Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty

by Amos Tutuola

  When we trekked in the town for about twenty minutes we came to the residence of his disciples. They were six in all. All had already dressed up in their uniforms before we arrived there. So without hesitation, they took their drums and then the whole of us followed their master who was the head of the drummers. After a while we came to the residence of the Creator. As soon as the gate-keeper who was in white attire opened the main gate, the whole of us entered. When we were at a distance of about three hundred yards to the throne of the Creator, then the head of the drummers and his six disciples began to beat their drums and they were singing as we were getting nearer to the throne.

  When the whole of us walked stately to the distance of one hundred yards to the throne and as the head of the drummers and his disciples were still glorifying the Creator with their drums and song. One holy man came out to us, he spoke gently to the head of the drummers to stop their drums and song. When they stopped, he asked from him: “Who are these three persons?” The head of the drummers explained to him that the three of us were complainants who had come to the Creator for complacency. He told him as well that we had left our town for more than six months. Then the holy man allowed the head of the drummers and his six disciples to enter. He led them to the Creator and we saw them no more except the sound of their drums which we were just hearing faintly. It was like that we were not allowed to enter and see the Creator personally by this holy man.

  But thirty minutes later, this holy man came back to us with one big book and one big pen in hand. When he came to us, he stood in front of us, he opened the big book, he first read out all the sins that which each of us had committed. Having read them out to us, he lifted his head up and said: “It is a pity that none of you is qualified to see the Creator personally because of your sins! However, I shall write down now the complaints of each of you and then present it to the Creator!” When this holy man told us like that he moved to the right where Ojo stood. He asked him: “Yes, what is your own complaint?” Ojo explained to him: “My own complaint is that I am the poorest man in my own town. I am a hard working man but my debts were increasing instead. Therefore I wish the Creator to give ‘me the money which I can spend throughout my life time without even working! That is my own complaint which I bring before the Creator!”

  So as soon as this holy man wrote Ojo’s complaint down in the big book which was in his hand he turned to Alabi. He said: “Yes, what is your own complaint?” Alabi explained with great sorrow: “My own complaint is that I am a real hard working man. I am so strong that I was doing the work in the farm daily. My a day’s work was doubled that of any of my colleagues yet I am the poorest man in my village. I got no money to marry a lady like my colleagues but I am in debts instead. Therefore, I wish the Creator to give me more than fifty thousand pounds! And that is my own complaint which I bring to the Creator!”

  Then as soon as this holy man wrote Alabi’s complaint down, he turned to me. He asked: “Yes, what is your own complaint? Is it all about money as well as the first two men?” But when he asked from me like that I first breathed out heavily and with tears rolling down my cheeks, I first told him my name (Ajaiyi): “You see, my name is Ajaiyi! I am the poorest man in the world! You see, my own poverty have been inherited from my father and mother. Both of them had died long ago and left me in their poverty! I am a hard working man but the more I work hard the more my poverty is increasing! As I am growing up it is so my poverty is growing up along with me! I have been to several towns and villages in order to get money but I got poverty instead! Furthermore, I went to the red sea in order to get the money, only my colleagues with whom I went returned with a lot of money but I alone returned with poverty. And thus my other colleagues went to the blue sea, they too returned with abundants of wealths but I alone returned with abundants of the poverties! Furthermore, I have been driven away from my village from quite a long time by poverty! Now, what I wish the Creator to do for me is to give me several thousands of pounds so that I may be free from my poverty!” But when I explained my own grievances to the holy man. He shook his head with wonder. Then as soon as he wrote my complaints down in the big book of his hand, he told us to wait and then he entered the residence of the Creator with the book. Then the three of us were waiting with the hope that he would soon return to us with uncountable bags of money.

  But we waited and waited for good four days in vain. He did not return to us or to come out for another purpose whatsoever. As we were still waiting there although food and drinks were giving to us regularly by the servants of this holy man, it was so millions of people from the four corners of the world were arriving and they met us there. Everyone of them brought his or her own problems to the Creator to be solved. But all of their problems were about money like ours.

  But when it was the seventh day that he had left us there, he returned to us but with the same big book instead of money. Immediately he returned he stood in front of us, he opened the big book and then started to read out to us the comments of the Creator concerning our problems: “Now, you should listen to the Creator’s comments on your requests. The Creator Almighty said that since the three of you have not asked for the heavenly thing but money. And since the money is the father of all evils and the creator of all insincerities of the world. Therefore, if you don’t want something from this town of the Creator which can bring you out of your sins but only money which rules the world. You should go back to your town or village to seek for the Devil, the ruler of the world. He will certainly give you the money that which you require! Please, go to the Devil, the enemy of Truth. He is not in this town! Please, turn your backs to this residence of the Creator and leave here now!”

  When this holy man read out to us the Creator’s comments on our requests like that and then told us to leave the town immediately. The three of us bursted in tears at the same time. And without hesitation, we left the town of the Creator with the empty hands for our village. But it was not certain whether we would reach the village without being killed in the jungles by the evil spirits, monsters, etc., etc.

