From Pasta to Pigfoot

by Frances Mensah Williams

  ‘Well, what about me? I might go mad if you leave,’ he asked sulkily. Faye smiled at the look of frustration on his face; the disappointed frown marring his perfect features gave her a glimpse of what he might have looked like as a little boy.

  ‘Come on,’ she said as Martha bustled into the kitchen. ‘Let’s go. We’ll talk about it later.’

  He gulped down the rest of his coffee and followed her out of the kitchen. She ran upstairs to retrieve her shopping list and tidy her hair before heading out to the car. Rocky had already started the engine and he turned on the air conditioner as soon as they set off.

  The traffic was light and they quickly sped down the dual carriageway that ran parallel to the beach. Fifteen minutes later, Rocky turned off the main road and drove slowly down the bumpy track leading to the Arts Centre car park. It was clearly a tourist haven as, despite the early hour, the place was already buzzing with visitors. Tourists and backpackers milled around the open grounds and wandered between the stalls, hotly pursued by salesmen peddling carvings and copper bracelets.

  Faye stepped out of the car and was immediately besieged by two young men, one waving a small highly polished wooden elephant under her nose, while the other dangled several twisted copper bracelets in front of her, punctuating each shake of the bracelet with ‘Very cheap, very cheap’.

  Rocky locked the car and walked around to her side. He waved the two salesmen away and led Faye into a large covered pavilion packed with stalls selling all manner of jewellery, fabrics and carvings. A few of the stalls sold a wide array of merchandise made from the traditional Ghanaian kente cloth and Faye looked around, completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of merchants calling her to patronise their stalls.

  Rocky bent to whisper in her ear. ‘When you see something you like, just let me know discreetly and I’ll do the bargaining for you. Otherwise, you’ll get ripped off and end up paying a fortune.’

  She nodded, and then stepped back hastily as a plump saleswoman hastened forward to pin a highly embroidered pink boubou against her shoulders. Shaking her head, Faye pushed the garment back towards its owner and moved on quickly to the next stall. A profusion of copper-coloured jewellery was arranged on a dark tablecloth and she bent over to inspect the different designs.

  ‘Oh Rocky, look.’ She held up a delicately twisted bracelet with tiny copper balls at each end. ‘Caroline would love this!’

  The stall keeper leapt into action and quickly named a price that had Rocky exploding into laughter. Faye watched in fascination as Rocky haggled relentlessly with the merchant, at one point even walking away as though uninterested. Eventually, after complaining piteously that they were taking the bread from the mouth of his children, the stall keeper relented and grudgingly accepted the wad of notes Rocky instructed Faye to hand over. Immediately after pocketing the money, the stallholder winked cheerfully at them and moved on to a European tourist who had been examining the jewellery and was enquiring about a similar bracelet. As she moved away, Faye shook her head in disbelief when she heard the stall keeper glibly add half as much again to the original price he had offered her.

  They walked past one stall after another, stopping occasionally for a closer look at the more unusual items. As he had promised, Rocky took over the negotiations whenever she found something she wanted until finally, almost two hours later, she had managed to buy presents for almost everyone on her list.

  ‘I still haven’t seen anything yet that will be right for Lottie,’ Faye said, frowning in concentration as she looked back at the stalls they had already visited. She clutched the rolled-up painting she had just bought for her father securely under one arm and looked in mounting frustration at the last uncrossed name on her list.

  ‘Let’s go outside and see what’s available there,’ Rocky suggested patiently. He steered her through a wide doorway and they stepped outside into the bright sunlight. In a smaller open area, a number of tradesmen had set up stalls, most of which were filled with assorted items carved from teak, mahogany and other hardwoods.

  Faye stopped abruptly as they passed the second stall, ignoring the calls from the owner of the first stand. ‘What do think about this?’ she asked, pointing to a small jewellery box made from polished mahogany. It was shaped like a miniature travel trunk and held together by four tiny gold hinges. The lid had been engraved with a delicately carved rose, while the box itself was lined with cherry red felt.

  Rocky picked it up and examined it carefully, turning it over in his strong hands to examine the finish before handing it over to Faye. ‘It’s beautifully made,’ he said appreciatively. ‘I’m sure she would love it.’

