Nwa Ebulu Akọ

By

Obododimma Oha

You must have heard the ancient narrative. My Igbo ancestors were fond of it and used it frequently as a warning and call for alertness. Nwa Ebulu Akọ (Literally, “the cautious little ram”) has, in fact, become a model for many in the local theorization of alertness and in dealing with others who have one in their gaze while eating and drinking and sleeping and dreaming. In other words, it was a kind of theory on cleverness.

The narrative, of course, has variants, but one goes thus: Tortoise once called his five sons and asked them one after the other: “A ga-eme gị ole I wee mara?”  (How many times would the other undermine your interest before you are aware of it?). “Five times, “ that one answered. Tortoise gave him a good knock on the head, exclaiming in frustration, “Foolish seed!” Pushing him aside, he called another and asked: “A ga-eme gị ole I wee mara?” That one thought the last didn’t get the calculation right and answered in his guess game: “Three times, father!” Tortoise was visibly very angry. He gave him a resounding slap and waved him off. Three were remaining, but Tortoise was not interested in individual but collective learning, really. So, he called the youngest and smallest, even if that meant cutting the long journey to wisdom shorter. He also had a nickname for that one: “Nwa Ebulu Akọ” because that offspring had shown uncanny wisdom that surprised him at other times in the past. “A ga-eme gị ole I wee mara?” Nwa Ebulu quickly answered: “N’izizi ahụ, nna a. M gaghị echebe ka e mee m ọzọ, maka nke mbụ nwere ike I were ndụ m.”(Father, that first time. I won't endure till the second time, because I might not survive that first one!”). Tortoise was very happy (who wouldn’t be?), hugged the lad, and exclaimed: “E nwere m nwa n'ezie! I truly have an offspring. Come and sit near me; in fact, you can take over my stool right now! You will remain my other mind with which I go out to think about things!”

So, Tortoise found a replacement and a continuation in Nwa Ebulu. That sapling was freely offered the stool of inheritance. His young body only housed his aged mind. So, he was not really deficient.

That Igbo parable reminds me about a related case featuring Jesus Christ and His disciples. He asked them: "How many times would your brother offend you before you forgive him?" The number of times indicated by some in their answer were expectedly various. But Jesus Christ said none of them was correct, that it was infinite. The wisdom of Jesus framed it as endless! But the same Jesus invited us to become Nwa Ebulu Akọ in a lifeworld where it is not enough to be as innocent as the dove. We have to be as wise as the serpent! Even if one's name is "Innocent." Lord Jesus, Nwa Ebulu Akọ can forgive any number of times you prescribe, ad infinitum, but  he must be as wise as the serpent, and must not forget that he has been mistreated several times and has forgiven several times!

 Nwa Ebulu is the wisdom one needs to sail in water populated by devourers and destroyers.

 Nwa Ebulu Akọ is the therapy against idiocy and self-destruction. 

Nwa Ebulu Akọ is a preference for readiness against vulnerabilities.

 Nwa Ebulu Akọ is staying awake, instead of slumbering and snoring when the arrows are flying about.

Nwa Ebulu Akọ is knowing that one knows.

 Nwa Ebulu Akọ is knowing oneself and saying so to the pain of those who want us to forget ourselves.

 Nwa Ebulu Akọ is attention to the wise words of the sage.

Nwa Ebulu Akọ is not just a local instruction on how to wrestle with the angel until dawn but also a life-skill. All of us need life-skills to survive in the battle of life. Of course, in that battle, some just open their hearts for others to see and to be able to predict them, their naivety. Some also remember that what somebody’s mother told him once upon a time, their own mother also told them that. Ka ị ma nke a, ị ma nke ọzọ? (“If you know this one, do you also know that one that I am planning?). The education or learning that makes one vulnerable and stupid is undesirable.

We are called to be Nwa Ebulu Akọ, clever soldiers, too wise for our challenges, ready to sit on the stools of triumph.