Dear Editor,
For decades I have paid tribute in verse to people in local areas who have passed. Among these that I recall are Nana Browne, Sidney Browne, Miss Irene, my brother, Malcolm, Mama Freda, Floyd Andries, Hector Lee, Molly Browne and Sydney Sumner. Notes on many of these appear in “Buxton Friendship in Print and Memory” as I think it is a serious fault not to let people know what individuals have done for the community, or even what positive role they have played.
Naturally, at this distance, in the USA, I missed many. One I regret missing is the late Mr Eustace Accra. Mr Accra earned the name Kamos. Why, I do not know, but I know that in Buxton, as soon as you slip you and your whole lineage have a nick name. Many of the nick names I knew for my age group were nick names from their father. They themselves had nothing to do with it.
Eustace Accra was tall, linear and curved slightly forward from the waist. He walked in long strides and his large feet turned in towards each other. He rode a bicycle, as unattractive as his clothes. He did not wear attractive clothes. He had a view of Africans as over spenders. He was exposed to much public ridicule from all age groups, though thankfully not from all individuals His mother was Belinda Grant, a village stalwart. A tall, barefoot woman on working days who could step in heels on Sundays.
Eustace Accra and I became friends about 1938. He was a plumber by trade having been an apprentice of Donald French, the first motor cycle owner in Buxton Friendship, a grow mate of TR Makonen the well known Pan Africanist, and David Talbott, and a master plumber.
People considered him selfish because he escaped consumerism altogether. He read everything and listened to everything and made his analyses. He attended public meetings but would stand on the fringe. By listening to all he formed well considered positions of his own.
When I was writing “Buxton-Friendship in Print and Memory”, his was one of the memories I found fruitful, and it always could be verified. He was the only person who could list for me all the previous baker shops of the village and their location. Clearly he had learned a lot about matters of “substance” from his elders.
He was a mathematician, master of mental arithmetic and of the slide rule.
Privately he relieved many cases of domestic distress of the financial kind by his ability to advance loans. He had a sense of property and acquisition.
My students were always amazed when I told them of the unknown qualities and achievements of Mr Eustace Accra. His vocation was a high earning one and on the other side he did not engage in lavish expenditure. He was daily on the grind with his canvas bag either cycling or walking to his job location. He worked as a private contractor and seemed to be in daily demand with households with plumbing along the coast and also a number of firms. He took public transport as it suited him.
He and Ms Wilman had a common law relationship. She was a daughter of a small successful pork knocker who acquired some houses and land as an investment from his mining. Together they had two boys and two girls. Mr Wilman was well known in the days of the boxer Joe Louis as one of the three places boxing fans could go to listen to a boxing match. The other two places at one time were Correia’s rum shop and the Levi family home.
He knew of the general lack of embrace of the people for his lifestyle. Inwardly he laughed at them for their extravagance. When he did build a new home, it was well built in one storey with plenty of room. His plumbing and construction experience came into play.
Mr Eustace Accra was well informed about personal histories and public affairs. He could discuss cricket with any fan. All in all he did not cheat his community and gave to it more than he ever expected from it.
Yours respectfully,
Eusi Kwayana
