Ke Nako for real!

Now ask me why at 2:30pm the third party was nowhere to be seen despite several “I’m on my way, I’m on my way” responses when we would call to check up.  Close to 3pm, we find out that we are stranded because third party had no intention to come pick us up but rather to lead the way (mind you, he still hadn’t shown up).

Africans, I swear!

Yeah, I’m on vacation but I just can’t handle these nonsensical tricks Ghanaians ( or is it Africans in general) always seem to play. If you can’t pick us up, say you can’t pick us up. Don’t tell me you are five minutes away when you haven’t even taken your bath and left your home 45 minutes away.  My people!  Accountability must not be in our native vocabulary.

Luckily, the Ivorian cousin foresaw this happening and had a back-up option for us so we were soon at the stadium with minutes to spare. We found our seats which were fortuitously all in the same area.  We even ended up in the same area as the boys so we had ourselves a grand old time as Ghana proceeded to show Serbia who was who. It was magical, magnificient, and awesome all rolled up in one. All this time, I thought I was going to come and enjoy the atmosphere and watch a few games while I was at it, but the atmosphere that day was just ON FIRE. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world!

British cousin had traveled to South Africa with 2 of his friends about two weeks prior and was expecting a third to show up the following day. They had rented a car but because they thought they were being picked up today, the one friend who was not coming to this game had it.  After the game, an uncle came to pick us up in his boneshaker pickup. I sat up front but British cousin and his friend had to sit in the bed of the truck which had no cushions or anything.  Poor guys! And it was cold too!

We got home to Kempton Park and we met by the second friend and his two cousins. The six of us proceeded to find a bar to watch the Germany – Australia game in. We ended up missing much of the first half due to aimlessly driving around in our search for a good place to settle down in.  We ended up at Emperor’s Palace where I got sprayed upon with champagne during someone’s birthday toast. No worries though.  It was jovial and for a second I considered announcing that it was also my birthday so I too could get such a reception…and perhaps a chance of spraying others.

About midnight the Brits and I were not yet ready to call it a night. So once again we drove around looking for a happening spot and ended up at a seedy looking night-club in Yeoville where we all agreed to give it a try.  Huge mistake!  The minute I got in I was aggressively groped and pulled while waiting for the Brits to be allowed in. Within minutes of their entry, one of them was pick pocketed. He had everything in his wallet too.  That quickly put a damper on the night. If that was not enough, pseudo-fights were breaking out all around – one woman slapped a guy as he stared her down, others where shoving each other, and this really crazy looking woman came over to hug us.  Seriously. All of a sudden we weren’t up for an adventure really. 

To top off the night, we got stopped by the police as we were leaving the club. They said they are always suspicious of a car packed with black people at this time of the night.  Mind you these were Black South African police.  They didn’t say this, but they might as well have, that they were extra suspicious because they had seen us leave the club which really is a Nigerian spot.  We made the best of our British and American accents telling them that we had just arrived in Johannesburg and loved their country.  We got off with a warning to not overload the car with more than 5 passengers.

Despondent, we ended the night with a robust discussion of race relations in South Africa noting what despair it must be for the black immigrants of low socioeconomic status such as the Nigerian folks in that club we just left. I mean we were there for about 30 – 45 minutes and it was just a dreadful sense of gloom and desperation.

It was about 3 am and we decided not to drop me off as I didn’t know exactly where in Fourways I belonged so I went home with British cousin and his friends to call it a night.