Penfield's Greatest Swimmer

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"Hey," Manu swatted my arm. "Yi net no na yɛnfankɔ" [Pick up the net and let's take it away.]

Shifting my attention from Pinto's greedy sales, I helped my colleagues clear out the fishing gear from the canoe, washed them free of salt water, and took them to the small wooden shack that served as our storage. By the time we returned to the canoe, Pinto had sold all the fish and was happily counting our earnings for today.

"Boss, ye wie oo," Kojo rubbed his hands eagerly at the sight of the money. [Boss, we're done oo.]

Pinto looked at us, then his eyes drifted back to his money. "Mbo, ndɛ moayɛ adze paa." [Good, today you guys have done a really good job.] He slotted out two ten cedi notes from the bundle and handed them to beaming Kojo and Manu.

I wrung my hands, patiently waiting for my ten cedi note. But instead, Pinto gave me a frown and chucked a dirty two-cedi note in my face.

"Ah Pi-"

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Menkasa!" He bellowed out. "Menkasa kraaa. Ndɛ edwuma ɛyɛ, oye?" He glared at me, shoving the rest of the bundle into his khaki pocket. "Ayɛ lucky kraampo dɛ maa mawo sika. Hwɛ, ne tsir bi. Fri m'enyim kɔ!" [Hey! Don't talk! Don't talk at all! The work you did today, was it good? You're even lucky I've given you some money. Look at his big head. Get out of my sight!]

I just stood there, holding the dirty money. Pinto didn't even cast me a second glance as he turned and moved towards the local drinking spot. Kojo and Manu wandered off, laughing their hearts out at my misfortune.

I looked down at the money in my hand. It was barely enough to get me a full meal for lunch. The only thing I could buy to satisfy my hunger was a loaf of bread and water. But I already had that for breakfast this morning. If I ate that again, I'd just be clogging my bowels.

Shaking my head, I pushed the money into the pocket of my shorts. My stomach could go a few more hours without food. I just had to drink more water and pray that something better than this lousy payment comes my way.

Turning around, I looked up to find a pair of unwanted eyes on me. I frowned, but the idiot watching me smiled and I didn't hesitate to flick him off. I hated it when Mensah sent his messenger boys to keep an eye on me. I'd already told him several times that I wanted no part in his uncouth business.

Ignoring the violent hunger pangs rumbling in my stomach, I trudged through beach sand, heading straight for the nearest pure water seller. I gave the two cedi note to the teenage girl and in return, she handed me my change and two sachets of water. Using my teeth, I tore off the corner of the sachet and proceeded to quench the blazing hunger pit in my stomach.

The familiar gong of bells from the Methodist Church nearby coated the air, signifying that half the day was already gone. I walked towards an old coconut tree and sat down, leaning against the rough bark.

The scalding sun burnt down on the busy and clustered shores of Cape Coast. Fishermen and their lackeys moved around, shouting at the top of their lungs, hauling fish, repairing their canoes, and fixing their nets. The whole atmosphere was chaotic. Fishmongers also wandered around, waiting for fish to buy. The recent hours of the day a replay in my head, and I couldn't help but wonder, is this where I'm destined to be? To spend the rest of my life on the seashore as a fisherman?

When I was in school, it was my dream to become a renowned engineer, one of the best in the country. But after I graduated from senior high school, I knew I'd come to the end of the road for my education. That dream of mine was going to remain a dream forever because my family's money issues were larger than the Atlantic Ocean. It was just by grace that we got by every day.