First Glimpse of Gold
My jaw dropped when I saw the house. It was two houses in one, and the compound was enormous. The exterior was white, with brown tiles neatly laid on the topmost part. A mile-long driveway wound around a fountain that held water and a statue of what I assumed was the family of seven. The path led to an underground garage that could hold about twenty cars. Inside, I spotted a Lexus LX, a Mercedes GLE, a G-Wagon, a Jeep Wrangler, a Toyota Prado, a Toyota V8, and a Hyundai Elantra-there were even more.
The compound was beautifully decorated with different species of plants and flowers, but what caught my attention the most were the orchids, especially the purple ones, which smelled amazing.
The driver, whom I later found out was called Ekow, drove back out of the garage to the base of an eight-foot-tall door. I stepped out of the grey Range Rover Sport. Ekow stood there smiling, watching my eyes dart around as I took in the stunning sight before me. He probably thought I was a villager - and truthfully, I was.
His voice distracted me. "Go to the main entrance, the glass door," he instructed.
He helped me retrieve my pink and white "Ghana Must Go" bag from the Range Rover. I had thought I'd seen luxury when Atta bought his orange and blue Toyota Yaris, which he used as a taxi. But this-this was incomparable. East Legon was indeed one of the richest communities in Ghana.
The door led to a waiting area where I sat. A young man, about 17 years old-my age, passed by carrying a tennis racket. He halted at the sight of me and greeted me, then motioned to the maid, who I later discovered was one of three, to inform his mother about my arrival.
The maid approached silently, placing a crystal glass of water before me, the condensation dripping onto the gleaming table, I was invited into the hall. The space was massive, accentuated with golden lighting. Gold and white chairs filled the room, alongside a wine cellar. Two staircases stood on opposite sides, supported by glass railings with gold details.
I was instructed to sit and wait for Madam Pamela, my employer, to be interviewed.