A Dancer of Fortune by John Munonye
John Munonye’s A Dancer of Fortune is a vibrant and satirical exploration of the patent medicine trade in Nigeria, centered on the charismatic and “engaging rascal,” Ayasko (Aya Ijeroko). Ayasko is a professional dancer whose unique talent for attracting crowds makes him an indispensable marketing asset to various medicine dealers in the town of Dekko. The novel traces Ayasko’s career as he navigates the cutthroat rivalries of the “Big Four” dealers Sabanco, Marabu, Avarido, and Eddy Chindi while managing the domestic pressures of his ambitious wife, Bessie, and eventually transforming himself from a mere “advertising tool” into an independent entrepreneur who outwits the entire industry. Part I: The Philosophy of the “Pocket” and the Ebara Spectacle The novel introduces Ayasko as a man whose mouth is “always as busy as his feet”. Working for Avarido Medicals, Ayasko presents a cynical but pragmatic philosophy of the trade: medicine is not just for the diseases of the body, but for the “diseases of the pocket”. He argues that a dealer should continue to sell medicine even when it has lost its potency to cure a physical ailment, because its sale will still “cure” the financial ailment of the dealer’s pocket. This pragmatism …