"Your Grandmother and I rushed to help your mom . I handed you over to her and told her to run in the opposite direction, heading toward our family home near the Ho, sea
We were lucky there was some distance between us and the men .
I stayed behind supporting your mom as we stumbled towards a large tree, it's thick leaves shielded us from the schorching sun and from our pursuers . She was sweating profusely, her strength fading with every minute , and the blood loss was impossible to ignore .
" Anna , hold on please don't go. We'll get you home soon ," I pleaded , my voice trembling with desperation. But she wasn't listening. Her breathing was shallow and her eyes distant.
She gripped my hands tightly, her fingers cold against my skin , and whispered, " call her Anaya . I am Anna . She's Anaya."
I placed my finger on her lips , I wanted her to stop talking but she pushed it away and said
"I cannot be healed just listen to me , Assey .... He comes from a tribe that practices black magic . When I reached his house , I overheard him telling his friends that our child would become the successor of the tribe if it was a boy . She coughed and continued " But if it was a girl ….. she would be sacrificed to the gods of their tribe ."
"My heart sank . The weight of her words piercing my heart . I asked my self how Assey could call himself a man ".
She paused, her body shivering despite the heat , her pain evident.
" My baby cried ... and it drew his attention. That's when he sent his men after me
And with how I'm bleeding, he must have activated the curse word ."
Her tears mingled with the sweat on her face as she looked at me , her eyes filled with sorrow." Please protect Anaya and our mom . Run far from Ghanaland ... as far as you can . I'm sorry for p.. putting all of you into this mess ."
Her grip on my hands loosened, and I felt her body grow limp. With those final words , she breathed her last , dying in my arms .
My heart thumped as I heard the story of my mother , fresh tears started falling down my face
The world is so cruel , how can she suffer like this? I asked uncle James while wiping my tears