PA SAMA, PA KWENDE AND THE SCHOOL YAMS

(Dedicated to Pa Sama and Pa Kwende, two robust pillars never to be separated from the history Og Government School, Santa or that of Santa as a whole) This incident happened at Government Primary School, Santa, when Pa Kwende was Headmaster and Pa Sama was in charge of the School Farm. The story goes that one year the yield of yams was very good. After harvest, the yams were to be sold. Apparently, after waiting in vain for the Garden Master to make a statement about the yams, the Headmaster approached him and asked him in English: “Mr. Sama, what became of the school yams?” Irked, Pa Sama responded in the mother tongue: “Me fe dzeghe, Kwende. A be ghe ne?” which means, “I have eaten them, Kwende. What will you do?” In his anger, Pa Sama simply referrd to his Headmaster as “Kwende”. Out of respect for Pa Sama too, since he was older than the Headmaster, the later did not say a single word more. He just walked away for the sake of peace. Some time later, Pa Sama accounted for the money. It`s not that he did not have it. He had it. It`s just that he was either too busy or had forgotten to hand it in. Pa Sama and Pa Kwende were both from the Baforchu tribe, Pa Sama being from Baba II and Pa Kwende from Mbu (Baforchu). So they were brothers, just like Achidi Achu and Fru Ndi are brothers from there too.