YETUNDE! (A SHORT MUSICAL PLAY.)

Photo by Annie Spratt.

ACT ONE SCENE ONE.

(The stage is set in a very furnitured style, there are pictures on the wall, a dinning area and Etim sits on a chair while Yetunde sits on another, there's silence for some time as we hear nothing but the orchestra humming "love o" Then Yetunde gets up and makes way for the door, Erin goes behind her and locks it, there's a bit of tension as he puts the keys in his pocket and goes back to his sit. Yetunde follows him to where he is sitting and immediately she comes, he stands up, Yetunde then looks at Etim as her eyes swells up with tears, drumming and the sounds of nocturnal insects can be heard in the background not over shadowing her sobs, she moves up stage and ties her almost falling wrapper firmly.)

YETUNDE

Did you know? Were you aware?

(She takes a long deep breath as she searches his face for answers, then she faces the audience and directs the question to them.)

Why is it that everytime a man makes a mistake, this society

finds way to blame us women?

( Etim scratches his head and bowing his head down in shame replies quickly before anyone else does.)

ETIM

I have no answer for that,

no words to justify that truth.

(Yetunde quickly cuts him.)

YETUNDE

Why?

(The tears fall freely from her eyes unrestrained as she clutches her chest. She runs speedily to meet him and then asks him again and this time directs her question to him.)

Why???

( Then she starts to sing.)

I remember growing up, the world would always remind you that you are a woman.

Never making you forget who you are, yet diminishing your goals, don't dream big they tell you,

you are a woman after all, you will end up in man's house, you're a woman after all ooooo

and still they want make you . . . .

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

Na wemen dem go wan blame

I don tire, I no fit breathe

But them go talk say you no be

good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

ETIM

Women turning against each other.

Hating theirselves when they should be together as one.

Na dem dem dey form the rules demselves.

Na dem dem go tell demselves say.

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

Na wemen dem go wan blame

I don tire, I no fit breathe

But them go talk say you no be

good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

(Yetunde ignores him, the next verse should be directed at him and all the men.)

YETUNDE

Hooooooooooo haaaaaaaaa yeeeeeeeeeeeee

Now it's a woman's fault, that her husband was having an affair.

Now it's a woman's fault that her husband cannot be faithful.

Men say they don't want to be tamed, but yet find a way to blame us women when they disappoint you while expecting you to.

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

Na wemen dem go wan blame

I don tire, I no fit breathe

But them go talk say you no be

good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

YETUNDE

Hooooooooooo, Heeeeeee, Haaaaaa, my husband.

(She points to a picture on the wall.)

That man, ingrate, married me at the age of eighteen.

I said he married me at the age of eighteen,

my first shock was discovering two years into our marriage that he was already married to Mama Idókó who had six children for him. Sad and devastated I went to meet my parents, turned out they already knew, and they and everyone else around told me to continue to.

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

Na wemen dem go wan blame

I don tire, I no fit breathe

But them go talk say you no be

good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

ETIM

Then the bigger shock came yesterday when she found out that her loving husband, had gotten that child Itohan pregnant and

planning to carry wine to give her people.

That man ( he points to a framed photograph on the wall) had

the audacity to come back home yesterday and tell my sister

that he wanted to divorce her, carefully omitting the part

about his new wife. And still my society expects my sister to..

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

        Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

        Na wemen dem go wan blame

        I don tire, I no fit breathe

        But them go talk say you no be

        good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

YETUNDE

And like the mumu wey I be, I knelt down and begged this man

crying as I promised to be a good wife, not knowing that my

offense was to have sagging breasts.

Then today, I heard from Nkiru that my husband was going to

Ojata, carrying wine to Itohan's people. She told me to

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

        Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

        Na wemen dem go wan blame

        I don tire, I no fit breathe

        But them go talk say you no be

        good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

YETUNDE

So like any crazed woman, I ran home, told my eldest Gozim to

Watch over her siblings while I entered okada to Ojata.

And there he was, my husband, with another child bride just

like me a long time ago. Smiling as the naive girl sat on

his laps.

