En-route to the book deposit I met the chicken man. He held a small wooden paddle with three wooden chickens pecking the fixed seed, with a piece of wood and cotton underneath the paddle operating the chickens. “Morning Papa, 5 Cedis to you,” “I’m sorry” I responded. I only have money for my lunch and a taxi back to Haatso. “No problem, you can have it for 3 Cedis.” It is good to negotiate, and you never pay the asking price in Ghana unless the price is written on the object or where the object is located. “No, I replied. It is worth more than that.” A look of surprise on the sellers face was worth a photograph, but this is Accra and as a White European it would be foolish to pull out my camera while unaccompanied. “No, I have many look.” At which point he showed me five or six more of these toys resting in his right pocket. “I’m sorry my friend, but I am not a rich European and I must keep what is left of my money to buy my lunch and pay to get home.” He would not be deterred. “Ok, for you 2 Cedis.” My answer remained the same, at which point he recalled some basic understanding of economics and offered me the toy for nothing on the understanding that I would return tomorrow and pay for it. In the space of five minutes he had negotiated his price down, from 5 Cedis to zero and 24 hours credit. And we think that there is a worldwide credit crunch. I smiled and explained my circumstances again and bid my farewell. The traffic moves fast and crossing the road takes a lot of time. I made it to where I wanted to be but I couldn’t quite find the Book Deposit. I asked a policeman which is always a good strategy to ensure your safety (but be careful asking a soldier with a machine gun, as they don’t seem to like to be talked too, especially if you ask to take their photograph!). The policeman directed me, walked with me for a while and then declared that he was wrong and directed me back to where I had been. Phew, it’s a good job one of us knew our way around Accra. The book deposit was a welcome sight, and a chair in the shade with the Fanta that I had carried all morning was a much needed break. The church guards and I chatted about Colonialism and slavery and a healthy hour was spent relaxing.
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