  Although we enjoyed good food and drinks and we visited many places and we learned many useful lessons but as “a tortoise’s shell is a house of the poverty and if the tortoise is taken to the wealthy town, yet it will still be living in its own house of poverty”, so we took our poverty back with us. This was a great pity to us.

  WE LEFT THE TOWN OF THE CREATOR WITH EMPTY HANDS

  A foreign town will never be so attractive that one would not prefer to go home.

  *

  But of course we were returning to our village but we were carrying our poverty back to the village as well. Although “a foreign town will never be so attractive that one would not prefer to go back home”, but there was no one who would go to this town of the Creator would prefer to leave there if he was not forced to leave. But of course there was nothing like money in this town of the Creator. All of the inhabitants hated money as it was the father of all evils and the creator of all insincerities of the world.

  However, the three of us kept going as we were weeping bitterly for our disappointment to get the money from the Creator as we supposed him to do. Having trekked till six o’clock in the evening, we came to the end of the road on which we had been travelling from the town of the Creator. Then we continued our journey in the forest. But we could not travel so far in it when the darkness did not allow us to see again, then we stopped. And as there was a big rock, we climbed it, we sat down on top of it. But as it was the dry season, the moonbeam was so clear that we saw ourselves and the surrounding of that place clearly.

  So without fear we began to decide again whether to go to another town probably we could succeed to get the money from there. But as we were still thinking of the next town to go and did not know, Ojo told us that he knew the town of the god of Iron. When he mentioned the name of the god of Iron, we first refused to go there because he (god of Iron) was very tough and cruel and that he might kill us and drink our bloo
d instead to give us the money. However, at last when we did not know any other town to go again, we expelled our fear and we agreed to go to him. But we did not know the exact place that his town was. But as soon as the three of us agreed to start to find where his town was we fell asleep unexpectedly.

  In the following morning, it was hardly daybreak when I first woke. But when I saw that there was nothing happened to the three of us, I woke Ojo and Alabi. I told them loudly to stand up and let us continue our journey because we had not yet reached where we were going to and that we had not got the money in respect of which we had left the village from a long time. Having told them boldly like that, they did not hesitate to wake up. Then with our cutlasses, etc. we continued our journey in this forest. Having travelled till twelve o’clock, we came to one monkey-nut tree. We stopped under this tree, Ojo climbed it to the top, he plucked many nuts down. When he came down, we ate these nuts to our satisfaction but there was no any stream near this place from which we could get water to drink.

  However, when we rested for about one hour, we continued our journey in this same forest. But of course we were very lucky that we were not disturbed by any harmful creature for about four months that we were travelling in the thick forests and jungles except the wasps and bees which were stinging us as we were travelling along. Thus we were travelling along until one day when we came to one wide footpath. When we came to this footpath unexpectedly we stopped, we began to think whether to continue our journey on it. At last we decided to be travelling along on it perhaps we might come to a big town at the end of it.

  Having rested for a while, we stood up, we began to travel along on it. But when we had travelled about three miles, Ojo understood that it was the road which led to the town of god of Iron. However, we kept going along on it until we travelled for two hours. When we were about to stop to rest, because we were then tired. We came to one strong gate which crossed this road. So without hesitation and with bravery, I knocked at the door of this gate. I knocked at it so heavily that a person who was at a distance of two miles away heard it clearly. I shouted loudly: “Give way for us to pass in, the gate-keeper! Give way, the gate-keeper!” With a fearful voice the gate-keeper shouted greatly: “Yes, the way is clear! But are you versed in mystery or an ignorant person?”

  Without hesitation and with bravery, I replied: “The three of us are surely versed in mystery and we are not ignorant persons!” But as I replied boldly like that, this gate-keeper did not believe me. And instead to open the gate for us, he took his long spear. As he was opening the gate just to come to us to pierce us to death with the spear, we appeared in front of him unexpectedly without opening the gate for us. Without hesitation, and with fearless voice, I greeted him: “Good sunrise!” (about ten o’clock in the morning). This god of Iron’s gate-keeper was greatly shocked when he saw the three of us in front of him without opening the gate for us. And before he answered to my greeting, I stretched my left hand (this is the hand of mystery) to him and I shook hands with him fearlessly and I spoke to him with a cheerful voice.

  As this gate-keeper scowled at us, he asked: “By the way, where are you coming from and where are you going to?” But before I answered to his question, I first winked to Ojo and Alabi to keep calm. Then I explained to him: “We are returning from the town of the Creator but now we wish to see the god of Iron!” With another fearful voice, this giant-like gate-keeper asked again: “What are you going to see the god of Iron for!” Again with bravery, I replied: “Please, the gate-keeper, don’t take it as an insult, I cannot tell you what we are going to see the god of Iron for. It is a secret which is best known to us but when we see him with our own eyes, we shall tell him what we come to him for!”

