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Heritage
Heritage
Heritage
TROUPE
MATER MISERICORDIAE CATHOLIC CHURCH
PRESENTS:
HERITAGE
KOOFFREH UDOK
2015
MOVEMENT ONE
The front of the hut is divided into two: the right is adorned with flowers and the left
with pots, statues and clothes indication a shrine.
Uwem enters from the right yawning, singing and sweeping. Uwem makes the sign of
the cross.
Uwem:
Come, Holy Spirit and fill the heart of your faithful, and enkindle in
them the fire of your love; send forth your spirit and they shall be
created and they shall renew the face of the earth.
This is the day you have made, we rejoice and be glad in it. Holy
Spirit, pull down every stronghold, cast down everything that exalts
itself above the knowledge of God. Bring to us an expected end; bless
me with a wife and means of livelihood, success and victory over all
our competitors through Christ our Lord.
Uwem makes the sign of the cross and exits. The statue at the shrine falls.
Itoro enters with the carriage and charisma of a native doctor; singing and dancing.
Itoro:
Sai! Not again! Akwa Eto, gods of my fathers. Why do you hide
your face from your own? Look I bring you wine and kola to
celebrate the life you gave me. I sing you praises in appreciation of
the power you gave me.
This the third time you are leaving your throne. Tell me who dares to
move the great tree. Reveal to me the guilty one and I shall sacrifice
him to appease you myself. Uwem? Uwem! Let him return, I will get
to the bottom of this.
Uwem:
Mama, I have nothing except this wrap of moi-moi, but you can have
it.
Mama:
Uwem:
Dont worry, Ill just uproot some cocoyam and roast for myself.
Thank you, may you be blessed; may all your efforts yield fruit; may
you marry a good wife.
Uwem:
Anyii, Anyii!
Mama exits.
Uwem:
Me marry! Who is she that cometh forth as the morning, fair as the
moon, bright as the sun, awesome as army set in the battle array.
AdiahaObong enters.
Adiaha:
Uwem:
Adiaha:
Uwem:
Who?
Adiaha:
The woman you love, the one you were dreaming of.
Uwem:
I pray the one I love will be like her, nevertheless I dont have what it
takes to tell her I love her.
Adiaha:
You are intelligent, you have a mouth and you can speak. What else
do you need to say. I love you.
Uwem:
Itoro:
Adiaha:
Itoro:
Adiaha:
Itoro:
Adiaha:
Itoro:
You exaggerate my princess! No one would look at you and not see a
fresh succulent palm tree oozing with fresh palm wine.
Adiaha:
Eye of the gods, I am in pains all day, feverish at night and shivering
from cold in the morning.
Itoro:
Adiaha:
Itoro:
You see, when you are given medicine, take it as prescribed. Let me
get you a fresh one.
Uwem begins to sing. Adiaha turns, stands from her seat. The guards and maidens turn.
Itoro enters.
Itoro:
Adiaha:
Thank you.
Itoro:
Adiaha:
He seems in love.
Itoro:
Adiaha:
Thank you.
Itoro:
Uwem:
Itoro:
Uwem:
Itoro:
Uwem:
Itoro:
Meaning?
Uwem:
Itoro revel in your sense of power all you like but do not disrespect
me.
Itoro:
Uwem:
I have the name of Jesus Christ. At the name of Jesus Christ every
knee must bow.
Itoro:
The world only bows to the greatness and power behind a name not
just empty talk.
Uwem:
Itoro:
If I see you near the princess again, I will deal with you. Not just
spiritually. You will know machetes are sharper on the skin than in the
farm.
My God, why have you forsaken me? Father said I should call on you
that you will answer. Here I am jobless, disempowered, threatened
and tossed from side to side. Was I wrong to live the god of my
forefathers and follow you whom Ive never seen?
Uwem:
Fr. Mba:
Uwem, everybody who comes to Christ need not fear death. Because
you dies with him in baptism. The life you live now is his. When you
received the sacrament of confirmation, the Holy Spirit came to dwell
in you. He lives in you. Let him comfort you, let him defend you.
Let him defend you, so you are the one poising his mind?
