In the comfort of her apartment, Becky lay on the couch in her living room, facing the ceiling as the television blared on.
She had tried to take her mind off those tormenting memories with the movie on deck, but it just did not work. The first fifteen minutes had been okay, the next ten not so good. By the time the movie had reached the thirty-minute mark, her attention was barely on the action on the screen.
A different play button had been hit in her mind, and the action playing back in her brain was action she was familiar with.
Action she had actually lived through.
Action that triggered so many emotions.
Pain. Grief. Sorrow. Hurt…
… and anger.
Extreme anger…
The living room was as silent as a tomb, the faces of all four Owusu-Bempong kids filled with shock and despair.
This just couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t.
They had heard numerous stories like this, and had always prayed that it would never be the story of their lives. But as Victor and Marian Owusu-Bempong sat before them, the glummest of expressions on their faces, it was like an iron slap in their faces. With what they had just heard, it looked like this would be their story as well.
Marian sighed and held Victor’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry, kids. This wasn’t what we wanted to hear when the doctor called. We truly prayed for the best, but… this is the reality we have to deal with now.”
Amankwaah had his hands over his mouth, Becky had her hands on her head, and Arabella and Owusua simply sat there, shocked to the core.
How they had always hoped and prayed that the awful ailment named cancer would never come anywhere near their family! Tales of how that horrid illness had torn families apart were numerous, and they always hoped such a fate would bypass them.
But here they were, being told that their father had been diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer.
This was awful. Just awful.
***
Becky stood by the open bedroom door of the master bedroom. She took a peek inside, and shook her head.
A year had already flown by since the diagnosis, and what an effect it had had on the family!
Her mother had to give up her job and become a full-time caregiver for her husband, who had sadly transformed into a frail, weak man. A shadow of the man they once used to see moving up and down. The chemotherapy was doing a serious number on him; he looked like a man twice his age. Sad and pitiful.
Yet, Mrs. Marian never gave up on him. Always attending to him and helping him out with the most basic of tasks, she remained faithful to her new duty as a caregiver.
To say that Becky was astounded by the level of dedication her mother had showed during this tough period would be an understatement. The unwavering commitment Marian had portrayed towards nursing her husband back to health was nothing short of incredible. The fact that this man, who once stood tall and commanded so much respect, had been reduced to a shrivelled up version of himself, did not faze or perturb her. She stayed faithful to the cause of helping Victor return to fully health. A true embodiment the vows she had taken many years ago to stick with him ‘in sickness and in health’.
Becky shook her head, watching on as her mother helped her father take a few sips of soup on his bed. If this wasn’t inspiration enough of what love truly looked like, then surely nothing else would suffice. This woman loved her husband to a perfect T.
“This is what you call true love,” she whispered to herself. “True love in its truest form…”
***
“WELCOME HOOMMMMEEEE!!”
The Owusu-Bempong couple, led by their eldest son, entered the living room to a pleasant surprise welcome from the other children. The room was decked out with lavender balloons and decorations, with the girls holding banners that read “CANCER JUST LOST”, “OUR CONQUERING WARRIOR” and “CONGRATULATIONS DADDY!”
Indeed, it had been two years of grueling, painful and stressful treatment. So much had changed within the period, with Amankwaah and Becky having to take up the mantle of breadwinners to try and keep the family afloat. It had been one of the toughest and most challenging periods this family had had to go through.
But now, it was official. Victor had beaten cancer.
As he walked in, still leaning on his wife, he still looked pretty delicate and feeble, the effects of all that radiation treatment still visible. But he had a smile on his face, knowing that the battle was over.
And his family was around to celebrate such a momentous victory with him.
As he was led to take a seat at his usual spot in the living room, with Marian taking a seat on the arm of his chair, their four children gathered closer to them.
