‘Where have you been, not in this lorry? Where were your ears when we were discussing it?’

‘I do not go putting my mouth in other people’s affairs . . .’

‘So what?’

‘So go and die.’

‘Hei, hei, it is prohibited to quarrel in my lorry.’

‘Draba, here is me, sitting quiet and this lady of muscles and bones being cheeky to me.’

‘Look, I can beat you.’

‘Beat me . . . beat me . . . let’s see.’

‘Hei, you are not civilised, eh?’

‘Keep quiet and let us think, both of you, or I will put you down.’

‘Nana, do not weep. There is God above.’

Thank you my master.

‘But we are in Cape Coast already.’

Meewuo! My God, hold me tight or something will happen to me.

My master, I will come down here.

‘O Nana, I thought you said you were going to the hospital. . . . We are not there yet.’

I am saying maybe I will get down here and ask my way around.

‘Nana, you do not know these people, eh? They are very impudent here. They have no use for old age. So they do not respect it. Sit down, I will take you there.’

Are you going there, my master?

‘No, but I will take you there.’

Ah, my master, your old mother thanks you. Do not shed a tear when you hear of my death . . . my master, your old mother thanks you.

I hear there is somewhere where they keep corpses until their owners claim them . . . if she has been buried, then I must find her husband . . . Esi Amfoa, what did I come to do under this sky? I have buried all my children and now I am going to bury my only grandchild!

‘Nana we are there.’

Is this the hospital?

‘Yes, Nana. What is your child’s name?’

Esi Amfoa. Her father named her after me.

‘Do you know her European name?’

No, my master.

‘What shall we do?’

‘. . . Ei lady, Lady Nurse, we are looking for somebody.’

‘You are looking for somebody and can you read? If you cannot, you must ask someone what the rules in the hospital are. You can only come and visit people at three o’clock.’

Lady, please. She was my only grandchild . . .

‘Who? And anyway, it is none of our business.’

‘Nana, you must be patient . . . and not cry . . .’

‘Old woman, why are you crying, it is not allowed here. No one must make any noise . . .’

My lady, I am sorry but she was all I had.

‘Who? Oh, are you the old woman who is looking for somebody?’

Yes.

‘Who is he?’

She was my granddaughter – the only child of my only son.

‘I mean, what was her name?’

Esi Amfoa.

‘Esi Amfoa . . . Esi Amfoa. I am sorry, we do not have anyone whom they call like that here.’

Is that it?

‘Nana, I told you they may know only her European name here.’

My master, what shall we do then?

‘What is she ill with?’