Secret Schadenfreude Equates Morose Delectation

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not

thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the Lord see it,

and it displeases him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious

at the wicked. For there shall be no reward to the evil man;

the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Proverbs 24:17—20

Besides 'guten Morgen' (Good Morning—English; Bon jour—French; Buono giorno—Italian), I cannot profess mastery of the German language. However, the German word 'schadenfreude' came back from nowhere when I set out to write this article. It is a German word interpreted as 'malicious joy or pleasure'. Literally, it is 'harm—joy'. In French, which I am partially fluent at, it is 'joie mauvaise'. It expresses one's joy that depicts self-satisfaction at one's own success or another's failure'

Amidst the pell-mell, the doom-and-gloom of the moment—with a strangulating economy and social life 'dumsoically' disturbed, who thought there could be a flicker of delight? Some people would say 'there is light at the end of the tunnel', and Barack Obama, the American-Kenyan -born President would describe it as 'the audacity of hope'.

Three unlike events tickled my fancy this weekend, or the week that just ended for this one to start. The first was social; the second was sporting (or was that social too?), and the third was political.

The social issue had to do with the 50^th year celebration of a colleague lawyer, known as, and called Stephen Oppong. The quinquagenarian celebration was colourfully held at the Golden Tulip, Kumasi on Friday, last. The organisers were the Minka-Premo Partners, and the invitees were carefully selected. These included veteran lawyer Appia-Menka, my mentor and the author of the book 'The River in the Sea', my elder brother, Nana Yaw Owusu, ex- Kotoko Chairman and ex Vice Chairman of the Ghana Football Association, Justice Minka Premo, the Managing Director of Minka-Premo Company, and Mr and Mrs Opoku-Agyemang. Also present were members of the Kumasi Squash Club, ably captained by Lawyer Francis Koffie, with a wide membership of lawyers, doctors, businessmen and other professionals.

Mr. Oppong, who is often taunted with the appellation 'Nya bi a ennye' (It is not good to possess a thing) had contributed immensely to build the name and fortune of Minka-Premo and Company. The speeches were at once humorous and definitive. The MC for the occasion set the place agog by his anecdotes and classical jokes. Critics could not fault the presentations, and Lawyer Yaw Boafo, the Ashanti Regional President of the Ghana Bar Association, with cocked ears, failed to hear: 'All protocols observed' in the introductions, which unnecessary intrusions have marred otherwise beautiful speeches elsewhere.

It came out at the function how Oppong had struggled in life, from Ash-Town guy, cared for by a single mother, to earn his present status as a prominent Kumasi lawyer. At the University of Ghana, when students proudly talked about their alma mater, like Achimota, Prempeh College, Opoku Ware, Adisadel, Mfantsipim, Ahmadiyya and the like, he would generally scoff—because his schools did not possess the big names like those ones. His schools were 'something … ase' and 'something … chi' Secondary Schools. Did he know about other people's backgrounds? Sometimes, his fellow students would tease him for chaperoning an Achimota girl—no ordinary Achimota girl, but a bespectacled one at Volta Hall. One could court a girl at Volta Hall, but the person ought to be prepared to put that girl's room - mate into reckoning, otherwise she would ask: 'what about my room-mate?' A teetotaller, he was Deputy Chief Vandal in the Vandal City (Commonwealth Hall). He reveled at the Observatory Life and his was a sweet - voice in the Vandal Choir.

Now, at 50, he has blessed the nation with four strong boys; his lovely wife, Mrs. Silvia Oppong has been very supportive. Do not be surprised that the issues who come after these four boys will all be girls, perhaps four girls, for easy pairing.

The penultimate issue was Kumasi Asante Kotoko winning the tough encounter with Ashanti Gold by 1-0. The latest outings had been disastrous for Kotoko, especially with the 3 - 0 drubbing by Chealsea on 20/07/15. The score-line gave all supporters a scare, and my pal, James Osman Adjei, was always on my neck to figure out what could be done to salvage the club. Daniel Kenu summed up accurately the feelings of many a supporter: 'The once dreaded Kumasi Asante Kotoko yesterday brought back memories of their heyday with an immaculate display of resilience and urgency to beat Ashanti Gold 1 - 0 at the Baba Yara Stadium to move them to the mid - position of the table on 32 points'.

We used to call it 'Kotoko – finishing', and no matter how the match was running, even if it was a ding - dong affair, ultimately Kotoko would clinch a winner. One could trust Dan Oppong, my friend or Kuuku Dadzie, among others, in the 60s and 70s to stem the tide or tilt it in Kotoko's favour. The Porcupine Warriors were in their heyday, a force to reckon with, in terms of their venom and resilience.

Accra Hearts of Oak lived up to its appellation: 'Never say die till the bones are rotten' when they thumped Heart of Lions 4-0 last week, but unfortunately fell back to their losing ways last Sunday by suffering a hammering 2 - 1 defeat at the hands of New Edubiase at Obuasi. Where were all the 'big men' whose presence played a role in their sweet victory over Heart of Lions? Let no one accuse me of not being a 'Hearts-phobia' fan. I do not want any credit for being the first to use the term 'glorious' to describe Hearts in recent history. The truth of the matter is that Kotoko and Hearts are the two glamorous teams in the country; they make the game tick, and without either of them, the fortunes of Ghana football will suffer.

The ultimate happy issue had to do with the success of my good friend Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah at the NPP Tema West primaries held at the State School for the Deaf at Adjei - Kojo. When the votes were counted, Carlos had garnered 502 to beat the incumbent MP, Irene Naa Torshie - Addo who had 273 votes and Adwoa Amoako,- also a candidate who had two votes for her troubles, to go home with. Carlos is not just a businessman: he is a freight forwarder, a consolidator, a transporter and a shipper. For the over twenty years that I got associated with Carlos, I had always carried in my head a picture of him always smiling. He is indeed affable and he, with Kofi Brako (Tema Central Constituency), will definitely change the face of Tema Township when (NOT: if) they finally get elected. Tema is one city that carries the whole nation-in terms of government revenue. Activities in the city need strong men of great will to assist in replenishing the Consolidated Fund, and these two men have the qualities to do that-and more. Carlos has been magnanimous in his victory. He has declared his willingness to tap the experience of the person he has torpedoed. Naa Torshie has also responded positively, and we are going to have very interesting moments ahead.

If Carlos's supporters were gloating at his success, it was because of the circumstances surrounding his candidature for the Tema West Constituency primaries. All sorts of allegations were levelled against him. Yet he was able to parry them all aside. When he got disqualified at the Constituency level by the Vetting Committee, he appealed to the party's Appeals Committee and got 'okayed' to contest.

Abraham Ossei Aidoo, the former Majority Leader who had been the MP for Tema West in 1996, 2000 and 2004, lost to Naa Torshie in the 2003 primaries and had cocooned himself ever since - till Carlos's venture and victory resurrected him. It is good that Honourable Abraham Ossei Aidoo is now active in the campaign. Do not let the sessions at the 'Big Base' at Community Two come to naught.

Whatever 'schadenfreude' we may entertain, let it be 'secret', and whatever 'delectation' we may have, let it be 'morose'

Africanus Owusu-Ansah
[email protected]