The Klever Magg

My Life Story

 by Deborah Adom Ohene

14 Years Old

 

 

Episode1

Adom Maakua Afi is my name, the first and last born of Mr. Afi and Mrs. Afi.

Adom was a name given to me at birth since my Dad loved its meaning very much. He always tells me that the name, “Adom” which means “Grace” was given to me because of my mom’s bitter life which was a very bad one indeed.

Let’s hear my mom’s part of my story:

Before she married my dad Mr. Afi, she was called Obaa Yaa Frishmuith. She wasn’t a Ghanaian because her mom married a German. So she spent all her youthful days in Germany where she stayed with her dad only.

Since she was the only child of her parents, she was pampered by her dad very well. She grew into a young beautiful girl that every man wanted to make his wife.

Unknown to her dad,  his wife who was tired of being alone all the while got married to another man in Ghana and bore him three children.

When he found out, he immediately shot his wife and her three children dead. Luckily Obaa Yaa was able to run away from him before he could shoot her too.

Her life became miserable from that day on. She struggled to go to school and become who she is today.

Then she met Mr. Afi and they gave birth to me… Now if not for the grace of the Creator of the Universe, my mom would have died and that was why I was named Adom meaning Grace.

My mom had me as her only child and one other adopted child. We live as a happy family that loved each other deeply.

In life, mom faced many difficulties but she didn’t want the same challenges for her children so she played her role as a mother very well.

And we love her so much for that.

 

Episode 2

Life for me was very good because I was given anything I asked for. I went to one of the best schools in Ghana. My dad was a member of parliament, and he also owned Jinko Solar Systems. My mom was a doctor, and in addition to that, she owned two hairdressing salons and one of the biggest shopping marts in Ghana.

She was also a role model for most youths.

My mum learnt a little fashion designing, so she usually allowed us to model for the showoff of her costumes. Life was going on very well.

I was good at school and so was my sister.

Until the unexpected happened.

My mom and dad were involved in a fatal car accident which made my dad lose his life on the spot but my mom survived with a broken leg and arm.

We spent a fortune on mom’s bills.

At last, she was discharged from the hospital.

My Dad’s Will was to be read on the day of the arrival of my mom from the hospital.

I was 15 years old then and I knew that all my Dad’s estate was going to pass to me so I felt there was no need for the lawyer to even read it.

The lawyer arrived with another woman and three children.

My mom began to ask questions about her but the lawyer said until the Will is read, we would have to wait.

The Will was read out loud for everyone to hear and to my surprise, my Dad’s company and two houses were handed over to the unknown lady. My Dad left my mom and sister the house we lived in and the house which he had not yet completed.

I was shocked to know that the woman was my dad’s wife because he never told us we had step-siblings.

The news sank into my heart gradually but hatred began to grow for my dad.

My mom was well to do and could afford taking care of my sister and me so I didn’t worry too much about my father’s Will.

Three years after the death of my father, mom was able to walk without crutches.

By that time, she had managed to complete the house my Dad left us and furnished it beautifully. 

Difficulties were no exception after the death of my Dad.

One of my mom’s hairdressing shops got burnt to ashes without any trace of how it got burnt.

My adopted sister was already in the university when I was about entering and my mom lost her job when my results were finally out.

So the only property left for my mom was her shopping mart and hairdressing salon.

         

Episode 3

My mom sold the house which we lived in and we moved to my own house (the then uncompleted house my dad left in my name).

Our means of survival was my mom’s mart and her last hairdressing shop.

My mom began to complain of theft in her mart. She was so worried about it she could stay up all night thinking about it. Due to that, she started getting high blood pressure.

I was left with a week to enter the university so my mom gave me the go-ahead to take provisions from her mart.

On the day of my departure, I told my mom with eyes filled with tears that I will not forget her and she should stop thinking too much or else her BP will go up.

All she could say was “I’m going to miss you.” Those were the last words I heard from my mom before the bus moved.

I got to school and phoned my mom about my arrival and noticed her voice sounded very weak and I knew very much that she had been crying.

The night before I left for school, she sat me down and said she was going to be lonely because my sister is in school and I was also leaving. She wondered who would keep her company.

This made me uncomfortable so I persuaded her to hire a house girl and gateman who will be staying with her so she won’t feel lonely.

I was the debee type. I missed her so much when I left but I always called her and we talked for long hours.

Finally, we wrote our mid-sem and came home.

On the day I was supposed to leave, my phone rang when I was done packing and it was my mom.

She just asked which hostel I was staying at and I told her. The next minute there was a knock and to my surprise, mom had come to pick me home.

The first question I asked her was why she had driven this long distance.

“You know it’s not good for your health,” I said, worried.

She laughed at me as if I had just cracked the funniest joke ever. I got confused and we got to the car park, I saw a gentleman sitting in the car and things got clearer to me that she had hired a driver too. Then I understood why she laughed.

