TU || Flax Golden Tales || Four Levels of Interpretation Lesson 25

Flax Golden Tales, To know fly

Level: B.A/ B.B.S || Lesson 25 Life is Sweet at Kumansenu (Abioseh Nicol, Sierra Leone 1924-1994)

Words Meaning

Thatched =covered with straw

Stirred = moved

Rhythmically = with rhyme

Sighed = whisper

Shudder = shiver

Fundle = to move slowly

Earthen ware = pots made of clay

Fundle = medicine that is used to take out stool

Conceal = hide

Corpse = dead body

Wither = become dry

Wrapped = covered

Delight = happiness

Hoarse = rough

Hug = embraces

Zenith = highest point

Naughty = dis obedient

Incantation = magic

Mingled = mixed

Calamity = disaster

Clutch = grab

Decay = rote

Stubborn = obstinate

Cajole = persuade

Endearingly = sweetly

Chuckle = laugh quietly

Summary

This story is about a family who lived in African village Kumansenu. There are many characters in this story. They are:

Bola = a widow woman

Mehi = Bola’s son

Asi = Meji;s daughter, Bola’s granddaughter

Musa = magician

Bola gave birth to 7 children. They all died. When Bola’s sixth child died, the village magician Musa came and advised Bola to take bone out of the dead body and break it into pieces and to bury it. Then bola didn’t do as Musa said but Bola marked at the left buttock of the dead body with a sharp stick. When the seventh child was born, she looked secretly if there was mark or not. She found such mark on seventh child’s buttock. The seventh child name was Meji who works in an office 90 miles away from Kumansenu. One day Bola was preparing food in kitchen and her granddaughter was skipping, Bola’s son arrived. Bola wants to give a party in happiness for her son’s arrival at home. Bu Meji didn’t like this. He rather wanted to take rest and requested mother not to inform others about his arrival because they will disturb him.

On Saturday Meji took his daughter Asi for a walk thought the secret way.in the evening time Bola went to visit her husband’s grave with Meji and Asi. Bola expresses her happiness in front of her husband’s grave for becoming his son a governmental job holder. Meji feels to be close to his father. In the evening they returned and had food and went to bed. Bola goes to Meji room but she smelt bad in his room then she went to her own room to sleep.

But at night she bears someone is knocking at the door. When she opens the door of her room, she sees Meji standing in the rain. Then Meji says that he has come to thank her for giving him a chance to be born and to live sweet life.

After informed this news to her neighbor Mr. Addai. Comes and informs Bola that her son had died on Friday but she didn’t believe because she was with Meji on Saturday. Next day Meji’s wife came from ciry and informs Bola that Meji died on Friday. He died on Friday when the glass of a window fell on his neck and his neck was almost cut off. When Asi hears this news Asi says that her father Meji had tied a scarf around her neck.

Due to hotness they couldn’t bring Meji’s dead body to the village Kumansenu. Asi’s mother gives Asi a gold locket which Asi’s father had made for Chirstmas gift. Then Musa came and told Bola that is happened because she didn’t do as she hadn’t do as she hadn’t taken any interest in Musa’ advice. Bola said that she was proud to give birth to Meji. She didn’t want to prevent the spirit of the dead child from returning again to her because she loved her child.

Four Levels of Interpretation

  1. Literal Comprehension

This story is base on Nigerian tribal belief that a dead child might creep into his mother’s womd in the form of subsequent babies and it will haunt its mother dying again and again. This story is about a family who lived in African village Kumansenu. There are many characters in this story. They are:

Bola = a widow woman

Mehi = Bola’s son

Asi = Meji;s daughter, Bola’s granddaughter

Musa = magician

Bola gave birth to 7 children. They all died. When Bola’s sixth child died, the village magician Musa came and advised Bola to take bone out of the dead body and break it into pieces and to bury it. Then bola didn’t do as Musa said but Bola marked at the left buttock of the dead body with a sharp stick. When the seventh child was born, she looked secretly if there was mark or not. She found such mark on seventh child’s buttock. The seventh child name was Meji who works in an office 90 miles away from Kumansenu. One day Bola was preparing food in kitchen and her granddaughter was skipping, Bola’s son arrived. Bola wants to give a party in happiness for her son’s arrival at home. Bu Meji didn’t like this. He rather wanted to take rest and requested mother not to inform others about his arrival because they will disturb him.

On Saturday Meji took his daughter Asi for a walk thought the secret way.in the evening time Bola went to visit her husband’s grave with Meji and Asi. Bola expresses her happiness in front of her husband’s grave for becoming his son a governmental job holder. Meji feels to be close to his father. In the evening they returned and had food and went to bed. Bola goes to Meji room but she smelt bad in his room then she went to her own room to sleep.

But at night she bears someone is knocking at the door. When she opens the door of her room, she sees Meji standing in the rain. Then Meji says that he has come to thank her for giving him a chance to be born and to live sweet life.

After informed this news to her neighbor Mr. Addai. Comes and informs Bola that her son had died on Friday but she didn’t believe because she was with Meji on Saturday. Next day Meji’s wife came from ciry and informs Bola that Meji died on Friday. He died on Friday when the glass of a window fell on his neck and his neck was almost cut off. When Asi hears this news Asi says that her father Meji had tied a scarf around her neck.

Due to hotness they couldn’t bring Meji’s dead body to the village Kumansenu. Asi’s mother gives Asi a gold locket which Asi’s father had made for Chirstmas gift. Then Musa came and told Bola that is happened because she didn’t do as she hadn’t do as she hadn’t taken any interest in Musa’ advice. Bola said that she was proud to give birth to Meji. She didn’t want to prevent the spirit of the dead child from returning again to her because she loved her child.

  1. Interpretation

The writer tries to show how Nigerian people believe in supernatural things. This story also tries to show love and affection is greater than anything else Meji comes to his home village where his daughter and mother live. His spirit comes there to visit his mother thought he was already dead.

  1. Critical Thinking

In fact this story is interesting, this story tries to present African society superstitious. They believe in rebirth. But it is difficult for us that how a dead person can appear at dark night. How Meji has come to show his love and affection to his mother. How he might have walked with his mother to his father’s grave and with his small daughter Asi if she had been already dead. Similarly, nobody believes in rebirth.

  1. Assimilation

After reading this story, I remembered my own experience which took place in my village. Once one of my village died of cancer. After his death, he appeared at night and came to his house. He was seen only by his wife when his wife wanted to speak to him, he vanished. From that day he was never seen.

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