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"andrew and i are traveling this weekend if you'd like to come?"

i thought about it and decided it'd be a good idea to leave the village, it had been quite some time since i took a short vacation and i wouldn't mind tagging along. "where do you plan on going?" i asked.

"we want to go a little north of kumasi and visit a monkey sanctuary and some waterfalls, then go and see this project that Andrew is quite interested in. yeah?"

"okay, sure!" i hadn't been to any of those places, and trusted Andrew's interests- even though i had no idea what this 'project' would be. it'd be nice to see something new.

"i heard you can swim there, at the waterfalls." she said.

the idea of dunking myself in a body of water was exhilarating. we both let loose our widest whitest grins, knowing how simply luxurious this could be.

"we'll leave after work on friday and take monday off. does that work for you?"

"yep."

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when friday rolled around i let auntie know we wouldn't be there that weekend, and really i wasn't sure if she would care either way.

sakola wanted to be certain of all our travel details.

on my walk home from work i stopped over at collins house to say goodbye. "travel safe." he said.

"thanks collins."

he laughed. i can tell he thinks i'm really funny, but it's nothing i do on my own accord, my presence makes him burst out in glee. in some ways i feel like his favorite carnival ride, with an ego.

"hey where is nanakwame?" i asked.

"nanakwame, he, he is working today." and he pointed in the direction of the road.

nanakwame had just recently been hired as a mate, which was proving to be full time work. he hadn't been around for the past week, but i managed to cross his path if he came home late and i hadn't left his new place to go back to mine to sleep.

every tro tro in ghana has what is called "a mate". a mate is an integral person in the tro tro business. he is equally as important as the driver and more accessible. the way a chief has a linguist, a driver has a mate. all inquiries, complaints, and conversation should be directed to him.

a mate's job requires many things; hanging out the window announcing to crowds where the car is headed, taking money from all the passengers, changing flat tires, keeping the peace inside a tro tro, etc.

to catch a ride on a tro tro, one must only pay special attention to the mate, what he is saying and what his hands are doing as the car whizzes past. if the car is headed to accra, he'll point his hand far out ahead of him and wave it from front to back screaming "KRA KRA KRA KRA KRA!". if this is the destination you desire you stick out your arm and wiggle your hand around. the car will then pull over where ever you are standing and let you in.

i don't trust many mates. they tend to be sneaky and conniving. they always charge me extra because i'm white. i hand them my bill and they "forget" to give me my full change. they think they will get away with it until i remind them in a car full of 16 people. i like to sit in the middle, so i yell this to the front through everybody's ears.

"i might not be Ghanaian, but i do know the fare. you are cheating me, give me my change please."

i say this all in perfect twi, and on good days with a smile. once everybody hears me nobody holds back. the car bursts out in clapping and laughter, the mate is shamed for a second or two, and then i receive about 10 'you have done well's!'.

i thought about nanakwame, he's mischievous and sneaky, in an adorable way. i don't think he'd try to cheat me.

sofie hadn't gotten to know nanakwame yet, "he was always at work" she said.

"he just got this job." i replied, hoping he hadn't disappeared from my life forever.

it was strange to not have him around in my every day, and i was missing his palpable energy, but i was glad for him. work is not always easy to come by here, so i know it was making him happy.

i looked back at collins as i walked away. "tell nanakwame, when he gets home from work, that i say hi and bye and i'll be back on monday, sofie and i are leaving the village to travel with andrew."

"okay! see you!!!" he yelled back.

the weekend had officially begun, and i was looking forward to the adventure.