Staffrider Vol.3 No.1 Feb 1980 - DISA

I am not heartless at all.MAMANJI: But your words, my lord, seem to be ratherharsh and hard.MEMWE: Is that so? Please excuse me.MAMANJI: (Sneezing with her two fingers). My lord, mythoughts are disturbed by what might happento this woman. Perhaps I am over-reaching tothis situation. I don't know.MEMWE: Such things usually happen either whensomeone is a witch or is in league with witchesand wizards. I don't believe she is bewitched.MAMANJI: Your lordship may be right. This may be apunishment for what she has done. It mayalso be a prelude to something more serious.MEMWE: Please call me the messenger.MAMANJI I will, my lord. (She goes out, and in a shorttime Tefo comes in.) The messenger, my lord.TEFO: (Kneeling down). Good morning, my lord.MEMWE: Good morning, Tefo. Go and call me Sub-Chief Ndzonga. Tell him I wish to see him ifpossible today.TEFO: I will, my lord.(Exit Chief Memwe and Tefo).Scene IVAt a point where the Maitengwe River meets its biggest tributary.It is night. Enter Imi, First and Second Women, plus tenothers).FIRST W.: I was scared to hell. Hey woman, I nearlyurinated on myself.IMI: But why? You have chosen this as your wayof life.SECOND W.: Where is Makenosi?FIRST W.: I went to see her before she was taken off byox-wagon to Ngaka Mosikari.IMI: To Mosikari, oh no. They should not havesent her to that bastard. Anyway, it is not ourbusiness.SECOND W.: How is she?FIRST W.: She could not recognise me. She says strangethings. She talks of people she has killed,women, children, men, and of how they weredisposed of.SECOND W.: How does she say she disposed of them?FIRST W.: She speaks of how she used to point at thegrave of a newly buried corpse with the thighbone of a human being and the corpse wouldcome out.IMI: And then do what?FIRST W.: They would chop it to pieces and cook theflesh for consumption.IMI: Enough, enough, please.SECOND W.: Please wait. Did she say these things beforemany people?FIRST W.: Yes.SECOND W.: Did she say anything about us?FIRST W.: No, nothing.IMI: You are curious, neh!SECOND W.: It is necessary to know what is happeningbefore we can plan ahead.IMI: I agree. What else can you tell us?FIRST W.: She bites her fingernails. She lifts up her headand eyes as if she were praying and theninaudibly mumbles strange words. She finishesby saying 'Amen,' several times. Then shecalls, without repeating herself, the names ofthose she claims to have bewitched and killed.SECOND W And are they names of people who haveactually died?FIRST W.: Yes, I knew some of the names.IMI: Is she mad? Are they hallucinations or merefigments of the mind?FIRST W.: I don't know, really.IMI: We shall wait and see. In the meantime, youknow Tose has caused us to fail.FIRST W.: She is strong.IMI: I believe so.SECOND W Oh, that night. The bull, oh, that bull. It puthell in me.FIRST W.: Shut up, I don't want to hear anything aboutthat.IMI: Tose seems to be as illusive as the rainbow. Ihave decided to shelve her for the time being.SECOND W And do what?IMI: My husband is the cause of all these things. Ihave tried to administer all the love-potions Iknow, but nothing happened. Anyway, I didsomething.FIRST W. You mean to Jomo?IMI: Yes, I managed to put poison into the beerthat was kept by his second wife, Tose, forhim.SECOND W. How did you do that?IMI: I saw Tose carrying an earthen pot on herhead. She told me she was going to fetchwater from the river. So I joined her and toldher I was going to fetch wood. As soon as weparted near the Bush of Bafi, I ran back homeand slipped in the poison. I then went backand waited for her by the roadside. Wereturned together. It was a hurried business.FIRST W.: (Excited). Alleluya, Amen.ALL W.: Alleluya, Amen. You have done it.IMI: Please don't whisper this to anyone.FIRST W.: I shall be as silent as the moon.SECOND W.: I shall seal my lips like a rock.OTHER W.: We swear, we swear, by thunder and lightning,We shall not say a word.FIRST W.: And how is Jomo?IMI: He is in hell. The Chief and everybody is up.People think Tose has bewitched him.(Exit All).The Drama of Chief Memwe will be concludedin the next edition of Staff rider.38 STAFFRIDER, FEBRUARY 1980