Let’s Talk To Gyasi
David Bondze-Mbir (DBM): Thank you for participating. What name would you want to go by? (It can be your real first name or any other name of your choosing)
Participant 172: My name is Gyasi
DBM: Hi Gyasi. How would you describe yourself?
Gyasi: Hardworking man, willing to get his hands dirty so his wife can keep her little manicured nails all fresh and pretty.
DBM: How happy are you on a scale of 1 to 10?
Gyasi: Six
DBM: What do you want to talk about?
Gyasi: My mother developed memory issues seven years ago, and she was in her early 50’s. She lived with me for five years. I have to admit though, that living with a woman in her condition was brutal. It gravely impacted my marriage, work and finances. It burned me out, I couldn’t hold out
DBM: How is mom doing now?
Gyasi: She’s dead
DBM: Would you like to talk about it?
Gyasi: Not at the moment
DBM: Okay! But how are you doing?
Gyasi: I am fine
DBM: I empathize with your loss
Gyasi: Thank you, David. The reason why I booked your time to chat is because, I believe my mother was duped by a renown so-called ‘prophet’ in Accra. My mum owned a few properties that I had no idea of. I only found out recently about some of them from her documentation and note book – after her burial.
DBM: I see
Gyasi: I don’t remember what the occasion was, but I called her in February, 2018, and she was about to go out. I could hear a man’s voice in the background, he was also on phone, talking to someone. Because he didn’t sound like my dad, I asked her who he was and she mentioned the prophet’s name. I am not a fan of this guy because I strongly believe he is a false prophet, and many people think that of him too.
DBM: Where is your father?
Gyasi: He is fine. He’s married and living his life
DBM: Was he married to your mother when she was ill?
Gyasi: They were almost divorced. They encountered their bumps along the way, but unfortunately, my mother couldn’t work on their issues and was considering the possibility of a divorce. My dad got home from work and my mother had left a note for him. Basically, she was going on a solo trip outside of Ghana, and was not sure when she was returning. She had quit her job, cleared half of their savings and had switched her phones off. All this happened a day after my call to mother.
DBM: Interesting
Gyasi: Yes. It was a Thursday. On Sunday, 11th of February, 2018, I googled to read about the prophet and found the location to his church. I visited his church premises to join his morning service, and it was announced that his absence was due to a preaching assignment abroad.
DBM: What made you google him?
Gyasi: He was at my mother’s house on the 7th of February, 2018; it could only mean they were friends because she had deeper pockets. I hate it when people claiming to be Christians pretend to be your friend only because of your economic status.
DBM: It’s rather unfortunate but I have come to realize that, many Christians cannot be their true, authentic selves. Nothing they intend doing is truly selfless. And it’s kinda, expected of them to rid themselves of certain lifestyles that aren’t compatible with Christianity, if they’re to be seen as ‘good Christians’. In their minds, they would benefit greatly by getting good with GOD. So, the majority would rather prefer wearing a mask to hide who they really are, killing the whole spirit of it.
Gyasi: Hmmm!
DBM: GOD will not come down to strike the hell outta them, so they get away with putting a show for Daddy GOD, instead of actually relating with and doing right by the very people right in front of them.
Gyasi: Very sad.
DBM: Extremely
Gyasi: I did not hear from my mother for two months. When I heard news about her, she had been hospitalized, and that was the beginning of my woes.
DBM: I am sorry about that
Gyasi: Yeah! I was going through my mother’s documents and personal journals and I came across records of a property she had given to the prophet to reside. Her notes didn’t say anything about gifting, renting or selling the 5-bedroom house to him. What she wrote was, ‘I was touched to bless the man of God, Prophet … with’ the said property.
DBM: Who has the original copy of the property deed?
Gyasi: I do. I found it in my mother’s documents. The prophet has a photocopy of the same deed.
DBM: Has he a copy of a purchase document?
Gyasi: No!
DBM: How about a copy of mortgage payment records?
Gyasi: He has nothing like that
DBM: An affidavit of ownership?
Gyasi: He doesn’t have
DBM: Sales agreements of any sort?
Gyasi: No
DBM: The utility bills are in whose name?
Gyasi: My mother
DBM: Property tax receipts?
Gyasi: In my mother’s name
DBM: It’s your mother’s house
Gyasi: I know, but he’s refusing to evict.
DBM: You’re kicking him out?
Gyasi: Sharpest!
DBM: Why?
Gyasi: He’s a crook. He has a video of my mother asking him to move in to the property because she felt led to do that for him and his wife and children. That is his claim of evidence to owning the house.
DBM: Do you need that house so badly?
Gyasi: No. My mother left me with a lot of money and properties
DBM: So, what’s the urgent need behind the deed?
Gyasi: I’m just claiming what is my inheritance
DBM: I find it to be a bit tacky, if it was a gift your mother, out of a clear conscience, gave him.
Gyasi: I want it back
DBM: Your mother gave this gift because she wanted to, not to use as leverage or be petty about it. I feel like you should let him keep it – as long as he wants to. You still own the property, regardless.
Gyasi: He’s not being humble about it. That’s what is pissing me off.
DBM: Just make sure you’re not allowing your possessions to possess you.
Gyasi: I am not.
DBM: How old are you?
Gyasi: I will be 26 this year
DBM: How long have you been married?
Gyasi: 2 years
DBM: Who informed you about your mother’s hospital admission?
Gyasi: My dad
DBM: Who informed your father?
Gyasi: The prophet. He called my dad
DBM: Who took your mother to the hospital?
Gyasi: The prophet, his wife and two of his elders
DBM: I see! Participant 171, Air, left a question for you: ‘Is a good man or woman the right man or woman for you?’
Gyasi: My wife is the right woman for me because she’s my best friend and teammate. I support her and she does same for me. I can envision myself being with her for the rest of my life. We’ve been this close since our first year at Cape Vars. She was my study partner. She came into this marriage loving and accepting everything about me; even the things I sometimes do that aren’t my finest qualities. I was good to many ladies on campus, but I wasn’t the right guy for them. Something about my wife and our relationship as a whole feel different and important to us. I can trust my gut instincts when it comes to her being the right woman for me.
DBM: It’s your turn to leave a question behind for the next participant
Gyasi: Would you take your mother’s property if you were in my shoes?
DBM: Thank you!
Image Credit: Lina Kivaka
