Chike and the River

by Chinua Achebe

  Chike picked up a small, dirty piece of paper from the floor and gave it to the man.

  “Watch carefully,” said Chandus. He squashed the paper between his palms and whispered something into the closed fist. Then he opened his hands and there was a small ring of wire there. He gave this to Chike.

  “When you get home,” said Chandus, “dip it in water seven times. Then put it under your pillow when you sleep. In the morning it will bring you plenty of money.”

  Chike took the ring and thanked Chandus and was about to go.

  “The spirits want something from you,” said Chandus.

  “I have nothing but this threepence,” replied Chike.

  “It will do,” said Chandus. “Tomorrow the spirits will reward you.”

  Chike reluctantly gave him the threepence.

  When he got home he did as Chandus had told him. He dipped the ring in water seven times and placed it under his pillow when he went to sleep. He woke up twice in the night thinking it was dawn. On the second occasion he woke up Michael and asked if it was morning yet. Michael grumbled angrily and warned Chike not to disturb his sleep again.

  When morning finally came Chike was sleeping peacefully and deeply and Michael had to shake him vigorously to wake him up.

  He sat up, grumbling and rubbing his eyes. There was something on his mind but he could not say what it was. Then, like a flash, his mind went to the ring. He pushed aside his pillow. The ring lay on the mat as nakedly as he had left it.

  10 Chike Returns to Chandus

  Throughout that morning Chike was very unhappy. He barely touched his breakfast. Michael asked him what was wrong but he said nothing and went on brooding.

  By midday he decided to go and report the matter to S.M.O.G. After all it was he that recommended the magician to Chike.

  S.M.O.G. was eating garri and okro soup. The front of his shirt was covered with the soup, which he found difficult to control. Chike noticed the quantity of fish in the soup and his throat began to itch.

  “Come and join me,” said S.M.O.G. with his mouth full.

  “No, thank you,” said Chike. “I am not hungry.”

  “Go and join him,” said S.M.O.G.’s father who was reclining on a stretcher. [3]

  Chike did not need any more persuading. He washed his hands and fell to. He knew how to control okro soup and when he had finished eating, his shirt was hardly soiled.

  Chike did not want S.M.O.G.’s father to hear about the magician; so he took S.M.O.G. outside before telling him what had happened.

  S.M.O.G. appeared very unhappy about it all. He swore he was going to teach the fellow a lesson.

  “Has he ever doubled money for you?” asked Chike.

  “No,” replied S.M.O.G. “I get everything I need from my mother. So I don’t need to have my money doubled.”

  Chike was not impressed by this argument but did not wish to pursue it.

  “How is your mother?” he asked.

  “She is getting better,” said S.M.O.G. “It is her rheumatism.”

  “What is rheumatism?” asked Chike.

  “I don’t know. It is something old people get. Her legs are painful.”

  The two set out for the magician’s house. Chike said they must hurry because he wanted to be back before his uncle returned from work.

  “Did you tell him?” asked S.M.O.G.

  “No,” said Chike. “How can I tell him?”

  When they got to Chandus’s place he was eating coconut with garri soaked in water.

  “What do you want?” he asked with great annoyance.

  “I am Chike who came yesterday.”

  “Me I no understand you,” said Chandus in pidgin.

  “But you gave me this ring,” said Chike, producing the wire ring.

  “Me give you dat? You de craze?”

  “I sent him to you,” said S.M.O.G., “and he gave you his threepence to double for him.”

  “Wonders will never end,” said Chandus. “You two come here and give me threepence.”

  “I did not come with him but…”

  “Make una come ot from here one time or I go learn you lesson you no fit forget. Imagine! Why small boys of nowadays no de fear. You get bold face to come my house and begin talk rubbish. Na your father steal threepence no be me. Stand there when I come back and you go see.” He rushed into an inner room and scraped a machete on the hard floor. S.M.O.G. took to his heels and Chike followed.

  11 Pride Goeth Before a Fall

  Chike’s friend Samuel, alias S.M.O.G., began to teach him how to ride a bicycle during the holidays. Samuel had no bicycle himself but he could easily borrow one from a mechanic. This mechanic lived in one of the rooms in Samuel’s father’s house. During the day he worked under a tree in front of the house. Many people brought their bicycles to him to be repaired. Sometimes they wanted the brakes mended or a punctured tire repaired. Whatever it was the mechanic was equal to the job. If you passed by at any time of the day, you would see him in his brown, greased work clothes putting life into a damaged bicycle. Usually he turned the bicycle upside down with its wheels in the air while he worked on it. He had a signboard nailed to the tree on which was written his nickname-DOCTOR OF BICYCLES.

  Besides the bicycles which came to him for repairs the mechanic also had about five or six of his own which he let out on hire for sixpence an hour. It was one of these that Samuel borrowed. He did not tell the mechanic that a learner was going to ride it. If the mechanic had been told, he would surely have refused.

  The bicycle was for adults and was too high for Chike but he made rapid progress. If he sat on the seat his feet would not reach the pedals. So he adopted what was called the monkey-style; he rode standing on the pedals on one side of the triangular frame.

  After about one week of practice Chike was able to ride long distances without falling down. He was even able to whistle a song as he rode along. Samuel was impressed with Chike’s progress and suggested that it was time he tried riding on the main road instead of the playing field. As Samuel said, the real test of a good cyclist was the main road.

  Chike was a little doubtful at first but he agreed in the end to try one of the less busy roads. To his surprise he did very well. He was so pleased that he began to whistle the highlife tune “Nike Nike” and to pedal to its beat. He felt very proud of himself and wondered why people said that riding a bicycle was difficult. It is easier than eating okro soup, thought Chike. Just then a car came out of a side street and was making toward Chike. He lost his nerve and swerved into the curb, hitting an electric pole. The bicycle bounced back and threw Chike into a nearby drain. He came out dripping with dirty water. He had also grazed his elbow and knee on the cement curb. But the wound was not deep.

  The bicycle, however, seemed to be badly damaged. The front wheel was twisted and its brakes were jammed. Three spokes were also broken. Chike and Samuel tried in vain to straighten up the wheel. In the end they gave up and decided to go and report to the mechanic. Since the front wheel refused to revolve they lifted it off the ground and rolled the bicycle home on the back wheel.

  The mechanic was very angry. He said that Chike must pay for the damage.

  “But I have no money,” said Chike. “Please forgive him; he has no money,” said Samuel. But the mechanic replied, “If he has no money, who asked him to ride my bicycle? Come and show me where you live. If you have no money your parents must pay for your foolishness.”

  Chike begged and pleaded but the mechanic would not hear. He said, “You are wasting my time. Come on and show me your father and mother. If you don’t hurry up I shall take you to the police station right now.”

  So Chike led the way and the mechanic followed, riding slowly on one of his bicycles. Chike was afraid of taking the man to his uncle. So he decided to take him round and round the town. They went up one street, down the next, and up the third.

  “Where do you say you live?” asked the mechanic.

  “I don’t know the nu
mber,” said Chike. “But it is over there,” and he pointed in front of him.

  After a long time they were back where they started. The mechanic was now furious and was threatening to beat hell out of Chike. Because he was so furious he did not look where he was going and ran into a woman returning from the market with her purchases. Her enormous basket fell down on the road and the contents were scattered. She immediately took off her headcloth and tied it firmly round her waist, ready for a fight. She held the mechanic by his shirt and was shouting abuses into his face.

  “I had twenty pounds’ worth of goods in that basket. Give it to me now.”

  Crowds were gathering. Some people were picking up the woman’s things and putting them back into the basket. There were tomatoes, some dried fish, and small yams. But her voice rose higher and higher. She said she was not going home to prepare a meal from things picked off the road. She wanted her twenty pounds.

  In the confusion Chike melted away and ran home faster than he had ever done before.

  12 The Miserly Trader

  Chike did not entirely give up hopes of crossing the River Niger. But it now seemed more unlikely than ever that he would find the money. So he thought, what was the use of dreaming? As his mother used to say: A poor man should not dream of rice.

  One day Chike saw Mr. Nwaba counting bundles and bundles of pound notes. He had not known that so much money existed in the world. If Mr. Nwaba had so much, Chike thought, why did he live so miserably? He lived in one room with his wife and five children. They ate hardly anything else but garri. If his wife put much fish in the soup he would rave and curse. Sometimes he even beat her. His children wore threadbare clothes to school and were always last to pay their school fees. He rode an old rickety bicycle for which he never bought a license. Whenever he heard that policemen were stopping cyclists to check their licenses, he put his old machine away for a week or two. His neighbors called him Money-Miss-Road behind his back.

  Chike was so desperate for money that he began to hope that this miser might give it to him. So when Mr. Nwaba came home from his stalls in the evening of the next day Chike went out and said “Good evening, sir” to him and rolled in his bicycle.

  Mr. Nwaba seemed very pleased. He returned Chike’s greeting with “Good evening, my son” and a broad smile. For about a week Chike did the same thing every evening. But Mr. Nwaba never seemed to think of giving him anything except once when he dipped his hand into the pocket of his khaki trousers. Chike’s heart beat with expectation. Mr. Nwaba brought out his hand again and gave Chike three groundnuts.

  Mr. Nwaba was always thinking of profit and loss and doing sums in his mind. One day Chike greeted him with “Good morning, sir.” He replied, “Five pounds.”

  His full name was Mr. Peter Nwaba. He was well known in the town and went to church regularly. Every Sunday morning he put on his gorgeous agbada and went with his family to the nearby church, and every Friday he went to the Bible class. Chike always wondered how such a cruel man could pay so much attention to religion.

  Sometimes Mr. Nwaba left his room very late at night and would not come back till the following day. People said he belonged to a secret society which met only at night.

  One night Chike had an upset stomach after eating unwashed mangoes. At about four o’clock in the morning he got up to go to the latrine. As he opened the door he heard footsteps outside. He held the door nearly closed and peeped out. It was Mr. Nwaba and another strange man returning from somewhere. They stood outside and talked for a while. Then the stranger went away and Mr. Nwaba retired to his room.

  Chike did not give much thought to this incident at the time. But he was to remember it later.

  13 Chike’s Dream Comes True

  Chike’s chance came suddenly. It happened on a public holiday. His uncle had gone to Umuofia for the holiday and was not expected back until the next day. Chike ate his lunch quickly and went down to the riverside without saying a word to Michael. Since he had no money he did not think of crossing the river. All he wanted to do was to watch the boats.

  When he got to the bank he found many cars and lorries waiting to be ferried. Then he saw three boys with buckets of water washing some of the cars. He saw also that when they had finished the owners gave them some money. Why did I not think of this before? he asked himself. He raced back home and took a bucket and a piece of rag and ran all the way back. To his utter disappointment the boat had gone and there were no more cars around, only lorries. But soon other cars began to arrive and Chike’s hopes revived. So far three had arrived. But they were all very small cars. Chike thought it would be better to go for a big one with a wealthy owner. Soon an enormously long car pulled up. Chike immediately approached it.

  The owner looked like a very important person. Perhaps he was a minister. Then Chike lost his boldness. He stood by the car wondering what to say. But while he hesitated one of the other boys marched up to the man and said, “May I wash your car, sir?”

  At first the man ignored him but he did not give up. He spoke again, “Oga, your car dorty plenty. I fit wash am fine.”

  This time the man looked at him and nodded. The boy smiled and set to work. Chike bit his lips. He said to himself, If this boy can do it so can I.

  Then one small car arrived. Chike, no longer choosy, wasted no time at all. He went up to the owner and said in good English, “May I wash your car, sir? It is very dirty and you are going to Lagos.”

  The man smiled and said, “Go ahead.”

  Chike filled his bucket with water from a nearby tap and set to work.

