The first time I heard of Julius Caesar’s name was when I visited Captain Terry Dzanse of the Forces Pay Regiment at his residence in Burma Camp, Accra, in 1988. Capt. was my diploma mate at the then Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) from 1986 to 1988.
We became good friends because we were in the same course and class. Also, as I was a ‘barracks boy’, Capt. Dzanse showed special interest in me, and invited me many times to his residence, adjecent to the Forces Fire Service, near Burma Hall.
During one of my visits, chatting with Capt. Dzanse in his cosy sitting room, we heard a loud and piercing laughter from the back of the house which disrupted the flow of our conversation.
A strict soldier who always insisted on law and order, particularly at his office and at home, Capt. spoke in a stern voice, asking: “Hola (one of his two sons) what’s the matter?” Hola retorted, “Daddy, Julius Caesar and I are playing cards.” “Lower your voices; I’m chatting with my friend Mr. Amponsah,” Capt. Dzanse said. His son responded, “Yes, Daddy.”
From where I was seated, I could see them through the windows playing the cards and talking in undertones. Just out of curiosity, I asked Capt. Dzane, “Who’s this boisterous boy (Julius Caesar)?” He replied, “Oh, that’s my son’s friend.” “I see,” I retorted.
That was the first time I saw young Julius Caesar, a noisy and lively character, full of energy, the first impression I had about him.
Fourteen years down the line, the same name, Julius Caesar, popped up. This was when Mrs. Elizabeth Amponsah, my wife, enrolled at the GIJ to pursue Diploma in Journalism.
One fine Saturday morning in 2002, as I was struggling to disentangle myself from a hangover I contracted from the previous night’s outing, Elizabeth knocked gently on my door and entered even before I could say, “Yes, come in.”
She sat beside me, ignoring the ‘fuse’ I was blowing her, and gently asked whether I knew a young man called Julius Caesar, her mate at the Institute. I responded, “No!” The surprise on her face was enough to alert me that I should quickly go back down memory lane to get a fitting answer to her question. Suddenly, the cursor clicked on my mind’s eye to retrieve the right answer to my wife’s question. Promptly, I said, “Oh, sorry. Yes, I think I know him.”
I saw a bright smile forming on her face, hinting to me of a lively chat. “This Caesar guy seems to know a lot about you and Capt. Dzanse,” she said. Wifey further told me about how this energetic and ever-cheerful Julius Caesar talked about how he and Hola used to hide in the children’s room to eavesdrop on some of the interesting stories Terry and I said during my visits, as Terry’s wife Leo, who was also an Army officer, interjected once in a while from the kitchen, where she prepared yummy meals for our consumption. And so on and so forth.
Elizabeth and Julius Caesar became great buddies from that time onward, with the latter extending his greetings on a habitual basis to me, even though I hadn’t seen him since 1988.
Finally, after 24 years, Julius Caesar and I came face to face, this time at the Top-Up programme at the GIJ in 2010, where we acquired our first degree.
The two years I spent together with Julius Caesar at GIJ was
worth remembering, because it was special and very enjoyable.
Within my memory, his kindheartedness readily comes to focus. Julius Caesar Anadem’s pure desire to promote positive outcomes or perform kind acts for others made his benevolence matchless. His unblemished tenderness churned out a feeling of warmth and gentle affection. He was a kind and thoughtful friend, indeed. Undoubtedly, Julius Caesar’s feeling of concern and understanding for the needy will remain indelible for posterity to appreciate.
May his gentle soul rest peacefully on the wing of eternity, Amen!!
By Emmanuel Amponsah
(Former Editor of The Spectator)
