The Usurper
Janvier
Chouteu-Chando
TISI BOOKS
NEW YORK, RALEIGH, LONDON,
AMSTERDAM
PUBLISHED BY TISI BOOKS
This story is dedicated to
all the royal figures who were debased through no fault of theirs by the powers
that be.
My deepest, warmest and
everlasting thanks to my entire family. Special acknowledgement to King Nono
Tchoutouo.
“True
classical dropouts in society are those who avoid difficult challenges and
cling to the first opportunity that comes their way. They never test their
talents. These latent talents will only help to produce a next cycle of
dropouts.”
FRANKLYN S. BAYEN
“A
brilliant leader is someone who makes himself appealing to his people, even
when it is against his conviction.”
IDRISS M. DOH
“An
intelligent leader gets his way even over his people and their values,
irrespective of the degree of his popularity or the opposition against him.”
EBENEZER D. AKWANGA
“A
wise leader is realistic in his dealings with his people.”
SALOMON MUNA YAKANA
(LIBERTE)
“Bad
leaders are known to destroy one, more or even all of the foundations of their
people’s way of life.”
SAMPSON E. BAIYE
“Legendary
leaders often get ahead of their people from an impasse and futile general
consensus by finding new grounds or bases that would enable their peoples to
start a new, progressive or better chapter in their destinies.”
JANVIER CHOUTEU-CHANDO
“A
canonical leader is someone whose exemplary rule might be construed to be for
the alleviation of the pains and miseries of a particular group, but which in
reality is for the advancement of humanism.”
CHRISTOPHER
NKWAYEP-CHANDO
My exhaustion was mixed with relief
when I pulled the Land Rover Jeep to a stop in front of my grandfather’s house,
bringing to an end a seven-hour drive that a moment ago seemed like a journey
to eternity. I went on to adjust the sombrero on my head in a lackluster
manner, and then scrambled out of the vehicle like a rat being smoked out of
its hole. If the yawn that escaped my lips just as I was about to shut the
driver door behind me meant anything at all, I didn’t think about it at the
time. As I stretched my body, my cranky joints told me in an instant that the
effects of the bumpy roads would stay with me for a number of days.
However, one sweet
look at the soothing scenery around me reanimated my spirit to the point where
I moaned in a contented manner and was on the verge of singing a folksong when
I noticed the menacing rain clouds hovering in the sky above. And since I did
not like it, I aborted the developing sound at the back of my throat in an
instant and sucked my mouth instead. All the same, the threat from the heavens
did not dispel the satisfied expression on my face.
I don’t know how long
I would have stayed out there enjoying the freshness of the Bankole countryside
had flashes of lightning and the rumbling sound of thunder not alerted me that
the dull grey clouds were about to precipitate a downpour of rain that could be
as heavy as the tears of our ancestors. So, without wasting time on preambles,
I hurried back to the vehicle, took out my luggage and locked the doors like
someone on the verge of missing his flight. Then I approached my second home
with halting steps.
The sweet look on my
face disappeared in an instant as the wind started raging, to the point where
it almost knocked a bag off my hand, thereby forcing me to stop for a moment
and adjust the weight of the luggage in my hands and on my shoulders before
advancing again. So, when this sudden yearning for roasted goat meat hit me
while in that state of discomfort, I had every reason to think it was strange.
In fact, I must have
grunted, licked my lips and salivated a lot before I spotted my favorite female
cousin Darya Njoumen just as she emerged from the house. She
recognized me in an instant from the dust-covered figure approaching her home
and reacted by opening her mouth wide without uttering a sound, and then
screaming afterwards as if one of her dreams had just come true. Still, I
was unprepared when she ran forward with girlish delight and glee, and then
fell into my laden arms in an embrace that almost knocked the wind out of me.
Her genuine enrapture
over my visit quickly turned into a moment of quiz time as we exchanged
customary questions and answers over the welfare of family members, especially
those in the village. We were still talking in high-pitched voices when she
grabbed two bags and heartily trudged with me inside.
Deeply chagrined that
the compound had fallen into greater desolation since I was last around half a
decade ago, I went on to express my feelings about my observation as if she had
to be held accountable for everything around.
“Since our other cousins were born and raised
here, they should be the ones taking care of things,” she shot back.
“They are away.”
“Away doing what?”
“You tell me.”
“Oh! I see what you mean. Uh-huh! Hear me
well. They are fooling themselves with dreams of getting rich away from home,
as if nothing good can come out of Bankole,” she said with a frown this time
around.
Darya Njoumen was the only grandchild still
living with our grandparents, a fact I truly respected. So, I decided not to be
judgmental anymore and pulled a prank instead.
“Why don’t you repopulate this compound? In
fact, you can marry several husbands and count on us for subsidizing the
venture.”
“You are crazy.”
“Believe me, polyandry works in extreme
situations like ours. You will get my blessings, of course.”
Darya’s response was a poke to my side and a
howling protest that broadened the smile on my face. In fact, we were still
talking excitedly when we put my luggage in my customary room, and then made
our way into my grandmother’s kitchen.
And there she was,
blinking from the smoke and chewing on her pipe. I opened my arms wide, called
out happily and went for her receptive embrace. Even though we expressed our
emotions with choked words, the laughter of joy, the smiles of happiness and
the forceful tenderness of our repeated embraces conveyed the feelings deep in
our hearts. We were very happy. It was obvious meeting again after almost half
a decade was overwhelming.
Now, my cousins
considered me her favorite grandson, a status I tried to maintain by ravishing
her affection for me with supplies of tobacco and other items she fancied. My
acts of benevolence towards my grandmother were also intended to spare me of
her indiscriminate curses. Truth be told, she was known for her bouts of foul
mood that were becoming more frequent as she aged, much to the consternation of
her loved ones.