“So, Paapa,” Amankwaah began, “this is just a little welcome thing that we put together for you. It’s been a long and painful journey since you and Maame came to give us the bad news. So much has changed since then, and it’s not been easy on us. It’s been really difficult, extremely difficult. But after receiving the good news, we can only say that we are grateful to God for the victory. It’s not everyone that manages to beat cancer; most stories we hear of end in tragedy. But it’s not been the same with us, and we are grateful. And it’s only right that we give you a proper welcome, coz Paapa, you have overcome!”
Those last words garnered cheers and applause from his younger sisters.
“Yes, Paapa is our warrior!” Owusua, the baby of the house, cheered.
“We’re so happy for you, Paapa!” Becky added. “Your name befits you ampa, coz you’re a victor over this disease!”
That attracted a laugh from the man of the house. He nodded feebly and raised his hands to silence them so he could speak.
Slowly, he started. “My dear children, thank you for this. I’m extremely grateful for your love and concern. It’s been such a painful experience, eh. See, I wouldn’t wish cancer upon my worst enemy, it’s been horrible. But you’ve all been supporting me, and I’m grateful for that. And of course, your mother… hmmm, my dear children, thank your mother for me, because… I dunno what I would have done without her. The way this woman has given up her own life to care for me… ei! My dears… hmmm…”
It was plain to see that the man was growing emotional just thinking about it, as he lowered his head and wiped his eyes.
Marian patted him on the back. “Victor, you know I vowed to stick by your side through everything life throws at us. And I was more than happy to do it. I’m just so grateful to God that the cancerous cells are gone. So, so grateful.”
“Thank God!” Amankwaah proclaimed loudly, clapping his hands and looking at his sisters, who immediately followed suit.
“We thank You, Lord!”
“Thank You, Heavenly Father!”
“We are grateful, Father! So, so grateful!”
As they continued to applaud, the relief and joy in the room was as palpable as could be. Cancer might have found its way into their home and turned it upside down. But it had been defeated.
And now they could rebuild and get back to life as it been.
***
“No, no, no, no, noo!! This has to be a joke! This has to be a damn joke!”
Amankwaah rose from his seat in utter disbelief, looking as bewildered as could be. Becky remained frozen in her seat, unable to fully digest what had just been relayed to them. Arabella and Owusua had their faces buried in their hands, already breaking down upon receiving this news.
This just had to be the cruelest of jokes. Hadn’t about eight to nine months passed since that foul enemy called cancer had been cast out of the Owusu-Bempong family?
Of course! Of course it had been ejected from their home, never to return.
So what the hell was it doing back in their home in the form of breast cancer on Marian??
It was only a few weeks ago that she noticed some unusual redness on her left breast. Thinking nothing of it, she went about her daily duties. As time passed on, however, she noted a Facebook post by a doctor warning about the symptoms of breast cancer. She immediately booked an appointment at the hospital to get it checked.
And she was hit with the devastating news upon the checks.
Just when the family was getting their life back together, affliction decided to rise a second time.
Victor, who was slowly returning to his former self, looked extremely frustrated. His arms folded as he sat there, displeasure was plainly registered on his face. It looked abundantly clear that he was super peeved at this horrendous foe for rearing its ugly head in another part of his family altogether.
As Amankwaah remained on his feet, pacing about and venting, while Arabella and Owusua continued to sob, Becky remained stiff in her seat. Shaking her head, she was at a loss for words.
“This isn’t fair, chale. This isn’t fair,” she whispered to herself. “We’ve been through enough, this didn’t need to pop up. This isn’t fair, man. This is so not fair…”
***
Six months on, and the Owusu-Bempong home, which had been steadily getting back to its status quo, had been disrupted once again.
Now, it was back to chemotherapy treatments, dealing with a loved one’s change of appearance… all that stress.
That particular evening, Becky was on a retreat with the accountancy firm she worked with, at a hotel in Senchi. Crashing onto her bed after a good dinner and conversation with her colleagues, she stretched out on the bed, glad to get a bit of respite from the gloom of home. Of course, she had to return to it to help out her dear mother, but this little break was appreciated.
A few minutes in, and her phone rang. It was Arabella.
She answered. “Yeah, Bella.”
