A Son’s Letter To His Father

Dear Dad, I am with a heavy heart as I write you this piece. My heart is heavy because you created an image of a safe, beautiful house; but you have failed daddy. You have deceived me. I must bring to your notice that it is no longer safe staying in the house. Our house lies naked to robbers. Our lives therefore are in danger.

If the home can no longer provide what makes it to be called a home, then where can we seek comfort? Daddy, must I turn to seek comfort in school where you are aware the headmaster had made too uncomfortable for students as a result of his poor managerial skills?

Daddy, you promised mummy and I that you were going to fix the broken pot to make it whole so that we could drink water from it. Dad, you told us that our home will serve as tourist attraction for others in our country and beyond. But this cannot be said of our home again. I can no longer boast of the sweet words you promised us before leaving. The home is broken.

Dad, I believed I witnessed a bit of the quarrel between you and mummy when she asked that the house is fenced and properly secured so that in your absence, we could live in peace and not be afraid. But, it is unfortunate that I am scared living here because it is not a place to be lived in any longer. You refused to find sense in what mummy said even though it was obvious to every other person that mummy was right. You then left for your usual schedule in Accra.

Daddy, I must tell you that our house is naked like a woman that will attract even the mad man on the street to come and have an affair with her, and that makes me afraid. I cannot defend mum, your wife and my siblings against any other attack. And if I should, to which extent will my strength avail, Dad? I am to inform you that our house was attacked again the very night you left. The looters took everything in the house and left only mummy, my siblings and some old clothing you brought home on your last visit. Again, your seven year old daughter has been hospitalized for severe injury resulting from rape. The robbers raped your daughter and left her to die. What can your only daughter boast of? I cannot imagine why they did not rape mummy but my only little sister. But whatever be the case, that was what they intended doing.

Da, I am afraid to live in this house. You must build the wall, to help prevent criminals from attacking us again. Or else, though risky, I would have no other options than to go on “stoway” to find refuge in U.S.A even though the president refers to me as shit hole. I would be more comfortable being referred to as shit hole than dying in my own father’s house. Dad, if you want us to live in this house which has no peace, then put things in place to bring about peace. Do something immediately dad.

Daddy, did you not promise security to mummy at the time you saw her beauty and wanted her as a wife? Everything you have worked for is gone because you could not fulfil your promise of security. If you had listened to mum, our condition would not have been worse as it is now. Did you not promise your son, that you will build the wall, electrocute the house and get security personnel that are up to task to guard and protect us from enemies? You never implemented even an iota of the promises you made. Where do we go when we have already placed our trust in you and still trust you?

I am being frank with you daddy, I am joining friends who have planned going to U.S.A through Libya. It would be better for me to called with names, like barbarian, shit hole, and others than perish in the hands of wrong doers in my father’s house. I would not mind disowning you as my daddy since you are not proving yourself to be one. I am not proud having you as my daddy. I cannot join in conversation with friends to discuss how great their daddies are. It has been a while since you slept. Please wake up from your sleep.

Mr. President, every Ghanaian is naked, the nations is naked, your offices are also naked. Every citizen is crying for protection. Show us the essence of your promises you made to protect Ghanaians. I am afraid the nation will be taken ambush over a night by other nations. Wake up Mr. President.