In a poignant revelation, Claire Rupio, the wife of the late Christian Atsu, has courageously shared the profound anguish she and their three young children have endured in his absence.
Their lives were forever altered by the devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey, claiming the lives of over 50,000 souls, including that of the beloved Ghanaian footballer exactly a year ago.
Claire’s words vividly depict the immense void left behind, echoing the silent cries of a family shattered by loss. Each passing day is marked by the absence of a husband and father, a presence deeply missed and irreplaceable.
In an interview with The Athletic, Claire Rupio indicated that she is sometimes left speechless due to the curious minds of her children. According to her, her second child, Godwin, keeps insisting on knowing the whereabouts of his father.
For Claire, this is a difficult circumstance to be in as telling the truth is a painful pill to swallow, hence has to cook up a story just to protect her children.
“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?’”
Joshua, the eldest child who is now 10 years old, she says, 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, was so close to his dead as he was present at his football games. She noted that her son deeply misses seeing his dad on the touchline during his football matches.
This, she said, has made him a quiet kid who is harbouring so many emotions within himself.
“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.
Claire Rupio recounted that one of the most painful moments she had to face was on Father’s Day when her youngest daughter, Abigail, requested that she give her message to her father.
Abigail drew a picture she wanted her dad to have as a sign of her love. It was then she had to explain to her that her dear dad was now in heaven.
“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.”
She also indicated that 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.
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.
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.”