Chapter 2: Chapter 2

He looked straight into her eyes and said, “Can you change me?” She hesitated a bit and replied, “I don’t know. It depends on the kind of change you are talking about.” Mr. Gregory Donkor retorted, “I want to know if you can help me transform from my sinful ways to become Christ-like.” “Each, how can I, a mere mortal? It is God who transforms man, not humans. In any case, I do not know you, so how will I…...” “But, there is always the first time. Just consider ours as two people who click at first sight.” Anastasia started laughing uncontrollably. “Hahahahahahahahaha…….You are a very interesting person: In fact a funny crow.” Mr. Donkor quickly disapproved. “A crow? How can I be a crow and at the same time funny? Tell me.” Anastasia responded, “Never mind, you are not a crow; just that I do not know your name.” “Oh, okay! I understand. You are very clever. My name is Gregory Donkor. My friends prefer to call me Greg. Since we are now friends, can you address me as Greg?” Anastasia nodded her head in the affirmative and continued. “I believe you are not upset with me for calling you a crow.” “No, no, no!” Greg replied quickly. “Okay, fine. Indeed I am a fan of the famous American Singer and Songwriter, Sheryl Crow”, said Anastasia. Greg, therefore, concurred with Anastasia on this point. He said that he also loves Sheryl’s country and pop-rock songs. Anastasia tried to buttress Greg’s idea by saying. “Beautiful! The first time I heard the songs of this wonderful singer was in 1990 when I was invited by my pen pal Nelly. The two weeks l spent with her in Memphis, Tennessee was the most memorable time in my life so far. Every night we will go to a bar called ‘Dirty Crow Inn’ and danced to Sheryl Crow’s beautiful country and Pop songs.” Greg laughed and said, “You are a genuine Memphis crow!”

This is the conversation that took place on a windy October night in Nineteen ninety-four at the forecourt of Accra Newtown Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s Manse. Gregory Donkor had gone to the church to look for a friend who is a member of the Young People’s Guild (Y.P.G). There were about thirty people at the gathering on that Monday evening, both males and females, who were there for their usual weekly meetings to deliberate upon the group's affairs. Greg appeared at the meeting and the first person he met was Anastasia Lomotey, who led him to see his friend. When Greg was leaving he beckoned Anastasia to see him off, which she obliged. This is the beginning of two years of intense courtship between Greg and Anastasia which ended up in a marriage on the twelfth of October, nineteen ninety-six, in the year of our Lord.

On that beautiful Saturday afternoon, Gregory Donkor dressed in a black tuxedo, with a white shirt inside and a bowtie to complete the match was led by his Best man, wearing a similar suit, into the Accra Newtown Presbyterian Church building to meet his better half. This was the happiest day in his life. After all, the day will be the last time he will sleep on two legs. His dreams have crystallized into reality and when all is over by the close of the day, he will take Anastasia to their honeymoon; it is then that she will feel how powerful he spits down there. This and many thoughts raced through his mind as he sat down quietly waiting for her important other to be presented to him by her father. At exactly 10:20 in the forenoon, a siren was heard at the church premises; a white limousine decorated in ribbons of mauve, green and white colors drove in and beautiful Anastasia was brought into the church by her father to be presented to her would-be husband to tie the knot. Three hours later, they became Mr. and Mrs. Donkor. The groom was asked to tell the congregation why he decided to say I do and this is what he said. “It was not really a single moment but a long line of little things that built up to it. This beautiful flower beside me started as my best friend in the world and the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world to me. One day I decided I wanted to get married and have her in my life till the end. Of course, I had a feeling that I would ask her on day one but I was in love and thought that after a year or two, I would feel different and things would change. But I was mistaken. I still love her like the day I met her, two years hence.”

Conversely, Mrs. Anastasia Donkor stood in front of the witnesses and made the following confessions. “Every couple's love story features a series of moments: the first date, the first kiss, the first fight, and of course those first feelings of love and butterflies in the stomach. In my case, there was a feeling of love at first sight; there had been little quarrels here and there but there had been no kisses; you know what l mean because we believed in abstinence before ‘I do’.” These revelations sent the whole congregation sprawling.

Anastasia came from a very religious family with a strict Presbyterian background. Her catechist father and trader mother made sure that she and her elder brother passed through the age classifications of the church: the children's service, Junior Youth, Young People Guild, Young Adult Fellowship up to Women and Men fellow-ships. Indeed, it is the pride of every parent to see to it that their children get good marriages and pass through all these classifications to the glory of God. When Anastasia got married, it was an honor for her parents to showcase her to all their friends. Sometimes she got upset about the way and manner her parents overdid such projections. She protested to her parents not to sell her to the world; because not all eyes and ears are good. Though her parents can discuss her achievements and progress with their friends, nobody knew who amongst them, out of jealousy, would use the same harmless boast to do evil against her. This has happened to so many innocent couples, where, after their marriages, they began to struggle to make ends meet or have children. Sometimes the marriage even ends up on rocks because of such loose talks from parents and other like-minded people.

Greg, on the other hand, was living with his single father in Kumasi. He came to Accra to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Communication from the National University of Ghana. After graduation he decided to relocate, find a job and settle in Accra; the hustle and bustle capital of the country. During his graduation, his father came all the way from Kumasi to support him. Even though the old man left immediately after the ceremony, the occasion allowed father and son to discuss matters of interest and importance to them. One of such matters as where to live in Accra: another was how and when to get employment in a very competitive job market and finally how to settle down in life and marry to raise a family. He discussed all these issues with his father during his graduation and eventually got his father’s blessings. A choice he made and fulfilled three years after graduation from the university and one year after securing a job in an Advertising company in Accra.

