Missing Face, The

Movement Six

Movement Six (At the Grotto. Seated on a wooden ancestral stool is ODOZI now dressed as a high priest ready to perform an important ritual of the land. The talkative rhythm of the last scene has now been overtaken by the reflective tune of the flute. Time is just before sunrise with doves cooing in the background . MOMAH, AMAECHI arrive at the foot of ODOZI. They are also dressed with white-wrapper loosely flowing from waist down to the ankles and with beads decking their ankles, wrists, necks and chests in the manner of Edo princes bearing shallow wooden-mortars- "Okwachi ", which contains an effigy of the owner with oil, cocoa yam, salt, etc. They kneel. ODOZI carries a fan made from either the feathers ofa peacock or multicolored feathers from various birds. MOMAH lifts up his own "Okwachi" (his wooden bowl of destiny) to the heights of the grotto. He motions to AMAECHI to do the same and he obeys. ODOZI now with a far-away smile like a god pleased, nods his head and commences the ritual as he sings.) ODOZI: Our fathers! Light of beacon which shines before us that we may see. That we may not tread the path on a day the earth thirsts for blood. Your children, with their own hands bring the burden of destiny before you. Okwachi, the bowl of destiny that they may be filled with Nzu-the clay which molds and beautifies life. Breathe life into them, ancestors, that through them, the land may be renewed! (Drums intone as if to put a final seal on the prayer. ODOZI takes an egg from the Okwachi and breaks it at the grotto. As she prays, MOMAH and AMAECHI reply Iseeh, AMAECHI is visibly anxious.) ODOZI: Ancestors your children come to you as new born. Clear their path. Here is an egg. They offer snail. Snail is for sacrifice that roads may clear. Clear their paths. Clear their heads. Clear their eyes. That they may see their inner self renewed and realized ... That they may stand towering high as lroko in the forest of the world. That your children, wearing the solid heart of ebony, king and shade of trees in the forest, may tower high above all else. Ancestors, stretch your hands of gold. Ancestors, show them the ways of the land. 46 (ODOZI offers kolanut as the bond between the living and the dead. Having offered the first lobes of the kolanut to the ancestors, he chews on a lobe and offers the remaining two to MOMAH and AMAECHI who eat in unison.) ODOZI: Our fathers! The ones gone before us. It is me, your son. The hand that mends, who calls. The hand of the old. Together, join the hands of the old and the new, going and coming at your grotto. (ODOZI holds together the right hands of MOMAH and AMAECHI.) Ancestors ! Bear witness. The old must pass away that new plants may take root. (ODOZI lifts up AMAECHI's hand, and places it firmly on the hands of MOMAH. Momah wears the mask. This complete, ODOZI rises and begins to walk backwards.) ODOZI: (Chanting.) Here now, the sun rises, urging night to sleep. The sun rises, urging night to sleep. The sun rises, urging night to sleep. The east wakes up, urging west to sleep. (As ODOZI recedes, one hears echoes of xylophon and drum mixed with wooden gongs in the cloudy atmosphere of dawn. Exit ODOZI. MOMAH rising and standing face to face with AMAECHI. Suddenly, there is a clatter of sounds from the sky. Light flashes, thunder roars vociferously like that of an angry lion. The living at the grotto subdued and frightened are utterly prostrate. The clattering diminishes to rumbles around the grotto. A voice, ancient and deep fills the atmosphere.) VOICE: Son! The stomach of the gods rumbles in pain! For thousand seasons, tumorous injuries inflicted on their children. For thousand seasons, unredressed. Empires of injustice born and nurtured on black blood. For thousand seasons, pain irrigated by my children's tears. MOMAH! Pain irrigated by black and brown earth to irrigate the white ego? How long must black and brown eyes lose their color to the red of white? How long? How long? MOMAH! Answer me!! (MOMAH and AMAECHI are startled. MOMAH staggers to one side. Thunder blares again, sending MOMAH and AMAECHI down, prostrate again on their belly. Their lips shut up with another thunder clap. 47 [3.140.186.241...