THE ANSWER (Adapted from: Chinua Achebe's Anthills of the Savannah)

THE ANSWER (Adapted from: Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannah)

‘You will now answer my questions?’ Said His Excellency in a slightly amused tone.

‘I am sorry, Your Excellency. Don’t blame me; blame your Excellency’s inimitable sense of humour.

… To speak the truth.  Your Excellency, I have no evidence of disloyalty on the part of my honourable colleague.’ He paused for effect. But nothing showed on His Excellency’s face. ‘But lawyers are also human. I have a personal feeling which may not up in court. I agree, but I hold it very strongly and if Chris were here I would say to his face. I don’t think Chris is one hundred per cent behind you.’

‘Why do you think you have that feeling? “Why do I have it? Well, let’s put it this way. I have watched my colleague in question closely in his last year or so and my impression is that he does not show any joy, any enthusiasm in matters concerning this government in general and Your Excellency in particular. I was saying precisely that to him only a few minutes ago. Why do you go about with this tight face all the time, I said. Cheer up my friend. But he can’t cheer up. Why? The reason is not far to seek. Two of you were after all classmates at Lord Lugard College. He looks back to those days and sees you as the boy next door. He cannot understand how this same boy with whom he played all the boyish pranks, how he can today become this nation’s Man of Destiny. You know, Your Excellency it was the same trouble Jesus had to face with his people. Those who knew him and know his background were saying: ‘Is it not the fellow who was born in a shed because his father had no money to pay for a chalet?

He was going on and on, but His Excellency’s mind was now divided between what he was saying and the echoes of old President Ngongo’s advice. Your greatest risk is your boyhood friends, those who grew up with you in your village. Keep them at arm’s length and you will live long, like ‘the wise old tortoise.’

A new respect for his Attorney-General was now reflected on the mirror of his face where the shrewd lawyer saw and caught its beams in both hands. This giant iroko, he thought to himself, is not scaled every day, so I must get all the firewood it can yield me while I am atop.

‘As for those like me, Your Excellency, poor dullards who went to bush grammar schools, we know our place; we know those better than ourselves when we see them. We have no problem worshipping a man like you. Honestly I don’t. You went to Lord Lugard College where half of your teachers were Englishmen. Do you know, the nearest white men I saw in my school were an Indian and two Pakistanis? Do you know, Your Excellency that I was never taught by a real white man until I went to read law at Exeter in my old age as it were. I was thirty-one. You can’t imagine. Your Excellency, how bush people like me were. During my first year in Britain I saw Welsh Rarebit on the menu one fine day and I rubbed my hands together and my mouth began to water because I thought I was going to eat real bush-meat from the forest of Wales!

His Excellency was now definitely amused and smiling. The Attorney-General was dazzled by his own performance and success. Who would have believed His Excellency would listen this long to a man talking about himself and even smile at his jokes.

‘I say this, Your Excellency, to show that a man of my background has no problem whatsoever worshipping a man like you. And in all fairness to my colleague – and I want to be scrupulously fair to him – he does have a problem; he wants to know why you and not him should be His Excellency. I don’t mean he has said so in so many words to but it is in his mind. I am not a mind reader but I am sure it is there. Your Excellency.

‘Thank you. You have no evidence, only a rather interesting theory, I appreciate it. You have as a rule go about snooping for this kind of information, or setting my commissioners to spy on each other. I can assure you there is a very special reason, reason of state, why I put that question to you. And appreciate your candid answer. In a way I am relieved and very happy that there is no evidence whatsoever. Now, you must forget we ever talked about it. As I said before, not a word about this to any living soul, you understand’.

‘Perfectly, Your Excellency. You can count on my absolute discretion.’

Discretion, No, Mr. Attorney-General, you mean your absolute silence.  If a word of this ever gets around, it’s either from me or from you. Is that clear?’

‘Absolutely, Your Excellency.’

‘Good day.’

QUESTIONS FROM THE PASSAGE

1.     Examine paragraph 2. What function can you identify? Do the same for paragraph 4.

2.     Now answer the following comprehension questions, looking back only when you need to.

a.     What is the Attorney-General’s opinion of his honourable colleague?

b.     On what exactly does he based his opinion?

c.      What analogy does the Attorney-General use? Explain briefly.

d.     What bring about His Excellency’s new respect for the Attorney-General?

e.     What is the ‘firewood’ to which the Attorney-General refers and does he get it?

f.       What do you think this means; circle the right number below.

A new respect for his Attorney-General was now reflected on the

mirror of his face when the shrew lawyer saw and caught its beams in both hands.

(i)                 The sun’s light reflected on the Attorney-General’s face and he shaded his face with his hands.

(ii)              The Attorney-General saw his face in the mirror and put his hands to catch something he saw there.

(iii)            The Attorney-General recognized that His Excellency was showing admiration for him and determined to make the most of the situation.

(iv)            His Excellency looked in the mirror and saw the beams of light reflecting on the lawyer’s hands.

3.     To what does the pronoun ‘this’ refers in the cause, ‘if a word of this ever gets around …?

4.     Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as they have been used in the passage.

a.     The wise old tortoise

b.     Man of Destiny

c.      At arm’s length

5.     What do you think is the Attorney-General’s motive for the account he gives the General?

6.     Can you think of situations in real life where people are motivated to like the characters in this novel?

By

Eguriase S. M. Okaka