There are many gods in Ghana. They are spirits, or elementals, embodiments of towns, mountains, rivers. Tano is Patriensa's god. He has a very nice house in the center of town and he hates goats, only wants them in town to be slaughtered. They are very picky that way. Rivers seem to be particularly spiteful- the mountain stream in Agogo caused a streak of albinism in town with a halo of red haired folks. Some jujumen use the gods as agents for evil deeds. A week ago someone offered something to a river nearby to kill some old guy, and the river jumped its banks at the chance. They say the man just swelled up with water and died within a week. Naysty.

There's this other god in town, Efram, who Lova took me to visit. He lives in this eroded house, a ring of rooms around a courtyard, and only a corner still covered by a roof. All the outer walls are gone and the ground has eroded a good three feet around the house. In the courtyard I met the jujuman who served the god, he was the only person in town with dreadlocks and looked like a regular guy about my age, in basketball shoes and fubu. He said that Efram didn't want anybody around that day. I peered at the dark dorway, the only roofed room in the house. Then we climbed up into the not-a-house and back out of it again and didn't come back until Good Friday.

All the Christians had been out, see, dressed in black for mourning and carrying around a big cross. (Monday they went out looking for Jesus, they know he's sneakin' around disguised as a gardner or something) A loud drumming came from Efram's house- they were trying to make him happy, let him know he's boss. The not-rooms were full of children timidly staring through the doorways. The courtyard was full of adults- a few dancing and singing in the center. Two of the drummers were playing the long drums featured on the cedis, one had a cowbell, and one had what appeared to be a welded square tube of steel. The drumming was fast and furious. The sun was going down and lanterns lit the courtyard, but the doorway remained dark.

Suddenly, out burst the jujuman, dressed in a grass skirt and some necklaces, carrying a stave and a metal rattle. His attendants chased him out and threw a white powder at his feet. He paced around the courtyard. He rattled and spun, hopped and sat. On a stool he began to vibrate and spin, all the while grunting like The Hulk Finds Love. Efram had him. When he came to a stop, vibrating in place, somebody brought out an old ratty leopard skin to go under his feet. The drums grew more frantic. Just then Lova yanked me out of the house, because he was terrified. I was too but I wanted to see more. He agreed only if I bought him a drink.

By the time we had finished our drinks, the juju man was out in the street in front of Tano's house. He was covered in white powder. He rattled and spun and bounced up and down. He screamed at a car. He swept his hand around to say that this was all his. Eventually he hopped and shook and rattled back home. We followed him back into Efram's house. He retreated into the dark room. I was done for the night but an old lady grabbed me and dragged me into the darkness.

It turned out to be a tunnel, to another courtyard. But this one was lushly planted. There were turtles everywhere, Efram likes 'em. And the walls- oh, they were covered with things I couldn't imagine! Garlands of plants. Tools or totems made from rocks and plants and stones and bones. There were skulls and cauldrons and massive pestels and braziers and sticks and staves and horns and heads. The jujuman was grunting from the next room. They pointed out a little door, that room's for the little people of the forest when they come visit. I peered into the room, and saw more mindbending jujury. By this time the jujuman was crying. Then the spirit was gone. The jujuman looked like he'd just given birth. They said the spirit would come again at 2 am. I hustled out of there, my soul and body intact.

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The rainy season has brought an infestation of puff adders. Little short brownygreeny snakes, they always flee, which is good. Sometimes when I'm just sitting there I'll hear them hissing along before I see them.

Then yesterday someone ran over a 7' black cobra on the road out in front of the center. Wait... I just get my scorpion-stompin' boots on, and now there's deadly snakes bigger than I am that don't run away and can either bite you or spit pisin in your eyes? My only hope is that it had chased away or eaten all the other cobras in the area. Still, I have taken to wearing bling-bling, they say the snake will spit at it thinking it's your eyes. Bling-bling can save your life!

"What did you do with the body?" asks Joseph. I ran away from it!