The Brong Man
BA is said to stand for either "bankye akesie" or "brodie akesie"
and the eating habits of the Brong man show his belief in the name.
As a kid, school is reserved for his spare time. There are more
important things to do like trapping game in the bush or working on
his father's cocoa farm. It must be said though that the Brong man
that goes to school tends to go all the way and comes out tops, no
half measures. It is understandable if school is not a priority
because the prevalent means to wealth in the Brong society has
nothing to do with school.
Firstly, there is the big farm belonging to Egya, Bla, Wofa, etc.
and then there is Gyaaman. Big bro has been there and back. He
wears clothing combinations that in most communities would be
reserved for the circus. Not so among his people; he's revered by
his people for his excellent taste in shadda - bright colours with
red as a favourite dominate his trousers.
Bright yellow, black and green dominate his shirts. Needless to
say, all baggy.
In relationships, Brong men are direct, to the point! He lets his
lady know exactly what he wants and so you ladies that set store by
a bit of romance, you are forewarned. You better speak Twi to him
because it's only with a bit of imagination that his English is
decipherable. And you, his lady, are required to speak, read and
write English because he will get
letters from his sons, nephews and nieces in Gyaaman, to which he
has to reply. You can do no wrong if you can produce
mountainous-sized fufu with the setting of the sun and as
frequently as the sun sets.
A lady who is ambitious for her children is well advised to stay
away from the Brong man. He sees no reason why his children can not
follow his path through life but he is a proud father indeed if his
children somehow manage to be educated and achieve prominence and
he lets no one forget his
extraordinary efforts.
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