  Faye nodded in agreement and Rocky turned to the stall keeper who immediately launched into a long speech about the unique design of the box. After fifteen minutes of heated debate between the two men, the vendor wiped his brow with a large soiled handkerchief and conceded defeat. Rocky took out his wallet and handed him a clutch of notes and then passed the carved box to Faye.

  ‘Tell Lottie this one’s from me,’ he said with a grin, pushing away the notes Faye tried to hand him. ‘Now, if you’ve finished with your list, let’s go.’

  Smiling happily, Faye strode alongside him as they headed back to the car and stowed her belongings safely in the boot.

  ‘Where to, now?’ she asked, as she settled herself into the front passenger seat. Rocky started the engine and opened the car windows for a few minutes to allow the hot air to escape.

  ‘I’m sure you don’t want to hear this since you said you’d turned down Amma’s offer earlier on, but I forgot I’d promised to drive Stuart over to the fashion show this afternoon,’ Rocky confessed.

  ‘Oh.’ Faye stared at him in dismay.

  ‘His driver is away this weekend and the truth is that Stuart’s been banned from driving any of the bank’s cars.’ Taking in her disappointment, he added quickly. ‘Look, why don’t you come with me? We’ll drop him off at the show and leave him in Baaba’s hands and then we can carry on and do whatever you want.’

  Faye shrugged in resignation. ‘Okay, then. Look, it’s not that I don’t want to go to the fashion show – I just don’t want to get caught in the usual crossfire between Baaba and Clarissa.’

  The sun was high in the sky as they drove away and Faye looked around, basking in the now familiar sights and sounds of Accra. She smiled inwardly as she realised how quickly she had come to accept the manic driving and even the occasional herd of goats ambling across busy highways. Only too aware that she would be leaving in three days, she drank in the passing scenery and tried to capture it all to remember when she returned to England.

  They were soon at Stuart’s house and he came out to meet them as soon as the gates had closed behind the car. In the afternoon sunlight, the grounds of the house looked even more extensive than they had on the night of the party, and Faye looked round appreciatively at the beautifully landscaped garden.

  ‘You have a lovely house, Stuart,’ she said, reaching up to kiss his cheek in greeting. ‘But don’t you find it a bit big for just you?’

  Ushering them inside into a large open plan living area, he chuckled in response to her question. ‘Yep, it’s huge,’ he agreed cheerfully. ‘When they brought me to take a look at the house when I first got to Ghana, I thought I’d be living here with a few other people. I couldn’t believe it when they said it was just for me!’

  A steward boy entered the room and smiled at the visitors, raising his right hand in a brief salute. ‘You are welcome, Mr Rocky, and madam. Please, what can I offer you?’

  ‘Have a drink, you two.’ Stuart set off in the direction of the stairs. ‘I’ll change quickly and then we can go.’

  Faye settled for an ice-cold Coke while Rocky quickly finished a small bottle of cold beer. She had just finished her drink when Stuart walked back in. He was wearing a pair of coffee-coloured linen trousers and a long loose linen shirt in the same fabric.

  ‘You look really nice!’ Faye e
xclaimed, astonished at the transformation from the scruffy shorts and vest he had been wearing when they arrived.

  Stuart winked at her knowingly. ‘Well, I’ve got to make an effort, eh, since Baaba’s worked so hard for this show. Shall we go?’

  They went out to the car and before long they were at the exhibition centre where the fashion show was taking place. Huge banners outside the centre advertised it as the show of the year and billboards displayed the bright logos of the event sponsors. After circling around the parking area a couple of times, Rocky eventually found a space and they stepped out of the cool air-conditioned vehicle into the hot sunshine.

  Rocky’s arm rested casually across Faye’s shoulders as he steered her up a flight of wide shallow steps leading to the entrance of the exhibition hall. Stuart followed slowly, trying not to sweat into his linen shirt in the intense heat. After paying the entrance fee, the three of them walked into a huge pavilion where a number of designers had set up stands. They quickly spotted Amma and Baaba standing in front of a small exhibition stand that displayed a range of clothes similar to those on the mannequins in Auntie Amelia’s shop. Amma saw them first and waved vigorously.

