Moreover, his child was born in the month of Agemp Quly). But now it is known that the prince of Oba chose the destiny of poverty and wretchedness, the daughter of the Otun Oba chose the destiny of harmful brawls, while the boy of Kimi Adugbo chose the destiny of the multifarious evil characters from Creator before the three of them were coming to earth.
But according to the Babalawo’s prophecy as Alagemp was growing up it was so his characters were becoming more hostile. As soon as he had grown to manhood and as ‘it is impossible for evil-doer to refrain himself from his wickedness’, is that one night, after all people had slept deeply, Alagemp woke up, he went out cautiously into the premises which belonged to one of the neighbours. He loosened the rope with which one big ewe was tightened onto a wooden skewer, ready to be taken to the market in the morning.
But then Alagemp took the ewe to his father’s premises and he tightened it onto a pillar there. After, he went back to his room. But his intention was to take the animal to the market in the morning and sell it. But when ‘Esu’ or devil deceived Alagemp, he fell asleep, and it was already daybreak before he woke.
Now, ‘the lion is in open plain, the light is shone on it’. It was just so for Alagemp that morning. He could not take the ewe to the market, and so he could not return it into the premises from which he had stolen it.
But it was hardly daybreak when the owner of the animal began to search here and there in the neighbourhood for her ewe. A little after, she started to hear her animal crying loudly in the premises belonging to Kimi Adugbo, the Osi Oba, and he who was Alagemo’s father.
But ‘in a wink of monkey’, the owner of the animal went into the premises of Kimi Adugbo, and she found her animal there, tightened onto a pillar. But then without hesitation, she went direct to Kimi Adugbo. She complained to him that someone who had stolen her ewe had brought it into his premises. Hearing this, Kimi Adugbo was shocked and marvelled much so that he stood up at once. He followed the owner of the ewe to his premises.
He was overwhelmed by grief and shame entirely when he saw that it was true someone had tightened the ewe onto one pillar in his premises. But as ‘good character is a pride to a person’, is that the whole of the neighbours were very sure that Kimi Adugbo was not a thief at all. He hated thieves and robbers indeed. But they were sure that it was his son, Alagemo the evil-doer, who stole the ewe overnight and brought it into his father’s premises.
But if Kimi Adugbo had not been a true-hearted chief, thus his son would have put him in trouble. But when he punished his son severely, he confessed immediately that he was the one who stole the ewe in the mid-night.
But then without hesitation, and without mercy, Kimi Adugbo gave an order to the strong young men to go and kill Alagemo, his son, in the same way that thieves were killed. But when the crowd of people appeased him for many minutes to pardon his son, he reluctantly agreed to their appeal so that those people might not take him to be an obstinate and self-willed chief.
Although Kimi Adugbo respected the people’s appeal, in their presence and in great anger, he drove Alagemo, his son, away from his house immediately. Because ‘he who fears injuries should keep himself away from injurious things’.
Now, Alagemo began to wander about in the town. A few days later, when the people knew well that the whole evil characters which were on earth were in him, both old and young people gave him a nickname which was SLANDERER, and thus his real name Alagemo was soon forgotten.
As Alagemp, who is now known as Slanderer, was roaming about in the town, it was so he began to behave wickedly to the people. Sometimes he would bring his fellow raiders to the town. They would steal other people’s property and sell all at cheap prices. Sometimes, he would knowingly put people in serious trouble.
After a while. Slanderer saw one ruined house on the outskirts of the town. Then he began to live in it without fear. But of course he himself was fear of fears. This his ruined house was very close to one mighty iroko tree. But he was lucky that people used to bring sacrifices to this iroko tree often. Although the sacrifices were meant for the spirit which inhabited the tree, he was the one who used to eat those sacrifices for he was so lazy that he could not work for his daily living.
As years went on, it was so Slanderer’s wickednesses were becoming worse than ever. For this, old, young and children of the town had no rest of mind any more, because he used to cause confusions in the town. But of course, Kimi Adugbo, his ex-father, was certain that everything which the Babalawo had foretold about Slanderer would come to pass on him.
