EP 2-Since 1972 Play (Creative Writing)

Hello, steemians I present to you episode two of the play I wrote about the ongoing crisis in Cameroon.
Scene 3
Ingwari: Enjeck why are you doing this to your father and, infact to our people? Our people have always married among themselves and not strangers.
Enjeck: You see Mum that’s the problem I have with you all. What stranger are you talking about? Francois and his family have been our neighbors for as long as I can remember. This talk of strangers is really getting me all confused.
Ingwari: It is clear Francois has bewitched you.
Enjeck: No mum, it is love, I love him, why is it so hard for everyone to understand this (walking out in tears)
Ingwari: Enjeck come back here, I said come back here!!! Turns to the audience, I don’t understand this young people at all, so you think love is all you need to marry? Hummmm we will see!! She walks out

Scene 4
Francois: why are you crying my love?
Enjeck: My parents, my parents are bent on ensuring I don’t marry you. They say what we share is all a lie. Franc look me in the eyes and tell me what we share is true, look into my eyes and tell me you love me.
Francois: I love you Enjeck believe me I love you. Hugging her, don’t worry all will be fine ok! Come on smile and guess what I got for you?
Enjeck: smiling, what?
Francois: come on, guess
Enjeck: Minguin?
Francois: not bad but guess another
Enjeck: cran cran
Francois: tadaaaa, he removes buni buni and gives Enjeck. We cooked fufu corn so I decided to dry this and remove it just for you.
Enjeck: you see why I love you na hugs him and starts eating happily as they walk out of thee stage.
Scene 5

Night. Food is served and PA Injeck hasn’t eaten and Ingwari comes in

Ingwari: my husband you haven’t eaten anything
Pa Injeck: I am not hungry
Ingwari: My husband, so I am now such a bad cook that you don’t want to eat my food? So it has gotten to this point. So you don’t love me any more?
Pa Injeck: Women and drama, it is not the food that has a problem and yes I still love you. It is your daughter that has vowed that I will know no peace, she wants to kill me.
Ingwari: I understand my husband but please eat; we can always talk about this in the bed room. You know
Pa Injeck: You amaze me sometimes honestly. Do you know the gravity of what your daughter is trying to do? If it persists we will have to summon all our people to vote what is best for our land as far as this particular situation is concerned. It is very clear your daughter wants to ridicule me.
Ingwari: Don’t say that my husband, you’re a strong man. You have fought and won so many battles, why do you think I didn’t hesitate when you said you wanted to marry me? My fighter, you will win this don’t worry. Anyway if you don’t want to eat your food I won’t mind but how about us going to the room so that I show you the new dresses I bought.
Pa Injeck: This woman, this woman (smiling), take my hand, I am your prisoner without a crime.

Poem by Autricia

NKENG!

At our tables,
glasses are filled to the brim.
Delight we've taken in toasting,
and drinking blood,
feasting to roasted flesh.

With elation, we dance,
to the rhythm of gunshots,
machetes on roads and bones
to mothers howls and babies wails

We wear our Atoghu,
exhibiting joy,
In the face of agony, sadness, and chaos
when heads fall and cities crumble

I pain,
to the days we raised the Nkeng to strike wars
Sacrileging holy lands,
with the corpses of our own people

Ebei!

What will become of our children?
We drank from the sweetness of palm wine,
keeping our mouths close to the jug,
forgetting we got drunk as dusk came

I can hear,
the trembling voices of our forbearers
Pondering aloud,
at the sinister hymns, we chose to pipe!

Nkeng – Peace plant

Atoghu – Bamenda Traditional wear

Scene 6
PALACE

Elders are seated and waiting for the Fon as he walks in they all greet and he seats.

Fon: My dear elders thank you for coming at short notice. Well I am sure we all know why we are here. Pa Injeck Please stand up. He tries to talk but the Fon shuuhhhs him. You and your family are trying to water down a tradition which has lived with us for years and the big question is why? Well I summoned this meeting because as it is now I have been called by the Prime Minister and as it we will have to vote for this marriage to either be canceled or the tradition .
Elder 1: May you live long your majesty! Your majesty I personally don’t find anything wrong with Enjeck marrying that boy. For far too long we have been wrapped in this web of division caused by colonization. Let us look at the impact of this to the future generation and not selfishly exalt our egos.
Elder 2: Shut up if you have nothing to say. Your majesty I have heard a lot of stories about those people. Their wickedness, greed and carefree attitude are not only a strong tag to them and their forefathers but to this union if it happens. Think of what this will mean to our culture, language, our legal system just to name a few.
Elder 3: with all due respect your majesty, It’s a No for me. A daughter of this land will never marry from that land.
Elder 4: May you live long your majesty. I choose to see the bright side. We will have this integration of two cultures and that will be added advantage to our children. I think we should simply be looking to enter a gentleman’s agreement with this people because whether we like it or not Enjeck is in love with that boy and you know how stupid love can be.
Elder 4: Your majesty. It is very simple let’s get a young man in this village to impregnate her, case closed.
Fon: My dear elders thank you very much for your wonderful suggestions. I will meet the Prime Minister and then we will see what to do, even if it gets to the worst we will get a gentleman agreement with them. That said the meeting has come to an end.
All: Mbehhh

Expositionist: These days when someone is forcefully taken away, either tagged a black or white leg or an accomplice, all we can do is pray or prepare a coffin or a ransom. Human life has now been so belittled that we shift dead bodies in our markets to sell. We have become so wicked to our own selves, so much that as far as our family members are safe in other cities we don’t care about others. What about those who have lost their lives, property and or love ones, how deep is the wound in their hearts? I just remembered the Kumba Massacre, what of Ngarbuh, Kwa Kwa, and the recent incident in Buea? What if it was your family? God help us all.
Scene 7
Pa Njeck: Enjeck! Enjeck! Where is that good for nothing girl.
Enjeck: Pa why are you shouting? Here I am, what is wrong?
Pa Njeck: Oh oh so you‘re asking me what’s wrong?
Engwari: My husband please calm down
Pa Njeck: Oh you‘re telling me to calm down, you‘re telling me to calm down? I don’t blame you. Enjeck you want to kill me! I will kill you first. From today I never want to see you with that useless boy again. Have I made myself clear!!
Enjeck: Papa that won’t be possible, I love him
Pa Njeck: Laughing to the audience, she is trying to see what I can do, turns and gives Enjeck a slap
Enjeck: Holding her face in tears, Papa I must marry him, she runs off stage as Pa Njeck tries to follow her, he collapses.
Engwari: Pa Pa, shouts and drags him off stage.
Scene 8
Night in living room

Engwari squeezing a face towel and putting on Pa Njecks face: My husband you have to take it easy on yourself.

Pa Njeck: How will I, the elders now see me like the black sheep of this community, tagging me with names that befit only a man with a dead conscience.
Engwari: I understand what options are on the table now?
Pa Njeck: Getting a young man in this community to impregnate your daughter and having a gentleman’s agreement with Francois family. I think these are the only two I can actually remember now.
Engwari: I understand don’t let it over work you up. Whatever the case I think our priority should be our daughters happiness and of course her children our future grand children.
Pa Njeck: I love you, you’re strong and everything a man will want. Put off the lamp lets go to bed.

To be continued....