  ‘Hi, you guys,’ she exclaimed, clearly excited to see them. ‘Faye, I’m so glad you decided to come! You’ve missed the first show but the second one will start in about an hour.’

  Stuart reached out to hug Baaba. ‘Is that the one where they’ll be modelling your clothes?’

  Her voluptuous figure was moulded in a long figure-hugging black dress with dramatic slits on both sides rising up to mid-thigh. Her full bosom looked in danger of spilling out of the front of the dress as she returned Stuart’s hug.

  ‘Yes – and I’ve managed to sell eight dresses already!’

  Pausing in her jubilation, she looked over Stuart’s shoulder and honed in on Rocky’s arm resting possessively on Faye’s shoulders.

  ‘Well, I see that you’ve been keeping busy, Faye,’ she said with a sly smile. There was no malice in her tone and Faye was forced to laugh at the exaggeratedly knowing look Baaba was casting at her. From behind, a familiar shrill voice caused both her and Rocky to turn round sharply.

  ‘Rocky! You made it!’ Tottering in impossibly high heels and wearing a very short, fitted metallic tunic, Clarissa launched herself at Rocky, who was forced to move his arm away from Faye to avoid toppling over. After a prolonged and suffocating hug, she finally released him and stepped back a few inches.

  ‘I’m so glad you’re here! You are staying to see me in the next show, aren’t you?’ She tossed her hair and pouted prettily.

  ‘Actually, Faye and I just came to drop Stuart off and take a quick look at Baaba’s designs,’ Rocky said. He stepped back to put more space between them. ‘But I’m sure you’ll be fantastic, as usual,’ he said with a smile. Clarissa glanced at Faye and gave her a perfunctory nod in greeting before turning back to her preferred target.

  ‘What do you think of my make-up?’ she asked, angling her neck upward to give him a closer look. ‘We’re supposed to be space age robots,’ she giggled.

  More like spaced out, was Faye’s immediate thought, and she watched in irritation as Clarissa continued to grip Rocky’s arm tightly while talking ten to the dozen. Her attention was momentarily distracted by a tall man approaching them. As he drew nearer, she realised it was Sonny.

  He sauntered up to them, greeting Amma and Baaba before turning to Faye and kissing her warmly on both cheeks.

  ‘Hello, stranger.’ His smile was so cheeky that she couldn’t help but smile back. He looked over to where Clarissa had dragged Rocky to greet a slim older woman wearing a fitted red trouser suit.

  ‘It looks like Clarissa and her mother have got Rocky cornered over there,’ he said, looking at Faye through narrowed eyes. She refused to take the bait and stared back at him steadily.

  ‘How have you been, Sonny?’

  He shrugged carelessly, taking one of her hands in his strong grip before she could protest. ‘I’ve really missed you, you know.’ He stroked her hand and resisted her efforts to pull it away. ‘I don’t understand why you suddenly became so distant. I thought we were friends.’

  ‘Faye, are you ready to go?’ Rocky said sharply, suddenly appearing at her side, with Clarissa right behind him. The expression on his face was cold as he took in the sight of her hand in Sonny’s. Tugging her hand away from Sonny’s unrepentant grip, Faye turned to Rocky and nodded. She felt a sudden rush of annoyance at his attitude, especially after his display of tolerant affection towards Clarissa, who now smiled maliciously at her, and she turned back to Sonny with a warm smile.

  ‘I’m leaving in a couple of days; so if I don’t see you before I go, I suppose this is goodbye.’

  Paying no heed to the glower on Rocky’s face, Sonny smiled back, his expression mischievous. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘You’ll see me before you go.’

  Clarissa had been watching the interchange through narrowed eyes and she suddenly excused herself on the pretext that she needed to freshen up her make-up before the next show.

  Rocky’s arm propelled Faye forward and cut short any further conversation with Sonny. With a brief wave of farewell to Amma and Baaba, she turned to follow Rocky. Stuart had been admiring Baaba’s designs and as Faye and Rocky walked away, he cursed quietly, slapped his forehead and called Rocky back.

