DeadMen'sPath

[1953] 1972

MichaelObi'shopeswerefulfilledmuchearlierthanhehadexpected.Hewas
appointedheadmasterofNdumeCentralSchoolinJanuary1949.Ithadalways
been an unprogressive school, so the Mission authorities decided to send a
youngandenergeticmantorunit.Obiacceptedthisresponsibilitywithenthu
siasm.Hehadmanywonderfulideasandthiswasanopportunitytoputthem
intopractice.Hehadhadsoundsecondaryschooleducationwhichdesignated
hima"pivotalteacher"intheofficialrecordsandsethimapartfromtheother
headmastersinthemissionfield.Hewasoutspokeninhiscondemnationofthe
narrowviewsoftheseolderandoftenlesseducatedones.
"Weshallmakeagoodjobofit,shan'twe?"heaskedhisyoungwifewhen
theyfirstheardthejoyfulnewsofhispromotion.
"Weshalldoourbest,"shereplied."Weshallhavesuchbeautifulgardens
and everything will be just modern and delightful . . . " In their two years of
marriedlifeshehadbecomecompletelyinfectedbyhispassionfor"modern
methods"andhisdenigrationof"theseoldandsuperannuatedpeopleinthe
teachingfieldwhowouldbebetteremployedastradersintheOnitshamar
ket."Shebegantoseeherselfalreadyastheadmiredwifeoftheyounghead
master,thequeenoftheschool.
Thewivesoftheotherteacherswouldenvyherposition.Shewouldset
thefashionineverything...Then,suddenly,itoccurredtoherthatthere
mightnotbeotherwives.Waveringbetweenhopeand fear,sheaskedher
husband,lookinganxiouslyathim.
"Allourcolleaguesareyoungandunmarried,"hesaidwithenthusiasm
whichforonceshedidnotshare."Whichisagoodthing,"hecontinued.

DeadMen'sPath11

"Why?"
"Why?Theywillgivealltheirtimeandenergy totheschool."
Nancywasdowncast.Forafewminutesshebecameskepticalaboutthe
newschoolbutitwasonlyforafewminutes.Herlittlepersonalmisfortune
couldnotblindhertoherhusband'shappyprospects.Shelookedathimashe
satfoldedupinachair.Hewasstoopshoulderedandlookedfrail.Buthe
sometimessurprisedpeoplewithsuddenburstsofphysicalenergy.Inhispre
sentposture,however,allhisbodilystrengthseemedtohaveretiredbehind
hisdeepseteyes, givingthemanextraordinarypowerofpenetration.Hewas
onlytwentysix,butlookedthirtyormore.Onthewhole,hewasnotunhand
some.
"Apennyforyourthoughts,Mike,"saidNancyafterawhile,imitating
thewoman'smagazinesheread.
"Iwasthinkingwhatagrandopportunitywe'vegotatlasttoshowthese
peoplehowaschoolshouldberun."
NdumeSchoolwasbackwardineverysenseoftheword.Mr.Obiputhis
wholelifeintothework,andhiswifeherstoo.Hehadtwoaims.Ahighstan
dard of teaching wasinsisted upon,and the school compound wasto be
turnedintoaplaceofbeauty.Nancy'sdreamgardenscametolifewiththe
comingoftherains,andblossomed.Beautifulhibiscusandallamandahedges
inbrilliantredandyellowmarkedoutthecarefullytendedschoolcompound
fromtherankneighborhoodbushes.
OneeveningasObiwasadmiringhisworkhewasscandalizedtoseean
old woman from the village hobble right across the compound, through a
marigoldflowerbedandthehedges.Ongoinguptherehefoundfaintsigns
ofanalmostdisusedpathfromthevillageacrosstheschoolcompoundtothe
bushontheotherside.
"Itamazesme,"saidObitooneofhisteacherswhohadbeenthreeyears
intheschool,"thatyoupeopleallowedthevillagerstomakeuseofthisfoot
path.Itissimplyincredible."Heshookhishead.
"Thepath,"saidtheteacherapologetically,"appearstobeveryimpor
tanttothem.Althoughitishardlyused,itconnectsthevillageshrinewith
theirplaceofburial."
"Andwhathasthatgottodowith theschool?"askedtheheadmaster.
"Well,Idon'tknow,"repliedtheotherwithashrugoftheshoulders.
"ButIremembertherewasabigrowsometimeagowhenweattemptedto
closeit."
"Thatwassometimeago.Butitwillnotbeusednow,"saidObiashe
walkedaway."WhatwilltheGovernmentEducationOfficerthinkofthis
whenhecomestoinspecttheschoolnextweek?Thevillagersmight,forallI
know,decidetousetheschoolroomforapaganritualduringtheinspection."
Heavystickswereplantedcloselyacrossthepathatthetwoplaceswhere
itenteredandlefttheschoolpremises.Thesewerefurtherstrengthenedwith
barbedwire.