“You are getting old, my father,” my
grandmother said after showering me with ceaseless blessings.
I laughed heartily,
knowing that she delighted in calling me father because I was named after her
father, the legendary Nana Njike. As a matter of fact, her use of the title
father flattered me until I reached my late teens, when I came to realize that
she usually regaled me with the distinctive appellation just when she was about to blackmail
me emotionally. That was why I did not need a seer this time around to tell me
that she had something up her sleeve.
“Come on Grandma. I am not yet thirty. I shall
turn twenty-nine next month,” I told her in a voice mingled with laughter.
She looked at me
straight in the eye for a moment like someone in deep contemplation. “I know, I
know,” she said with a nod.
“Thank you, Grandma. One of the reasons why I
like you so much is because you are very understanding.”
“I am glad you know what I expect of you.”
“Oh! It is starting to rain outside.”
“Uh-huh! Showers of blessings, the priest
calls it. Now, this is what I was about to say. You have aged. Your father
married at twenty, as recorded by the catechist.”
“Times have changed.”
“Uh-huh!”
“It is obvious.”
“Uh-huh!”
“Come on, Grandma! Why haven’t all the young
girls been married off as was the case back in your day? Or why don’t you
impose a wife on your other grandchildren as they used to do generations ago?”
“Yes, times have changed! Still, it does not
change the fact that a real man remains a man. A true man of this world
understands that he has family and social obligations to fulfill,” she said
haltingly, feigning disappointment.
“All right, all right, all right,” I said and
made a gesture of surrender, “As a man, I will embark on the careful task of
acquiring a wife that fits the picture of your friend who called me her husband
when I was still in primary school.”
“What?” she exclaimed, shaking her head.
“A mekat! I am sure that is the type of
woman he wants to bring home,” Darya interjected, shaking her head in a
disapproving manner, just like her grandmother.
“No, no, Darya. It wouldn’t be a white woman.
Trust me on this one.”
“Why should I?” Darya shot back.
“Come on and admit it. Hmm! You don’t think
anything good can come out of me when it comes to women, do you?”
“I don’t know where that is coming from.”
“Then, tell me you trust me this time around.”
“I don’t have to prove anything. You are the
one who needs to assure us that you still find our women attractive enough and
that your future wife will come from here.”
“Darya, it is about time we sack you as
grandma’s special aide.”
“Ha-hah…ha-ha,” my grandmother laughed.
“Taking her side,” I said, feigning hurt.
“My lips are sealed,” the old lady retorted.
“All I want is a wife who is just like my
darling grandmother here. Isn’t that what you want, and grandma, too?” I asked.
The two women glared
at me for a moment. Darya crossed her arms, while my grandmother removed her
pipe from her mouth and muttered hardly distinguishable words in disbelief.
Then she clasped her hands and shook her head in supposed incomprehension.
“You said you will look for a wife?”
“Yes, Grandma,” I affirmed and cleared my
throat.
I expected her to
retort right away, but she held back. So, I dimmed my eyes and watched her nod
as if she were pondering my words over. When she rested her chin on her left
hand and feigned a yawn, I knew she was up to something.
“I have been worried about you, Nana Njike,
Son of my wonderful Son who married before he started spotting facial hair.”
“I understand. Come on, Grandma! You always
knew that, didn’t you?” I said, scratching my head.
“I have been worried about you for over a year
now, when the revelation became clear. You might think this is a joke, but the
nature of the woman you are supposed to marry worries me,” she said, avoiding
my eyes this time around.
“Huh, huh, huh!” I muttered.
“Your grandfather is worried too,” my
grandmother intoned and nodded again, “He frowns deeply each time he grapples
for a solution to your problem. You probably think this is not serious, but I
want you to know that you have a peculiar star with an unnatural implication.”
“I have a peculiar star?”
“Uh-huh!”
“What does that mean?”
“Nana Njike, it escaped your grandfather’s
detective eyes and ears for years.”
“What do you mean?”
“I will make it simply. It would be difficult
for you to have the type of happy, successful and prosperous conjugal home that
people at The Coast cherish unless you subject yourself to your grandfather’s
divinations. And your marriage must be to a woman who is not a stranger to
him.”
“So, who is this princess?” I asked with a
chuckle.
“Huh? Princess?”
“Tell me my lovely grandmother! Tell me the
name of the special woman you want me to marry.”
My grandmother coughed
lightly, put her pipe back in her mouth, and then filled it with tobacco.
“Do you know Jean-Bosco Tchami Njiah, the man
with the big belly who lives on the second hill by the stream?” she asked
finally.
I nodded. “That’s
your neighbor whose wife ran to The Coast with an albino lover the last time I
was here.”
My grandmother nodded
in acknowledgement, and then asked again in a noncommittal voice, “Are you
aware of the fact that Si―The Supreme blessed one of his daughters with
the light complexion young men of today admire and are willing to pay for with
their heads?”
I chuckled with
suppressed laughter. “Are you talking about Averill Membou? I don’t think she
is more than sixteen.”
My grandmother nodded
again, but continued to suck on her pipe. “You are a man after all, though not
fully one. I am yet to see my namesake,” she said in-between puffs of tobacco
smoke.
“Uh-huh! Oh!” I mumbled.
“I am a woman after all,” she said and
shrugged, “You should discuss this with your grandfather. Unusual affairs for
men, he tells me all the time. Njoumen, isn’t that so?” she added and fixed her
eyes on Darya.
“Uh-huh!” Darya affirmed.
