Eli's Wife 13

Eli, his mother and his sister sat by their father in the hospital. He had been rushed there because of a heart attack. Luckily the president was stable. They watched as he lay there sleeping. Doctor Richard said he would be fine in no time and it was probably caused by stress. Eli left his father's side and saw Sena pacing in front of the hospital's canteen. "Trouble deciding whether to eat or not?" Eli teased. She smiled and hugged him.

 He looked at her and asked her what she said to his father. Sena shrugged and tried to change the subject. Eli kept asking. His voice even went up. He was getting angry. "Sena, you were the only one with my father when he had an attack. What the hell did you tell him?!" Eli asked furiously. Sena fumbled but after she noticed Eli wouldn't budge she looked around and signaled for them to sit down in an empty corner. Before she could say anything, Afi rushed to them. "Dad wants to talk to you." She said grabbing Eli's hand. "I'll be right back." he said to Sena and left with his sister.

  When Eli got to his father the nurse was just leaving his room. His mother turned to look at him with a worried look on her face. "Afi, let's go and get daddy a cup of water." she said. Before Afi could point out to the bottle of water by President Tamakloe's table the first lady had dragged her away. Eli sat down next to his father.

   “Eli there’s something I need to tell you. I should have told you this a long time ago but I didn’t know how.” President Tamakloe started. “Many years ago, before I was President your mum had a complication with her pregnancy. The baby was stillborn and her womb got damaged as well. The doctors said chances of her having another child was very slim. That very day there was a woman who also having a baby. Her name was Deborah Quaye. She was a janitor at a school nearby. The doctor came to me and we thought about us having her baby and paying her. We knew it was wrong but for my political career to take off I needed a child.” He paused for a second and continued. “She agreed to take the money and we had you. You were a bundle of joy to us, a gift from God. We decided to make her a surogate for our next child but she said she lost the child. I believe this was a lie looking at the age of the journalist. Five years later miraculously your mother had Afi. We only tried again because you said you wanted someone to play with. You gave us hope. I know I should have told you all this but I just couldn’t. I hope you forgive me.” He said looking directly at Eli.

  Eli sat there quietly for a while. It was a lot to take in. “Where is Deborah, where is my real mother?” he asked looking down. President Tamakloe hesitated for a while “We flew her to Nigeria to start a new life there with her family. The last I heard was she got sick and passed away. Eli, Sena believes Charles is her son.” he answered. Eli’s heart missed a beat. Nothing could have prepared him for all the things he was hearing. He stood up. “Thank you for sharing this with me. The truth is very important.” He said and walked out. President Tamakloe called him back several times but he just kept walking.



 To be continued for the last time...

Eli's wife 5

Enyonam paced in her office. She wasn't happy with what the journalist wrote about Eli in the papers. She noticed her phone was ringing and answered it immediately. It was her father. He wanted to know if she had spoken with her little sister. "Dad I don't think Sena can do this. She doesn't even think the article is a threat." She said rubbing her eyes. Her father could sense her worry. He told her the president had an idea. Enyonam sat up immediately. "Is he going to pay the journalist off?" She asked curiously. "No, that is too risky. We don't want to add blackmail to this. He didn't give me details but he trusts his plan. I leave for a meeting with German investors. I will call you after." her father answered and hang up. A minute later, Enyonam's personal assistant came into her office. "I found the information about the journalist you wanted." he said. Enyonam nodded and took the papers he was holding.

   Sena left work very early. She couldn't concentrate much after what Enyonam said. She realized her sister had a point and it affected her too. If she wanted to ever have lunch with Charles again she had to fix this. She called her security man to find out if Eli was home and rushed to the house.

  She met Eli in jeans and a Tshirt just sitting in the hall with his phone in his hand. It was when the phone slipped and fell that she noticed he was asleep. She put the newspaper into her bag and walked closer to him. He heard her and woke up immediately. His eyes were red with tiredness. His eyes wanted to close again because he lacked sleep. "Hi." Sena said and Eli nodded. His phone rang and he rushed to answer it. "Yes, ok. I'll be right there." He said and grabbed his car keys. "Where are you off to?" Sena asked. Eli stopped and stared at her. He was a bit surprised at concern in her voice. "I'm going to the hospital. My girl..ex girlfriend had an accident and has been admitted." He said walking past her. "I'll drive you there." Sena offered. Now Eli felt strange. "Why? I have a car you know." he said sarcastically. "You are a mess. We don't want another accident." She said taking the keys from him and putting it on the table. He knew she was right he had had very little sleep and a lot of alcohol so he agreed.

