Ajaiyi and His Inherited Poverty

by Amos Tutuola

  Then as soon as she had explained to him like that, he bent down, he threw the corals on the floor and then told me that I did not carry any evil spirit to his shrine but the pure corals which he was going to sell for more than four thousand pounds. But to my surprise, when he threw these corals on the floor from the pot, I saw that in fact they were pure corals and not evil spirit as I had thought they were. Then he said loudly that if his wife had not agreed with me to escape to my village she should not have told me the secret of the corals. Then he with the help of his families pulled off the dresses of my body and then they wore my old dirty rags for me. After that they pushed me to the tree under which my lump of the iron was.

  Then he bent down and began to incantate. Within a few minutes, the evil spirit of this lump of the iron came out from unknown place in form of a thick smoke and it entered the lump of the iron. To my fear, as soon as it had entered it back, this lump of the iron became alive. It started to make its usual terrible noises. Then without hesitation, he and his families put it on my head. And then they pushed me out of the shrine together with his wife. He told me that I should carry my burden which he had taken from me away from his town.

  As I was carrying this talking terrible lump of the iron away from this town it was so I was cursing this youngest wife and it was so she too was cursing me loudly as she was going to her father’s town. Thus both of us were driven away from this Devil-doctor’s town with great shame. And it was like that I left this town with my poverty, with my usual burdens of the talking lump of the iron, with my usual dirty rags, with my old matchet and bag but without half a penny in hand.

  Having travelled far away from the Devil-doctor’s town, I put my talking lump of the iron down, I sat before it and then I began to think where to go again. But when I did not know where to go again. Furthermore, I had now fed up to go to another town or village for money. Therefore, I put in mind to go back to my village which I had left several years ago in respect of my inherited poverty.

  Having put my talking lump of the iron back on my head, I continued to travel along on the road. But with much difficulties, I came back to Ojo’s and Alabi’s village. When I came there, I asked for them with the hope to spend some days with them as the three of us were friends before. But I was greatly shocked when the people of their village told me that both of them had died a few weeks ago. They told me further that both died in the same midnight. When they told me so I remembered that six years ago, the Devil had shortened their lives from sixty-six to six years before he gave them uncountable bags of money in the midnight that they became his followers, but I refused to be his follower that midnight.

  But I was not allowed to stay and rest for some days in this village when the people saw this talking lump of the iron on my head. However, I left there the same day. Thus I was carrying this lump of the iron to my village but with much difficulties. And within a few days that I had left Ojo’s and Alabi’s village, I reached my own village at about nine o’clock in the morning. As I was carrying it along in the village, and when the people saw me. They thought that I had become mad because of the dirty rags which I wore and also the talking lump of the iron which I carried instead to carry good thing. However, with great shame, I carried it to the house and I put it in one of the rooms.

  After that I swept the whole house and compound as well. Having done so, I sat in my father’s sitting room. After a while, many people came in to greet me for my safety return because many of them thought that I had been killed or died.

  THE WITCH DOCTOR AND I IN MY VILLAGE

  A tormentor forces his victims to be hardy.

  *

  Although I came back to my village safely but I came back with my usual poverty which I had inherited from my father and mother before they died. I came back with dirty rags on my body, with my long sharp matchet, with another burden which was the terrible talking lump of the iron which the god of the Iron gave me when Ojo, Alabi and I visited his town when the three of us were returning from the town of the Creator. But I came back without half a penny although Ojo and Alabi were successful to get the money from Devil but both of them had died after they had enjoyed the money for only six years.

  As the people of my village were coming to greet me it was so some of them were bringing food and drinks to me. I asked for my junior sister, AINA, from the people but they told me that she and her husband had left the village for the next one some years ago. Having heard so, I sent for her and she and her husband came and greeted me. Having spent two days with me they returned to their village.

  But one day, when the people who came to greet me were leaving for their houses, according to our custom, I led them to a short distance. I had forgotten that I must not be too far from the talking lump of the iron. To my fear and the people’s, it shouted horribly and within a second it rolled heavily on the ground to the outside. As it began to warn me loudly that I must come back and put him on head before leading these people. Having seen this talking lump of the iron and as it was too fearful and strange to them. They fled away to their houses at the same time. So since this day the people of the village stopped to come to my house. But as I could not go and visit people without carrying it along with me, I stayed at home always. But I could not continue to do so for a long time because there was nothing for me to eat. Furthermore it did not allow me to go and work in the farm.

  One morning, I sat down and began to think how I could be free from this talking lump of the iron for I was then nearly to die of hunger. After a while it came to my mind to carry it to Aina, my junior sister, in the next village, perhaps she and her husband would be able to feed me. Although I had the power to work for my living but this lump of the iron would not allow me to go out. Then in the following morning I put it on my head, I went to Aina and her husband with it. Luckily, I met both of them at home, they had not gone to the farm yet. As they saw me perspiring as if I had bathed they hastily helped me to put it down in one corner of their house. Having given me some minutes to rest, Aina gave me food.

