ANTICIPATION

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Nana Adeku II, Omanhene of Akwasin, 

  * was celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his accession to the stool of Akwaasin. *The capital, Nkwabi, was thronged with people from the outlying towns and villages.

  It was in the height of the cocoa season, money was circulating freely and farmers were spending to their hearts content. Friends who had not seen one another for a long time were renewing their friendship : they called with gifts of gin, champagne or whisky, recalled old day with gusto and before departing imbibed most of the drinks they brought as gift. No one cared, everyone was happy. Few could be seen in European attire; nearly all were in Gold Coast costume; the men had tokota sandals on their feet, and rich multicolored velvet and gorgeous, hand-woven kente cloth nicely wrapped round their bodies. The woman, with golden ear-rings dangling, with golden chains and bracelets, looked dignified in their colorful native attire.

The state drums were beating paeans of joy.*

    It was four o'clock in the afternoon and people were walking to the state Park where the Odwira was to be staged. Enclosures of palm leaves decorated the grounds.

   The Omanhene arrived in a palanquin under a brightly patterned state umbrella, a golden crown on his head, his kente studded with tiny golden beads and rows upon rows of golden necklaces piled high on his chest. He wore bracelets of gold from the wrists right up to the elbows. He held in his enthusiastic, cheering people. In front of him sat his 'soul', a young boy of twelve, holding the sword of office.

After the Omanhene come the Adontehene, the next in importance. He was resplendent in rich green and red velvet cloth; his headband was studded with golden bars. Other chiefs come one after another under their brightly-colored state umbrellas. The procession was long; the crowd raised cheers as each palanquin was lowered and drums went on beating resounding jubilation. The Omanhene took his seat on the dais with his Elders, the District commissioner, Captain Hobbs, near him. Sasa, the jester, looked ludicrous in his motley pair of trousers and his cap of monkey skin. He made faces at the Omanhene, he leered, did acrobatic stunts; the great Chief to be moved to laughter in public.

The state Park presented a scene of barbaric splendor.

Chiefs and their retinue sat on native stool under state umbrellas of diverse colours. The golden linguist staves of office* gleamed  in the sunlight. The women, like tropical butterflies, look charming in their multi-colored brocaded silk, kente and velvet; and their Odeuku headdress, black and shiny, studded with long golden pins and slides.

Young men paraded the grounds, their flowing cloths trailing behind them, their silken-plaited headbands glittering in the sun.

The drums beat on …

TO BE CONTINUE ......

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