  Sena sat on a bench at the hospital while Eli went to Tina's room. She looked around and saw that the sick people around made her mood worse. Then she thought about Charles. Was there any hope for them? Should she tell him the truth? She was going to wait in the car when her phone rang. It was the president, her father in law. She wondered if she would ever be happy about that. "Hi Sir." she said. He went on for a few minutes about how Sir was too formal and suggested Daddy or his first name. Sena pretended to giggle. He asked how she was doing and next to speak with Eli. She blinked. He had never done that before, call her phone to speak with Eli. Maybe this was his way of bringing them closer.

 Sena walked to Tina's room. Eli saw her signal for him to come out. He said something to Tina and left the room. "Your dad." Sena said and handed the phone over to him. He walked a few steps to talk to him alone. It was less than 10 minutes after Eli walked out when the machine Tina was on started beeping. A nurse rushed into the room and a doctor followed. Eli tried to get inside but the nurse held him back. "Save her, please." he pleaded with tears in his eyes. Sena just stood there staring. She did not know what to do.

 To be continued...

Eli's wife 3

Breaking the news to their parents that they intended to postpone their honey moon was hard for both Eli and Sena. Eli lied about work he had to do and Sena blamed it on bad health. At least they had their way in this one. The couple left the hotel to their own house. The presents from the wedding filled a whole guest room. The house was big, modern and very beautiful. It had a big backyard and a nice little swimming pool. When the movers came with some of Sena's stuff she put them in another room. She wasn't planning on sharing a room with Eli. He understood. The house was easy to live in. There was a maid who did the laundry and cleaning, a cook and 24-hour security man. Eli introduced Sena to the staff. He wasn't sure how things would go with Sena in the house but he could only find out.

The very next day she went to work. She had plans to meet Charles for lunch and she did. Just before she got out of her car she noticed her wedding ring on her finger. Her heart missed a beat. She took it off immediately and put it in her pocket. Charles looked more charming to her for some reason. They ordered food from her favorite restaurant and talked. She never got tired of talking to him. He loved talking to her too. She was the most straight forward and honest person he had ever known, or was she? Sena was glad Charles didn't pay much attention to local media or else her little secret would have been out. As she listened to Charles talk and laugh she realized her life wasn't that bad after all at least that moment wasn't.

In Eli and Sena's matrimonial home, both of them lived their separate lives. They could go for days without a conversation. Each one had their own room and Sena eat in her room when Eli was sitting at the dining hall. One evening, about 10 minutes after Sena came back from work she heard a knock at her room door. It was Eli. She asked him to come in for the first time since she moved in. "There's a fundraiser we are to attend. The Charity ball. It's on Friday at 7." he said noticing the changes in the room. He dropped the invitation card on her bed and turned to leave. Sena didn't want to go. It was just an event for wealthy people to show off. Her father made it a point to always attend and his donations were always among the biggest. She knew she couldn't get out of this one.

On the day of the Charity ball, Sena wore a beautiful gown and her husband, a lovely suit. Just before they entered the hall Eli grabbed Sena's arm. "Everyone is going to ask plenty questions. Act like we are the happiest couple in the world so they don't need to ok?" Sena was caught off guard but she nodded in agreement. Eli was right. She put on a fake smile and they walked in. It was just as always, expensive suits, rich kente and evening gowns that cost a lot of money. There was a jazz band playing and a performance by a renowned highlife artist. In no time at all Sena and Eli were surrounded by people congratulating them. "We were surprised you two got married. Your fathers are so close you would think they cooked this up." The Minister of Finance said to Eli. He smiled and nodded almost unsure what to say. "Technically they did. Eli and I grew up together and just fell in love." Sena said quickly and held his hand. He nodded relieved. The man seemed convinced. Sena and Eli pretended to love each other the whole night and their parents were so pleased. When they got back home, Sena went to her room and Eli his without saying goodnight.

Eli waited for Sena to leave the next morning and drove to Tina's house. She had started talking to him again but the conversations were never the same. She was not the same. He managed to convince her to take a ride with him so he shows her something. Tina agreed and they drove to his house. "You want to show me your wife? Really, Eli?" Tina said when they got there. Eli shook his head and told her that Sena was not at home. He just wanted to show her something. She got out of the car and they walked upstairs. He showed her Sena's room. He explained to her once again the nature of their marriage. "We are just together on paper." Eli said. He took Tina to his own room and pulled open the wardrobe. Tina saw some of her clothes neatly arranged. She even saw her toothbrush in his bathroom. Tina smiled. Eli held her close and kissed her. She kissed him back. Then she felt his cold wedding ring on her face. "Eli I can't do this. You are married." She said and rushed out of the room.

To be continued...

