READER, ALMIGHTY God is my witness when I say that I NEVER in my three score and something years dreamt of being HEAD OF FAMILY; but, since becoming one in March 2020 in Berekum, reader, what an exciting portfolio!!!
One of the principal elders in the family worried me so much that “Captain, Head of family, come and visit my nonagerian sick mother in my house before she knocks off……….”
One of the major weaknesses in my life is that I don’t like visiting sick people – because I feel for them, and not being a doctor, there is nothing I can do except to see them enduring their pain which is uncomfortable for me.
Nevertheless, I struggled and managed to visit the 94-year-old lady, lying on the sofa in her sitting room, talking in a frail voice, telling me about the history of Berekum as if I was listening….
On 29th July, 2022, the old lady kicked the bucket and reader, the ONE WEEK celebration was more than a royal celebration. They strategically located the event in a small enclosure so the impression was that it was heavily patronised no sitting space.
As Head of Family, I was the Chief Mourner, seated majestically in my British monarch-designed look-alike stool donated for me by Commissioner of Police Council of State Member Husband.
To my surprise, the funeral was fixed for Saturday, 14th January, 2023 – nearly six months!!! Why? Oh, Captain, one of the children lives and works in Germany, and wants to be present for the funeral to see his mother before burial.
Very well, but six months is too long. Anyway, he has brought money for the mortuary bills, fully paid, so, no problem. Let us wait for the record making funeral.
August dissolved into September. October came with November and Christmas Season – just now? The old lady’s home call is at hand.
In life, man proposes, but God disposes.
I have a client who is a chief and he came to tell me that he is hosting an award ceremony for Vice President Bawumia at Suhum and as his lawyer so I should be there, on Saturday 14th January!
Very well. I will go to Berekum on Friday, 13th January, take part in the mammoth wake keeping then leave Berekum 6am Saturday morning, and with Afoko, the super driver at the controls of V8 Land Cruiser (don’t worry if it is a hiring car), I should be in Suhum by latest 10am in time to meet Vice President Bawumia and present myself as the Barrister and Solicitor of the Superior Court of Judicature Ghana for the host.
As the time got near, I became a little skeptical. Why must I spend over 2,000 cedis to buy petrol into V8 plus, the cost of the V8 for two days for wake keeping?
I called my principal deputy and explained my problem and he said “Captain don’t worry. Everybody in Berekum knows how you are projecting the family so if you don’t attend this funeral no problem. Concentrate on the Vice President’s visit – we will handle everything here, Captain.
With this headache removed, I relaxed.
Friday, 13th January, 2023 – the D-Day in Berekum. The burger son has arrived from Germany, and driven all night to Berekum at dawn. Huge canopies had been erected, over one thousand chairs arranged, cultural groups assembled for a record wake keeping. The women were busy cooking and preparing drinks among other things.
Look here – you, and you – go with the cultural group to the Holy Family Hospital Berekum and bring our mother for the wake-keeping to begin……”
Back home in Accra, I was preparing to go to Suhum to attend the Vice President’s programme. Meanwhile, I had to meet a deadline in a Supreme Court address for Monday so all night I sat in my bedroom, Kasoa, writing.
At 11:30pm, my father in law’s daughter Gloria, lying on the bed, protested: “Captain why don’t you go to the hall and continue writing so that I can put off the lights and get some sleep? What is this?”
Before I could say anything my cell phone rang – Yes, Nana, how is the wake keeping going in Berekum?
“Captain there is a big problem.”
“What problem? Light off? ECG!!! Or the cultural group has failed you?”
“Captain, my mother is not in the mortuary!!!”
“Your mother is not in the mortuary? What are you telling me?
One solid characteristic of every court going lawyer is the ability to LISTEN.
“Captain, my mother died on 29th July, and we took the body to the mortuary. She was received as No. 44. This evening the mortuary people are telling us that my mother is NOT there. They even removed a corpse No. 44 in August for burial!!!
“Captain, where is my mother??
Written by Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey