Stranger in his Homeland

Chapter One

3 Chapter One T he death of Chief Fuo-Ndee and the decision that Antony would succeed him had been received by the District Officer of Small Monje as a welcome blessing. While the old Chief lived, there was always conflict of one sort or other. Together with his councillors, he constituted a stumbling block to any changes which came in the wake of the establishment of the District Office to replace the defunct Chief’s Council. They, for instance, never saw any reasons for contributing for the construction of roads, if the roads were not to pass in front of the house of each councillor. Many argued fervently that vehicles killed children and that the coming of roads would mean an end to their race. They saw no reasons for the construction of a Health Centre. They, the sons of native doctors were still alive and strong. The herbs were still available. Why then waste money when it would cost them next to nothing to get cured? They would not contribute money for the construction of schools. They knew enough, and had imparted on their children the knowledge of hunting or making of crafts or even trading, which they thought were the only things worth knowing in order to survive in the world. School, they would argue, was only the white man’s method of making them forget their tradition which he had found too superior and too hard to imitate. Thus when the people brought Antony’s picture and name to the D.O. to say that he would be the next he saw no reason to object. Such an enlightened Chief would act as an invaluable liaison between the people and the government. He was therefore anxious to ingratiate himself with the Chief designate as soon and as thoroughly as possible. When Antony came down for the funeral the D.O. invited him to his residence for a sumptuous supper. He offered Antony a sleeping place in his house, and Antony spent the last two days of 4 Linus T. Asong his stay in Small Monje with him. Before he left, the D.O. told him that he should feel perfectly free to come and live with him whenever he came down to Small Monje on a weekend. During that visit too he told the D.O. how he had been maliciously deprived of the office of “Surveillant General” through the agency of his boss. The D.O. had sympathised with him very much and had joined Antony in condemning Zaché. With the receipt of a letter from Anuse in Likume, however, the DO’s attitude towards Antony changed drastically. From the pinnacle of respect where he had previously placed Antony, the latter suddenly assumed the nature of an extremely self-opinionated and obstinate gentleman. The D.O wondered how Antony would be able to rule and command the respect of the people. Yet, he was still to see Antony’s real problems. In fact, as the Biongongs would say, he had started bending when the door was far off. He was still to learn of Antony’s dismissal from the government service. *** The DO did not give Antony the usual enthusiastic welcome when he arrived at his residence that day. He simply shook his hand and asked the steward to attend to him. Then he retired to his study, very embittered by what he took as a deliberate lack of respect on Antony’s part in bringing a girl to live in his house. He imagined that Mercy must be a whore he picked up on his way there. Mercy was very tired and they hastily had to prepare a sleeping place for her in the visitor’s room where they were to spend the night. And while she slept Antony remained in the DO’s parlour. He took out the file containing his manuscripts and made a few additions and subtractions in certain areas. Then he decided that he would go to the palace and announce his arrival. If nothing had happened to upset his mind Antony would have taken greater care of his much-cherished manuscripts. But he was not yet himself. He placed the file on one of the cupboards and told the DO that he was going to the palace for a while to see the Elders. The DO answered in his throat. 5 Stranger in his Homeland Returning to...