Ndockpoh is a smaller village while Yabassi is bigger and she (Yabassi) is the capital of the Nkam division. Even though I am a Southern Cameroons and I speak and write English, and I am equally proud to be a citizen of the Commonwealth with the Queen of England as Head of state, I know where both parts of my families originated. It is very important for me. Now, in the village of Ndockpoh, people speak various languages. The dominant ones are Bassa, Bassa-Badem, Bang, Nyokonne and Bodiman. The people of Ndockpoh and the whole of the Nkam division have three religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic and traditional believes. And unlike other nationalities (tribes in greater Cameroons if you wish), in Ndockpoh and also in Yabassi, women are the ones who control the family. Their family structure is matrilineal or matriarchal. It is the same case with some Bassa nationalities in the Nyong and Kelle, Sanaga maritime and Wouri divisions located in the Centre and Littoral provinces of French-speaking Cameroon.
While the people of Bassa and Bassa-Badem nationalities in both Southern Cameroons and French-speaking Cameroon are matriarchal, most nationalities constituting the twin Cameroonian nations are patriarchal. In matriarchal nations, Children belong to the women as it is the case with the Bassa-badems or Bassas. Children whose mothers are from one of those two nationalities know that, they are Bassa-badems or Bassas. But it is not the same case with other nationalities in the region. The people of Ndockpoh and Yabassi claim that, women were the ones who served them and also that, only a woman knows the true father of the child she carry’s, hence, they own the child they bring forth, in order not to create disputes and conflicts in the village, in case the woman cheated, and also to maintain good family bond.
Nyoglifanda as I promised to tell you about, was a great hunter and famous. It was even rumoured that, the man claimed to be his father was not his real father or biological father. But he was fathered by the friend of his father because, Nyoglifanda’s real father could not bring forth children and in order to assure his ancestry and make sure that, the name of his ancestors does not disappear from the surface of the earth, when he dies, he asked his friend to help him out. Nyoglifanda grew up and assured his father by getting married and had children and his father died with his mind at peace. But he was hunter and was nicknamed the killer of Tigers and had a number of rings round his ears, indicating the number of felines he has killed. Nyoglifanda was a real male and he was needed in the village at a time when, felines strode into huts which were constructed with palm fronds and devoured people willy-nilly.
But felines ran away just as the sensed or perceived the scent of Nyoglifanda. He was so strong that, he killed some felines with his own hands. It was also rumoured that, the reasons why Nyoglifanda was that strong was because, he had inherited the totems of his two fathers: official and unofficial one. The official one had the totem of a crocodile while the unofficial had the totem of a leopard, for Tigers are not found in Cameroon or in the entire African continent. But some specialists of such science also claimed that, it was impossible for Nyoglifanda to be so powerful, if he was initiated into the supernatural sphere only by his two fathers. They claim that, children initiated by their father into the world of the spirits are not very powerful, because only women are tied to the child or children they carry, courtesy the umbilical cord. The specialists of supernatural science added that, only those initiated by their mothers grew up to become as powerful as Nyoglifanda was. Thus they argued that, the mother of Nyoglifanda must have had both totems or even had her own special one, which she passed onto her son at birth.
Some explained or justified their claims by pointing out that, because Ndibe (water), the name of the mother of Nyoglifanda, wanted to initiate her son, hence she gave birth alone in the bush and stayed there, for seven long days. The way Nyoglifanda put on his ear rings was not according to the abusive ways that some very weak males or some who are referred to as males don them today. But Nyoglifanda was born at a time when the White men came and most of what he wanted to do was banned by White men and White men also brought their own new styles. Hence when he discovered that any sort of male was putting on ear rings, he decided to remove his. For he felt it was an insult to him, his clan and his ancestors. Here, I will stop; I do not want to tell the story of Nyoglifanda, the famous Tiger killer of Ndockpoh and Yabassi any longer. Nyoglifanda was not only a famous hunter, he could transform into a crocodile and cross the Nkam river from bank to the other and even sail down to Douala, via the river Wouri. No, I have exposed a lot and I will truly stop here.
The story I want to tell you about is that of Risdoh. And before I could continue, the head of this story about Risdoh is: A White man or nothing. The other thing that I will want you all to know is that, I have suffered very much in my life and I have seen many things equally. What made me to suffer was that, I had long left my home, my parents, my village and my totems. I am therefore naked and vulnerable like Adam and Eve, when God created them in the Garden of Eden before they sinned and discovered their nakedness. And every night when I am sleeping, I keep on dreaming about my father, my mother and my totems keep on troubling me. The worst part in all these is that, I don’t know when I will take my eyes to see all those precious things I have lost. Now you all know why I said I have suffered and I am still suffering. Now get ready for the story of Risdoh. I have already told you that, the head or if you wish, the title of this story is a white man or nothing. I will repeat it, for that is how I have decided to call this story and you will understand why very soon. I am not drunk so please don’t even try to laugh. But before the story of Risdoh, this last little story before the big one.
You all know very fine or very well that, I don’t drink alcohol, because, alcohol and I, is like fire and water. The second always triumphs over the first. Should I take just a glass alcohol, music starts playing in my brain, even if there is no music playing. And when it starts, I must mange to go home and sleep and while going home, I make two requests to God via prayers. The first not to vomit in the taxi that will taxi me home and when home, I should not meet my mother by the door side or in the living room, waiting for me like a bouncer. For my mother’s nose is very sharp, the least pint alcohol in you, she scents it. And if God accepts my requests that day, I won’t confront my two greatest fears, when I reach home. I will therefore go straight to my room and dive on my bed without removing my shoes or my shirt or trouser.
In case God decides to play prolongation or decides to honour other pressing requests, as he receives them round the clock, after passing my two primary fears, my mother will come into my and starts talking and I hate that very much. But that is not good behaviour from me, but what can I do? I am tired. I will wake up in the morning not by own will, but that of my father. He will wake us up by 5:30 AM to read the bible and pray before preparing to go to school, for my father doesn’t worry getting us up that early because, he knows or thinks that, we went to bed by 7:30 am. At times, when I hear the marching feet of my father in the lobby, I get very angry and pretend to be deeply sleeping. But since I love and respect my parents and don’t want my father to start quarreling with mother that early morning, I will wake up. For if I don’t, my brothers and sisters won’t and the other reason why I woke up early to read the bible and pray with my parents was because, since I am the first son , I must be exemplary.
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