House Boy

Day two and I've yet to erase the memory of the horrible flight and horrendous Death Ride from my mind. This morning, however, I have a distraction. We have been introduced but this is the first time I get to have a proper conversation with him. Jacob, our house boy.  House boys and girls are the norm here. Someone who fetches and carries, cleans up and looks after you and mends or reports faults around the house. Well, that's what Jacob does.  At home my house boy is my son, but he does nothing. Nothing I tell you.  This boy is a sheer delight.  "Jacob, can you get me some credit please?" I am just testing the waters. "Of course". He smiles and goes off with what seems like pleasure to purchase 5 cidis worth of credit for my new local number.  On his return I get a chance to speak to him. "So Jacob", I say. "When you are not doing such a wonderful job looking after us, what do you do?"
       His skin is the same brown as my oldest son, despite this heat. He has a straight smile and a mini afro. He wears track suit bottoms and sandals and an over-sized basketball vest. In England the haircut would have to be sharp. The creps(trainers) would be Nike or Adidas or some other known label,  and the vest would have to at least match the tracksuit bottoms! Luckily for him he is not bound by the constaints of image and swagger and the his freedom is a refreshing reminder that there are alternative ways of being."You must be on vacation now, right?"

He is struggling to meet my eyes. "Yes, I am on vacation". He speaks standard English, no accent.  "I am studying to be a town planner."
     "A town planner? How interesting. I don't know anyone trying to become a town planner!"  He is looking around the house, trying to suss out his next job I imagine. Trying to avoid my glare. The space is wide and open where we are staying. The tiled floors are already clean as Jacob has already swept them. The wood is shining on the long banisters and high arched doors which I get the feeling he would polish with glee. Soon I will move from the dining table and he can collect the remnants of breakfast.
      "How long have you been doing that?"
       "I am in my second year now".
       "That's brilliant", I say. And I do mean it. "I wish they had asked you to plan this town." His eyes are on my forehead or thereabouts. "Maybe you would have planned for the church to be a bit further away".         "Oh yes. I am sorry about that". So he too heard the church service at 5 oclock this morning.
       "It's not your fault at all. How can it be?" But I am sure he is used to it. I, on the other hand, am not.
       "Will they be doing that every morning?" Fore warned is forearmed and all of that. (I will get a roll of tissue and stuff it down my ears tonight if need be.)
     "I doubt it"
     "Never mind about that Jacob."    I don't want him apologising for the pracices in his own country. "What about you? When you are not studying to be a town planner or doing your chores what do you do?"  Another teacher, Akoswa has come downstairs now and has eased herself into the conversation. Her voice is soft and sounds less like an interviewer's than mine and I hope that he will see that these ladies from England are alright really...
     "Well. I like reading but I don't really have the time, but I like speaking to my father and spending time with my family".
      "What about friends?. What are your friends like?" Akosua asks.
      "Well, I don't really keep friends", he said. "I don't want to end up in trouble like some of them".
       "Why would you end up in trouble?" That's me now. Jacob thinks for a while.
       "What's the worst thing you have done?" Oh I love Akosua's line of questioning;Let's get to know the REAL Jacob!
His hands move towards his mouth like those damsels in old black and white movies. "Well. I nearly went to a disco once," he utters from behind hand. I'm not sure I have heard correctly, but I have. He nearly went to a disco! He goes on to tell us how he used to be too shy to touch girls he is not related to for fear of wanting to touch more and more, or hold them and "hug them like a toy!"  He expresses the usual fascination with England, but no! England would ruin this sweet child.
Am thinking a quick visit would be good, get him out of that shell of his. Maybe to study for a short while. But I've seen it with some of my students. Lovely, quiet young people at the start of the term, and by the end of it they are swearing, shagging, criminals!! But Jacob is twenty, so he should be alright.
    "Come and study. It would be good to be independent for a while, gain your own perspective on life. But you would have to come back. Ghana would miss you."
His smile is wide and warm. I bet ths is the longest conversation he has had with women who are not his family members or teachers.
      When he escorts us on our first trip to Koforidua  he shows us sites that he finds interesting: municipal buildings, office blocks, structures. Stuff that I guess would be interesting to a future town planner.
      Back at the house he gets straight back to his tasks.  One would never know his father owns this magnificant place. That his father is a well respected surgeon who's son will go on to earn twice as much as we could as teachers when he becomes a town planner! He is a lovely young sir. Unassuming, well mannered, humble. Qualities I have not seen for a long time, especially in one person. A real pride to his family I imagine.  I hope he doesn't get ruined by England or by anywhere else for that matter. We did grow to love our Jacob. Our House Boy.