Jeha lafa nɛ be ɔ, nihewi ayɔhi abɔ je a wehi a mi kɛ ho ta ya. Ma he suɔmi ji nɔ́ nɛ tsitsɛɛ a kuɛ se mi kɛ ho ta a ya a nɛ. Amerikano ko nɛ lɛ hu e ya ta nɛ a hwu ngɛ jeha 1914 ɔ mi ɔ ngma ke: “I kɛ bua jɔmi kɛ gɛjɛmi hyɛ hwɔɔ se blɔ, ejakaa i le kaa si himi kpakpa maa ba.”

E kɛ we kulaa nɛ a bua jɔmi ɔ plɛ pee aywilɛho yemi. Nɔ ko nɔ ko li kaa ta buli babauu nɛ a hwu jamɛ a ta a maa na nɔ́ jehahi fuu ngɛ Belgium kɛ France. Nihi nɛ a hi si ngɛ jamɛ a be ɔ mi ɔ tsɛ ta nɛ ɔ ke “Ta Ngua.” Mwɔnɛ ɔ, wa tsɛɛ jamɛ a ta a ke kekle je mi ta.

Nihi babauu gbo ngɛ Kekle je mi ta a mi. Akɔtaa bumi komɛ tsɔɔ kaa nimli ayɔ 10 gbo ngɛ jamɛ a ta a mi, nɛ nimli ayɔ 20 hu je kpa. Níhi a he nɛ nihi susuu we kɛ yɛ tsitsaa a nɛ ngɔ haomi nɛ ɔ kɛ ba a nɛ. Europa ma nya dali nyɛ we nɛ a kpata pɛhi nɛ ngɛ mahi a kpɛti ɔ. Pɛ nɛ ɔmɛ nɛ ngɔ je mi ta a kɛ ba a nɛ. Nɔ́ nɛ ngɛ dɔmi pe kulaa ji kaa “Ta Ngua” nɛ ɔ kpata níhi a hɛ mi wawɛɛ ngɛ je ɔ mi. Ta a tsake je ɔ mi si himi nɛ wɔ hu wa ngɛ mi nɔ́ nae mwɔnɛ ɔ.

Ma hɛ mi nyɛɛli susuu we níhi a he kɛ yɛ tsitsaa, enɛ ɔ heje nɛ kekle je mi ta a fɛ ngɛ jeha 1914 ɔ mi ɔ nɛ. Womi ko nɛ a tsɛɛ ke The Fall of the Dynasties—The Collapse of the Old Order 1905-1922 ɔ tsɔɔ kaa Europa ma hɛ mi nyɛɛli ɔmɛ pee a ní kaa “nihi nɛ a de dã, nɛ a ngɛ dedee hluu kɛ ya si a ya nɔ muɔ mi.”

Nɔ ko ya gbe Austria matsɛ bi ko. Otsi bɔɔ se ɔ, Europa mahi nɛ a he wa amɛ tsuo kɛ a he bɔni ta hwumi. Pi a suɔmi nya ji kaa a maa pee jã. Germany ma nɔkɔtɔma ko bi ke: “Mɛni ngɔ enɛ ɔ tsuo kɛ ba?” E kɛ aywilɛho de ke: “Aa, wa le jinɛ wa yɛ ta a.”

Ma nya dali nɛ a mwɔ a yi kpɔ kaa a hwu jamɛ a ta a li kaa ta a ma puɛ ní kaa kikɛ. E kɛ we kulaa nɛ ta buli nɛ a laa wo muɔhi a mi ɔ yɔse kaa ta a ngɛ níhi puɛe. A yɔse kaa a ma nya dali ɔmɛ yi mɛ anɔkuale, nɛ a we osɔfo ɔmɛ sisi mɛ, nɛ a tatsɛmɛ ɔmɛ hu je a se. Mɛni heje?

