You may deceive the Doctor but not his leaves\medicine
Source: Tales of the Animal World.
wooli wo yoowo = fee paid to a doctor.
vewule = leaves.
vewule vee-ni (the doctor's leaves): a reference to medication.
namo koko-vele fe noa-mene = I warned you.
ekoke-eya = (i) a serious matter.
(ii) witchcraft, for instance:
(a) ase-nyi ngundu; aveni ekoke-eya = he cannot be innocent. He practices witchery.
(b) enge yome ene ekoke-eya ! = that his witchery.
Yasi nanu: Ngowa Wanga fell very sick. He had pains on the waist. He was unable to stand. His family then carried him on a stretcher and had him admitted in the clinic of Mola Lisonjo, a specialist on arthritis and veterinary services. ("Nganga ya Ndava Yowo")
Ngowe responded very well to medication. After one months Ngowe informed Mola Lisonjo that he Ngowe considered that he should return to his home soon and
show himself to members of his family.
Mola Lisonjo replied:
"Yes, but I would like you to settle the hospital bill ('woli wami wo yoo-wo') before you leave".
Ngowe responded: "Oh yes !
I have to pay that bill.
We are together.
Between you and me, there can be no dispute."
Mola Lisonjo replied:
"Be precise !
When can I expect that the bill will be settled."
Ngowe replied: "at the end of the month when I would have returned from the village."
Mola Lisonjo replied: "OK. I hope you too will not be one of the several patients who do not come back here to settle their bills and who remember this clinic only when there is a recurrence of their illness.
Patients may succeessfully evade to settle the bills here, but may not succeed to evade future services of my leaves/medication.
"o-nji te Nganga, oma, seke te vewule ve-yamba e-Nganga ndi o-ji.
(You may succeed to deceive a Doctor, but you may not succeeded to deceive the Doctor's leaves/medication).
You can go.
I am here; my leaves are here !"
Ngowe responded:
"Chei !
Mola !
nasa-tane na-gbwe-ya, enge ekoke-eya, si, naso
tange-ya !
na kpwa-nyi ndi mwe-nye ! "
(Chei !
Mola !
I will not deceive you. I will pay your "wooli wo
yowo".
Am I mad ?)
Members of Ngowa's family were pleased to see him in good form. They thanked Mola Lisonjo and made very generous contributions towards the complete settlement of Ngowa's hospital bill. Ngowe however failed to pay the bill in spite of messages he received from Mola Lisonjo.
After two consecutive rainy seasons Ngowa again developed serious pains on the waist.
Members of the family not being aware that Ngowa had failed to settle the hospital bill, carried him on a stretcher again and conveyed him into Mola Lisonjo's clinic.
Mola Lisonjo exclaimed:
"Ngowe again !
Now that you have brought Ngowe here again, what do you expect me to do again ?
Is this not the Ngowe who has refused to pay my 'wooli wo yoo-wo' ?
"Ngowa !
Aaa !
weke, ovi, e-nji-ya, e-ja o-ndava-mi ee !
seke namo koko-vele fe naomene, ima:
o-nji te Nganga, oma:
seke te ve-wu-le veyamba e-Nganga ndi ao-nji !"
Ngowa !
So, you now know the road to my clinic !
You will recall I warned you that you may
succeessfully evade paying the Doctor's bill, but may
not succeed to evade future services of th Doctor's
leaves/medication.
"Ahaa !
esi-ma gbwe-yene i ?"
osi-ma je fe !
(Alas !
It has happened !
you are in this clinic once again).
We physicians do not deny medication to sick persons, even when we have been victims of flagrant deception. I will commence to attend to you immediately.
Members of Ngowa's family were embarrassed.
Mola Lisonjo went further to say:
"One may have cause to return and ask for further assistance from persons who have assisted him to succeed in attaining his goal of being where he is today.
It is therefore in everyone's own interest to be kind to his parents/foster parents/members of his family/his teachers, remember to fulfill promises he has made to his mentors, his colleagues, members of his campaign teams, his electorate, and demonstrate an attitude of gratitude towards them.
Mola Lisonjo succeeded to cure Ngowa once again.
"o-nji te Nganga, oma seke te vewule vee-ni ndi o-nji"
is now used as an idiom.
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