by Amos Tutuola
“So, I thank you very much, Mr Lawyer ‘Supreme Second’ for activities and pains you have taken in the cases! So, now, I postpone the two cases till when I hear the public opinions about them. Goodbye!”
It was like that the deceptive Judge “Kidney” concluded. But the Lawyer, my “Supreme Second”, hastily advised again: “But it would have been better if your worship could pardon both Mr First ‘Mind’ and Mr Second ‘Mind’ instead of seeking the public opinions about the cases!” But the Judge replied at the same time: “No. I am not happy to pardon them but to give them certain punishments is my happiness and contentment. For I must do justice!” Judge “Kidney” emphasized.
Then he packed all the white sheets of the flat shell and his two round shell lead-pencils. As soon as he had put them in his hand-bag, he stood up to go, but as he moved his feet he could not see the way through because of the thick fog. As soon as my “Supreme Second”, who was my Lawyer, took his big law-book he was disguised. The day which was lurid and the thick fog disappeared suddenly and then the sun began to shine. So it was at this time when the day was clear that the Judge “Kidney” could go back to my shadow which was thrown on the floor behind me by the sunbeam. Then as soon as he walked to the shadow and stood on it, he disappeared unexpectedly.
But as soon as he had disappeared, I felt that my kidney which was not in its position in me, and that its work which it had been performing in me before it was stopped for the time it was absent, had continued immediately it returned to its position in me. Yet as a dream to me, my “memory”, which had made the accusations against my first “mind” and second “mind”, changed from its deceptive human figures to the thick grey smoke as before, and then it rushed direct into my nostrils and from there into my skull. But to my surprise, it had hardly returned into my skull when every word which the Judge and the Lawyer said came to my memory.
So now as I began to wonder how both my first “mind” and second “mind” were to be punished, both of them which were also deceptive human figures changed back to the form of the thick grey smoke suddenly. Then the grey smoke rushed into my nostrils and from there into my chest. But as soon as both my “minds” and my “memory” had returned to their respective positions in me, I was able to mind things, I could think and I could memorize things.
So it was on this day I understood that everybody is created “double”. The one which is not visible to us is called “Supreme Second”. One’s “Supreme Second” is powerful more than him or her, and it is forbidden for one to see his or her own “Supreme Second”, otherwise he or she will die the very day or the day following that on which he or she has seen his or her “Supreme Second”. But one’s friend or so may see or meet on the way, his or her friend’s “Supreme Second”.
So it was at this time I understood that the day which became lurid, and the thick fog which came all over the hall, were wilfully caused by my “Supreme Second” who was the Lawyer, so that I might not be able to see him.
Now as I could memorize, think and mind things, I took the two-headed spear of the devil and many other things which I had brought to the hall and showed to the people so that they might believe the story of my journeys. Then with perfect body, I left the hall.
But as I was going along in the town to my father’s house, there came to my memory again the kinds of punishments which could be given to my first “mind” and second “mind”, and which could not disturb them from performing their duties to my body. But anything which might happen to me will also happen to my “Supreme Second”. But who could help me to solve this problem—which really puzzled me? Thus I began to think of this thing with confusion until I reached the house at noon.
So I ate and drank to my satisfaction as the people of the town were still beating the drums, singing, dancing, eating and drinking about in the town in respect of the human sacrifice which was abolished by the god and goddess of the river in respect of the two “removable heads” which I gave them. And the merriment ended in front of my father’s house in the evening of the seventh day that it had started. But as soon as the merriment was ended, the old people told my wife to bring her baby to the front of the house and in front of the two-headed spear which I had pegged on the ground, they blessed the baby and after, the whole of them returned to their houses with hilarity which could not be described.
About the Author
Amos Tutuola was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1920. The son of a cocoa farmer, he attended several schools before training as a blacksmith. He later worked as a civil servant. His first novel, The Palm-Wine Drinkard, was published in 1952 and brought him international recognition. From 1956 until retirement, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Company while continuing to write. His last book, The Village Witch Doctor and Other Stories, was published in 1990. He died in Ibadan in 1997.
By the Same Author
THE PALM-WINE DRINKARD
MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS
SIMBI AND THE SATYR OF THE DARK JUNGLE
THE BRAVE AFRICAN HUNTRESS
FEATHER WOMAN OF THE JUNGLE
AJAIYI AND HIS INHERITED POVERTY
PAUPER, BRAWLER AND SLANDERER
THE VILLAGE WITCH DOCTOR AND OTHER STORIES
Copyright
This ebook edition first published in 2014
by Faber and Faber Ltd
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
All rights reserved
© The Estate of Amos Tutuola, 1981
Cover design by Faber
The right of Amos Tutuola to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly
ISBN 978–0–571–31139–2
