Penfield's Greatest Swimmer

🌊~2

I hopped out of the pragya and continued my journey to Wɔfa Yaw's mechanic shop. He wasn't really my uncle. I just called him that because everyone called him that.

Wɔfa Yaw was currently the only father figure in my life. After I'd finished senior high and couldn't get into university due to financial issues, Wɔfa Yaw took me under his wing and taught me how to repair cars, motorcycles, and other electronic stuff. Everything I knew how to fix, I learnt from him and even though I'd been at it for the past two months, there was still a lot I needed to cover.

The rusty metal gate squeaked loudly when I pushed it open and let myself into the backyard of Wɔfa Yaw's residence. Two older versions of a Peugeots and a Volvo sat under a mango tree, rotting away. All the important parts had either been sold or fixed in a different car. I moved towards the open garage, that served as the mechanic shop. Three new saloon cars had arrived and Wɔfa Yaw's two sons were already hard at work, each one busily trying their best to repair the faulty vehicles.

The youngest, Phil, looked up the moment he heard me approaching and smiled, "Daa! Akwasi aba!" [Dad! Akwasi is here!] He extended an oil-stained hand for a fist bump. "Yo, ɔtse den?" [Yo, how are you doing?]

"Oye oo," I replied. "W'apɔw mu ɛ?" [Good, oo. How are you doing?]

Phil let out a dramatic yawn, "Mabrɛ dɛɛ..." [The way I'm tired erh...]

"Hey, hey. It's ok. Close your mouth before you swallow him," Wɔfa Yaw announced his presence with a playful smile.

We both laughed before I walked over to the middle-aged man, who had a sprinkle of gray in his hair and was dressed in blue overalls. "Good afternoon."

"Afternoon, Akwasi." Wɔfa stood akimbo. "Ayɛ late." [You're late]

Reminded of today's unfortunate list of incidents, my eyes darted to the ground. "Me nyim... sorry." [I know... sorry.]

"Ebɛn asɛm na ɔsii?" [What happened?] Wɔfa Yaw moved towards a nearby shelf.

My eyebrows pulled into a frown of confusion. "But ma n-"

"You're having a bad day, Akwasi. It's written all over your face." He returned with a rusty old toolbox. "So, tell me, what happened?"

I hated that he could read me so easily. Wɔfa Yaw always had this strange ability to tell when I was lying or keeping something from him. It scared me sometimes, but it also gave me the assurance that I could always talk to him about my problems, and that was why I pulled in a deep breath and told him about everything that had happened today. He listened attentively, whilst working on the engine of a silver Toyota Corolla.

When my narration finally came to an end, Wɔfa Yaw stood upright, looked me in the eye and said, "Akwasi, you need to stop working for Pinto."

I blew out a puff of air. "I know. But I need the money."

"And he's not giving you the money," Wɔfa Yaw stated, staring at me with a blank look. "I don't know when you started working for Pinto, but I'm a hundred percent sure that this isn't the first time he has cheated you like this. The man is not treating you fairly and you cannot let him continue doing that. This is your life, Akwasi and you only get one. So, grab it by the horns and make the best out of it."

"But what if I-"

"-don't find another job?" The middle-aged man finished my question and didn't hesitate to follow up with a reply. "That's the thing, Akwasi. Life is full of what-ifs. But we can't let those what-ifs stop us from doing what needs to be done. To build a better life, you need to overcome your fears. And it starts by taking the most challenging and frightening steps."