Pull through or Quit?
“Ibeere o kin she onise…” Being an ardent lover and curious observer of an array of age-old traditions in Yoruba land, I’ve learned quite a lot over the years. The most fascinating of this lot is the ease at which a proverb pops up out of thin air to fit perfectly into any thinkable scenario. Think Ile oba t’o jo, ewa lo busi (when a king’s palace burns down, the rebuilt palace is even more beautiful), highlighting necessity as the mother of invention. Think Eewu nbe l'oko Longe, Longe fun ara re eewu ni (there’s danger at Longe’s farm, Longe himself is danger), highlighting the need to be extremely cautious of situations that have a past history of danger. Think Ka ka ki Kiniun she akapo ekun, oni kaluku a ma lo lotooto (a lion will never accept the role of a deputy to the tiger and vice versa), highlighting a scenario where it is almost impossible for two powerful entities to cohabit. And it goes on and on and on. “Ibeere o kin she onishe, a yaa fi eni to