Ghanaians are renowned for their hospitality and make a special effort to welcome foreign experts who come to play a role in the country’s economic development. Professors visiting the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi were often overwhelmed by the reception they received. The following is an account of a homecoming party designed to impress an English teacher who was known to hold somewhat negative views of Kumasi.
Kwame had asked Comfort to prepare dinner for Professor Thomas, Tom, Akos Mary, and himself at his home in Nhyiasu. He drove the party there shortly after 5:00 pm, in time to appreciate the setting in daylight. They walked up the hill and into Nhyiasu, with its wide, tree-lined streets, elegant colonial residences, and sprawling gardens fringed with bougainvillea. As he turned into the driveway and approached the house, Kwame looked to his right and was glad to see a suitably impressed expression on the professor’s round, red face.
Comfort greeted her guests at her doorstep, drawn by all the splendor of a traditional dress that could trigger the most severe man-boob arrhythmias. He invited the party to have drinks in the garden in the cool evening air as the sun went down. Paying special attention to Professor Thomas’s biases, he flattered his chief guest with his request.
To Kwame’s delight, Comfort didn’t rely solely on her own feminine charm to set a decorous setting. Drinks and delicacies were served by ladies who had obviously been chosen with great care. Seeing both the appreciation and the question in Kwame’s expression, Comfort whispered in Twi, “I think the girls Mrs. Dodoo trained.” So these cute and attentive waitresses had been tutored at the university pool restaurant by the Nigerian catering guru. Assuming that some of his sisters were employed in the kitchen, Kwame was looking forward to dinner with even greater anticipation.
Comfort had prepared both Ghanaian and international dishes so there was something for everyone. Professor Thomas was persuaded to try small samples of local dishes, but he got more sustenance from more familiar dishes. Akos Mary couldn’t resist her favorite snails with fufu and Tom and Kwame tried to do justice to almost everything that came their way. Comfort excused his modest consumption on the grounds that he watched his figure, a pastime shared by his three male guests.
After the meal, relaxing with more drinks, Comfort asked Professor Thomas if he liked Ghana. ‘So far,’ he said, ‘aside from the road from Accra, I am impressed by everything I have seen and heard. My welcome has been most gratifying. I must admit that Ghana is very different from what I imagined and I am delighted that my colleagues accepted my request to come and see for myself.’
Kwame glanced at Tom, who was smiling with Comfort-induced euphoria. Kwame realized again how appropriate his ex-wife’s name had been.
