The Folded Leaf

 Plot

A group of nine people:Bunmi, her brother Bola, Sam, Papa, Mrs. Kekere, Tunde, Mr. and Mrs. Ejiofoh and the driver, is travelling to Lagos for healing. Their fellow churchgoers have contributed money to help them go to Lagos to receive healing from Pastor Adejola Fayemi, a man known for being in possession of a helicopter, a Gulfstream jet and homes in Florida, Switzerland and the Caribbean. He always wears dark glasses.

Along the way, there are many things to see, but, unfortunately, the narrator, Bunmi, cannot see them since she has always been blind. She has always seen the world through Bola. Bola has to describe everything around them in terms of colour, size, age and general appearance in order to help Bunmi draw the pictures of these items and people in her mind. They see many vehicles and people. Among the people they see is a boy who has no limbs but struggles to move in the middle of the many vehicles around him: "he's pushing hard with his hands and his singlet is dragging on the ground." (P.86).

Police officers thirsty for money are also among the people they see on their way. The officers are not bothered by the appearance of these people. They are only interested in their money: "or perhaps the policeman is not focused on Sam at all; he's drawn to Mrs. Ejiofoh and her soft lace and perfume."(p. 84). 

When they get to Daddy Cool's church, Mr. and Mrs. Ejiofoh are directed to the VIP area while the remaining are taken to the back of the arena. The Ejiofohs' appearance alone is enough to show the staff that they are rich and must, therefore, belong to the VIP. 

The summon makes it clear that God hates poor people and that those who are poor find themselves in such a predicament because they simply choose to be lazy. 

Miracles are performed amidst jubilations. Surprisingly, when Papa decides to take his group to the front to receive their healing, he is prevented from reaching there by the stewards. Bola manages to sneak his way to the front but is not healed. Eventually, they decide to go back home after having given Daddy Cool all their money. Their main challenge is how to explain whatever happened to them to the people they left at home. They now know how important Reverend Abbe is to them since she prays for them without asking for any money.

Setting

The story is set in Nigeria. Actions take place in a rural part of Nigeria before shifting to Lagos, where Bunmi and the rest of the group go looking for healing. The use of the Nigerian pidgin helps reiterate the fact that the story is indeed set in Nigeria.

Characterization

Bunmi

Bunmi is a girl aged twelve. Owing to her blindness, she depends on her brother, Bola for everything that needs to be seen around them. He must satisfy her curious and inquisitive mind every passing minute. For example, when Bola tells her that he sees a traffic jam, she says, "Please Bola (p.85)." This is a way of asking for more information regarding the traffic jam. It's only until Bola gives the specific details of the traffic jam that she's satisfied: "There's a market to your left...Lots of cars in front of us and behind too-most of them yellow taxis (p.85)."

Her curiosity is also evident when she asks about the look of the child without limbs and his facial expression. Later, she also asks Sam to describe Daddy Cool:

 "Sam, what does he look like? Can you describe him for me?" (P. 93).

She's also keen. When they are prevented from reaching the stage, she observes that her father had a lot of anxiety and some tension: "...but I hear anxiety and capitulation in his voice..."(p.90). She also keenly observes that the voice of the man that turns them back has a timbre of someone that could knock Bola to the other side of the arena. 

Bunmi is also wise/perceptive. After failing to get the healing they had so much yearned for, she accepts the fact that being blind is her fate and she does not need to waste her time trying to make herself better. 

Bola

He's Bunmi's loving and compassionate brother. He does not tire helping his sister whenever she wants the description of anything or anyone around them. He, for instance, describes the jam in the city and the look and age of the young beggar they encounter in Lagos. 

He's also determined because he does not refuse sneaking his way to the stage when he's advised to do so. He readily goes to the stage with the hope of receiving both healing and blessings from Pastor Fayemi. 

Papa

Papa is decisive. He makes most of the decisions on behalf of the group. He's the one that prepares them to go to the stage when their time comes. He also gives each one of them their share of the offerings to give in church. In addition to this, Papa aks Bola to go to the stage alone so that he's is not prevented by Daddy Cool's assistants: "Bola, you go, Papa says" (P.90). These actions also portray him as an optimistic individual, a virtue that also comes out when he assures Bunmi that he will finally have his sight: "You will see each one of us tonight..." (P.89).

