Our comedy of errors, and the dagger in our hands! - Part one

Many years ago, there was a story of the late Albert Bosomtwi-Sam, a former MP and Minister in Rawlings government.

It's one of those sad stories I can't get out of my mind, and perhaps one of the reasons for my dislike for politics in my early years. Though it’s been many years now (decades), I still have vivid recollections of the story in my mind.

The late Albert Bosomtwi-Sam's story was captioned:

"What God put together, politics put asunder?"

Following his demise, it emerged that the late Bosomtwi-Sam left nothing for his widow (mother of his children) in his will. Rather, an alleged fiancé he spent few of his remaining years with, was a beneficiary aside his children. The story goes further to narrate how politics destroyed the once lovely and beautiful family.

Whilst on my surgery bed at the Ridge Hospital, one of my ODADE3 98 brothers by name Mike (alias) was one of those who frequently called another ODADE3 brother (alias David) to ask about me. If I had access to my phone at the Surgical Ward, I'm sure Mike would have been calling me every now and then to check on me, just as he was frequently calling David to find out about me.

You may however be surprised to know that, politics nearly tore us (Mike and I) apart, to the extent that Mike wouldn’t respond to my Christmas and new year messages I sent him. Questions have been raging on my mind ever since:

"Must sickness or death be the crucible to rekindle the love between us as Ghanaians and one people? Must politics make us enemies? Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or politics of hope?"

As you ponder on these questions that have been grappling my mind, I'll like to tell you a bit about how I came to find myself in such precarious political circumstances with Mike.

Sometime in July 2019, I began preparations for the launch of my cutting edge Pan-African book Darkest Humanity in September at the British Council. As part of the preparations, I began sharing excerpts from my book on various WhatsApp platforms and other social media, including Facebook.

I was amazed to know the extent to which Ghanaians loved the excerpts from my book. I had always maintained that, I didn't write my book for Ghana or Africa. We're told that Africans (Blacks) don't read. And the style of writing I adopted isn't an African style of writing, so I was really excited to know how Ghanaians were in love with reading my excerpts.

When I announced on certain WhatsApp platforms that I was going to continue the sharing of the excerpts on Facebook, and asked people to add me on Facebook, members of some platforms were pleading with me to complete the sharing on those platforms.

In spite of the cheers and compliments that greeted my excerpts on almost all platforms that my excerpts were shared, I was in for the shock of my life in one particular platform that is so dear to me. I began the sharing on my ODADE3 98 year-mates platform, only to see no one passed a comment - not even a single one. After two or three shares without a comment, I felt so downhearted and decided not to share on the ODADE3 98 platform again.

But something strangely happened. Brother Mike seemed to have liked the excerpts, and began engaging me privately on what my Book is about. When I told Mike I wasn't going to share on the ODADE3 98 platform again, brother Mike said that I should be sending him the excerpts, so he does the sharing on the platform.

I felt so relieved and thankful, that at least I found one person amongst my ODADE3 98 brotherhood that seems to have an interest in my book. I told Mike that even if all our ODADE3 98 brothers give up on my book, he (Mike) should continue to lend me support, and that a time will come when all our ODADE3 98 brothers would come to appreciate the value and impact of my Book.

I also told Mike that Edition One of the Book is dedicated to Immigrants; Edition Two will be dedicated to the Department of Social Welfare for paying my WASSCE registration and my final year School Fees at PRESEC, without which it would have been difficult for me to complete Senior High School. And finally, Edition Three will be dedicated to my DESTINY HELPERS, and that brother Mike's name will be amongst my Destiny Helpers.

As my Book is DIVINELY INSPIRED with a MISSION, I created a platform soon after the Book launch, and began adding those who share in my Mission and Vision. Mike has therefore been on my DH - MISSIONS platform until few days or weeks to the 2020 general elections.

Please permit me to digress a bit, and explain where I stand in terms of politics.

I know a lot more about British politics than Ghanaian politics. The reason being that, growing up in Ghana, I hated politics for all the right reasons. I had known right from childhood that I was born into the inky fraternity. It was just unfortunate that I narrowly missed studying literature as a course at the Senior High School because, as at the year I enrolled at SHS (1996), PRESEC didn't have literature as a course.

Rather sad and painful for me, Literature was introduced the following year (1997), by which time I was in my second year. I had so much wished to repeat first year, so I could have my Literature back, but for poverty I dare not!

I chose General Arts as my first choice course, and was happy to be offered General Arts. I went to PRESEC only to find out that there was no literature. Out of frustration, I began pursuing then Assistant Headmaster Mr Asare. I told Mr Asare I wasn't happy with my course, as I didn't enjoy my first two classes of Elective Maths and Geography. I did enjoy Economics though.

Every morning I'll go to Mr Asare's office and cry my heart out to him, that I had loved The Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC-LEGON) when I was in the Junior High School. And it had always been my dream to attend PRESEC. And this was the reason why, in spite of all the odds against me in my village School of Afife Roman Catholic in the Volta Region, with only 3 teachers for the whole JSS department at the time (one teacher for Agaric, one for Technical Skills/Drawing and the 3rd for Ghanaian Language), I burned midnight candles to make sure I pass my BECE exams in all 12 subjects with flying colours, so I could achieve my dream.

