tremendous learning opportunity, and it felt like a place I could stay forever. Several significant events transpired during my time in South Africa: I got divorced frommy first husband; my father passed away; my son, Steve, was born in 1999 in Johannesburg; Yvette went to a boarding school, Wycombe Abbey School, in the UK; and I met my current husband, Kwame Asiedu. Dad was sixty-eight when he passed away, a relatively young age in hindsight, likely due to hypertension. The day I received the news while on assignment in the South African provinces remains etched in my memory. His funeral was a challenging experience that exposed the complexities of family dynamics during such times. My siblings and I took some responsibility for his funeral arrangements, including purchasing the coffin, suit, and brochures. However, tensions arose when my father’s family exhibited hostility towards us, even refusing to release his body to us during the wake keeping. Thankfully, my connections frommy Medical School days came to the rescue, 20 The Birthday Journal
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