“Gunoweh, uh, Bernard I mean,” Pa laughed without opening his mouth, “we’ll only be in Harper for another year and a half since my contract with the college is for two years. When you move with us toMonrovia, you’ll really see what being a Cooper can do for you.”

“Ok.” Now my eyes were looking at the light-gray marble tiles on the floor. “Can I use Bernard when we get toMonrovia?” I didn’t even know I was supposed to be moving with them, but they had made up their minds so I went with it. Did Mama and Papa know?

“Look Bernard,” Ma’s voice was going up, “You haven’t been a frisky boy, so don’t start now.”

“Wait Linda,” Pa put his hand on Ma’s shoulder to calm her down, “let me ask the boy something.”

“Spzzz,” Ma sucked her teeth like a market woman who thinks you are trying to cheat her out of some money. Then she rolled her eyes at me as if I had craw-craw on my skin. My eyes started batting fast again.

Pa went on talking as though he didn’t hear Ma suck her teeth, “Bernard, why do you want to keep this country name of yours? Remember the talk we had when you first came here?” I nodded. “You said you wanted to go to school and improve yourself.  Well, this is part of that so what is your problem, ehn?” Pa’s face was starting to look frowned-up, like Ma’s.

“You-boy!” Ma yelled as she stood up, “stop looking at the floor and answer the damn question. You have a mouth—talk!”

I cleared my dry throat and swallowed a deep breath to cool my heart down. “M-ma, Pa, it’s not that I don’t like your name, but Gunoweh has been in my family for plenty years.” I looked at the window again, the children were playing hopscotch and the sun was as orange as it was the day Teacher asked my old people to let me come to Harper. I thought about what my father had told me some time ago.

“You see Gunoweh was my great, great Grandpa’s name on my Pa’s side,” I explained. “He was a chief warrior who fought to protect our land. People from all over: Cavalla to Sedeken to RockTown,  even our enemies,  gave my great great Grand respect. Most of Grebo-land got to know him when he fought the people from America who were trying to take our land by force. Our town danced the Dorklor for my great great Grandpa each time he brought warriors home from the battlefield. Because of him, my family started naming their firstborn sons Gunoweh. But, the child only got that name if the family thought the boy was strong. Besides me, I have an uncle and a first cousin who are also called Gunoweh.”

Pa was looking back and forth at me and Ma. She was shaking her head as if feeling sorry for me, but she didn’t tell me to shut up so I kept talking. “If real Grebo people hear my name, they know right away which line I come from.  They know I’m not a foolish boy. My name alone will tell them who I am.”

Remembering those things that Papa had told me made my heart beat the way it did when Mama used to fix sugar palm nuts or coconut candy, the way it did when I heard Papa say I would be able to help more if I went to school. I think my happiness got to Ma because she went off on me.

“What the hell you smiling at—huh? You think that lil’ stupid story means anything in the real world?” Was my world false? Then her voice became friendly which confused me because it sounded the way it did when she was helping me with my school work or fixing something on my clothes before we went out of the house or when she brought home gifts. “What if you travel to theUnited States one day?  Do you want to be stuck with that country name? Nobody knows your family there, so Gunoweh will not help; it will hold you back. You’ve got to be able to blend in. When we get to Monrovia, you’ll see what I mean.”