by
Obododimma Oha
In my rural part of Igboland, when a person is unable to go to the market
to do some shopping or feels that it is not necessary to go to the market
personally, that person may give those going some money and ask them to do the
shopping instead. It is called "ịtụ ahịa." The person who requests
others to do the shopping for self is stating symbolically that the prospective
proxy-buyers are taken into confidence! So, it is a good practice. Another
thing I like about the practice is that, far from identifying the requesters as
being lazy, it contributes immensely to community building and cementing of
ties.
But, beyond this social significance, it has entered Igbo figurative
goatskin bag of wisdom and, sometimes, one hears people uttering: "A zụtarala ya ihe ọ tụrụ n'ahịa" (What the person requested to be bought in
the market has been bought), indicating that the repercussions or merited
compensations for an action have started manifesting). One is persuaded to take
it even further by drawing attention to the market configuration and the idea
of reaping "benefits" from it. What
is the objective of buying and selling if not to make gains? Both
sellers and buyers hope to be better for it, even when we truly know that
somebody loses for somebody to gain!
So, what individuals and groups and countries and races and galaxies asked
proxy-buyers to purchase for them from the market of life, I hope they have
receved the bundle. If they are yet to receive the bundle, they should walk
down the road to find out what may be holding the market people.
What is the title of that Igbo Christian song that says: "Ọlu any
niile nwere ụgwọ"? (All our labour have payment)? Are labourers no longer
worthy of their pay? Yes; ọlu anyi niile nwere ụgwọ!
There was this narrative about the noisy
squirrel on a branch and its exchange with the broad leaf of the tree.
The squirrel would jump and down, screaming. it is obviously intoxicated with
the sunlight and the prospect of making the branches its race course. Because of
these and the prospect of contributing to the noise of the jungle, it just
barked and barked. But the broad leaf
nearby was worried: it asked the squirrel to take it easy, but squirrel
would not listen. The broad leaf prophesied that if the hunters came, they
would shoot dead the squirrel and pluck the leaf to wrap the kill. The noisy squirrel refused to listen and soon
the hunter came and shot it dead, And just as the broad leaf, prophesied, they
plucked the broad leaf n wrapping it, thus binding their common tragic destiny.
Yes; the noisy squirrel sent market people to buy tragedy for it from the market
of humans and spirits!
When you smuggle in military rule into a democratic system, you are
requesting the market people to buy something for you from the market. When you cause the death
of enlightened institutions or cause hell to replace heaven, you are requesting
market people to buy something for you from the market. When your banner is
totally stained with innocent blood of protesting youths and you think that you
are handing over to future generations a banner without stain, you are asking
the market people to buy something for you from the market. When you turn
falsehood into truth and sin into righteousness, you are asking market people
to remember to buy something for you from the market. Generally, when the
abnormal becomes the normal under you, you are saying to market people to
please remember your needs when they are making purchases as the day runs out.
For your time is actually running out with the day. Sorry for broad leaves near
the noisy squirrel: you will be adjudged guilty by association. Your fate is sealed in
the tragic fate of the noisy squirrel who has bought it from home.
What you requested people to buy for you from the market, have you got it
now? Have you stared unwrapping the bundle? Each layer in the unwrappped bundle
holds its surprises. Are you surprised with surprises? Surprises are part of
what you requested people to get for you from the market! As you unwrap
surprises, are you surprised? The real surprise and regret are yet to come. Get
ready.
When a hunter is aiming at a game, the tse-tse fle is also aiming is own
gun at a target. That market is for buyers ans sellers, gainers and losers;
losers who think that they are gainers. That market is for buyers of sellers
and for sellers of buyers! It is from that same market that they would buy what
you havve requested for you to unwrap layers of shock and surprises when you get
the bundle soon.
Itụ ahia is symbolic intersubjectivity. We need other human beings. We need
human community. Even if one can go to the market to make purchases personally,
one can go as others, in others, through others. One can still go to the market
of life to make purchases as other people. That is why we are here, how we are
ere. We are also here as others, not only as selves.
Is life not a market? Uwa bụ ahịa. This, interestingly finds universal
expression in many cultures and languages. Uwa bụ ahịa, as the Igbo couch it.
Life is metaphorically a market experience and we sometimes have to send others
as ourselves. Uwa bụ ahịa, so do not think that it is your home and final
stopping point! Uwa bụ ahịa, not your bedroom, a space you own and control. You
will, must, leave this market and go home one day, and you have no control over
it, over anything really!
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