Reggie leaves me in Cape Coast, but not without a guilt trip and a long face. I call Auntie Mary this morning to apprise her of my plans, but she is very distracted. She had a long meeting yesterday and the result is that the government is moving her to a new school for her final year of work. Age 60 is mandatory retirement age. I cannot help but worry that her mild stroke and illness is behind this move from her very responsible post as Headmistress of Odorgonno School.
Reggie accompanies me to Global Mamas, and departs to the bus station. Patience welcomes me and the young ladies in the workroom greet me warmly. We are surrounded by stacks of beautiful hand-printed batik fabric. I sit with Patience and tell her about our Humankind store and how we promote education and sales of fair trade products.
I meet Laura from Minnesota (a graduate of University of Minnesota like our daughter-in-law, Libby). Laura is a fashion designer who works on pattern and product development for Global Mamas. She says GL gets lots of conflicting input from customers so it is often not very illuminating. I also meet Jenna from Iowa who is a design intern. I try on a dress Jenna has designed - it is size Small so hard to tell, but it is a nice shirtwaist design. They are aware that longer lengths are preferable - some of their past models have too short for many customers.
Patience calls me to walk 1/4 mile to my batik class with Sister Mary. Mary is an attractive 30-something. Her workshop is a wooden shed housing her work tables, dyes, braziers for melting wax and heating water, and stacks of foam and wood design blocks. Because of time, I may only work in one color. I select a vibrant orange and two design blocks, both designed by Mary. We get to work.
My sister has replied to one of my recent reports that our Mom, Mary Ellen, would have enjoyed being on this trip with me. Her comment goes straight to my heart because it is precisely why, when given a choice of countries by AFS, I selected Ghana. Mom dreamed of visiting Africa. When we were young we remember her inviting these tall African young men, students at Oklahoma State University, to our rural home in Oklahoma for some holiday meal. How exotic they were in still-segregated Oklahoma and how shy we all were! Mom traveled a lot - especially to visit her far-flung family -but she never had the opportunity to go abroad. This trip is for her.
Mary patiently walks me through the process of stamping my 2 yards of white muslin. On a typical day, Mary prints and dyes 120 yards of fabric. Once my fabric is printed, she mixes dye - it does not appear orange, it is a dark, dull green. She assures me it will change! Sure enough, as it processes, is rinsed and dried, it turns vibrant orange.
The neighbors have stopped in to gawk at me and visit. Soon I return to GM's and choose some fabrics to buy ($3 per yd). I buy 36 yds. Though GM's is busy, they allow me to interview several people and I hope these interviews will inspire our volunteers and customers at Humankind.
My death trap taxi driver, Isaac, is waiting and hard bargaining ensues for the 30-minute trip to Brenu Beach Resort. He starts at 50 cedis and I hold out for 20 ( $10) with threats to call another taxi. I pray all the way to Brenu because the taxi is full of fumes. One of the windshield wipers flies off in mid -wipe. At Brenu I am shown to an ocean view casita, clean and comfortable. $60 for the night and a favorite on Tripadvisor, though not fancy. 22-year-old Grace comes to prepare my room and asks me about my stunning stack of GM's fabrics. Soon I am showing her my photos and videos of the day. She is impressed. Blessed iPad.
Waiting for my late lunch of red-red (red stew of black-eyed peas), fried plantains and fish and eying a hammock on the beach.
Jackie, beached
PS (Reggie called to check upon me this evening. His Mom was not at all upset with him for returning without me!)
Pics: batiking, Global Mamas, beach resort, hammock time, lunch of red-red, locals
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