Ambiguous Adventure

Samba and several of his companions are completing their daily ritual of reciting litanies in order to receive food. At his cousin’s house, Samba receives special attention from his female cousin, but he ignores her. Samba is of a noble background since his cousin is the chief of the Diallobé; however, rather than exploit his privilege, he has sought to humble himself before others—an action that has only enraged his peers further. Samba’s nobility does not go unnoticed by his companion Demba, who begins to taunt Samba’s for his “morose” nature (14). Recognizing his companion’s desire to start a fight, Samba initially remains calm; however, as Demba persists, Samba has an out-of-body experience, pushing Demba to the ground and beginning to hit him. The older sister of the chief of the Diallobé, called the Most Royal Lady, stops Samba. She expresses her frustration with Samba’s father for sending him to the Glowing Hearth school because it is “killing the life” in him (20).

Thierno beats Samba upon his return to the Glowing Hearth and realizes that his harsher treatment of Samba reflects his preference for Samba over the other pupils. Following this thought, Thierno meditates on the changing way of life for the Diallobé, such as the decline of traditions and increased exposure to secularization. He is awakened by the Most Royal Lady, who visits his home in order to share her feelings of apprehension about the solemnity of the litanies she heard Samba reciting. In particular, she is worried that Samba is overly focused on death. Thierno is not convinced this is inappropriate and shares a story of her father’s final days, noting her father’s strength as he faced death. He ends on the note that with strict education, Samba will be able to “dominate life, and death” (25).

Despite his aging body, Thierno embraces humor and jubilance as he observes his daily prayers. The chief requests a visit with Thierno in order to discuss the issue of memory and how to preserve Diallobé tradition if the community allows its children to attend the foreign school. Entering the discussion, the Most Royal Lady advocates for sending children to the foreign school, noting the community’s high death rate and the probability that more people will die if they do not accept some aspects of the new way of life. She recalls her grandfather, who fought against and lost to the colonizers in battle. She says that only the victors know why they won, and the Diallobé must go and learn from their colonizers, starting with the elites’ children—in particular Samba—as an example for others. Her remarks cause Thierno to further recognize his attachment to Samba; however, he acquiesces and leaves the decision to his counterparts.