Abɔfo wɔ Yɛn Ntam?

Esii ahoɔhare so. Bere a Marilynn redwennwen pii na ne werɛ afi ne ho no, ɔte sii keteke kwan mu a na nneɛma a atwa ne ho ahyia ama onnim nea na ɛrekɔ so. Ɔtee nnyigyei bi a ano yɛ den mpofirim. Ɔmaa ne ti so na nea ohui ara ne sɛ ogyina keteke bi a ɛreba kwan mu pɛɛ! Marilynn yɛɛ sisirii, a na ehu akyekyere no. Ná keteke no abɛn no pɛɛ araa ma otumi huu sɛnea na keteke no mu odwumayɛni no aniwa ayɛ bruu ne n’anim a ɛkyerɛ sɛ ehu aka no no. Marilynn werɛ remfi nea afei esii no da. Ɔkae sɛ: “Ɛte sɛ nea ɔbran bi fi m’akyi piaa me. Mihuruw fii keteke kwan no mu kɔhwee nsõ mu wɔ ɔkwan no nkyɛn pɛɛ.” Bere a na Marilynn ho atwitwiw kakra no, ɔsɔree sɛ ɔrekɔda nea ogyee no nkwa no ase—nanso na obiara nnyina hɔ! Adwene bɛn na onyae? Marilynn ka sɛ: “Me bɔfo a ɔhwɛ me so no na ogyee me nkwa. Hena bio na obetumi ayɛ saa?”

ƐTE sɛ nea abɔfo ho nsɛm agye wiase yi a adwenem naayɛ ahyɛ mu ma yi adwene kɛse mpofirim. Nnansa yi mfe mu no, wɔka ɔsoro abɔde ho nsɛm kɛse wɔ television so dwumadi, sini ahorow, ne Broadway agodie mpo mu. Nhoma a ɛka abɔfo ho nsɛm ka nyamesom nhoma a wɔtɔ no kɛse paa no ho. Abɔfo ho akuw, nhyiam horow, ne atesɛm nkratawa wɔ hɔ. Wɔayɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ nhyiam horow a ɛbɛboa wo—sɛnea nhoma mu asɛm bi ka no no—ma “wo ‘bɔfo a ɔte wo mu’ no aboa wo.”

Wɔn a wodidi abɔfo ho akuw ho no ne aguadifo adifudepɛfo a wɔbɔ aguade bebree a enni ano ho dawuru no. Adetɔnbea bi a ɛwɔ United States wuranom biako ka sɛ: “Mfaso wɔ ade biara a abɔfo wɔ so.” Nea ɛka nhoma bebree ho no, ɔbobɔ “ɔbɔfo ahoni, akoroteaa a abɔfo mfonini wɔ so, abaduaba, T-shɛɛt, dawurubɔ nkrataa ne nkrataa a wɔde ma ti nkwa”—ne nyinaa ka bom yɛ nea sɛnkyerɛwfo bi frɛ no “ɔsoro mfaso.”

Wɔn a wɔka abɔfo ho nsɛm no kyerɛ sɛ, eyi nyɛ adeyɛ bi a aba so ara kɛkɛ. Wɔde adanse pii ma—nea ɛfa abɔfo a wohyia wɔn “ankasa” ho de gyina nea wɔka no akyi. Ebinom ka sɛ wohuu ɔbɔfo bi wɔ onipa tebea mu. Afoforo huu hann bi, tee ɛnne bi, tee nka bi, anaasɛ wonyaa nkate bi a wogye di sɛ ɛyɛ abɔfo de. Nnipa bebree a wɔte sɛ Marilynn, ka sɛ ɔbɔfo bi gyee wɔn nkwa.

Dɛn na ɛrekɔ so? Joan Wester Anderson, a wakyerɛw nhoma abien afa “ahonhom” a wɔne wɔn ahyia ho ka sɛ: “Misusuw sɛ wɔresan akyerɛ honhom fam nneɛma ho anigye.” Alma Daniel, a ɔboa maa wɔkyerɛw nhoma foforo no, trɛw asɛm no mu kɔ akyiri. Ɔka sɛ “seesei wɔahyɛ abɔfo sɛ wonyi wɔn ho adi sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wobedu nnipa bebree nkyɛn. Wɔpɛ no saa, enti na yɛrehu wɔn ho nneɛma bebree seesei no. Wɔreyɛ saa.”

Eyi te saa ankasa? Anaasɛ biribi foforo hyɛ nkurɔfo ani a agye abɔfo ho mprempren no akyi? Sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ na yɛahu no, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛhwehwɛ Onyankopɔn Asɛm mu. Abɔfo ho nokwasɛm wɔ Bible no mu, sɛnea yebehu no.

[Mfonini Fibea wɔ kratafa 2]

Nkratafa 3 ne 4: The New Testament: A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth-Century Sources, a Don Rice/Dover Publications, Inc. tintimii