of being skipped ahead several grades. By the age of eleven, I was ready to go to secondary school, the normal thing in Ghana was to go at thirteen. I loved school, with all the healthy competition that came with it, and all the extra-curricular activities. Eleven years old, and there I was in freezing cold London, my mother rushing to buy me winter clothing, boots and scarves. It had been my understanding that I was going to my parents, so it felt a little bit off when I got there, only to discover my parents, separated and on the brink of divorce. Not that it affected me much, I was used to not living with them. However, what struck me though, was the general lack of people. I felt so lonely, away from my grandma, my siblings and my friends; people who together had been my village. NowIwas alone. For the first time inmy life, I felt like an only child. There are still people who think I am an only child. I thinkmy mother must have been very frustrated by the many times she came home to find me crying in those early days. The good thing though was that my daddy lived nearby, and would visit to take me shopping for beautiful clothes in the West End. On outings, he sometimes took me to his workplace and introducedme to all his friends. It also helped that one or two of my siblings would come for a holiday or two. Dad Mom 8 The Birthday Journal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTAyMTM3NQ==