Dance of the Vampires and Six Other Plays

Part V - And Palm-wine will Flow

243 Part V And Palm-wine will Flow 244 245 Dramatis Personae (In order of appearance) SHEY NGONG: Chief priest of Nyombom NSANGONG: Friend of Shey Ngong MESSENGER: From the Palace KWENGONG: One of the wives of Shey Ngong / Earthgodess TAPPER: Palm - wine tapper for Shey Ngong / Kibaranko GWEI: One of the watch - dogs of the Fon FON: Ruler of the of Ewawa Various background voices. SETTING: Ewawa, imaginary Fondom in the grassfields. 246 247 The sacred grove of Nyombom, characterised by an elaborately decorated pot, n nshang wong, in which libation is poured to the gods. Elsewhere in the grove are a number of masks, also elaborately decorated with dark fibre or cloth, thus making them easy to be used as disguises by various characters in the play. Other prominent features of the grove are a gourd and a sacred gong. All action takes place in the same place. VOICE (Off) Shey Ngong, are you not coming to the palace? Where are you going to when all roads are leading to the palace? SHEY NGONG Is there anything of import, apart from the merry making? I am going to the grove for some peace. VIOCE But Shey, do you or do you not know that Kibanya is receiving the red feather today from the sacred hands of the Fon himself? SHEY NGONG So I have heard. VOICE And palm-wine will flow as usual. Come with me to the palace, Shey. The Fon will not take your absence kindly. SHEY NGONG I am going to the grove. My obligation is to the gods of the land. My duty is to the gods. Not to the Fon and palm-wine. VOICE Swallow your words, Shey! The cockroach does not call a fowl to a wrestling match. It is a foolish rat that argues with a cat. SHEY NGONG So I am the rat? I am the cockroach? You knave. The gorilla can do nothing to an iroko tree. 248 VOICE Eh? You are the iroko tree, are you? I see you want to wrestle with the father and owner of this land of Ewawa. SHEY NGONG Eh? Who owns the land? Because he takes what belongs to the land and no one lifts a finger? VOICE Swallow your words, Shey. I say swallow your words. SHEY NGONG I will not. I am the cockroach. A gorilla can do nothing to the iroko tree. VOICE Shey Ngong, you will be hearing from the palace before the sun goes down. SHEY NGONG Away you fawnig , stooging dog ! Away to your lord and drown yourselves in palm-wine. What a land! VOICE Shey I have already warned. You will be hearing from the palace before the sun goes to sleep. SHEY NGONG And palm-wine will flow. VOICE You said it. And palm-wine will flow! Palm-wine will flow! You just wait and see. Palm-wine will flow. SHEY NGONG What a land! what a people! And to think that people in other lands... What a people! (Moves over to the sacred pot from which he takes out sacred horn and pours some wine into it from the gourd.) 249 Oh! Nyombom! Creator and guardian of the land, And you our illustrious forebears, Grant me strength and wisdom To weather the surging storm. The Fon has lost vision. The noble men and elders of this land Now listen only to the inner voice Of greed, and fear of a man who has Surrounded himself with listeners And watch-dogs to do his bidding. Nyombom and you, ancestors, Grant me strength and wisdom Grant me patience and love.... (His invocation is interrupted by the rising sound of distant music and loud applause and ululations.) Kibanya must be receiving his red feather now. From today he will stand in the market place and beat his chest and speak in a loud voice. The land! The land! What a people NSANGONG (Off) Shey Can I come? Or shall I wait outside? The load that I am carrying must be put down. SHEY NGONG Come inside then. Come. This place is cool and peaceful; especially for one carrying a load. Come. NSANGONG The place is really cool-eh? It is a boiling pot out there. SHEY NGONG Where are you coming from so agitated like a monkey that has missed the hunter’s bullet? NSANGONG I am just from the palace and ..... 250 SHEY...