After the marriage, the couple continued to live in the single-room apartment Greg rented after school. It was here Ama Donkor; their only daughter so far was born some twenty years ago. From thereon, the couple has been trying so hard to have another issue, particularly, a male child, but all to no avail. Greg and Anastasia epitomized a typical Ghanaian family, where they minded their own business without interfering with other peoples’ matters. A typical day began with morning devotion and prayers before leaving the house for work, market, and school. In the evening, they will go to church or fellowship before coming home. The couple’s simple lifestyle was a shining example to other people living within the Kotobabi vicinity.

Even when Gregory Donkor left Ghana to Switzerland to pursue higher education at the European University in Montreux, Anastasia and her daughter lived a very private life, trying to mind their own affairs, until ten years ago, when Greg came back home with a Master degree in International Business. Thereafter the Donkor’s moved to their two-bedroom semi-detached Swish wooden House situated in a middle-class Accra suburban of Oyarifa.

The Donkors showered their only daughter with beautiful clothing, shoes, and toys. Ama was lucky to attend the prestigious Presbyterian Girls Boarding School, from kindergarten up to Senior High School, before entering the National University of Ghana to pursue Law degree. Ama has been a smart student with a very high intelligent quotient. At twenty, she is in her fourth and final year at the law faculty. Her father has promised her that after the course, he will send her to his Alma Mater, European University for her LLM. This assurance has brought perpetual joy to Ama. However, for a woman; what is her honor or dignity if she gains all those degrees and certificates and remains a spinster, she will surmise. Nonetheless, her father is a no-nonsense, one plug person, whose word is his born. Despite being born into strict Presbyterian discipline, Ama was a bit swollen-headed and sometimes did things overboard, which brought her into a confrontation with her parents, particularly, Greg. How can Ama convince her father that she has a suitor, who would like to marry her immediately after school? This was very important because there were rumors that children who attended girls' boarding schools ended up as Lesbians. So attaching themselves with male suitors diverted attention from the negative tag of LGBTQI’s.

Indeed, Ama has been going out with Jobson Martin-son; the tall lanky, twenty-five-year-old half caste, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing at the same University for the past two years. They met at Forksie Bar situated off-campus on 14th Olympio Street. Ama went there during ‘singles night’ with her course mate Koryo. The two girlfriends had been visiting the Bar for the past year but had never met this handsome young man with a beautiful beard at the bar before. Ama and Koryo found seats at a corner closer to where Martinson was seated alone sipping chilled Guinness with straw. Ama raised her left hand and thumped Martinson in a greeting posture; the latter returned the greetings with a wave and smiled. Koryo signaled the bar attendant to come. The attendant was a female, who has cut her hair by cropping the left and right sides as well as the back leaving the top hair bushy. She had applied sporting waves tinted with red, blue, and yellow colors to the hair. She wore no earrings. Koryo looked at her and said, “Hello, I like my coffee the way I like my men”, making sure that Martinson sitting nearby will hear. He directed his gaze at the two ladies but will not blink. The bar attendant responded by saying, “I am sorry, sweetie, we don’t serve coffee.” The bar attendant handed over menu guides to each of them and explained. “Ladies, in addition to our traditional Club and Star beers, we have exotic drinks like Bas Margarita, Pomegranate Martini, Mojito, Cosmo, Egalite, Dirty Martini, Appletini and Purple Hand Beer. We also have Rose Wine, Mandingo bitters, Alomo Bitters, and Agya Appiah Herbal.”

Even though Forksie Bar is situated near the University campus, it is opened to the university community and outsiders alike. The prices of the products served at Forksie are slightly above the normal rates at similar bars in downtown Accra. This is because the people who normally patronize Forksie are perceived to have higher than average income or lived care-free lifestyles, which gave them more opportunities to spend with a strong focus on leisure and socializing ‘Pink Cedis’. No single night passed by without any activity at Forks.

Ama called for Alomo Bitters mixed with slices of lemon, while Koryo requested Agya Appiah Herbal garnished with ginger. The bar attendant made some notes in a small notebook and left. Ama turned towards Koryo and said. “I don’t know if I can be faithful to you in Pris-on.” “What! What are you saying?” Koryo replied in haste. “Don’t go there. Just drop the subject.” The bar attendant brought the order, collected her bill, and left to attend to another customer. The girls continued to drink until Koryo broke the silence. “Ama, I am confused with your attitude these days. But let me sound this note to you. If you ever leave me, I will hunt you down and kill you.” Ama then told her that she should not be jealous because she can feel the music inside her about the strange half-caste bloke, he just saw at the bar. Ama picked her drink and walked towards Martinson. She left Koryo alone, who persistently looked at her without a blink.

Ama tapped the shoulder of Martinson to attract his attention. “Can I join you, pal?” Ama started the conversation. Martinson turned towards the intruder, “Hi! No problem, this seat was reserved for you from the beginning of creation.” Ama laughed. “Sure! You are a very interesting character. Anyway, my name is Ama. A little information about you?” Ama put her drink on the table and stretched her hands to shake Martinson. “Martinson is my name. Jobson Martinson! A final year Marketing student at the National University of Ghana.” Ama told him that from Monday to Friday her body is just a temple: all it does is to mine her books. However, from Friday night to Sunday is a total ruin. He looked at her with nonchalant ease, trying hard to search her id for clues about her inner feelings and sentiments. It looked like she fascinated him and wanted to know more about her. He therefore asked. “What did you say your name was again?” The relationship between Ama Donkor and Jobson Martinson picked off from there and blossomed into something else as days passed by.