“Ikenga’s self-imposed
isolation had made him everything apart from a normal human being. Sometimes,
he engaged himself in lengthy conversations and laughter but maintained a
worrying silence and irritating behaviour with his black brothers, and when out
in the open, he saw every white man or woman as an undercover agent and a
potential enemy.”
–
Excerpt from Woes Of Ikenga
Many
who are born into austere living conditions often tend to follow one of two
paths: despair and live in despondency or be possessed of an extreme obsession
to liberate they and their family from the grip of poverty’s tightly clenched
fist. Whatever path they choose, they explore to the heights of extremism. Not
all who choose to be liberators end up achieving their goals. Some end up right
at the other end of the extreme divide, despondent; others die trying.
One
cannot fault the young Ikenga for his ‘Germany-mania’. After all, it is common
knowledge in his village that Germany is the land where used cars are dumped on
the road for whoever wants and when not claimed, those same cars are disposed
as trash. Even if this sounds incredible, what else explains how Ray, the
headmaster’s son could afford to send a Mercedes Benz to his father within few
months of arriving Germany. This furor begins as a small seed in his young mind
and grows into the egregious convictions that the grass is surely greenest in
Germany, and that his -no lack- destiny is definitely having a ball, while
waiting for him to come claim it. Not that he does not try in his own way to
explore other options, but after the bus episode, one is not sure if the gods
still know how to fight for themselves, talkless of their faithfuls.
After
a childhood of dire lack, collywobbles must be cast aside to get to the other
side where greener pastures lie. He is sure that the hardest feat is getting
there. Surely, once there, destiny will reward his resilience and quickly fall
into place for him. Armed with these thoughts, he sets off for Germany. It does
not matter whether he starts off by road, and has to cross the desert: it is a
small feat to have to beg and clean car windows on the streets when stuck in an
unknown town where a strange language is being spoken. The goal is to get to
the promise land where fate awaits with a smile. Even the near death
sea-experience does not waver his courage. Maybe fate is testing him to see
what stuff he is made of. Fate must have a weird sense of humour, expecting him
to give up when he is almost there.
Finally
Ikenga arrives Germany where all the treasures with his name on them await him.
He has come in peace, he tells himself. Oh no! He is not greedy. All he wants
is just a teeny weeny tad, just enough to return home in a few years time as a
triumphant hero who has brought honour to his family name.
He,
however does not bargain for what Germany doles out to him -from jail terms to
a slapstick marriage. Through all his adventures, the reader cannot help but
sympathize with him and unconsciously encourage his endeavours while hoping
that he somehow strikes gold so his efforts do not go wasted. At the end of the
novel, the reader’s right-and-wrong divide lines are blurred; the most
important thing is Ikenga’s welfare.
When
in later times one ruminates on the noble hero, Ikenga and his many
close-shaves, one cannot help but muse along different lines:
- · Ikenga should have stayed and followed his grandfather’s original plan of taking care of the shrine…
- · Ikenga should have joined Mascot at the train station from the get-go…
- · Ikenga should have turned a blind eye at Vannesa and her shenanigans. ..
- · Ikenga should have joined Pastor Ray…
There are many conclusions or ways the book could
have gone that may inspire hope for heroic Ikenga in the reader’s mind, but
each cast aspersions on the reader’s own morality or displays his lack of it,
thus drawing us to Ikenga’s woes and showing clearly that there are indeed no
easy options.
Ikenga emerges a hero not because his is a
Cinderella story but because he becomes for the reader a microcosm of the
average man’s struggle to rise above his birth ranks. Whether he succeeds or
not, it does not matter, what counts is that he dared even death to try,
explored as many options as life thrust his way, and did not simply resign
himself to fate.
Ndubuisi George concocts a story that does not just
question our definition of “greener pastures” but redefines the heroic
character.
Woes
of Ikenga is available for sale on Amazon
And at the following bookstores in Lagos,
- · Patabah Bookshop- Shop B20 Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall (Shoprite), Surulere
- · Terra Kulture, Timaiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island
- · http://www.konga.com/rectoverso
or
click here to buy and have it delivered to your doorstep anywhere in Nigeria.
By
Amara Chimeka
CEO StreamsELA
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