Penfield's Greatest Swimmer

🌊~10

The parade went on till night fall, despite the fair's closure.

The varsity team had successfully managed to pitch up their own outdoor party in front of the sports complex, complete with alcohol, music and free grilled kebab.

After getting a few cans of beer and sticks of meat, Ethan and I perched ourselves on the staircase leading up to the main building, watching people dance to one of Kidi's latest hits.

"So," Ethan popped a can open. "How are things in Cape Coast?"

"Ah, same old, same old." And for the first time since I arrived here, my mind drifted home. "Do you remember Auntie Elinam?"

The smirk that found its way onto his face was good enough for an answer. "How can I forget the poor woman we used to harass for cake and cookies all the time?"

I laughed, recalling how we used to raid her small shop with no mercy. "Well things have taken a huge turn for her, cuz she now owns one of the biggest bakeries in town."

"Aw, that's great. I'm happy for her," he paused to take a sip of his beer. "That woman was always nice to us, no matter how many times we ate into her sales. But her husband never shared the same sentiment. That man used to annoy the shit out of me."

"Speaking of men that used to annoy us," I leaned back, preparing myself for his reaction. "Mr. Aidoo is still around."

As I anticipated, Ethan's face scrunched up into a look of disgust. "Ah, that old geezer isn't dead yet?"

"Nope." A chuckle left my mouth. That man used to be the most hated teacher during our time. "He's still teaching maths at our old primary school."

"Oh, I feel so sorry for those little children," Ethan remarked. "Remember class five, when he lashed us all after that horrid mental session. Then because he was feeling guilty, he later came to stand in front of the class and said, I love you all, I am your children."

"Yeah, instead of you are my children," I added and we both burst into a hearty laugh. "Oh, that man was a nutcase," I said, wiping away a tear of joy.

"Yeah, no wonder his wife and children left him." Ethan picked up a kebab stick and I did too, pulling the meat off with my teeth. The heat from the powdered pepper touched my tastebuds first, then melted into the savouriness of the meat.

"But it's good," he spoke after a few minutes of chewing.

"It's good that his wife and children left him?"

"No. What I meant is that it's good to know that some old folks are still around. It means somethings haven't changed... and I bet the ocean is one of them." A soft breeze whisked past us. "Remember when we used to go swimming every day after school? We would go and waddle in the water and collect seashells until it's past six, then we would go home with beach sand in between our hands and toes." A soft smile touched his features. "Oh, how I miss those days." He twirled the kebab stick in his hand.

"You could have come to visit, you know?" I turned, watching him intently. "Cape Coast has always been just two hours and a few minutes' drive from Accra."

"Believe me, I wanted to." He cast a brief look my way before sending his gaze down. "But my father wouldn't let me. He said he had a... political reputation to uphold, and that his son could not be seen flouncing around in the ocean at some village."

"Oh."

"Yep." Ethan yanked off another piece of meat. "When we first moved to Accra," he said whilst chewing, "I hated every second of it because our house wasn't close to the beach like the way it was in Cape Coast. I used to nag about it a lot, until my father got fed up and got some guys to build a swimming pool in our house. It wasn't the ocean, but it was all I had so I accepted it and that's what sustained my love for swimming."