Me:
I’m stuck so I’ll have a break.
I switched on my computer and logged on, and a window popped up. Initially I wasn’t sure who it was.
PrincessBhartilina:
What took you so long?
Makdiva:
Why have you changed your MSN name?
PrincessBhartilina:
Hmm . . . let me think. I should be royalty and my parents should have named me Bhartilina! Good enough 4 U?
Makdiva:
OK, crazy gal! So what’s up?
PrincessBhartilina:
You have to help me get Hitesh’s attention!
Makdiva:
Er, how? He’s your brother’s best friend. You should have it all sorted by now.
PrincessBhartilina:
Listen, Miss I-had-a-fantastic-second-kiss, we don’t all have your hot lips you know! Don’t you want to help me?
Makdiva:
OK, OK, no need for the emoticons. When’s the next time you’re going 2 see him?
PrincessBhartilina:
Um . . . Actually, I was hoping you could help me with that 2.
Makdiva:
What?
PrincessBhartilina:
Tejas is going away on a field trip and I have to pick up his homework from Hitesh. Could u come with me? PLEASE?
Makdiva:
OK, when?
PrincessBhartilina:
Monday B4 school.
Makdiva:
Whaaaaat? That means I have to get up early!
PrincessBhartilina:
You agreed! Besides, you’re not the only one due some romance this month. So what’s the plan and make it romantic!
Makdiva:
OK, calm down. Let me think about it.
MELodrama:
Hiya girls.
Makdiva:
Hey, Mel, how do you get an older guy’s attention? We need some help.
MELodrama:
I thought you and Nelson were OK?
PrincessBhartilina:
Not for her, for me!
MELodrama:
Oh right. Well, they don’t like girly stuff like chocolates and CDs and kind of laugh if u spend all your pocket money on a fancy watch.
Makdiva:
Ouch.
MELodrama:
Yeah, yeah, I learned the hard way. So listen up.
Another window popped up on my screen.
MrSmoothie:
All right?
Makdiva:
What do you want, Nick?
MrSmoothie:
Shouldn’t u be writing that essay?
Makdiva:
OMG! Is it not enough that you have to tutor me? Now you want to make me study 24/7? I said I was having a BREAK!
MrSmoothie:
Stop being a drama queen! So who are you chatting to?
Makdiva:
Not telling!
MrSmoothie:
Why, is it your boyfriend?
Makdiva:
No Bharti and Mel actually.
MrSmoothie:
Invite me in then!
Makdiva:
No!
PrincessBhartilina:
Thanks, Mel!
MELodrama:
Makeeda, where have you been?
Makdiva:
Just getting rid of Nick! Hey how did the netball trials go?
MELodrama:
I got in!
Makdiva:
Really? That’s great!
MELodrama:
I know, it makes it easier to do GCSE PE coursework. Laura got in too.
Makdiva:
That’s nice.
MELodrama:
She’s not that bad, Makeeda.
Makdiva:
Not to you she isn’t.
MELodrama:
U and Bharti should try out for the new football team.
Makdiva:
U do remember the last time we were on a team, right?
MELodrama:
Yeah, I was thinking that all that aggression would be great on a football pitch.
MrSmoothie:
Actually, Mel, Makeeda’d probably get enough red cards to cover her bedroom walls!
PrincessBhartilina:
LOL.
MELodrama:
LOL.
Makdiva:
For crying out loud, Bharti! Did you have to invite him?
PrincessBhartilina:
Stop being mean to Nick. He’s lovely.
MrSmoothie:
Yeah, Makeeda, stop being mean to me. I’m lovely.
MELodrama:
You two are like an old married couple; we can’t split you up.
Makdiva:
Whatever!
A new window popped up. It was Nelson.
DJNelson:
Hey!
Makdiva:
Hey yourself!
DJNelson:
So what are you up to?
Makdiva:
Chatting to you . . .
DJNelson:
Ha ha ha! So when can we meet up again?
Makdiva:
I’ve barely recovered from our last meeting.
DJNelson:
Really? I thought we had some unfinished business. You still owe me a kiss.
Makdiva:
Nah, I think you’ll find you’re the one with the debt, mate! So what are you doing today?
DJNelson:
I’m at my mum’s and avoiding her.
Makdiva:
Why?
DJNelson:
Oh, just the usual.
I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. I mean, I completely understood what he meant, but I didn’t want to have to explain why. The window of the other conversation was flashing.