  ‘Hey, Rock old man, I completely forgot,’ he said, his tone apologetic. At Rocky’s enquiring look, he went on quickly. ‘Günter and Manfred have changed their flight and are leaving tomorrow. They want to meet with us tonight to tie up the details on the financing deal.’

  Rocky’s face clouded over in irritation as he stared at Stuart. His boss looked back at him with a bland smile, undaunted by the mutinous look on the other man’s face.

  ‘Since Amidu’s not around, can you pick me up from the house at seven o’clock?’ Stuart turned his attention back to the clothes stand and looked admiringly at a batik shirt from Baaba’s collection.

  Rocky sighed deeply, glancing down at Faye in obvious frustration at the latest turn of events. He tried again. ‘Stuart, I have other plans for this evening. Can’t we do this tomorrow morning?’

  ‘Nothing doing, old chap,’ his boss answered cheerily. ‘They’re leaving on the morning flight back to Hamburg. Look, I’m sorry about the short notice, but I think you will be very happy if we can close this deal tonight.’

  Rocky looked at him, puzzled, but it was clear that Stuart had no intention of elaborating further.

  He shrugged and turned back to Faye. ‘I’m really sorry,’ he sighed and shook his head in resignation. ‘I wanted to take you out tonight, but it looks like that’s going to be impossible now.’

  Acutely disappointed at missing the opportunity of spending the evening with him, Faye forced herself to smile. ‘It’s okay.’ She looked up into his troubled features. ‘There’s nothing you can do about it, so don’t worry.’

  They left the exhibition hall without any further discussion and were soon back in the car. For a few minutes, the only sound was the music blaring from the car radio as they drove back in the direction of Labone.

  ‘Shall we get something to eat? You must be hungry,’ Rocky said eventually. As if on cue, her stomach gave an audible rumble. They looked at each other and laughed, dissipating the tension that had been building up since they left the hall. Rocky turned in the direction of Osu and before long they were sitting in a quiet restaurant enjoying a late and very welcome lunch. Refuelled by the meal, Faye chattered blithely, sharing her experiences in Ntriso with Rocky who listened intently, his eyes widening at her account of the visit to the cemetery.

  ‘That must have been really emotional. I don’t think I would have been able to handle it so well.’

  ‘Why? Are you that afraid of losing control of your emotions?’ Faye asked lightly, pleating the white cotton napkin she had used between her fingers.

  ‘Isn’t everybody?’

  Faye
looked at him closely, but his expression gave no clue as to what he was thinking. ‘No, I don’t think so,’ she said carefully. ‘I used to want to suppress my emotions and just keep other people happy, but I’ve realised now that it really doesn’t work.’

  He looked at her enquiringly and she continued slowly. ‘You remember I told you about my ex-boyfriend Michael?’

  Rocky nodded.

  ‘Well, most of the time I was with him, I was really anxious about whether I was good enough or culturally acceptable.’ She paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. ‘It’s taken some time but I realise that I was trying to be good enough for him at the expense of how I felt about myself. I put up with a lot of stuff because I was avoiding the need to deal with my feelings about who I really was and what I want for myself.’

  Rocky extricated the crumpled napkin from between her fingers and held her hand lightly.

  ‘So now you give in to your emotions without any fear?’ He looked at her curiously. Faye looked down at her hand cupped between his and felt the familiar frisson that ran through her whenever he touched her.

  ‘Well, I think I am more honest with myself about how I feel than I used to be.’ She shrugged lightly. ‘But it’s going to take a lot longer for me to undo my old habits completely.’

  ‘And where does Sonny fit into your emotional honesty?’ Rocky asked suddenly. Faye stared at him blankly, completely thrown by the change of subject.

  ‘What do you mean?’ she asked, bewildered.

  Rocky released her hand and leaned back in his seat, not taking his eyes off her face. ‘From what I saw earlier today, there definitely seems to be some emotional connection between you and him,’ he said evenly.

  Faye shook her head in exasperation. ‘Sonny is nothing more than an acquaintance. He took me out once, but that’s it.’

  ‘So why would he think there’s more to your relationship than that?’ Rocky continued relentlessly. ‘According to Clarissa, he’s crazy about you.’