6
SLANDERER BECOMES
A CLOSE FRIEND
OF PAUPER
One evening, as Slanderer was going by the nooks and comers in the dark, looking for his dinner, because he was nearly dead from hunger at that time, for he was so lazy that he could not make farm, he met Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, by chance. And Pauper was carrying one dead she-goat along to his house, from which he and his wife. Brawler, were going to eat as their dinner. That dead she-goat had been thrown in the incinerator and it had already swelled out to the state of bursting just in a few hours’ time.
As Pauper was carrying this rotten animal along to his house, immediately Slanderer saw him. He shouted and greeted Pauper very well. Pauper too responded to his greeting with a lovely voice. Then Slanderer, with his cunnings, shouted to Pauper: ‘My friend, put your dead she-goat on my head and let me help you carry it to your house!’
‘O I thank you much! Come and help me carry it!’ So Pauper put the dead animal on Slanderer’s head. But as both of them were going along abreast. Slanderer asked Pauper for the part of the town in which he lived. Pauper replied that he was living on the outskirts of the town.
‘It is on the outskirts of the town that I live too!’
‘Which part?’ Pauper asked.
‘I live near a certain mighty iroko tree!’
Tf that is so, my own house is not far from that iroko tree! That means we are the same neighbours then!’ Pauper was happy that he at last got another neighbour.
Soon, Pauper and Slanderer came to his house. Then he told Slanderer to put the dead she-goat down in front of the house. Then the two of them entered his house. He showed Slanderer every part of his house without knowing him before.
But Slanderer had a great shock when he first saw how Brawler, Pauper’s wife, was brawling hotly up and down in the house so much that she was entirely soaked by her sweat.
‘But who is this woman?’ Slanderer asked in fear. ‘Or you and a madwoman are living together?’ Slanderer asked again in fear. ‘Does she bite people?’
‘O no! She does not bite at all! But she is simply brawling and she is my wife!’ Pauper explained to Slanderer.
After, both of them returned to the front of the house. They burnt off the hair of the dead she-goat. And having cut it into pieces. Brawler, without stopping her brawls once, came to the outside. Having cooked some of it together with other kind of food, she served some of the meat to Pauper and Slanderer. But she could not eat that which she served herself much because of her harmful brawls. But Pauper and Slanderer ate their own to their satisfaction.
Soon after Pauper and Slanderer, his friend, had eaten from the dead she-goat. Slanderer asked him: ‘What is your name, my friend?’ For he had not known Pauper’s name since they had met. But Pauper told him that the people of the town were calling him Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness. He explained further to Slanderer that the people gave him the name when they saw that his poverty and wretchedness were such that he was wearing only dirty rags about every day.
Pauper told Slanderer further that he was the prince of that Laketu town. He told him that in the long run the Oba, his father, drove him away from his palace when he saw that the destiny which he chose from Creator was poverty and wretchedness. He explained to Slanderer that he did not believe at all that there was anything like destiny.
Pauper explained further to Slanderer that the Babalawo had
foretold in his ‘esent’aye’ that he would become an Oba in a faraway town. He again disclosed to Slanderer that of course his close friend’s cunnings would dethrone him, but then he would return to his former poverty and wretchedness. It was like that Pauper related his story to his friend. Slanderer, that night.
‘Thank you very much Pauper. I have heard all your story clean and clear. But what is forcing your wife to brawl hotly like that?’ Slanderer asked from Pauper.
‘Thank you very much. Slanderer. Just so we should ask. You see, my wife is the daughter of the Qtun Oba. But the day that the Babalawo read her ‘esent’aye’ or her destiny, the Ifa disclosed that she would be brawling throughout her lifetime on earth and that she would be fighting throughout her lifetime on earth, because she is destined mainly for all that!’ Pauper told Slanderer further that: ‘But when my wife’s brawls were overmuch, then her father, the Qtun Oba, drove her away from his house. But one day, we met each other in our wandering in the town. Then I married her!’ Pauper said.
