Happy 80thBirthday, YaaYaa! I have known Yaayaa from the very beginning — from the day she was born. Her brother, Emmanuel Kingsley Opuni, whom I affectionately called Kwasi Puni, was my best friend and classmate. We began what was then called Class One in the same year she came into the world. Although we were not exactly neighbours, I spent a great deal of time at NTCR 64 because their father, Mr. Opuni, had a shop at Bompata, very close to our school. That was where my friendship with her family began, a bond that has lasted ever since. Over the years, my connection with Yaayaa has remained strong. She has always been more than a family friend — someone who visits, cares deeply, and stays connected no matter howmany years go by. My friendship with Kwesi has also endured, proof of the strength of those early ties. She is wonderfully pleasant, kind, warm, and easy to get along with. She has a natural gift for connecting with people and forms lasting bonds, including a special friendship with my wife. On your 80th birthday, I want you to know howmuch you are loved. When you come to our house, you call me by the nickname “Ogyam,” the name I had growing up, showing just how close we are. It is a great privilege to have you in our lives, and today we celebrate not just your birthday, but the remarkable person you have always been. Dr Akrofi aka “Ogyam” The Birthday Journal 23
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTAyMTM3NQ==