M 11 February 2022 The Birthday Journal MY SECOND DECADE The Otu Family y mom left Ghana to work in the UK resulting in us being relocated to our beloved maternal grandmother’s house. Something which left me with many pleasant memories years later. Grandma was a baker and not only was I too willing to take on the role of a ‘baker’s assistant,’ but I was also quite proud to take on some responsibility for my younger ones. A few more years into the decade and I was in high school. A period characterized by a certain level of freedom, I was away from home. This phase saw a new awareness of self that made me want to fly. Like reckless flying. A drunk butterfly. Instead of concentrating on my studies, I spent time socializing and making Broken Hearted My second decade was quite dramatic. The decade itself was ushered in with changes. new friends leading to a plunge in my academic performance. I was only too lucky to have dad’s unconditional love to lean against. It was at the last phase of my second decade that life gave me my first lemon. Nothing prepared me for the shattering experience I was going to face. It was heartbreaking. I hadmoved to the UK for further studies and whilst I was away, I received the news that broke my heart for the first time. My father was dead. At the mere age of 46 years old. It was so devastating! Who was going to love me like he did? Tell me that I was Ghana’s and even the world’s most beautiful? Proudly show me off to his friends and say all the wonderful things I was accomplishing even if they were only minor in my eyes? “Nothing preparedme for the shattering experience I was going to face. It was heartbreaking.”
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