Writings of the general word's body

Friday, November 24, 2006

Farafina

Here's an excerpt from The Master by Akin Adesokan, published in Farafina (edition no. 6, August 2006).

In The Master, Alfred, a Geography teacher, goes on a long journey, crossing the border from Nigeria to Cameroon - in search of an enigmatic, reclusive writer he worships, named Dankor. On the road, the narrator encounters this woman making a hell of a scene:

"Do you know who I am?"

"No, and I no wan know!"

"Na lie-o. You go know today. Not tomorrow or day after. Go ask anybody on Iweka Road, you pig-mouth! Talking to me like that? Are you crazy? In fat you're more than. Idiot!"

Her cartons and luggage had made it out of the women's stalls, but now a transport union official wanted to prevent her from unloading at the frontage. As she spoke, she handed out each porter's fee and dismissed them.

"Go anywhere and ask about Mama Success. That's me! I have been trading for this market before they born you in the village. Calabar, Bakassi, Malabo. Everywhere. Po. Do you know who built this shop, you goat in slave uniform? Where is Obasi?"

"I dey here-o, Mama," said a stocky man chesting up a bench.

"Who hire this monkey?"

"Nobody, Mama."

"Clear him out of here one time."



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