Brand new Kumasi boy in Nzema, I had never seen the sea before. H-e-r-h! It was nice, blue, and big! Everything my brother and I saw made us go, h-e-r-h! I wandered along the seashore with big eyes, taking it all in, so that I could brag to my cousins when I returned. Along the shore, tall coconut trees were lined up, with their firm, green coconuts. Occasionally, my brother, our friends, and I would stop to stuff our pockets with empty shells or try to catch baby crabs as they came out of the big holes on the shore, hoping to show them off to our friends in Kumasi. Canoes and boats lined the shore, many of them with inscriptions like ‘Tadi Showboy,’ ‘True seaman,’ ‘Man must chop,’ ‘The downfall of a man is not the end of his life,’ and ‘Don’t mind your wife.’ “Agyemang, see howhigh I can jump!” I shouted at my brother, waiting for a big wave to come so I could jump in. This was my most heroic move, while tiny children, some as young as two or Bon three years old, boldly swam in what I considered to be a deeper part of the sea. I was 8 years old, and my parents had decided that we would spend the vacation in Nzema, where their family friends had a holiday home. While wandering off with my brother and some friends to the beach, I swam, enjoying the feel of the water against my skin, played catch with my friends, ran along the shoreline, built sand castles, felt the sweet cool breeze sweep across my face, and tasted the salty water sometimes entering my mouth. By the time we were ready to leave, I felt sorry. I wished the day would never end, but the tide was coming in fast. Still feeling exhilarated and somewhat intoxicated with excitement, I ventured towards the long line of palm trees, barely hearing the warning of an older acquaintance to walk on the sand and not under the palm trees. Before I knew what was happening, it felt as if my legs were heavy. Eh?What was happening to me? I tried to lift my leg, but instead of coming up, it sank deeper into the mud. I looked at the others, but they were walking fine. By now, my sneakers were filling with mud, and I was literally sinking. I looked at the elderly acquaintance, my eyes pleading for help, but he looked away fromme, mumbling loudly that he hadwarnedme. (I never quite forgave that acquaintance, even feeling somewhat indifferent when many years later, he had a stroke, - God forgive me). It was a good thing I hadn’t realized the danger I was in because I would have panicked. Soon, a group of fishermen, spurred on by the frantic shouting of my brother and friends, ran towards me and skillfully pulled me out with a board. I lost one of my sneakers. Perhaps this experience should have given me an inkling that I would one day make a fine soldier. A SHANT I SHOW B OY 4 The Birthday Journal
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