Blood Diamond

Freetown Sierra Leone, 1980

Are we done taking the pictures dad?? Yes we are done champ..we are done.
I could almost tell that day that that my dad was very excited that day. He was told he would receive a mouthwatering mining deal for his growing diamond business.
They had in advance giving him a little token as a bonus of good faith to invest in my dad's business. So he took us all shopping that day, bought us new clothes and shoes, bought my mum  new dresses for almost every event she might want to attend.

We went out to our first family dinner outside our home in a plush hotel near Freetown's upscale neighborhood that evening. My dad asked us to order any "delicious food" we desired on the menu. His words to my mom were "Darling, this deal from this investment company is going to change our lives forever years to come" we ate, danced and took dozens of pictures that evening.

Sapphire Incorporated was the American Investment company that had promised to invest in my dad's little diamond business.
They had dashed my father an initial $500 as a bonus for agreeing to partner with them in the first place.  And that the bigger chunk of the money will be given to him once a contract is signed in a few months.

Mano Idris, my dad was a small scale miner, he had little education which ended sadly after primary school because his parents, my grandparents couldn't afford to pay for his tuition fees to secondary school. So instead, they sent him to live with his uncle outside Freetown who was a small scale miner in diamonds. He taught my dad the ins and outs of mining diamonds, which feeds our family today.

Much unlucky was my mother, she had no education at all. She couldn't read nor write. My father could scribble a few words but my mother had none. As a young girl, she was told a girl's duty was to be groomed to become a responsible woman, take care of her home, raising children for her husband.
Young girl, your place is in the kitchen not the classroom. The classroom is for children of rich people. We poor people can't afford education. Our only duty is to work hard and feed our families.  She recalls being told by her father.

On December 22nd 1980, the D-day had finally come, my dad said that morning. A representative from Sapphire Incorporated came to our house and met with my entire family. My grandparents, my aunts and uncles, cousins and friends from our neighborhood had all gathered in our house to celebrate this momentous occasion with my dad. Johnny Hughes was dressed in a dark blue double - breasted suit with a black tie to match. He was a full bearded man with a chocolate skin, unlike our darker skins, so he was easy to spot out of the pack in the house.
After having  lunch with all of us, I mean all of us in the afternoon, he went for his briefcase and pulled out a document and placed it in front of my dad for him to sign.

Little did I know that I will be sold and trafficked into child slavery that faithful day.....

To Be Continued.........

Kwame Sarpong

Freelance Writer