Saturday, August 9, 2008

The Twice Married in the City of Accra

Many people living in this unconscious, self-conscious city are twice married to little purpose, and do not even know it. They credit the first in time as the primitive prelude to the higher other, but the law secures both on the same pedestal. It is a cheerless throwback to time no-more, when kids were named and then christened or baptised with a ‘Christian name’. Then they’d injuriously insist at home on being called ‘Kwabena Paul’ or uncultured crass like that. We denigrate the African marriage as the engagement, and elevate the European marriage (also called ‘Civil’) as the real thing. And yet, you can call yourself Mrs. Something-Something after the ‘Engagement’. So, is there a difference? A certain kind of man chooses only to get ‘engaged’ so that he’s not limited to only one lawful wife. Get it?

4 comments:

  1. twice too-many absurdities in the City of Accra man.

    hehehehehe...makes one laf still but so true too --another score from you!

    i want to know that other 'certain kind of man' you know; i could learn a trick or two from him...i might just set me free from the unneeded 'repetition!'

    escape me!

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  2. Novisi, that man is the potentially polygamous man who wants to actualise his polygamy. (Whatever you do, don't try this at home!) ;-)

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  3. Yngvild, thanks a million.

    ReplyDelete

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