J.J.R. Ramey

A CHILDREN'S BOOK (Sample Pages)

Chapter One

Sunya Kumasi played hide-and-go seek with a dragonfly, running fast along the well-traveled path toward the grove of cacao trees where Kofi, her brother, and their pet dog, Timba, awaited her return.

The pleasant African summer day was bright and warm; the rays of the noonday sun showered the land with the vibrant reds, greens, silvers, and golds of the multi-colored rainbow. Sunya returned from school, happy with the perfect score she received on an examination, and overjoyed at having the next two days off on holiday. She carried the hand-woven basket her Mama helped her make from coarse straw picked from the thickets outside the Kumasi cacao forest. The basket was actually a fruit basket that once sported pretty ribbons and bows she had designed for a crafts class.

The African wind sang between the leaves of the mango trees, two blue, white and red kingfishers sang their chirp-chirp songs from a nearby tree branch. Swirls of fresh ocean air twisted through the pathways and roads leading to and from Kumasi Farm below the crest of the next hill. To top off the perfect day, the sunlight soaked the land with motherly warmth unlike anyplace else on earth.

Sunya’s long braids covered her ears, the golden ribbons shining under the bright sun’s light. Her large black eyes were bright and wide-open. The little obaa’s pleasing smile and small nose were cute and she wore a Kente cloth blouse in red, orange, green and gold. Two straps held her denim overalls over her shoulders; her matching cap had a Kente bow tie on the front. Her backpack was also made of durable denim.

Kofi played with the tall reeds of grass, imagining that he was a great fighter. His coveralls matched Sunya’s except he wore a white tee shirt, no socks or hat, his sandals were brand new. He made noises with his mouth, noises of the hero of his personal fantasy.

The song of a distant falcon’s call, and the hubbub of able men hard at work made Sunya feel protected and safe. What a wonderful land to live in, she thought. The mischievous barking and howling of the watchdogs disturbed her happy daydream.

One day the tiny cacao beans would end up at the busy marketplace in Accra, the capital of Ghana. But not yet, there was lots of work to do before the day arrived. At the grove yard, workers collected piles of cacao beans after harvest. Sunya, Kofi, and their cousins, Afuah and Yaw,
covered the beans with banana leaves, to allow the beans to ferment before they dried.

Uncle Keta, and the farm hands poured the beans into cloth sacks when they completed the processing. The little cacao beans from the Kumasi Farm were destined to become tasty cocoa for drinking and chocolate ice cream, candy and cake for people around the world; people Sunya would never meet.

Sunya paused and stood silent, watching the heart of the farm beat at a frantic pace. The cows, the goats, and the sheep grazed carefree on green pastures north of the groves. The high hills, brown, hazy and tall, sheltered the fragile grasslands and cacao groves below.

Sunya’s thick black hair reflected the bright rays of the ever-present sun. Some Ghanaians assumed the hot sun nurtured the hair, made it,
somehow, more beautiful, more pleasing to touch. Her cinnamon-colored skin, short nose, and soft lips were a reflection of her Mama’s looks when she was a little girl.

to be continued....