Like many business men, Kofi Mensah had been obliged to hire watchmen, and had also bought a gun to protect himself against intruders. He always rested in the afternoon to make up for the sleep he lost at night guarding his property. This nightly routine did not worry him - it was all part of the rich man's lot. But a gun and watchmen give no protection from spiritual dangers, and any successful business man always has enemies. So thought Kofi Mensah as he joined the swelling numbers of the crowd that gathered in the silent chill of the pre-dawn darkness outside the windowless room that housed the Shrine.
In the courtyard, the intermittent singing of the women was accompanied by the rattle of seeds in a gourd and the rhythmic beat of drums. The flickering, dancing shadows cast by the palm- oil lamp, together with the ritual songs and the wailing music prepared the crowd for the ceremony, which started when the fetish Priest entered the courtyard.
Stimulated by the throbbing beat of the music, the Priest became possessed by his God. Soon his whole body shook and quivered as he chanted a series of incantations. After a few minutes, the entranced Priest was helped by his assistants to seat himself on an elaborately carved wooden stool. His toes rested on a tortoise shell, a symbol of the God by whom he was possessed. By his feet sat the Linguist, the only person allowed to speak to the Priest when the Gods were present.
The cases presented through the Linguist were the usual mixture of sick people, pregnant and barren women and worried business men. When Kofi Mensah's turn to speak came, he expressed his gratitude to the Gods for his present success and implored their help to protect him from the bad luck that so often had plagued him and his fellow business men. The Priest heard his pleadings and gave advice in the form of a proverb - a traditional Ashanti way of passing on the wisdom of the Elders. The Linguist repeated the Priest's words:
"If the tree is to flourish, the branches must flourish."
By the time the sun rose the Gods had departed and the consultations were over. The crowd melted away as silently as it had gathered and the courtyard reverted once more to being a normal part of a family house, disturbed only by the noise of a cat crunching the bones of a rat it had just caught.
Driving back to his town house, Kofi Mensah rested a while on his bed, gazing at the ceiling fan, trying to make sense of the message from the Shrine. It was difficult to see what the Gods expected from him. There must be some deep meaning that would soon be revealed. To be told: "If the tree is to flourish, the branches must flourish", did not help at all in deciding what it was that the Gods required him to do.
Kwabena the tinker was a relation of Kofi Mensah, on his mother's side. His education had stopped half way through primary school, but he was clever with his hands, particularly at metal work such as mending pots and pans and sharpening tools. As a boy, he had learned these skills from his father. Now the tapping of his tinker's hammer was a familiar part of the day-to- day life of the town.
A sudden inspiration came to Kwabena one day as he passed Kofi Mensah's residence. Unlike most houses in Ashanti, it had two storeys and a large veranda that ran round the house. The veranda fired Kwabena's imagination and made him decide to pay a call on his rich relation.
Whilst Kofi Mensah was taking his afternoon rest, still wondering about the hidden meaning of the proverb from the Priest, his boy came to the room with a message. "Master, the tinker Kwabena has called. He wants to see you."
Kwabena greeted Kofi Mensah and drank the palm-wine he was offered. Fearing that his relative might have called to inform him of a death in the family, Kofi Mensah asked the purpose of the visit.
"It's about my work as a tinker."
"If you've come here for money ....." Kofi Mensah's voice seemed suddenly threatening.
"Oh no, nothing like that." was the hasty interruption. Kofi Mensah relaxed and listened.
"My work is doing well, but to build up my trade I need a permanent work place - so people know where to find me if they need a tinker."
"So what do you want?"
"Well, I was thinking that your veranda seems to be an ideal place. It's shady in the dry season and sheltered in the rainy season. If you will let me work there, I call the Gods to witness that I will repay you for your kindness."
The mention of the Gods reminded Kofi Mensah of the message from the Shrine. Maybe the tree the Priest had mentioned was the family tree to which both he and Kwabena belonged. Could he be the trunk and Kwabena a branch Yes, the meaning of the message must be that if the family is to flourish all its members must flourish. To avoid the risk of disobeying the Gods, he gave the tinker permission to work under the veranda.
Now that he had a permanent work place, Kwabena's trade prospered and he was very happy with life. He bought his wife pieces of cloth and headkerchiefs, and his children were well fed. But Kofi Mensah Mensah bitterly regretted his decision.
Because he had to stay up at night guarding his property it was essential to be able to sleep during the afternoon. But Kwabena's success in attracting more trade meant that there was more and more noise from metal working. At first the banging of the hammer was just irritating, but soon it became too nerve- racking to bear. Kofi Mensah had to get rid of the tinker, but he could not just drive him away, for fear of offending the Gods and the family. A more subtle plan was needed.
One evening Kofi Mensah approached the tinker as he was busy with his work.
"Greetings Kwabena, you seem to be doing very well. Lots of people are bringing work to you now."
"Enough to keep me very busy", was the cheerful response.
Kofi Mensah asked a few questions about the work in hand, and then launched into his prepared speech:
"As head of the family, I have been thinking about you, Kwabena. I have a duty to help the younger generation. You've worked very hard and shown that you have the makings of a real business man. But as a tinker you have no chance of ever becoming rich.
