The White Stone Epistle

On June, 27, 2015 around 10:58 am I had the privilege to meet this young man (56 years though) somewhere on the corridors of Accra where he domiciled. More of a necessity than instincts was laid on me to meet this library of a man who knows everything including the number of speed ramps in an area. I have always heard that the demise of an old man is like the loss of a library, so I have decided to drain every wisdom this living legend before he goes to be with his maker at an enviable and a hoary age.

Joseph Brown is a trained Aerospace Engineer. He turned Engineer at age, 22 the youngest in his class then. He is an experienced cognitive intellectual asset that nature has ever produced per my interaction with men on earth. He thought me at the last semester left for me to complete Greenhill and then I realized this was my magic moment to meet the gift in this man. Please I aforementioned that he is 56 years and that means he is married with two kids who are graduates or almost graduating from one of the Universities in the country. I want to stress on his marital status because of some daughters of eve who have no respect for marital cuffs.

His prowess of lecturing with no lecture note or absolute command over the queen’s language nor his cognitive ability to provide panacea to Stochastic puzzles is not what amazes me, but the fact that the man is just current with anything and anywhere.

Richmond, he called my name. I responded; Papa. He asked me, what are your plans? He gazed furtively at my boisterous face and that stripped me of any intention to camouflage, so to be on the safe side like Ezekiel said ‘ Lord, you knoweth, when God asked him can this bones live again?’, I also said Sir, I don’t have a plan. He smiled at me and said okay, since you don’t have a plan let’s use mine, alright. Like he always says. He continued:

Richie, I married at 31 though I had enough cash to take care of any woman of my taste at 23, so you asked why that delay? I wanted to get to a stage where I can thud my chest and say ever since I married my wife I have never cheated on her. And I can buoyantly say I have fulfilled those vows by the grace of God, he added. I have been in this marriage for almost 3 decades and I can tell you before any gathering that I have kept my side of the vow, my wife is the disciplined wife too sent from above( and in my head I asked please sir, did she descend from the sky?). So Richmond, now that you are done with the second phase of your education get a job and look for Cash, but please don’t seek Cash at the abrupt negligence of the other C, Character. Because Cash Without Character Is A Disaster.I said thank you Papa.

After the first phase of our interaction, He brought out a white stone from one of the flower pot in the room and gave it to me to handle, as smooth as it was (I nearly asked can I take it home, but I got the answer in my head, if everybody who sees the stones takes it home I wouldn’t have come to meet it, so I kept that to myself). But he continued his father- son counseling, Richmond he called and added; you see this stone. I drove kilometers upon kilometers to go and pick it at a sea shore.

No one saw the process the stones went through to be smooth, because before it became smooth it was formerly rough and shapeless but because it went through a lot of rivers, seas and has to pass through the midst of its fellow stone colleagues, it has been washed of every spots and dirt to get to this beautiful stage. That is how life is. Now that you are determining to build life and a legacy through academic excellence and God on your side, just focus and go through the mill, tough times and had times, I know you have been through the major ones already so now just FOCUS. After you have been well baked, the world have to travel through rail, road, sea and air to benefit from your intellectual prowess like I did to get this white stone. ( I nearly drooled on his Italian tiles but the Lord held my mouth together).

For Courtship and Marriage, I will advise you to watch and Pray like your Pastor keeps telling you. And pleasepray fervently for a woman who can endure because difficult times comes just like the waves. The same way there is no single day the waves doesn’t blow at the beach, the same way there is no single day without a trouble to endure. Remember life is not a permanent holiday. Man is born into troubles so you need a woman that can endure before you both can enjoy. Son, I know you know that the man is the head of the family but please keep this too, the success of every marriage depends on the wife( my face changed and I screamed within me- Charlie the man want talk something). Listen, a man can still drink and control the family but when the woman is a drunkard, disaster. My roommate, Kingsley Adu Armah had already told me this last part of his submission but I’m now feeling the impact.

Richmond, he called. I responded, Sir! Do you have a girl friend? I responded; almost,Sir. Okay but do you have a permanent job now? I responded; Almost Sir. Hmmmmm but do want to date now? I responded; Sir I wish. Okay then I have one advise for you before you answer to any of these questions always remember this ‘ Don’t Let Your Erection Determine Your Direction’.He quizzed.Hearing those rhythmic clichés got me confused, my gaze changed, my face turned red and my eye brows resurrected from its dormant posture. The chap added, ‘don’t worry I understand the looks on your face I had a lots of lady friends too when I was your age’ then I understood am not the worst sinner or the best saint, am only Work- In- Progress and one day the Lord will vindicate man.

The conversation ended after 2 hrs; 13 min; 52 seconds. He saw me into a cabbie and I went home with my though kept to myself and my conscience. But the only way I can transfer this to my fellow men and ladies who are desperate for Success like myself, is to put it into writing.

Ing Joseph Brown together with the folks reading this missive, I say Thank you.

Your Tall Son ( Issues)
R. Duafah
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