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ACT III
- LANGAA RPCIG
- Chapter
- Additional Information
95 ACT III Scene I Shey Ghamogha’s Courtyard Mrs Ghamogha: (Looks at her wristwatch). Kila, hold the edges together. Rub soap all over. Keep the soap away. Now, rub the dress with the palms of your two hands (bends forward to assist). Kila, I planned to go to one office. I will soon leave. Kila: Mami, I am tired now. Mrs Ghamogha: Will you stop complaining. Who are you taking after? Errhrr Kila? Kila: Mami, call Fomu to come and work too. He is only doing sliding. Fomu: I will beat you if you call my name again. Call my name again and see! Mrs Ghamogha: Fomu! Why do you threaten to beat your sister? Is that the way I brought you up? Errhrr? By the way, what’s your job description for this week? Fomu: I am cleaning dishes and dusting the windows every morning. I’m also splitting firewood and checking fowls and goats every evening. Mrs Ghamogha: Who is assigned to sweep the yard and scrub the floors this week? Fomu: Bame. He’s working inside already. Mrs Ghamogha: Join him. Go inside and keep your room orderly. I don’t want to find books lying scattered on the bed again. Teach Kila how to arrange books on the bookshelf. Check her school bag and remove dirt or any unwanted stuff. Kila. Did your teacher give you homework? Kila: Yes mami. He gave us an assignment in 96 mathematics. Mrs Ghamogha: Have you done it? Kila: No. Mrs Ghamogha: Why? Kila: Mami. I am a girl. I want to study English Language and home economics. I can’t do well in mathematics (Fomu nods). Mrs Ghamogha: Who told you that? Kila: Fomu. (Mrs Ghamogha shrugs her shoulders). Fomu: Girls cannot do calculation. It is difficult. In our class, almost all the boys do mathematics. Majority of the girls attend Home Economics course when it is time for maths lessons. Our teacher does not even ask questions to girls when he teaches mathematics because they would give wrong answers (Mrs Ghamogha shakes her head). Kila: It’s true. The boys usually laugh at us when we give wrong answers during mathematic lessons. They even call us names. Mrs Ghamogha: (Shaking her head). Fomu, Kila. Girls can do well in mathematics if they have the right orientation at the right stage. Kila, you can. Errhrr? (Kila nods). Anybody can do well in maths. What is needed is the right orientation and the right formular. I was the best student in mathematics and physics when I wrote the London Certificate of Education, but I’m a woman. (As Kila is more alert and nods keenly, Fomu opens his mouth wide). Yes. If I could, then any woman can. Don’t listen to misleading impressions. People should not channel your mind to their own preferences. I will talk to your teacher. Go back inside. Fomu, assist her when you finish your house work. Teach her [54.225.35.224] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 14:44 GMT) 97 methods and not answers. Go now and work. (The children leave. Ability approaches and stops in front of Mrs Ghamogha. She bends forward to greet). Baa Ability, welcome. (Ability bends the upper half of his body and looks around cautiously. Mrs Ghamogha assumes he intends to see Shey). He’s making a small fire in the kitchen to warm himself up. I’m sure you will like to join him there. Ability: (Places his forefinger vertically on his mouth, looks around suspiciously and speaks in a low tone). Errhrr. I’m coming all the way from my palm bush, the one near your land. (Snaps his fingers and points to the direction of the contested land). When is enough enough? Mrs Ghamogha: I hope there’s no problem? Ability: The pillars around your land are hardheartedly wrenched off. Mrs Ghamogha: What? Ability: Goats are feasting on your crops. (Shaking his head and lamenting). Mrs Ghamogha: Feasting? Ability: (Whispers). Anybody would think those misguided creatures had a feast. (Mrs Ghamogha opens her mouth). I recognised the goats. Mrs Ghamogha: You did? Ability: (In a whisper). Agnes was lurking about in the bush. The goats were exactly like the ones I often find around the vicinity of her compound. I can recognise the footprints of her son’s goats. Mrs Ghamogha: Agnes again. Ability: Her head kept nodding with satisfaction as goats feasted on your crops. Mrs Ghamogha: What is her problem? 98 Ability...