After a rest at the house, Melanie and I go to New Life to stay there overnight. We want to go to church with the children early next morning. However, Sunday morning is not as expected. The children take their time with bathing and nobody is ready to go at 7:30 am. Somebody says we are not going to church because the church they usually go to is in Cape Coast today. Not even Ellen knows when we are going or where we are going. At nine, some of the kids begin to dress up. So we are going somewhere. But not everybody is getting ready. I ask Anthony why Kweku is not coming. - ,He doesn‘t have a dress. He would mess around.‘ In the small girl‘s room, dresses are put on and taken off again. ,Why don‘t you wear this one?‘ - ,It is dirty.‘ I don‘t really see the difference but the girls seem to know what they are doing. Before we are going, the kids line up in front of James. Some have to go back and change again, some don‘t return. In the end, Melanie and I leave with seven children. I ask Ruth, why she is not coming and she answers, she didn‘t take her bath yet. Maybe it is because we are not going to their usual church. We walk along the street to Efutu, the next village. On our way we meet Comfort, who is selling something. Like many other children, she left the orphanage for the holidays. Finally we enter a courtyard where the usual portable roofs are put up. Some are already singing as we take our seats under a separate roof with the children. More and more people come for the service, it is getting crowded. The mothers leave their children where we are sitting and I understand that they are having a separate service. After a while, a woman comes and starts to talk to the children in Fantse. I don‘t understand anything except for the shouted „Amen“ of the answering children, but not only because of the language. A man and a woman are singing with the adults now and their microphones are extremely loud. The loudspeakers make horrible sounds. Nelson and Emmanuela disappear and come back with sweets. Despite this noise, little Dansu falls asleep and I take the opportunity to bring him outside to Comfort. As I return, the pastor approaches me. It is difficult to understand him as we shout at each other but I understand that he wants to call Melanie, me and the children to the front to say something. I try to refuse and the loud background helps me to escape. Now Daniel, another volunteer, arrives with two of the older boys. The pastor grabs hold of him and probably asks him the same because Daniel waves to us to come together. He agreed that the children would sing a song. Suddenly, we have problems keeping the kids together. Judith and Lisbeth are gone and the rest runs around a corner. When I go to get them back, they say they were looking for the two girls. In fact, Judith and Lisbeth come back with them, but I am sure, they wanted to go back home. I understand them. Then the pastor waves at us and we try to find a way to the front. Melanie and I withdraw and look for a place at the side behind some rows of chairs where we watch the improvised performance. The little group looks lonely in front of all the parishioners but they sing their song with confidence. As we watch them, someone taps my shoulder and I turn around to see Isaac and Amos, two other boys who left the New Life during the holidays. They stay at Efutu with parts of their families. When I ask if they want to join their singing brothers and sisters, they laugh and refuse - understandable. After the performance, the children want to go home. Anthony says he likes to go to church, but I understand that usually, the service is different.
Back at home, Melanie and I walk through the town, searching for Easter. We pass other services, some more shops are closed than usual, but that is the only difference. No Easter eggs, no Easter bunny, no Happy Easter. A walk along the beach from Cape Coast Castle past Oasis and Victoria Square brings us to something like a rubbish dump with pigs where we turn and walk back. As there is nothing to see, we take a taxi back home. Passing the stadium, however, we notice that it is full with people today so we stop, buy a ticket and enter. We don‘t know who is playing but definitely somebody popular for the stalls are crowded. As far as I can see, Melanie and I are the only Obronis in the whole stadium. And among only very few girls. It feels a little bit awkward, but this match is far more interesting than the first one I saw here. During the break, some children speak to us. We find out that The Dwarves, that is Cape Coast, are playing and the score is 2:0. So that is why so many people are here. Even on roofs of surrounding houses I can see men standing to watch the match. On the opposite stall, a group is supporting their team with drums. Foul, penalty kick, a third score for The Dwarves. The players foul each other surprisingly often. Once, a spectator gets so upset that the police has to take care of him. While they are shouting at each other, the players wait patiently on the field, looking bored, until the troublemaker is gone. Then suddenly the match is over, the players leave their positions and the spectators hurry outside. I am surprised they are cheering so little. You couldn‘t tell which team won. Outside, however, I can guess why almost nobody stayed for a chat with friends. Everybody tries to get a car but even though many drivers are already waiting, of course they are not enough. Melanie and I decide that we don‘t have a chance and start walking until we are far enough to find an empty car to Abura. An exceptional Easter.
