Chinua Achebe - Chike and the River

Everywhere people spoke of Chike’s adventure. His photograph appeared in the local newspaper and his name was mentioned on the radio. Then, after the three thieves and the night-watchman had been tried and imprisoned, Chike got a letter from the manager of the shop. He announced that the company which owned the shop had decided to award a scholarship to Chike which would take him right through secondary school.

So Chike’s adventure on the River Niger brought him close to danger and then rewarded him with good fortune. It also exposed Mr. Peter Nwaba, the rich but miserly trader. For it was he who had led the other thieves.

[1] “Let us go,” said his uncle who had been waiting patiently. “If we don’t hurry now, we shall miss the lorry.” [1] Chike set the box on his head and followed his uncle. They were going to the main road half a mile away to take the lorry that passed by their village to Onitsha. It was a very old lorry called Slow-and-Steady. It always had great difficulty going up any hill. Whenever it got to a steep hill the driver’s mate would jump down and walk behind it with the big wooden wedge. Sometimes the passengers were asked to climb down and help push the lorry. The forty-mile journey to Onitsha took Slow-and-Steady more than three hours. Sometimes it broke down completely; then the journey might take a whole day or more. Chike was, however, lucky on the day he made the journey. Slow-and-Steady was in good form and did not break down at all. It only stopped after every hill to take a tin of water. A lorry is a truck.

[2] Samuel was very good at football. [2] He could dribble past any opponent. Whenever he played particularly well his admirers clapped and shouted, “S.M.O.G.! S.M.O.G.!” S.M.O.G. was Samuel’s nickname which he gave himself. His full name was Samuel Maduka Obi; so his initials were S.M.O. Then one day he saw that if he added a “G” to his initials he would become S.M.O.G. He immediately did so. In Onitsha the letters S.M.O.G. were said to bring good luck because they stood for Save Me O God. Chike was also pretty good at football and very soon his friends gave him a nickname too. They called him “Chiks The Boy.” Chike liked the name very much and wrote it in his new reader. It was from Samuel that Chike first heard how easy it was to cross the River Niger and come back again. “I have done it many times on the ferryboat,” Samuel told him. “All you need is sixpence to go over and sixpence to return. Finish.” “But I have no sixpence,” said Chike. “What?” said Samuel, “a big boy like you has no sixpence. Don’t let people hear it. It is too shameful.” Chike was really ashamed and so he told a lie to cover his shame. He said, “It’s not that I don’t have money. I have plenty but my uncle keeps it for me.” “Then tell your uncle to give you one shilling out of it,” said Samuel. “What is the use of having money that you cannot spend?” “I shall ask him sometime,” replied Chike, “but not yet.” “Time and tide wait for no man,” said Samuel in English. It was their teacher’s favorite saying. “And have you not heard,” continued Samuel, “that they are building a bridge across the river? They will finish it soon and then there will be no more ferries.” Chike had indeed heard of the bridge they were building. He was greatly troubled by what Samuel said. A few days later Chike’s friends were again talking about the river. They spoke about Asaba on the other side. “Do you know,” said Samuel to Chike, “that as soon as you step out of the ferry in Asaba you are in Midwestern Nigeria?” The others agreed excitedly. They all had been to the Midwest. “And do you know,” said another boy whose name was Ezekiel, “that once you are in Asaba it is one way to Lagos?” “Yes,” said Samuel. “Lagos. Second-to-London. I have not been to Lagos. But I know Asaba which is poor-man’s Lagos.” His companions laughed. Samuel sometimes talked like a grown man; this was one of the reasons why he was so popular with his companions. Chike’s mind was far away-in Midwestern Nigeria. He liked such flowing phrases. Midwestern Nigeria, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Isle of Man. Soccer.

[3] “Go and join him,” said S.M.O.G.’s father who was reclining on a stretcher. [3] Chike did not need any more persuading. He washed his hands and fell to. He knew how to control okro soup and when he had finished eating, his shirt was hardly soiled. Chike did not want S.M.O.G.’s father to hear about the magician; so he took S.M.O.G. outside before telling him what had happened. S.M.O.G. appeared very unhappy about it all. He swore he was going to teach the fellow a lesson. “Has he ever doubled money for you?” asked Chike. “No,” replied S.M.O.G. “I get everything I need from my mother. So I don’t need to have my money doubled.” Chike was not impressed by this argument but did not wish to pursue it. “How is your mother?” he asked. “She is getting better,” said S.M.O.G. “It is her rheumatism.” “What is rheumatism?” asked Chike. “I don’t know. It is something old people get. Her legs are painful.” The two set out for the magician’s house. Chike said they must hurry because he wanted to be back before his uncle returned from work. “Did you tell him?” asked S.M.O.G. “No,” said Chike. “How can I tell him?” When they got to Chandus’s place he was eating coconut with garri soaked in water. “What do you want?” he asked with great annoyance. “I am Chike who came yesterday.” “Me I no understand you,” said Chandus in pidgin. “But you gave me this ring,” said Chike, producing the wire ring. “Me give you dat? You de craze?” “I sent him to you,” said S.M.O.G., “and he gave you his threepence to double for him.” “Wonders will never end,” said Chandus. “You two come here and give me threepence.” “I did not come with him but…” “Make una come ot from here one time or I go learn you lesson you no fit forget. Imagine! Why small boys of nowadays no de fear. You get bold face to come my house and begin talk rubbish. Na your father steal threepence no be me. Stand there when I come back and you go see.” He rushed into an inner room and scraped a machete on the hard floor. S.M.O.G. took to his heels and Chike followed. Hammock.