Childhood Tales: Redco Days...

I did not  stay at Redco, I was only going there for vacations till I twisted my leg. I remember how my Stella would carry me around the Police Hospital once  we arrived. No wheel chair for me at the time and since I couldn't walk I had to be carried.  Once my leg was put in a cast, I learned to walk hopping on one leg after wearing it for two weeks.

The difficulty was that, mostly I had to stay home whilst others played downstairs. It got Boring for me so after two weeks I learned to descend the stairs with my cast. I found it easy holding on to the railings but climbing back upstairs was always a difficult task. After that vacation, I didn't go back to Ho. Redco became home for over thirteen years.

I remember I never learned to skip with two people holding on to the skipping rope due to my fear of the rope hitting my legs. I would rather hold it for others to skip. I  remember Redco day and night watchmen.

One of the incidents that shook the neighbourhood of Redco was when  a man on the fourth floor behind our  block decided one night to throw his wife away downstairs. She was by then the Matron at Presec, Legon. She had not died on the spot but had told the night watchman who had heard the sound and patrolled round the building to find her laying there in her undergarments. They must have   been   arguing   when the incident occurred.

That story had made the news for a while in the country. I still recall how the ambulance carrying her remains had come to Redco and the crowd that thronged her block to catch a final glimpse of her. She was later sent away to her hometown for the funeral. Her husband was made to face the full regals of the law and incarcerated   (Their daughters whom I knew from a distance must be big girls now).

So one of the things I appreciate about Redco was,  it taught me one major lesson I never thought I was taught at home  : it exposed me to sex education .  At an early age of eleven, I heard stories of boys having sex with girls. They made it seem like a  trend. I remember how I would never walk past the big Redco boys. Sadly I recall how one of the coolest big boys got shot in the states right after Senior High School where he went to visit his Aunty. I liked him because he was quiet. He was so cute and would ask how I was doing. We never saw him again as his body was never brought home (Bless  his gentle soul).

Yes there were two sets of boys. Those I could stand up to and those who were eight or more years older. I just freaked out when I saw them gathered together. I think I was also shy of them once I hit adolescent.  The second whom I was comfortable with, were really cool. The big ones if I ever spoke with them was because they wanted to ask about Gifty.

So I vividly recall Redco parties. Those parties were hot. Kissing, smooching, whatever.......Now tell me, I had seen it all. I knew what was wrong and what was right. It was at Redco that I started making a list of boys who asked me out. I would clearly stand up to you and tell you: you were the fifteenth boy asking me out ( I just enjoyed counting, I never said yes. It massaged my ego in a way). I felt like some beauty queen:  already my Dad had told me I was. Yet validation   from my peers did matter (Hilarious! Adolescence issues).

So my Stella hated the idea of us standing downstairs with the boys. She preferred us having the boys over at our house where she could keep an eye on us. I remember how Gifty would get invited to parties for thirteen  year olds but would not be able to attend because of me. I never got invited because party hosts probably thought I was underage. I hated that about Redco parties, party hosts always had an age limit.

Redco was fun. I really would not want to offend anyone by telling a tale or two but Redco was the place. It exposed me to sex education at an early age. It made me aware that there would always be boys and frankly that every boy was a liar when it came to expressing their feelings for you (Hahahahah...yeah  back then). It was more of a self interest thing for them than  being truthful.

With fond memories of Redco.
Wonder if it's still as fun these days as it was during our time.

#ChildhoodTales

#RedcoDays

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