  When he had finished he told the owner. But the man was busy talking to his friend and paid little attention to Chike. He said “Thank you” without looking at Chike and continued talking. Chike stood there, shifting from one foot to the other. Eventually the man looked at him again and put his hand into his pocket. Chike’s heart beat faster. He brought out a handful of coins and gave one to Chike.

  “Thank you, sir,” said Chike. Then he looked at the coin and saw that it was one shilling. In his joy he said again, “Thank you, sir.” The man did not reply; he was talking to his friend again, with a cigarette in his mouth.

  14 Chike on the Boat

  Chike’s dream had come true; at last he could go to Asaba. He jumped up and down several times and sang “One More River to Cross.” It was one of the songs he had learnt at the C.M.S. Central School, Umuofia.

  He joined the queue of other passengers. When his turn came he gave the shilling to the cashier who gave him a ticket and sixpence change. His heart was aglow with happiness. After today he would be able to say to his friends, “I too have been to Asaba. There only remains Lagos.”

  The next ferry was a long time coming. Chike became very impatient. He walked up and down, whistling:

  Leave your wife and join the Army

  One more river to cross;

  One more river, one more river,

  One more river to cross.

  At last the ferryboat was coming. It looked very small in the distance. Chike’s heart beat like a hammer. He sat down on one of the long wooden seats, then stood up again. He turned away from the approaching boat in the hope that when he looked again it would be much nearer. He shut his eyes and counted up to two hundred. He did everything he could think of to make the time pass more quickly.

  At long last the boat arrived. Passengers from Asaba began to stream out, some of them carrying head-loads. After the passengers, the cars and lorries came out one by one.

  Many of the cars were covered with brown dust from their long journey. So there was dust on the Lagos road, thought Chike. He had not expected that. Such a great road should be free from dust, he thought.

  When the vehicles from Asaba had all left the ferry the vehicles from Onitsha began to drive on. Sometimes it looked as if a car or lorry would fall into the river. But none did. Chike saw the car he had washed enter the boat. It looked very clean and new. He had already memorized its number, PC 7379.


  The last car to go in had a radio blaring out at full volume. Its owner was not there and so the chauffeur was having fun. He was even offering to take passengers to Lagos at a moderate charge. When this last car had boarded the boat a marine official in a white-and-blue uniform waved the passengers on. Immediately there was a big rush for the deck. Chike was in the forefront of this rush.

  The ferry’s engine started. The siren sounded above. Then a bell rang in the engine room. It sounded like a giant bicycle bell. The boat began to move backward. When it was clear of the ground the bell rang again and the engine increased its sound. Then the boat swung round and began its journey to Asaba.

  It was all like a dream. Chike wondered whether it was actually happening. So this is me, he thought. Chike Anene, alias Chiks the Boy, of Umuofia, Mbaino District, Onitsha Province, Eastern Nigeria, Nigeria, West Africa, Africa, World, Universe. This was how he wrote his name in his new reader. It was one of the things he had learnt from his friend Samuel, alias S.M.O.G.

  During the journey Chike felt as proud as Mungo Park when he finally reached the Niger. Here at last was the great River Niger. Chike stuck out his chest as though he owned the river, and drew a deep breath. The air smelt clean and fresh. He remembered another song he had learnt at Umuofia and began to whistle it:

  Row, row, row your boat

  Gently down the stream

  Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

  Life is but a dream.

  When he became tired of whistling he began to think of Lagos. He wondered what Carter Bridge looked like. He had heard it described on the radio. He also knew of Tinubu Square, the marina, Tafawa Balewa Square, Bar Beach, Yaba, Apapa, statehouse, and so on. But the place he wanted to see most of all was the City Stadium where all those football matches were played. Chike liked nothing more than a football commentary broadcast by the N.B.C. Whenever there was a match some of the neighbors would come to listen on his uncle’s radio. They all admired the commentator. When he cried, “It’s a goal!” everyone shouted, “It’s a goal!” Some would even jump to their feet and shake hands with their friends. Of course they only did so when their favorite team scored.