Mr. Ejiofoh and Mrs Ejiofoh

They are hypocritical. The reason they have travelled all the way to Lagos is to give so that they can receive more wealth in return. They have not gone there to genuinely worship God:"That is why they are on the bus, Mr. and Mr. Ejiofoh, because you can never have too much. You give and then receive in abundance. They are famous for their Church donations. "(P.83). This also portrays them as being pompous and ostentatious. They like showing off. In fact, they are known for their donations. In addition to this, they travelled to Rome last year and were booked in at the Intercontinental Hotel, a hotel that only the rich can afford. Mrs. Ejiofoh's dress code also reiterates this fact: "She is wearing embroidered lace that is soft it must have cost a fortune....Bimbo, his daughter, drives a Volkswagen Passat" (p.83).

Mrs. Ejiofoh is arrogant. She rudely talks to the policeman that stops them on their way to Lagos: "Ah, ah! What is this...What is your business?" (P.84).

Sam

He's Mr. Folurunsho's eight-year-old son whose legs are described as being withered. He's humorous because he jokingly says that the reason he does not properly see Daddy Cool is maybe because he has craw-craw skin. 

Daddy Cool-Adejola Fayemi

He is a hypocritical 'servant of God'. He has very many people in his church but they have never seen his face because he hides behind sunglasses. They, therefore, cannot see his true colours. Besides, he has used the church to amass wealth: a helicopter, a Gulfstream jet and homes in different parts of the world. 

He is also clearly materialistic and greedy. It goes without say that he is in the ministry for riches and not helping the needy or serving God. He lures people using the promise for healing and miracles but ends up preaching to them the gospel of giving. In fact, his congregations are advised to give everything since, allegedly, God sees through their hearts. So, they need not cheat Him. These offerings are the the reason he's stinking rich.

Styles

Satire

The writer ridicules the greed exhibited in churches today through the actions of Daddy Cool. Firstly, his nickname, Daddy Cool, reflects somebody who is pompous and has no much interest in godliness. The amount of wealth he has, when juxtaposed with the desperate situations of his congregations, also emphasizes the fact that he is an extortionist and not a servant of God. He and his disciples encourage the congregation to give everything they have. This is a clear mockery of the greed in modern churches. The writer also ridicules church leaders for stage-managing miracles in order to attract more members to their churches.  As if this is not all, it is also ridiculous how Daddy Cool has segregated his church such that he has a place of VIPs and that for ordinary poor individuals. Mr. and Mrs. Ejiofoh are directed to the VIP area immediately they arrive in church because their dressing shows that they are the kind that can give more money.

Symbolism

The title "The Folded Leaf" symbolizes the diminished hopes that Papa's delegation experience by the time Daddy Cool is done with them. 

They leave his church a dejected lot, and Papa does not even know what to tell the people he left back at home. The hopes they had while leaving home for Lagos end up with a fate similar to that of a folded leaf, which usually has ambitions that never get fulfilled. 

Daddy Cool's sunglasses are also symbolic. They symbolize hypocrisy, where one hides his/her true self in order to steal from unsuspecting people around them. 

Vivid description

The author extensively uses clear description, which helps readers draw mental images of the situations talked about in the story. 

A good number of these descriptions are directed at Bunmi since she's blind but wishes to 'see' things around her. For example, Bola clearly describes the crippled boy for her. He brings out his facial expression, how he moves and his age. 

Local dialect 

Many words from the Nigerian pidgin and the Nigerian dialect of English are used in the story. They include: "Atcha!", "joh", "Lagos people dey craze!" among many other words and phrases. These words make it easy for readers to know the setting of the story.

Humour 

Reverend Abbe's prayer before the journey is humorous: "Today, today-please send him new legs."

 Sam also makes fun of Daddy Cool's appearance. He says that Daddy Cool has craw-craw skin. 

The Nigerian dialect of English also has a humorous effect on the story. 

Themes 

Religious brainwashing 

It's clear from the story that very many people have been made to believe in miracles that do not exist. 

They have been made to believe in fallacies that do not even have biblical backing. Such fallacies include asking people to give  everything they have because God sees through thier hearts.

 Another one is that Pastor Fayemi has the ability to heal people from wherever they are seated. 

This brainwashing has made the congregants unable to see through the cheap tricks employed by Daddy Cool to extort them of their hard-earned money.

Brainwashed individuals usually do not think about anything else apart from what they have been made to believe. For example, Mrs. Kekere sings and talks about nothing else but God in all her statements. She shuts down the kids for using the name of God in vain. 

Greed and selfishness 

Daddy Cool is greedy in the sense that he wants his followers to give everything they have. This means that he will continue amassing wealth at their expense. 

He does not even pay attention to the plight of most of them. Many of them are poor and good number, as illustrated by Papa's group, are handicapped in different ways but he is totally inconsiderate to this. 

The policemen that stops Papa and his entourage are also greedy and selfish as they are not moved by Sam's withered legs. In fact, the policeman does not even look at him. He only looks at Mrs. Ejiofoh because she looks rich.