Tale of an African Woman

Chapter Thirty Three

191 33 afon raised his head and saw the giant figure of Mbinkar, the sub-chief of Nkar, framed by the door. “Let God and the ancestors guide your steps Mbinkar,” he greeted as he rose from his chair and moved forward to meet the visitor. “Welcome! Welcome!” he announced, showing him to a seat just next to his. As Mbinkar took his seat, it was then that Tafon noticed Fai, the sub-chief’s nephew. He was behind him and had been completely overshadowed by the towering size of his uncle. He had a bag strung across his shoulder and was carrying a calabash of palm wine. Tafon helped him put the things down and asked him to settle on a stool next to his uncle. The calabash of palm wine showed it was indeed good news. For such a dignitary to make an unannounced visit at such an unusual hour could only mean good news. He was now anxious to hear the news. “What good winds bring you to my village and compound at this unholy hour of the night?” he questioned tauntingly, resorting to the usual roundabout way to extract information from his guest. A master of the art of traditional diplomacy and an old crook, Mbinkar knew how to effectively counter such verbal rigmaroles. “Well, the kind of wind which will force a cricket out of its hole in a night when the moon isn’t out yet,” he responded, making sure he did not let the cat out of the bag, at least not at this early stage. Then turning to his nephew who had accompanied him on this very important trip, he asked for the bag. He had already taken it off and it was just next to him. “Here,” his nephew said, handing the bag to his uncle. T 192 Mbinkar plunged his hand into the raffia bag and brought out a small bundle which he handed to his host. “This is for you,” he announced as he rose from his seat to hand the bundle to Tafon. He took it, paused for a while and stared alternately at his guest and the bundle, then gave his hand to Mbinkar. “I don’t know what to make of this gesture but whatever you’re concealing from me will come out as there’s plenty of palm wine for the evening,” he said in mock ignorance as he shook his hand. “Thank you very much.” “You’re welcome.” With a stick, he poked the fire and it came alive. Its golden flame reinforced the dull light of the lamp. He inspected the bundle, looking for the spot where the end of the twine which ran round it was tucked. He found it and pulled it and it gave way. He started to unwind it. Then the verdant leaves of a rhododendron appeared within, the first real hint that marriage was the purpose of the unannounced meeting. Tafon had suspected rightly for he could not think of any other thing which could cause such an important person to suddenly burst onto his premises at that hour. After completely loosening the rope and removing the green leaves, he came across dry banana leaves. Patiently, he pealed off the dry leaves until he came to the gift which had been stashed away. “Kolanuts,” he said calmly, doing everything to hide his excitement when it dawned on him that the rush for his daughter had begun. No man in his right senses was in any rush to give away a daughter, however overripe she was. The show of restraint often fetched a handsome bride price. “Yes, kolanuts for you,” Mbinkar said emphatically, another sign that the gesture went far beyond a mere gift. Tafon continued to play dumb, coaxing his guest to commit himself by talking and to talk in a manner which reflected his status in society. Mbinkar saw the trap and the peanut on it clearly and was working out a way he could take the peanut without getting caught. “Where’s the calabash of wine?” he turned to his nephew. “Here uncle,” the young man said, pointing at it. 193 He then rose from his seat, lifted it and placed it between his uncle and Tafon. “When an old man like me goes up mountains and crosses rivers in darkness to visit the home of a smaller brother, it’s obvious that I...