MOVEMENT SEVEN

Kpako Women’s Union meeting.

MADAM BECROFT. Soup wey no get palm oil, na eyes we dey tek see am. And di wan wey no get salt, na mouth we dey tek know. From awa visit to di palace yesterday, we don tek awa eyes see sey we no get leader for dis land. Di wan wey sit for dat palace na emti shell.

CHIEF EJIOFOR. Di vigilante wey we pay to protect us, na im dey do us. See as Alakija dey ask us which wahala dey dis land. Who no know sey wahala dey awa town? Shey elephant no big pass wetin pesin go tok say e no see?

ADAKU. Na so, my sista. Di sun no dey shine mek pesin still dey ask weda day don break. Pipul wey we say mek dem scratch awa back, na thorn dem put for hand.

ABENI. If dem tell fish sey na di wata wey e dey live all im life go cook am, shey e no go argue?

IJEOMA. We com be like rat wey no get meaning for elephant eyes.

PEPEYOYO. E don clear say dis fight na awa fight. Nobodi go fight am for us. Bicos face wey we slap yesterday, slap today, wey we tink no get wahala, like play like play, tomorrow fit com, mek e no see again.

MADAM BECROFT. Na true you tok. Dis fight na awa fight. E don clear nau who awa enemy be. Wen fly dey chop madman wound, nobodi go see am. Na wen im don kill di fly chop evribodi go say im madness don increase.

CHIEF EJIOFOR. Alajika na di fess enemy wey we get. Na im dey badmouth di justice wey we want. See as he dey laff us, like say we shit for bodi, only bicos we tok sey we wan justice for di pikin wey die. E dey tell us sey, [start to dey mimic ALAKIJA.] “knife cut pikin hand, we troway di knife. Shey knife neva do wetin e wan do?” No be stupid question from stupid man be dat? Odegbami too carry bodi join am. Na dem we go carry awa fight face.

MADAM BECROFT [shake her head to disapprove]. No be so. No be Alakija and Odegbami only be awa enemy. If you luk am well-well, you go see say na all awa men be awa enemy.

CHIEF EJIOFOR. All awa men?

MADAM BECROFT. Yes. All awa men.

RIYIKE [she dey surprise as di oda women]. How dat wan com tek be?

MADAM BECROFT. I know sey I dey sound like fool, but mek una ansa dis question wey I wan ask. Na who dey rape us? Men abi women?

ALL. Men.

MADAM BECROFT. Na who dey obstruct di way of justice for di palace. Men abi women?

ALL. Men.

MADAM BECROFT [to PEPEYOYO]. As evri tin tight reach for dis town, who dey com drink palm wine wit asun for your shop? Men abi women?

PEPEYOYO. Men.

MADAM BECROFT. Who no dey show concern pass for evri tin wey awa eyes dey see for Kpako. Men abi women?

ALL. Men.

MADAM BECROFT. Shey you don see nau sey men na di fess enemy wey we suppose turn awa fight face? All of dem. [Di women luk each oda, dem nod dem head.]

CHIEF EJIOFOR. Nau wey we don know who we wan fight fess, how we wan tek do am?

MADAM BECROFT. Na gud question you ask. Oyinbo man tok sey you no dey know di value of wetin you get until you lose am. Awa men no know awa value. Time don reach for dem to lose us.

ABENI. Dis wan no clear o.

ADAKU. How dem go tek lose us?

MADAM BECROFT [she start to dey luk for somtin for her bag]. Dat wan dey simple. [She comot some pamphlet.] Na di ansa be dis. [She share di pamphlet give di women.]

ALL [dem start to dey read togeda, dem no too sure]. Operation Break Time?

MADAM BECROFT. Yes. OBT.

RIYIKE. Wetin dat wan mean?

MADAM BECROFT. Di explanation dey inside dat paper. OBT na di way awa men go lose us. Cow no dey know di value of im tail until you cut am. We go cut awasef from evri tin wey we dey do for dem mek dem fit sabi awa value well-well.

PEPEYOYO. If I hear you well, you dey tok sey we dey go on strike?

MADAM BECROFT. If na di word wey you wan use be dat, no wahala, we dey go on strike.

PEPEYOYO. Ah! Wetin go do my shop? I go close am?

MADAM BECROFT. Yes. We go close am. If we no close am, dem no go tek us serious.

PEPEYOYO. How I wan tek dey chop?

MADAM BECROFT. No boda yoursef. Di union go wori about dat wan.

ADAKU [dey tok wit shy shy]. Erm… Dis strike… dis break… shey e go mean say, umm… we no fit…? [Use her right hand form punch tek pound her left palm.]

MADAM BECROFT. Yes, e mean say we no fit mekwe. [Evribodi shout].

RIYIKE. How we wan tek hol konji for bodi wen e catch us? Konji no dey tek fess aid. Na proper cure e want. And na all of us sabi wetin di cure be.

MADAM BECROFT. For Operation Break Time, di cure na to baff wit cold wata. [Evribodi shout.] Yes. Wen we tok say we wan carry awa fight face men, e no mean say we wan carry gun and cutlass fight dem. If na gun and cutlass fight, dem fit win us. Dis na di best weapon wey we get. We must use am well. For oyinbo man tongue, dis na “self-abnegation”. All di women for Kpako must to join us. Na awa fight be dis.

CHIEF EJIOFOR. We no fit dey rush eat hot soup. Hope sey dis wan no be fuel wey we wan pour for di faya wey we dey try quench. [Di women start to dey murmur.]

Di light for stage die.

***

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Excerpt from EARLY MOMO PALM WINE published by Listening Birds Publishing. Copyright © 2024 by Immanuel Táiyéwò Fáwọlé.