Bathe but you will never come out clean
Maito, maito kai: It’s time to tell Tales of the Animal World.
Ngoni OR Ngona maliva = mud fish.
Yasi nanu: Ngona Maliva consulted the renowned doctor and sorcerer, Mosongo Inoni, and complained:
"Mola koo-ko !
I bathe repeatedly but I am not yet clean.
I have bathed in shallow river water.
I have bathed in deep river water.
I have bathed in sea/salt water.
I have bathed with “woongo wo mboli” and good quality soap (“soova mandenge”).
I have also bathed with soap manufactured by the White man (e-Mokala Mbongo).
But, slime continues to remain on my skin; and the colour of my skin continues to remain black."
Smiling, Mosongo Inoni said:
"I am baffled by your complain. I cannot understand why someone who lives in water and bathes often will not be clean. "
Ngoni repeated:
“Mola I bathe constantly but I am not yet clean. I have come to ask you to give me medication or lotion that will completely remove slime from my skin as well as my black color."
Smiling again, Mosongo Inoni said:
"My sorcery has not yet discovered medication that can completely remove slime from the skin and change the natural color of the skin without risks. You therefore have to live with the slime and the black color. Every one lives with some dust on his skin. This is how/what the world is: Bathe, but some dust will continue to remain on the skin.
(oo-ko, osa-taana !;
oo-ko, osi taane )!
nanu ndi ese eveli !
So, one has to continue to bathe as often as is necessary”.
Ngoni pressed:
"Mola ! I think I should give you time to examine my request.
Can I come back and see you at the end of the month"?
Mosongo replied:
"You will be welcomed.
However, as far as my sorcery can see:
In this world, bathing will not completely remove dust from the skin.
“anu see nau, oo-ko osa-taana”.'
oo-ko, osi taane !
Literally:
Maintenance of the body and respecting social obligations such as assisting sick members of the family, friends and acquaintances are recurrent events. They cannot be stopped.
Lexicon:
oo-ko = to bathe.
oo-ko, osi taane = bathing, but never getting clean.
soovi = soap.
soova mandenge = soap made from burnt barks of the fruits of plantains.
woongo wo mboli = leaves of a specie of a climbing stem. Goats are fond of eating the leaves, that is why the leaves are called “woongo wo mboli”
e-Mokala Mbongo/e-Mokala Mbenge = the White man/the European.
Oma nanu.
Imba
Mola Mbua Ndoko
P.o Box 38 Buea, South West Province
Cameroon, West/Africa.
Email:[email protected]
Website: http://www.mbuandoko.com
Comments