Evil Meal of Evil

Scene 5. Dohbani is brought in, dead

22 Kehbuma Langmia Scene 5 Dohbani is brought in, dead. (Sunyin is being restrained by Ma Petema as she sobs. The villagers follow after pastor Joshua.) Sunyin (Screaming and yelling) Yelelelelelele! Yelelelelelele! Yelelelelelele! Ma Petema Hold yourself Sunyin. Sunyin (Breathing hard) I hold my what? Where is my husband? Can you give my husband back to me? Ma Petema Hold it Sunyin, Hold it. Let’s listen to the Pastor. Sunyin Who? Pastor? Is there a Pastor here? (Moves to the Pastor) Please tell your God to give back my husband? Joshua My dear sister, hold your peace. The Lord will listen to your pain. Just hold your peace for now. Sunyin What peace, Pastor? The peace to bury my young husband? The peace to live in hell as a widow without the one I love? Are you talking sense, Pastor? Joshua You shall meet with him again in the Lord’s kingdom. Just hold your peace. Sunyin (Gives a loud cry, as she is restrained by Ma Petema) Okay Pastor. If you think life is worth living tell your Lord in heaven to send him back to me. Please will you? Pastor I will sister. Can you just remain silent for us to pray so He can help you? (Turning to the villagers) Let’s listen to the word of the Lord before we pray. 23 An Evil Meal of Evil Blessed is he who is, who was and who is to come. The passage I have chosen for this sad meditation is from the gospel of Genesis chapter 3 verses 15-17. There, it is written: ‘‘The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The Lord God then gave man this order: You are free to eat from any trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you surely doomed to die’’ This is the word of the lord. Villagers Thanks be to God. Pastor My brothers and sisters in the lord. Death has a place in our life. Many have puzzled, many have wept and have even kept all sorts of weapons to combat death. But death remains omnipotent. Everyone has to wait for his or her turn. Today is that of our brother Dohbani who was serviceable, loving, daring, generous and duty conscious. But the almighty and beloved father wants him at this hour. The beloved heavenly father has prepared a place for him in Heaven. Our lives are like the beautiful flowers in the garden with their beautiful colors. They shine in the morning but wither at night. We live like fruits on the tree. When the owner comes to harvest them, he chooses the ripe and sometimes the unripe. But one fruit does not jump and say take me or don’t take me; it is the master who chooses those to take home. So, today the Lord has chosen our brother Dohbani. He could not go to tap his usual palm wine but to follow the Lord. We have no control over our lives but the almighty God. Therefore, let us not strain ourselves and swallow an elephant because God has taken our brother. We all will someday. We were doomed right from the incident in the garden of Eden. To you, Sunyin, (moves over to her) have peace of mind. Calm your internal spirit. Your husband is no more of this world. He is happy and jumping up and down with the angels in Heaven. In your widowhood don’t think too much about your husband. Rather, pray for him to rest in peace. Amen 24 Kehbuma Langmia Villagers Amen Pastor Let’s now escort our brother Dohbani to his eternal home as we sing this dirge. (Intones a local dirge as they move out with the body) ...