One of the most fascinating aspects of life is the inability of ANYBODY to accurately predict the events of tomorrow, most especially, about our lifespan.
According to history, when Otumfuo Opoku Ware I was born, as a toddler and a royal, he was such a sickler, always being attended to by the local traditional doctors.
Nobody gave him a dog’s chance of survival, yet he lived to become Asantehene, and the greatest Asante General who ever lived. At his death, the borders of the Asante Empire were twice the size of present day Ghana.
My son is a practicing Medical Doctor, and he tells me that the distance between life and death is like a hairpin – nobody can accurately predict whether a patient will die or survive.
I am talking like this, because, on Monday afternoon around lunch time, I was in my car around Danquah Circle heading to La when I heard “CAPITO”, I looked back to see my good old friend, SP YAWSON, popularly called WAAKYE, waving at me as my car passed by.
Little did I know that medical doctors would pronounce him a cadaver just three days later. Oh Good God!!! Fate has consumed Waakye.
I first met him in January 1988, when he came to the Arts Center to join my theatre group, called THEATRE MIRRORS, and was given the lead role of KABAKA in the award-winning play, “FOR THE LOVE OF A WOMAN.”
He soon became a superstar, and together with KALSOUM SINARE, KWESI DARKO and CHARITY OFORI DANKWA, they made Theatre Mirrors Drama Group a household name in Accra in those days.
Stage acting does not pay like film acting, and so most stage actors soon gravitate unto the screen, therefore, I was not surprised at all when SP Yawson left us at the Arts Center for the movie industry.
I remember so well that after Theatre Mirrors I did not see him for about two years, until one day I saw him in traffic and I screamed: “WAAKYE!!!” – He laughed as I also laughed and none of us said any word to each other, except laughing and laughing.
After cutting his teeth in the movie industry for decades, including becoming a Director himself of some scripts, SP Yawson accepted the Call of God and got himself ORDAINED into the Ministry to serve God.
Not long after Almighty God has finally called him home.
A Pastor once said at a funeral service that Almighty God was like a Gardener, always roaming His garden to pluck beautiful, attractive flowers as a bouquet for His visitors!
And so, WAAKYE, a very popular local actor, famous on the screen, quiet, not controversial, peaceful –is gone. The Master of us ALL, Fate, has eaten up Waakye.
For us the living, what lessons can we draw from the passing of SP Yawson?
That even though LIFE is infinite, our individual lives are FINITE – there is a definite time span. Yes, there will always be lawyers, doctors, politicians, this and that, but you, the very individual, reading, me, will ONE DAY cease to exist. And so the Holy Bible says teach us to know the measure of our days so that we may have a heart of wisdom.
We should always lead our lives as if the PRESENT is our last moment on earth. Nobody knows tomorrow. If you have any good to do to somebody, do it now, because tomorrow may never come. Farewell. Prince Yawson.
The second major lesson from the life of SP Yawson is that whatever you are doing, DO IT WELL, make a NAME, leave a MARK, and try to excel in your chosen field. Things done by half are not worth doing.
“Waakye” got that name from starring in a local movie and he popularised himself thereafter, rising to stardom. All over the country he was known as WAAKYE – not just a local recipe of rice and beans, but an actor of consummate talent.
Rest in Peace, Waakye.
The third and last lesson I want us to learn from the epic life of Rev SP Yawson is the factum of ORDINATION with the Holy Ministry. The day I heard that Waakye was now a Reverend Minister I instantly remembered how two very famous Berekum local politicians all of NPP have now become Reverend Ministers preaching the word of God.
After a boisterous youth, spent “on the streets” man sobers up, reflects very deeply, and concludes like Solomon, that ALL IS VANITY. Give your life to God – only ETERNITY matters, nothing more.
How much food can you eat? Which alcoholic drink can satisfy your desire? Desire fades and strength fails…memories of could have-beens fill the sub-consciousness … what are we going to tell God on that fateful day?
Rest in Peace Rev Stephen Prince Yawson, from your good old CAPTAIN.
Written by
Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
