MUGAMBO TREE

ACT I
Scene 1
EXT: TREE DAY
( A grandfather is seen seated under a tree in the evening and two children who were playing
quickly run up to him excited to see him. He starts narrating a story to the two children, JOSE
and SHARON.)

Jose's Grandfather

Sasa unajua Ile hadithi ya hare na tortoise? Kwa vitabu zenu najua wamesema hare alikuwa wa
kwanza kufika na tortoise akakuwa wa mwisho. Lakini unajua nini? Babu hakubali na hio kwa
sababu mwenye anatangulia ndo atapata zawadi. Ama waonaje wajukuu wangu

(Sharon and Jose nod in agreement)

Fanyeni kazi kwa bidii shule na mukuwe wa kwanza kwa class. Nyinyi ni wajukuu wangu na
Mimi hufurahi sana kuwaona
Na pia saidieni mum. Msimsumbue. Sawa wajukuu wangu

(They both agree)

Kuna kitu kingine mnataka wajukuu wangu wazuri?

Jose
Mmmh. Nataka utupatie story imagine

Jose's Grandfather
Unataka story ingine? Uuuh Wacha nifikirie. Baaasss nimepata ingine

(He begins his narration)

Mababu zetu walituhadithia kuwa Kuna mti nyingine yenye watu huwa walikuwa wanapotea
wakienda hapo. Wengine wakitoka hapo walipatikana na magonjwa mabaya na wengine
walifuatwa na mashida mingi sana. Najua mum amewaambia msiende kwa hio mti, inayoutwa
Mugambo, sindio? Watu wabaya wenye hawapendi kuskiza huenda huko na najua nyinyi ni
watoto wazuri msiende huko sawa?

(Jose and Sharon agree audibly)

Jose's Grandfather
 (Continuing) Hio mti ya Mugambo ni mbaya sana na msiikaribie. Mtu akuwaambia muende
mkatae kabiissa kwa sababu sawa wajukuu wangu? Kwa sababu watu wakienda hapo hukuwa
wendawazimu na hufuatwa na mashida mingi msiikaribie huko
Mmesumbua mum sana. Msirudie hivyo tena. Jose, usikuwe mjeuri. Skiza mum na Sharon
wakikuambia kitu na tutakuwa marafiki sawa Jose?

(Jose agrees. End scene)

Scene 2
EXT; PLAYGROUND. DAY
(Children are seen playing football in a dusty field, including Jose and Sharon. As they play their
mother comes out of the flat gate and calls them)

Mama Sharon
Sharon! Jose! Hebu kujeni
(The two children run to their mother)

Kazi ni kuchezacheza tu! Hebu endeni mulete kuni ndo nipike

(Jose is seen visibly upset)

Jose mbona unanuna. Nikiwatuma mniskie na muende. Endeni mlete Kuni na mharakishe!

(As Jose and Sharon walk back to their friends who had stopped playing ball were waiting for
them while their mother gets back in the flat)

Child 1
Mumeambiwa nini na mama yenu?

Jose
Ametuambia tuendee kuni utakuja na sisi?

(He asks each of his friends if they'll join them and they all say yes except one who refuses)

Jose
Usipokuja na sisi sitakuita birth yangu basi

(His friend yields and decides to join them. As they walk to the forest they're seen playing
games and chatting happily along the road as they collect firewood. Sharon is seen looking
worried and calls her younger brother)

Sharon
Jose twende tutafute kuni. Mum ataanza kututafuta
 (Jose ignores his sister and continues playing. She gets mad)

Msiponisaidia kutafuta ntawasema kwa mama zenyu haiya

(Scared, they stop playing and begin to go deeper into the forest to look for firewood. While this
is happening, Mama Jose is shown walking to a kibanda to go and pick Sukuma.)

Mama Mboga
Sasa Mama Jose?

Mama Jose
Poa sana

Mama mboga
Na nikuulize, umeona mahali mtoto wangu ameenda kwa sababu simwoni na alikuwa ameenda
kucheza

Mama Jose
Ah! Huyo nashuku alienda na akina Jose kutafuta kuni nilikuwa nimewatuma waniletee. Na
wamekawia sana. Wacha niende niwatafute

(After talking for a while, she takes her Sukuma wiki and leaves, bidding the Mama mboga
goodbye)

Act 2
Scene 3
EXT: FOREST. DAY
(As the children continue walking as they look for firewood, the children stop to talk. They form
a circle and begin conversing. Jose speaks)

Jose
Wacha niwaambie kitu guka yangu aliniambia. Aliniambia kwa hii bush hapo nyuma yake kuna
mti inaitwa Mugambo
Ni kubwa na hakuna watu wengi huenda huko. Mnataka kuenda na mimi tuione kama kuna kitu
itafanyika?

Sharon
Tusiende huko. Umesahau chenye baby alisema? Watu hupotea na wengine wanapatanga
ugonjwa na vitu mbaya huwafuata. Haiya tusiende

Jose
Ah wewe unakuanga muoga kila saa. Hakuna kitu itafanyika hio story ya Babu si ukweli
 (Jose continues trying to convince his friends to join him and they slowly agree)

Sharon
(Seeing that Jose and his friends seem convinced to go) juu hamtaki kuniskia mimi naenda
kusema nyinyi wote na Jose kwa mama zenyu

(The children seem to get scared)

Sharon
EXT: FOREST. DAY
Babu alisema uskize watu ni wakubwa kukushinda Jose na alisema tusiende kwa hio mti kwa
sababu vitu mbaya hufanyika. Skiza tu babu

(Sharon and the other children turn to go and Jose reluctantly follows them. As they take a
corner Jose decides to hide in some bushes and while he does that, two children see him doing
that and he signals to them to keep quiet and not say anything. The two keep quiet and leave
then Jose runs towards the direction of the Mugambo tree. As Sharon and the others keep
walking, she realizes that three children are missing. Alarmed she tells the children with her to
stop so that she goes to look for them. While she walks through the forest looking for the three
she find the two children who saw Jose hiding. She asks them where he is and they say they
saw him hide and he said he was going to the Mugambo Tree. Sharon gets scared and tells
them they're not going to look for him and instead they'll call her mother. As they catch up with
the others and keep walking, they meet Jose and Sharon's mother and she's visibly angry)

Mama Sharon
Mmekuwa wapi nyinyi? Na mbona mmekawia kufika?! Ni nini mlikuwa mnafanya huko? Na huyu
Jose ameenda wapi mbona simuoni

Sharon
Mum ni kama Jose amebaki kwa forest na alisema anaenda kwa Mugambo Tree na
nilimwambia asiende akakataa kuskia

Mama Jose
(With worry in her voice) Aki huyu mtoto ataniua siku moja. Kujeni mnisaidie kumtafuta
mnionyeshe mahali mlipitia

Act 3
Scene 4
EXT: FOREST. DAY
(Mama Sharon and the children are seen back at the forest and they begin calling out for him as
they walk deeper into the forest. As they walk on, once child spots Jose at the Mugambo Tree
and tells the others that he's seen him. The mother and children run to the tree where Jose is
laying, unconscious and unresponsive. Mama Jose kneels next to Jose and shakes him calling
him and he is unresponsive. She begins wailing and crying)

Mama Jose
(Crying) Jose , Jose, Jose. Mbona hukuniskiza? Uliambiwa na guka yako na tulikwambia
utuskize na usiende kwa hii mti na hukuskia! Jose mtoto wangu. Mbona hukuniskiza? Ona sasa
huamki!

(The children stand watching the wailing mother in despair and fear)