Well, my BECE result, which happened to be a record for my School has still not been broken since 1995! How many years now?

I told Mr Asare that I had achieved my dream of coming to PRESCEC, but I was no longer a happy student. I pleaded with him, that in the absence of Literature, I'd like to change to Business. Mr Asare said Business classes were full, so it wasn't possible for me to change. One day, with tears in my eyes, and perhaps out of sympathy, Mr Asare did the magic for me. He did the change right in front of me at his office, and then told me to go to Business 2 as the number for Business 1 was higher.

I don't know if my actions formed part of the reasons why PRESEC introduced Literature the following year. I owe Mr Asare a lot of gratitude for stressing him because PRESEC didn't have Literature for a skinny village boy with such audacity - the audacity to hope that PRESEC must have a place for me too!

So, to console myself for missing out on Literature, I began reading excessively like a mad dog on the run! Exactly as I'd have been doing as a Literature student. I'd spend hours at the School Library reading McMillan Pacesetters Series and others in those days - The Narrow Path, Christmas in the City, So long a Letter, The African Child, Things Fall Apart, The Animal Farm, Burning Desire, The River Between, Anthills of the Savannah, A Grain of Wheat, etc.

I also had a habit of stealing Books from the School Library. When I start reading a Book and I'm not able to finish, it was a struggle for me to leave the Book behind. I was always in the Library till closing - the last man standing! So I devised a plan of going to the Library with our big Business Management course Book by Turkson. So I'd hide the story book inside my Management Book when leaving the Library. Perhaps I wasn't the only one stealing Books from the Library. There were many other students who were perhaps more hungrier for knowledge than I was. PRESEC is the place where dreams are made, and is the place where my dreams began. Read about PRSEC-LEGON in my Darkest Humanity Book, as I likened my Alma Matter to Eton College in England.

One night, as the Library was closing and the Librarian announced that everyone should pack up and leave, I was in the process of again hiding the story book I was reading. To my surprise however, I noticed that the Librarian was searching people at the door before they exit. I sensed danger and quickly put back the story book I had hidden in my big Management book. Low and behold, when I got to the door, I was thoroughly searched. Only then I saw a notice on the door that reads:

"Due to persistent theft of Books from the Library, you'll now be searched before you leave."

That day, I thanked my stars for saving me from disgrace. I'd have been banned from using the Library for some time. My name would have been on notice boards. Indeed, the Amazing Grace has been so good to me! My story of how God paved the way for me, that in spite of glaring obstacles, challenges and impediment, I was able to attend my beloved Presbyterian Boys’ Senior Secondary School, that story would blow your mind to tears. His Grace has indeed been sufficient!

The year 1996, the School fees for PRESEC-LEGON was GHC 150, whilst that of St John's Grammar, which happened to be my 3rd choice, was GHC 180. Had PRESEC's school fees been anything more than Ghc 150, it would have been impossible for me to afford it. Even though I was offered admission as a Boarding Student all the way from Afife in the Volta Region, I couldn't afford to pay for Boarding. So I "perched" in our Sports Master Boy B's bungalow.

God made it just, and I mean "just” possible for me to be able to go to PRESEC. In my moments of sober reflections and meditations on the Omnipotent/Supernatural Being, I see clearly the traces and footprints of the "I AM THAT I AM," lifting me up above the stormy waters! Hopefully one day, I'll be able to complete my Book "The Amazing Grace - My Journey into Christendom," which I began writing in Pentonville after my encounter with the Holy Spirit. My next article after this will be my encounter with the Holy Spirit!

My latest Book stealing crime is with Pentonville Prison. During my case hearing at the Snaresbrook Crown Court in London in 2013, my Barrister likened me to Black leaders who resisted oppression, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Kwame Nkrumah and Patrice Lumumba. I had never heard of Patrice Lumumba. On my return to Prison, I went to the Library to look for Books on Black leaders.

I found Jessie Carney Smith's BLACK HEROES, which had newly been supplied to Pentonville Library from Islington Libraries. I opened the book only to see the biographies of those who fought in the Civil Rights Movement. My goodness! What a book! What a wow! Nothing can be better than this! Immediately I requested to borrow it.

From the summer of 2013 till now - 8 years on - I'm still in possession of my all-time favourite book BLACK HEROES! Return date as stamped when I borrowed it was 27th August 2013.

Maybe on my return to England, I'll be arrested at Heathrow and sent back to Pentonville to serve a time as punishment for stealing the "BLACK HEROES." I die finish! Oyibo man don finish me!!

Hopefully and God willing, the first thing I'll do on my return is to return the BLACK HEROES to Pentonville Library. A friend suggested that I add copies of my Darkest Humanity book, the inspiration and the writing of which began in the very same Prison and Library. I'm sure I'll have a hefty fine to pay though, but it'll be worth the knowledge acquired! If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.