Ozolua Uhakheme
Title: Went Forth A Whisper:
or To Steal A Royal Bugle
Author: Segun Sofowote
Reveiwer: Raymond Mordi
Publishers: Ariya Publications
Number of pages: 132
IN Went Forth A Whisper: To Steal The Royal Bugle, a 138-page drama on contemporary African culture, Segun Sofowote has encapsulated a bit of his multifaceted talents in literary, academic, communication and theatrical fields for posterity. The book, which was published recently to mark his 80th birthday was set in Oroki and Arigbajo, two imaginary towns in the Southwest geo-political zone of Nigeria in the late 1940s; a setting that gives him the license to take on a subject that borders on polygamy and arranged marriage, which flourished at the time.
This was a time that modernity was beginning to tamper with the culture of many African societies. However, the book has nothing to do with the conflict of African culture with Western civilisation; for though residents of the two rustic towns are familiar enough with the ways of the white man, they are not yet swamped by it. The heroine of the book, Omontayo and her mother, Ajiun who fiercely resisted her betrothal to Oso were driven by personal convictions.
This book is vintage Sofowote, the master story teller. It is the story of the friendship between Adisa Aninfowose, one of the local gentry of Oroki, and Balogun Fagbamin, a titled nobleman, and how the former sought to offer his only offspring, Omontayo, as wife to his friend’s son, Oso. It is a captivating story that keeps you turning the pages: one can devour it at a sitting or two. Sofowote’s strong narrative drive and great characters like Balogun Fagbamin, his wife, Ajiun and his irrepressible daughter, Omontayo, as well as Aninfowose and his son, Oso, compels one to continue reading the book.
Although set in the serene and peaceful provincial towns of Oroki and Arigbajo, the central theme of Went Forth A Whisper has a universal appeal: the test of the quality or pedigree of a man is how he utilises his freewill or the inherent power embedded in him in the course of his daily life. The words of the village herbalist and diviner, Ewetola, when he was cautioning Oso’s senior wife, Morenike, about the repercussions of snuffing life out of an innocent person, aptly conveys this idea: “Uncouth power, child! The gleaming axe in the hand of a tree-feller is a temper, a challenge to his quality, his pedigree! In muscle, mind and moral, is he man enough? Man enough over his weapon? Is he the slave or the master? The wielder or the wielded? The herder or the herded? Does the man ride the horse, or the horse the man? On his high horse, feels he competent to assault fellow dependants and guests of Time and the Earth, the all-hosting stoics who admit, nurture and retire muscle and weapon?” (Page 50)
Also subtly contained in between the lines is the idea that the repercussions of the decisions men take on a daily basis are something one cannot evade: they are attached to the individuals. This could be gleaned from the sub title of the book, To Steal A Royal Bugle and the words of Balogun Fagbamin to the village herbalist and diviner Ewetola: “When last night’s storm has made away with the roof, where can any sleep be found, and – for that matter – one that lingers till daybreak?” (Page 41)
Another theme that is subtly embedded in the book is the notion that most human beings are works in progress and that no single individual, however, accomplished, can survey everything about his affairs and surmount all the obstacles on his path. For instance, in spite of the confidence reposed on him by Omontayo and his mother, Ayinde disappointed his suitor when it mattered most. This notion could also be gleaned from Fagbamin’s failure to recognise after repeated warnings that he was putting his daughter’s life in danger.
The heroine of this riveting and action-packed drama, Omontayo, easily comes across as the favourite character. Throughout her trying moments, such as when she was unexpectedly abducted and taken to Oso’s house to assume the role of his new wife, she was able to maintain a calm composure outwardly and without arousing any suspicion decide her next course of action.
In Went Forth A Whisper, Sofowote x-rays African culture and tradition, particularly that of the Yoruba. The author drives home the point that culture is dynamic and that an individual has the opportunity to contribute to its evolution, through his way of life.
The book confirms Sofowote’s love for African culture and tradition. It is the writer’s third book that borders on African culture. In Retold, Retouched: Three Tales of the Tortoise (Pyramid Unit Publisher, 2007), he elevated otherwise familiar folk tales to high literature; while The Arbiter (Ariya Productions, 2009) is a drum dance drama, which portrays the unique place of music and dance in the life of an African. His other book, English As She Is Spoke (Ariya Productions, 2008) is a valuable reference work that depicts the problems that non-native speakers of the language have with the pronunciation of certain words because of the peculiarities of their specific native languages.
A superbly written book, Went Forth A Whisper is the kind of book that ought to be in the curricula of secondary schools in Nigeria.
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