Zero Visibility

So it was my second day in Tamale, Ghana about 6:30am and I am ironing my clothes outside. I saw one of the wives or at least I assumed she was a wife; there are two wives from what I was told. It was funny because I have met everyone under the sun in Tamale except for these two women whom are supposed to wash my laundry and cater to my every need; however, I have not met them yet, Why?! Subconsciously, about a hundred and one questions were crossing my mind. Why hasn’t anyone introduced them to us?! So she walks out of her room which is separate from her husband and the other wife and so I wait. And I wait. Why has she not spoken to me yet? Do I speak first? I’m the guest?! Does she see me standing here? Anyway, I initiated the first greet by saying, Dasiba, which means “good-morning,” and so she replied, Naa and then she reciprocated Dasiba and so I replied Naa. So it was confirmed she did in fact see me and could hear me. However, there is this odd distance and odd transparency in her personality almost like a personality does not exist. I don’t feel as though my greeting opened a window for a possible conversation of getting to know her but I feel as though she accepts me. After our greet exchange, the morning fell socially silent and time continued and daily duties followed. Awkwardly, I continued to iron my clothes with this permanent substance-less smile on my face (that of a confused foreigner.) Professor briefly enlightened me about Muslim marriage and explained the rank of women. They don’t matter. They are invisible in a sense; they do their duties and go on about the day, he says. Wow! I thought. His explanation greatly sufficed and moved me. Today’s life experience made an imprint on my conscious mind, subsequently, signifying the beginning of a very enlightening journey in Ghana.