Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

190. “Movene ee-mbe mondi ae-lii-ya o sii-na”.

It devolves upon the principal mourner to take proper care of the corpse of a member of his family.

Maito, maito  kai.  It’s time to narrate Tales.

Yasi  nanu:  When Njika  Nyame a celebrity died members of the village, friends and sympathizers from neighbouring villages who visited the funeral house after nightfall and before midnight were disappointed, surprised, and shocked to find that none of Njika’s five adult male children was available in the funeral house and compound to monitor any changing condition of the corpse.

Two days after Njika was buried the village traditional court charged Njika’s adult male children for failing to be available at the funeral house and compound when their father was lying in state. 

196. “Malingo asa kombene”

Friends aught not to live too close to each other.

Maito, maito  kaii  !  It’s time to narrate tales.

Yasi  nanu:  The wife of Kaava  Nyame and the wife of Mbgwe-ya  Nyame were very good friends.  In one of their usual long discussion on Koke Rocks (o-Mayai  ma  Koke) Kaave’s wife disclosed to her friend that she intended to divorce Kaave as soon as she was able to find a new husband to refund to Kaave the dowry Kaave had paid. 

Responding, Mbgwe-ya’s wife said:
“I am not surprised.   

169. “munya osi mo ki-nyelele foni nyama”.

You should not abandon meat in fire.

Yasi  nanu:  Mosuka, a youth was about to abandon his piece of nyama  ngowa in a fire because heat from the fire had apparently become unbearable.  Mosuka’s grandfather Mola Ekongolo then asked:
“Are you abandoning your nyama  ngowa  in that fire. ?
You don’t abandon meat in a fire.

167. “Ndomene asa-lo malo-ngo”.

Trade through third parties or middlemen does not always bring complete satisfaction (Do it Yourself!)

ndomene -  to ask someone to carry out a task for you.
malongo – marketing; buying and selling.
mofasu, plural mefasu = a big fish of good quality.

Yasi  nanu:  Ewune had a charged programme of social activities so she was not able to go to the market .She then asked Liyengu to buy for her a big fish (mofasu) of good quality for the entertainment of guests she was expecting.  Liyengu bought a mofasu that she considered was good enough for the amount of money that Ewune had assigned for the purchase of a mofasu.  But Ewune was neither satisfied with the quality of the mofasu nor with the price that had been paid for it. 

166. “Inona molumbu aso-nga lumbu la gbwamu”.

A talkative bird does not build safe and impressive nests.

Maito, maito, kaii  !  It’s time to narrate tales.

Yasi  nanu.  Responding to a question why Ngaaka (palm bird) does not weave safe and impressive nests Ikula  Nyame  said:

“inona  molumbu  aso-nga  lumbu  la  gbwamu”.

“A talkative bird does not build safe and impressive nests.

172. “Seke te e-ngoma mbwa-ya yo-ndi eveli foni wooli”.

A person’s wealth is recognized in terms of the value of the treasure he has actually acquired and not in terms of his participation in dance rings of rich people.

As recent as seventy years ago a wealthy person attending an “eyuu” ceremony took along with him to the ceremonial pitch one or more good looking goats or a cow of an impressive size.

Then, at the peak of the dance known as “e-Ngoma  a  Mbgwaya” he danced close to his goats with his wife or wives conspicuously busy supporting loose ends of his loin cloth (esanja) of an exaggerated size. 

In order to facilitate identifying goats with their respective owners a dancer is not expected to dance too close to some body’s goat. In order words each dancer is expected by tradition to dance beside his own goat.

Yasi  nanu:  Mokondo was nicknamed “Bola  to  nje” because of his waywardness.

“Bola  to  nje” is a Douala expression meaning capable of doing any thing, notably mischievous.

Mokondo habitually defied security checks and gate crashed into important ceremonies. 

159. “e-Nyuwa Mboli emo ngeya o-gbwaaka”.

The orphan baby goat survived and developed within a herd of goats.

Yasi nanu:  Soon after Ndumbe’s only goat delivered a baby, a tiger entered inside a fence that surrounded Ndumbe’s compound and devoured the mother goat, leaving the baby.  Ndumbe now no longer interested in raring a goat or nursing a baby goat decided to destroy the baby goat. 

156. “Misoli mamba Njombe a Nyame ! mamo siva ndi o-tena ena mwita meene; masa mwe-neya o-woso”.

The tears of Njombe  a  Nyame flow only inside his body, and are not therefore seen in his eyes and on his face. Good intentions/ideas that cannot be put into effect because of lack of the mean.

Maito, maito, kaii  !  It’s time to narrate tales.

Yasi  nanu:  A group of Wolinyama youths once asked Ikula  Nyame if he was aware of the reason why no tears flow from the eyes of Njombe a  Nyame, even when Njombe wailed in pain and grief.  Replying Ikule explained that tears used to flow profusely from Njombe's eyes, but ceased to flow after Njombe suffered very serious stress. 

154. “Iwumbuwa a lingana ngomo, vamo soo-wa fe eseko” !

It is understandable why with a unique hair cut Iwumbuwa, a lover of dances, now dances more frequently than ever before.

Iwumbuwa/Iwumbuwe = name of a small size specie of birds that flock together on lawns

Maito,  maito  kaii  !  (It’s time to narrate tales).

Yasi nanu:  Iwumbuwa was born on a day when there were end of the season wrestling matches in his village.  Soon after he was hatched it was observed that he waved his legs and toes and wings and head following the rythim of sounds from drums at the wrestling field. 

Well wishers of the family then suggested that Iwumbuwa would no doubt be a celebrated dancer.  Their predictions were correct.

Soon after his father had given him a unique attractive hair cut, Iwumbuwa disappeared from his parent’s home for eleven days.  On his return home Iwumbuwa joyfully explained that he had been very busy dancing.