TRACING THE FAMILY TREE OF SENYA BERAKU KWEKU ESIBU APAA ANONA OKUSU BENTSIR CLAN. - FOCUS ON KWESI ESSEL KOOMSON'S (KEK) ANCESTRY.
In the 17th century, the people of Senya Beraku welcomed into their midst a daughter from the Anona Okusu Bentsir clan of Apaa (present day Apam), out of whom would come, about 300yrs later, the man *KWESI ESSEL KOOMSON (KEK)* who changed the destinies of several young people around the globe, especially from Senya Beraku.
This daughter of Apam came to be known as *Apaa Ekude.* The whole epic began when a son of Senya Beraku traveled with his fishing team to Apaa (Apam) on a fishing expedition. Apaa Ekude was a fishmonger. Her trade therefore brought her into contact with this son of Senya. By knowing and loving each other, they married and she had to come to stay with him in Senya.
She settled at Senya Alata, in the Tuawo Asafo province, even though she was from the Dentsiwo Asafo division of Apaa. (Like Senya, Apam also has its traditional warrior groups called Asafo).
Apaa Ekude’s migration to Senya in the name of marriage did not at all separate her from her background. Often times, her sisters and cousins visited her to take news of her welfare back home. Her happy life and comfortable stay among her in-laws and the people of Senya enticed several similar unions between Ekude’s relations from Apaa and the sons and daughters of Senya Beraku.
Apaa Ekude was a very industrious woman. Soon after settling into the marriage, she took over the reins of her husband’s fish business. In addition to her own specialty in selling the raw fish she also smoked some for the market.
Proudly, as her enterprise flourished so did her womb. Her first labour brought forth twins, *Dede and Korkor.* Afterwards, she gave birth to three sons, Esson, Obo and Essel, respectively.
Her daughters, as was the normal tradition, took to her profession as fishmongers. Like Apaa Ekude herself, they were hardworking and discipline. Her sons also took to the profession of their father as fishermen.
As the children grew up they also married and gave birth to sons and daughters. *Dede* gave birth to *EFUA KUMAH* (Aakar), Esi Awo, Adjoa Abam, Kow Sarkwa and Kow Tawiah. Dede’s first born, Efua Kumah (Aakar), got married to Kofi Yartel and gave birth to Kweku Assibu, *ESI AMOBA* and Ama Kweikubah.
Esi Amoba married Kwame Gyan and gave birth to *EKUA ESAAKUMAH,* Kow Nenyi, Esi Attah and Aba Bonneba.
Ekua Esaakumah was nicknamed *EKUA BUEI*, after a kind of fish that her mother was smoking when she went into labour and gave birth unexpectedly. That very day, it is reported that there was extremely number harvest of _bue_ in Senya.
Ekua Esaakumah grew and married *KWESI KUM*, from the Asona Clan and they gave birth to Kojo Akyere. Unfortunately the child died. She gave birth again to Aba Esaaba, who also died. Thus she began to experience what Senyans would call, 'Awumawu' (frequency of death of one's babies). She gave birth again and called the child Abena Donkor. This child, survived and is alive today. Afterwards, Ekua gave birth to Kobena Eyiah, *KWESI ESSEL KOOMSON* and Kwame Atotoneba.
Unfortunately again, Kobena Eyiah died, living Ekua and her husband with three children, Abena Donkor, Kwesi Easel Koomson and Kwame Atotoneba.
Sadly, her husband fell into the clutches of another woman, called Esi Kadze. And this caused Ekua much grief and worry because her husband's attention had been stolen away from her. To make matters worse, Ekua's last born fell ill and tragically died by falling from her back in a confrontation with her rival who was preventing her from seeing her husband to report the child's worsening condition.
This tragedy was further worsened by some community members pointing accusing finger at her for killing her child, instead of sympathising with her. In addition, her husband took Abena Donkor away from her, leaving her with Kwesi Easel Koomson, who was little.
Unable to take the trouble any longer she left the Senya Beraku community to Nyanoa, a little village near Mankrong in the Central Region, to stay with her Aunty, Adjoa Nkenseh.
She later married her Aunty's husband's carpentry apprentice, a very jovial and humble man, called KOJO ASEKYE, also known as AGOOJI. Agooji was a native of Senya, born to Kow Sekye and Abena Sarkowah.
The family later moved to the northern part of Ghana and settled at Mmbowura, and later Kpandai, now in the Kpandai District, about 444kms away from home.
Out of this union came Aba Sekyiba, Kobena Eyiah and Kow Seeku (Soni), bringing Ekua's children to five.
CURSE IN THE FAMILY, REDUCING THE FAMILY TO A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD.
About 150 years after Apaa Ekude’s settling in Senya Beraku from Apam, her descendants began to multiply rapidly outside their native land. They grew in strength and prominence. Then they began to spread out in the village as they related well with their fellows.
They also accorded strangers the type of cordial hospitality Apaa Ekude had received from the people of the land that has become a comfort home to them.
Like her, hard work was their hallmark. They engaged in fishing, farming, hunting, trading and lambering. The well-to-do individuals among them owned fishing nets and canoes for fishing.
However, as they rode in the joy of their life, an ill-fated scourge struck the family unexpectedly. It wrecked the family so seriously that their number was drastically reduced to a single household. That is the reason the family house is called Apaa Dan Kor (literally, Apam single house). It was a grave heart-rending scene to witness the old ones in the family burying the young energetic ones at frequent intervals.
The whole of Senya Beraku was plunged into grief and confusion. What might be the cause of this? Tears fogged every eye.
From one effort to another, seeking the cause and solution, the family elders at both Dwomah and Apam (their root homes) finally consulted a fetish priest at Nyanyano, in the Central region. There it was revealed that a member of the family had brought curse upon them. Like the character Achan in the Bible, one of the young men of the family had stolen somebody's sheep and the owner had cursed the thief and the whole family he or she came from.
Further revelations pointed out the black sheep. He was called Kofi Agyapong. He was cissy.
His feminine behaviour made him a lively person and everybody fondly called him Kojo Besia. Meanwhile, he was not a blood member of the family. He had been adopted into the family because he was a stranger and the family, being also from another land, felt it was right to customarily welcome him as one of their own.
When confronted he pleaded guilty and asked for forgiveness. The elders undertook some rituals and averted the curse. The cost awarded to the family was paid by Kweku Assibu, Obor and Kow Tawiah. They also compensated the sheep owner.
The culprit was immediately banished from the family and the entire Senya Beraku village. Instantly the frequently death stopped and the family began to increase once again.
The rest of this history and others is in the author's unpublished work entitled, "Once Upon the time in Senya Beraku."
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