  But as I started to eat the food, she and her husband began to look at me with confusion. They were not sure whether or not I was mad. In fact, they were not to be blamed if they thought that I was mad because a person who was normal would never attempt to put such an ugly heavy lump of the iron as this on his head. But they did not know that it was not an ordinary lump of the iron. However, after I ate the food to my satisfaction, I told them what it was and also all the burdens which it was giving me. I told them further that the god of the Iron had given it to me to be worshipping it as my god.

  Having told them the story of this talking lump of the iron, Aina’s husband told me that he would take me to the great god of the Iron worshipper of that village. Without hesitation he and his wife, Aina, helped me to put it on my head. After that he took me to the great god of the Iron worshipper. He begged him to take it from me so that I might be free from the burdens that which it was giving me. Luckily, this great god of the Iron worshipper agreed to take it from me. But he told me to pay eight pounds to be spent for the sacrifice which he would make after the evil spirit of the lump of the iron had been driven back to the god of the Iron by his incantations.

  But when he told me to pay eight pounds, I told him that I had no even half a penny in hand unless he would allow me to pawn myself to him for the money. I promised him that I would be working for him until when I would refund the eight pounds. He agreed when Aina’s husband persuaded him but he told me that I should be working on his farm for one-third of the day everyday until I would pay him the eight pounds. When he said so I told him that I agreed to do so. Then on our presence, he sent for some dogs, cocks, etc. When all these things were brought, he incantated on this talking lump of the iron for many minutes before the thick smoke rushed out of it. As soon as the smoke disappeared he killed the dogs, etc. But the thick smoke was just like the figure of a human being, it was very ugly and its shape was not clear at all. It was like that I was fre
e from this terrible talking lump of the iron although I pawned myself for money for my freedom.

  Having thanked him greatly, we came back to the house and when I spent some days with Aina and her husband, I returned to my village. Now as I was free from the terrible talking lump of the iron, it was so I was free to go and work on the farm of the god of the Iron worshipper for one-third of the day everyday. And it was so I was free to go and work on my own farm for the rest two-third of the day for my leaving. Now I was happy although I was still in my poverty.

  After some years, the people of the village advised me to find one lady to marry. I agreed but there was no money to pay for the dowry. Having explained to them like that they advised me again to pawn myself for money which was to be paid for the dowry. And I agreed to this advice as well. So after a few days, I went to another village, I contacted one wealthy pawnbroker who lived there. I pawned myself for the sum of twenty pounds. He told me that I should be working on his farm everyday for one-third of the day and I agreed. Now I had already pawned myself to two pawnbrokers for money and I was working on their farms everyday for two-thirds of the day and I was working on my own farm for the rest one-third of the day.

  After a few weeks that I had got the twenty pounds, I found one beautiful and sensible lady. The twenty pounds was paid to her parents as her dowry and then she came to my house. Thus I married at last. But as I had already pawned myself to two pawnbrokers. I was working on the farm of the first one who had taken the talking iron from me, from seven o’clock to eleven o’clock in the morning. And I was working on the farm of the other who had given me the twenty pounds, from twelve o’clock to three o’clock in the afternoon. After that I was working on my own farm from four o’clock till the sunset. Thus I was doing everyday. Of course I had no sufficient food to eat although she was assisting me to do some work in the farm as she was not a lazy woman.

  As I got no sufficient time to do plenty of work in my farm, within a few months, my poverty had become so much that we began to suffer for clothes, food, etc. But as everything was still growing from bad to worse everyday in respect of the insufficient time to work in my farm for our living. So having seen this, my wife advised me one day:

  “Ajaiyi, better you go to the Witch Doctor of the village to find out from him the causes of this our fast growing poverty and to find out from him as well what can stop it!”

  “But my poverty has been inherited from my father and mother before both of them died! And for this reason, I don’t think there is no any witch doctor who can set me free from it! You see, I had been to the town of the Creator, the town of the god of Iron, the town of the fire creatures, the town under the river, the town of Devil-doctor, etc. in order to get money so that I might be free from the poverty. But at last, all my efforts were failed!” I explained to my wife like that with great sorrow.

  “But of course you might have been to almost all the towns and villages in order to get money and you had failed in all of your efforts. You should not be discouraged at all. But you must be still struggling until when your poverty is conquered. Although you have inherited it but I want you to realize that everything is possible if one can endure the punishments of this world!” It was like this my wife convinced me to consult the Witch Doctor of my village about my poverty.