“Oh, Grandpa! Where is he?” I stuttered,
feeling guilty all of a sudden for allowing myself to be carried away by my
grandmother’s possessive discourse to the point of almost forgetting about him.
My grandmother
grimaced and puffed from her pipe.
Darya giggled and
moved up to my side. “I told you just before we came in that he is in his
special hut, didn’t I?”
“Yes, he is in his little hut sitting by the
fireside. He warms himself up these days like a fowl that has been rid of its
feathers,” my grandmother said in a grumpy voice.
“He is old. No! He is getting old,” I
protested, heaving my shoulders in a comical manner.
“Old, old, old! Hmm! Did you say old? What
about Pa Zachariah Mpafeu? He is the oldest man in this village, yet he gets up
early from bed every morning despite the chilling cold, and then ventures to
his distant farm walking like an athlete half his age. He maintains that
routine even before the cocks start getting tired from crowing.”
“He is something else; he is an unusual old
man,” I said and smiled in reflection of Pa Zach’s story.
Pa Zach the
octogenarian is an extraordinary old folk for many reasons, especially for
being the first adult male in Bankole to baptize into the Christian faith. When
he cemented his commitment to his new religion by divorcing his second and
third wives, people thought he was crazy. Then three years after that, polio
crippled his only wife, prompting some of the people to wonder if his faith was
not being tested again. With his children and grandchildren living in faraway
lands in the south of the country in pursuit of a better life, the situation
certainly looked trickier than met the eye. So, when his recently widowed
ex-wife of outstanding beauty asked to move back in with him and he turned it
down, the old folks in Bankole concluded that he was a man of extraordinary
will who ought to be taken seriously all the time. He always spoke wisely about
his children who rarely visited their homeland for fear of his harsh words over
the new values they picked up at The Coast, which he claims contradicted
Christian and Bamileké values.
Even so, most of
those familiar with Pa Zach’s story applauded him for his steadfastness,
especially for being a true fighter who still worked hard to make life
comfortable for his beloved wife, much to the envy of the village women and the
disapproval of the old men.
“He is truly an exceptional old man,” my grandmother
said with a smile.
“My dear grandmother!”
“Yes, my dear father!”
“Why don’t you accept the fact that your
husband’s little hut that Bankole cherishes as its sanctuary for divining the
secrets of this world, is what makes him proud the most at the moment?”
The old woman
chuckled. “You always take his side.”
“Well!” I said, shrugged suggestively, and
then started for the door. “Maybe I should see my friend now and get back to
you and your granddaughter later.”
“Come back, Nana Njike!” my grandmother
shouted, shaking her head in an incredulous manner. “You never seem to learn
anything.”
“Learn what?”
“Eat something first before you see him. I am
sure he would be done for the day by the time you finish your food. Besides,
there is no way you are going to learn anything from him now, even if he stops
doing what he is doing. Or do you want to engage him with an empty stomach?”
“I guess I can.”
“Trust us, Nana Njike! Your grandfather would
feed you up with his funny stories,” Dayra interjected in support of her
grandmother.
Despite my resolution
to see my grandfather right away, my grandmother, with the tacit support of
Darya, made me consume a large bundle of corn-fufu and Bitter-Leaf soup. She
could cook, this noble grandmother of mine. She smiled warmly when I belched in
satisfaction, and then motioned me away, looking pleased with herself. Even
Darya had a complaisant smile on her face when I walked out of the kitchen.
I arrived at my
grandfather’s special hut of divination to the sound of singing coming from
inside. I stood by the door for a while with a smile on my face and listened to
my grandfather’s chanting, wondering what to make of it. The old man sings
well, despite his unknown years. It is an attribute my grandmother refuses to
acknowledge, but one he claims did the job of winning her heart and convincing
her family that he was the best of the many suitors who were interested in
marrying her at the time. I believed him because my grandmother reacts to music
with her body and soul. The old man’s voice has a thrilling and soothing
resonance that I have only heard coming from professional balladeers.
My knuckles were
about to strike the door to announce my presence when I noticed smoke swelling
forward through a cranny in the wooden barrier. I stopped momentarily,
suppressed a chuckle, and then knocked. The singing coming from within stopped
abruptly, followed by a rustling movement.
“Your son Nana Njike Jeremiah wants to say
hello.” I shouted back.
“The door opened and smoke surged towards my
face. And there he was, looking piteous, aged and haggard. Like me, he too was
speechless as he opened his arms wide for an embrace. He finally verbalized his
joy at seeing me only after I bubbled incoherently for a while. He was
overjoyed and motioned me to a seat as if I was his special dignitary.
My grandfather and I
get along in a special way that amazes most members of his family, much to his
sanguine of delight. He is very good at recounting the stories of the heroic
days of the warriors of Bankole and the era of the wise nobility. He is also
blessed with a mind that serves as a repertoire of fascinating stories about
the love lives of members of the Bankole royal family and the nobility. And in
me, he found a receptive listener when I was hardly even ten years old.
So, after spending
more than half an hour inquiring about our welfares and those of other family
members, I pulled my bamboo seat closer to his and asked in a conspiratorial
tone, “Weren’t you about to tell me a fascinating story about the Bankole royal
family the last time I was here?”
He smiled in a
peculiar manner that made his left eye dim mischievously. Then he wiggled his
hands, grunted, spat on his palms, and then rubbed them together. However, it
was his lit up face that made me lick my lips in anticipation of something
fascinating.
“Yes, yes…yes,” he mumbled excitedly, almost
choking in his effort to clear his throat. “The story is about the usurper
after the reign of king Njilah II. Ha, ha, ha…ha,” he added with a chortled.
“You told me before that he was a great king.”
