Staffrider Vol.3 No.1 Feb 1980 - DISA

Staff rider Drama/BotswanaChief Memwe IV Part OneBy Albert G.T K. MalikongwaIllustrated by MpikayipheliCHIEF MEMWE IVSUB-CHIEFS:NDZONGATAZWALATHINICHANGATEMOKGOSIJOMO: Chief Memwe's Sonand Heir-apparentIMI: Jomo's Senior WifeTOSE: Jomo's Second WifeMAMANJI: Jomo's Mother and ChiefMemwe's WifeNGAKA NJISINGAKA SABATANGAKA MOSIKARITEFO: Chief's MessengerMAKENOSI: The Leading WitchWITCHES:FIRST WOMANSECOND WOMANTHIRD WOMANand Ten OthersFIRST TRIBESMANSECOND TRIBESMANTHIRD TRIBESMANFOURTH TRIBESMANKONO: Ruler of KazungulaThe place is Chief Memwe s kraal. Seated by the fire placeare Chief Memwe and two of his Senior Chiefs.NDZONGA:MEMWE:NDZONGA:THINI:MEMWE:NDZONGA:My Lord, I greet you,Son of Memwe,The great ruler of this country.Please sit down.Greetings to you too,My beloved cousin. (To Thini).I greet you too,I wear a smile.Yet our hearts shake inside the ribs. It doesnot help to complain. Men's tears die in theirhearts. Men never wear tears on their faces.Never.Yes, this is true. Tears are women's stuff.They always punctuate their eyes at the pinchof anything sour.What pains your hearts that you speak somournfully yet your faces look so clear? I seeno sorrow walking on your faces. Please bebrief and to the point.THINI:NDZONGA:THINI:NDZONGA:THINI:MEMWE:When the cocks crow no one cares, except anearly riser, but when the lion groans all thebeasts and creatures in the land lift up theireyes and ears. They know that the King of thewilderness is in trouble. They either run awayin fear as cowards always do, or they come tothe King's aid.I hope nothing is so serious with My Lordship.The pain that is in the fingertip affects everypart of the body. The sore that is on the eyeaffects the brain and disturbs the mind, thewhole body indeed.Please talk straight.The chief's son is seriously ill, I mean Jomo.{In silence Chief Memwe shakes his head andmumbles something to himself, fixing his gazestraight on the fire, and begins to speak).The anguish of a father,The sadness in his heartAre like a disease in the bloodFor they flow and flowAnd keep on flowing.30 STAFFRIDER, FEBRUARY 1980