Titabet and the Takumbeng

Phase 1, Scene 2

10 [Drumbeats and ululations] Now I will have to join the fight for liberation. No more room for passivity. The time to take that decision to carve a future for this baby is now. [exits] PHASE 1 SCENE 2 [Titabet in Prison. A very dirty looking prison with cigarette butts, pieces of torn papers, etc. He is lying on a torn grass-made mattress snoring and shivering from cold. He gets up after a while and goes to urinate at the ninety degree corner of the prison wall. His emaciated body is visibly seen by the audience. A tiny window right up the wall is the only source of light into the prison. When the prison door opens his wife stands with a basket of food and the prison guard behind her. He is taken to the corridor to interact with his wife. The guard remains there to keep watch.] TITABET [He is wearing prison attire: Khaki shorts and a jacket. He starts eating slowly] How is the family? NAHSALA 11 [She is in her mid thirties, wearing a white blouse, a headtie that matches with her wrapper loincloth.] They are fine my lord. TITABET How is Lekunga my darling daughter doing? NAHSALA She keeps on crying my lord. She can´t sleep. [Puts her left hand on her eyes to prevent tears from flowing] TITABET I am sure you didn´t come here to weep. NAHSALA She has refused to eat or drink. Its only ´Where is Daddy? I want to see Daddy.` What have they done to you like this my lord? TITABET [Looks at her for a while. Then tears, too, start to drop. He tries to embrace her but is quickly stopped by the guard.] GUARD [Speaking in pidgin English] Patron no gree dis one madam. Wouna body no get for touch another one. 12 TITABET Did you bring water along? NAHSALA They took it from me. TITABET Why? NAHSALA I can´t tell. TITABET [screaming] That I should eat without drinking water!!! GUARD Massa. Me I want for telli you say for ya dem no di overtalk. Gun go come killi you you here o. TITABET What? That what? Have you ever heard that somebody ate food and was refused the permission to drink water? GUARD I say shot-up!!!No mekam I remember weti weh you don do. We no fit work plenti money for sika your operation dead..... Mami Pima!! NAHSALA 13 Please my lord, do not answer him. TITABET Why not. I´m prepared to die. I ´m not afraid of any man!! GUARD Me I go call my patron just now o? [Goes out] NAHSALA My lord, look at your body. You want to be butchered before..... TITABET Let them do what they want. They want... [coughs out a mucus and attempts to vomit] NAHSALA O God. Help me! TITABET I need water wife. NAHSALA I´ll go now for it. [She goes out but on the way she is met by the guard and Corporal Ledou. They push her back into the prison] 14 CORPORAL LEDOU What happened old man? TITABET I need water to drink sah. CORPORAL LEDOU You´ll not. You should be grateful at least for eating. C´est tout! Normally you are supposed to be starved for at least three weeks. TITABET But I am choking sah! CORPORAL LEDOU Swallow your spit. That will teach you a lesson. You stay quiet. You have barely five more minutes with your wife Guard you take care.[Exit] GUARD Yes sah! You don hear no?... TITABET You do not need to remind me. NAHSALA Please my lord do as you are told. TITABET I have no other choice wife. This is their time. We will have ours. 15 [to the guard] I say brother. Nobi you bi my brother? Na for sika that 500frs c.f.a weh dem di give you weh...... GUARD Shut-up!! TITABET Dis peopo you no know dem. Dem commut for Yaounde..... GUARD I say cover your mob. You make am I go call..... NAHSALA Leave it my lord. Please it is enough. TITABET How are the others? NAHSALA Who my lord? TITABET Nahyuma and The Takumbeng? GUARD NO! You no get for talk da one. You nobi hear thing weh patron bin talk? Only family. No more no less...