“King Njilah? Of course, he was an unusual
king. Now, I want you to open your ears and listen to this terrific story in
its entirety, and then tell me if any other alien value could have discerned
such a deception,” he said with a smile.
“My ears are ready for it,” I enthused and
rubbed my palms together.
“Hmm, King Njilah loved a good story. He would
have been more amazed than offended had he been around to witness something
similar happening to another royal house,” my grandfather said, roared in a
peel of laughter, and then began the story:
* * *
I was already a renowned seer before I
married your grandmother because people in Bankole and from afar sought my
services as if their lives depended on me sorting out their worries. As a
matter of fact, it was never my ambition to become a seer, even though it had
been foretold. Why my ancestors wanted me to undertake this enterprise, I don’t
know. The job of a seer is an unusual trade very few have been privileged to
master. So, I had every reason to reject the ancestral assignment at first,
that is, until I almost paid a heavy price for my stubbornness.
* * *
“How?” I asked, dimming my eyes wonderingly.
“You might not understand this because you are
not familiar with the wrath from the powers beyond, in Ngamchouni.”
“Ngamchouni?”
“Uh-huh! A coalition of ancestral spirits
almost made me a misfit in society. What I mean is that I almost lost my mind.
Luck was on my side because my grandfather intervened just in time to retrieve
my spirit from the domain of the mad spirits. He accomplished that by soothing
the wrath of our ancestors.
“So, you almost went mad?”
My grandfather
grunted. “I was already in the clutches of the mad spirits and a step away from
their world,” he said, and then continued.
* * *
I remember telling you before that
ordinary people relate easily to those who first turned down the distinguished
roles they were made to play in life, before finally succumbing to their fates.
These reluctant converts find it easy to win over the deep trust of seeking
souls than their unquestioning counterparts. That’s why my family’s concern
over my failing mental health turned to joy as I recovered and prevailed in my
assigned field.
* * *
“So, you were stubborn as a young man, ha?” I
said in a light-hearted manner.
My grandfather nodded
with a bemused expression on his face. “Ah, my boy! Like most young men of my
generation, I too was obsessed with dreams of owning large farms, big houses,
flourishing businesses at The Coast and numerous women.”
“Why dream of numerous women when you and I
know that one could be difficult to deal with?”
“We men secretly aspire for many women to
reassure our masculine egos, I guess.”
“Well, you might not have realized most of
your dreams, but you encouraged your descendants to strive for those
distinguishing things in life that make us better human beings.”
My grandfather
regarded me for a moment, shook his head, smiled, and then continued.
* * *
It all started during the Great Alien
War, which saw many of our young men die in lands unknown to us, fighting for a
cause that had little bearing on our lives. When one of the king’s wives
ushered herself into my yard that unforgettable foggy day as if she were being
chased by the devil, I had every reason to be perturbed. Montio, as she was called, was the most
cherished young woman in Bankole at the time. The worried expression on her
face as she stepped into my hut made me to sit up. Now, since she was convinced
that I was the best seer in Bankole, she started revealing her anxieties to me
as if I was more than a mortal.
Hardly a season had
gone by since Montio married the king and she was with him in his royal bed the
day before he fell seriously ill. So, she had this thing in her head that
something was sinister about her star. Anyway, she bared her mind to me in a
grieving manner, shedding so much tears that I cringed without meaning to. Even
so, I realized soon enough that there was more to her drama than met the eye. I
also observed an uneasiness about her that I interpreted as her reluctance to
tell me another side of her story. So, I flashed an encouraging smile at her and
made forthcoming gestures with my hands that convinced her to let her guard
down and tell me her secrets in a forthcoming manner. Her second worry, turned
out to be the most exciting part of her story.
Montio dreamed she
was living on the lush bank of a quiet flowing river with a familiar man whose
identity she could not remember afterwards. She must have welcomed their stay
together because she was happy the strange man impregnated her and was actually
looking forward to life as a mother with a great deal of anticipation. So, you
can imagine how hopeful she was on the day of delivery. But it turned out that
she gave birth to a goat-like baby that transformed into a lamb minutes after.
When the midwife seized the baby from her arms and offered it to a vulture
perched on a stool in the room, she thought the whole thing was not right.
However, she watched in a helpless manner as the bird of prey flew away with
the baby to the opposite bank of the river, where it nurtured the lamb into a
sheep that the midwife’s mysterious gaze transformed into a cow.
The cow gave birth to
tens of beautiful and prized calves, one of which transformed itself into a
human baby whose face looked just like hers. She was about to shout in
felicitous disbelief when she heard the cry of a baby on her back that she
didn’t even know was there. In the blink of an eye, this baby transformed into
a vicious fox that started gnawing her hands as if it had not eaten since the
day it was born. Her agonized scream for help served a purpose because a lamb
appeared from nowhere and chased the fox away, thereby sparing her the fate of
becoming a cripple.
* * *
“What did you explain to her?” I asked with
wide eyes.
My grandfather
chortled, looking amused all of a sudden. “I will come to that. I will come to
that,” he said, and then continued.
* * *
So, Montio the young woman was
distressed. I soothed her chagrin with assurances I will let you know about
only later in the story.
You can imagine the
depth of my amazement when a renowned woman who had found refuge in Bankole
entered my hut of divination barely days after Montio’s visit. She walked in
looking rosy with smiles. Her name was Ramatou
Simo.
“The great one who sees things that others
cannot see; the great one who deciphers happenings that are beyond the
understanding of earthly souls; the great seer who is accepted in the midst of
our ancestors and who alone understands their worries, discourses and demands,
I want to ask you a favor,” she declared with quivering lips.
