Hello everyone, I’m pleased to be writing again in this wonderful community. I hope you are all having a good day.
First of all, three dollars is approximately thirty Ghana cedis. 30 Ghana cedis is not that little in Ghana, in fact, 30 Ghana cedis is actually twice the minimum wage in Ghana which is 15 Ghana cedis (for a full day).
However, the fact that 30 cedis is more than the minimum wage doesn’t guarantee it is worth much in terms of purchasing power. An average decent meal in Ghana costs more than ten Ghana cedis, implying that with thirty Ghana cedis, one would struggle to acquire a three course meal.
Despite that, 3 dollars is still deemed a reasonable price for almost every novel that you can find in any book shop in Ghana.
Therefore to answer the question :
If I gave you three American dollars and asked you to buy me anything at all, but you could only spend three US dollars, what would you buy me and why?
I would buy you “The Dilemma of a Ghost”. A book written by the renowned Ama Ata Aidoo (she passed on her sleep last week, may God have mercy on her gentle soul).
Written and published in 1965, this book is by far one of the most interesting drama pieces I’ve read.
A young Ghanaian man Ato returns home from studies in North America with an African American wife Eulalie. As Eulalie visits African, she realizes that her fantasies of African life is not in reality as lovely and sweet as she thought. The struggles of Eulalie as she attempts to adopt and find balance between her cultural past and her new home and role as a wife puts Ato in a dilemma of going Elmina ( a monumental and historical castle in Ghana that was built by the Portuguese during the colonial period ) or cape cost ( another costal city in Ghana known for its role as a transportation and trade route during the transatlantic slave trade).
The major theme of the book is ethical dilemma, where the main characters Ato and Eulalie are faced with moral and ethical conflicts.
The dilemma of a ghost apart from being a trilling and interesting drama fused with comedy, suspense and drama is also universally diverse. It can be appreciated by anyone from anywhere in the world. It teaches the actual values and morals of the Ghanaian culture in its pure form.
Spending 3$ on this wonderful piece of art by the late Ama Atta Aidoo is definitely going to be a good decision and I hope you would agree with me too.
My cover picture is made with canva