Am sure she was nice, but am just curious, why is a Peace & Reconciliation committee member coming to address kids at school now.
THE SET UP IS OF A REFUGEE CAMP, A SHANTY LOOKING BROWN TURPOLINE HANGS UP AS A COVER OF HABOBA (GRANDMA) HOMESTEAD, WE SEE GOATS AND CHICKENS RUNNING AROUND,IT’S NOISY WINDY AND DUSTY EXT: OUTSIDE A REFUGEE CAMP. HABOBA(GRANDMA)IS BUSY LOOKING FOR FIREWOOD OUTSIDE HER HUT, IT HAS NO DOOR NEITHER A WINDOW, SHE’S ABOUT TO PREPARE LUNCH FOR MAL (17 YEAR OLD BOY) AND NYAMAL(18 YEAR OLD GIRL),SHE IS STRUGGLING TO LIGHT A FIRE,THEN MOVING FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, CONFUSED AND LAMENTING. HABOBA (SIGH) i don’t have enough firewood to cook for these kids,. life is very hard in this camp. WE SEE PEOPLE MOVING AROUND DOING THEIR BUSINESS WITHIN THE CAMP, THEN HABOBA GOES INSIDE, BUT WE CAN VISIBLY SEE HER,SUDDENLY MAL BURSTS IN LOOKING SAD, HE GOES AND SITS ON ONE CORNER. INT: SHANTY HOUSE. HABOBA Why are you back so early,..are you not supposed to be in school right now?,..(LOOKS OUT AT THE SUN, THEN BACK AT MAL) what’s wrong Mal? MAL I have been chased from school Grandma. HABOBA Why? MAL I think the teachers don’t like me,.. do i really have to go to school? HABOBA Yes Mal,...(CONCERNED)have you been fighting again?,... OK look here young man, education is the best thing i can give you right now. GUN FIRE IS HEARD FROM A DISTANCE, HABOBA AND MAL GO INTO SILENCE FOR A SECOND AS THE SOUND FADES A WAY. HABOBA (SADLY)I really hate this war,when will it end?,.this war has claimed many lives and it still taking away our sons to go and fight, (Sigh),.. i don’t even know where your parents are right now, we can’t even go back to our village (LOOKS AT MAL) i believe your parents are still alive, so don’t be sad Mal. MAL But where are they?,I want to see them, i miss them (PAUSE) you know Grandma i also have a dream of becoming a soldier just like my father,..(THEN HE STARTS TO IMITATE A SOLDIER SHOOTING A GUN, JUMPING FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER), dush, dush!nyao,...dush dush nyao, hear is where you act dead annnnd DUSH NYAO! Yes!, (TO HIMSELF) i think i should be a soldier. HABOBA (laughing) Hahaha,..No!, THEN MAL BREAKS AWAY FROM HIS DAY DREAMING AND BACK TO REALITY. HABOBA What you need is education, your father is a soldier and we don’t know where he is right now,.. that’s not the direction you need to take young man, can you go fetch some fire wood, i need to cook for you and your sister, i think she’s about to come from school. MAL But me and my friends want to be soldiers,(FIST UP) fighting to liberate our country,..Where is this stick,. great!here it is (PICKS UP a STICK AND STARTS MATCHING, PUTS IN HIS SHOULDER)Left, right, left right, abooout turn!,.. You see grandma, that’s a real soldier, not fetching firewood like a girl,..mmmh! let Nyamal get firewood, men don’t do that. HABOBA You are very far away from being a man,.. or a soldier.The war has already taken so much from me, i will not have you go to war, or get anywhere close to this war. MAL Grandma, whether we like it or not, the war is here with us, and by the look of things, it’s not going any where any time soon. HABOBA I know, but there are better things in this world apart from Guns and war,. Mal i know you dream that because that’s what you see around you, but they’re other things you can become, well let’s see, how about an Aid worker, MAL No! HABOBA Doctor? MAL No! HABOBA How about a teacher MAL Not even close, just give up grandma. HABOBA Mal you need to think about what am telling you. MAL Grandma, look at me (SHOWING OFF HIS MUSCLES),.. see this?,.this are muscles of a man. HABOBA Yes, one who can put his muscle into use, can you go fetch fire wood for me right now? MAL Grandma, this muscles are not meant for light duties. HABOBA So what are they meant for then? MAL A Soldi,e.r.. HABOBA ......No!, not that soldier thing again. MAL But grandma,.. HABOBA (LAUGHS SARCASTICALLY) Hahahah,. sometimes you make me laugh Mal but other times you make me sad. MAL (SADLY) Am sorry, can i ask you something? HABOBA Yes