Traffic

Traffic was crawling again, slower than a snail with a limp (to quote a line penned by an author my wife was reading). On the right stood a lady with a tower of packets that reared up and balanced Buddha like on her head. The packets contained plantains, a potato type starch popular in Africa. These plantains were a rich mahogany in colour and I could only imagine the old oil as thick as sludge in which they had been deep fried. Only then to be sealed in plastic packets with the breath of desperation!

A loud clang rocked the car. I swivelled to the left in time to see a goat on steroids free his horn from its engagement with our car mirror. For an instant, it seemed like he gave our car the evil eye and was tempted to prove his superiority. His decision gladdened me as I had no doubt our car was no match for a monster beast with attitude. His two brothers trotted gaily after him, undeterred that their goat path was the middle lane of a highway.

Numerous billboards lined the road advertising things from Ethiopian Airlines to Prudential Bank. Two cows were chained to the latter’s support poles, both fat and grazing. They very presence inspiring the feeling that it is all a lot of bull. Not far off, two donkeys lounged at a robot, both obviously up to no good!

On my left, a car leapfrogged our car again. This time I took notice of its sign writing that screamed for attention. The car was an advert for a security and barbed wire fencing concern. One word was big and bold and stood out; ‘danger’! I wondered ludicrously if this was the only honest car in town.

I smiled as the three billy goats gruff trotted past our car again, this time sans collision. The smile faded as I saw two young boys squatting over an open channel next to the road. With a complete lack of modesty, they finished their business, upped their pants and ran off to join their friends.

Later, while feasting on a large fillet steak stuffed with Brie, at an upmarket restaurant in the Accra mall, I wondered about the extreme contrasts that flavour the continent of Africa.