The Mother Who Refused To Give Up

Episode 9 The Idea

When we got our single room, everything changed, but not everything.

We had a door we could lock. We had a place where rain would not beat us. But we still had only one mattress, one pot, and 300 cedis left from my 1000 cedis.

I was happy, but I was also thinking every night. Lying down, watching my children sleep on the floor inside our room, I was thinking, "Is this it? Is this where my life ends? 800 cedis job, single room, forever?"

Mrs. Adwoa saw me one day looking outside the shop, not talking.

She said, "What are you thinking?"

I said, "Nothing, Madam."

She said, "You are thinking too much. I know that face. I had that face when I was in my single room 10 years ago."

That night after work, I went home. My children slept early, 8pm. No TV, no light, just one small bulb. I had my phone. Tecno Spark 4 with cracked screen.

I opened my gallery. I saw photos I took when we were sleeping outside. I had taken them not for pity, but to remember. So that one day, when God changes my life, I can show my children.

I started writing notes under the photos. Just for myself.

I wrote: "This was the night we had 12 cedis."

I wrote: "This was the night my son asked if we are homeless."

I wrote: "This was the night Mrs. Adwoa saw us in traffic."

I did not know I was writing a book. I thought I was just writing my pain down so it can leave my head.

One night, my son woke up and saw me typing. He said, "Mummy, what are you doing?"

I said, "I am writing our story."

He said, "Why?"

I said, "So that I don't forget how God brought us from 12 cedis to a room."

The next day at the shop, I was on break, breastfeeding my baby at the back. Mrs. Adwoa came and saw me typing again.

She asked, "What are you always typing on that your cracked phone? Boyfriend?"

I laughed. I said, "No, Madam. I don't have boyfriend time. I am writing."

She said, "Writing what?"

I was shy to show her. I thought she would laugh. Who writes story on Tecno cracked screen?

But she said, "Show me."

I showed her one note. The one about 12 cedis and two children.

She read it. She kept quiet for a long time. Then she said, "Eiii."

She said, "Who taught you how to write like this?"

I said, "No one, Madam. I just wrote what happened."

She said, "If you can talk to mothers in my shop and make them buy, you can talk to mothers on your phone and make them cry."

That sentence entered my head.

That night, I did something I have never done. I opened my w******p Status. I pressed the mic button. My hand was shaking.

I said, voice note:

"Hello, good evening. Sorry for my voice. My name is a Ghanaian mother. I don't have much English, but I have story. One time I had only 12 cedis and two children and no place to sleep. If you are listening tonight and you have nothing, please don't give up. God can use traffic to change your life. He used traffic for me. Thank you."

I posted it.

I thought nobody would listen. My w******p only had 42 contacts. Many of them had forgotten me.

Only 3 people viewed it that night. 3.

But one person replied. A woman from my church I have not spoken to in 2 years.

She said: "Sister, thank you. I am also going through a lot. Your voice note made me cry. Please send more."

One reply.

One.

That one reply gave me more energy than 1000 cedis.

I stayed up till 1am that night. I created a new note on my phone. I titled it: "12 Cedis and Two Children - Episode 1."

I started with the line: "That night, I only had 12 cedis and two sleeping children."

I wrote 400 words. I stopped. My eyes were hurting from the cracked screen.

The next morning on trotro to Kaneshie, I was not looking at the road. I was thinking about Episode 2.

Mrs. Adwoa saw me smiling in the shop and said, "You have started, abi?"

I said, "Yes, Madam. I started."

She said, "Good. Write. Don't stop. One day, your cracked phone will buy you a new phone."

I did not believe her then. But I kept writing.

Every night after my children slept, 9pm to 12am, I wrote. Small small.

I did not know about Dreame, Pahina, n********k. I just knew one woman listened to my voice note and said "send more."

And "send more" was enough to keep me writing till tomorrow.

And tomorrow again.

To be continued...