Friday, July 18, 2008

How I See the World Lately

Kwaku Ananse and his two kid brothers have two Valencia oranges to ration among them. Gloomy with the thought of divvying up equally, he finagles immediate intrigue, and starts working on an imaginary enemy.

He says, “But why should they give three of us only two oranges to split up?”

Ananse’s brothers are clearly clueless on his rabid ranting. Who is the fictitious foe?

“But I am your big brother, and I love you!”

The younger two are perplexed aplenty. The world is more likely than ever, these days, to distrust you if you speak of love.

“You take this huge one, and you, this lovely-looking one. You see I’ve given them both to you, and I, myself, don't have any.”

He carries a long, crumpled face, and volte-faces away from the two new, sole owners of the fleshy, tasty fruit, with head hanging low and drooping shoulders. He takes two slack steps and quickly turns around with fairly rehearsed grace. His eyes have gone dark and cloudy.

“Oh, won’t you give me just half of yours, and you, half of yours, pweeze?”

Confused about his earlier kindness and his present whimpering, each gives Ananse half of his prized possession. The crafty cur saunters away with one whole Valencia orange.

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous18 July, 2008

    Cynical but true. The world has really come to this!

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  2. mmmmmmmmmm
    what can i say?
    It is as it is!

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  3. Anon - yes, what was cynical yesterday, has become normal today!

    Kwansema - that's the way life is.

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  4. I love Kwaku Ananse!
    I bought a book of stories for my (then 1 year old) niece and as my brother and I read to her, excited over finding Kwaku Ananse tales in Europe, we realised, far from being children's stories these are the tales of a bitter, conniving man. But you just have to love him!

    And, ey, what's wrong with a little cynicism? It takes some of us a long way...

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  5. Maya, sadly, I have lost most of my Ananse stories (life lessons, really) in the maze of eurocentric education.

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  6. Anonymous18 July, 2008

    People have their own definition of love and most of it will make you sick to the stomach.People of this age are simply dishonest so why wont someone look at your expression of love with a third eye.Millicent.

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  7. Super poignant and clever comment. Lost me for a while, till I went back to the post and remembered the bit about doubts on expressions of love. Now I know you really read the post. Thanks for the comment. Millicent, please come back.

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  8. Does this Ananse speak 'slangs'?

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  9. Curious questin, Nana Kofi. I don't have a ready answer, sadly.

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