Don’t mind JB – he’s just a bushman with no manners.’

  Sonny’s eyes were hooded like those of a sleepy serpent as they travelled up and down the length of Faye’s long rangy legs. ‘Do you want to swim?’ he drawled, his tone slow and husky. ‘The water feels great, especially in this heat.’

  Faye looked at the sparkling water and agreed enthusiastically. Moving over to where Amma was laying out their beach mat, she quickly stepped out of her shorts and removed her shirt, conscious of Sonny’s brooding gaze fixed on her as she undressed. Tossing the hat onto the straw mat, she tied her hair back and followed him down to the water’s edge.

  They trudged past groups of children laughing loudly and splashing each other in the shallow waters and dodged around a large black horse that galloped past, its rider holding on to the mane and balancing on the strong bare back of his mount with just the grip of his calves.

  The water was warm as Faye surged forward against the deceptively powerful waves. With strong lazy strokes, she swam out into the sea, closely followed by Sonny.

  Back on the beach, Baaba watched them with narrowed eyes. Slipping on her sunglasses, she turned to Amma who had wriggled onto the beach mat between her and Edwin.

  ‘She seems nice enough,’ she remarked.

  Amma was leaning back against Edwin, her braided head nestled against his shoulder.

  ‘She’s really nice,’ she agreed airily. Without thinking, she added with a laugh, ‘and from the way he’s behaving, I’m beginning to suspect Rocky rather likes her too.’

  Baaba’s expression froze. She smoothed out her brightly coloured skirt and kept her tone neutral. ‘What makes you say that?’

  Amma, now totally relaxed, had shut her eyes and didn’t notice the change in her friend’s demeanour. ‘Well, it’s hard to describe,’ she murmured drowsily. ‘I think it’s the way he looks at her – it’s, like, really intense, you know?’

  When Baaba didn’t reply, Amma sat bolt upright in alarm, suddenly aware of what she had said. She seized Baaba’s arm, noting in panic the grim expression on her friend’s face.

  ‘Now don’t go getting worked up,’ she said, switching to Fanti, the Akan dialect that Baaba spoke. ‘She’s only here for a short time. Anyway, you know Rocky has just finished with Clarissa – he’s not likely to get involved with someone else so soon!’

  Edwin burst out laughing. ‘Amma, you don’t know much about men, do you?’ Ignoring the angry glare Amma shot his way, he leaned back on his elbows and added, also in Fanti, ‘Baaba, if you’re wise, you’ll keep a close eye on Rocky now that he’s free,’ he said. With a nod towards the sea, he added with a sly grin. ‘It looks like she’s got S
onny hooked as well.’

  Amma pushed him in exasperation as Baaba’s expression darkened. Taking a bottle of iced water from her bag, Amma took a long sip and offered the chilled drink to her friend.

  ‘Baaba, don’t mind him! He’s just messing with you. Anyway, I’ve told you before; Rocky won’t go out with you because you’re my best friend – he says it would be too close to home,’ she added diplomatically.

  As her friend looked at her sceptically, Amma carried on, her breathless voice earnest as she tried to sound convincing.

  ‘Look, I even asked him to come to the beach with us today and he refused – he used the usual work excuse to get out of it. Besides, he thinks my friends are too young for him to hang around with.’ She took another long drink from her bottle.

  ‘So if he’s so anti-so, what’s he doing here, then?’ Baaba asked sweetly, gazing past Amma at a tall figure approaching their group.

  Amma choked on the water she was drinking. She spun her head round and gaped at the sight of her older brother striding towards them.

  Before Amma could say a word, Baaba was on her feet. Her enormous hips swaying, she walked rapidly towards Rocky, reaching him before he had taken more than a few steps. Reaching up, she kissed him on the cheeks three times in the traditional Ghanaian fashion, and grasped his arm firmly as they walked to where Amma, Edwin and JB were sitting.