“Becky, good evening. There’s something wrong going on at home, and I need to talk to you about it.”
Becky’s heart nearly jumped into her throat. The hurried manner in which her sister spoke, plus those words spoken, was not a comforting one. “Jesus! Bella, what’s wrong? Please don’t tell me-“
“No, no, no. nothing’s happened to Maame. She’s okay. It’s just something else I’ve noticed.”
Becky frowned. “Uh, okay. What is it?”
A sigh followed. Then a few moments of silence.
Then Arabella spoke.
“Becky, I… I’ve noticed something and I… I really did not want to believe it. But… hmm. Becky, it’s as if Paapa is already getting tired of Maame.”
Becky sat up on her bed, wholly puzzled by this. “Ah, but… but why would you say that?”
“Becky, I’ve been watching Paapa for a while now. I thought it was just my silly imagination, but… it’s like every time there’s something to do for Maame, then Paapa has this expression bi on his face, as if he doesn’t want to do it, but he has to. And especially when it’s time to take Maame for her treatment. I’ll see his face looking so irritated and things, like he doesn’t want to do it. And me, honestly, I just brushed it aside, I thought I’m just conjuring things in my head. But Becky, I heard some things this evening and I… I’m just…”
Becky shook her head while listening. This couldn’t be possible. With the way their father kept saying how grateful he was for his wife’s care during his time of illness, it just did not make sense for him to have a bone of reluctance in his body to help her out.
But surely Arabella wouldn’t be lying on her father, right?
“Becky, this evening, they came home from the hospital. You know now, Maame is getting weaker by the day. When I opened the gate and they parked, Paapa said I should help her out of the car, and he just jumped out and went inside without even bothering to see that I do it. I was surprised, but I helped her. And she said his mood has changed, and it’s like he doesn’t want to help her as much, like she’s become a nuisance to him and all sorts of things. I told her not to say that. But since they came, he’s not spoken to her.
“But the worst part is, Maame is asleep right now. I just happened to walk by their room, and I heard Paapa on the phone. Becky, from what I heard, it looks like he’s got himself a side chic!”
“WHATT!” Becky screamed. This just had to be a joke. Victor Owusu-Bempong finding himself a side piece at this time? Really?
“Hmmmm, Becky. I’ve even summarized everything ooo. I don’t even want to remember some of the things I heard…”
***
“Yes, Amankwaah, what is it?”
Amankwaah looked at the phone in shock. Victor answered the call with quite some brashness in his voice. This was not how his father spoke to him unless he had done something wrong. And as far as he could remember, he hadn’t done anything to offend his old man.
“Uh, Paapa, g-good evening,” he uttered carefully.
“Yes, yes, good evening. What is it?”
He looked at the girls, shaking his head. This sudden show of impatience from their father was unusual.
“Uhh… I just wanted to mention that we… we went to see Maame, and she was asking when you’ll pass by-“
“Please, please, please! I can’t be held down by all this stress of dealing with her and her sickness! Allow me to live! Ah! Do I look like someone who should be tied down to a nurse job? Ah! Massa, massa, let me think. I can’t be held down! Please!”
The line went dead.
Amankwaah stared at the phone in disbelief, then at the girls. None of them could believe what they had just heard.
Indeed, Arabella’s observations had been spot on. The disdain Victor had for this whole state of affairs slowly became apparent to all the children, who were deeply surprised by this change in attitude. How in the world was he now getting weary of his wife when she remained by his side throughout his trying time?
Nonetheless, they stayed silent and prayed it was just some petulant little phase that would die off with time.
That afternoon, the children had gone to visit her in the hospital, as she needed to spend a few days there. They returned home, expecting to find their father in the living room, so he could go and see her.
Nope. He wasn’t there.
And as they later realized, neither were a lot of his belongings.
If their father’s change in behaviour surprised them, this new development shocked them to the core.
The man had shamelessly walked out and chosen to ‘live his life’.
Amankwaah shook his head, muttering to himself as he tried calling their father again.
The call was swiftly rejected.
He tried again.
Rejected again.