"Well, I have some good news for you. A friend of mine has a second-hand lorry for sale. It's had regular servicing and is in good condition. I'm prepared to lend you the cash to buy it, so you can start up a trading business in your own village. If you can succeed among strangers here in town, just imagine how well you will do among your own people."
Kwabena was surprised, excited and flattered by the totally unexpected offer of a loan, but he did not accept at once. It would mean giving up the job he knew he could do well and be happy at. But could he afford to turn down his one chance to make big money? He recalled how his wife was always complaining about the high prices of vegetables in town. With his lorry he could drive to the bush villages to buy yams, cassava, plantains and eggs at low prices and then re-sell them at a handsome profit in the city markets of Kumasi and Accra. In the end, he accepted the loan with some misgivings, promising that it would be repaid in full.
As a tinker, Kwabena had shown that he was an able and energetic man. The pride of owning and driving a lorry inspired him to work very hard. At first everything went well and he was rewarded with success. Within two years he had enough cash to buy another second-hand lorry and to employ a driver.
But money was never squandered. Every penny he could spare was saved so that he could start up a poultry farm using his own lorries to take the eggs directly to the markets. The Gods were kind to Kwabena and trading was very profitable. It seemed in his early days that it would not be many years before he could start building a two-storey house with a veranda for himself in his own village.
But as Kwabena's business succeeded, other problems arose to trouble him. His wife was very conscious of their new social status and had persuaded him to buy a set of the magnificent Kente cloths for which Ashanti is famous. A special cloth had been selected for him to wear at each of the major traditional ceremonies, so that everyone would be able to see that Kwabena was a "big man". One night, thieves broke into the house and stole the Kente cloths. That was the first of a series of similar incidents.
The boys employed at the poultry farm reported that almost every night some of the hens were stolen. One evening Kwabena was attacked and robbed as he was returning home. Just like Kofi Mensah, he was forced to buy a gun and to stay up at night guarding his property.
As a tinker, Kwabena had been a cheerful and happy man. Now he easily became bad-tempered and was always feeling tired. Almost every day something unpleasant happened. Worst of all he could never escape the unending stream of poor relations seeking his help.
Kwabena often thought back with nostalgia to the old days when he could sleep soundly every night. He was at heart still a tinker, and had been a happier person without the worries of wealth.
The change in Kwabena's personality was very obvious to his Š wife, who kept nagging at him to visit the Shrine because she thought an enemy had put a curse on her husband. In the old days Kwabena would not have struck her without good cause, and he was as generous with money as his finances would permit. The newly rich Kwabena would fly into an uncontrollable temper at the slightest provocation.
Although a lot of money passed through his hands, it always seemed to be urgently needed for the business. The poultry farm needed a barbed wire fence to make it secure. An extra watchman was needed to guard the farm planted with yams. And so it went on. Money did not flow freely into the hands of Kwabena's wife.
She had been disgraced at the funeral celebration for her cousin when she had been obliged to wear an old cloth because Kwabena was short of cash to buy her the new cloth demanded by tradition for the burial of a close relative.
His wife's humiliation caused the worst row of their marriage and it became obvious to Kwabena that action had to be taken to put matters right. The time had come to seek the advice of the Gods.
Early one morning he set out in his lorry as usual, but instead of going to the bush to buy vegetables, he headed for the Shrine. During his consultation with the Priest, Kwabena told the Linguist the long story of his rise to riches and how his newly gained wealth had brought him troubles and worries in place of the happiness he had expected.
The advice that Kwabena received from the Priest was again a traditional Ashanti proverb. Via the Linguist he was told:
"If the yam does not flourish, it is due to the soil."
There was only one explanation for such a simple truth. The soil in which Kwabena's new life was planted was unsuitable. But this was obvious to anyone with eyes to see.
If you have been born with the soul of a tinker, you cannot change your soul by changing your trade. Kwabena returned to his village with his mind made up.
He sold his two lorries and the poultry farm and raised enough money to repay all his debts. Then he made the journey to town where he called once more at his rich relation's house.
Kofi Mensah greeted Kwabena with suspicion, fearing he might be seeking an additional loan.
"How's business going?"
Kwabena smiled as he replied:
"I am very grateful for the help you have given me. Trade has been good and I have made enough money to repay your loan."
Kofi Mensah was relieved and could afford to be generous.
"Kwabena as head of the family, I was very happy to help you start up your trading business. You have done well and lived up to the high hopes I had of you. It is marvellous that you can repay the loan so soon. You have set an example that the other members of the family should follow. Tell me, is there anything else I can do to help?"
Kwabena hesitated for a few moments before making his request.
"Yes, there is something. I would like to ask just one small favour. It will seem a little strange in view of your kindness and generosity to me, but it will not cost you any money and should not be any trouble to you at all.
"In the past I have envied you, but I realise now I was much happier as a tinker than I was as a trader. I have sold my business, repaid all my debts and I am going to be a tinker again. Please, Kofi Mensah, may I make use of your veranda once more?"