The word that describes my childhood is freedom. I had the protection of my grandmother. She always made special foods for me. We grew up with a lot of people.  I had two older sisters but at any time there could be six or seven other girls in the house - it was like living in a boarding house. I remember the food, rice, ripe plantain, soups, tea and bread. Most of the time, I played football. I would run out and play out with my friends all day. When I started Primary School, my sister had to take me to school. My school was close to the Abom house. We would walk down the main road from Cape Coast and we could go over the bridge over the lagoon. We lived with my aunty from my father’s side. In our Akan tradition, we belong to our mother’s family. We do not belong to our father’s side. I do not think my aunt’s family liked us very much because they did not see us as family. We were the other people to them. My parents would send us money for our upkeep. My sisters would buy the things we needed and then take most of it for themselves. I did not complain as long as they bought me a football or toffee. They became my substitute mothers in a way, which made us very close. We spent time with my parents during the long summer holidays. We did not live with them for most of the year because of my father’s work. My first job as a highschool teacher allowed me to get my first car. My father was so happy. I would drive to their house once a week and have a drink with him on the porch. He liked me to drive him to church on Sundays. He always insisted on going early so that nobody took his seat. He liked to sit at the front with his peers. I did not like to sit with him and all his old friends. I remember he and his friends would wear suits and meet at one of their houses every so often and eat fine foods and salads. They were real gentlemen.