12 CHINUA ACHEBE/AUTHOR'S PERSPECTIVE

Threedayslaterthevillagepriestof Ani calledontheheadmaster.Hewas

anoldmanandwalkedwithaslightstoop.Hecarriedastoutwalkingstick
whichheusuallytappedonthefloor,bywayofemphasis,eachtimehemade
anewpointinhisargument.
"Ihaveheard,"hesaidaftertheusualexchangeofcordialities,"thatour
ancestralfootpathhasrecentlybeenclosed . . . "
"Yes,"repliedMr.Obi."Wecannotallowpeopletomakeahighwayof
ourschoolcompound."
"Lookhere,myson,"saidthepriestbringingdownhiswalkingstick,
"thispathwasherebeforeyouwerebornandbeforeyourfatherwasborn.The
wholelifeofthisvillagedependsonit.Ourdeadrelativesdepartbyitandour
ancestorsvisitusbyit.Butmostimportant,itisthepathofchildrencoming
intobeborn . . . "
Mr.Obilistenedwithasatisfiedsmile onhisface.
"Thewholepurposeofourschool,"hesaidfinally,"istoeradicatejust
suchbeliefsasthat.Deadmendonotrequirefootpaths.Thewholeideais
justfantastic.Ourdutyistoteachyourchildrentolaughatsuchideas."
"Whatyousaymay betrue,"repliedthepriest,"butwefollowtheprac
ticesofourfathers.Ifyoureopenthepathweshallhavenothingtoquarrel
about.WhatIalwayssayis:letthehawkperchandlettheeagleperch."He
rosetogo.
"Iamsorry,"saidtheyoungheadmaster."Buttheschoolcompoundcan
notbeathoroughfare.Itisagainstourregulations.Iwouldsuggestyourcon
structinganotherpath,skirtingourpremises.Wecanevengetourboysto
helpinbuildingit.Idon'tsupposetheancestorswillfindthelittledetourtoo
burdensome."
"IhavenomorewordsCosay,"saidtheoldpriest,alreadyoutside.
Twodayslaterayoungwomaninthevillagediedinchildbed.Adiviner
wasimmediatelyconsultedandheprescribedheavysacrificestopropitiatean
cestors insultedbythefence.
Obiwokeupnextmorningamongtheruinsofhiswork.Thebeautiful
hedgesweretornupnotjustnearthepathbutrightroundtheschool,the
flowerstrampledtodeathandoneoftheschoolbuildingspulleddown...
Thatday,the whiteSupervisorcametoinspecttheschoolandwroteanasty
reportonthestateofthepremisesbutmoreseriouslyaboutthe"tribalwarsit
uationdevelopingbetweentheschoolandthevillage,arisinginpartfromthe
misguidedzealofthenewheadmaster."

AUTHOR'S PERSPECTIVE
ChinuaAchebe
ModernAfr icaastheCr ossroadsofCultur e

1980

Ihavealwaysbeenfondofstoriesandintriguedbylanguage.firstIgbo,
spokenwithsucheloquencebytheoldmenofthevillage,andlaterEnglish,
whichIbegan tolearnatabouttheageofeight.Idon'tknowforcertain,but

ModernAfricaastheCrossroadsofCulture13

IhaveprobablyspokenmorewordsinIgbothanEnglishbutIhavedefinitely
writtenmorewordsinEnglishthanIgbo.WhichIthinkmakesmeperfectly
bilingual.SomepeoplehavesuggestedthatIshouldbebetteroffwritingin
Igbo.Sometimestheyseektodrivethepointhomebyaskingmeinwhichlan
guageIdream.WhenIreplythatIdreaminbothlanguagestheyseemnotto
believeit.MorerecentlyIhaveheardanevenmorepotentandmetaphysical
versionofthequestion:Inwhatlanguagedoyouhaveanorgasm?Thatshould
settlethematterifIknew.
Welivedatthecrossroadsofcultures.WestilldotodaybutwhenIwasa
boyonecouldseeandsensethepeculiarqualityandatmosphereofitmore
clearly.Iamnottalkingaboutallthatrubbishwehearofthespiritualvoid
andmentalstressesthatAfricansaresupposedtohave,ortheevilforcesand
irrationalpassionsprowlingthroughAfrica'sheartofdarkness.Weknowthe
racistmystiquebehindalotofthatstuffandshouldmerelypointoutthat
those who prefer to see Africa in those lurid terms have not themselves
demonstratedanyclearsuperiorityinsanityormorecompetenceincoping
withlife.
Butstillthecrossroadsdoeshaveacertaindangerouspotencydangerous
becauseamanmightperishtherewrestlingwithmultipleheadedspirits,but
alsohemightbeluckyandreturntohispeoplewiththeboonofprophetic
vision.
OnonearmofthecrosswesanghymnsandreadtheBiblenightandday.
Ontheothermyfather'sbrotherandhisfamily,blindedbyheathenism,of
feredfoodtoidols.Thatwashowitwassupposedtobeanyhow.ButIknew
withoutknowingwhythatitwastoo simpleawaytodescribewhatwasgoing
on.Thoseidolsandthatfoodhadastrangepullonmeinspiteofmybeing
suchathoroughlittleChristianthatoftenatSundayservicesattheheightof
thegrandeurof"TeDeumLaudamus"Iwouldhavedreamsofamantleof
goldfallingonmeasthechoirofangelsdrowned ourmortalsongandthe
voiceofGodHimselfthundering:ThisismybelovedsoninwhomIamwell
pleased.Yet,despitethosedelusionsofdivinedestinyIwasnotpasttakingmy
littlesistertoourneighbor'shousewhenourparentswerenotlookingand
partakingofheathenfestivalmeals.Ineverfoundtheirriceandstewtohave
theflavorofidolatry.Iwasabouttenthen.IfanyonelikestobelievethatIwas
tornbyspiritualagoniesorstretchedontherackofmyambivalence,hecer
tainlymaysuithimself.Idonotrememberanyunduedistress.WhatIdore
memberisa fascination for theritualandthe life onthe otherarm of the
crossroads.AndIbelievetwothingswereinmyfavorthatcuriosity,andthe
littledistanceimposedbetweenmeanditbytheaccidentofmybirth.The
distancebecomesnotaseparationbutabringingtogetherlikethenecessary
backward step which a judicious viewer may take in order to see a canvas
steadilyandfully.
HopesandImpediments