WHAT I HEARD ABOUT HOME

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Born in an aspect of the northern part of Ghana W/A, one of the most peaceful and productive place to be; one will think. But with a physical appearance of an unplanned scattered settlement having majority of its household being round and roofed with thatch and a very few normally built with zinc roofing. The arrangement of every household present each the opportunity to produce agricultural products just outside each house as vast a Land is not occupied in the community. Teaks and mahogany trees were those in abundance and a few others including neem, shear and mango with heavily densed grassland during the rainy seasons. In times of a heavy downpour, one could notice running water directly into several households with the inhabitants of such house busily collecting out the water running into their homes to prevent 'let's say over flooding' as the entire place looks floody in times of heavy downpour. The heavily densed grassland during the rainy seasons presented a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other dangerous reptiles such as snakes including scorpions as well. One would say it's a huge miracle children survive and thrive in such an environment. Little children walks and play around naked without even having a single sandal on; a norm which most strangers will see weird. During festive seasons or times of ritual practices such the Ramadan for most occupants in the community as well as traditional festivals, the atmosphere of the entire place lives in celebrative mood with children ranging from as little as four years old being awake and active as early as 2 am in the morning as in the case of Ramadan. The whole ferrested community becomes packed and lit with children playing around early as 3am. For the dry seasons as someone may think will be a little better and friendly as compared to the rainy seasons, trust me, the situation is no different; I cannot even tell as to whether which of the two is less worst. But well, as human nature ensures adaptations to situations in time, we lived through every moment of each season and hoping for the better.

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The whole place becomes soo dry and dusty to an extent that trees shed off their leaves as that of a bald headed person will shave his hair, looking naked and very dry in an attempt to conserve the little moisture content within. And the heavily densed grassland becoming soo dry that a little strike between two stones can spark a fire outbreak setting a very large portion of the area ablaze. The ribs of livestock such sheep, goats and cattle could be counted when keenly observed, with both their forelimbs and hindlimbs attached to them as though a little child learning sculpture had pushed little sticks into a moulded clayey sculpture. Children and most adults looks as though they have escaped from a collapsed mine, with a dusty paled- dry skin, cracked lips and limbs resembling the people in the earliest ages. The atmosphere becomes foggy with dust spread all over by the hot available air which at times make breathing difficult. Welcome to the northern part of W/A, 'a place in absolute darkness in the past that was our light growing up.'