Atta K. Jackson

I first came to know of Atta K. Jackson, in 1981, when I received a letter of introduction from him. He told me that his twin brother, Matthew, had some names and addresses from a Youth Group in Canada, and he was going to write to them as pen pals. Jackson asked Matthew if he could write to one of them also. Matthew gave Jackson my name and address.

Jackson and I corresponded with each other through our letters for many years. He lived in Ghana, Africa and I lived in Ontario, Canada. We didn't meet in person until 1995, when Jackson was going to school in Taiwan and I flew over there to meet him. We got married there in Taipei on July 24, 1995. I then returned to Canada, and we planned to bring Jackson to Canada, through the Canadian Immigration system.

Jackson & myself in Taiwan

Unfortunately, three and a half months after our wedding, on November 7, 1995 I received a call from a friend of Jackson's to inform me that my husband had died as a result of an accident at work. My fairytale romance came to a sudden halt.

Most people I talk to online know that I was married before, but I have never told anyone, until now, that the reason I chose to use Rose in my online identity is because Jackson named me that for our Chinese wedding. While he was in Taiwan he learned to speak and read Chinese fluently. Our marriage ceremony was done in Chinese and we were given marriage certificates in both English and Chinese. There was no way to translate my name into Chinese, so the judge asked Jackson to name me. The literal translation for the name he gave me is 'Musical Flower'. But, he said it was the rose, in particular, that he had in mind.

So that is the story of how I met my first husband and why roses are so special to me.

The next page contains a poem that was sent to me by a friend, and it reminds me of Jackson in so many ways.

The Rose
 

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