Shortest all-boys marriage seminar ever via WhatsApp

To be married means different things to different people. To me, it will mean a key accomplishment in life. It will mean following in the legal steps of sharing a life with another of the opposite sex.

What I have learned to live with is the pressure of still being single but not letting social occurrences and other variables dictate WHEN I get married. Having said that, all concerned well-wishers and observers are duly appreciated.

Some social occurrences as above stated are that colleagues have and are getting married. Some attaining ‘veteran’ status right there on the field that you are yet to start playing on – the daddies among them that is.

Even with that, when a friend posts about their upcoming marriage, it is a source of collective joy. The already married ones are happy to have another on board whiles the bachelors hope, plan and pray for their time. Both parties go down the ‘congrats’ lane with cheer and undoubtedly a heart of goodwill.

On my second vacation (June 2018) it was a pleasurable pleasure to note that a colleague was getting married whiles I would be around. I savored that day and look forward to it.

It 100% lived up to the billing. From the sermon at the church, the exchange of vows, the fans we gave him much to the priest’s disapproval and the catching up we did at the reception, it was most exciting to see and to interact with colleagues from way back.

Shocked! We seem to be listening to this guy, very attentively so, more often than not, he dey blow ....

Now, onto WhatsApp. Three weeks after his marriage, our most current groom makes a passing comment on whatsapp and it elicits a medley call it cocktail of positive vibes from especially the married folks. Below is an unedited expression of views:

Colleague 1: Mr. Man, how is married life?

Mr. Man: Charlie…someway…you ppl no tell we the truth

Colleague 1: Way truth, say u go cut down on boyz boyz outing then you for chop for house or the outing for include wifeee or say u for buy plenty things fie house or u for call frequently to check on her. Hahahahahahahah. Welcome man.

Colleague 2 to colleague 1: Thumbs up!

Colleague 3: Charlie enjoy the ignorance part. It a bliss

Colleague 4: Mr Man enjoy it….. marriage is good. The good part is more dan wat u hv not been told.

Colleague 5: But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh; and I would spare you. 1 Cor. 7:28. Tribulations in the flesh is inseparably connected with mortality. But you are capable of enduring them via Christ who strengthens you. Only pray with her every morning and last thing before u both sleep. It’s well my brother.

Mr. Man: E good…I no regret again

Colleague 5: Glory be to God

My conclusions:

1. The lectures of and living "the marriage" are two different things - having said that, you are free to enter with views and expectations though.

2. Even if for a day, you must recognize that persons who live in / have lived in marriages have something to share.

3. Marriage projects the concept of life, "sweet and bitter" Colleague 4 makes that point "Man enjoy it….. marriage is good. The good part is more dan wat u hv not been told."
4. There is a learning and un-learning process for newly marrieds. Learn new reality and step off the old actuality.

Certainly, one day shall we send across our dates - dates to be saved - insha Allah.

90s in Burma Camp: Aerogram, Bible tracts, penpals and Van Damme

Long before social media and email, there was letter writing – skip the classroom formal, informal and friendly letter thing. A number of us, especially the boys back at Burma Camp, did write letters actively in those days.

We’d rush to the Post Office at break to buy Aerogram – those foldable writing pads that also served as envelopes. Come back in time to write letters, letters mainly of requests. Request for overseas ‘friendship,’ i.e. penpals and for Bible tracts.

Aerogram definition as I found on google: "An aerogram, aérogramme, air letter or airletter is a thin lightweight piece of foldable and gummed paper for writing a letter for transit via airmail, in which the letter and envelope are one and the same."

Why I insist the boys were in the lead with this letter writing business? We wrote to especially Jean Claude Van Damme, we wrote to Schwarzenegger a.k.a Commando and to foreign football clubs – that was how I personally came to start supporting Blackburn Rovers – I have since seen the light, I’m a gunner to boot since I can’t remember.

Van Damme seemed like he had 1000s of his photos packed somewhere waiting for letters to arrive then he addresses envelopes for the photos to be sprinkled round the word to his fans who wrote to him in California.

It was not exactly a status symbol to receive a letter but it was a clanking and noisy cymbal when you were ‘beaten return.’ When your address failed to correspond to a receiver at the other end. Some boys could laugh at you, you’ll cry.

The headache was two – way, here you were having sliced part of your chop money to buy an aerogram and wind up having it back with zero results.

I particularly remember the Bible Tract societies that will send you a Question and Answer booklet with reading material. I was part of those that read and filled out the booklets and crossed my fingers waiting for a copy of the New Testament Bible.

Don’t get bored I am about to stray but still on religion, the Wednesday worship sessions were powerful as much as they were draining, we sang and danced round the assembly grounds, listened to guest preachers and winded up paying ‘collection’ before going to class.

Woe betide you if there was an impending test right after the worship, you will ‘worship’ alright but the Science or Maths onslaught added to the stress there was.

And I can’t forget the joint church service that was held for us at the Anglican Church – opposite the post office in the run up to the BECE. It was the first time I had entered that church.

As it was that I only once attended the Friday Muslim prayer at the mosque also at the time located in the same area. Fuseini, Sadat Sinare and myself left at second break – between 1 – 1:30 and if I’m right we returned during or possibly after closing.

Mr Collins’ trio-lingua worship song still rings in my head. The first language must be Greek, Hebrew or Latin – then he gave translations in Twi and Ga. Sing along if you remember:

‘Odaa yaaka yooruwa, Haleluyah 2x

‘Odaa yaaka yooruwa, Haleee luyah!

‘Yooruwa, Halee luyah!

‘Yooruwaaa, Haaaleee luuyah!

I maintain Burma Camp Basic School is the one academic level that I’d give anything to return to: True friends, real hustle, crack teachers, carefree disposition, tons and tons of memories – personal and collective.