Amasco
Bar was very busy when they walked in. Almost every table was
occupied. Harold politely asked Emilia to wait while he went to talk to
the proprietress. There was a bright green scale in a corner of the
bar. She walked over and stepped on it but before she could see her
weight, she heard a woman’s voice cry out loudly in surprise; “Hey,
Harry!”
She quickly looked up and saw an elderly woman throw her arms around
Harold
in a warm embrace. The woman took his hand and started dragging him
along. He signaled with his other hand to Emilia to follow them.
They
went through what appeared to be the restaurant area. It was lighted
by a couple of yellow fluorescent tubes. The tables and chairs were
shorter than those in the bar. They then got to the back of the
building, which looked more like a residence. The elderly woman quickly
brought out a center table and put two short stools at each end.
Harold introduced Emilia to the woman, whom he called “Da-avi”.
“So, Harry, how have you been? It’s been a long time. Have you been hearing from David?”
“I’ve been fine, Da-avi. I haven’t heard from David in a while but
the last time he wrote to me, he said he was moving from London to
Manchester.”
“Yes. He’s in Manchester now. He’s married to a beautiful British woman. She’s expecting a baby.”
“It means you’re soon going to be a grandma!”
“It’s about time. You should hurry up and make your parents proud
grandparents too,” Da-avi said, eyeing Emilia mischievously.
“Where is Fafa?” Harold asked, changing the subject.
“Fafa is now a big girl. She wrote her ‘O’ Levels this year. Fafa!”
“Da-da!” a girl’s voice responded from another part of the building.
Fafa emerged and rushed into Harold’s arms, just like her mother had
done earlier.
“Efo Harold! It’s been a long time.”
“Fafa, you’ve grown so big. I wouldn’t have recognized you if we had met on the street.”
“Fafa,” Da-avi said as she moved towards the door leading to the
restaurant. “Take care of your brother and his friend. Harry, I’ll be
with you in a minute.”
“Please, may I bring you something to drink?” Fafa asked Emilia. Emilia looked uncertainly at Harold.
“I will have a gulder,” Harold said.
“I will have a mirinda,” Emilia said in Ewe.
Fafa went in and returned with two glasses. She set them on the table between them and went back into the house.
“You speak Ewe?”
“I am an Ewe.”
“You didn’t tell me that.”
“You didn’t ask me that.”
“Now tell me about yourself. Just a little bit more.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Married?”
“Nope.”
“Kids?”
“Nope.”
“Do you live with your parents?”
“I wish I do. I miss them. They’re in the Volta Region. My father
is a carpenter. My mother is a trader. Anything else you want to
know?”
Fafa returned, holding bottles of mirinda and gulder on a tray. She set them on the table and popped them open.
“What should I bring you to eat?” Fafa asked, looking from one to the other. Again, Emilia looked at Harold for direction.
“They have jollof rice, rice and stew, banku with okra stew, fufu, yakayaka, abolo....”
“Okay, okay,” Emilia said, cutting him off. “I see that you have the
menu memorized. I’ll just have rice and stew with goat meat.”
“I will have yakayaka with fried fish and shito.”
“What kind of shito,” Fafa asked. “Black or red?”
“Black.”
“I’ll be right back,” Fafa said as she moved towards the door leading to the restaurant.
“Fafa?” Emilia called after her. Fafa stopped and turned. Then Emilia asked in Ewe; “Is he really a doctor?”
“Yes. His father too.”
“Hey, what did she say?” Harold asked Fafa, feigning alarm.
“She just wanted to know if you’re really a doctor.” Fafa said and hurried into the restaurant.
“I see,” Harold said drily, poured himself a glass of gulder and took a sip.
Emilia felt a tinge of guilt.
“I’m sorry,” she said smugly.
“Well, you did say that you don’t know me enough to trust me. I’m not offended.”
Later, when Fafa brought the food, they ate in silence.
