God has killed me - Part 30

Fred Blum showed him the impressive guest room divided in three sections each decorated with furniture, pictures and other decoration items from Bavaria, Lower-Saxony and Hamburg all from Germany to give hungry folks the feeling to be back home or in a foreign land. His guests were Germans, Ghanaians living in Germany, Ghanaians wanting to migrate to Germany one day and have the taste of their future home on their tongues as well as foreigners from other European countries. Most of his guest came because of German beer knowing of the purity of German beer and its immense varieties. Each Sunday a Brass Band played old familiar German songs and it was a nice and interesting mix of German folk music played by black Ghanaians. Everyone is having fun on these occasions. He took Mr Karl also around his big and very clean, very well-organized kitchen in which Blacks, White as well also Indians were cooking. As usual in a kitchen serving several thousand meals a week the manure needed to be changed every second week which left the Chef and his cooks busy all day long. They loved their work knowing their guests honour their hard labour and the attention to details that went into each and every dish going out onto the tables of the many guests. Service was utmost priority for Fred Blum and any possible complaint he personally would attend to and in his absence dealt with by his Deputy. The place was working like a well lubricated machine honoured by the guest with big compliments and constant patronage. Guest so happy with what they enjoyed brought friends along to have the same kind of amazing tastes and wonderful hours well spend among great people.

"Yes, as you can see for yourself, Mr Karl...here we all enjoy a very good time, our guests in big numbers, our professional staff, our amazing cooks...and when all are happy...it simply makes me happy and I know I have done something good!"

"Yes...I can see with my own eyes how beautiful everything here is and the happiness I can see in the many faces of your guests," responded Mr Karl enjoying his sausages spiced with medium hot mustard and with Sauerkraut that was served with German style of dumplings. "Your Knödel...Mr Blum...they are delicious...just like in Bavaria. For us in Hamburg we mostly take them out of the supermarket and dump them into water to refresh them...but these once...."

"For sure I know what you mean. But here, we make them fresh as I myself are from Munich and would in my very own kitchen never allow such...sorry to say that...short cut to a great Knödel that my guest should surely enjoy. No, here we make them fresh and I have to confess, it was not all that easy to teach my folks, specially my older cooks, how to make them. But after many hours of teaching, many thrown away Knödels that were not even up to any form of standard...now I have to say, everything is working well," was Fred Blum happy to report back to Mr Karl his personal success story.

"When someone sets his employee a target and tells them what needs to be done and how it should be done with clear words," finished Mr Karl his glass of beer with no alcohol as he was a man preferring wine over beer but when beer only without making him anyhow drunken. After all he had to ensure not to be seen in public taking alcohol and if only in acceptable doses. He was under close observation and he knew about traps others wanted to put before him.

"I am not only so glad you could make it to see my restaurant here knowing how much work is on your hand, but I also want to take up this chance to discuss with you the new project that has started further down our street here in Lashebi," wanted Fred Blum to order another round of beer but Mr Karl thanked him for his kindness and said that he had really enough to drink that evening. He was ready to hear what Fred Blum had to share with him: "Now that the people have started the first few houses all in German style I hope and trust we can make a German village out of it over time like it is in Brazil and China, a real tourist attraction with Germans and locals alike living in these houses. Certainly, we all must make sure it will never become a German ghetto but a nice place for people to enjoy themselves. And, here my great wish is about to come...please can you ensure that not only the German Village is here but that we can have also villages from other countries, like Italy, France, England, Russia and Japan to mention just a few. I think when we can pull this great project off, we will make many locals and foreigners happy and will most certainly attract so, so many tourists. And when more tourists come to Ghana more business will follow in other sectors also as this country will stand in the focus of great investors."

"Mr Fred...you take my idea out of my mouth as this has been on my mind for a long time now," agreed Mr Karl smiling sitting back thinking of a second helping of desert. "Dampfnudeln with warm Cherry sauce," did Mr Karl mention all of a sudden and Fred Blum was surprised at first, when understanding the signal given he rushed to the kitchen to make a special Dampfnudel for Mr Karl asking him to stand by his side so both could talk more.

While Fred Blum was doing the cooking, Mr Karl looked over his shoulder. As so far, he himself had never cooked any Dampfnudel himself but loved to eat them every time he could get hold of one especially when not emerging out of a deep freezer but handmade by a professional Bavarian Chef. For Fred Blum it was a great honour to do Mr Karl this favour even looking sideways at his growing belly saying: "You seem to eat always at the places where you pay a visit too." Both had a good laugh all across the kitchen.

"When you are a politician or a political manager of an area that I am responsible for...yes, Mr Fred...this is the sacrifice you have to make...you grow out of proportion." All the cooks listen to their conversation and busted into laughter with no end.

"So, what I also want to mention to you, and I am happy you cannot run away easily but have to wait for your Dampfnudel," smiled Fred Blum making enough dough for his guest of honour and his own family, "I thought of something else that would most certainly benefit the country immensely. In Europe, as you are well aware off, Christmas Markets and Parades are very popular with people and a great business opportunity for many. Therefore, it came to my mind why not have such events here also in Ghana on a larger scale. We should have it in public and put it out onto the international market to compete with Christmas markets all over the globe. I am pretty sure many of Europeans and Asians as well also Americans would love to come to Ghana and see the beauty of Christmas Market and Christmas Parade here. Like Carnival in Rio this could be a great attraction to bring tourists to the country and generate loss of revenue for the nation and individuals alike. Local companies, I am very sure about that, would love to use this platform to promote their products and services by which most of the overhead costs could be covered. When you make a competition like best drawings and paintings by schools, singing completions and so on...I am sure this can be broadcasted daily by national Media Houses and taken online to the internet for the whole wide world to see and to follow and...to like."

"Mr Fred Blum...you are not only my best man for Dampfnudeln with Cherry sauce...you are the man I will contact once we can pull off this project. Here, take my hand and hold it!" Fred Blum was shrinking the hand of his guest of honour with a typical strong, intense, and long Bavarian handshake that left the tender small hand of Mr Karl squeezed close to breaking point. "I have many contacts that I would like to hand over to you. The challenge is the central government in Accra, in Flagstaff House, as these people we must bring on board for such an idea. Whether or whether not they can overcome their jealousy they demonstrate on nearly daily basis against my initiatives...must be seen. But you can trust me on this that I surely will do all I can to convince them and twist their minds into our direction as I think by now I know their weak point that must be addressed with sweet words."

"That sounds good, Mr Karl," smiled Fred Blum serving him his Dampfnudel with warm Cherry sauce that was not too liquid but that the right texture. "I often smile when I think once we bring down all Germans to Ghana and all Ghanaians go to Germany, in the shortest possible time this country here will be transformed into a paradise while our country would be ruined completely...gone to the waste bin of history!"

Both Germans had a good laugh but had to make sure not to be too loud laughing to allow others to enjoy themselves in their own ways. So, Mr Karl answered: "I often think the same!"