Ipods in Accra Page 13

  ‘Behave!’ I said.

  ‘So, I heard your best friend is a real woman. Is she looking for a real man?’

  ‘Who are you talking about?’ I asked.

  ‘Your friend Bharti!’

  ‘Jordan, she’s got a boyfriend,’ I replied. ‘It’s the guy who’s holding her hand?’

  ‘What already? Man, the guys here are quick! So what about you? I heard about you and Nelson,’ Jordan continued. ‘You got someone new?’

  ‘Sort of,’ I mumbled.

  ‘Oh, sort of means you had someone but something went wrong, right?’

  I was astonished. Jordan was actually being intuitive.

  ‘How did your GCSEs go?’ I said, changing the subject.

  ‘OK, I got one A, five Bs and three Cs and a D, but D is still a pass!’ he said, smiling.

  ‘Wow!’ I said, barely concealing my shock.

  ‘Yeah, I know everyone thinks I’m a joker, but I ain’t thick, Makeeda.’

  ‘Hey!’ Nelson interrupted us.

  We kissed on the cheek awkwardly. It was really weird seeing him again. He didn’t look any different or anything; he just seemed a bit cooler with me.

  Within minutes, Ava walked up to us and put her arm around Nelson’s waist. I couldn’t help it, I felt a pang of jealousy. It wasn’t that I wanted to be that physically close to him, but I wanted to be able to do the same to Nick and not have him recoil in anger. The conversation was stilted – we began talking about our GCSEs and the hall decoration, then Nelson left to get ready for his set.

  ‘So you two gonna fight it out?’ Jordan asked.

  ‘Jordan!’ Ava and I chorused.

  ‘I’m just saying the ex and current girlfriend, it’s kinda natural. Do you think it would help if you lost your dresses?’

  ‘Ohmigod!’ I exclaimed. I was about to hit him again, when Ava whacked him with her bag.

  ‘Ouch! I see Nelson only dates the violent type!’ he said and walked away.

  Ava and I laughed. Jordan had definitely broken the ice between us.

  I was surprised when Ava told me she’d asked the girls she knew at my school to vote for Bharti as prom queen. Everyone had to vote for a prom king and queen from their own school. An announcement was made for the final votes to be cast, so I quickly left Ava so I could cast mine for Bharti.

  As I queued, I kept scanning the rooms for any sign of Nick. At this stage I knew there was no way he’d want to go out with me, so I really hoped he’d settle for friendship at least. I posted my vote and walked into the urban room and saw Nelson busy at the decks. He waved to me and I waved back. I could see Ava making her way towards him. It felt odd not to be that girl helping him out, but I was glad that we’d both moved on. He played an old song I liked, but instead of making me happy it just reminded me of Nick. It was a song from a film we’d gone to see together years before. I’d thought the film was a thriller, but it turned out to be a romantic comedy. Nick wasn’t impressed, but we hadn’t wanted to waste the tickets, so we stayed and ended up enjoying it. Every time we’d heard the song since, it reminded us of why I was now never allowed to organise cinema trips. I could feel my mood crash and burn, so I headed back to the other room to find Bharti and Rafi.

  ‘Where did you go?’ Bharti asked.

  ‘Oh, I said hi to Nelson in the urban room,’ I said.

  ‘Really? You must be bored.’

  ‘Where’s Rafi?’ I said.

  ‘He’s gone to get us some drinks.’

  ‘Got him well trained,’ I said, laughing.

  ‘No, it was his turn!’ Bharti replied, laughing as well. ‘Come on, I can’t even train a dog, let alone a human being!’

  ‘Listen, I’m not feeling this. I might go home,’ I said.

  ‘Whaaaaaaaat, you are not leaving me!’ Bharti said, horrified.

  ‘You’ve got Rafi.’

  ‘So, he’s not you! Besides, I keep getting weird looks from the girls in our school,’ Bharti said, turning to find three girls staring at us. ‘See?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s because you look so good,’ I replied.

  ‘Oh, shut up!’

  ‘I’m being serious!’ I said.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen it’s time to crown our kings and queens of tonight’s prom,’ Mr Patel announced.

