If your brother accompanies you to the latrine, you too should accompany him to the back of the house when he wants to urinate.
Maito, maito kaii. It’s time to tell Tales of the Animal World.
Yasi nanu: A sheep (Molengu Mbole) and Elela (a duck)shared a room in Mola Mosongo Inoni’s clinic. One night Elela had an attack of diarrhoea (luu-nga la moku-wako). Molengu Mbole accompanied Elela on all the occasions that Elela visited the latrine that night. (Note: At that time latrines were located in bushes abou150 metres away from residential houses).
A week later Molengu Mbole was given a liquid medication that caused him to urinate frequently. At night when Molengu Mbole asked Elela to accompany him outside the house to urinate, Elela replied:
(“No, I cannot go out now.
I easily get frightened whenever I see ghosts (vekongi or vekumuti).
Urinate at that corner of the room.
Urine is like water. It will soon sink in the ground”).
("Jai !
imba noka ve-kongi na veku-muti wongo,
wenga nasa tane nafusa nange we e-woka.
imba na-sete te lika-ndu-mele.
i-nye-ya anga njuka tuu;
minyali a-gbwe ndi na maliva;
mwana mbo anga, ma-nyo-ngo o-monye".
Molengu Mbole exclaimed:
“Sei ! Elela, You are a lair.You are shameless and cunning. Last week when you had an attack of diarrhoea at night; I accompanied you on all occasions that you visited the latrine that night. On that occasion you did not mention the probability of seeing ghosts (vekongi and vekumuti) and the fright that you now claim you experience every time that you see ghosts. It's surprising that this night you are talking about veko-ngi and veku-muti”.
(sei ! Elela ! manga-na anga molanga mono !
ose-nya !
oveli mefili; oveli makpwana ).
In the morning Molengu Mbole reported the matter to Mola Mosongo. Mosongo then referred the matter to Ikula Nyame.
In his defense Elela explained:
"I am frightened whenever I see ghosts (vekongi or vekumuti).
Besides, the smell emanating from Molengu Mbole's urine is too offensive to endure.
After considering the evidence presented to him, Ikule pointed out that:
“The smell emanating from faeces (loowa) is offensive.
The smell emanating from urine (mi-nyali) is equally offensive.
Visiting a latrine at night is taking a risk.
When Elela had an attack of dairrhoea at night, Molengu Mbole accompanied Elela to the latrine. Molengu Mbole endured the risks involved in visiting a latrine at night, and the offending smells emanating from faeces and urine. It is therefore expected that Elela too would accompanied Molengu Mbole outside the house in the night when Molengu Mbole had to urinate, the smell from Molengu Mbole's urine notwithstanding”
Continuing Ikule said:
“You will recall that our forefathers advised that if your brother accompanies you to the latrine, you too should accompany him when he goes outside the house to urinate. Nanu ndi ese eveli. (This is how/what the World is).
‘mwa-nyongo a-windeli te o-wolowa,
wafe o-kane o-mwi-ndeya o-minyali”) .
Literally: One good turn deserves another.
Lexicon.
luu-nga la moku-wako = diarrhoea.
mefili OR makpwana = guile; intrigues.
vekongi/vekumuti – ghosts.
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
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