I don’t know for how
long I stood there, staring speechlessly at the stunningly beautiful young
Ramatou whose growing reputation as a generous woman to lustful men had
unfortunately earned her the scorn of Bankole’s women. And since I’d been married
for hardly a year to your grandmother whose nagging tongue and tendency to
impose embargoes on the slightest pretext was dissuasive enough, I was afraid
the charming Ramatou had picked on me as a victim for her devilish games.
“A favor?” I asked her.
“Yes, a favor,” Ramatou affirmed.
I dismissed my doubts
thereafter, composed myself like someone in control of every part of his body,
and then focused on her case.
The favor Ramatou had
in mind that day was the attention of my ears for her dream. She too dreamed
the night before that she gave birth to a fox that started eating her womb
right after it stuck its head out. The midwife managed to pull the creature
away, but not until after it had eaten part of her womb. Nonetheless, the fox
continued groping and squeaking right after it saw the light of day as if its
entrance into the world of life and death meant nothing at all. Ramatou said
she was lying on her bed after the delivery, awaiting death from the severe
bleeding, when she perceived a cry coming from behind her. Mustering what
little energy she had left, she managed to turn around a little to find a
divine-looking man clad in a white robe, carrying a beautiful baby in his arms.
She was about to scream in fright when the revelation motioned her quiet,
quietly put the baby by her side, and then disappeared in a haze of smoke.
Moments after, this baby transformed into a calf, and then into a bull that
started spurting milk that Ramatou suckled to health. She was about to close
her eyes in relief when the fox reappeared and started gnawing her feet. So,
she screamed for help like someone on fire, help that was offered by cows that
chased the fox away.
* * *
“So, so, so! What did Ramatou find out after
you deliberated on her dream?” I interjected.
My grandfather
guffawed again, hit his thigh several times with an open palm, and then tapped
his forehead.
“Try to control your curiosity. Huh, Nana
Njike! Be patient, my boy; be patient, noble child of my heart.”
“You got me there again.”
“I always leave you gaping and begging for
more,” He said, paused, and then added, “Let’s start with Montio.”
“Okay!”
“I found out that her husband the king was
about to disappear, that she would bear a son whose worthiness would be
discovered only late in her life—a great son whose early years would blossom
the life of a scorn in society.”
“Ha, ha…ha-ha!” I laughed, “Now what?” I asked
in a mocking manner, even though I was anticipating the cream of the story.
“Huh?” The old man grunted and licked his
lips.
“Now tell me, my noble grandfather. What did
you actually tell Montio as the interpretation of her dream?”
My grandfather
shrugged, a slightly amused smile corrupting his lips this time around.
“Montio, Montio, Montio,” he said and shook his head.
“Montio,” I affirmed with a slight note of
impatience in my voice.
“Well, I assured her that she would deliver a
great child to this land, a child people would appreciate early in his life, a
child people would envy because of his great achievements and respect highly
because of his humanism. Even so, I made her to understand that her
extraordinary womb would burden her with a child she would raise using harsh
words on. She was destined to become the mother of a usurper and a lord. Was I
not being fair?”
“You were, Grandpa,” I mumbled and nodded
encouragingly, even though I did not discern the purpose of his question.
“I knew you would understand. You are
nimble-witted after all, just like your grandfather here, huh!" he said in
an elated voice.
I flashed him a warm
smile. “What about the other woman, the seducer?”
“I never mentioned a third woman.”
“I mean the woman you were afraid of spending
a moment alone with.”
“Oh, you are talking about Ramatou!”
I nodded.
“Her story might be considered the more
thrilling of the two. She did not attach much value to her life at the time,
which she lived with her true instincts and impulses. But the dream forced her
to look at her life in a different manner altogether. Now, she was nourishing
flourishing ideas of a favorable interpretation of her dream of this strange
child that transformed into a bull and spurted milk.”
“You raised her hopes, didn’t you?”
“Of course I did. Not in solicitation of her
nature, my dear boy. I had your grandmother, remember? I told Ramatou that her
ancestors would pity her plight after giving her a burden, that they would do
so by transforming her baby into an epitome of goodness, and that the special
child would make his mother a respectable lady even in a strange land,” my
grandfather said, and then fell silent all of a sudden.
“Don’t tell me we have come to the end of the
story,” I teased, fixing him with a suspicious look.
The old man regarded
me for a moment, and then chuckled, shaking his head as his did so, as if
trying to give more meaning to his action. I could not elucidate his motives.
Not until I noticed the amusing glint in his eyes as he rubbed his hands
together, did it dawn on me that he was keeping me in suspense, and that he was
actually enjoying it.
“What was your question about?”
“Question?”
“Uh-huh! Didn’t you ask me if that is all
about the story?” he said with a mocking smile.
“I am anxious, Grandpa. But it is okay if you
don’t want to tell me.”
“That’s not all, my boy. It certainly couldn’t
be the whole story,” he said and whistled.
“You can take me to the moon with the full
story,” I enthused, and then made a gesture of surrender.
“Nana Njike, child of my heart! I don’t have
to tell you that I became very interested in the dreams of those two young
women. In fact, I made their cases my lifetime observations.”
Then in an elated voice that had his eyes
almost popping out of his head, my grandfather, continued.
* * *
King Njilah made his honorable exit to
the abode of our ancestors barely five days after Montio sought my services.
Now, his successor was his favorite son called Fabou Njike. He inherited his
father’s harem knowing that his younger brother called Nana Nemafou had a crush
on Montio just before her father betrothed her to his king. Nana Nemafou became
a romantic admirer afterwards and never got over the stifled development of his
affection for the charming Montio. He remained a bachelor after her marriage to
his father as if Montio was the only woman around.
