Mɛni Ole yɛ Ayɛ Kpɛmɔ He?

AYƐ KPƐMƆ! Mɛni nakai wiemɔi lɛ haa okaiɔ?

Kɛha mɛi babaoo lɛ, eji apasa hemɔkɛyeli kɛ jwɛŋmɔŋ susumɔ shishijee nii ní esaaa akɛ akɛ hiɛdɔɔ susuɔ he. Yɛ amɛsusumɔ naa lɛ, ayɛ kpɛmɔ hiɔ shi yɛ mɛi asusumɔi amli pɛ—ayɛi ni egbɔlɔ ni esaa amɛhe yɛ atadei ni bɛ niji kakadaji amli ni abaanyɛ akɛha yitso he, ní kɛ afutufatai afiji fataa he yɛ nihoomɔ nɔ̃ agbo ko mli, ni haa mɛi tsɔmɔɔ kɔkɔdenei, ni amɛfilikiɔ kɛtsɔɔ ŋwɛi gbɛkɛ yɛ bɔlɔwui anɔ be mli ni amɛgbɛɔ yɛ hetsɛ gbɛ nɔ lɛ.

Kɛha mɛi krokomɛi lɛ, ayɛ kpɛmɔ jeee shwɛmɔ sane. Niiamlitaolɔi komɛi kɛɔ akɛ gbɔmɛi ni fa fe mɛi ni yɔɔ jeŋ fɛɛ lɛ fã kpotoo heɔ amɛyeɔ akɛ ayɛi yɛ diɛŋtsɛ, ni amɛbaanyɛ amɛná mɛi krokomɛi ashihilɛi anɔ hewalɛ. Mɛi akpekpei abɔ heɔ yeɔ akɛ ayɛ kpɛmɔ ehiii, eyeɔ awui, ni esa akɛ ashe he gbeyei waa diɛŋtsɛ. Ákɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, wolo ko ni kɔɔ Afrika jamɔi ahe lɛ kɛɛ akɛ: “Hemɔkɛyeli ni ayɔɔ yɛ bɔ ni ashwãifeemɔ fɔŋ tsuɔ nii ehaa kɛ oshara ni yɔɔ he, ŋkunyaayeli kɛ ayɛ kpɛmɔ ji nɔ ni ehé shi waa yɛ Afrika shihilɛ mli . . . Ayɛi kɛ ŋkunyaayelɔi ji mɛi ni anyɛ̃ɔ waa yɛ akutso mli ni amɛyɔɔ lɛ. Ni kɛbashi amrɔ nɛɛ po lɛ, hei komɛi yɛ ni shihilɛi komɛi baa ní haa akutsoŋbii lɛ yiɔ amɛ ni amɛgboiɔ.”

Shi kɛlɛ, yɛ Anaigbɛ shikpɔji anɔ lɛ, ayɛ kpɛmɔ ená bulɛ ko ni bɛ faŋŋ. Woji, tɛlivishiŋ, kɛ sinii etsu babaoo ni ekɛha ayɛ kpɛmɔ he gbeyeishemɔ naa eba shi. Hiɛtserɛjiemɔ mli saji amlipɛilɔ David Davis kɛɛ akɛ: “Trukaa lɛ ayɛi ji gbekɛbii ni he yɔɔ fɛo, lɛɛlɛŋ amɛhe yɛ fɛo diɛŋtsɛ. Hollywood he feɔ oya yɛ nifeemɔi ni yaa nɔ ni awie he kɛtsɔ hiɛ lɛ ayisɛɛ tsɛmɔ mli. . . . Kɛtsɔ ayɛi lɛ ahe ni amɛaaha efee fɛo ni mɛi anyɛ afua amɛ lɛ nɔ lɛ, amɛbaanyɛ amɛsa toibolɔi ni fa babaoo, ní yei kɛ gbekɛbii fata he lɛ ahiɛ.” Hollywood le bɔ ni atsakeɔ nifeemɔ fɛɛ nifeemɔ ni yaa nɔ lɛ afeɔ lɛ nɔ ko ni sɛɛnamɔ yɔɔ he.