‘Hun-un!’ Slanderer took a full breath. ‘That means you, the husband’s, destiny is poverty and wretchedness while that of your wife is brawls and fight?’ Slanderer asked Pauper with his usual cunning.
‘You are correct!’ Pauper replied. ‘But as for me, I don’t believe in destiny at all!’ Pauper shook his head.
‘Now, I have told you all about myself, my friend. But I wish you to tell me your own story as well!’ Pauper wanted to hear Slanderer’s biography.
‘Thank you very much. Pauper. It is so we should ask!’ Slanderer started his own story, he said: ‘As you. Pauper, are the ex-prince of this our Laketu town, and as the father of your wife is the daughter of the Qtun Oba. It is so my own father, Kimi Adugbo (the stronghold of neighbourhood) is Osi Oba (left-hand man to the Oba).’
Slanderer went on, he said: ‘My father expelled me away from his house when he saw that the destiny which I chose from Creator was bad indeed. But it was not so long before the people of the town started to call me Slanderer instead of my real name, Alagemo!’
Slanderer continued his biography, he said: ‘The sorts of destiny which I chose from Creator are the evil characters, such as raider, outlaw, outrage, truant, a wild fellow, sluggard, traitor, confusionist, a tale-bearer, a great cheater, double-dealer, plotter, etc. etc., just to mention a few. Because there are still other kinds of uncountable characters which are too terrible to hear, in my hand. And I behave as some of these evil characters every day!’
Slanderer went further, he said: ‘Moreover, I am still looking for a chance to take revenge on my father, Kimi Adugbo, for the severe punishment which he gave me the day that I stole one ewe!’
‘But why? You alone have all these kinds of evil characters? Haa! I am afraid, your evil characters are too many!’ Pauper shouted suddenly in great zeal. And Brawler, too, shouted greatly at Slanderer with her hot brawls.
Slanderer went on in his biography, he told Pauper that: ‘But of course the Babalawo had foretold to my father long ago that in my wandering I would reach a faraway town and the people of that town would install me their Qtun Oba!’
Slanderer shortened his biography, he told Pauper that: ‘The Babalawo told my father further that, although it was a pity, after I had enjoyed much while on the throne, I would cause something by my cunnings which would dethrone me. And that my same cunnings would cause also the dethronement of the Oba who was on the throne before I became his Qtun. But then I would go back to my former distress and my horrible evil characters. But then I would continue my punishments all about until I would be vanished on earth!’ Thus Slanderer told his biography in brief to Pauper that night.
7
PAUPER AND SLANDERER
DEBATE ON DESTINY
‘But, anyway, I have not even a slight belief that there is something which is called destiny!’ Pauper shook his head to left and right. He made it clear to Slanderer.
‘Haaa! Pauper, don’t say so any more! Really, there is destiny! Hoo, that means you don’t understand that your poverty and wretchedness are your destiny?’ Slanderer made Pauper understand that deshny existed, as he looked at him sternly.
‘Nevertheless I shall not believe that my poverty and wretchedness are my destiny!’ Pauper disagreed entirely.
‘That means you don’t know that my destiny is my wicked characters with which I behave to people every day? Answer me. Pauper!’ Slanderer tried to make Pauper believe that destiny existed.
‘I repeat it with confidence, there is no destiny at all!’ Pauper shouted to Slanderer in great anger.
‘I say it again and I confirm it again, there is destiny!’ Slanderer shouted to Pauper in passion.
‘But I do not agree with you at all! There is nothing as such!’ Pauper shouted in uncontrolled anger.
Now, both friends stood up. In anger, they were pointing fingers to each others’ faces, as they were perspiring continuously.
‘I shall never believe in anything which is uncertainty!’ Pauper pushed Slanderer’s nose with a finger.
‘All right! All right! That is all right! Just take it cool!’ Slanderer called Pauper to order.
‘All right. Slanderer, throw more light on destiny!’ Pauper said, and then he hesitated.