  So at eight o’clock in the night, I went to the village Witch Doctor. I explained my difficulties to him with sorrow. But with a sharp and merciless voice the Witch Doctor replied:

  “Yes, your case is quite simple. If you want to be free from your inherited poverty, you will buy nine rams and nine empty sacks. Having bought them and brought them to your house. You will put each of the rams alive inside of each of the nine empty sacks. Having done so, then in the midnight or when you are quite sure that the rest people in the village have slept. You will carry all to the grave of your father and put all on top of the grave. Having done so you must come and tell me that you have put them on top of the grave. But to be sure whether your dead father has taken the whole rams into his grave, you must go back to his grave in the following morning. And I am quite sure, you will meet only the empty sacks on top of the grave and that means your dead father has taken all the nine rams. But you should not forget to take that empty sacks back to your house and put them in your room and you will see that in a few days time, all will be filled up with money by your dead father and then you will be free from your poverty! But I shall remind you, you must come and tell me as soon as you have put the rams on top of the grave! Do not forget that!”

  When the village Witch Doctor had explained to me what I should give to my dead father before I could be free from the poverty which I had inherited from him (father) before he died and he (Witch Doctor) warned me seriously that I must come and tell him as soon as I had put the rams on top of the grave. I stood up and thanked him before I left. But as I was returning to the house in the darkness, I started to think within myself:

  “The Witch Doctor had said that unless I sacrifice nine rams to my dead father before he (father) would set me free from the poverty which I had inherited from him. But I believe, I will never free from this poverty because I have no money to buy even one cock how much more for nine rams and nine empty sacks.” It was like that I was thinking in mind until I entered the house confusedly.

  “What did the Witch Doctor tell you about your poverty, Ajaiyi?” my wife who was unable to sleep until I returned, hastily asked from me as I entered the house and I explained to her what he told me to do for my dead father. But when I told her that I had no money to buy the nine rams and nine empty sacks she said loudly: “Ah, you said you have no money to buy the nine rams and nine empty sacks! Are we going to die in this poverty or do you want your sons to inherit the poverty from you as well as you have inherited it from your own father? Better you go and pawn yourself to another pawnbroker who will give you the money to buy the rams and the empty sacks!”

  “Ah! To pawn myself to the third pawnbroker again! But I am afraid, if I do that again, it means I have pawned myself to three pawnbrokers. But how can I work for the three of them satisfactorily and who will be working for our living then?” I asked from my wife with sorrow.

  “Never mind about our living, Ajaiyi. I believe, if you work hard, you will satisfy the three pawnbrokers!” my wife advised me strongly, and I agreed to go and pawn myself to the third pawnbroker who would give me the money to buy the nine rams and nine empty sacks.

  In the following day, I went to the third pawnbroker who gave me ten pounds. Having given me the money he told me that I should be working on his farm for one-third of the day everyday and I agreed to do so. Now I would be working for the three pawnbrokers for the whole day and there would be no time for me to work on my own farm for our living any more.

  However my wife and I went to the market with the ten pounds. But unfortunately, the ten pounds were not sufficient to buy the whole nine rams and nine empty sacks. Having seen this, I was so embarrassed that I told my wife to let us return to the house with the money.

  “Oh, my husband, don’t let us go home with this money without buying the rams and the empty sacks, otherwise we shall spend it for another thing and yet your poverty will still remain as worse as ever. But let us buy now as many rams and empty sacks as it can buy. Then in the midnight, you will carry them to the grave of your father. Having put them on top of the grave, you will then explain to the grave that you will bring the rest rams as soon as you have money to buy them. And I believe, your dead father will not refuse to accept them because he knew that he had left you in great poverty before he died!” Without argument I agreed when my wife advised me like that.

  Then we bought six rams and six empty sacks that which the ten pounds could buy and we took them to the house. When it was midnight, I put each of the rams inside each of the empty sacks. All were alive when I put them in the sacks. Then I carried them one by one to the grave of my father which was half a mile to the village. Having put them on top of the
grave, according to my wife’s advice, I explained to the grave with a sorrowful voice: “My father, please accept these six rams from me as the first instalment and I shall not fail to bring the rest three for you as soon as you help me to get money to buy them!”

  When I had done so, I went direct to the Witch Doctor. I told him that I had carried six rams to the grave. Having heard so, he thanked me with great laughter. After he had advised me strongly that I must not keep long before taking the rest three to the grave, and he chatted with me for some minutes, I came back to the house. But not knowing that I hardly left when this Witch Doctor and his servants went to the grave. They carried the whole six rams to his house and killed them for his food and without hesitation he gave the six empty sacks to one of his servants to return them to the grave before daybreak.

  Hardly in the morning when my wife and I ran earnestly to the grave and both of us were very happy when we met only the six empty sacks on top of the grave. Without hesitation, we collected them and then returned to the house with gladness. I hastily put them in one of the rooms and then my wife and I were expecting that all would soon be filled up with money. But having waited and waited and waited for months but my dead father did not fill these empty sacks with the money as the Witch Doctor had told me. And this time my poverty had become extremely worse and again the three pawnbrokers were dragging me here and there because I could not work satisfactorily for each of them. I blamed my wife with sorrow:

  “I told you in the market that day that we should return to the house with the ten pounds as it was not sufficient to buy the whole nine rams and nine empty sacks at a time!”