Fabou Njike, the new
king, had a deep heart and wide intelligence because he showed a great deal of
sympathy towards the warm heart of his younger brother. Or perhaps he was even
more gratuitous to the early misfortunes of Montio, who being a freshly married
and widowed young woman, considered her happy days over even if the new king
retained her as one of the inherited wives. Also, she could not become the wife
of a layman because Bamileké traditions forbade that.
The new king of
Bankole made a proposal to the Council of Notables (Kamveu) and to the
elders of Bankole, offering Montio to his younger brother Nana Nemafou. The
elders and the council endorsed this offer, unaware that Montio and Nana had a
short-lived affair before Montio’s father betrothed her to the departed king.
That was how the widowed queen became the wife of the charming prince of
Bankole, assured that her children would still be attached to the royal palace.
Montio settled into
her new home with a determination to be happy. She was still savoring the joy
of sleeping in the arms of the man she truly loved when she discovered that she
was pregnant. The discovery sent her into a state of exaltation because she was
convinced she would be providing her new and beloved husband with a son.
A couple of hills
away, at the other end of Bankole, lived Ramatou. She too became convinced that
she was pregnant only three days after Montio’s discovery of the seed in her
womb. That was five weeks after the deliberation of her dream. She went about
her life in anticipation of the heyday when she would dwell in a beautiful
house, dress up well, eat nourishing foods and savor the best drinks around.
After all, her future had to be promising because her son-in-coming would
ensure that. Ramatou also imagined that day when the men and women who had
played with her emotions and brought her to the verge of suicide back in
Foumban would bow down to her in honor of her divine-favored son. Why she
thought her first child had to be a son who would be her pride in motherhood, I
don’t know.
“Allah is great. Allah is great,” she muttered
to the hearing of friends and neighbors on several occasions as if reminding
the Almighty about the blessing he had in store for her.
The delivery process
was something else altogether. In fact, it left Montio and Ramatou with mixed
feelings. Ramatou solicited the services of the missionary hospital in Bankole,
thereby ensuring the delivery of her
baby there. Nana Nemafou assured Montio that she would be adequately provided
with delivery services by the midwives commissioned by the new king of Bankole.
That was supposed to be the case until she encountered problems during labor
that necessitated her transfer to the missionary hospital.
Montio and Ramatou
delivered almost simultaneously. It turned out to be a busy day for the
midwives who worked feverishly from noon to sunrise, orchestrating by their
nimble hands the safe delivery of sixteen babies into a world so full of
uncertainties. In a classic case of misallocation of almost comic proportion,
the babies Montio and Ramatou delivered were juxtaposed with other infants
delivered at the time. However, to the relief of all, the happy mothers got
their babies and returned to their various homes where they celebrated in a
felicitous manner.
* * *
“What a story!” I exclaimed with suppressed
excitement.
“And I was there from the start, Nana Njike. I
was in my hut of divination and saw everything in my bowl of water.”
“That should be one category of a terrific
story,” I offered, shaking my head in awe.
“It is only the beginning, my Nana Njike. Now,
give me your ears and I will bring out the controversial hero in those two
children. That would help you figure out who the real usurper was,” he promised
and guffawed.
“Why don’t you tell me right away?”
My grandfather smiled
wryly and shook his head. “Okay! Let’s start with the baby Ramatou brought
home. I will leave you to discern the usurper from the tale,” he said, and then
continued.
* * *
Ramatou brought her bright-eyed baby
home and chose to call the infant Dieudonné.
Now, Dieudonné in French means God’s gift. Ramatou was determined to give the
baby the opportunity to become an unusual person in life. She had every reason
to feel gratified because the child grew up with a nimble-wittedness that
enabled him to master the alphabets and some simple words even before he
reached the age of seven. The unusual wit of the smiling kid quickly caught the
eye of the missionaries in Bankole. These cleansers of the soul became the
first to nourish Ramatou’s dreams after they took over the basic education and
welfare of her boy. She thanked them deeply and even converted into the
Christian faith, whence she became known to the church authorities as
Magdalene.
The missionaries
promised to raise Dieudonné to heights unattained by any kid in the land. Now,
do not be tempted to think that the exemplary boy excelled only in his books.
No, he was even more enlightening. He became a child of the church, served as
an altar boy and mastered the Catholic doctrine to the point where he assisted
the catechist in his duties every now and then. He also worked relentlessly in
his lazy mother’s farm, sold in the markets and lectured his younger brother
and sister on the demands of life, especially concerning things academic. He
became the unofficial letter writer in Bankole. In fact, he did not cringe from
the burden thrown upon his young shoulders as the unintentional custodian of
secrets he never wished to know.
Dieudonné became the
major breadwinner in his family even before he turned fifteen. That was because
many parents in Bankole saw his outstanding qualities and held him in high
esteem, sometimes to the consternation of his peers. So, when the results of
the final year elementary examinations were released one rainy Wednesday and he
passed with outstanding grades, those who knew him were not surprised at all.
The promising lad’s
success happened at a time that his mother was suffering from a horrible skin
disease. So, he put his family’s sorry state first and looked for employment at
the plantation of Josef Nya Nana, a renowned businessman and landlord.
Nya Nana happened to
be an averagely educated man with an open mind and enough wisdom to appreciate
Dieudonné’s exceptional wits. He concluded that a brighter future awaited the
hardworking, honest and respectful lad if he returned to the classrooms and
moved up the academic ladder. As an orphan who was brought to prominence and
affluence by strangers and people who were not even his kinsmen, he saw in the
young lad the reincarnation of himself in his tender years. Nya Nana, the
humanist, got Dieudonné into his office one bright afternoon and asked him if
he would like to further his education.
