Losing a loved one is difficult, especially when hidden truths about their life come to light after they pass away. Such was the case for this man when his father, who he thought was 64, died of prostate cancer. He discovered that his father had lied about his age all his life. This is how this man plunged into a whirlwind of discoveries about the man who raised him. As he researched, he realized that his father’s secrets were the start of a journey towards a better understanding of himself, his culture and his family.
Her father was tight-lipped about her childhood in Ghana. He avoided talking about his family, his country of origin and his upbringing. After the death of his father, the man found his genuine Ghanaian passport revealing a date of birth in 1936, not 1947 as claimed. This initial shock was followed by a range of emotions. Then, later, “I also discovered a marriage certificate with a woman named Irene, whom he had married in 1974 (…) He never married my mother – this explains that”, explains- he in the columns of Metro. Among his father’s belongings, a box contained photos, letters and memories of his family in Ghana. He then learns more about his family, fueling in him the desire to meet her and better understand his roots. But his father’s twelve siblings were all deceased. Eventually, the COVID-19 pandemic offered him the opportunity to reflect more on his father’s life. With time off, he decided to follow in his footsteps from Ghana to the UK.
The shock of his father’s hidden double life
This allowed him to reconnect with his father’s past. He met old comrades and colleagues, as well as his Ghanaian family. In September 2020, he met his cousin Edward, the son of a brother of his father, in London. He thus discovered more about the life of his father and his links with Ghana. After years of research, he recently traveled to Ghana. Accompanied by his cousin John, he met members of his family in Accra. He also visited his father’s hometown, Kyebi, in Nsuta. “I felt a sense of belonging and a connection with these people. But I also felt closer to my father,” he said. Even without all the answers, contact with his family and understanding of his past enabled him to move on and accept himself.
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