Things Fall Apart ( PDFDrive )

CHAPTERONE
Okonkwowaswellknownthroughouttheninevillagesandevenbeyond.His
famerestedonsolidpersonalachievements.Asayoungmanofeighteenhehad
broughthonourtohisvillagebythrowingAmalinzetheCat.Amalinzewasthe
greatwrestlerwhoforsevenyearswasunbeaten,fromUmuofiatoMbaino.He
wascalledtheCatbecausehisbackwouldnevertouchtheearth.Itwasthisman
thatOkonkwothrewinafightwhichtheoldmenagreedwasoneofthefiercest
sincethefounderoftheirtownengagedaspiritofthewildforsevendaysand
sevennights.
Thedrumsbeatandtheflutessangandthespectatorsheldtheirbreath.
Amalinzewasawilycraftsman,butOkonkwowasasslipperyasafishinwater.
Everynerveandeverymusclestoodoutontheirarms,ontheirbacksandtheir
thighs,andonealmostheardthemstretchingtobreakingpoint.Intheend
OkonkwothrewtheCat.
Thatwasmanyyearsago,twentyyearsormore,andduringthistimeOkonkwo's
famehadgrownlikeabush-fireintheharmattan.Hewastallandhuge,andhis
bushyeyebrowsandwidenosegavehimaveryseverelook.Hebreathed
heavily,anditwassaidthat,whenheslept,hiswivesandchildrenintheir
housescouldhearhimbreathe.Whenhewalked,hisheelshardlytouchedthe
groundandheseemedtowalkonsprings,asifhewasgoingtopounceon
somebody.Andhedidpounceonpeoplequiteoften.Hehadaslightstammer
andwheneverhewasangryandcouldnotgethiswordsoutquicklyenough,he
wouldusehisfists.Hehadnopatiencewithunsuccessfulmen.Hehadhadno
patiencewithhisfather.
Unoka,forthatwashisfather'sname,haddiedtenyearsago.Inhisdayhewas
lazyandimprovidentandwasquiteincapableofthinkingabouttomorrow.If
anymoneycamehisway,anditseldomdid,heimmediatelyboughtgourdsof
palm-wine,calledroundhisneighboursandmademerry.Healwayssaidthat
wheneverhesawadeadman'smouthhesawthefollyofnoteatingwhatone
hadinone'slifetime.Unokawas,ofcourse,adebtor,andheowedevery
neighboursomemoney,fromafewcowriestoquitesubstantialamounts.
Hewastallbutverythinandhadaslightstoop.Heworeahaggardand

Hewastallbutverythinandhadaslightstoop.Heworeahaggardand
mournfullookexceptwhenhewasdrinkingorplayingonhisflute.Hewasvery
goodonhisflute,andhishappiestmomentswerethetwoorthreemoonsafter
theharvestwhenthevillagemusiciansbroughtdowntheirinstruments,hung
abovethefireplace.Unokawouldplaywiththem,hisfacebeamingwith
blessednessandpeace.SometimesanothervillagewouldaskUnoka'sbandand
theirdancingegwugwutocomeandstaywiththemandteachthemtheirtunes.
Theywouldgotosuchhostsforaslongasthreeorfourmarkets,makingmusic
andfeasting.Unokalovedthegoodhireandthegoodfellowship,andheloved
thisseasonoftheyear,whentherainshadstoppedandthesunroseevery
morningwithdazzlingbeauty.Anditwasnottoohoteither,becausethecold
anddryharmattanwindwasblowingdownfromthenorth.Someyearsthe
harmattanwasverysevereandadensehazehungontheatmosphere.Oldmen
andchildrenwouldthensitroundlogfires,warmingtheirbodies.Unokalovedit
all,andhelovedthefirstkitesthatreturnedwiththedryseason,andthechildren
whosangsongsofwelcometothem.Hewouldrememberhisownchildhood,
howhehadoftenwanderedaroundlookingforakitesailingleisurelyagainstthe
bluesky.Assoonashefoundonehewouldsingwithhiswholebeing,
welcomingitbackfromitslong,longjourney,andaskingitifithadbrought
homeanylengthsofcloth.
Thatwasyearsago,whenhewasyoung.Unoka,thegrown-up,wasafailure.He
waspoorandhiswifeandchildrenhadbarelyenoughtoeat.Peoplelaughedat
himbecausehewasaloafer,andtheysworenevertolendhimanymoremoney
becauseheneverpaidback.ButUnokawassuchamanthathealways
succeededinborrowingmore,andpilinguphisdebts.
OnedayaneighbourcalledOkoyecameintoseehim.Hewasrecliningona
mudbedinhishutplayingontheflute.Heimmediatelyroseandshookhands
withOkoye,whothenunrolledthegoatskinwhichhecarriedunderhisarm,and
satdown.Unokawentintoaninnerroomandsoonreturnedwithasmall
woodendisccontainingakolanut,somealligatorpepperandalumpofwhite
chalk.
"Ihavekola,"heannouncedwhenhesatdown,andpassedthediscovertohis
guest.
"Thankyou.Hewhobringskolabringslife.ButIthinkyououghttobreakit,"
repliedOkoye,passingbackthedisc.
"No,itisforyou,Ithink,"andtheyarguedlikethisforafewmomentsbefore

"No,itisforyou,Ithink,"andtheyarguedlikethisforafewmomentsbefore
Unokaacceptedthehonourofbreakingthekola.Okoye,meanwhile,tookthe
lumpofchalk,drewsomelinesonthefloor,andthenpaintedhisbigtoe.
Ashebrokethekola,Unokaprayedtotheirancestorsforlifeandhealth,andfor
protectionagainsttheirenemies.Whentheyhadeatentheytalkedaboutmany
things:abouttheheavyrainswhichweredrowningtheyams,aboutthenext
ancestralfeastandabouttheimpendingwarwiththevillageofMbaino.Unoka
wasneverhappywhenitcametowars.Hewasinfactacowardandcouldnot
bearthesightofblood.Andsohechangedthesubjectandtalkedaboutmusic,
andhisfacebeamed.Hecouldhearinhismind'seartheblood-stirringand
intricaterhythmsoftheekweandtheuduandtheogene,andhecouldhearhis
ownfluteweavinginandoutofthem,decoratingthemwithacolourfuland
plaintivetune.Thetotaleffectwasgayandbrisk,butifonepickedouttheflute
asitwentupanddownandthenbrokeupintoshortsnatches,onesawthatthere
wassorrowandgriefthere.
Okoyewasalsoamusician.Heplayedontheogene.Buthewasnotafailure
likeUnoka.Hehadalargebarnfullofyamsandhehadthreewives.Andnow
hewasgoingtotaketheIdemilititle,thethirdhighestintheland.Itwasavery
expensiveceremonyandhewasgatheringallhisresourcestogether.Thatwasin
factthereasonwhyhehadcometoseeUnoka.Heclearedhisthroatandbegan:
"Thankyouforthekola.YoumayhaveheardofthetitleIintendtotake
shortly."
Havingspokenplainlysofar,Okoyesaidthenexthalfadozensentencesin
proverbs.AmongtheIbotheartofconversationisregardedveryhighly,and
proverbsarethepalm-oilwithwhichwordsareeaten.Okoyewasagreattalker
andhespokeforalongtime,skirtingroundthesubjectandthenhittingit
finally.Inshort,hewasaskingUnokatoreturnthetwohundredcowrieshehad
borrowedfromhimmorethantwoyearsbefore.AssoonasUnokaunderstood
whathisfriendwasdrivingat,heburstoutlaughing.Helaughedloudandlong
andhisvoicerangoutclearastheogene,andtearsstoodinhiseyes.Hisvisitor
wasamazed,andsatspeechless.Attheend,Unokawasabletogiveananswer
betweenfreshoutburstsofmirth.
"Lookatthatwall,"hesaid,pointingatthefarwallofhishut,whichwasrubbed
withredearthsothatitshone."Lookatthoselinesofchalk,"andOkoyesaw
groupsofshortperpendicularlinesdrawninchalk.Therewerefivegroups,and
thesmallestgrouphadtenlines.Unokahadasenseofthedramaticandsohe
allowedapause,inwhichhetookapinchofsnuffandsneezednoisily,andthen

allowedapause,inwhichhetookapinchofsnuffandsneezednoisily,andthen
hecontinued:"Eachgroupthererepresentsadebttosomeone,andeachstrokeis
onehundredcowries.Yousee,Iowethatmanathousandcowries.Buthehas
notcometowakemeupinthemorningforit.Ishallpayyou,butnottoday.Our
elderssaythatthesunwillshineonthosewhostandbeforeitshinesonthose
whokneelunderthem.Ishallpaymybigdebtsfirst."Andhetookanotherpinch
ofsnuff,asifthatwaspayingthebigdebtsfirst.Okoyerolledhisgoatskinand
departed.
WhenUnokadiedhehadtakennotitleatallandhewasheavilyindebt.Any
wonderthenthathissonOkonkwowasashamedofhim?Fortunately,among
thesepeopleamanwasjudgedaccordingtohisworthandnotaccordingtothe
worthofhisfather.Okonkwowasclearlycutoutforgreatthings.Hewasstill
youngbuthehadwonfameasthegreatestwrestlerintheninevillages.Hewas
awealthyfarmerandhadtwobarnsfullofyams,andhadjustmarriedhisthird
wife.Tocrownitallhehadtakentwotitlesandhadshownincredibleprowessin
twointer-tribalwars.AndsoalthoughOkonkwowasstillyoung,hewasalready
oneofthegreatestmenofhistime.Agewasrespectedamonghispeople,but
achievementwasrevered.Astheelderssaid,ifachildwashedhishandshe
couldeatwithkings.Okonkwohadclearlywashedhishandsandsoheatewith
kingsandelders.Andthatwashowhecametolookafterthedoomedladwho
wassacrificedtothevillageofUmuofiabytheirneighbourstoavoidwarand
bloodshed.Theill-fatedladwascalledIkemefuna.