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Follow a young woman from D.C to Ghana on her journey of adventure, love, humor, sadness, and learning how to overcome life’s hurdles. Stay tuned, a new story will be posted each week.

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Did You Miss Part 1 , Part 2 , or Part 3 – Click the links Below

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Flying Across The Golden Grid

In my early high school career I was trained in method acting by some of the best teachers in the game. We were trained to observe those we were different from, to learn from them, to become them if necessary. We were also trained to utilize something called sense memory, a technique used by actors to pull energy out of yourself that can lend itself to your current predicament, if you go deep enough within yourself.

I used to use sense memory to bring life to a character that I could not relate to, or to convince others to do what I wanted. That means, if a sista needs to cry to garner a little bit of sympathy…she gon cry. And cry I did, while standing at that consulate window, after they told me they didn’t have my visa. Four hours on the clock…four! I had been running all over New York for three days. I had everything I needed but the one thing that would enable me to actually enter Ghana.

Strategizing in my head, I decided that I would get my visa, meet my homeboy on the subway, get his keys, go back to the Bronx, take a quick shower, grab all my shit, and dip! But here I was staring at the beautiful but stern Ghanaian woman on the other side of the glass, after she told me, “Your visa won’t be ready for two more days”….. Oh nah….two more days? I didn’t have that time, I needed them to stop playing with me, and give me that visa. I had a flight to catch and memories to make. Quickly climbing inside of myself, I weighed my options. I could yell, be ratchet, and probably get kicked out, or I could pull the complex sadness/ insanity I would feel if I didn’t go, and garner some sympathy. I proceeded to do the latter.

Tilting my head to one side and staring at the woman softly, I began to let the tears dribble sloppily down my face. I was going to act for the Gods! Looking at me worriedly, she asked me, “Why are you crying, don’t cry.” Picking up the ante, my dramatic black ass started crying more. Quickly becoming a mother, the tenderhearted woman looked down at my name and said “ah, you are Efia Nyame-kye?” Nodding my head yes, she said “My mother was Efia Nyame-kye too, so you are my mother. Because I see that you want this so bad, I am going to let you get your visa, and when you come back I want you to tell me how beautiful my country is.”

Nodding my head, I remembered the manners my momma had taught me and said “yes ma’am.”

Within ten minutes, I had me my first Ghanaian visa, and I was off!

Fifteen hours later, I was looking out the airplane window, heart beating so fast, exhilaration pumping through my veins. I had done it! Never in my life had I fought so hard to get something so rewarding. Arriving in the nighttime, I pressed my nose against the glass, and looked down at a magical site. It was a golden grid. Dark in some areas, bright and glittering in others, spread out, the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, it was Ghana, and I had arrived.

Playlist

Goapele- Closer Amel Larrieux- For real Reaction Band- Feels Good Diamond in the Back- Curtis Mayfield Elle Varner-Refill Gwop Band- Rock me Azonto(for the culture)- Fuse ODG and Tiffany

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