  “Then in a friendly words, the gate-keeper explained to us: “Yes, you are right to tell me that what you come to tell my lord, the god of Iron, is a secret which you could not disclose to me. I do not take it as an offence, but before you can see the god of Iron, the greatest hero of all the other gods, the most merciless god who has water in the house but bathes with the blood of man, you will remain at this gate for about ten days. Because the god of Iron is not available at present and he will not be available until ten days. He is now in his smithery shop and he is so busy that he can not attend to even his own followers how much more for visitors like you, who are really his animals!” But when this gate-keeper explained to us like that the three of us were so feared that we were confused at the same moment. We did not know what to do again.

  After a while, I told Ojo and Alabi to let us return from this gate to our village because I did not want to loose my life although I was in great poverty. I hardly suggested like that with fear when Alabi asked from the gate-keeper: “Please, gate-keeper, what is your lord, the god of Iron, doing in his smithery shop which will keep him there for ten days? You know, we are in hurry to see him!” Then the gate-keeper replied without hesitation: “Thank you! the god of Iron is preparing for his yearly festival which will be started in five days time and the celebrations of the festival will last for ten days!”

  But when this gate-keeper explained to us like that, Ojo told him that we could not wait for ten days at the gate for we wanted to see him (god of Iron) as quickly as possible so that we might return to our village in time. Ojo hardly explained to him like that when he said with great anger: “Well, if you do not believe all I have told you, I don’t mind to take you to his deputy. But as soon as the deputy sees the three of you, he will be happy to detain you until the arrival of the god of Iron who will sacrifice you, together with the thousands of other people who had already been captured, to his gods during the time of celebrations of his yearly festival! As you said before that you were in hurry to see the god of Iron because you wanted to return to your village in time. It is not so at all. I am perfectly sure, once the god of Iron has seen you, not you will return to that your village again but your own spectres because he will kill you immediately! Now, I advise the three of you to discuss together whether to return from this gate to your village!”

  When this gate-keeper explained further to us like that, we walked to a short distance from him so that he might not hear our discussions. Then we discussed together. Alabi first suggested whether we should follow the advise of the gate-keeper or not. But Ojo hastily objected to his suggestion. He said that we must not follow the gate-keeper’s advice at all. When Ojo said so, I asked him that why we should not follow his advice. Then he made it clear to us that he was sure, the gate-keeper was just deceiving us that the god of Iron was busy in his smithery shop and that he would sacrifice us to his gods if we went to him this time he was preparing to celebrate his yearly festival.

  When Ojo said that he did not believe the gate-keeper’s advice, I said: “I too did not believe the gate-keeper’s advice. Probably he knew that if we could get in touch with him (god of Iron) and tell him that we want him to help us to get money he would give us thousands of bags of money. And I am sure, he would not kill us if we meet him, we are not animals. Therefore we should tell the gate-keeper to lead us to him or his deputy and we should not agree to wait at the gate for ten days or to return from the gate to our village as he had told us to do, perhaps he was just decoying us to kill us or to sell us as slaves! Let us go back to him (gate-keeper) now and tell him to take us to the god of Iron or his deputy”.

  When I told Ojo and Alabi like that, then the three of us went back to the gate-keeper, we told him that we could not wait for ten days at the gate and we could not return from there to our village without seeing the god of Iron, therefore we wanted him to take us to him (god of Iron). It was like that we insisted to see the god of Iron. Without hesitation the gate-keeper took his dart or spear which was more than eleven feet long with many sharp branches of iron on top. Then he began to lead us along on the road to the town of the god of Iron as he pointed his fearful spear to us.

  WE ARE NOW IN THE GOD OF IRON’S TOWN

  There are uncountable skulls at the god of Iro
n’s shrine; but many of the people who were killed were innocent.

  (The shrine of the god of Iron was the place of execution of the people who were condemned to death in former days.)

  Truths are failed to sell in the market but lies are purchased with high price without pricing it. The rope of the truth is thin but there is nobody who can cut it; the rope of lie is as thick as a large pillar but it can be cut easily into a thousand pieces.

  *

  As soon as this giant-like gate keeper of the god of Iron led us to the palace of the god of Iron, his master, he took us to the deputy of the god of Iron. He hardly handed us to him when he returned to the gate. Then as we stood before the deputy, he asked from us whether we came there to surrender ourselves to be sacrificed to the god of Iron. But the three of us hardly shook heads and said “no” but we came there just to ask the god of Iron to give us money, when he jumped up from his seat with great anger. He took one of the heavy clubs of iron which were scattered all over the floor. Then without mercy, he beat us for one hour. When he saw that we fell down and fainted, then he told some of his attendants to drag us to one fence. This fence was made of the strong irons by the god of Iron. And there we met more than two thousand captives and also uncountable of animals as dogs, goats, etc. All of them were kept in this fence to be killed for the celebration of the god of Iron’s yearly festival and the three of us were now among those who would be killed.