We got home and my sister was home already. She gave me a warm welcome home.

 

Episode 4

The vacations were over and we were expected to go back to school.

I got to school and unpacked my belongings and had a good rest. I had a strange dream I didn’t understand.

In the dream, I saw my sister and I crying uncontrollably while a coffin was being carried away. I started running towards the coffin saying “I will go with you”.

My sister caught up with me and held me tightly. I woke up at that moment and called mom. I told her the dream since I was pretty shaken up and she told me to pray and fast about it. She also said she too will do the same.

I did that and at the end of the fasting, I asked God to protect my mom and sister.

I completed the University with Second Class Upper.

My sister and mom were at my graduation. Mom threw a big graduation party for me and I invited a lot of people. My sister was about getting married so it brought joy and happiness to my mom.

The wedding was a classic and memorable one. Maa Akua moved to her husband’s house so it was left with my mom and me at home alone. I rarely saw mom because I woke up early every day and left for work. By the time I came back home from work, mom was always asleep so it was normally on weekends that I saw her.

I broke the good news to her when I got a marriage proposal from my boyfriend. I accepted the proposal immediately because I loved him so. Mom was happy to hear that I was getting married. She invited my husband-to-be home for lunch with his family. He accepted and a date was set for him to come with his family.

On arrival with his family, mom came out to greet them and at the sight of his dad, she called the man Daddy and I got confused. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back. Mom later explained that the man was my grandfather. I was shocked because mom told us from her life story that her Dad might have also killed himself.

He apologized to my mom for the pain she went through and she forgave him. What it meant was that I was getting married to my mother’s step brother.

The intended marriage was cancelled. Tears filled my eyes and I really I cried a lot that day.

My mom came to calm me down and all I remember was that she said ” I love you so much, my dear” and she fell.

We rushed her to the hospital and on arrival, she died. I couldn’t control myself. Maa Akua held me tightly or else I would have fallen too.

Mom was dead. It was like a dream to me.

I promised myself not to get married again because of the first incident. I was now an orphan and well to do.

 

Episode 5

I was told my mom died out of high blood pressure and I knew she had been thinking too much.

My sister stayed with me for about two months after the death of our mom. After staying with me, I felt a lot better. I moved on with my life but forgetting my mom was the most difficult thing, even if I could forget her my heart wouldn’t forget her.

After I moved on, I met this guy who worked with my company. He asked me out and I accepted, we went out for lunch and we exchanged contacts.

He offered to drop me at home and I didn’t turn down his offer. He dropped me off at home and he went away.

So days turned into weeks and weeks into months. The guy I met from the company, Maxwell was someone I think I had started to fall in love with. We started dating and it has been for a year now and he hasn’t even shown any interest in me but I had started to.

I went shopping for foodstuffs from the supermarket and met Maxwell with another woman. I pretended not to have seen him because I felt jealous but he approached me and introduced the girl to me as his girlfriend. At the mention of girlfriend, I didn’t know which face to put up but I forced a smile and gave a handshake.

I got home heartbroken with tears. My sister was home but when I saw her I quickly wiped my tears. She asked me what was wrong and I ignored the question. When she insisted, I explained everything to her and she said I shouldn’t worry. I got over it and she broke the good news that I was soon going to be an auntie and I couldn’t hide my joy. We celebrated the good news and had dinner. She left the next morning.

  

Episode 6

My sister gave birth and we had a huge naming ceremony for my niece. She was named after my mother Akosua  Aminah Afi Mcouley.

I stayed for a week before leaving. When I resumed work my assistant made me know that Maxwell came looking for me but I was not interested in whatever he had to say.

I meet him when I went for lunch and he didn’t hesitate to approach. I smiled as if all was well but I had so many questions flooding my mind.

He asked that I forgive him and I told him I had.

He later told me he had wanted to marry her but she turned him down and he had no option but to come and see me if I could forgive him.

I did and we dated for six months before he proposed and I said ” Yes”. Wedding preparations were made by my sister and my wedding I can say was really beautiful.

Maxwell  and I lived in his house so I gave out my house for rent. My first year in marriage was good but the years that followed were hell.

Maxwell always came home drunk and would beat me up. I couldn’t take it anymore so I moved in with my sister but she asked me to go back because the vows I made on my wedding day ” For better for worse ” was not for saying sake.

But I couldn’t stand him as he continued to beat me. He came over to her house to apologise and asked me to come home because the house felt empty without me.

I forgave him but I was still hurt. I went back home and he treated me like a queen. I later discovered I was pregnant and I gave birth to twins.

They were so beautiful, my sister came over to help me with the children.

The naming ceremony was held later on and my marriage was blessed with a son afterwards so I had three kids and I lived happily with my husband and kids.

My mother’s story was told in our family lineage. We all told our children’s children about it and that’s how our family continued.

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