The Girl Whose Name is Not from Cape Coast

This is an excerpt from a book I will love to publish in a few years. This might change as time goes by

Marietta Grant DeGrant

My name is Marietta Grant DeGrant. No, I am not from Cape Coast or any Fante town. No, I am not a Ga. I have had lot of issues with my name.

Sometimes, people tell me I am not a Ghanaian. They even wonder why I have a Voters’ ID card. They make proposals to send me to the police for having a Voters’ ID and allowing a foreigner to vote.

I am not a foreigner. My dad is from Akropong. I am known to have a funny accent which has subsided a little. People just look at my face and say I am not Ghanaian.

I have a question: What makes a Ghanaian face?

 Before I entered the tertiary institution and had my admission, the names of those who will be admitted were published in the Faculty and Department’s database. As soon as they saw my name, the students thought I was a foreign student. They were excited to have a foreigner (white lady) in their Department. What a funny world.

After a few weeks of admission, they never saw the white lady, so they were all disappointed.

A year later, a senior in the department asked of my name and I mentioned it.

“Oh, so you are the one?” she said. “When we saw your name, the guys were happy to have a white lady in the department. They were disappointed when they never saw the white or half-cast lady. Not knowing, you’ve been with us all this while.”

I had to laugh. A white lady? As far as I am concerned and doing my family history, I haven’t found out a white blood that existed in my family yet. I haven’t found out about an ancestor who was from Europe.

Excuse me to say, which foreigner wants to study ICT in Ghana?

Whenever we are in a crowd and my name is mentioned, most people expect to see a dazzling lady, so fair, so endowed, so tall, so powerful. All they see is a timid young lady trying to hide from the crowd. She is not tall. (Excuse me, I am not short either). She has a broad forehead, she wears glasses, so much disappointment.

Some people even think I am a boy after seeing my name on paper or hearing it, mostly when they see the Grant DeGrant and their eyes refuse to see the Marietta. Some even think it’s my nickname.

I am trying hard to enjoy my name. At least before I get married. Actually, it depends on the name of my future husband. My name would be Marietta Grant XXX or Marietta DeGrant XXX. After all, Grant is just my middle name.

It's not my fault that I have such a name. Life made it so.

My name is Marietta Grant DeGrant. No, I am not from Cape Coast or any Fante town. No, I am not a Ga.

And yes, I am a Ghanaian.

The Quiet Talkative

I am the least famous girl in my class or among a group of people. People hardly notice me. I mean, I go to class, I sit, when it’s over, I’m out. I just don’t talk.

If I ever get noticed, it because of my name. Seriously. People (lecturers and students) would like to know who Marietta Grant DeGrant is, either they saw the name in the class register or in a group project work and expect to see a white lady.

Ugh. It’s so frustrating

If I was called Afua Adoma, like I wouldn’t get noticed at all.

Never.

Even with that, the number of ladies studying my course are just 14, so we can easily be spotted.

I might be quiet all the time, but trust me, I am a talkative.

You don’t believe me?

I know, if I’m in a group of people walking together, you hardly hear my voice. If you do, then I am laughing at someone’s joke and that’s one thing people hate about me.

I know, right. It can be boring.

But trust me, I am a talkative.

Just be alone with me, and hear me talk and rant. I like one to one conversations, rather than one to many.

*wink*

That explains why I panic anytime I stand in front of people to speak. That is another thing to write about, but I am a talkative. I even had person telling me “You talk too much.” We used to keep in touch by phone. When he told me I talk too much, in fact, I was delighted instead of getting mad. I don’t normally hear that about myself. I see it as a compliment, trust me. He did not say it in an annoying way but even if he did, I’ll be happy to hear that.

I am a quiet talkative.

Freshman Lessons

Hi everyone. Wow, you’re around? Yep, it’s not my fault though. Remember Bad Blogger Problems. My laptop is seriously ill.

Ah, it's been a crrraaaaaazzzzzyyyy year, from the time i got my admission letter till I wrote my last freshman paper, it's been .........., hmmm, insanely fun and scary. I made friends, learnt amazing things about life and me, started this blog, celebrated events and festivals and sometimes met annoying people.

So yes, freshman year was crazy and over and amazingly, I never got the Freshman Fifteen. Maybe, Sophomore Sixteen is on its way. (Is there anything like that???).

 And these are the lessons i learnt in freshman year

• Go to every class you're supposed to attend. Never skip a class, UNLESS you're EXTREMELY ILL

• Make good friends. Making friends means, both in school and outside the school (the neighbours of your university town). Make friends with your seniors and students of other courses.

• Try and eat healthy. In all, strive to be healthy. Have enough sleep, exercise, go outdoors.

• Keep track of your money.

• In freshman year, I learnt more about myself that I was good in note taking and planning. I hope to learn more about myself in the coming years.

 What did you learn in your freshman year?