Today marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that shook Turkey and claimed the lives of over 50,000 including Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu.
One year later, Claire Rupio, the wife of Atsu, has opened up about the anguish she and their three young children have endured in his absence.
According to Claire, since Atsu’s demise, she has been surviving instead of living. To ensure her mental health is not compromised, Claire sent Whatsapp messages to the phone Atsu left behind.
“When people say, ‘How are you coping?’ I don’t cope. I just survive every day,” Claire told The Athletic. “Mentally, you’re fine for a few days, maybe a week, but then lots of emotion comes.
“Sometimes I message Christian on WhatsApp — I just need to let it out,” she says. “‘Why are you not here?’ or maybe one of the kids needs him.”
Last June, on Father’s Day, one of Christian’s close friends made a special effort to attend a significant school event in order to fill the void left by his absence as best as possible. The first Christmas without him was another challenging period for the family.
“Abigail drew a picture on the 24th and she was telling me, ‘Listen, don’t forget to send this to my dad’,” Claire says. “At first I said, ‘OK’, but then I had to explain that he’s up there watching over you now and she got upset.”
Joshua, the eldest child who is now 10 years old, carries Christian as a middle name and bears a striking resemblance to his father. According to Claire, he has inherited his father’s face, smile, and even his walk. Joshua deeply misses seeing his dad on the touchline during his football matches.
“When his dad came and watched him, it was a highlight for him. Now he’s gone. Every child takes it differently, but he has been very quiet. He doesn’t really want to talk, he just wants to see him.
“Godwin (now seven) speaks about his dad a lot and asks a lot of questions which can be tough. ‘Where is he now? What does he do now? Is he still watching over us?’”
January 10 would have been his 32nd birthday. “We were not able to congratulate him, celebrate it with him or call him or anything, so January was very emotional,” Claire says.