Now, this benevolent
fellow was aware of the great number of ambitious young men roving the towns
and countryside for rapid access to wealth. Afraid that Dieudonné too would be
blinded by the short-term rewards he was enjoying, Nya Nana had every reason to
be overjoyed when the lad told him that he was prepared to let go of the
seductive earnings of an accountant and overseer, in order to go back to
school. Nya Nana pledged that same day to sponsor the enterprising Dieudonné’s
higher education.
Dieudonné went to
Secondary School and performed so well that he became the talk and local hero
of Bankole and his school hardly a year in the new institution. He firmly
established himself as the unofficial letter writer even from afar and made a
smooth transition into High School as if he had special brain cells to absorb
the extra knowledge that made geniuses out of intelligent people. His final
year there had moments when he contradicted his teachers on the intricate
chapters in the sciences that they could not fully explain. He also read
history and geography much beyond the scope of his fellow students and
classmates. Even his mastery of literature and his deep knowledge of Greek,
Roman, Norse, and Egyptian mythologies made some of his teachers uncomfortable,
especially when he posed questions that they could not answer satisfactorily.
Despite his curious nature, Dieudonné was not a showoff. In fact, his innocence
prevented him from discerning the superficiality of some of his teachers.
Some of Dieudonné’s
friends and teachers could have become envious of his unusual ingenuity had he
not been easy going, friendly, genuine and humble. In fact, he epitomized
modesty and humility. Most people who in as much as took a peek at his soul
ended up loving his beautiful mind and heart. That was why almost everybody was
happy when the education authorities awarded him a scholarship to study in
France, much to the sanguine of success of Ramatou, Nya Nana, his younger
brother Adonis, his sister Desireé, and even his teachers and friends.
Dieudonné put roots
down right after he arrived in France by studying law and economics, which he
obtained postgraduate degrees in within six years of his stay in the country.
He also worked hard on the side and ensured that his mother got regular supply
of funds and gifts to raise and sustain her standard of living. Even though he
initially intended to invite her to France
right after he got there, he all the same waited for eight years, after making
sure that he was really settled and that she was comfortable in her new status
as a worthy woman, before he sent her a plane ticket to visit France. That
was how Bankole’s most successful gift made a distinguished woman out of its
repentant whore.
In fact, Dieudonné
elevated Ramatou’s welfare so well that she returned to French Cameroun proud
of her new status as an enlightened woman and a dignified mother.
Back in French
Cameroun, Dieudonné’s younger brother and sister sought to prevail in the glory
of their ingenious brother in France. They became lazy in their endeavors and
extravagant in their undertakings. They even developed an unbefitting blatant
arrogance that aroused the resentment of the villagers in Bankole. Some of the
people resented Ramatou and her family because her only tie to Bankole was
through her maternal grandmother.
So, when Ramatou woke
up one morning and found Adonis in severe pains, she did not take it lightly at
all. She rushed him to the Bangoua hospital only to discover that he’d been
poisoned. The distressed mother prayed, wailed, pleaded and beat her breasts as
she watched her second son die in agony. After words reached her that Adonis’s
close friend was a culprit, she became very distraught and fled Bankole to The
Coast with her only daughter, whence, she enrolled Desireé into a female
boarding school.
In France, Dieudonné
grieved the death of his sole brother a lot. He learned of the cause of Adonis’
death, the plotters and the executioner with a heavy heart. When news reached
him afterwards that his mother and sister had evacuated Bankole altogether, he
accepted it with a sigh. If only for the better, then all is fine, he
reasoned.
Dieudonné married a
French woman called Isadora and found a teaching job with the Sorbonne
University in France. They had three girls within the first five years of their
marriage. Their fourth child and first son was born just before their eighth
wedding anniversary. Dieudonné christened him Adonis in honor of his late
brother. When his first daughter told him one morning that she would like to
see her much-talked-about grandmother in Africa,
he decided to discuss it with his wife. The couple agreed that their home was
warm enough to accommodate Ramatou for a lengthy stay. So, that was why when
Ramatou visited France again for quality time with her son, grandson,
daughter-in-law and three granddaughters, she had every reason to feel welcomed.
The charming,
carefree, outspoken and witty Ramatou who had grown dignified beyond doubts,
arrived at her son’s home to find that Dieudonné now wielded much respect from
white men than she had ever imagined. This was in addition to his established inroads
into the economic field that promised to make him a famous person in France. The
fact that he owned landed property, worked as a renowned law professor and
lived the affluent life of a low-keyed businessman with substantial
investments, made him look and sound like a true lord in his own right. That
was how Ramatou adjusted comfortably to her new life―eating as varied and
selective foods that appealed to her health and appetite, washing her taste
buds with wine and champagne of France,
and dressing up elegantly and respectfully. The love and pride of her son’s
family was overwhelming at first, but she got used to it.
Ramatou surprised
Dieudonné even further by developing a tenacious attachment to books and films.
However, the way she rapidly adapted to the French culture and way of life
amazed Dieudonné the most. She cherished her new role as the paterfamilias and
deliberated in parties and other occasions in the house in a graceful manner.
Even her demeanor became so splendid that she won over the hearts of
Dieudonné’s friends and some aging cuckolds who professed admiration for her
charming ways not long after getting to know her. Dieudonné’s circle even took
to calling her “The Grand Duchess of Foumban”.
At sixty-two, Ramatou
knew that her time was drawing close. She still craved for the familiar
naturalness of her native land, even though she almost felt at home in France. She
tried to reconcile her love for the land of her birth by persuading Dieudonné
to start planning his return home to the newly independent and reunited Cameroon. To
make her point, she returned home ahead of him and bought landed property in
Yaoundé where she settled down this time around. After talking to numerous
administrative heads, and after soliciting the commitment of the government to
secure a post for her son in the country’s new university, she asked Dieudonné
and his family to join her in the infant nation and know their roots. However,
she never told them of her impending journey to join her ancestors.
