Penfield's Greatest Swimmer

🌊~7

Accra, Ghana.

Klah!

"Mh!" That was the horrid sound of my knees snapping into place after sitting for two hours and thirty minutes.

I had spent the entire drive from Cape Coast to Accra, fidgeting with my new phone to prevent my nerves from kicking in. But when Mr. Dery announced that we had arrived, and drove us through the cemented archway that held the university's name and emblem in grand style, my hands suddenly grew clammy. The sight of the rich and prestigious students loitering around, enjoying some outdoor event only made it worse. Everything just seemed to confirm the fact that I was going to have a hard time fitting in here.

"Akwasi!" Wɔfa Yaw barked. "Come and get your bags."

Heeding the order, my legs moved in the direction of the voice, which was behind the car. Wɔfa Yaw had opened the trunk and had already yanked out my medium-sized suitcase. I just grabbed the duffel bag and hauled it over my shoulder.

"This place is huge." Wɔfa Yaw banged the trunk shut before scanning our new environment. "Bet you're excited to be here, huh?" He gave me a double pat on the shoulder.

Excited? No. Anxious was the best word to describe how I was feeling. Nonetheless, I plastered a smile on my face and said, "Yeah, I'm very excited."

"Ok." Mr. Dery finally joined us at the rear end of the car. "Got your papers ready." He held up a yellow file with a wide smile. "Let's go find your room, Akwasi."

Adjusting the duffel bag under my armpit and grabbing my suit case, Wɔfa Yaw and I followed Mr. Dery into the extensive building.

Osei-Boateng Hall sat in bold lettering on top of the entrance. Passing through the sliding doors led us to a wide lobby that branched off in two different directions. In the middle sat a rectangular booth labelled Porter's Office.

Once we approached the booth, Mr. Dery rapped on the glass partitioning, startling the woman who sat at the desk busily writing. She immediately dropped the pen and stood up, grinning.

"Elorm, ɛtse sen?" [Elorm, how are you?] Mr. Dery asked, initiating small talk. I took the opportunity to cast a look around what was going to be my hall of residence.

Blueish painted walls stared right back at me, some holding pictures of what I guessed were the current and past executives of the hall. At the far end was a bust with a golden plaque in front of it. I was about to go check it out when a group of students soon sauntered past, some whites mixed with blacks, filling the lobby with amicable chatter.

I watched them go, wondering if people like them would ever accept me as a friend if they knew about my background. My subconscious had tempted me twice to lie about it, but if there was anything I've learnt throughout my nineteen years on this planet, it was that lies never solve things permanently. They only complicate your life and make things a hundred times worse than they were before.

"Akwasi." Mr. Dery turned to me. "Elorm says your room key isn't here, meaning your roommate is still around. Why don't you go find him, we'll follow shortly. Yaw needs to fill out some forms as your legal guardian."

Nodding, I hitched my bag higher.

"Here is a map of the building," Elorm said to me, slipping a sheet of paper under the glass partitioning. "You were assigned Room G32, so you'll have to go this way." She pointed to the left. "Boys are on the left side and girls are on the right."

"Ok, thank you." Taking the paper, I moved in the left direction, reaching a couple of stairs. A sigh left my mouth as I had to stop rolling the suitcase and pick it up with my hand. Ascending the stairs, I made it up to the first floor. My eyes shifted down to the sheet of paper in my hand, spotting my room number which had been circled with red ink.