He tried again.
Rejected again.
He sank into the nearest seat, speechless by this.
Becky and the girls stood around, not knowing what to say or think.
“Let me live?” Becky muttered. “We should let him live? Really? Your wife and children need you, and you just wanna live? Seriously?”
Arabella also sank into a nearby chair, covering her mouth. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t…”
***
“You were a strong woman. A woman we all looked up to. A woman we adored to the absolute fullest…”
Four months on, and Amankwaah, Becky, Arabella and Owusua stood before a congregation of people draped in black and white, paying homage to the memory of their late mother.
They had tried their best to shield their ailing mother from the unfortunate truth, but somehow, she found out that her husband had decided to walk out on her at that critical point of her life. And as expected, she felt betrayed.
Utterly betrayed and abandoned.
To think that this was the man she had laid everything on the table for when cancer had him in its grasp. Yet he couldn’t even be bothered to give her half of that support, choosing the easy way out and prioritizing his comfort over her.
It broke her so bad, she lost the resolve to fight, and succumbed to the illness quicker than anyone would have expected. Within two months.
The Owusu-Bempong children were devastated beyond words. The cruelty of life seemed to know no bounds in their life. So cancer just had to take one of their own? This wasn’t fair.
“… to have to say goodbye to you this early is just too hard to accept. Maame, why couldn’t you wait for us to get married and give birth to your grandchildren you’d be taking care of?”
As Becky read out the tribute in a low, husky, breaking voice, supported by Owusua while a totally distraught Amankwaah wept in the arms of Arabella, words could not describe the feeling in her heart.
At best, it was an intermingling of many other feelings.
Feelings of grief, at losing the mother she loved and adored dearly. It just felt so wrong to have to say goodbye to such an amazing woman in her mid-twenties. The woman she was inspired by in so many ways. The woman who brought her into this world. As to why her end had to be such a painful and unpleasant one, she would never understand.
Feelings of weariness at what cancer had inflicted upon her family. It had truly been an angel of chaos and death upon her family, wreaking havoc and messing everything up. Until that day her parents sat them down to inform them of Victor’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, it had never occurred to her or any of the kids that this would be a reality. But it had, and oh what a terribly stressful reality it had been!
And feelings of rage and disgust at her father.
A man who knew the kind of pain and agony his wife was going through, having been at the receiving end a few years back. A man who knew she needed his support to keep going. A man who rather chose to walk out and satisfy his own desires than keep his family together.
A man who, since blocking Amankwaah that fateful day, had refused to contact any of his children or relatives. A man who failed to show up for the funeral or indicate any concern for his late wife.
A man who, according to sources, was in one of the well-known towns in one of the other regions, happily enjoying himself with a young girl about Becky’s age.
An absolute disgrace of a man. An absolute disgrace…
Breathing in and out, Becky could feel the rage pulsating through her veins once again.
Good Lord, she despised that man with a passion! A perfect example of blatant selfishness wrapped in human flesh! The pain from that betrayal that killed her mother had not exited her heart, and she doubted it ever would.
And how typical that he was now returning!
It was just a few months ago that Amankwaah informed her and the other girls that, after five to six years of pretending like his family didn’t exist, their old man contacted him to inform him that he had suffered a relapse and his girlfriend had abandoned him, so he was coming back.
If that wasn’t bad enough, per what Amankwaah told them, it appeared Mr. Victor, despite getting a taste of his own medicine, was totally unrepentant about what happened many years ago, insisting that ‘he did what he had to do’ and that Amankwaah, as a man, ‘would understand in due time’.
Yeah, that was more than enough to keep her blood boiling to the highest of temperatures. This man saw no wrong in what he did? And he had the temerity to waltz back into their lives and demand the same level of respect as before? Really?
“The impudence! The f**king impudence!” she snarled to herself. “When it was time to be there and be strong for your family, you chose the easy way out. Selfish! Absolutely selfish!”
Wow, that was intensely revealing! No wonder Becky’s so hurt; that is vintage selfishness from her father. Shameful!
