(For Rev.-Col. Eugene Boapea Boamah Sintim[-Brown], Aka Kwaku Brown,
Retired Chaplain-General of the Ghana Armed Forces, 1941-2017)
It was one
of those painful
moments
when the doting
husband looks on
helplessly
as his love-child
is denuded of her
dignity, humanity
and
self-esteem,
like an orphan
storm-tossed
and taken aboard
by a reluctant
stepmom…
Auntie Bea,
you have done us
great harm,
you have weaned me
of my roots,
you have also
taught us
to be our own
best friends,
these are great lessons
for which
we stand
eternally
in your debt…
that was when
Maame Florence
came to live
under your roof,
Wofa Brown,
your own flesh
and blood,
savaged
like a waif,
punished
and disdained
for having
been born
outside
your conjugal
bed,
punished
for having
elected life
instead of
stillbirth
or wasted egg
and sperm,
then the crime
would have duly
paid for itself –
first,
her hair
would be shaved
clean like
a monk,
a boy
or a chemo
child,
the wicked intent
was as crystal
clear
as day
and night,
to make her
ugly
as even
the word
itself
could scarcely
limn;
and yet,
like a duck
under buckets
of raindrops,
she was still
the prettiest
product
of your loins,
the prettiest
of all
your brood…
the “Maame”
prefix
of Florence
would be decreed
tabooed
by your wife,
whose own
last born,
Baaduaa,
was “Awo”…
Awo would not
be shaved,
she would wear
braids
and jewels
of choice…
how right
our sages were
when they said
a stepchild
is bereft
of all charm
save
under her own
mother’s roof…
Wofa,
I was surprised
at you,
I was perplexed
at you,
I was ashamed
of you,
at least
for a little
while,
but I wasn’t
sorry
for you
the least bit…
Wofa,
why did you brook
such wanton act
of wickedness
visited
on your own
flesh and
blood…
was it part
of the guilt
you bore
for flouting
your conjugal
creed,
staining
your marriage
bed…
she was still
your flesh
and blood,
she did not
half-deserve
such depraved
abuse
from the wife
of a man
of the cloth…
the truth,
though,
is that
such was more
the norm
than the
anomaly…
the tailless beast,
our elders
have said,
is protected
by God;
and indeed,
she would be
protected
by God
where her own
father
had miserably
failed;
yes,
she would be
protected
by God
where her own
sire
had failed
to stand up
for her,
she would be
protected
by God
and spoken up for
by a kinswoman
who had witnessed
such abuse
and loathed
the look
of it,
who would call
for help just
in the nick
of time,
that was when
you came close
to getting
disrobed…
Wofa,
trust me,
I was not sorry
for you
on this one,
I was only sorry
I was too young
and helpless
to step in
with help…
Uncle,
how deeply
ashamed
I became
of you
then,
ashamed
you were too
weak to
speak up
for your own
flesh and
blood,
that you were
too damn
impotent
to protect
your own flesh
and blood…
Wofa,
I have never
forgiven you
for such woeful
lack of
vim,
I forgive you now,
peace,
peace
be still –
7/17/17
(RIP)