  Rocky greeted the two men, shaking hands with Edwin and raising a hand in salute to JB, his sunglasses barely concealing his distaste at the sight of the latter. Baaba reluctantly released Rocky’s arm as he sat on the mat beside Amma and contented herself with quickly sitting down beside him and manoeuvring her curves as close to him as possible.

  ‘Where’s Faye?’ Rocky asked, looking around the crowded beach. He had changed into a pair of long white shorts and a black T-shirt that emphasised his compact muscles. Despite the heat, he somehow still managed to look cool.

  ‘She’s swimming,’ Amma said briefly, looking out to where Faye and Sonny were now splashing each other in the sea.

  Baaba hid a sly smile as she watched Sonny in the distance playfully trying to duck Faye’s head under the water. ‘It looks like Faye and Sonny are getting very friendly.’

  Her voice was smooth and she watched Rocky covertly from under her long curly lashes. Her large breasts strained even harder against their tight covering as she leant against him, her face the picture of wide-eyed innocence as she reverted to her native Fanti, ‘Well, the girl’s on holiday, isn’t she? She should have some fun while she’s here. And if anyone knows how to show a girl a good time, it’s our gorgeous Sonny!’

  Rocky stood up so abruptly that Baaba almost fell over. Shaking the sand from his leather sandals, he hitched up his shorts and smiled back impassively at the surprised faces looking up at him.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Amma asked. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked up at her brother in bewilderment.

  ‘I hadn’t planned on staying – I just dropped by to tell you that Stuart’s having a party next weekend at his house and that you’re all invited. I’ll see you at home this evening.’

  With a casual wave of farewell to the astonished quartet, he turned around and strode back in the direction of the car park.

  Faye staggered out of the sea, with Sonny close behind her, both of them weak with laughter from their horseplay. Looking over to where Amma and the others were sitting, she stopped abruptly, causing Sonny to bump into her.

  Grabbing her waist to prevent her from falling over, Sonny laughed, not releasing his hold even when she had regained her balance.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ His husky voice, so close to her ear, sent a small shiver through her.

  ‘Look! Isn’t that Rocky over there – by the others?’ Faye exclaimed, trying not to sound agitated.

  Shrugging carelessly, Sonny wiped the lingering drops of seawater from his eyes with one hand, the other hand still on Faye’s waist, and looked over to where his friends were sitting.

  ‘Yeah, that looks like Amma’s brother,’ he replied.

  Just as he spoke, the receding figure turned and looked in their direction. Rocky paused for a moment, his face expressionless as he watched the two of them standing immobile at the water’s edge, Sonny’s hand resting possessively on Faye’s waist.

  Turning abruptly, he walked away without looking back.

  9

  Cultural Contrasts

  The cock crowed relentlessly, its strident cry breaking through the gentle hum of the air conditioner. Faye turned over slowly in bed, groaning as her stiff muscles protested against the movement. Squinting through her mosquito net at the clock beside her bed, she saw that it was almost six o’clock in the morning.

  That bloody animal is begging to be made into chicken soup! she thought viciously, wincing again as she burrowed her head back into the warm hollow in the centre of her soft pillow. Willing her mind to go blank before a stream of conscious thoughts could enter her brain, she breathed in and out deeply for several minutes. Just as she began to float back into sleep, the cock crowed again, followed by the piercing sound of a car horn from the house next door.

  Doesn’t anyone sleep in this country? With a deep sigh she rolled over gently onto her back and slowly opened her eyes. Pale shafts of morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains. Through the white mosquito net, the advancing swords of light gave her room a pale ghost-like aura.

  The unaccustomed exercise of the previous day was making itself felt. She reached down to rub her aching thigh and felt a marked soreness in her shoulders and back from her swim. After Rocky’s sudden departure, she and Sonny had returned to the sea, swimming and frolicking until the cooling temperature had forced them reluctantly out of the water.

