The Convert

ACT TWO SCENE I

34 ACT TWO SCENE I It is evening in Peter's house two months later. Peter is discussing the Born Again Christians with Damien. DAMIEN Peter, did your sister make a breakthrough at the Ministry of Money before leaving for Kamnogo two months ago? PETER Charity, my cousin, you mean? DAMIEN Charity, your sister, is the one I mean. PETER Is that what she told you? DAMIEN Yes. PETER And you believed her? DAMIEN Of course. PETER Do you think me that crazy as to allow my own sister join a band of frustrated hypocrites? 35 DAMIEN What do you mean? PETER Charity isn't my sister; she isn't even a first or second cousin, just a girl from the same village as I. DAMIEN Don't tell me! PETER: That is why she can afford to do as she pleases. I have no authority over her. DAMIEN I see. PETER Imagine that though her problem in the Ministry is as easy as losing a wallet in a crowded market, she stubbornly chooses the hard way. Under the diabolic influence of that satanic craze of theirs, she condemns chop-I-chop, and wouldn't let a goat eat where it is tethered; and so must wait and wait and wait until the chickens come home to roost, if ever they do, for her avance de solde. DAMIEN How unrealistic! 36 PETER Only a dedicated fool like her would think that there is another way out. In three months her dossiers, to say the least, would still be where she left them a year ago. DAMIEN I agree. PETER In fact, she should thank her stars if the functionaries find something better with which to tie their beignets during lunch break. DAMIEN Or clean their shoes when it rains on their way to the office. PETER How naive! DAMIEN Do you know that she forced me to accompany her to their prayer sessions at the Ultimate Church of Christ, just before she returned to Kamnogo? That was precisely the day before she left. PETER Yes, I know. She returned very late in the night. I was suspicious and inquisitive, but she told me that the prayer session overstayed because converts like you had so many sins to confess. Tell me, how did you find it? 37 DAMIEN I was overwhelmed. I saw whole families, couples, beautiful girls and handsome lads. The atmosphere was solemn. The conversions were profuse, but the confessions were curious. Everyone spoke as if possessed by a wild spirit. PETER Typical. DAMIEN They were extraordinarily bold and vulgar when condemning their past, Satan, kin, friends and the world outside. PETER What did you make of the preacher? DAMIEN The Pastor preaches better than any pastor I know. His American godfathers must be awfully proud of him. I nearly got converted myself; only bitter memories of tribulations as a student at the university numbed me. PETER That university of yours. Horrible place. DAMIEN Yes. You are familiar with my problems at that rotten seat of wisdom, aren't you? 38 PETER [Nods with sympathy] DAMIEN So when I thought of the years I have spent there, shuffling from one faculty to the other with ever diminishing returns, I asked myself if God has been waiting for me to be born again before he can enable me pass an exam. I became very bitter and repulsed by their efforts at conversion. And I managed to slip out of the place unaffected by their attempts at emotional blackmail. PETER You did well to avoid conversion. You have succeeded where they've failed, and where many are going to fail. DAMIEN I don't understand. PETER These are people who don't take time to reflect, to cross-examine themselves and the world around them. They are governed by their emotions, not by reason. Hence their exaggerated sense of fear. They fear and blame others in their stead. DAMIEN Really? 39 PETER Haven't you noticed the arrogance and prejudice of everyone who shakes hands with the Born Agains? Haven't you wondered why people supposedly closest to Christ and endowed with the Holy Spirit, should spend all their time judging, condemning and rejecting others as perfect candidates for hell? Yet they claim it's their divine mission to evangelize! DAMIEN Amazing! More like the Pharisees. PETER...