Features
Do Sikaman Mothers deserve their day?
Sometimes children forget that while they were in the belly of Mummy, Daddy was paying the bills. So it isn’t Mummy alone who bore the child. Daddy contributed a seed and funded the bills till Mummy was sent to hospital to produce the baby.
When the baby is brought home bouncing, everyone congratulates Mummy, not Daddy. At this point in time Daddy doesn’t count. After all, what is the big deal about settling ante-natal and maternity bills? And what is money compared to labour pains?
Certainly, a Mum’s woes do not end with the delivery of a kid. Breast-feeding, sleepless nights, sick baby, cry baby cry, too much stress handling a tiny human being. The man’s woes also do not end unless of course, the man is a cockroach.
And if he truly is, Mum will surely tell the kid when he grows up. “Your daddy isn’t a daddy,” she’d say. “He is a cockroach! When I gave birth to you, he saw another woman and followed her like a he-goat. The bastard didn’t look after you!”
SWEET
So it comes to Mother’s Day and the kid is forever grateful o Mama for making a human being out of the seed of an idiot. She prays for Mum! Sweet Mother!
Come Father’s Day and everyone wonders whether a day like that exists. Very little publicity on JOY FM. Fact is that JOY doesn’t particularly believe in the day, but offering some sponsored airtime to interview people about their daddies would just be fair.
And for the sake of honouring one’s father, no one ever said anything ugly about Daddy. I am still waiting to hear something like this.
“While I was lying in the belly of my Mama, my Daddy took off with the woman who is now my step-mom. My Mum is a wreck all because of my Daddy. He beat her, neglected her and finally divorced her. On this occasion of Father’s Day, I wish my father will roast in hell at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!”
Fact is, it isn’t all fathers that deserve accommodation on hell’s barbecue stand. Some fathers are really fathers – caring, supportive, grooming, educating and putting you on a firm academic ladder. Only about 20 per cent of men are irresponsible and warming up for hell if one exists.
And who says all mums are mums? In some communities, any woman who is lucky to hit 65 years is automatically branded a witch, not because she is a witch, but because she is supposed to be one. If she isn’t a witch by 65, then what is the use of her old age?
So you’ll find very terrifying reports of grandmothers who are accused of causing accidents by remote-control, mothers making their sons-in-law impotent, or if they are lucky half-impotent, or removing the wombs of daughters-in-law.
Go to Gambaga and you’ll be welcomed to a witch’s camp. When you clock 60 and your eyes get a little red, you are certified and gazetted a witch and banished to the camp where you’ll one day perish. Backwardness?
WINE
On Mother’s day last Sunday, I remembered my mum who is no more. Very noble lady who saw me through university when my Dad was on pension. I took dark wine in honour of her and blessed her.
My kids asked me what the family would be doing on Mother’s Day, “I have no mother!” I replied. But they had a Mum and they wanted something done for her. I got interested.
“Will you pound fufu for her?”
“Yes”, they said.
Okay! I also said for once, I’ll go to the kitchen and prepare the soup. I ordered a large whole chicken, assembled the garlic, peppers, spices, tomato (fresh), tomato (paste) and got to work.
I undertook surgery on the chicken, washed it nicely and put my- self to the test. Generally I’m not a good cook. When I was in Legon, my girlfriend taught me how to cook sweet potato pottage using fish and palm oil, and I have not forgotten the skills. But preparing Mother’s Day chicken soup was quite a challenge.
I needed advance catering skills.
Half way through, I realised I was burnt in three places and decided that enough was enough. I wanted to give up, but wouldn’t that be untoward? I plodded on and mixed things together and fixed the cooker fire on ‘medium.’ I left the rest to God! He knows best!
When it was done, I plucked out a piece of chicken to sample. I enjoyed it! But I needed to get the nod from my kids! They will be doing the presentation to their Mum to honour her. If it was badly prepared, it would be dishonourable! “Over to you Edem, Emefa, Eyram and Elom” – the Four Es!
DESERVE
The question is do mothers really deserve Mothers’ Day? It was when I witnessed part of the delivery of my last-born child that I started respecting women.
I was at work when a call came “Your wife has been sent to clinic. She is in great pain.”
I was confused and just could not continue what I was writing. I tried to concentrate without success. I packed out and headed for the clinic. I wanted to meet the new child and touch it. But nay!
My wife was lying on a bed groaning. “The doctor says the baby is not coming so he’d have to send me to the theatre if it doesn’t drop by 8:00 pm.” She was sweating like nobody’s business.
I went home, took a hurried bath and returned and witnessed the labour of my wife. It was frightening and horrifying. She couldn’t lie and couldn’t stand. She had been injected to induce labour and the baby just wouldn’t come. I regretted having made her pregnant.
Mothers really deserve their Day!
This article was first published on May 15, 2004
Merari Alomele’s
• A mother’s woes do not end with the delivery of a child
Your Weekend Companion
www.thespectatoronline.com
Features
Old folks and human suffering
The aged
Grey hair is an honour from God, says my uncle, Kofi Jogolo, whose moustache the world admires. Unfortunately, his moustache is not grey. However, my dear, uncle who is a petty bourgeoisie is greying at the temples, which according to him is a sign of wisdom, reverence and honour. To me, it is also an indication that he is gradually nearing ‘home’ to render a comprehensive account of his life to his Creator.
Indeed, the principles of accountability and probity transcend grey hairs and moustache, and wind up in St Peter’s Heaven.
Anyone who is getting close to the age of 60 can rightly claim the grey hair status. But in Sikaman for instance, to be a living member of the grey hair fraternity is a privilege and not a right. This is because the average life span of humans today is 49 years, and the average in Third World countries is much lower. Poverty alone can kill you at 27.
It is also of interest to note that journalists have the lowest average lifespan vis- a-vis other professional groups, according to a proven research.
In any case, the human species are better off than insects and animals. A mosquito lives for only six days and decides to call it quits. Most birds live for five years; and when a dog lives up to 10 years, it automatically becomes a liberal democrat. Why? Because it becomes so weak that it can no longer be a leftist watchdog of its master’s home. The poor dog becomes rather liberal to thieves and burglars.
So is it with human beings who clock 65 and above, especially when they have not eaten good for over six decades. According to the Bible, the human limit which has been divinely decreed is three score and 10, that is, 70. This appears discriminatory when we consider that Methuselah for instance lived for 969 years before agreeing to die.
CURSE
Back to Sikaman, anyone who flies past the age of 65 is considered an old- man (woman) whether he is well- nourished or takes ‘quarter’ on a regular basis.
To many, however, to be called an old person is rather a curse than a blessing. And of course nobody wants to be a pensioner for obvious reasons. So you see workers who are clearly over 70 years claiming to be 50 just to avoid retirement and its associated money palaver. But somehow, they are justified.
Fact is that, these days, nobody cares for the aged, and so they have to care for themselves. It was the quest to avoid this unfortunate situation that the HelpAge Ghana was formed last year as a voluntary organisation aimed at promoting the well-being of the aged and ageing in Sikaman.
When the second HelpAge Week was launched last weekend, I felt so sad to see on television, old men and women, some of whom could hardly work their rickety heels to help themselves about. Some really had to be assisted to walk.
HelpAge has come so timely, at a time when no one respects or cares for the aged. In times’ past, old folks were regarded as useful members of the society, imparting knowledge and wisdom to the younger generation, telling Ananse stories to enliven the evenings of little children.
But today, old people are regarded as nuisance. They are accused of being talkatives, always complaining of kooko, waist-pains, constipation, diarrhea, chronic catarrh and lack of good diet.
Their physical and mental infirmities associated with senescence, coupled with the high cost of fending for them, makes them unwanted in a rat-race society where man must live by sweet.
Some people really want their aged relatives to die quickly to relieve them of the burden of caring for them. They can’t afford to be feeding them every day like that! So unfortunate.
PROBLEMS
In the developed countries, however, because of problems that go with caring for the elderly in society, homes for the elderly are established in many communities, where the aged can live comfortably to enjoy their last days on earth. They are cared for, nourished and entertained.
