Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty

by Amos Tutuola

  As soon as our neighbours went back to their houses, Aina and I sat down in front of our dead father. We began to think how we could get money to buy the white cloth and the coffin. After a while, it came to my mind that there was a good woodcarver who lived in the next village. This village was at a distance of about four miles from our own village.

  Without hesitation, I stood up, I told Aina that I was going to see that woodcarver to beg him to carve a coffin for our dead father. Then without money in hand, I went to the woodcarver. I told him that I wanted him to carve a coffin for me from a very good wood and that the coffin should have attractive ornaments. I explained to him furthermore that I would wait until he would complete it so that I might carry it to my village at the same time.

  “If you want a very fine coffin with various kinds of attractive ornaments on it, you will pay two pounds for it!” the woodcarver told me the cost of a fine coffin. When he asked me to pay two pounds for the coffin, I explained to him with tears that I got no even a half-penny in hand or at home. When he heard so from me, he first refused to carve it. But when I begged him for a few minutes and promised with tears that after a few days that my father had been buried, then I would come back to him to do any kind of work which he might give me to do for him to cover the cost of the coffin.

  Having explained to this woodcarver like that, he asked me to tell him the name of my father. When I told him his name, he shouted that he knew my father. He said although he was poor but he was very kind to almost every person before he died. When he said so, he stood up and as he was taking all his carving instruments, he told me with a cheerful voice that he would carve a nice coffin for me with free of charge because my father was kind throughout his life time. When he took all his carving instruments, he told me to follow him and I did so. We went to the back of his house where there was a good wood which he had already carved into a fine coffin with various ornaments on it but it remained only the last touches for him to complete it.

  Then without hesitation, he started to do the last touches and when he worked hard, he finished the last touches within one hour. Then he and with the help of another man, they put it on my head and then I started to carry this beautiful coffin to my village. But I was not so happy as I was carrying it along the road to my village because I never knew yet where to get money to buy the white cloth although I had got a fine coffin for free of charge for my father in respect of his kindness when he was alive. However, when I trekked as fast as I could, I reached the village at about nine o’clock in the night.

  But as I was carrying this coffin along in the village to the house, some of the people of the village who thought that we were so poor that we would not be able to buy a coffin with which to bury my father were ashamed. But it was so many of the people of the village who liked my father, ran to me, they took the coffin from my head with happiness, they put it on their shoulders. Then all of them began to sing the funeral dirge and all of us were dancing along to the house. When we came to the house, they entered with me and they put the coffin down in front of my dead father who was still in the sitting room since when he had died. Having put the coffin down gently, they returned to their houses as they were still singing cheerfully.

  But as I struggled very hard before I could get the coffin and brought it to the house. I met another sorrow in the house as well which was darkness. Every part of the house was so dark that one could not even see himself at all. Then at the same time, I shouted: “Aina! Aina! Aina! Where are you?” But there was no answer and there was no trace of her. Within this moment, I could not say, whether Aina had run to hide in another village for shame because she thought we could not get the white cloth and coffin to bury our father. Again, to add more to my sorrow, the whole people who helped me to carry the coffin to the house had gone back to their houses without staying with me as long as necessary when they saw that there was no light in the house but the darkness. As soon the people had left, I left the sitting room just to go to the front of the house to think how to get money like a half-penny to buy the palm-oil to be used for the lamps. As I left the sitting room to the verandah, just a few steps to get to the outside, I stumbled on one of my father’s old stools and I fell down and my head knocked the floor so heavily that it started to bleed out at the same time.

  However, with great pain and the blood which was gushing out to every part of my body, I went to the outside. I stood and I began to think three things in mind at a time. Firstly, I was thinking how to get the palm-oil to be used for the lamps, secondly, I was thinking where to get Aina and thirdly, I was thinking how to get the money to buy the white cloth with which to bury my father. But God was so good, as I was still thinking all these three things in mind at a time, an old woman who was a close friend to my father, came this time with the hope to stay with me and sympathize with me for a few minutes. When she came and met me at the front of the house, she stopped, she greeted me and I answered with a dead voice.

  But when she noticed that there was no light in the house, she asked: “Why do you not put light in the house and in the front of the house as well?” I explained to her at the same time that I got no money to buy the palm-oil. To my surprise, I hardly explained to her like that when this old woman went back to her house. A few minutes later, she came back with four native lamps and one pot of palm-oil. Then both of us entered the house, but as she was helping me to light up the lamps in the house, Aina came with the white cloth. Not knowing that she too left for another village to get the cloth immediately I left the village to get the coffin. As soon as she reached that village, she asked for the cloth-seller from a small girl that she first met.

