CHAPTER THREE
Orwell led the assembly into a compound; a big one, knee-level walls
bounded the entire premises, and in the room where they met four young
black guys who welcomed them,hang an ancient portrait of the legendary Ako.He was one of the best of his days,at Isulo.He made portraits of
politicians and wealthy men as well as artworks of customary Nigerian
tradition and culture. Ako was also prominent in the Isulo village for his
children and women rights activism.
A lead member of the Association of art workers, and the conglomerate of
human rights advocacy institute of Isulo, he had championed a course that
helped save some fifty two children who were held hostage in 1968 by
pirates on the Atlantic.Elorm and Osei were offered some water and kola nuts after minutes of predictable introductions.
“Adɜn, ode monso aba ha annaa?”One quizzed- to wit, why, has he brought
you guys too?
Kwesi was a kente weaver too from Bonwire, Ekow was a shoe maker, and he made very beautiful cloth-embroidered slippers and shoes for ladies with locally made cloth. Kwame, the fairest among the guys was a
blacksmith who was busily masticating crumps of red kola nuts and Kweku, the bare-chested guy was a carpenter.
The only means of exchanging information from Isulo to Ghana was via
letters. Orwell’s wife, Ikechwukwu was the attendant at the village post
office, Orwell directed that all letters from Ghana be given to him,which he read and burnt all the time.Communication channels were
virtually blocked.
It was almost like life in a jungle.Orwell went to the central market every time to purchase the materials (leather, glue, nails and local material fabric) for the boys to fix the slippers and weave kente. Though the few naira he gave to them was woefully inadequate,they had no choice.
Osei, Elorm’s travel friend from Bonwire was an expert in weaving.
He could do the sewing and stitching of the clothes at the same time, with or without the weaving equipment.That evening, the Ghanaian boys,had a good smoke on the isolated corridor,which served as walkway for visitors and church members who came to fellowship in the church premises
Orwell’s father had built after which they retired to bed.
Early the next day, Elorm approached Orwell and asked for the company he
told him about back in Accra.Orwell responded,
“In actual fact, Ibi now I wan establish the company,oooo my father die
years ago wey he get church for the premises so I want make carved
doors and donate to the church, which go serve as samples give then people who go come fellowship for here”.
Elorm could not complain, Orwell gave him a calendar and showed him
pictures he should draw. He wanted very detailed carvings which would take a lot of time to complete. He took him to a very obscure room, with just a five by eight inch window, where he asked him to do the work.
Ventilation in the room was terrible, stale air had collected in the room
for the past months and was almost breath-seizing. In a foreign land no
money, no relative, no friend and language understanding deficiency;except for the ‘broken English’ it was always going to be a tough time at Isulo for Elorm and his ‘hustle’ mate ,Osei.
Doors Orwell directed him to work on were extremely tall, double the heights he used to carve in Ghana,way taller than he was himself and
broader too, but of course Elorm’s determination would spur him on;
he finished the carving and polishing within two weeks to the utmost
amazement of Orwell.
“I think say ego take two months to finish this by which time I go fit organize some more give you”, Orwell said.
He would not pay all of the money agreed between the two for one door and when Elorm had finished carving the four doors, and demanded the
rest of his money, Orwell said,
“I take the rest of your balance defray all the money I spend transporting you people from Ghana, and you for even add some more”. Hard luck!
Frimpong, the corn mill operator in Orwell’s compound had run away from the village, he was not being sufficiently paid. The mill, old and rusted was
left lying in the shop for years.Orwell said to Elorm, “Manage this corn mill, while I organize some more carving for you”.
3:30 am every day, even when the birds were still asleep, and had not begun singing, and the Muslim neighbours were not awake to offer their routine prayers, the village folk would come knocking at his window.
“Operator Biokporo”- Operator come and grind for me.
Operator Biokporo”- Operator come and grind for me.
For two months, Elorm operated the corn mill, during which time;Orwell
came to Ghana to take more boys to Nigeria to work for him. He had a ten-acre maize, cassava and wheat farm, reared grasscutter and rabbits, at the outskirts of Isulo village and needed more hands to work there since the rainy season was over. One of them ran back to Ghana upon reaching Isulo after merely hearing the stories of the accosted ‘hustlers’….........to be
continued!
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