Ame nyo wu gbor :….. man is priceless

'It is a very touching moment for me and I am very honoured and happy beyond imagination. I can't believe that I'm the First Lady of this great nation. It has been an uphill climb but it has been more than worth the price.”

No one would ever have thought that Emefa could be the woman standing in the podium being guarded religiously by such high profile state security. But yes, she is the pretty First Lady addressing the enthusiastic audience.

Not even the lady herself would have thought that such a moment as they were witnessing could have been possible. It was simply a dream farfetched for a girl who many people recall, in dirty tattered clothes with a funny look, to want to become such a damsel, adorable and graceful as the one before them.

Emefa used to do all the house chores often times on an empty stomach late into the night as her siblings were glued to their television sets watching the latest Disney productions and singing along while the TV commercial of the moment played. They would scream, dance or even jump in the luxurious sofa.

Emefa dared not peep to catch even the quickest glance. If she dared and got caught, hell was let loose in the house. She competed with the beautiful woman's children. So she must be taught a lesson. In such moments, Emefa only wept and missed her deceased mother.

And so Mrs. Alele treated Emefa with so much hatred and disgust. She simply couldn't see eye to eye with the innocent girl. She often beat, insulted and constantly reminded Emefa that she was a good-for-nothing bitch. “You useless rat” she would tell her anytime Emefa was caught doing something as harmless as reading a book in an isolated corner after her home chores.

Through it all, Emefa remained calm, resolute and respectful. She was inspired by one thing that an old lady who lived close-by and witnessed her troubles told her;

“Emefa, enyonyo ge ….. ame nyo wu gbor (this literally means Emefa, it's going to be alright, man is better than goat). In other words, man (human) is always more valuable than animals, no matter how stupid a person may seem, he is of more benefit to the society than animals.

And so Emefa found inspiration in this statement and continued to hope for the better despite her step-mother's unrelenting efforts to make her lose any sense of self value. “I know I am very beautiful and important” she kept reminding herself through her tribulations.

So what happened to Emefa? I asked my grandmother after she continued with the details of Emefa's problems with her step mother. How did she get to become a first lady?

Hmmm, my grandmother sighed and said to me;
“Afua my dear, sometimes, miracles do happen and fairytales come alive”.

As in a fairytale, Emefa remained sober and polite and went about her duties while praying to God for a lot of patience. Unknown to her she had won the admiration and love of a childless couple who had seen the hardworking dirty-looking girl running in the neighbourhood on one errand or the other.

The couple contacted Emefa's father and requested that Emefa came to stay with them while they assume every responsibility of her including her education.

Mrs. Alele was all-joy as she couldn't wait to get rid of the bug in her cloth, Emefa. She gladly threw her out the moment the couple expressed their interest, for it was overdue! She wished the couple a happy time with the pack of trouble they are rushing for. “If only they knew what they were in for?” she muttered to herself as the couple left happily with Emefa.

It so happened that Emefa was sent to school where she excelled and came out with a Masters degree in Business Administration. She later married a young man she graduated with who later became the President making Emefa the first lady …. mother of a whole nation.

Watching the news on the television, Mrs. Alele buried her face in shame and did realize her mistakes when Emefa, in her acknowledgement speech, mentioned her name with so much love and gratitude.

We must show kindness to everyone, because indeed, Ame nyo wu gbor. As Mahatma Gandhi said, throughout history, the way of truth and love has always won.

I can never thank you enough for this tale, grandma.

Development / Ghana / Africa / Modernghana.com