Ma nya dali ɔmɛ wo mɛ si kaa ta a ma ha nɛ je ɔ mi si himi maa pee kpakpa. Germany ma nɔkɔtɔma a de ke: “Wa ngɛ ta a hwue konɛ wa ná tue mi jɔmi, nɛ́ wa nyɛ nɛ waa po gbosi ní nɛ wa nɛmɛ si kɛ ha wɔ ɔ he piɛ, konɛ wa ná si himi kpakpa hwɔɔ se hulɔ.” Amerika ma nɔ yelɔ Woodrow Wilson tsɔɔ kaa “ta a ma bli blɔ kɛ ha modemade nɔ yemi.” E de jã kɛ wo nihi a bua kɛkɛ. Ngɛ Britain ɔ, nihi susu kaa “ta nɛ ɔ ji ta nɛ a kɛ maa po ta hwumi se.” A sisi a he pɛ.

Osɔfo ɔmɛ kɛ kã fĩ ta a se. Womi ko nɛ a tsɛɛ ke The Columbia History of the World ɔ de ke: “Osɔfo ɔmɛ ji nihi nɛ e sa kaa a ko tsɔɔ nihi Mawu Munyu ɔ, se a pee we jã. Mohu ɔ, a wo nihi he wami kaa a ya ta a. Ta nɛ ɔ ngɔ ninyɛ kɛ ba adesahi a kpɛti ngɛ je ɔ mi.” Osɔfo ɔmɛ woɔ nihi he wami kaa a nyɛ a sibi mohu pe nɛ a maa suɔ a sibi. Womi ko nɛ a tsɛɛ ke A History of Christianity ɔ de ke: “Osɔfohi nyɛ we nɛ a ba a je mi ngɛ Kristofoli a hemi kɛ yemi ɔ nya. A kpɛti nihi fuu sume kaa a maa pee jã, mohu ɔ, ma he suɔmi ji nɔ́ nɛ a kɛ a he woɔ mi titli. A ti nihi fuu ngɔ Kristo jami kɛ futu ma he suɔmi ní peepeehi. A wo ta buli nɛ a ji Kristofoli nɛ a ngɛ sɔlemihi tsuo a mi ɔ he wami kaa a gbe a sibi ngɛ a Kpɔlɔ ɔ biɛ mi.”

Tatsɛmɛ ɔmɛ wo a ta buli ɔmɛ si kaa e be kɛe kulaa nɛ a maa ye kunimi. Se e ya bɛ jã. E kɛ we kulaa nɛ a na kaa a be nyɛe maa ye a he nyɛli ɔmɛ a nɔ kunimi. Pee se ɔ, ta buli ayɔhi abɔ plaa, nɛ a ti ni komɛ hu gbo. Yinɔ sane ngmalɔ ko tsɔɔ kaa “eko ɔ, enɛ ɔ ji yiwutso ní nɛ mi wa pe kulaa nɛ a pee adesahi.” Ngɛ nihi babauu nɛ a hɛ mi ngɛ kpatae ɔ tsuo se ɔ, tatsɛmɛ ɔmɛ ya nɔ nɛ a ngɛ a ta buli ɔmɛ sue kɛ ngɛ ta a nya woe. E be nyakpɛ kaa nihi fuu tsɔ atua.

Mɛni blɔ nɔ kekle je mi ta a ye mahi awi ngɛ? Yinɔ sane ngmalɔ ko tsɔɔ kaa ta bulɔ ko nɛ e ya ta a eko ɔ de ke: “Ta a puɛ nihi a susumi kɛ a je mi bami.” Ngɛ anɔkuale mi ɔ, jamɛ a ta a kpata nɔ yemihi fuu a hɛ mi. Ngɛ tahi fuu nɛ a hwu nɛ a pue muɔ si ngɛ mi wawɛɛ nitsɛ ɔ a kpɛti ɔ, ta nɛ ɔ ji kekleekle nɔ́. Enɛ ɔ ha nɛ atua tsɔmi pɔhe ngɛ he tsuaa he, nɛ e suu be nɛ nihi kuaa ke a be nítsumi yae hu.

Mɛni heje nɛ ta a puɛ níhi ngɛ je ɔ mi jã a? Anɛ e ji oslaa ngua ko nɛ ba tlukaa lo? Anɛ sane bimi nɛ ɔmɛ a heto ɔ saa wa hwɔɔ se si himi he lo?