“What are you?” is a question I have been long plagued with. My family tree has branches sprawling across the continents. My father immigrated to America from
Ghana, West Africa, while my mother’s ancestors hail from the Black Forest region of
Germany. For as long as I can remember,I have been living a split life. Every year when the crisp chill of winter dissolves into fresh spring air, my family and I start the voyage to our home in the coastal fishing town of Teshie Nungua, Ghana. The routine has remained constant ever since I was seven months old: arrive, greet family elders, avoid certain aunties, eat lots of Jollof rice, say last goodbyes to return to life in Mendocino, California. We had the itinerary for our three-month long trips down to a science, until the spring of 2011. My family and I sat enveloped in humid air at our local cafe, drinking chilled …show more content…
I remember beginning to panic when I saw a small army marching towards me, while my parents appeared unruffled. Before I could collect my thoughts, I was hoisted onto the shoulders’ of unknown men. My dad grabbed my hand from below and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you”. The men released me at a home a few blocks away, and placed me in a room with peeling minty-green paint, a single mattress, and a ceiling fan that croaked every rotation. Within five minutes, familiar faces began to flow in and out of the room to explain what was happening. Although I was still in bewilderment, I started putting the bits and pieces together. My father, a son of a Fanti tribe Queen and a Ga tribe Chief, was passing me into the royal lineage. The next three days I was trained on everything pertinent to my future.Thereafter, I was presented to the world as Naa Borley Asaaba I. As a twelve year old, it was whimsical to be living life as a queen, but little did I know how my lifelong appointment would change the very essence of my
Ghana, West Africa, while my mother’s ancestors hail from the Black Forest region of
Germany. For as long as I can remember,I have been living a split life. Every year when the crisp chill of winter dissolves into fresh spring air, my family and I start the voyage to our home in the coastal fishing town of Teshie Nungua, Ghana. The routine has remained constant ever since I was seven months old: arrive, greet family elders, avoid certain aunties, eat lots of Jollof rice, say last goodbyes to return to life in Mendocino, California. We had the itinerary for our three-month long trips down to a science, until the spring of 2011. My family and I sat enveloped in humid air at our local cafe, drinking chilled …show more content…
I remember beginning to panic when I saw a small army marching towards me, while my parents appeared unruffled. Before I could collect my thoughts, I was hoisted onto the shoulders’ of unknown men. My dad grabbed my hand from below and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you”. The men released me at a home a few blocks away, and placed me in a room with peeling minty-green paint, a single mattress, and a ceiling fan that croaked every rotation. Within five minutes, familiar faces began to flow in and out of the room to explain what was happening. Although I was still in bewilderment, I started putting the bits and pieces together. My father, a son of a Fanti tribe Queen and a Ga tribe Chief, was passing me into the royal lineage. The next three days I was trained on everything pertinent to my future.Thereafter, I was presented to the world as Naa Borley Asaaba I. As a twelve year old, it was whimsical to be living life as a queen, but little did I know how my lifelong appointment would change the very essence of my