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

        Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

        Na wemen dem go wan blame

        I don tire, I no fit breathe

        But them go talk say you no be

        good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

ETIM

Madam here

(pointing to Yetunde)

Forgot that she was in

public and threw a fit. A stupid woman they called her, no

wonder her he wants to divorce her, no wonder he is getting a

new wife. With his family there, my sister was fined five

life goats and two bags of rice and even if no body tells her,

her marriage is over, she had just signed the divorce papers

with that tantrum she threw.

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

        Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

        Na wemen dem go wan blame

        I don tire, I no fit breathe

        But them go talk say you no be

        good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

YETUNDE

Why do I feel so useless? all my life I was taught one thing;

to bend properly when sweeping, "be a good girl" they tell

you. That I was destined to be a Mrs.

Edurance is not just a name, it's a virtue for a good wife,

they tell you while imploring you to

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

        Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

        Na wemen dem go wan blame

        I don tire, I no fit breathe

        But them go talk say you no be

        good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

YETUNDE

Why do I feel so unhappy? Is it because I loved him? and this

had to happen for me to realize it?

Ooooh I have seen marriages where they

are happy.

Truely happy. Oh happiness, oh happiness!!!

I have done my part, obeyed my man, gave birth to his

children, warmed his bed and pounded his yam and still

I still dey

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

        Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

        Na wemen dem go wan blame

        I don tire, I no fit breathe

        But them go talk say you no be

        good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

(Then, the chorus or orchestra or chorus start to sing very slowly)

CHORUS

Love o love o love o

Love o love o love o

A woman needs to love herself more.

Love o love o love o

Love o love o love o

A woman needs more than a man's love.

(Yetunde listens as the orchestra or chorus sing, then she gets the message and then goes to sit on the arm chair tiredly as she rocks it back and forth and continues singing, this time, from all angles of the hall, her friends come out as she call and they respond immediately)

YETUNDE

But the world will make you feel guilty

if you don't want the things that

they want you to want.

IMABONG

You are a woman after all,

you no even suppose want.

YETUNDE

The world will make you feel guilty

if you don't smile and laugh politely of course.

EMIKE

What problems do you even have that you want to feel sad.

Haven't the men solved all the problems?

YETUNDE

The world will make you feel guilty

if you don't view the other woman as your rival.

AJUMA

She stole your man, she is a thief,

he wasn't the one who ran to into her arms.

YETUNDE

The world will make you feel guilty and still them go want make you. . . .

CHORUS

"Smile, laugh, politely of course."

Why be say everytime sumtin sup?

Na wemen dem go wan blame

I don tire, I no fit breathe

But them go talk say you no be

good woman if you no fit endure ooo.

YETUNDE : After turning you against each other

If you are not guilty enough.

ETIM

Guaranted, men are bad, man no good.

But women need us. My sister needed

A husband and she got him. So why is she complaining?

A good woman saves her marriage.

A good woman endures.

A good woman doesn't go round telling everyone.

(Pointing to the women on stage with Yetunde.)

About what happens in her marriage.

A good woman, needs a man.

A good woman is one who keeps a man.

A good woman does not go to fight her husband in public.

( In response to his monologue, both Yetunde, her friends and the orchestra start to sing.)

EVERYONE ON STAGE EXCULDING ETIM

Love o love o love o.

Love o love o love o.

A woman needs more than a man's love.

(Slower.)

Love o love o love o.

Love o love o love o

Love o love o love o.

A woman loves too much.

(The song changes to a hum as the curtains fall.)

MEANING OF WORDS IN PIDGIN

• Dem go want make you : they want you to.

• Why be say : why is it that?

• Sumtin sup : something happens.

• Na women dem go wan blame : it's women whom they love blaming.

• I don tire : I am tired.

• I no fit breathe : I can't breathe.

• Them go talk say you no be : they'll say that you are not a .

• Dem, demselves : Them, themselves.

• Mumu : Fool

• Okada : Commercial motorcycle

• I still dey : I still am or still I am.

• You no even suppose : you don't even need.

BY DAVIDFNYCOUNTRY AUSTINE OGBADU.