Makdiva:
Nelson, you’d better join my other conversation.
DJNelson:
OK, I will. I’ll be there in five.
PrincessBhartilina
Where have u been, Makeeda?
Makdiva:
Hey! I was chatting to Nelson.
MELodrama:
You’re not the only one with a love life, you know. I saw Jason yesterday.
Makdiva:
What as in saw him drive by the bus stop or something?
MELodrama:
Ha ha, you’re so funny. No, as in I spent the day with him.
PrincessBhartilina:
Am I the only one not in a relationship?
MrSmoothie:
You and me babe!
MELodrama:
Hey, r u asking Bharti out, Nick?
Makdiva:
Yeah?
MrSmoothie:
I didn’t mean it like that.
PrincessBhartilina
Heartbreaker!
Makdiva:
So annoying, isn’t he?
MELodrama:
He’s such a playa. Bharti, you’re well rid of him!
MrSmoothie:
Oh thanks!
DJNelson:
All right?
MrSmoothie:
Who are you?
MELodrama:
Shut up, Nick, you know it’s Nelson!
MrSmoothie:
Right, Mel, that’s why I asked!
MELodrama:
Ahh, Nick’s put out because he’s not the only guy in Makeeda’s life!
PrincessBhartilina:
Mel!
MrSmoothie:
You’re talking rubbish.
DJNelson:
What’s going on?
PrincessBhartilina:
Nothing. Just ignore them.
MELodrama:
Nick, just admit it. You’re jealous!
MrSmoothie:
I AM NOT JEALOUS, MEL!
PrincessBhartilina:
Whoa, no caps in this conversation pls?
MELodrama:
Whatever! I don’t want to talk to you any m
ore, Nick.
MrSmoothie:
Fine by me, Mel!
DJNelson:
Are they arguing over me?
PrincessBhartilina:
No, Nick’s Piscean like me, and Mel’s Leo. It’s kind of inevitable really.
DJNelson:
Oh OK then.
MrSmoothie:
Mel’s obviously been repressing her feelings for me, but you know what? Sorry, hon, you’re just not my type!
MELodrama:
I’ll repress u in a minute!
PrincessBhartilina:
LOL nice1 Nick! U2 Mel!
MrSmoothie:
I thought u weren’t talking to me???
DJNelson:
Bharti, R they always like this?
PrincessBhartilina:
Sometimes.
Makdiva:
OMG can’t you 2 pretend to be normal?
MrSmoothie:
Normal is boring, Makeeda!
MELodrama:
You should know, Nick!
PrincessBhartilina:
Ouch!
DJNelson:
LOL!
MELodrama:
Oh and Nick, your smoothies don’t taste that gr8, so I’d change your MSN name!
PrincessBhartilina:
Mel!
Makdiva:
That’s not true, Mel!
MrSmoothie:
Mel, why don’t u just !@*$ off!
Makdiva:
Nick?
Since selling those recipes to the supermarket, Nick had been trying to come up with some more, but now everyone was making smoothies, so it had become more difficult. Delphy kept telling him to diversify or something.
PrincessBhartilina:
OMG MEL!! He never swears! That smoothie comment was so out of order!
MELodrama:
Whatever!
‘Makeeda?’ Mum yelled.
Makdiva:
Back in a sec!
I ran out of my room and raced downstairs to talk to Mum. Five minutes later I returned to find Delphina sitting at my table, typing away on MSN.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ I asked, surprisingly calmly.
‘I’m just chatting to your friends,’ Delphina said, still tap-tapping away.
‘You don’t have to hammer at my keys like that! Just move before I call Mum. If I catch you in here again, I’ll destroy your blue collection.’
Delphina had two collections of hair bobbles and hairbands – one was blue, the other was pink. She gasped in horror and ran to her bedroom.
Makdiva:
I’m back! Sorry that was Delphy before. Don’t worry, I’ll scroll up and find out what was said.
DJNelson:
Hmm . . . u do that!
PrincessBhartilina:
Your sister has just outted you!
I looked at the screen and couldn’t believe it. In the space of a few minutes, Delphy had destroyed any street cred I had!
MELodrama:
I always knew you liked Fairytale!
DJNelson:
At least now I get why you were so weird in HMV. Pretending not to know the name of the CD? We’ll talk later, Makeeda!
PrincessBhartilina:
Ooooh, sounds like someone’s in trouble!