  Without hesitation, the girl took her to the house of the only cloth-seller who lived in this village. Because this village was so small that there was only one old woman who was selling clothes there. So when Aina explained to the cloth-seller that her father had just died, but as there was no white cloth with which to bury him, she therefore came to her to buy one piece of the white cloth in credit. Furthermore, Aina explained to her that after the funeral ceremony had been performed, then she would come back to her to do any kind of work that which she might give her to do for her to cover the cost of the cloth.

  Having explained to this cloth-seller like, Aina began to weep. Having seen how she was weeping, this old woman who was the cloth-seller, shook her head up and down sadly. Then she explained to Aina that: “Your father was well known to me and I was well known to him as well as the money is well known to every person! Although he was in great poverty throughout his life time, but he was very kind to every person throughout his life time. Now, for your father’s kindness when he was alive, take this piece of the white cloth for free of charge. But do not come back to me with the hope to do work for the cost of the cloth!” So with gladness Aina knelt down, she took the white cloth from this old woman. Having thanked her greatly, Aina returned to our village. Although as there was darkness on the road it was very difficult for her to trek as quickly as she wanted to, but however, she reached the village at about ten o’clock in the night.

  I was extremely happy when Aina brought this white cloth to the house. It was like that we got the white cloth for free of charge as well as the coffin. But as soon as I took it from her it came to my mind this moment that we got no money which was to be paid for the tailor who would sew it. Of course, when I thought over and over where to get the money and I did not know. Aina advised me to take it to one tailor who lived at the extreme end of the village. She said that perhaps he would sew it for us in credit.

  When Aina advised me like that, I was ashamed to go to the tailor and tell him to sew the cloth for me in credit. But it came to my mind that we could not wear it for our father without sewing it. Then I sold my shame away and I went to the tailor at the same time. When I gave the cloth to him I told him to sew it for me but in credit. But I would come back to him to do the work which would cover the cost of his workmanship. But it was a great surprise to m
e that the tailor bursted into a great laughter instead to tell me how much I would pay for his workmanship.

  Having laughed for a few minutes, he said with smiling face: “Your father was kind to me and to other people when he was alive. Therefore, I am not going to take anything from you as my workmanship, but I shall sew the cloth for free of charge. Although your father was in poverty throughout his life time but he was kind!” When he said so, he began to sew this cloth. But of course it took him some hours before he finished it because he sew it with hand. So he hardly finished it when I took it from him and I thanked him greatly before I ran with it to the house. But I reached the house at four o’clock in the morning.

  Having brought the cloth to the house, the old men who came to sympathize with us all the while, took the cloth from me and they wore it for my father at the same time. Now my father was beautifully laid in the sitting room and the people came to pay him their last visits till four o’clock in the evening. By four o’clock prompt, he was put in the coffin. As soon as the coffin was nailed up the people helped us to carry it. All of us were singing the funeral dirge loudly until they carried him to the outskirt of the town where he was buried. The place where he was buried was about one mile distance from the town. Having buried him there then the whole of us sang back to the village. The people accompanied us to the house before they went back to their houses. It was like that my father and mother died in poverty.

  I PAWNED MYSELF FOR MONEY

  Now, it remained Aina and myself in the house. We were not happy at all because we were no more with our mother and father, both of them had died and left us in the poverty.

  In the following morning, some of our neighbours advised me to go and pawn myself for money that which we would spend for the funeral ceremony of our father which would take place in a few days time. Having thanked the neighbours for their advice, Aina and I left the village for another village where a woman pawnbroker lived. When we entered her house, we met her in a well decorated sitting room. Then we knelt down before her and greeted her—“Good morning, the pawnbroker!”

  “Yes, what do you want?” the pawnbroker lifted her head up and asked with a huge voice. As Aina was looking on, I told the pawnbroker—“well, I come to pawn myself for money!”

  “You little boy like this! But what are you going to do with the money?” the pawnbroker asked with wonder.

  “I am going to spend the money for the funeral ceremony of my father who died recently!” I replied to the pawnbroker loudly.

  “But I think you are still too young to do hard work,” the pawnbroker said with pride.

  “Although I am still young but I am very strong enough to do hard work. You know, I was born and bred in poverty!” I explained without shame.

  “All right, come nearer and let me test your body to know whether you are strong enough to do hard work!” the pawnbroker pressed every part of my body with both hands for about thirty minutes with doubtful mind.

  “Ajaiyi is very strong to do hard work, madam!” Aina told the pawnbroker with a sharp voice.

  “Well, of course, I shall give you only two pounds but you will be working for me from morning till two o’clock everyday and I am not going to feed you. Take the two pounds but you must come to start work as soon as you have finished the funeral ceremony of your father. But put it in your mind that you will be working for me until you will be able to refund my two pounds!” the pawnbroker reluctantly gave me only two pounds.

