By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD

1. Crime Pays

My nephew wrote me, boasting he had graduated in Criminology: I wrote back my nephew and asked how should I now address him in his new hard-earned profession: “Criminal Ernie or Sir?”

2. Twin Salmon

I took the wife of our Church President back to the village from the maternity clinic where she had given birth to twins. At the village the people ran to welcome us. I raised my hands and gestured that they were twins. Then I got out, took the two big salmon I had brought for the new mother, raised them up to the people and said: ‘Here they are’. All of them stopped, aghast, and then they burst out laughing. Even the mother had to wait for the laughter to fade away before getting out of the car.

3. Let There Not Be Light

All their heads were turned up towards the street lamps and they seemed to be praying out loud; it was such a strange sight that I was compelled to ask John Baffoe, my companion, ‘Why are they gazing at the street lights like that?’ I stopped and went back deliberately and checked it out more closely. True enough, around them were cans of unsold kerosene. That reminded me of Ghanaian proverb: ‘One person’s sorrow is another’s joy.’

4. Don’t Eat Just Smell

At the close of our Annual Catechists’ Recollection, complaints were made that the roastedgoat was too small and was not even enough for lunch for about fifty people. Quite peeved, I remarked: ‘I did not intend you to eat it. I just wanted you to smell it.’