Dr Fixit (321 - 330)

A Tongue-like Flower


321

 to trimmed sticks or even palm nuts.

If we wanted to be great bankers who'd tie knots 

of strips of cloths with shirts and suits,

this was the time to prepare well for that pursuit 

as we would get right our sums with the counters, 

Mrs Bearit told us. And shortly after 

was the break. When the timekeeper 

rang the bell, we jumped and streaked past our teacher 

to the outside for an hour of leisure 

where we would put ourselves in every posture 


322

as a sleuth, a cop, a criminal or preacher

as we play-acted fictitious or real characters 

we'd viewed in real life, movies or dramas.

Being a warm sunny day, we sneaked past the borders 

of the school to look for wild fruits,

especially one called 'mkpa-ntuk' at the circuit 

of a nearby church. It is a wonder fruit.

The taste is slightly sugary. The skin looks 

yellowish and the seed is round and hard

like palm nut. After you suck and discard 


323

the thin white flesh, every item of food

entering your mouth certainly would 

taste like it was sugar-loaded.

We found, plucked and loaded 

our pockets with the fruits and then 

looked for a cane-like plant called 'mbritem'.

It's filled with fluid and slightly sour.

The fruit made it seem filled with sugar.

We returned to our school and gave some 

to our friends. When we dispersed, we did run


324

back home to drink garri. I drank much

and didn't check to see what was in the pots

and passed bulk of the fruits to Moonit 

and her sisters. The adults didn't like it 

because it spoiled their palate for 

the whole of the day. I couldn't ignore 

what was in the pots for me much longer.

I drew near them and took off one cover

after another. In one pot was boiled yam.

In the other was an African oil bean stew. I ran


325

outside and washed my hands and returned

to eat my food. A spicy and salted food turned 

sugary in my mouth and only with 

old memory I relished my food. I did

my routine chores as day slipped to night 

and night to day again and like a bird in flight, 

days slipped to weeks. We started revision 

for our last term's examinations.

Those in Elementary Six had their mock tests

in preparation for their externals, then we'd rest


326

for two months tagged the long vacation.

The Elementary Six pupils would seek education 

in secondary schools and those in the lower classes 

would move a notch up. The lads and lasses 

in my set would move to Elementary Three

where we'd use pencils and exercise books. We were free

to play as we like after the closing day

which I remember some pupils weeping along the way

as they returned home with their report cards 

which had on them really poor marks.


327

Some had red-inked circles with ears.

I heard a saucy one lambaste by his peers.

'Even if "Ah" is as big as a billboard,

you can't see. I'll bring my Pa's big rod

to your Pa to cane that idiocy from your head.

All you know is to curse and fight instead 

of grasping what you were taught.

Look at your head like coconut.'

The boy let out a bawl as his foes 

shrieked with laughter. Like on tiptoes,


328

it would seem, all those who failed walked past

those whose report cards had good marks

promoting them to the next class.

Who looked at my card would pat my back 

or rub my head for I had high marks

with Antish, Handwriting and Fine Art.

Who pushed me out of 1st position, with Maths

did it. When Bendit saw my report card,

he smiled and said we'd visit the library 

during the holidays. When my granny 


329

heard from Moonit that I had passed 

my exams and was promoted to the next class,

she gave me a hug and promised me some goodies 

in the days to come. Here, everybody makes everybody's 

business their own. The craftsmen thumbed through 

our report cards. Fortunately, we made it through -

every pupil in our compound - to the next class.

Of course, Moonit - if she would pass

the Common Entrance Examination

conducted across Antburg would gain admission 


330

into a secondary school of her choice.

Every pupil in our compound just rejoiced.

It was as if we granted the people 

around us the bragging rights. A tongue tussle 

would ensue if a visitor asked 

how we had fared with our school tasks.

You'd hear the craftsmen answered back:

'The kids here are really sharp.

None had wasted their parents' food.

We're sending them to your neighbourhood 

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