ACT 3 : HELEN. Scene 2

6th September, 1982

7 A.M.

MAMA:- (she walked into the boys' room to see JoJo putting his clothes and military boots inside an army-patterned metal trunk) What are you doing?

JOJO:- I'm organizing my things for military school. I want to start arranging them now before I forget anything.

MAMA:- Ok, it's alright. Can you help me fetch some firewood from the bushes?

JOJO:- (happily) Ok, Mama! (He grabs a cutlass from the backyard and heads out, closing the rusted gate behind him.)

In the parlor, Helen and Martina, both wearing white short sleeves, green skirts, white socks, and brown rubber sandals, are ready to leave. Patrick, Victor, and Samuel are also wearing white short sleeves, green shorts, white socks, and the same brown rubber sandals. All five of them are ready to leave.

MAMA:- (the children were about to open the gate when...) Wait!! Martina, have you finished filling all the drums with water?

YOUNG MARTINA:- (proudly) Yes, Mama.

MAMA:- (turning to Helen) And Helen, have you swept the backyard?

YOUNG HELEN:- (slightly hesitant) No... No Mama, I haven't swept the backyard.

MAMA:- (angrily) You haven't finished your work, and you want to go to school? Are you mad? Put your bag down, pick up that broom (then points at a broom under the mango tree in the middle of the compound), and finish your work!

YOUNG HELEN:- But Mama... I'm tired. I swept the entire front compound.

MAMA:- (furious) Shut your mouth! Is that how you will complain when you get to your husband's house? Before I count "three," go to the backyard and start sweeping.

PAPA:- (coming from the backyard looking confused) What's going on here? (Then he faces the children) And why are you still here? No school today?

YOUNG HELEN:- (she turns to her father, frustrated, and speaks her mind) Mama always gives all the housework to me and Martina, while the boys do nothing. It's not fair!

YOUNG PATRICK:- (he picked up the broom under the mango tree) Don't worry, Helen. I'll help you sweep the backyard. We can finish on time if we do it together.

PAPA:- Patrick!! Are you a woman?! Men don't bend down and sweep. Now drop that broom! And the rest of you, go to school! (Patrick immediately drops the broom as the others open the rusted gate and leave.) Helen, take the broom and start sweeping the backyard before I deal with you. (Helen, with no other option, drops her school bag by the mango tree, picks up the broom, and walks to the backyard) Mama JoJo.

MAMA:- Yes.

PAPA:- (he points at her) I can see you're not raising these children well. They are growing up to be very arrogant. You can't expect me, after a long day at the coal mine looking for money, to come home and monitor these children for you.

MAMA:- They are also your children too, and besides, I also go out and sell in the market. You're not the only one bringing money to this house.

PAPA:- So you think you are better than me?!! Eh?! (He raises his hand at her as she pulls back in fear, then stops himself from making contact.) Don't make me lose my temper. Now prepare my food before I go out.

MAMA:- (startled) I sent JoJo to get firewood; when he gets back, I will make your food. (She goes back inside as he sits down on a wooden chair near the mango tree.)

10 minutes later, Helen finishes sweeping and walks towards the mango tree to take her bag.

PAPA:- Have you finished sweeping the backyard?

YOUNG HELEN:- Yes, Papa.

PAPA:- Ok (he puts his hand in his pocket and removes some coins) You're already late for school, so take 50 kobo for transport and to buy food in school. Buy food for your brothers and sister. Bring back my change, oo.

YOUNG HELEN:- Yes, Papa.

PAPA:- When you walk to the junction, take a Dânfo bus to go to school, ok?

YOUNG HELEN:- Yes, sir. (She begins walking away with her bag.)

PAPA:- (he scowls) You cannot say "thank you"?

YOUNG HELEN:- (she glowers) Thank you, Papa. (She walks towards the gate and closes it behind her. After walking for 7 minutes, she starts sweating and begins soliloquizing) This junction is far today. Let me pass through the bushes as a shortcut. (She begins walking through the bushes but pauses at a sound-moaning sounds. She moves forward a little and hides behind a big bush to see who is making those sounds. Her eyes are wide open, and she is speechless. After some seconds of quietly staring, she takes some quiet steps back and leaves the scene, running to the junction.)

Later that day, rain pours outside, creating a soothing symphony of water against the window. Helen enters the boys' room to see JoJo. JoJo sits by the window, captivated by the cold rain as Helen joins him, and they both gaze at the thundering sky.

YOUNG HELEN:- Where are Patrick, Victor, and Samuel?