My demons

I sit alone in the corner of my room

Through the window I can see the moon

When it gets darkest they all come, one by one

I'm in a dark room waiting for my demons to come

I always get startled, never see them arrive

Then again they don't knock or ask to join me

They just come, sit with me and we talk about me

I'm in a dark room and my first demon just came

"We should be drinking our head off so we dont have to think"

My first demon said. It's all about pleasure for him

Sometimes he makes sense so I grab a bottle

I'm in a dark room drinking with my demon

  Another came making noise so I told him to hush

"Oh come on, don't worry about other people"

That's what the selfish demon said. He had a point so I didn't

I'm in a dark room having fun with my demons

My demon of lies came when I was exhausted

"You guys I have work tomorrow", I said

"Call in sick. You worked hard last week", my demon said

I'm in a dark room listening to all 3 demons

When sunlight comes my demons will be gone

My head aches from the drinking.

My neighbour comes to warn me about my night noise

I was in a dark room but now I'm not so my demons are gone

I'm at work with a headache. I couldn't call in sick

Why do I entertain my demons? They hurt me

Maybe I should get rid of them...with the Light

No more dark rooms. I'm sending my demons away for good

Angry words

I think Ghanaians talk too much and do too little. Don’t get me wrong I'm not talking about every single one but rather the majority. I used to think we didn’t have the technology or money or enabling environment to be more action-oriented but that doesn't seem to be the problem at all. I can't fully say I know what it is but I have a number of guesses; laziness, mediocrity, a simple 'I don’t care' attitude or even low self-worth. I am writing all this from a very sad and terrible incident that occurred today. A shopping centre collapsed killing a number of people and injuring many. I saw the pictures and felt sad. I had one of those moments. Those 'it could have been me' moments. All I can say to the people who lost anyone today is I am sorry for your loss and may their souls rest in peace. It's sad.  


I was on Facebook today and found myself reading random status updates about the incident. My odd way of gathering info...I can't say it’s amazing but hey...So majority of the updates were about how inefficient Ghanaians are in responding to an incident like this. There were references to the media, Police, Military, the President, engineers and a few more. Most of what they were saying was "why aren't they doing anything proper about it?” and they were annoyed at what was going on. It is quiet sad that things were how they were but my problem here is simple. Were they helping the problem, keeping it the same or worsening it? I would choose any of the last two. I am not saying they don't have a right to speak. Far from it. Their words convey their concerns which are veered in a good direction but should it end there? Maybe you are thinking "ahhba Julz! What do you expect me to do? Leave my job in the middle of the day and go and do someone else's job?" No, that isn't it. I'm just saying. Just as you were smart enough to notice this, you could come up with something to do that can help the situation.


 Let me give you an example. A number of people were not happy (many sounded pissed) with the fact that GTV who is a national TV station did not start airing the incident until pretty late. I'm just saying. Instead of 'going off' online about this, how about calling GTV to express your distaste. I don't know how things work at GTV but if I owned a TV station and I had numerous phone calls complaining about what I'm airing I would do something about it. You get what I mean? It really doesn’t matter much if you fail. What matters most is that you tried and you actually did something!   We need to learn to help ourselves and, well, look out for each other too. Teamwork! I'm sure people who play or watch team sports will relate to this one. When you are in a game and your teammate is not playing his part well you cover up and tell him to step up. You don't shine as the point guard and get mad when you lose when you could have helped to rebound. You play together.


I read on twitter one time that “it’s not bad people that would destroy the world it's those good people who know better and do nothing about it.” I know I said it wrong but bear with me, it's something like that. I'm not here to point fingers. This is just something I have noticed. Ghana is a country to be proud of and one with enough potential to go to amazing heights. Let's build her up together so when she is at the top we can tell our stories of what we did for our country. Think about it.

What matters most

0ne night my wife and I had a terrible fight. It was very late and I he was just coming home. “Frank you need to seriously decide what is more important, your family or your work!”  She yelled. She was furious because our only son was very sick and I rarely had time to spend with him. “Mercy, we are two parents. When I’m not here you are here. Have you forgotten I have paid a nurse to come and take care of him here? Where do you think this money comes from?” I snapped back. “Jackson, are you listening to yourself? He is your son for heaven’s sakes! What the hell is wrong with you?!” She shouted even louder. I was really tired of hearing her nag every night. She would shout at the top of her voice too. I turned around and took off my glasses. 

This had to stop. “You know what? I will just quit my job and stay at home with the two of you. How about that? So who will pay for Junior’s medical bills, you?” I asked, trying to stay calm. She opened her mouth and closed it again. “I didn’t think so.” I said and walked off. Then she said something to me. “The medicine keeps him alive but love makes him feel alive.” I turned around to look at her. “Mercy, I love my son and he knows it.” I said and went into the bedroom. I passed by Junior’s room. He was asleep in bed. I noticed the toy car I bought for him two days ago on his wheelchair. I smiled and went into our bedroom. 

