MY EXPERIENCE
ON SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST, 2011.
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t was a calm
Saturday; I went for a wedding at Sakumono, from there to Tema Community 7 (the
industrial city of Ghana) to visit an
aunt. At about 7 pm I left Tema for Kasoa in the Central region of Ghana but
had to make a stopover at Kaneshie (the oldest and largest market in Accra). I
got to Kaneshie at around 7:30pm to board a bus to Kasoa. I had to wait with
other passenger also going to Kasoa for a bus.
A Benz bus arrived
after waiting for some few minutes. We pushed our way into the bus. It was a
fierce struggle as that was the normal practice at the Kaneshie lorry station
for passengers going to Kasoa. As if the struggle is not enough, the drivers
also increase the fares by 25% and passengers pay with little resistance
because the conductors (mates) announce the fares even before allowing
passengers to enter the buses.
We took off
immediately the bus got full but I realized that the bus seriously smelled of
alcohol. This was because almost half of the passengers were drunk. The bus did
not only smell of alcohol but also was very noisy a common characteristic of a
group of drunken people. I looked around and judging from the attire of some
the passengers and their conversation realized they were from funerals and the
others one can say branched to the “blue kiosk” (a small drinking spot) after
work or from wherever they went.
A few minutes after
takeoff the noise died down not because people stopped talking but because most
passengers “went to bed”. Heads could not be controlled as they moved from left
to right “head batting” passengers sitting by them. One passenger who was
sitting by the window was constantly hitting his head against the glass and the
edges of the window. I got scared and prayed he doesn’t break the glass because
that would have been a serious accident since this man had no hair on his head
and the sides of the window had sharp, pointed, rusty edges. One can imagine
what could have happened.
We had not done even
half the journey, that I got startled, only to look back to see one passenger
snoring profusely and uncontrollably. He was not just snoring but was also
serious reeking of alcohol and his breathe was bad.
I had my fare share
of the “head batting” as I was sandwiched between a drunken man and a drunken
middle aged woman. This middle aged woman was drunk beyond reasonable
recognition. I gathered from her dressing and conversation with her behind us
that they had travelled far to attend the funeral of a woman who died at the
age of 39. I really doubted if these ladies attended a funeral of someone who
from their own conversation died under very bizarre circumstances. From all
indication these ladies really went to party and even took some of the drinks
away to continue the partying when they get to their destinations.
“It’s party time”
I have observed with
much pain in my heart this attitude of most young men and women who have made
it a habit of attending funerals every weekend for only one reason; “the
availability of free alcoholic beverages”.
Because these drinks are served freely they drink excessively without
control.
Funerals from my
understanding are ceremonies for disposing off the dead. They are by no means
merry making ceremonies or occasions for one to be excessively happy and over
joyous. They are, to the best of my knowledge moments for mourning and sober
reflecting. We must look at the fact that we have lost someone so dear, someone
we can no longer sit and share ideas with, someone we can no longer do good to
and receive any good thing from. We must also consider that the world has lost
someone whose ideas could have transformed lives, brought hope to the hopeless,
fed the hungry, and father the fatherless. Funerals are therefore not merry
making occasions and over drinking. What are rejoicing over? Are we rejoicing
because someone is dead? Have we lost our feeling for fellow humans and our
emotions? Funny enough those who drink
more and make merry give very little or no donations at all to the bereaved
family. Families burying the dead have not only lost a loved one but also lose
out financially.
Let us rejoice with
those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.
J B Eshun © 2011
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