  However, I took the money from the pawnbroker. Then Aina and I thanked her greatly as we were leaving. So we came back to the village. The following day, we cooked many kinds of food and bought all kinds of drinks. Then all of my father’s friends, neighbours, drummers and singers were invited. All of them ate to their satisfaction. After that the drummers started to beat their drums and as all of us were singing the song of funeral and dancing, it was so everyone was drinking the drinks. So when it was daybreak the people, Aina and I danced round the village before the people went back to their houses. It was like that we performed the funeral ceremony of my father in respect of which I pawned myself for two pounds.

  Now, my father’s warning before he died that we should remember “The Day After Tomorrow” came to the truth because almost everything which we used for his burial and funeral ceremony were given to us for free of charge in respect of his kindnesses to his neighbours and other people. But this proverb or warning was still a puzzle to us. We had not yet understood it well. However, after my father’s funeral ceremony, I started to go and work for the pawnbroker from morning till two o’clock without giving me food. But for the rest part of the day, I used to go and work in my late father’s farm. So I was getting yams, etc. which Aina and I were eating.

  WE WERE KIDNAPPED AND SOLD

  One day as Aina and I sat in our father’s sitting room and we were thinking seriously about—“Remember The Day After Tomorrow” as my father used to warn us in his days whenever Aina and I offended someone or one who was older than us. Of course, it was a pity to us later on that we did not attempt to ask my father, before he died, the meaning of his warning.

  As Aina and I sat in the sitting room this day and I began to suggest to her; “Perhaps, ‘Remember The Day After Tomorrow’ is the name of our eldest brother who was born and had left our father for another town before we were born!” I suggested to Aina like that. “And probably our father was just warning us not to forget him,” Aina supported my suggestion. At last, both of us confirmed that “Remember The Day After Tomorrow” was the name of our eldest brother who had left our father for another town before we were born.

  After some months that my father had died, a strange man came to my father’s house. This strange man was an expert trickster and kidnapper of children. He was the very kidnapper who peeped through the window to the sitting room and he heard how my father prayed for us and then warned us not to forget “Remember The Day After Tomorrow” when he wanted to die. But as this kidnapper noticed well that my father got a big hunch on his back. So one day, he put a flat stone on his back in such a perfect way that this stone seemed exactly a hunch when he wore a big garment over it. Having done so, he came to my father’s house and he met us as we sat in our father’s sitting room.

  “Hello sir! Welcome sir! Please have a seat sir!” Aina and I received this kidnapper with great respect especially when we saw the costly garment which he wore over his false hunchback and also the costly big horse tail which he held as if he was a chief.

  “This is the cold water, sir!” I ran to the pot and brought the cold water. I knelt down before him with great respect as I was giving him the water. After he drank it and rested for a few minutes, he asked from us as if he had not yet heard of the death of my father and mother:

  “By the way, where is your father?”

  “Father? Our father had died a few months ago!” Aina and I replied at a time with sorrow. “Died or what?” the kidnapper asked with a deceiving voice. “Yes, he had died and left us in his poverty!” both of us explained to him loudly.

  “Could you remember that your father warned you before he died that you must not forget—‘Remember The Day After Tomorrow’?” the kidnapper asked and pretended as if he was in grief.

  “Oh, yes, our father used to warn us always before his death that we must remember—‘Remember The Day After Tomorrow’, and he told us also that—‘Remember The Day After Tomorrow’ would come home soon after his death!” both of us exclaimed hastily.

  “Was that so? Good!” the kidnapper asked and then paused for a few minutes as he began to raise his head up and down in a slow motion as if he was thinking seriously about our father’s death. “Now, I confess to both of you that I am your eldest brother, whose name your father, before his death, was mentioning to you always. And my name is ‘Remember The Day After Tomorrow’ and I am this before you today [he stood up and posed himself with pride before us for a few minutes and then he sat back]. I was born and went to another town
before both of you were born. Therefore, both of you are my junior brother and sister because your father was my father as well. So I come today to stay with you and I shall be taking great care of you as well as our father did before he died. Even to believe that I am your eldest brother, the first born of our father! [the kidnapper stood up, he showed us his false hunchback and then he sat back.] Look at my hunchback.”

  “Yes, we believe that you are our eldest brother and your hunchback which resembles that of our father also proves that you are our eldest brother whose name is—‘Remember The Day After Tomorrow’,” the kidnapper had persuaded us with his trick and we admitted at the same time that he was our eldest brother.

  “By the way, where is you mother who is my mother as well?” the kidnapper asked from us loudly with trick.

  “Our mother died before the death of our father!” we replied with sorrow.

  “And so both of them had left you in their poverty?” the kidnapper asked as he lighted his long and curved smoking pipe.

  “Yes, we have already inherited their poverty!” we replied with tears.

  “Hoo—hoo—hoo!” the kidnapper, with his trick, having heard like that from us, he covered his head with both palms pretended to be weeping bitterly for some minutes. But he did all this also just to convince us that he was our eldest brother.