  The rest of the evening had been uneventful with a quiet dinner at home followed by an early night. Rocky had still not appeared by the time Faye, yawning and struggling to keep her eyes open, bade her host family good night. After a quick shower, she had fallen into the welcoming bed and slept soundly.

  She stirred restlessly as the images of the previous day started to crowd into her consciousness. Unable to lie still any longer, she sat up cautiously and gently crawled out of bed. With the sound of the flowing water muffling her groans, she stood under the shower until the warmth brought some relief to her aching muscles.

  Feeling more energised, she rummaged through the clothes hanging in the spacious wardrobe. After considering her options, she pulled out a straight dark-chocolate linen skirt with a high slit at the front and a multicoloured top in a mix of gold, brown and scarlet that she’d picked up from a street market in Southall. The top was cut in the style of a sari blouse and she shrugged helplessly as she realised that her belly button was exposed.

  Checking her appearance in the mirror, she giggled as she thought of her father’s frequently raised eyebrows at the kind of clothes she wore and her ultra-conservative brother’s constant pleas to tone down her – in his words – ‘seriously weird’ outfits.

  After one last fruitless effort to tug the blouse down, she left her room, wincing at the ache in her calves as she walked down the stairs, and headed for the kitchen.

  Martha, back from her day off, was bustling around the large kitchen singing a church hymn very loudly and equally off-key. She stared dubiously at Faye’s exposed midriff as she walked in and her singing faltered as her eyes wandered further down to the split skirt. Recovering quickly, she smiled at Faye and wished her a good morning.

  ‘Would you like some breakfast, Miss Faye?’

  Faye shook her head, eyeing the full coffee pot longingly. She was just about to ask for a cup when Rocky sped into the kitchen. Dressed in dark navy tailored trousers and carrying the jacket of his suit, he stopped abruptly when he saw Faye before nodding coolly in greeting.

  ‘Good morning.’ He sounded in a hurry and turned to Martha who silently handed him a cup of coffee. He gulped it down hastily, holding the cup well in front of him
to avoid spilling coffee onto his pristine white shirt.

  ‘Isn’t it a bit early for the office?’ Faye looked at her watch in surprise.

  Rocky took a final gulp and handed the cup back to Martha, who shook her head in exasperation at his idea of breakfast. Turning to Faye, he paused before answering, his dark caramel eyes taking in the slim exposed midriff with the peeking belly button. Resisting the impulse to tug the hem of her blouse down again in the face of his naked scrutiny, Faye looked back at him coolly, waiting for an answer.

  ‘Not really,’ he said, his eyes finally coming back up to meet hers. ‘In Ghana our working hours usually start at eight. You’re up early for someone on holiday – do you have plans for today?’

  Two short loud blasts of a car horn from outside the house cut off her response.

  ‘Damn! Sorry, I need to go. That’s my father – I parked my car behind his last night,’ he said, picking up his jacket as he spoke. With a hasty farewell, he dashed out of the kitchen, the sound of screeching tyres shortly afterwards confirming his departure.

  Not wanting to get in Martha’s way, Faye gratefully accepted a cup of coffee and wandered off to the dining room where Auntie Amelia was sitting reading a newspaper while finishing her breakfast. She looked up in surprise as Faye entered, then smiled warmly and gestured to her to take a seat across the table from her. On the table was a plate of sliced oranges along with a teapot and two clean teacups.

  ‘Good morning, my dear,’ Auntie Amelia said cheerfully. ‘I hope you slept well? I’m surprised you are up so early – you looked so exhausted last night, I thought you would have a lie-in today.’

  Faye sat down and placed her coffee cup carefully on the wicker coaster she had extracted from the rack in front of her.

  ‘I slept like a log after all the swimming I did in the afternoon,’ she laughed. ‘Well, that is until a cock started crowing the national anthem at the crack of dawn!’

  Auntie Amelia chuckled, her beautiful eyes crinkling in amusement. She offered the plate of oranges to Faye who shook her head and continued to sip her coffee.