It was 5.40am, I was driving on the way to the office and put the radio on Atlantis for the first time since before the Christmas holidays. The cheesy christmas music which had been playing pre 2012 had now been replaced with corny country and western. It’s hard to believe that so many Ghanaians like this music. Actually my friend E was telling me in Jamaica it is the same, for me there are some things which are not meant for we black folk, any activity which involves falling out of the sky and listening to country and western but alas, I am part of the minority.

My dad is a music lover freak. He still has his tapes (remember those they came way before the Ipod and just before the CD). He must have had hundreds with all kinds of music, soul, funk, pop, classical, whatever genre Elvis belongs to and C & W. I remember on Sundays in happier times when my parents actually liked each other’s company, he used to play his music and he and my mum would dance around the living room while we watched on laughing especially when he would come out with his James Brownesque moves

But the whole Country and Western thing failed to catch on with me, you can’t dance to it unless your into the whole line dancing thing, the songs all sound slow, even the fast paced ones, I just don’t get it. But you know someone out there is thinking I am abnormal for listening to *nsync right now, each to their own.

Well I had enough of Atlantis, the other radio stations were playing hardcore gospel music and the one station that had been broadcasting the news seemed to have had a power cut so nothing. My Ipod was loddged way deep at the bottom of my bag, I have side pockets, but no I decided last night to put it in the main part of my bag with the thousand and one other things in my bag. Nothing seems to go out of my bag but everyday something seems to be added. I have medicines, letters, a diary, my purse, makeup bag, more medicines, empty pill sachets, mosquito repellants and that’s just what I can see right now. I really should have a clear out. I don’t know where I learnt this practise of using my bag as a dumping ground, but it will get sorted out today. But I digress.

Couldn’t find my Ipod and Azonto at 5.30am just wasn’t going down that well. I guess some people are still on leave as the road was deadly quiet. Even at the one way section where the East Legoners meet the Legoners at Golf House, there was barely any cars. I did get caught up in a bit of it on the way but that was because the driver in front didn’t realize that the accelarator pedal makes the car go faster or his car was just incapable of moving faster than 15kmph, it was a rather old Audi, probably the first make. I don’t understand how certain cars are made certifiable to be driven anywhere, let alone on the road, but they let old kinds of contraptions lose on the roads here in Ghana. It’s amazing.

I got here just before 6. I wish I had told my cousin to get here at 6.30 but I said 7, like was I having a blond moment. The black man’s time is bad as it is and then for me to give him the actual time I want him here and not an hour before the actual time, well that was stupid of me. It is now 8, I called him an hour ago and he said he was at La Paz. Basically, he has just left the house. He will not tell me he’s just left the house, no he will tell me that he is here soon. Then he will tell me, I am nearly there, I’ll be there in a second, oh just a minute, I’ll soon come. Just tell me the truth, if I look at the time and it’s too late, at least I can tell you not to bother.

I expect he will arrive at 10. If he comes in at 10, my car will not get serviced today because he was too late, they will either tell him to go and come back tomorrow or I will not here from him until he calls to say that they weren’t able to finish so he will pick it up tomorrow instead. How do I know all this, because this has happened twice before. Who was the person who took the car, my same cousin.

What amazes me is that there are certain things that you would expect the average Ghana man to use his common sense and best judgement. But the reality is, if you want something done, you have to literally tell them, lift your “left leg forward, now lift your right leg forward”. It can be quite exhausting, as in the time you explain to the person every small detail, you might as well have done it yourself. Unfortunately i do not have the time or the patience to do any maintenance on my car such as servicing, roadworthy, tyre pumping. Yep I am a real girl when it comes to cars, so I am forced to rely on my cousin or the boy that works with my older cousin. Nice guys, but am quite sure all the alcohol has burnt out the sense gene.

But I say that, but I think he may be more sensible than I am giving him credit for. As he has come late today, he will not finish everything, which means he will have to come back tomorrow. For each day, I will give him something for transport and a little extra for his pocket. Ghanaians. They always think they can outsmart the next person. But what can I do, I am basically being held to ransome by my own handicap.