KETUSA AND TUUMUTU

KETUSA  AND TUUMUTU

Sometimes, I always feel uneasy with the many questions I receive asking of my relationship with Akosua Tuumutu. Akosua hails from the North-Eastern corridors of one of my neighbouring countries. As a hunter, I was in my hunting expedition one mid-night when I got caught with the greatest shock of my life. I saw Tuumutu about committing suicide. It was a sorrowful night seeing a young pretty lady about to waste her life. After much consolation, she agreed I send her home to apologise for her actions. As we journeyed through the thick forest, our love story was sparked. Was it a blessing to be in the forest that day?

Dear reader, never give up in life. Do not make any useless decision to prove a point when people are making fun of you. It may cost your life. To cut the long story short, Tuumutu and I got married. On hearing of numerous testimonies of life in the city we decided to give it a try. We travelled to the city, not knowing where to sleep or work but with the vision to make it and help our siblings in the village because they are suffering too much.

After about two weeks living in the streets, Tuumutu and I got some odd jobs. We were so excited about it, thinking that our endemic poverty has come to an end. I got a job at a car washing bay whiles Tuumutu got a job as a nanny. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself I am Ketusa affectionately known as Ketusa the water-man by my colleagues. Even though we knew where each of us was working, for about four months we have not heard from each other. We had to endure this because we had no option than to save some money and return to our village to help our younger ones. It has been a great moment working at the car washing bay with the view of fascinating activities, which I was never exposed to all my life. Life in the city is not as easy as you may think especially as a stranger and a homeless person with no one thinking about you. I am not careful to say that some of our leaders are very wicked and selfish. They only care about themselves and their immediate family without any feeling seeing a young one in tattered clothes globetrotting around the neighbourhood with no place to lay his head.

One day, I almost got arrested as I burst the headlamp of the vehicle belonging to the Minister of Youth and Employment. This Minister comes to the car washing bar and sees many youth especially tertiary graduates hanging around with no jobs to do. It looks as if there is no future for them. Yet these are the same young ones deployed during political campaigns and after elections they are dumped like a cow dung in a boiling water.  It is a very pitiable scene seeing the luxury in contradiction of the unemployed labour force in my neighborhood. The rich in our communities treat us as spare tyres and see us as stinking animals.

Recently, a gas exploded in one of the houses and one of the inhabitants run to our workplace seeking help. We gave them a hot chase to leave our premises and bear the consequences themselves telling them we are not fire service personnel. Not long after, Tuumutu came to my workplace after eating my soaked ‘gari’ I have reserved for about eight hours, you can imagine how solid my food was, eeii, hmmm, city life. To cut the long story short, she complained bitterly about her mistress mode of conduct which includes abuses, over working and delay in payments of her wages. Annoyingly, her mistress works in a reputable organization which obviously could tell one that she earns a good salary. With all this piled of wealth or whatever investment, she does not care about my wife Tuumutu. All she cares is that she would do her household chores. Tuumutu and I decided to return to our village to better the lives of our little ones and encouraged them to make the most of life.

Dear reader, this little piece demonstrates how most of the affluent people in our country treat the poor folks. Let’s bear in mind that the Invisible One is watching our ways and we are accountable to Him. Let brotherly love prevail. Let’s not be swollen headed with our positions and treat people anyhow. Let’s desire to make an impact and bring smiles to the vulnerable in the society so that together we can build a better nation and better future for our generations yet unborn.

Samuel Elijah Boateng

President, The Central Focus