THE WAY WE WERE

Once upon a time in the animal kingdom, mgbada [deer] was known for his athletic ability in the long distance track and field marathons. Mgbada was a professional athlete. He won the kingdom’s championships in the 10,000 meters marathon and received a gold medal. He also won many other medals in marathon-related competitions throughout the land. He was respected and treated as a celebrity in the kingdom. He had fame and prestige, and associated with beautiful women. He was nicknamed Mgbada- Okpaoso [the running deer]. The kingdom awarded him a large bungalow as a token of appreciation for his accomplishment.

 

Mgbada became pompous and arrogant.  He humiliated others because of his talent. One afternoon, mgbada was jogging around the kingdom’s large Ama [village playing ground]. He met other non-celebrities jogging around the same route. Among them was Mbe: all the animals knew that he could not walk fast, much less run fast, because he had short feet and a large shell on his back. Mgbada watched Mbe dragging and pulling himself on the track. Mgbada stopped, looked at Mbe and said, “This kingdom is going nuts, even those who cannot walk want to become superstars of distance track running.” He shook his head and pushed Mbe off the track. Other runners in the crowd laughed at Mbe. Mbe was humiliated, ashamed and angry.

 

Mbe returned home and went to the council of Elders in charge of the committee for sports and Federation of Track Runners. He protested to them of the treatment that he had received from mgbada. He told them how mgbada insulted and embarrassed him in the presence of hundreds of other runners. He also issued a challenge to compete with mgbada in a 25-mile marathon. His request was approved by the Elders. The marathon competition was scheduled for Afoukwu [the third day of Igbo week]. Mgbada studied the terms of the contract, laughed and signed it. The terms and prize were as follows: The winner takes all. It was agreed that should Mbe win, he would become the champion in the kingdom, and that honors, fame and properties belonging to the former champion should be given to Mbe.

 

The committee advised Okuekwo [the town crier] to announce the contract to the six villages of the kingdom. Okuekwo went from village to village during the dinner time. He stopped at the village entrances, and beat his wooden instrument three times: kom, kom, kom. “Unu gee nchi; Mgbada la Mbe je igba oso l’ubochi afoukwu. Onye meriri ibeya je egworu, okwa eze ogba oso l’obodo anyi, ya l’ihe nile a-na enye onye eze…kom!” [“Listen, deer and tortoise are going to run a marathon on afoukwu day. Whoever wins shall be awarded a medal of honor making him the king of marathon, track and field-runners in our kingdom. The winner also shall be accorded all respects due to a king”].  Okuekwo went to all the six villages repeating the same message.

           

The next morning the announcement was the talk of the town. Women discussed the news on the way to and from the stream, old men talked about the news while warming themselves at the village agbala, a special hut built in front of each village entrance that serves as a meeting place. It is a general hut where warm fires are made during the cold season. Among the population there were varied opinions, because they knew that mbe was very intelligent and tricky, but one general consensus was that mbe had short feet and a shell over his back and could not beat mgbada in any race. Some even pointed at the records mgbada held in marathon competitions, and declared that mbe stood no chance of wining the race. The general assumption was simply, no contest for mgbada. However, the public was not surprised that it was mbe who issued the challenge, because there is an old adage that says “ilu agha Mbe,” meaning any tale that leaves out the tortoise would be incomplete. As the countdown for the contest approached, everyone in the kingdom became restless. They were so excited to see the result because it was a once in a lifetime event—no one had ever seen mgbada and mbe in a marathon competition.

           

On the morning of the contest mbe woke up at 5:00am. He went straight to his Ofo [the Igbo god of wishes]. As he held ofo in his hand, he called on the spirits of Nnannaya [his ancestors]. He asked them to save him from humiliation, belittlement and disgrace. He asked his ancestral spirits to feel, guide, protect and to make him a winner of the marathon. After expressing his wishes he threw seven pieces of oji ugo [a special Igbo kola nut used for special offerings] in his right hand onto ofo and picked up a cup of raffia wine with his right hand and poured it onto ofo too. He then woke up his wife and asked her to prepare utara akpu [cassava foo-foo] for him, because mbe believed that utara akpu would prevent him from getting hungry while racing. He ate and drank water until his stomach was full. He was now ready, and waiting for 12:00 noon when the competition would begin.

           

The athletics committee had arranged for officials who would monitor the race to line up the route of the marathon from the starting point to the finish line, where a palm tree fronds had been strung. The judge and other senior elders had their stools or chairs carried over by their sons and were seated, waiting for the event.

           

As the hour for competition neared a crowd began to gather at ama, the starting point of the race and those spectators who choose to line up along the route had already taken their positions. As the clock struck 12:00 noon, Mgbada came out and the crowd serenaded with chants of “Mgbada-okpa-oso! Mgbada-okpa-oso! Mgbada-okpa-oso!” adding “the pride of our kingdom!” Mgbada came and took his position on the starting line. Then soon after, mbe dragged and pulled to ama, and the crowd broke into a noisy frenzy, some jeering and some chanting “Tufiakwa! Mbe jee zuo ike, obukwa k’abia kpakwa ghu?” [“Taboo! Tortoise go and rest….You want to be the talk of the town?”] Mbe came to the starting line and took his position. Ikoro [a large wooden ceremonial drum] was sounded to set off the race. Both runners took off and within a few minutes mgbada broke away, leaving mbe behind. As mgbada ran he looked back but mbe was no way near. He continued to osisi ogbu [the umbrella tree] which marked the 24-mile  line of  the 25-mile race.

 

He slowed down and decided to rest under this tree, before continuing to the finish line, only one more mile ahead. He sat down and soon he felt the cool tropical noon breeze and he fell asleep under the tree. But while he slept, mbe dragged and pulled himself up to the twenty-fourth mile. He saw mgbada sleeping and carefully pulled through to the finish line. He was awarded a championship medal of the greatest runner in the kingdom. He became an instant national hero.

           

After hours of refreshing sleep, mgbada woke up and looked up and down the road, but he did not see mbe. He thought that mbe was still behind, and with great speed mgbada raced to the finish line. He arrived there with the proud smile of a winner, but to his amazement he saw mbe sitting and already decorated with the championship medal. He was baffled. Mbe moved to him, bent down to mgbada’s ear and said to him: “Nwayo bu ije” [“diligence and consistency is the route to success”].  Mgbada was ashamed and confused, he thought that he was dreaming. The athletics committee had given the title to mbe, as well as the keys to mgbada’s bungalow. The committee had honored the terms of their agreement. The news of mbe defeating mgbada was startling in a nation where the general belief was that an animal with short feet and a shell on its back cannot run.

           

Mbe was delighted. Mgbada was called to make a short speech before the crowd—a sign of respect for a departing champion. He had nothing to say. Mbe was then asked to tell the nation what it feels like to be a new champion. He got up holding the medal above his head, and began to salute the nation as follows: Umu anumanu Kaa nu! Umu anumanu kwonu! [the children of the beast I salute you].  The crowd responded Eewo! Kwonu! The crowd responded Eewo! Kwozuo nu! And the crowd responded Eewo! He raised his medal high enough for everyone to see it and said: “Brothers and Sisters, I hope that my victory will give you self-esteem. What we have seen today is a moral lesson, let no man brag about what he can do best.”