Mal. MAL Where is my mother? you always don’t want to tell us. HABOBA I really don’t like talking about it,.. and i also don’t know, but i will tell you a story if you promise to go fetch the firewood. MAL (EXCITED) OK i promise, just tell me. SHOT AS A FLASH BACK ON A GREEN SCREEN OR USE SIMPLE ANIMATION, . EXT: NIGHT. WE SEE A WOMAN RUNNING CARRYING TWO KIDS, ONE AT THE BACK THE OTHER IN HER ARMS AS SHE RUNS TOWARDS THE FOREST WITH SOUND OF GUNFIRE IS HEARD,HELICOPTER HOVERING ABOVE, SOLDIERS FIRING, VILLAGERS RUNNING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND A BURNING HOUSE IN THE BACKGROUND IS SEEN. HABOBA VO One day your mother went to fetch water and left me with you two, by then you were very little, then we heard helicopter gun fire coming towards our village and people started running and screaming in different directions so i immediately picked you two up, Nyamal at the back and you in my arms and i ran very fast into the forest, it was dark, i fell down a couple of times as i was running, picking myself up and running even faster and further into the forest,then we hid until the guns and screams stopped, the following day i went back into the village, it was messy, i looked everywhere for your mother but there was no sign of her, so we decided to stay in the forest for few more weeks just in case your mother shows up,.but she was no where to be seen, i kept on going back to the empty village several times,Other villagers were getting inpatient and worried the soldiers might come back again so we all decided to move further away from the village for fear of more killings, and that’s when i joined the other villagers on a long walk to a safer place. MAL Wow!, that was tough grandma. HABOBA Yes,.it was. WE SEE A GROUP OF PEOPLE CARRYING MATTRESSES AND BAGS IN THE BACK, CHILDREN, WOMEN ALL IN ONE LINE WALKING CUT TO HABOBA HABOBA I was more concerned with you and your sister’s health, with no food and all of us dehydrated i had to get help and that’s how we ended up in this camp., THEN SUDDENLY NYAMAL WALKS HABOBA STOPS MID SENTENCE , NYAMAL IS CARRYING WHAT LOOKS LIKE A BAG FULL OF BOOKS. HABOBA We are more safe here than outside ther.... (POINTING) Oh,. Nyamal you are here, MAL UNCONCERNED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF HIS SISTER MAL Then what happened?? NYAMAL I can see the fighter is home early!,Hi Grandma how was your day? HABOBA (IGNORING MAL)It’s a good day, we are alive, how was school Nyamal? NYAMAL School was fine, just the usual? MAL Then what happened Grandma?? NYAMAL What? HABOBA It’s nothing MAL See now you’ve spoiled the fun NYAMAL Keep quiet or i will tell Grandma how you’ve been fighting, and got yourself punished in front of the whole school. HABOBA Mmh,.So you’ve been fighting again,.what is wrong with you Mal?, i think i should also puni,....(AS SHE IS LOOKING FOR A CANE) MAL SLOWLY STARTS TO RETREAT BACK AND HE MAKES A QUICK DASH. HABOBA Where is this boy?,.. Mal! Mal! NYAMAL He’s long gone. HABOBA He was supposed to go and fetch firewood,..and now he has tricked me into telling him stories only for him to run off. NYAMAL He has been hanging around with George and Jidu HABOBA But they are older than him by far, is it true they sneak out of the camp every night? NYAMAL Yes,and i hear a lot of bad things too, HABOBA Like? NYAMAL Well i better not say,i have homework i need to do HABOBA (thoughtful) Mmmm!,.. So tell me what did you learn in school today? Nyamal goes and puts her bag full of books on a table and she goes and seats besides Haboba, as they both get comfortable. NYAMAL Grandma,eh!, let me tell you,.. today we got a visitor from the peace and reconciliation committee, and she was very nice, beautiful, nice nails, shoes, a cute dress and she had the best smile eeeever?,.. HABOBA OK,OK am sure she was not there to model for you, what was her reasons for the visit? NYAMAL (Laughing) Grandma i just like the way she was so humble and good to us. HABOBA Am sure she was nice, but am just curious, why Peace & Reconciliation committee member coming to address kids at school now. NYAMAL Well, She was concerned that school children are now being brainwashed and some are even getting recruited to go and fight, HABOBA Mmmh, that’s strange, and what else? NYAMAL And she also told us we must resist any temptations of taking sides in this war. HABOBA Oh No, its now getting worse, they are going for children now,.. NYAMAL ...and they’re calling for all parents to be watchful of their kids behavior, and that includes our Mal here. HABOBA ,.. (SIGH) i really don’t know what’s wrong with your brother.... Ooooohh Ouchi, oh noo. NYAMAL What is it Grandma? HABOBA Nothing serious just a little pain NYAMAL Mmmh!, a little pain indeed, the same injury that you always don’t want to talk about? HABOBA Yes,. i will tell about it some day. NYAMAL Don’t worry i know everything, including how our mother is missing. HABOBA How did you know about that?! NYAMAL Grandma, people talk in the camp and mama Emanuela told me the whole story,. i wish i will see my mother someday. HABOBA (Sigh) Well this camp has no secrets indeed,.. OK come help me with cooking before you go do your home work, i will help too. NYAMAL Hahaha, Grandma, you will fall asleep even before we start the home work,. OK let’s cook,... THEY EXIT THE STAGE. SOON WE HEAR NOISES FROM THE BACKGROUND, KIDS CHASING ANOTHER THEN WE SEE MAL SNEAK INSIDE THE HOUSE CARRYING A BAG, HE SEES HABOBA AND HE HIDES, HABOBA LOOKS AROUND BECAUSE SHE HEARD SOME NOISES, THEN DECIDES TO GO BACK INSIDE, MAL COMES OUT PEEPING FROM A CORNER THEN STARTS TO FABLE IN THE BAG, THEN HE TAKES OUT SOME PACKETS WRITTEN GRAINS,. HE WAS OUT STEALING GRAINS FROM THE CAMPS STORES AND SECURITY GUARDS WERE CHASING. SUDDENLY HABOBA APPEARS CATCHES MAL IN THE ACT. HABOBA Mal what is this? MAL Well,..well it’s not what you think Grandma. HABOBA What i think is this is a packet of grain with a label of the same organization that supplies food in the camp,.. did you steal this? MAL (STAMMERING TRYING TO BE CHEEKY) Aah,.. well i don’t see any label, i think your eyes are playing tricks on you. HABOBA Mal am really tired of your lies,i never asked you to go steal anything for us, and in fact we have enough food here,.. where are you taking this grain? MAL Well it’s just mine and my friends. HABOBA Where are you taking it? MAL It’s just boys stuff, i cant tell you HABOBA Mal are you planing anything?,.. heh!, boy are you planing to go to the bush? MAL No one said am planing to go anywhere, but let’s just say it was true, ’ll actually do it because i don’t see any life in this camp. HABOBA As long as i am alive i will never let you take this path Mal. MAL (Infuriated) It’s my life and i can do what i want!! HABOBA (Calmly) This is not the life you want,. you don’t go to school,..you always sneak out every night,.Oh, you think i don’t know, you’re even keeping bad company, Mal you think am happy? you think your parents will be happy with you right now? MAL My parents are not here,. are they? HABOBA Mal I know life has been difficult for all of us, but you need to change for the better MAL I told you i want to go and fight, i want to be a soldier and that’s my life now!!, just like every boy in this camp, we are born soldiers!! SUDDENLY NYAMAL COMES IN NYAMAL What’s going on? you are making noise, HABOBA Am sorry Nyamal for waking you up, but it’s your brother, i found him,.. NYAMAL I can’t even slee,.. (Pauses) what’s that Mal?(POINTING TO THE BAG) MAL What?,..(HIDING IT BEHIND HIS BACK) NYAMAL That you are hiding? MAL Non of your business HABOBA It’s my business Mal,.It has always been, things are taking a different direction in this camp. NYAMAL (Concerned) What do you mean? MAL It’s about time things change even here in the house. HABOBA Can you both keep quiet and listen and listen very careful!! They both go quiet and a bit worried, Haboba’s mood has drastically changed. HABOBA (Sad) I know i have not been the best guardian, but this (Pointing to herself) is what you have, and am not going to give up on you Mal,. the drums of war can be heard, and children are being recruited to go and fight,. at this point i don’t know how deep you are in the process, but i know the signs if i see them,. that (pointing) is one it, preparations! if you take the other step, which is leaving this house to go out there, you will have failed all of us. MAL But i didn’t do anything. HABOBA For now yes, but you are about to make the worst decision ever. NYAMAL Mal Please you are my only brother i can’t afford to lose you too (Crying) MAL Who said anything about losing who?, you are all overreacting. HABOBA I have been attending meetings in the camp to try and build a future for you young ones, we don’t want you to grow in a country where it’s all about war,. no! NYAMAL Grandma, what meetings? MAL Meetings? HABOBA Yes!, we are all tired of this fighting, and people from the different factions are in agreement to seek peace and reconciliation, we have had enough! we are burying our differences for the sake of our future and of this country, listen to me my children, i know the war has brought a lot of sufferings,the hate and fighting is not helping, remember your mother is still missing,and it’s really frustrating, but we need to stick together and do the right thing,.. Mal stealing and going to the bush will get you into a big trouble young man, this grain has to go back (SHE STOPS, AND GOES DOWN IN PAIN),Ooh noo, ooh my leg. MAL What is it grandma? NYAMAL Grandma has been ailing for a while now and you are not helping with your weird behavior, Mal everyone in the camp is talking about you and your friends. MAL Talking about what? NYAMAL You need to stop! MAL Stop what? NYAMAL This (POINTING TO THE BAG),..grandma just told you. HABOBA IS NOW IN MORE PAIN HABOBA (In Pain) Oooh!,..Get me some hot water i need to massage my leg MAL RUSHES OFF AND COMES BACK WITH A FABRIC. MAL We have no water grandma, but i managed to get this wet cloth into some fire,.. here can this help HABOBA Thank you Mal,Yes it will help,... Listen Mal i need you to be good and take responsibility,.it starts with us, let’s preach peace and not war. MAL OK, sorry for causing you trouble, i didn’t know you have been suffering deep inside, i will change my behavior. NYAMAL (SARCASTICALLY) Yes, you should. MAL FEELING GUILTY GOES TO A CORNER. HABOBA Yes i have been, it’s a scar of what war can do to us, and this pain is not much but it can get worse if i see us go to war again, i will rather have a peaceful country surrounding us so that we move out of this camp, and you need to go back to school Mal,there is nothing good in this camp. Education is very important for your future, you never know what the future holds for you,.. you might even become the President of this country MAL Really!(TURNS TOWARDS THEM AND BACK THINKING TO HIMSELF), mmmh!„. Yeeah,..YEAH!,YES!!!,... THAT’S WHAT I SHOULD BE! HABOBA AND NYAMAL LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SMILE AS THEY WALK AWAY LIVING MAL IN THE SHOT. MAL (SHOUTING) I WILL BE THE PRESIDENT OF THIS COUNTRY THEN HE STARTS WAVING TO UNSEEN CROWD, IMITATING A LEADER, WE HEAR APPLAUSE AND SHOUTING FROM THE CROWD CROWD PRESIDENT MAL!,.. PRESIDENT MAL! MAL Thank you! thank you my people thank you!, the war is over thank, we need peace now,Thank you for turning up in large numbers. OFF SCREEN. HABOBA Firewood Mal, go fetch firewood. HE BREAKS AWAY FROM HIS DAYDREAMING MAL Oh no!,.. OK grandma! HE DASHES OFF SCREEN AND WE FADE OFF THE END.
Fedelis is a puppeteer, playwright, assistant director, community and theatre director, He is the co-founder of Krystal Puppet Theatre company and he authored Tears by the River which has Toured in Belgium, Austria, Poland, Spain, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, Ecuador, Argentina, Japan and Russia, He has since written and performed short Puppetry video shows, Lockdown in the Village, Gee-Rafee and the honey Bag, Hare and the Honey Pot, Gone fishing and Libendi’s Backstory. He is currently the Head Puppeteer Buni media’s XYZ show, Vice President UNIMA Africa Commission, Co- Director at Puppets254, and a senior member at Kenya Institute of Puppet Theatre.
Latest posts by Fedelis Kyalo (see all)
- Lost In Camp || Fedelis Kyalo - February 12, 2022
