Marrying the Nuclear Man

I met Ike at a wedding. He was an expert in nuclear energy. My mother asked whether he was going to bomb us when he came to make his intentions known. We moved to Yugoslavia where he was pursuing his doctorate. Flying into a foreign country was a new experience. Sometimes it was lonely and sometimes it was difficult because I did not understand the language. That affects everything you do. Ike did not understand the language well. He would make up the weather report and say the next day would be mild weather. The next day it would rain. I decided I had to learn the language myself. We were poor students for a long time but eventually we settled well and had our first child. By the time we returned to Ghana, I had learnt the language well, made some very good friends and written a book. We moved back to Ghana and lived in Kwabenya, an area the government had built for people working at the Ghana Atomic Energy Agency. More nuclear men and women. We had married in the Kwabenya church and so it was very precious to me. I started teaching at the Sunday School there as well as teaching full time at Legon Primary. Some of our lifelong friends were made during our days at Kwabenya. We had another child and then Ike was relocated to Vienna, Austria to work at the International Atomic Energy Agency. I remember he had applied for the role but we did not hear back from them for a long time. I kept checking. Then we found out that his boss had received the letter but hid it in his drawer. I do not know why he did that. Ike moved to Vienna in 1984 and I moved with the children in 1985.  Vienna was our home for many years - so I have deep roots there from friends, our church community at Grace Church and working as a teacher at the Vienna International School. I taught so many children at Vienna International School. So I have so many adopted children from different nationalities that I am still connected to. I love Vienna; the healthcare, the cleanliness, the food, cafes, the public transport. Our third child was born in Vienna. Three children with three different birth cities with the Nuclear Man. 

Date published:
May 8, 2024
Country:
Ghana
Early Life
Family
Marriage
Love

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