  ‘Ohmigod, is this going to turn into a cheesy teen film?’ Bharti asked as everyone drifted together into a crowd.

  ‘Shut up, you love watching them!’ I teased.

  ‘Bit American, isn’t it?’ Rafi whispered from behind us.

  ‘Gee, where’s your team spirit?’ I said back.

  ‘Bharti Mistry!’ Mr Patel said, waving a piece of paper. The crowd erupted into instant applause.

  ‘Wow, someone’s got the same name as me,’ Bharti said.

  ‘So where is she? Spotlight please,’ Mr Patel said.

  ‘It’s you, you fool!’ I said, just as the spotlight hit Bharti and a camera transported her face across the widescreen TVs on the walls.

  ‘No flipping way!’ Bharti screamed.

  ‘Brilliant!’ I yelled.

  ‘See, you never believe me! You’re not just brainy, you’re beautiful, too!’ Rafi said, pushing her towards the stage.

  Bharti flashed him the biggest grin and the cheering crowd parted for her to take her crown. She looked fabulous and deserved the attention. I was really proud her.

  After the other kings and queens had been announced and presented with crowns and flowers, Bharti and Rafi had to lead everyone in a dance to a song of her choice. She chose an upbeat tune we both loved, and then told Rafi to sit down because she wanted to dance with me!

  We danced to three songs before she let me sit down. I told her I’d decided to call a taxi to go home.

  ‘Do you have to go?’ Bharti asked.

  ‘Yeah, I just don’t feel so great,’ I lied. I’d just had enough. I was missing Nick.

  ‘OK, we’ll wait for a cab with you,’ Bharti said.

  The three of us headed outside.

  ‘I know you voted for me,’ she said, linking arms with me.

  ‘Yeah, but it wasn’t just me, was it?! More like our whole year did, and they don’t even know what a great person you are on the inside. You look fantastic and you deserve it,’ I said and we hugged.

  Bharti’s phone rang and she went to the other side of the pavement to answer it. I found that odd, but I assumed it was because the music from the hall was flowing outside of the building.

  ‘Blimey, if they don’t turn the volume down, the police will show up!’ Rafi said.

  ‘Yeah,’ I replied without thinking.

  ‘It’s been really nice meeting you, Makeeda,’ Rafi said, smiling.

  ‘You too, Rafi. Sorry, if I’ve been a bit …’

  ‘It’s all right, I understand,’ Rafi interrupted. ‘It hasn’t exactly been straightforward for us either, so I get it if you feel weird about Nick.’

  I must have looked shocked, but then I realised Bharti must have told him. I realised she must have really trusted Rafi to tell him about my problems with Nick.

  ‘Oh sorry, I made Bharti tell me,’ he explained apologetically, seeing my face.

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m just …’

  ‘Is that your taxi?’ Bharti said, returning from across the pavement.

  The taxi arrived, but it wasn’t empty. The door opened and Nick stepped out dressed in a suit, clutching my letter.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ he asked me.

  I was speechless. He was right there, standing in front of me, and I’d lost my voice again.

  He sent the cab away and turned to look at me.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘Nick! You made it!’ Bharti said, hugging him. I watched in silence, as she and Rafi greeted him. Then they left the two of us alone.

  Nick looked at me, smiling. ‘For someone who chats as much as you do, I can’t believe you’ve gone all quiet on me now. I got you that A in maths, you know!
’

  ‘Er … I did all the hard stuff – the exams and being your model student.’

  ‘Yeah right, Ms Delusional! You owe me a dance,’ he said.

  For a minute or two, I just stared at him. I really couldn’t believe he was here, but I still had something to say.

  ‘What?’ Nick asked.

  ‘Nothing. I just wanted to say … I’m sorry about …’ I began.

  ‘It’s all right, I know,’ he said, tapping the folded-up letter he’d placed inside his jacket. ‘Come on!’ he grabbed my hand and led me back into the prom.

