Mola Mbua Ndoko: Wisdom and Ways of the Bakweri People

192. “vekeke ve koova asa-kuwa lae-sene”.

Collusion and rattling of empty calabashes has to occur when a cluster of calabashes is hung on one string.

Yasi  nanu:  Njika Nyame was one of the wealthy personalities of his time.  His two wives were beautiful and eminent ladies that the village community held in high esteem.  Their lifestyle was simple and welcoming. 

The village community did not imagine at all that a quarrel could also occur between ladies of such social status.  The first quarrel that occurred between Njika’s wives therefore caused surprise in the village.  It was a fierce quarrel. 

The children of the wives, particularly the adult children were embarrassed and withdrew from the scene.  When the event was being discussed casually in the village community hall before the commencement of business, Ikula  Nyame intervened and said :

“vekeke  ve  koova, 
ve-kee-mi  mooli  mo, 
vesa-kuwa  lae-sene”.
(Collusion and rattling within a cluster of empty calabashes hanging on one string must occur).. 

The calabashes do not however break/damage each other or one another.  They quarrel and rattle and reconcile thereafter. 

The quarrel between Njika’s wives should not therefore be exaggerated.  Besides every mbanyi considers her colleague in their marital home as an adversary, a detractor, a rival.  Such situations are without doubt breeding grounds for eventual confrontation.  Njika’s wives are no exception.

“vekeke  ve  koova  asa-kuwa  lae-sene”.

Lesson:

(i).  Misunderstanding and disagreements among members of families, groups, and friends are normal orrurrences;  they should not be exeggerrated  or cause caus surprise.

(ii).  Tradition requires that disagreement should be followed by reconciliation.

Lexicon.

vekeke = empty;  plural, “ekeke”.

koova = calabash.

eese, lae-see-ne = collide.

Ikule/Ikula  Nyame = a tortoise.

mbanyi = women married to one husband.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA

239. Mondi a-leli lii-ve.

He/she is the child who has eaten the breast of his/her mother.

This is totally misleading.  Yes, some babies bite and inflict wounds on the nipples of the breasts of their mothers.  But babies and children do not eat the breasts of their mothers.

When a woman who has delivered more than one child stops delivering further children the younger/youngest of the woman’s children is referred to as “Mondi  a-leli  lii-ve” = “he/she is the child who has eaten the breast of his/her mother”.

The last born child of a mother is also referred to as “makuke”

The elder/eldest child of a woman who has delivered more than one child is referred to as “mululu”

Lexicon:

lii-ve = a breast.

mosove  mo  lii-ve = the nipple of a breast.

nyongise  e-Mwaana = breast feed the baby.

Mwaana = a child;  a baby.

Mwenge  mo  mwaana = a newly born baby.

e-mululu  a  mwaana = the elder/eldest child in a family.

makuke  ma  mwaana =  the younger/youngest child in the family.

e-mwaana = the child.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA

237 osi-gbwe to “i”.

A Measurement For Knowledge Acquired, Assessment Of Progress.

e-Mokpwe uses letter “i” literally as a measurement for knowledge acquired, assessment of progress made and to illustrate that some one can not read and write.

(a).  osi-gbwi  to  “i”.
Aha  !  This is no event. You have not yet made any substantial progress/achievement
You still have a long way to go.

You are like an infant who is struggling to learn the letters of the alphabet but so far is still unable to recognize letters up to letter (“i”).

(b).  asavi  to  ama  “i”  aveni  litoti   o-mofo.
Yes, you are right.  He comports himself flamboyantly. 
But don’t be deceived because he sings all the “Meyenge  ma  Bosangi” and “Meyenge  ma  Bona  Kristo” very well without looking into a song book. 

He cannot read and write; he is a stark illiterate.
He does not even know that “i” has a dot at the top of its head.

Lexicon:

“Meyenge  ma  Bosangi” and  “Meyenge  ma  Bona  Kristo” = Sacred Songs and Solos.

osi-gbwe = you have not yet done/achieved something.

asavi = he does not know; he is ignorant about it.

litoti = a dot; a significant fact.

mofo = the head

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA 

182. “Mokusa aka o-litongo, ee-mbe asive”.

Widow, take refuge behind the house because the remains of your spouse are about to be lowered in the grave.

mokusa/mokuse, = a widow/widower; plural mekuse

litongo = the rear; behind.

litongo  la  ndawo = behind the house.

ee-mbe = the remains of a deceased human being.