Itoro:
Get out of my way before I remove your stupid head from your
foolish body.
Uwem:
Kill me if you dare, but you will not lay a finger on the Lords
anointed.
Itoro:
Uwem:
Itoro hits Uwem to the ground and runs after Father Mba. Uwem stand up and exits.
MOVEMENT THREE
Kokomma enters.
Kokomma:
Itoro enters.
Kokomma:
Itoro:
Kokomma:
Itoro:
How is he?
Kokomma:
Itoro:
Kokomma:
This is from my mother, a token for the medicine you gave her.
Itoro:
How is she?
Kokomma:
She is well.
Itoro:
Kokomma, pretty maiden, you know how I like you, but for my
relationship with your father I would have been chasing you like cock
after a hen.
Kokomma:
Itoro:
Kokomma:
Itoro:
Yes. I would like you to put in a good word for me. You know if I
marry her, your father will be my right hand man.
Kokomma:
Itoro:
Ofcourse I like her, you know I can take care of her, I will protect her,
come on.
Kokomma:
Itoro:
Good! Thank you. Once she agrees, Ill give you a gift.
Kokomma:
Ill be on my way.
Itoro:
My regards to your mother. Tell your father, that Ill be expecting him.
MOVEMENT FOUR
Adiaha enters with Kokomma.
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
Kokomma:
I have watched you move between Itoro and Uwem like a leaf in the
wind.
Adiaha:
Youre meaning?
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
Thats personal.
Kokomma:
And official, because whatever your choice is will determine the next
king of this land.
Adiaha:
Kokomma:
I like both of them. Uwem lacks the wealth and position befitting your
highness. Besides Uwem is not one of us he worships another God.
Adiaha:
Nice point of view I actually share that point of view. My father told
me I should marry a man, wise, strong and wealthy for the kingdom.
My mother told me to marry a man who would care for, attend to and
respect me. One who would make me laugh, whisper comforting
words when am sad, hold me close and keep me warm on cold and
lonely nights. Koko who will you marry?
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
I wish you were in my wrapper so you would know how tightly and
uncomfortable it is. No! I would choose Uwem, if he would only ask
me. I would give him my love for free, he need not pay any bride
price.
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
Folly? Funny! I can lie to my head, I can lie to the gods, I can lie to
the people. But I cant lie to my heart. I love him. Uwem; full of love,
joy and peace; he is patient, kind and good, he is mild, modest and
chaste, I admire his tendency to long suffering and contingency.
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
Kokomma:
Adiaha:
Kokomma:
No my princess.
Adiaha:
Adiaha:
Uwem:
Yes.
Adiaha:
Uwem:
Kokomma:
Uwem. Im sorry.
Uwem:
Adiaha:
But why? You know my love is true. Dont let what people say come
between us.
Uwem:
Adiaha:
Uwem:
Kokomma:
An invisible God.
Uwem:
Like the love you feel, you can neither see nor touch it, yet you
believe.
Adiaha:
Uwem:
I would but
Adiaha:
But what? Is anything too big for the God you want me to believe?
Uwem:
This will be the first and last you will mention that name in this house.
Uwem:
Itoro:
Uwem:
Itoro:
Youre a dreamer. I will cut you with this machete into pieces.
Uwem:
Uwem:
Itoro:
Yes stay out of this, otherwise not just one head will roll.
Uwem:
Itoro, please put down the machete. These statues cannot help you and
if it is the love for Adiaha, I will not let you marry only for your
ambition. If you truly loved her, I would gladly give her up.
Itoro:
But you cannot afford to marry her; her bride price, her wedding
attire, the banquet.
Uwem:
Fr. Mba:
Itoro:
Uwem:
Itoro, put the machete down. And I will show you he lives in me.
Itoro:
Itoro rushes at Uwem and cuts him. Uwem falls to the ground. Itoro raises the machete
to strike.
Itoro:
Thank God youre alive. I wanted to tell you that you are a very
wealthy man. You the palm and plantain plantations behind the
church? They are yours.
Adiaha:
Uwem:
Forever.
Itoro:
Fr. Mba: