What Goes Around Comes Around: A Nigerian tale
We all know this saying. It talks about the law of karma. Nothing goes unpunished, you eventually face the consequences of your actions. I want to talk about a Nigerian tale that is based on this. Most, if not all Nigerian stories, have a lesson to impact on the listeners or readers. It's not very long but here is my tale:
Once upon a time there lived a woman, Ivie and her husband, Ogunamen in a village called Ugboria. Her husband was a hunter and farmer. There was another man by name Oriaemin. This man fell in love with Ivie. Each time Ivie’s went to farm, Oriaemin would sneak into the house to commit have sex with Ivie. Not satisfied with their secret affair, he and Ivie plotted to put in her husband's food and kill her husband so that they could get married and live together openly.
Meanwhile, Ogunamen was a strong man spiritually. Each time he wanted to eat the food, his charms would give him signals, signififying that there was something wrong with the food. Then he asked his wife what was in the food, his wife replied there was nothing in the food. He got the body sign three times and would ask his wife if there was something dangerous in the food. And each time his wife would reply; nothing. Ogunamen eventually ate the food, due to his love for his wife and his trust in her and he died.
After the appropriate traditional mourning period, Oriaemin and Ivie got married. After a few months however, Oriaemin became afraid of Ivie and was suspicious of her. He reasoned that, if Ivie could kill her first husband, Ogunamen, to marry another man, she could also kill him as well if another suitor came along. Consequently, he started treating Ivie very badly. The initial love for Ivie turned sour as a result of this suspicion. In the midst suffering and she would would lament and sing the following song:
‘Ogunamen nedor, Ogunamen nedor obhiye, Ogunamen nedoooor, Ohiemanle uhonmon khuole, Ogunamen nedoooor Odomen se leman emilin rebhi oomon, Ogunamen nedoooor. Ole bale fo oyulu oooo , Ogunamen nedoooor. Bha doghe oya olekile, Ogunamen nedoooor ’ Translated, it means Ogunamen my husband 2x, he ate pounded yam and ignored the signs of foul play, he ate and died, I didn’t know life is such a misery.
She was very miserable in her new marriage and eventually Oriaemin chased her into the streets. He told everybody what she had done and put the blame for the whole plot on her head. She was banished from the kingdom, after being marked as an outcast and murderer. This mark on her forehead would be a signal to other people that she should not be helped and it would also inform them of her crimes.