With matters thus
arranged, Dieudonné found no reason not to return home and contribute to the
country’s development. However, before doing that, he transferred some of his
investments to Cameroon
in what could be considered a non-profit making phase in the expansion of his
business empire.
* * *
“Ha, ha, ha…ha,” my grandfather laughed and
rubbed his brows. “I’m stopping here for now on Ramatou’s side of the saga.”
“That’s fine with me. I already deduced from
the two who the usurper is,” I said and shrugged.
My grandfather
guffawed and regarded me with puzzled eyes. They were slightly mocking this
time around. “My Nana Njike, my Nana Njike! Your guess could be right or it
could be wrong. Either way, the context of its application would be unfounded.”
“You are making me even more anxious for the
other side of the story featuring Montio as its main character.”
“I know, I know. You have always been a
curious and anxious child,” my grandfather said, rubbing his palms together in
a suggestive manner.
I could feel my heart throbbing in my chest as
he filled up his horn with palm wine, and then gulped the drink down thirstily,
conscious all the while that he held me in high suspense.
“You know you are having the better side of my
curiosity,” I said.
“You still don’t want to join me, eh?” he
asked and raised the gallon of palm wine in the air as if baiting me.
“Not until after.”
My grandfather
grunted and belched. With his thirst highly saturated, he coughed lightly and
licked his lips. Then he regarded his audience approvingly, an audience that
now included his pet, the he-goat called Malabou. Satisfied with the attention
his story was commanding, he nodded, and then continued.
* * *
Montio returned home looking dignified
with the prize of her nine months of labor and a deflated belly. The reception
she received from her new husband and the couple’s families was so warm that
she made a side comment about being treated like a queen. As the daughter of a
Bana princess, she also commanded some regal status of her own, which made her
highly respected in Bankole. After all, Bana is a prominent Bamileké realm that
is admired by the other realms in the Bamilekéland.
When her husband
returned home one evening from a neighboring realm and found the place flooded
with gifts from Bana in benediction of her son’s entry into the world,
something made him think that his new son would grow up to be a special person.
Those, plus the surplus gifts the baby’s birth brought into their home from the
members of the Bankole royal family and the loyal people of the land, made the
couple’s home the friendliest in Bankole for weeks.
Now, this amorous
couple lovingly named their baby Njike. When they baptized their son
afterwards, the catholic authorities christened him Jacob. Why for God’s sake they chose this
name, our ancestors alone know. Jacob in Hebrew means deceiver or usurper.
The young Jacob
quickly distinguished himself in many ways just like Dieudonné, to the point
where he also became the talk of the people of Bankole, even though his
extraordinary exploits were known mostly in the royal palace. He was still
groping around with the realities of a seven-year-old when Montio’s husband
decided to move the young family to The Coast, to Mbanga. It was in this small
railway junction town that he chose to build his business empire by trading in
goods.
I was told Jacob
became too exposed to foreign values while in Mbanga. As a matter of fact, his
fascination if not reverence for the Whiteman’s ways was already evident back
in Bankole. Nonetheless, I cannot understand why his enchantment with foreign
values increased multiple times in this bustling junction town breathing down
the neck of western-looking Douala.
Jacob grappled with
the new knowledge brought to the land by the Germans in a dedicated and
ferocious manner that set him apart in the eyes of the missionaries there.
However, an obstacle stood in the aspiring Jacob’s way in the person of another
boy called Johans Wangou. He had been around for long; he was of better valor;
and he was held in higher esteem by the missionaries due to his hardworking and
trustworthy nature.
The two boys were
still warming to the missionaries when words reached them that the Germans were
in dire need of a young African who could live among them and help with
domestic issues. Now, this was following an accident with the African cook
whose expertise in the kitchen could turn a vegetarian into a goat meat addict
within a week. The missionaries wrangled with deep passion over the problem of
a replacement before their eyes finally settled on Jacob and Johans. Jacob, who
happened to be nearby at the time and overheard the discourse, became
interested even before they spelled out the benefits. Now, the nimble-witted
Jacob decided to eliminate his rival by the quickest means possible before the
missionaries arrived at a final selection.
So, when Jacob
planted a bottle of the church’s recently missing wine in Johans’s room, and
then hinted at the possibility of Johans being the culprit, he thought he was
being smart. His claim that he had smelled something like wine in Johans’s
breath that day should have aroused the suspicion of the missionaries, but they
failed to nag their brains at all. Instead, they carried out a quick search
that uncovered the half-empty bottle of wine in Johans’s trunk. The tearful
Johans professed his innocence to no avail, and he became distraught even
further when they blamed him for the mysterious reduction in the contents of
past bottles of wine meant for the Eucharist. In fact, had the missionaries
been wise enough to reflect on a question Jacob asked a while ago, they would
have realized that he was an utraquist, and therefore the likely culprit.
However, Jacob’s utraquism was based on the notion of consuming the body and
wine of Christ, instead of the body and blood of the lord.
The wine incident
diminished Johans’s prospects and surged Jacob’s reputation as a reliable
person to have around. Now, with his rival eliminated, Jacob lived with the
missionaries, confident his position was secure. It was in this relaxed manner
that he focused on his education, passed his exams and became a Secondary
School student. The missionaries took care of the boy’s basic needs and fees
and acted in most capacities as his guardians until his fourth year with them,
when they left the colony for the Trust Territory of South West Africa…
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