One of the problems I encountered after moving into this apartment was the presence of Monitor Lizards. They were almost everywhere. They seem to have moved in, in droves. Since there were no human residents to drive them out. Some of them I killed. But eventually, I had to spray the rooms with an obnoxious-smelling mixture of kerosene oil, Dettol, and some other liquid chemical to keep those reptiles at bay. A procedure that I had to utilize every two months. Until I discovered that placing camphor balls at strategic locations, such as the window crevices, through which they would creep, to enter most rooms. That was sufficient to repel them successfully and permanently. I subsequently learned from the caretaker’s eldest daughter that this unit had been empty for approximately four years. She used to sleep in this apartment, and so did the landlady’s eldest late son, Sam. As if the presence of poisonous reptiles wasn’t bad enough. A persistent and irritating leak on the back porch seemed to be coming from upstairs. After complaining to Sam and his brother for approximately one year, and sounding like a broken record, two plumbers were finally hired to fix the problem. One of the customs I learned about in Ghana is that landlords do not do property repairs/maintenance. Once the tenant has paid and signed the lease, he fixes any problems encountered during that rental contract. Of course, this practice is contrary to Ghanaian law, but it is standard procedure in this country.
While in town on one of my many shopping excursions, I entered a shop in a narrow corridor within the Berekum Market. At first, I peered inside to ensure that the merchandise interested me. I saw a wide array of intriguing and valuable items. I struck up a conversation with the owner. A short, plump, charming, and attractive young lady. After I purchased a piece of her merchandise, she told me she was searching for an apartment. I advised her that there was an empty apartment next door to me. She stated that she also lived in Sofokyere, and we arranged for a time at which she would come and examine the place that I had described to her. She was there the following morning with one of her siblings. They loved the spaciousness and the number of rooms and bathrooms this unit afforded them. After two weeks, she paid me the deposit, and I started doing the needed renovations. The most obvious and urgent upgrade of the rooms was the painting. When I showed this space to the painting contractor, he quoted me a charge of four hundred cedis (US$24.00). When the time came for the work to be done, he charged eight hundred cedis (US$48.00) instead. The landlord and her sister were predictably upset that I had allowed myself to be exploited in this manner. Therefore, I refunded the sister four hundred cedis to assuage their disappointment.
Exploiting foreigners is a widespread issue in Ghana. If you come from overseas, you are charged twice as much as the locals for construction-related work. Since the Ghana Cedi has been drastically devalued against all major foreign currencies, such as the British Pound, the United States Dollar, and the Euro, foreigners are expected to bear the brunt of the cost increases. The painters didn’t do a perfect job either. Since visible flaws were apparent in several places. But the new tenant voiced no complaints. Probably because the water in Sofokyere had been turned off for approximately four months, and all the water she and her sisters obtained came directly from my polytank. Moreover, she was extremely fond of a broth I brewed from Moringa leaves, Prekese, Pineapple peel, Ginger, Cloves, and lemons. She came to my apartment almost daily to get a cup of that drink sweetened with honey. I was also indebted to her for directing me to a Lebanese store in Sunyani’s Area No. 2, where I obtained white and yellow cheese, kiwis, and Greek Yogurt. Moreover, her patience was almost comparable to Job’s because she endured much inconvenience. At the same time, she waited for the lock on her front door to be fixed, the defective windows to be repaired, and the two unpainted ceilings in her apartment to be completed.
After the caretaker and his family moved out of the apartment upstairs, they left it in chaos. The floors were unswept, the bathrooms had large swaths of black cobwebs clinging to the walls, and the door of one spacious bedroom was locked. I wondered how some people could be so disorganized and unhygienic. The landlady visited this property with her sister to thank me for attending her mother’s funeral. I ensured that I was there because funerals are huge events in Ghana. Especially since her mother was a queen, according to Ghanaian tradition. They both thanked me for my presence and donation. Since I witnessed it as a costly funeral, I gave them even more money, for which they were both very grateful. We all went upstairs to survey the vacant apartment. During that period, I urged them both to get someone to clean the apartment so it wouldn’t remain in chaos. Which we all witnessed during our brief tour. They both agreed. At the same time, I recommended a young gentleman who had worked for me on many previous occasions and, by my standard, had always done an excellent job.
The proprietress advised me that she would be returning to Ghana in approximately two years and would definitely need the apartment I presently occupy. She also informed me that she owned a house off of Continental Avenue and invited me to come and take a look at it to see if it would interest me. The young gentleman I had recommended to do the cleaning upstairs accompanied me. The directions to the house in the Continental Avenue area were given over the telephone in Twi. A dialect with which I was not conversant, but which was very conveniently used by all three of them. Upon our arrival at the location described, and after examining the apartment in question, I was not impressed with its location or condition. However, I kept my feelings to myself and told them I would be in touch. While we were leaving, the landlady paid the gentleman who accompanied me 300 Ghana Cedis in advance. To clean the unoccupied apartment upstairs and the vacant apartment next to mine. I considered such an act unwise, but since she did not give the money to me, I remained silent.
When the time came for the cleaning work in both apartments, the same person I had so highly recommended turned out to be a great disappointment. He swept and mopped the floors in both apartments for about four hours, and even though I pleaded with him to do more, he refused. According to Ghanaian customs and practices, the money paid to him would have been sufficient to compensate him for at least three days of work. The proprietress, however, was foolish enough to pay him all of the money before any of the work was done. Consequently, he felt no inner compulsion to do more than the minimum amount of work needed. Since he had already received complete financial satisfaction. The tiles on the bathroom walls remained unscrubbed. The white sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms were black and neglected. The toilet bowls remained unwashed. The windows remained covered with dust. I thought this was extremely short-sighted of him. Accordingly, I resolved that if I ever had any position of responsibility that required firm judgement, integrity, and a great deal of industry, I would think one hundred times before committing any such position of trust to him. That’s precisely the way that many people shoot themselves in the foot. They believe that by their unwise decision, they are achieving some immediate advantage. Yet at the same time, they fail to perceive that by this one injudicious maneuver, they cut themselves off from better opportunities in the future.
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