I would like to think that Gloria held everyone spellbound, because after the applause, there was silence. Then I asked for questions. And still the silence.
My first question was by a ten year old who wanted to know my Ghanaian hometown. I explained the difference between the concept of hometown here in Canada, and over in Ghana. While hometown in Canada means the place you were born, in Ghana it is the place your ancestors are buried, and where one is most likely to be buried. My young friend Kassia had lived in Tamale for three years and kept her hair in braids, Ghanaian style. She wanted to know If I had been to Tamale. "Yes, a long time ago," I said. I remembered how my dad had taken us on this roadtrip years ago when I was about fourteen, all the way up north to Bolgatanga. I remembered how we had crossed the ferry at Yeji, car and all.
I asked her if she had been to Paga to see the crocodiles. She had. I stopped short of asking if she had fed them day-old chicks. Later on, I took a photograph with her and I signed her book, although she may be too young for some of what happens inside Between Sisters.
A gentleman in a black 'saloon' type hat asked me a question about a weed that I had named and described in the book. Laughter everywhere! There were questions about my journey as an author in Canada. There was also a question about university education in Ghana.
Someone asked a question about what else I had written and so I told them about my work, my themes, my publishers, my readers and those few books in translation. The official festival photographer was in the tent and he asked about my bright soccer shirt.
I stood tall at the mention of the Ghana Black Stars. I admitted my shirt was older, a 2008 souvenir of the African Cup of Nations, I believe. My audience applauded the Black Star effort at the recent FIFA World Cup tournament.
Someone asked about highlife music which I had mentioned in my reading. I told them about Ghanaian contemporary and evolving musical forms. One woman, a fellow Guelphite, made a remark about my performance and teaching arts. She asked me if I would demonstrate a dance. My good excuse was the lack of music, otherwise they may have turned my reading into a dance performance. Eish, I wasn't prepared for that.
Someone asked if I would be signing books. "Yes. It's the best part," I said.
Carol-Leigh Wehking was there and so was Ken Setterington, all the way from Toronto. It was lovely to see familiar faces. Maureen took photographs and kept me company. We shared a strange sandwich of grilled hotdogs in hamburgher buns, which the gentleman gave us for free. Such favour, hmm, and it was tasty too.
On the way back to the Meadows for the car, I saw my very first Canadian snake in the wild, and it was dead--run over by many cars on the green.