Mɛi komɛi kɛɔ akɛ ayɛ kpɛmɔ ebafee mumɔŋ kui ni daa oyayaayai lɛ ateŋ ekome yɛ United States. Yɛ maji ni hiŋmɛigbelemɔ etee hiɛ lɛ fɛɛ amli lɛ, gbɔmɛi ni fa babaoo, ni kui ni fiɔ yei ahegbɛ sɛɛ lɛ woɔ amɛ hewalɛ, ní jamɔi wuji lɛ eha amɛnijiaŋ eje wui lɛ taoɔ mumɔŋ mlibaa yɛ ayɛ kpɛmɔ gbɛ̀i srɔtoi anɔ. Yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ, ayɛ kpɛmɔ gbɛ̀i lɛ fa aahu akɛ gbɔmɛi ekpɛlɛɛɛ wiemɔ “ayɛ” lɛ po shishinumɔ nɔ. Shi kɛlɛ, yɛ bei kɛ beaŋ lɛ ayɔseɔ mɛi ni kɛɛ ayɛi ji amɛ lɛ kɛ Wicca—ni atsɔɔ shishi yɛ wiemɔ komekomei ashishitsɔɔmɔ wolo ko mli akɛ “wɔŋjamɔ henɔ ko ni ná eshishifã yɛ Europa anaigbɛ be ni tsɔ Kristofoi abe lɛ hiɛ, ni miiná eshishijee ehee yɛ afii ohai 20 lɛ mli.” *  No hewɔ lɛ, mɛi babaoo hu tsɛɔ amɛ diɛŋtsɛ amɛhe akɛ wɔŋjalɔi loo mɛi ni akɛ amɛ nifeemɔi yɔseɔ amɛ akɛ wɔŋjalɔi.

Yɛ yinɔsane be fɛɛ mli lɛ, anyɛ̃ɔ ayɛi, awaa amɛyi, apiŋɔ amɛ, afolɔɔ amɛyi po. Ŋwanejee ko bɛ he akɛ mɛi ni kɛ amɛhe woɔ ayɛ kpɛmɔ mli ŋmɛnɛŋmɛnɛ lɛ miisumɔ ni amɛha bɔ ni amɛji lɛ aya hiɛ. Yɛ niiamlitaomɔ ko ni afee lɛ mli lɛ, abi ayɛi pii sane ni fe fɛɛ ni amɛsumɔɔ ni amɛkɛfɔ̃ maŋbii lɛ ahiɛ. Amɛ hetoo ni niiamlitaolɔ Margot Adler mua naa lɛ ji akɛ: “Wɔjeee mɛi fɔji. Wɔjáaa Abonsam. Wɔyeee awui loo wɔlakaa mɛi. Wɔjeee mɛi ni he yɔɔ oshara. Wɔji gbɔmɛi foji tamɔ nyɛ nɔŋŋ. Wɔyɛ wekui, nitsumɔi, hiɛnɔkamɔi, kɛ nibii ní wɔsumɔɔ. Wɔjeee teemɔŋ jamɔ kuu ko. Wɔjeee mɛi komɛi ni yɔɔ srɔto. . . . Ehe ehiaaa ni nyɛshe wɔ gbeyei. . . . Wɔ tamɔ nyɛ pɛpɛɛpɛ fe bɔ ni nyɛsusuɔ.”

Fiofio lɛ akpɛlɛ nakai sane lɛ nɔ. Shi ani enɛ tsɔɔ akɛ yiŋtoo ko bɛ ni aaadamɔ nɔ asusu nifeemɔ ni ji ayɛ kpɛmɔ he? Nyɛhaa wɔsusua nakai sanebimɔ lɛ he yɛ sane ni nyiɛ sɛɛ lɛ mli.

[Shishigbɛ niŋmaa]