There are several instances when widows/widowers are said to have fallen sick as a consequence of being in a state of hallucinations in which they see images of their deceased spouses. 

e-Mokpwe believes that one of the measures for safeguarding a widow/widower against danger in this regard is to prevent a widow/widower from watching to see the lowering of the remains of his/her spouse into the grave.  Hence the slogan:

“mokusa !
aka  o  litongo,
ee-mbe  asive”.!
(Mokuse/Mokusa.  Take refuge or hide behind the house as the remains of your deceased spouse are about to be lowered in the grave).

“mokusa aka  o-litongo, ee-mbe  asive”.                                                                                           
Literally:

Persons opposed to a programme that has to be executed immediately without failure at all costs are advised to withdraw from the scene to avoid exposing themselves to confrontation/danger/doom.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA 

238. Fela a Matata.

Dishonest

Fele is a game played by two girls or by a group of four to five pairs of teenage girls. 

Each player is required to clap her hands, drum her feet on the ground very fast in an orthodox pattern to simultaneously match the orthodox drumming of the feet of her play mate on the ground. 

A player looses a mark every time that she misses her steps or fails to drum her feet on the ground fast enough to simultaneously match the orthodox fast drumming of the feet of her play mate on the ground.

Boys too play Fele.  When the game becomes exciting some boys jump wild as they drum their feet on the ground.  As a game becomes more exciting some players use un-orthodox shortcuts in drumming their feet on the ground to confuse their play mates and retard the progress of their play mates.

A dishonest player then takes advantage of the confusion he creates to acquire fake credits for himself.  This crooked phase of the game is known as Fela  a  Matata.

Fela  a  Matata = to use dishonest methods to achieve victory in a contest or in a race.

Lexicon:

matata = an abnormal and unpleasant taste in soup made from palm nuts that are starting to decompose.

ngonya = soup.

ngonya  a  mosaka = soup made from palm nuts.

a-oki   “NDI”   fela  a  matata = he has used dishonest methods to achieve victory or success.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA

178. Soongo ndi etimbi vetingi-ngi.

A grave filled with stems of plantain or banana plants

Lexicon:

soongo = a grave.

vetingi-ngi = stems of plantain or banana plants.  Singular, “etingi-ngi”.

etimbe = returned; replaced.

e-Mokpwe is generally not in a hurry to bury the remains of a deceased member of the family.  However, a corpse is buried without delay if its condition warrants so. 

As a precaution against delay in burying a corpse that shows signs that it should be buried without delay, a grave is dug soon when some one dies.  The idea is that a grave must stand by for any eventuality.

There have been incidents when after a grave has already been dug for some body presumed to be dead the person regains consciousness.  In this event the grave is quickly filled with “vetingi-ngi” and the top covered with earth.

“soongo ndi  etimbe  vetingi-ngi”

Literally:
(i). He was very sick and it was feared he would die.

(ii). It is a miracle that he has survived the accident or the ordeal.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA

236. Nyanga Viya na Sanga Viya

A Man or a Woman Who Pretends to be Knowledgeable About Everything

Lexicon:

Nyango = a Mother; Madam.

Sango = a Father; a gentleman.

Viya = knowledgeable.

Some one who is not familiar with the language would expect that Nyanga  Viya  and  Sanga  Viya respectively mean the mother of “Viya” and the father of “Viya”.  However, it is not so.

Sanga  Viya  or  Nyanga  Viya  are NOT complimentary words.

Nyanga  Viya  or  Sanga  Viya is some one who pretends to be knowledgeable about every thing and versed, for instance, with the law, religious matters, management affairs etc.

He is talkative, arrogant, meddlesome, wayward and fond of claiming to have facilitated achievements made by people he says are his friends or colleagues.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA

235. Mokpwe asala Ngaka.

Mokpwe do not eat Ngaka.

Ngaka = a Palm Bird.

It is believed that germs that cause convulsion and trembling of the limbs live inside the body of every Ngaka and on its feathers and that a person who eats Ngaka, or who comes into contact with the feather of a Ngaka becomes highly vulnerable to attacks of convulsion and Parkinson’s disease.  Roasting or boiling does not destroy the germs.  Mokpwe does not therefore touch or eat Ngaka.

Oma Nanu
Imba Thomas Mbua Ndoko
Chicago ILL, USA