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10 WON'T LAST FOREVER

“Sir, I only need 10 days of rest.” These were my words as I hurriedly filled out my leave form in anticipation of traveling to Kumasi to unwind. The motive of the trip was essentially to attend a funeral, and subsequently tour the entire city. 

The thought of going to Kumasi had been conceived some months back and hell no, there was no way I was going to miss that.With my Nissan March in sight, damn! I intended to drag the seven-year old all the way to Otumfour’s land, knowing she was up to the task. After all, roads are roads. How different are Kumasi’s from Accra’s? 

My innermost self was so jumpy, and won’t allow me to embark on a four-hour journey with a small but mighty vehicle (1.3L engine capacity). What if it broke down in the middle of nowhere? What if it suddenly decides to run at 40km/h instead of 120 on a highway? 

I obviously may get frustrated and stress will take the best part of my being.After the back and forth, "VIP" got its way. "Circle", here I come. Friday 6 am sharp, first bus, fresh ticket, Kumasi bound. Perfect seat: window area. Going past Nsawam, the excitement of visiting Kumasi again couldn’t be contained as Kumawood got me on the bus without a blink.

The bus made a stopover at "Lindador" for travelers to attend to nature’s call and also grab a thing or two to nibble on. As I wanted to use the washroom, I found out that I had to pay 50 pesewas just to pee. 

Hey, who does that! How on earth will I buy a sachet of water for 20p and let it out for 50? What happened to fairness? Waste is now taking precedence over substance. Wow! This is indeed the age of garbage. Placing so much value on trash. I couldn’t hold that waste product for the next 20 minutes as my bladder couldn’t be trusted. I eventually had to pay for my liberation, for freedom is sweet.

“Yes, Tech junction”. Right then I knew I was in Kumasi. It looked and felt different here. The folks were simply welcoming. At this point, Fufu got locked up in my mind, and regardless which soup it came with, would certainly have been a "bomb". 12 noon in Kumasi and it already appeared as though it was 6 pm. The clouds had gathered and seemed the region was about to experience a thunderstorm. Surprisingly, after about an hour, the sky stayed crystal clear without a shade of a cloud. Did Okomfo Anokye redirect the storm? Or Lake Bosomtowe swallowed it all? The cloudless sky then set the tone for a night of partying and merry making. 

I was hysterically excited about “chilling” in Ashtown, Ahodwo, Kwadaso and Santasi.Days passed, and I didn’t seem to have had enough of Kumasi. Easter saw me “chilling” from dusk to dawn. Was I really observing the passion of Christ or taking over with Shatta Wale? For the longest time in my career life, I hadn’t enjoyed my leave in such a spectacular manner. My leave days appeared to be running out, and was almost time for me to touch base in Accra. I definitely couldn’t have come to Accra without paying my last respect to Bar-Naas: good food, fantastic music and lovely people. I do need a replay of this adventure.Life is now back to regular 9 to 5. Streets are basking hot and pockets are severely dry.

disclaimer- images: Kumasi-Ghana, West Africa.