A Trip To Berekum (Continued)

After finishing my delicious meal, I dried my hands with the rag, (several of which I had purchased), I routinely carried around with me. To wipe away the sweat which regularly oozed from my facial epidermis. The merciless heat in Ghana is no joke. Although the natives seem to be accustomed to it. Since I live in North America, I attempted to ameliorate the sun’s dehydrating effect upon my skin, with the application of appropriate skin lotion. Every morning immediately after my bath. This therapeutic modality is supplemented by also massaging the same surface with vaseline. Because my complexion is brown, in comparison with most Ghanaians who are black. Inasmuch as I’m also a member of the black race, I was quite surprised when Ms. Edith and others challenged me. To tell them exactly how much money I had spent to obtain my brown complexion. Predictably, I was confused. I had no idea where they were coming from. My response to them was, “What on earth are you talking about?” They seemed puzzled at my ignorance, but proceeded to explain that if I went to any of the local cosmetic shops, I would be able to purchase bleaching lotion which was quite safe for use on the human skin. This lotion when applied to the surface of the skin over a period of several weeks, would effectively lighten the complexion of the user. I was shocked to hear such a report and I just didn’t believe it. About six years later while visiting one of the stalls in the Berekum Station. I saw the bleaching lotion that they had informed me about on full display and also for sale. As the saying goes, “We live to learn.” The Berekum Station is a complexity of pedestrians, ticket selling, food dispensing, and electrical wares, stalls. Within the same area you can also purchase knives, shaving kits, matches, bread loaves of every size and a wide variety of beverages. There are also large passenger carrying minibuses and taxis destined for Cities such as Dormaa, Wenchi, Sunyani, Techiman, Kumasi and Accra. Parked and waiting for passengers to board them in the same vicinity. If you are appropriately dressed several driver assistants will hail you with a greeeting, Sunyani? Dormaa? Techiman? The most I do is wave my head back and forth, to inform them that I wouldn’t be going anywhere on that particular day. Sometimes the vehicles are so closely parked together. That it’s a science just to negotiate my way between them whether I’m trying to enter or leave the station. Occassionally, you see some of the store keepers either taking a nap or eating. Depending on what time of the day you are in the station. The midday nap in Ghana seems to be a cultural norm. Because the practice is so widespread. The store keeper doesn’t shut the doors of his shop during the time that he is taking such a nap. He is still open for business. He merely stretches out on a bench to close his eyes. Any potential patron who needs his services will call to him gently and he will be up and ready. As Bob Hope the British American comedian stated, “I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon. That’s when it’s time for my nap.” Occasionally, I run into two people disputing about something. Sometimes its about the amount of fare that the three wheel taxi driver has charged. The non violent combatants raise and lower their voices in a crescendo of sounds, without shouting at each other. They wave their hands in the air in a series of well calculated gesticulations. They look at each other with threatening gazes. But they never assault each other physically. This is a phenomenon found only in Ghana. In the U.S.A., Jamaica and Nigeria for example, arguments quickly deteriorate into physical violence and injuries. In the Gold Coast if there is even a hint of possible violence. There are powerful male bystanders to pull them apart and enforce the peace.