At exactly 9:43 a.m. on reunion day, three completely different stories will be unfolding.
One classmate will already be ten minutes from Atimpoku, wondering if arriving too early is socially acceptable.
Another will confidently announce in the WhatsApp group,
"Almost there!"
...while still searching for the matching sock that mysteriously disappeared overnight.
A third will be staring intensely at Google Maps, which has suddenly developed opinions nobody asked for.
Oddly enough, all three are already attending the reunion.
Because reunions don't begin when people arrive.
They begin the moment people start making their way towards one another.
That journey—filled with excitement, anticipation, little mishaps, laughter and unexpected acts of kindness, is already part of the reunion.
And this Saturday, our journey begins at 10:00 a.m.
Not "Ghana Man Time."
Not "I'll be there after they've finished eating."
Not "Please keep my food warm."
Ten o'clock.
The earlier you arrive, the longer you have to greet classmates you haven't hugged in years, wander across the beautiful green lawns, enjoy the fresh air under the cabanas, watch children turn the playground into their own little kingdom, settle comfortably in the spacious hall, take photographs before the sunshine becomes too ambitious, and simply savour the priceless feeling of being home among your own.
Now let's discuss the adventure called finding the venue.
Google Maps is an extraordinary invention.
But every now and then, it becomes a philosopher.
If it calmly announces,
"Proceed to the highlighted route,"
while you're confidently driving towards somebody's cassava farm, don't argue with technology.
Introduce a third opinion.
Call William.
If you're coming from Accra or Tema on the Akosombo Road, think of Sajuna as your friendly neighbour. Once you reach the road leading to Sajuna, turn right. Our venue is immediately beside it—they practically share a wall. If you mistakenly enter Sajuna first, don't panic. You've only overshot by a handshake.
If you're arriving from the Adomi Bridge, simply head towards Accra. A few metres after the railway overpass, the venue will appear on your left, quietly waiting to welcome old friendships back home.
Should confusion somehow survive all these directions, look for William, the caretaker of the facility.
Every remarkable venue has one person who knows every entrance, every corner, every shortcut and probably every tree.
William is that person.
You may also call our ever-dedicated President, Makafui Azasu, our hardworking Publicity Secretary, Brenda Agbo, any one of our reliable executive members or, indeed, any colleague.
Please don't suffer in silence.
This reunion was never designed for heroes navigating alone.
It was designed for classmates helping classmates.
After all, if someone can remind you about homework twenty years later, they can certainly help you find a venue.
Speaking of preparation...
Please charge your phone.
A phone with 2% battery is not optimism.
It is wishful thinking wrapped in false confidence.
Save important contact numbers before leaving home.
Fuel your vehicle before setting off.
Petrol stations have an uncanny habit of becoming invisible exactly when your fuel warning light begins preaching sermons.
Carry some drinking water.
Bring any medication you regularly need.
A power bank may quietly become the day's greatest hero.
Wear comfortable shoes unless your lifelong ambition has been to discover that dancing and blisters are close relatives.
If rain unexpectedly decides it was also invited (which the gods are working around the clock to prevent), you'll be glad you came prepared.
And if possible, travel with another classmate.
The kilometres somehow become shorter when memories occupy the passenger seat.
There are also certain events that, by ancient universal law, are almost guaranteed to happen.
Somebody will remember the reunion jersey only after driving several kilometres.
Somebody's partner will ask,
"Didn't you say you were leaving an hour ago?"
Somebody's child will suddenly remember forty-seven urgent questions just as the engine starts.
Somebody will confidently follow another vehicle because the driver is wearing a KOSA jersey, only to discover they were attending an entirely different programme.
And yes...
Someone will still insist,
"I know a shorter route."
History advises caution.
Between Google Maps, your instincts and William, William has the better track record.
Yet beneath all this laughter lies something far more beautiful.
Some of us have not seen one another in decades.
Time has changed our hairstyles.
Expanded a few waistlines.
Added titles before our names.
Placed grandchildren on some laps.
Taken parents from some homes.
Moved classmates across cities, countries and continents.
Changed careers.
Deepened faith.
Taught difficult lessons.
Healed old wounds.
And quietly reminded us that time waits for no one.
That is precisely why this reunion matters.
Every safe arrival is a blessing.
Every handshake is a gift.
Every embrace is a reminder that life has been gracious enough to gather us once again.
So, if a classmate calls because they're lost...
Answer.
If someone has a flat tyre...
Encourage them.
If somebody is travelling alone...
Check on them.
If someone appears confused...
Walk with them.
Because the reunion doesn't begin inside the venue.
It begins the very moment one classmate says,
"Don't worry... I'll make sure you get there."
Long after the food has been enjoyed...
Long after the music has faded...
Long after the last photograph has been shared...
Long after the laughter echoes only in memory...
We probably won't remember who arrived at 9:58 or 10:17.
We'll remember the embraces.
The conversations that picked up exactly where they had stopped years ago.
The unexpected friendships rekindled.
The jokes that left tears in our eyes.
The people who waited for others.
The classmates who turned back because someone else was lost.
The feeling that, after all these years, coming home was easier because someone else was already there.
Perhaps that is what reunions have always been about.
Not merely returning to a place.
But returning to one another.
As we prepare to travel, let us lift our hearts in gratitude and hope.
May Almighty God, in His abundant mercy, grant every one of us life, strength and good health.
May He order our steps, calm every anxious heart and surround every journey with His divine protection.
May every vehicle arrive safely.
May every traveller be preserved from harm.
May every family release their loved ones in peace and receive them back with joy.
May laughter replace worry, friendship overcome distance, and love triumph over every excuse that almost kept us apart.
May those travelling from near and far experience journey mercies.
May no one be stranded.
May no one be embarrassed.
May no one lose their way.
And may every road, every conversation, every kilometre and every smile remind us that we are far richer because we still have one another.
So, leave home early.
Travel patiently.
Drive carefully.
Ask for help whenever you need it.
Offer help whenever you can.
And remember...
The journey is already part of the reunion.
See you at 10:00 a.m.
Your classmates are waiting.
And by God's grace...
We'll all arrive safely.