  We went to the chill-out room and he laced his arms around my waist as we slow-danced. I wanted to apologise again, but he stopped me and explained that he’d lost his phone in Kumasi and was so angry with me that he decided to wait till I got back to London to talk things over. Then, when he arrived in London, he had to go straight off to Poland because his granddad was ill. He’d thought I didn’t care about him, and couldn’t believe he’d flown to Ghana to be treated like that by someone he cared for. My letter had changed all of that.

  ‘So I should be apologising, for not contacting you,’ he said.

  ‘Seriously, how many times can you two say sorry?’ Bharti was dancing close by with Rafi, and they were both smiling. ‘Just get to the good bit!’

  ‘The good bit?’ I said, confused.

  ‘Makeeda, couples argue then … make up?’ Bharti added meaningfully.

  Nick blushed, then moved us away from Bharti and Rafi.

  I remembered that Nick had always avoided kissing me in public.

  I rested my head against his chest, wondering if we really were a couple as Bharti had said.

  ‘Makeeda, mepε w’asem,’ Nick whispered.

  ‘Ohmigod, you learned Twi?’ I said, looking up.

  ‘Aane.’ He smiled.

  ‘I really like you, too.’ I smiled back at him.

  I realised that I didn’t have to hear the word ‘girlfriend’ to know that I was one, just as I didn’t need someone else’s definition of Ghanaian or British to know that I was both.

  Nick whispered in my ear. ‘You look really kissable tonight.’

  I gazed up at him. ‘What, kissable in public?’

  ‘Always,’ he said and we kissed.

  Guide to Ghanaian Terms and Phrases

  Ghanaian Terms

  Accra

  Capital city of Ghana.

  adowa

  A traditional dance, and also music, of the Akan people of Ghana.

  Akan

  Refers to the first group of settlers who came to modern day Ghana who form the largest ethnic group in Ghana. It consists of several politically independent units, such as the Asante, Akim, Akuapem and Kwahu.

  ankaa

  Orange (fruit).

  Asante (Ashanti)

  A region in Ghana. The Asante people speak Twi.

  Asante Kingdom

  Created between the 16th and 18th centuries and comprised of many states united under Osei Tutu the first Asantehene. It gained wealth through trade and conquests.

  Asantehene

  King of the Asante people.

  bragoro

  Puberty ceremony for girls.

  duku

  Ghanaian style head-scarf worn by women.

  eto

  Mashed onions, yams or plantain

  Hip-Life

  A type of West African music which is similar to hip-hop and rap.

  kenkey

  Corn dough cooked in corn leaves.

  Kente

  A colourful Asante ceremonial cloth, worn at festivals, times of thanksgiving and on special occasions. It is made of silk and woven on a hand-loom in strips, before being sewn together to form a larger cloth that is then made into garments.

  Kumasi

  Capital city of the Asante region in Ghana. Also known as the Garden City because of its rich vegetation.

  Manshiya Palace

  Home to Asantehene and the Asante Museum.

  ntoma

  African clothing made of cotton.

  plantain

  Part of the banana family. Comes in two varieties: green (unripe), which are cooked like potatoes, and yellow (ripe), which are usually fried, roasted or boiled.

  Twi

  The main dialect of the Akan language in Ghana, spoken by the Asante people.

  Yaa-Asantewaa

  Queen Mother of the Egweso people. She fought the British in the 1900 war.

  yam

  A vegetable that grows in the form of tubers. It has rough brown skin (which is peeled before cooking) and a white fleshy centre. It is cooked in a similar way to potatoes.

  Ghanaian Phrases

  Aane

  Yes

  Aden, wonkyia wunna?

  Why don’t you say hello to your sister/brother/cousin?

  εnyε hwee

  It doesn’t matter

  Gyae εnka saa!

  Stop, don’t say that!

  Maakye

  Good morning

  Medaase

  Thank you

  Mepε w’asem

  I like you

  Mepε wo kyεw

  Please

  Mese dabi

  I said no

  nsuo

  water

  Mi papa ye Ghana ni

  My father is Ghanaian

  Sumsum wε ha

  There is a spiritual presence here

  Yeda Nyame ase

  Thank God

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