On or at about 1:00pm on a hot Sunday afternoon of February
11,1990, I had just been picked up by my dad from a beauty parlour at
Exhibition, Dansoman a surburb of Accra. This was where I used to have
my lovely corn- roll braids made. The distance between the hair parlour
and home was not of a distance so we decided to leg it. On our walk
home I recall how people were jubilating,others cheered, shouted and
chanted the word "freedom" by throwing punches in the air, people riding
in their cars were not left out, they tooted their car horns to also
join in the jubilation. I was so confused and what made it worst was dad
also threw punches in the air, gave a nod, smiled and made eye contacts
whenever we walked passed a happy crowd. I was totally puzzled to the
reason why people were excited and the whole local had gone gay. There
was a tremendous surge of feeling! Usually in moments like this I would
see people either in Red or Yellow and that would give me an
indication Asante Kotoko had won a match or it was a good day for
Phobia. In this case it didn't seem so.
Finally the
long awaited questioning from Akua Kessie started I bet my dad was
really ready for this knowing the kind of daughter he had. In a very
short statement he said Nelson Mandela is a free man. I then asked who
is this man? He replied he is one of the strong men in the world. I
believe he didn't want to go in-depth because I would not understand the
whole story behind this remarkable person. I remember how dad shook his
head after he answered me. The look and the state he was in was of a
reflective one. It was such that it stopped me from probing further. Consequently, this developed my
interest in learning things about this great man.
Nelson
Mandela, has always been one that I have fully admired and adored. My
first ever presentation was on him and Maya Angelou at a Black History lessons and workshop at Leeds, this still remains as one of my
outstanding works so far. It was a breathtaking moment when I met Mr.
Randy Pieterse of the African National Congress during the year 2008, we
had a personal chat about Nelson Mandela and it was from this chat I gathered the full meaning of his middle name "Rolihlahla". For
me that was the closest contact I had with Nelson Mandela save for
the melodious songs which had him eulogized . I could sing as a
growing child. Apart from the mighty hit "Free Nelson Mandela" my
personal favorite will always be Johnny Clegg's elegaic song "Asimbonanga". That
piece is simply astounding. Mandela's great sense of recognition for
morality has always been outstanding. He epitomizes the hallmark of
morality in my life, not just me but many. He affirms my believe that a
walk in pursuance of whatever one believes in is worth taking. As a
growing child I have known him by feeling his presence in the world.
Today he is of the ages but he will still be felt in the hearts and
minds of many others . His graceful smile will forever stay with me. He has fought a good fight and his legacy shall
live on, not just in the history books but in the hearts and minds of
humanity.
Live on Nelson Mandela..!!!! Africa's Pride.
