Why Parents Need To Listen

The day that his wife Ama Doris gave birth to their baby boy was perhaps the most joyous in his life. He couldn't contain his joy. He felt that God had finally heard him after several years of praying and fasting. Mr Tawiah recalls days gone by, when he and his lovely wife wanted to pursue an adoption. However, the pursuit for an adoption took the back seat. All because, Mr Tawiah fervently believed that he and his wife were destined for a child of their own. Luckily enough, time would reward him for his believe. He always wanted a boy, and wasn't too shy to tell the wife about it. Of course, the wife understood the father and son connection. But she also understood that a beggar has no choice. Unlike her husband, she considered herself a beggar, who just wanted to be a mother to either a boy or a girl. Her womb would not make any unnecessary demands to displease the Gods and Goddesses of fertility.

They're certain children, who happen to be born with an innate understanding of themselves. Meaning, they already know who they are as opposed to who they're not. These children do know from infancy what their natural gifts are, and how they intend to use them. Such kids are called old souls. Sadly enough, parents who happen to give birth to such kids don't often sense or even realize this. As expected by most parents, a child should be normal- whatever that means. And indeed most parents expect their children to be normal. Mr Tawiah's boy was gifted beyond belief. The boy exhibited a certain curiosity far beyond his age. He would ask questions, which old folks would scratch their heads in a futile attempt to answer. "How does he do it?" "Where does he get all these questions from?" the old folks would ask his dad. In fact, this boy was very clever. His cleverness made his father, who wanted him to be a lawyer also very proud. A father's want for his son which would be disputed in time.

When the boy reached the age of sixteen, he told his dad that he wanted to be a full-fledged writer. As a matter of fact, he had been writing for sometime to kill time. He would be found writing on the kitchen sink, in the bathroom and almost everywhere. Mr Tawiah knew this, but he never quite expected his son to pursue writing as a career. Mr Tawiah wanted his son to be a lawyer. His son was going to be a lawyer whether his boy wanted to or not. This is what Mr Tawiah had to say to his boy, when his son told him about his ambition. "Now look, I don't know what you think you're." "And frankly, I could care less." "But as long as you're sleeping under my roof, you would do as I tell you." "You're going study to become a lawyer and no ifs or buts." "You want to be a writer, right?" "But have you asked yourself how many people do actually read here in Ghana?" "Boy, these so-called writers starve all the time." "So you better start thinking, unless you want to starve yourself in the future."

The son tried to tell his dad that he was born to write. He told his dad how writing gives him so much pleasure, but the father remained defiant. The boy then asked his mother to convince his dad to see things from his side. A request which almost did bring the whole house down. Mr Tawiah accused his wife of instigating their son to throw away his life. "My son is a lawyer and by God he shall become a lawyer" Mr Tawiah said. Doris tried to convince her husband that writing is also a noble occupation. But her husband refused to listen to both of them. On the day that the crescent moon perched itself perfectly in the heavens, the boy took his own life. Their son chose death to a future life of unhappiness as a lawyer. A father lost his only son, a mother wept inconsolably and the world simply kept on turning.