‘All right, Pauper, tell me why your father, the Oba, expelled you from his Aafin?’
‘Yes, my father expelled me in respect of my poverty and wretchedness when they are more complicated than human knowledge!’
‘Oh well! Okay, it isn’t bad yet. But let us suspend our debate on destiny for another time, because a furious debate as this one spoils friendship. But sooner or later, when we start our endless journey, according to what the Ifa had foresaid, then it will be clear to you that there is no doubt, destiny exists, and that it rules every human being. And moreover, you will understand well that it is your destiny which is troubling you so much that you are wearing only rags all about every day!’ Slanderer said.
‘All that the Ifa,’ Slanderer continued, ‘had said about one’s ‘esent’aye’ will never fail but it will come to pass!’ It was like that Slanderer reminded Pauper of all that the Ifa had said about them in the past. And then they suspended their furious debate.
They sat back without wrestling with each other, because Slanderer was lazy and he could not fight. But of course, ‘when there is no third person, that is why two persons fight to death’. But the worst of it was that Brawler who was the third person among Pauper and Slanderer, should have been the mediator for them. But her continuous hot brawls did not let her pay heed to the hot debate which caused the quarrel between Slanderer and Pauper.
When it was time to sleep. Pauper and Slanderer entered the room and they slept. Even if Brawler’s brawls interfered with Slanderer’s sleep so much that he was unable to sleep well, yet he was happy that he and Pauper had become close friends.
In the morning and after both friends had eaten from the dead she-goat with other food. Pauper followed Slanderer to his house but he did not keep so long before he returned to his house. Thus the two friends were visiting each other every day. But being as Slanderer had no food in his house to eat, he was lucky that he got it in Pauper’s house every time.
But as it is ‘what will happen to someone makes him senseless’, is that Pauper trusted Slanderer heartily without knowing that he was an entirely unforeseen evil-doer and a great traitor.
But, as I have said earlier, Pauper sowed two grains of orange in front and back and also two each on both sides of his house. As soon as the trees grew up they started to bear oranges. Each of the trees yielded one hundred oranges every year. Even though Pauper’s poverty and wretchedness were so powerful that they were infecting all of his crops so much that they were unhealthy and each was as small as an egg, the oranges which those trees yielded were very good and their sweetness was much better than all other oranges in Laketu town. As they were so sweet, all Pauper’s neighbours used to come to him every time and ask him to give them some t
o suck.
8
CREATOR SENDS HIS IKQ
TO PAUPER AND BRAWLER
Just as Pauper, the Father of Wretchedness, and his wife. Brawler, continued to live in poverty, wretchedness, brawls and fight, Creator saw them and He was much filled with pity for their unrest of minds, so that one morning he sent one of His Iko or messengers to them, to ask from each of them the kind of help which he or she wished Him to do for him or her, although their destiny would not miss them.
So the Iko came down to their town, Laketu. As soon as he walked zigzag in the town, he came to their doorway and then he stopped there. But being as ‘it is the sender of a message the messenger should fear and not to whom he is sent’, for this, without fear. Creator’s Iko began to knock at Pauper’s door and with respect, he was greeting loudly: ‘Good morning to you here! Good morning to all here.’
‘Good morning to you! Please come in!’ Pauper responded, but poverty and wretchedness showed clearly in his voice. But Brawler’s hot brawls did not let her hear that somebody was knocking at their door.
However, Creator’s Iko entered the house. When he stood in front of Pauper with smiles, he shouted: ‘Creator sends a message of happiness to you, Pauper and your wife. Brawler!’
‘Creator sends a message of happiness to me and my wife or what?’ Pauper was greatly startled and then he moved back a bit from the Iko before he asked.
‘Certainly, Creator has sent a good message to you and your wife!’ Creator’s Iko confirmed with a smile.
‘But who are you?’ in fear and trembling. Pauper asked. But of course, the hot brawls of his wife which forced her to go here and there in the house did not let her pay heed to the discussion which was going on between her husband and the Iko.
Pauper, Brawler and Slanderer Page 3
