THE FOLDED LEAF

Segun Afolabi

Focus

· Unscrupulous preachers use religion for monetary gain
· Self acceptance

Key areas

Pastor Fayemi’s affluence
The disabled children
The bribery incident
The smiling child beggar
The “miracles”
Bunmi’s acceptance of self

Acceptance brings comfort

Bunmi, a 12 year old visually impaired girl, leaves for Lagos together with others in pursuit of healing from a preacher called pastor Adejola Fayemi also known as Daddy Cool. In Lagos, the church is packed to capacity with men, women and children hoping for healing of various ailments and conditions. Most of them spend a lot of money in the process of seeking religious/divine healing. After a fruitless attempt to get on stage where the pastor claims to be healing people, they return home empty handed and still without the miracles. Bunmi concludes “I am beginning to understand that this is my life, that it is good enough”. She appreciates what she has albeit her visual impairment.

Characters

1.    Bunmi-the narrator (12 year old, visually impaired)
2.    Bola-her brother (14 year old)
3.    Sam-on a wheelchair
4.    Tunde (16 year old, heart ailment)
5.    Mr. and Mrs. Ejiofoh-affluent couple
6.    Mrs. Kekere (physical disability)
7.    Papa-Bunmi’s father
8.    Reverend Abbe
9.    Reverend Okujala
10.  Mama-Bunmi’s mother
11.  Pastor Fayemi

Synopsis

This brilliantly woven short story is about religious piety and deceit or lack of integrity among some Christians in society today.

The story is told through the “eyes” of a twelve-year old blind girl, Bunmi. She lives in a religious society that has been conditioned to believe in miracles which happen be delusional; mistaken beliefs based on unsound argument.

Bunmi is in a conundrum. As a young girl living in a brainwashed society, she is torn between self acceptance and the false hope created by some conniving preachers like Pastor Fayemi aka Daddy Cool. Although she is doubtful, she harbours false hope that the pastor can restore her sight.

It is easy to forgive her since she is misled by adults such as Reverend Abbe who prays to God to send Mr. and Mrs. Foloroshi’s eight year old son, Sam, new legs. Sam is physically disabled. Even her own father has strong conviction that Bunmi and others can be “healed”. It’s no wonder he resigns and capitulates like a folded leaf when he begins to realize that they may be chasing elusive miracles.

Through Bunmi, we meet characters like Sam, Tunde and Mrs. Kekere all of whom have some sort of disability or ailment. They are accompanied on a journey to Lagos by Bola, Papa, and the Ejiofohs in search of healing.

In spite of their conditions, the kids seem happy and content. They make jokes, mimic adults, and giggle and have no self pity whatsoever. Tunde is strong, plays football everyday and can beat Femi Adeleke who is a year older than him. Bunmi is visually impaired but she is aware of her environment. She can tell that they are driving on unpaved roads when she picks up a whiff of thrown up dust and the waft of moyin moyin tells her that they must be near Mama Boyega's buka. (pg.82)

Afolabi explores the mushrooming Christian practice of the gospel of healing and prosperity instead reward for virtues and retribution for vices which is the traditional Christian teaching. The adherents are blind to the fact that some deceitful preachers take advantage of their strong faith to make themselves wealthy. Pastor Adejola Fayemi owns a helicopter and a Gulfstream jet, homes in Florida, Switzerland and the Caribbean and always looks flashy. In contrast, the inhabitants of Lagos, his congregants, have to endure poor roads, corrupt police officers, traffic jams and poverty (beggars).

The Folded Leaf talks about people who are desperate to change who they are. It espouses self acceptance. Self acceptance is the source of contentment and joy. It also unveils the futility of religiosity in the face of sly preachers out to exploit guileless believers.

Tunde refers to pastor Fayemi’s church as “wheelchair city” since many disabled people are here, desperate for miracles. The church is brimming with thousands of faithful nursing false hope. The pastors promise healing and urge the congregants to give generously.

Papa now faces the headache of facing Mama, Reverend Abbe and Reverend Okujala and all members of their congregation after giving away all their donations to an impuissant con artist masquerading as a powerful preacher and healer, while on an unavailing journey to Lagos. Bunmi, Sam, Mrs. Kekere and Tunde are not healed despite their strong faith.

Bunmi accepts her sightlessness as a gift or a sign from God. She accepts that her life has a larger purpose in spite of her disability. She appreciates the fact that her life is good enough. She has her parents and siblings and Reverend Abbe who prays for her and others without demanding money. Thinking of the disabled kid in Lagos without legs, begging in traffic, she is surely better off. Contentment makes her whole-she doesn’t need imaginary miracles.

Moral

Acceptance brings comfort.
Some false preachers are out to mint money promising elusive miracles

MEMORIES WE LOST SAMPLE KCSE ESSAY QUESTION

Self acceptance is the key to happy life. Write a composition in support of this statement basing your claim on Segun Afolabi’s “The Folded Leaf” (20 marks)

Some unscrupulous preachers take advantage of Christians to enrich themselves. Write a composition to validate this claim citing evidence from Segun Afolabi's The Folded Leaf.

NEXT : Read the analysis of Hitting Budapest by NoViolet Bulawayo.

See analyses of all stories in Memories we Lost here.