In fact, there is a branch of medicine called GERONTOLOGY which is concerned with the processes of growing old, and there is what we call (GERIATRICS) which is the medical care of old people. Scholars are specialise in these fields because their society cares for the welfare of the aged.
HelpAge Ghana is a laudable idea and Sikaman natives must be awakened to their responsibility to the elderly. Those who also handle their pension claims must avoid the unnecessary delays. I remember, my old man had to go up and down for months before he was put on his rightful scale.
Now, instead of wishing our aged mothers, fathers and grand-parents to die so that we can get enough money to drink beer, let us contribute to HelpAge Ghana to get it firmly instituted.
That way when we are lucky to reach the three score and ten mark, we could also benefit from it. No one knows what the future has in store.
Sometime last year, I was privileged to attend a get-together of pensioners of UAC and management staff at the Ambassador Hotel. I am not a pensioner though. It was quite an interesting scene to see old men and women all over chatting animatedly, and reminiscing their good old days.
I was also quite impressed with how some of them attended to the gin, brandy and beer at the reception.
In contrast to this, it is so pathetic to see many old people in the capital of Sikaman begging for money to buy kenkey. They look dirty and unkempt carrying aloft their grey hairs. Let us find a means of helping out these elderly folks so that when our turn comes the good old Lord will have mercy upon us.
This article was first written was on Saturday October 6, 1990
Features
The anxiety of parents
I had a call from my daughter and addressing me in her rather unusual but affectionate way, by my official name as usual, she greeted me and asked about how I was doing and I responded and we exchanged the usual pleasantries.
Then her next statement caused my heart to start pounding. She said “Daddy, I am going out on a date.” This is one of the moments every parent becomes filled with anxiety. It is just like when your adult child comes to tell you that “I have met someone I would like to marry”.
I then started asking about when she met him, how long she had known him etc. Then she said “Daddy, I am just pulling a prank on you” and I heaved a sigh of relief. Every parent will tell you that one of their fears is who their children will marry in future.
Fear of the unknown, is the issue that brings the anxiety. Will this man be a good husband to my daughter? Is there a terrible hereditary disease in his family? What are his parents like and would they be caring in-laws to my daughter etc. etc.
Most parents do not worry too much when their child is a man as opposed to a female child. Furthermore, boys do not bring pregnancy home so if they go out and come home late, parents do not worry too much compared to when Maggie or Agatha or Lucy goes out and comes home late.
Our culture makes it easier for men to opt out of relationships so parents do not worry too much when a male children come to introduce their would-be spouses to them and there is no need to add that spouse here refers to a female, since our culture does not tolerate the insane antisocial behaviour affecting some societies including African ones.
Marriage must be between a male and a female, a man and a woman, as God who instituted and ordained it. The girls fall in love easily compared to the boys who mostly walk into love. I have not conducted a survey but I strongly believe that females suffer from heartbreaks more than males because of their emotional nature.
Another dimension to this anxiety of parents is the issue of mental problems which in some instances can lead to suicidal tendencies. Mental cases resulting from mental breakdowns abound in our communities and the victims are mostly female.
A woman I met while walking with a friend was a victim of a mental breakdown. The friend I was walking with, exchanged pleasantries with the said lady and it was apparent that they knew each other very well.
My friend, after we had parted company with the woman, narrated how her husband was engaged in womanising which compelled the woman to take a revenge on him.
She decided that the best way to also hurt her husband’s feelings was to have an affair with the husband’s driver. The affair became known to the husband and she was divorced. The dress she was wearing and her general appearance when we met her on the street showed clearly that all was not well mentally with her.
It was so sad and as a parent I started praying into the future of my children that they would get the right partners, God-fearing people to marry.
Another anxiety of parents is the character of their children’s life partners. Would they be kind people? Will they be people with bad tempers? Will they be wife beaters?
Domestic abuse is common in our society and you will be surprised at the calibre of the perpetrators. Some are well educated people, nicely dressed, when you meet them in public places you will never suspect that they are wife beaters.
Some are even pastors and yet they ignore the teachings of the Bible and maltreat their spouses. It is not only men who abuse their spouses but some women are abusers as well.
May God grant us and our children the gift of spirit of discernment so our children will make the right choices for us to also endorse.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah