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Scene Eleven

from The Bells of Amersfoort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2019

Zakes Mda
Affiliation:
Ohio University
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Summary

Lights rise on TAMI. She is holding her trombone. She blows a few notes as if to call for attention and then addresses an absent LUTHANDO in the second world.

TAMI: Dear Luthando, it's been a long time. But I am coming back. I am on my way back to our beautiful Qhoboshane Valley. You have been silent for a long time. I understand. It would be selfish of me to hold it against you. But, oh, you have been silent for a very long time. Still, I know that wherever you are, whatever you are doing, with whoever you are doing it, you will not forget the promise: to heal the wounded earth!

Enter JOHAN and KATJA.

KATJA: It's a farewell gig. She is going back home. When do you go back?

JOHAN: Maybe not at all. There is no place for me in Tami Walaza's South Africa. It is a South Africa of anger, bitterness and vengeance.

Enter HELEEN. She perches herself somewhere between JOHAN and KATJA. It is her red day. TAMI blows a few notes on the trombone again, as if to call her audience to order. She then sings. It is one of South Africa's a cappella songs. Enter from different directions MARTIJN, singing and playing, his drum hung around his shoulder; CATHARINA, using her window cleaning paraphernalia as percussion; and FRITZ holding his easel with a canvas on it. The contribution of the latter two to the song is reminiscent of their singing and humming during Johan's venereal flights. FRITZ has put the painting of a bright sunflower in front of the group as it sings. It will help if the song combines the best of South African and Dutch traditional music. As the song ends, KATJA, HELEEN and JOHAN - comprising the audience - applaud. Lights fade to black.

Type
Chapter
Information
Fools, Bells and the Habit of Eating
Three Satires
, pp. 155 - 156
Publisher: Wits University Press
Print publication year: 2002

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  • Scene Eleven
  • Zakes Mda, Ohio University
  • Book: Fools, Bells and the Habit of Eating
  • Online publication: 21 May 2019
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  • Scene Eleven
  • Zakes Mda, Ohio University
  • Book: Fools, Bells and the Habit of Eating
  • Online publication: 21 May 2019
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Scene Eleven
  • Zakes Mda, Ohio University
  • Book: Fools, Bells and the Habit of Eating
  • Online publication: 21 May 2019
Available formats
×