PUBLIC APOLOGY TO MY MOTHER IN LAW, MY MOTHER IN LOVE, MUMMY MONICA
Dear Mummy
I’m sorry I lashed out, and wrote the things I wrote about you. I was angry that you never stood up to defend me during this season of fire when I needed you the most. Kofi told me you taught him never to make a woman cry, but Mummy crying tears of blood I have. I love your son Mummy, and I know no woman on this earth will ever love him like I do, because I’m older than him, I sometimes mother him, because he can be so childish even though he’s my Lord and King.
Thank you Mummy for teaching my husband how to cook, he loves to cook for his family, all his 7 children enjoy his cuisines, which are all your recipes. My favourite is Okro soup and Kenke. I never cook much because he does most of the cooking, but when I want to treat him I cook him sadza, he loves sadza, then I serve him kneeling down. I never give him food standing up, but I kneel. He tells me so many jokes about you, and says he sees you in me, that’s why he is with me.
I’m so sorry I embarrassed you to the world Mummy, please don’t burn the dress and jacket, I gave it to you because I love you. I’m sorry I said you used to WEAR rugs, that was not true, I was just upset, you always dressed smart, but I just wanted to see you dress even smarter.
I apologize to you alone. You are the only one who deserves my apology from the house of Offeh. I apologize to you Mummy, because you are the ONLY one who has never said any bad word about me, you are the only one who never insulted me when the whole family told my husband it was unheard of for a young man from Ghana to marry a single mother of 4. You are the only one who stood for me, when the whole family told my Lord to leave me.
Whilst the whole family told him what a fool he was making of himself by marrying a divorcee and single mother of a lot of children, you secretly phoned Nino, and said…
“If you love her, be with her. Is she not a woman too? So what she has many children?”
Mummy, you stood by me when the wind was so heavy, but you encouraged your son to follow his heart.
I never said thank you, I bought you so many gifts to try and buy your love, but your love for me was always unconditional.
Please Mummy, woman to woman, if I have made you cry lately, I’m sorry.
Mummy it is me who stood up for you when all your family accuse you and make you cry. One day you called Nino crying and I was so upset, I cursed all those who make you cry…
Are you not a victim of them like me?
Do they not make you cry like I cry Mummy?
Do you not have a daughter-in-law who abuses you?
Do you not do all the house work, all the cooking whilst Jen refuses to even lift a finger. Does she not make you cry, daily, and if you try to speak out, no one defends you, but you are told to be the best mother in law, and stop complaining.
Are you not denied your own grandchildren by Jen? Didn’t she used to ban you from touching her children, yet would make you work and cook, whilst she slept in her room.
Is there no abomination in the household, where a daughter in law is in charge of the whole household, and no one can say anything to her, and daily her mother in law cries, and all the sons of the mother in law chooses the side of daughter in law against their own mother!
Is it not me who pleads for you!
Was it not me who told Nino to try to get Jen out of your house so you can he have peace Mummy, but everyone turned against me when I was trying to protect you!
I couldn’t sleep until I wrote this, because I know you live in your own hell Mummy, where no one understands you. Where a daughter in law rules your entire household.
I have tried over and over to get Nino to bring you to UK, I’ve wrote countless invitation letters to get you out of there! But somehow nothing ever happens. I’ve offered to pay for your passport, but nothing ever happens.
Mummy you are so like me, sometimes we are too kind for our own good. Sometimes to save your soul, you have to play the villain and be the baddest bitch! Sometimes you have to say enough is enough…
It’s okay to lift the middle finger, it’s okay to be a bitch, even King Solomon said do not be too righteous for your own good.
You are a teacher Mummy, if you read this please open a Facebook account and contact me privately. Each time you talk to me, you are under watch, so I can never say the things I want to say to you …if I had my way, you would be here, living with your 7 grandchildren, because they long for you, and Charo is always talking to her imaginary grandma, when you are there…
Please Mummy Monica, just know that I am your Ruth, and you are my Naomi, I am better to you than 10 sons.
I love you because to me you are the mother I never had…
I AM SORRY, your God is my God, your people my people.
Your daughter
Jean, or rather Maria Tamara