Six to six
Prayer and fasting is essential for spiritual growth. The two exercises, which go hand in hand, draw us closer to God. They also act as a sure means of getting certain prayers answered quickly, and that is why most churches embark on various days and weeks of waiting on the Lord by forsaking fleshly pleasures. My question today, however is, how many days of this exercise, should one embark on to be convinced that one’s prayers have been heard and will be answered by the Almighty?
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The new houseboy next door is such a blessing to me. Each time I need a helping hand with certain errands, with the kind permission of his madam, he lends the needed hand. Cephas is his name. Because of him, these days I don’t ponder over how my fufu will be pounded.
All I need to do is to inform him before time, and he will be right there when pounding is due. And of course, he always knows his portion of the output with a chosen soup of the day will always be his portion. Once a while too I tip him so in fact, the young gentleman is well motivated when it comes to offering Obodai and I assistance.
On Saturday afternoon I called on Cephas to help me paste-out a few tubers and fingers of cassava and plantains respectively. He looked lean and pale; very pale when he entered my home. I hadn’t seen him for over a week. My heart skipped a beat when I set eyes on him.
His mouth had a funny smell; I needed no telling he was ill. His countenance saddened me immediately because by all standards, I knew he wouldn’t be able to pound my fufu for me; not in that state. From whence was my help going to come? I had already thawed my soup and had dreamt all morning about how much of a great meal I was going to fete my family to. The week had been busy and stressful at work, and the last thing I wanted to do on Saturday afternoon was to do “awor ka” (pounding and stirring the fufu simultaneously, all by myself). Well, somehow, this 24 year old man managed to convince me that he was healthy enough to offer the succor I needed. I allowed him to grant my request.
A few minutes into the pounding, my soup, (groundnut soup) began to boil. Within a short time the aroma of the heavy animal protein-laden broth had engulfed my entire apartment. At that moment, Cephas paused pounding, mopped some sweat off his brows and proclaimed, “today, I Kweku Cephas, shall sin”. “Sin? Did I hear sin?” I thought. “Cephas, eigh, why? What is causing you to sin?” I asked, obviously disturbed. I had cause to.
You don’t sit unconcerned when a man with a pestle in hand makes such a statement. Was he going to sin by hitting my head or fingers with that fairly long, heavy piece of a chopped tree?
Laughing frailly he said, “I have endured enough hunger. I have endured enough self-control. This soup is irresistible. Antie Aberaa, today I shall eat. Whatever will happen should happen” he said. I didn’t quite comprehend whatever he was saying because I always give him a bowl-full of fufu with whichever soup I have prepared after he has helped me pound. Was he thinking I wouldn’t do same? I wondered. And why he chooses to call me Aberaa instead of Ablah is something that baffles me. Anyway.
I needed to hear a good explanation to his intention of wanting to sin. I gave him a few minutes to do so before commencing with the pounding.
“Antie Aberaa, my church is embarking on a prayer and fasting exercise. We started on the 1st of January. That’s not my problem. What is eating me up is the number of days our prophet has given for the fast – 120 days.” Then he added, “six to six; six to six. He said we should break on fruits only!” “120 what?” I yelled. “Yes, Antie, 120. He said we will break on 30th April. What sin have we committed? Some are fasting for 14, 21, 30 and 40 days. But for us, 120 days. Why? Most of us are not happy with that at all. We are all complaining but are scared not to fast because he is a powerful man; he might find out we’re not fasting and may impose curses on us; he works miracles”.
His mode of speaking made me laugh; the man was to be feared. No one dared challenge his orders.
I began to understand why the young man looked so frail. He’d been faithfully fasting (but not sure if he’s really praying) and breaking with oranges and banana at six in the evenings. He’d really lost a lot of weight.
“Antie Aberaa, what says the time? As for today, I shall defy all odds and break my fast this afternoon. And the breaking shall be with fufu”. I laughed and quoted Luke 17:1 to him, “temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!”
“Cephas, I don’t want my fufu to be the stumbling block to your fasting oooo. I don’t want to be the accursed one”. I cautioned.
“Antie Aberaa, don’t worry. I shall be responsible for my own sins. It’s got nothing to do with you. I am hungry. I can’t go on like this. I shall break this fast this afternoon, and subsequently break at 12 noon till we complete the 120 days. It’s better to fast to suit my abilities than to complain and complain”.
Then he paused pounding, mopped his sweat again, this time, on both hands, and said, “in fact, if the fufu I eat doesn’t fill me up, I shall finish the soup with … I hope you have gari?”