The Day “Clayton” Was Born We were a group of young boys playing near the Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P.) Church cemetery, surrounded by thick bushes. Our shouts and laughter filled the air as we chased our little ball.We called the game “tennis,” although it was nothing like lawn tennis. Among us was one big boy, Kofi Adedime, who terrorised everyone. Whenever the ball disappeared into the bush, he would order one of us to retrieve it. We were all afraid of him and usually did as he said. Then one day, the ball went flying into the bush, and he ordered me to go after it. I refused. He came charging towards me. My heart was pounding, but somehow, I found the courage to standmy ground and throw one big punch. Down he went. The boys erupted in cheers and lifted me into the air as though I had won a championship fight. From that day, they called me “Clayton,” after Ronnie Clayton, the celebrated British featherweight boxer and former Commonwealth champion. It was one of my earliest lessons in courage. I learnt that being afraid did not mean I could not stand my ground. Before long, I would need that courage again, this time to leave everything familiar behind. That night, as I lay on my mat waiting for dawn, my packed trunk and chop box were beside me. Vakpo and Kpando were all I knew. This was home, filled with familiar paths, family, friends and the places where my childhood memories had been made. It was also where my dream of becoming an engineer had first taken root. Takoradi, on the other hand, existed only in my imagination. I was excited, but I was also afraid. My family had sacrificed to bringme this far, and I felt the weight of the opportunity before me. I wanted to make them proud. As I waited for morning, I knew that if I was going to fulfil my dream of becoming an engineer, I would have to work hard. At dawn, I would leave everything familiar behind and take my first real step towards that dream. After passing the Common Entrance Examination, I gained admission to Government Secondary Technical School (GSTS) in Takoradi, where I began school in January 1957. I had always wanted to become an engineer and had a keen interest in technical The Birthday Journal 11
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