When I was in bed and ready to sleep I had a call. It was my boss. He wanted me to get ready for a meeting in Nigeria. I was to take the first flight out. I quickly agreed and jumped off the bed to pack my bag. I had to print certain documents too. Mercy came into the room and said nothing. Don’t get it wrong, I love my wife but I feel she can get very exaggerative about certain things. “Mercy, I’m going to Nigeria tomorrow. Quashie was supposed to go but he is sick. I will be back on Saturday.” I said after I finished putting my things together. She didn’t reply. I got into bed, next to her and slept. Things had gotten cold but I was doing my part. 

I was ready to leave at about 4am. I turned to look at my wife. She was still asleep. I wrote a note and put some money in an envelope for her. If I woke her up she would either argue or even cry. It was too early for that. I stopped over at Junior’s room and put a 20 cedi note under his pillow. I looked at the pile of drugs on his table and my heart cried. He was just 6 years old. Just then my phone rang. I quickly answered it and walked out. It was my boss. He was already at the airport and wasn’t very pleased that I was now leaving my house. “Jackson, if you make us miss the first flight I’m cutting down on your travel allowance!” He thundered. I rushed off as fast as I could to the airport.

I got there just in time. My boss still wasn’t thrilled. Immediately we took off I remembered I had to finish some typing I was doing the night before. I took out my tablet. Junior had been playing games on it the last time. I just had one bar of battery left. I had to be quick but something caught my attention. There was a recording on it. I pressed play. I heard a rambling sound. My poor son must have hit the record button by accident. Then I heard some voices. I plugged in my earphones to try and hear what was being said. The nurse was leaving the house and was talking to Junior. “I will see you tomorrow ok?” She said. There was a brief silence and Junior responded. He was trying to convince her not to leave and she explained that she had to go. Then he said it… “You are the only person who loves me. Ok, you and my mum. Everybody else thinks I am weak so they don’t love me.” 

When we got to Nigeria, all I could think about was my boy. The meeting went smoothly. We had the rights to sell our products across Nigeria but I wasn’t happy. I would be receiving a travel bonus of 1000 Cedis but I wasn’t happy. Unfortunately I had to stay for another three days to give some of their workers some training. My boss left for Accra the next day. All the time, I kept calling my wife but she wouldn’t respond. I knew she was angry with me. I left at the time she said she needed me. I decided to let her cool off. The first day when I was doing my training a man came late. “Sir, I’m sorry I’m late.” He said. “My mother wouldn’t let me stop eating her food, so sorry.” He added. “Be careful oh. If you eat her food so much your wife’s food won’t be nice to you.” I teased. The whole class laughed but he gave a quick comeback before he sat down. “Oh the same way I love them differently I’m sure I will love their food same.” Some people giggled some more and I had to ask. “How would you do that?” He smiled at me and said. “Sir, when you love someone your brain always thinks of ways to fix things. I’m sure if my wife’s food is too salty I will eat it and take a sweet drink to balance it.” Everyone burst out into laughter again. This guy was pretty funny, and then it hit me. He was right!

Instead of teaching for two hours and doing another two hours the next day, I did all the training in one day so I could go home the next day. I booked the first flight to Ghana and felt so proud on my way back. I bought a bouquet of flowers for my wife and toy car for my son. I had thought and found out ways to squeeze in time to spend with my family. When I got home I rushed into the house and called my son’s name. There was no response. The nurse met me in the hall and said my wife was in the kitchen and my son was in the bathroom. I smiled at her and gave her a tip. I rushed to the kitchen. My wife was cooking. I sneaked up on her and handed the flowers over to her. She gave a feeble smile and said thank you. My show wasn’t over. I lifted her off her feet. She shouted in excitement and asked me what was going on. “Did you get a promotion?” She asked. I shook my head and kissed her. She was overwhelmed. “Mercy I love you. I know I haven’t been the best of husbands and fathers but please give me another try.” I said. She smiled and hugged me. It’s like she could feel my sincerity. “Jackson you are a good husband and father. I just want you to show that to Junior.” She said. 

Then a loud shout cut in. I dropped everything I was holding and rushed into the bathroom. Junior was on the floor. There was blood on the floor. He was attempting to get into the bath himself and he fell, hitting his head on the bath. The trip to the hospital felt longer than ever. Waiting for the doctor’s report in the waiting room felt even longer. He was taken straight into surgery. I prayed to God and asked him to save my boy. I closed my eyes to pray some more. When I opened my eyes, I saw the doctor walk to us.

The funeral was quick and simple. My wife and I wanted it that way. “Jackson, I’m sorry for your loss.” My boss said shaking my hand. I nodded and he left. I had spent days blaming myself and my work for the death of my boy. What was the point of working so much and making so much money if there’s no on to buy that Play Station, toy gun or even perfumes for? What eats me up the most is the fact that my son died thinking his father didn’t love him. I turned to my wife. She was crying. I held her hand and she put her head on my shoulder. She mattered very much to me and I made sure I would let her see that till the day she died.