Makdiva:
Nelson? What does that mean?
DJNelson:
U’ll have to wait and see! Later Bharti, Mel!
Makdiva:
Gr8!
MELodrama:
I invited Laura.
Makdiva:
Uh huh.
I was furious that she was in our conversation.
PrincessBhartilina:
How’s the essay going, Makeeda?
Makdiva:
It’s all right. I’ve just got one bit to sort out, that’s all.
LushLaura:
Isn’t it a bit risky, choosing a topic like that?
Makdiva:
Actually, I’m not afraid of a challenge, Laura.
MELodrama:
Well, mine isn’t exactly a breeze.
PrincessBhartilina:
Tell me about it!
LushLaura:
Mine isn’t hard.
Makdiva:
Is that why you chose it?
PrincessBhartilina:
You know what? I think I will try out for that football team.
LushLaura:
Are you saying I’m thick? At least I’m not in the lower set for maths.
MELodrama:
That’s a good idea, Bharti. How about you, Makeeda?
Makdiva:
Yeah? Well, why don’t you !#*$ off into someone else’s conversation!
PrincessBhartilina:
OMG!!
LushLaura:
This from a girl good at English?
MELodrama:
Leave it, Laura.
LushLaura:
U lot bore me!
PrincessBhartilina:
What’s with the language today?
MELodrama:
I dunno.
I was so furious I shut off MSN altogether. I needed to sort out my essay anyway and there was only one person who could help: my grandmother, Nana-Amma in Ghana. She used to be a headmistress, so maybe she could tell me a bit more about Yaa Asantewaa. I decided to call her.
I usually messed up the pin codes on the phonecards. Mum would kill me if I didn’t use them though.
‘Hello?’
‘Good evening,’ Nana-Amma said.
‘Can I speak to Nana, please?’ I knew it was her but I had to be really polite or she’d tell me off.
‘Speaking. Makeeda, is that you?’
‘Yes, Nana,’ I said.
‘How are you?’
‘Fine, how are you?’
‘Well, I’ve just come back from a funeral in Accra. How are Delphina, Tanisha and Nick?’
As far as I could tell all Nana-Amma seemed to do was go to outdoorings and funerals.
‘Yeah, everyone’s fine. I really need your help though.’
‘OK.’
‘I’m writing an essay about Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa and I’m stuck on . . . hello?’ I said.
‘Carry on, I’m here. I’m curious, Makeeda.’
That’s not such a good thing. Nana-Amma’s curiosity was usually followed by a question or statement that made you look stupid.
‘Why are you writing this essay?’ she asked.
‘It’s for a history assignment on inspirational women,’ I said.
‘So your teacher asked the entire class to write an essay on Yaa Asantewaa?’ Nana-Amma questioned.
‘Well. . . no, not exactly, Nana.’ I told her how I was writing it against Mrs Hipman’s wishes.
‘Makeeda, you still haven’t answered my question. Why are you writing this essay?’
‘Oh . . . I don’t know, she sounded really interesting. A brave, inspiring woman, who fought to protect our identity,’ I said.
‘Are you reading that from a book?’
‘No!’ I said, shocked. I put the book down. ‘OK, maybe the brave bit, but I thought of the rest myself,’ I said, making Nana-Amma laugh.
‘Oh, Makeeda!’ she said. I could hear the happiness in her voice. ‘Right, what do you need to know?’
I told her about my confusion over Yaa Asantewaa’s true motives for going to war.
‘Why are her motives so important?’ Nana asked. ‘You should also be discussing her legacy.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, think about it. She may not have won the war, but she must have achieved something, Makeeda,’ Nana-Amma said.
‘Nana, she ended up in exile with Asantehene, King Prempeh I, and all the other chiefs, including her own nephew.’
‘I know all that, Makeeda!’
Nana-Amma said. ‘Now, start thinking about her legacy and you’ll understand exactly what I mean,’ she added.
‘Can’t you just tell me?’
‘No. Then, I’d be doing this essay for you, wouldn’t I?’
‘I suppose,’ I said. I hate it when she does this.
‘You can do this, Makeeda. Keep going and show that teacher of yours!’ she said.
‘OK, but can I call you when I’ve finished?’
‘I want a copy of your essay when you’ve finished! You can bring it with you at Christmas . . .’
Whaaaat? I’m not going to Ghana for Christmas.
Growing Yams in London Page 8