JOJO:- The last time I saw Patrick and Victor, they told me that they wanted to go play football with the neighbors. Maybe they are somewhere waiting for the rain to finish before they come home, and Samuel, as usual, is sleeping in Mama and Papa's room.

YOUNG HELEN:- Oh, ok. And why do you like sitting close to the window when it rains?

JOJO:- (smiling) It's calm. It makes me stop thinking for a while. It makes everything quiet. (They become silent as they listen to the rain and thunder.)

YOUNG HELEN:- (she breaks the silence as she whispers) JoJo, I saw you today.

JOJO:- Saw me what?

YOUNG HELEN:- Saw you kissing a boy by the bushes on my way to school this morning.

JOJO:- (shocked as he startles) What... You saw that?

YOUNG HELEN:- Yes.

JOJO:- Please don't tell Mama and Papa or anyone.

YOUNG HELEN:- (looking confused) Why?

JOJO:- (his eyes wide open with fear) Because... because I will be in big trouble.

YOUNG HELEN:- (even more confused) Why?

JOJO:- Stop playing, Helen!

YOUNG HELEN:- I'm not playing!

JOJO:- Shush... you are shouting.

YOUNG HELEN:- Because you are shouting... (Thunder claps as they both become silent and resume gazing at the sky.) You still have not answered me. Why will you be in trouble for kissing a boy?

JOJO:- Because... it's not good. The pastors in the church say God doesn't like it when boys kiss boys. It causes diseases.

YOUNG HELEN:- I know that is what they say, but how? It is still confusing. And what about girls who kiss girls?

JOJO:- I think it is all the same. God doesn't like it when man and man or woman and woman kiss.

YOUNG HELEN:- If God does not like it, then why do you do it?

JOJO:- (he is silent for a moment as a tear drops down his eye) I don't know why.

YOUNG HELEN:- (she also begins to tear up) I don't know why too.

JOJO:- (stunned) What?

YOUNG HELEN:- I used to kiss my friend Esther every day in school. She's the only reason I'm happy to go to school. I like kissing her, and she told me she likes kissing me too. We don't know why we like it, but we just do, and I don't want to stop kissing her. But whenever we are kissing, she is always afraid of someone catching us. I never understood why.

JOJO:- Because if they catch you, you will both be in serious trouble, and Mama and Papa will deal with you.

YOUNG HELEN:- But I still don't understand. Didn't the Bible say God knows and sees everything? Doesn't He already know I'm kissing Esther? And so far, He hasn't done anything to punish me and Esther. So why should we be afraid of Mama and Papa catching us?

JOJO:- I don't know, Helen. But we should just be careful. We don't understand these feelings we have inside us now, but maybe when we grow older, we'll understand better. So for now, let us keep it to ourselves. (She nodded) And don't tell anyone. This stays between me and you. (He smiled and winked at her.)

YOUNG HELEN:- Ok. (She winked back and smiled as they lean on each other and continue to watch the rainfall.) JoJo, I'm going to miss you.

JOJO:- I'm going to miss you too.

YOUNG HELEN:- Promise me you'll send letters when you go off to military school.

JOJO:- (he smiled) I promise.

"OUR CHILDREN" written by Isa Hafsat Hamtin

15th July, 1988

Helen walked into a post office and tapped a mailman on the shoulder.

YOUNG HELEN:- (she smiled) Good afternoon, Mr. Richard.

THE MAILMAN:- (he faced her and smiled) Helen, you have come again. You are here for your letter from your brother in military school, right?

YOUNG HELEN:- (excited) Yes, sir.

THE MAILMAN:- Okay, let me check for it.

YOUNG HELEN:- Ok, sir. (She sat down on a chair and waited for 5 minutes.)

THE MAILMAN:- (he came out of the storeroom holding a clean new unopened envelope made out of blue cardboard paper) Here you go. (He hands over the envelope to her.)

YOUNG HELEN:- Thank you, Mr. Richard.

THE MAILMAN:- No problem. Greet your parents for me.

YOUNG HELEN:- Ok, I will. (She waved him goodbye and began walking home. 15 minutes later, she reached their roasted gate and locked it after she entered the compound. She began walking towards the main house as she looked under the mango tree to see a blue jerrycan of water and an iron bucket full of oranges, and then she noticed an army-patterned metal trunk.) JoJo? (A big smile appeared on her face as she happily walked closer to the house. The closer she got to the house, the louder she heard cries and screams. The screams began to echo in her head. She was now afraid. She couldn't move. Tears began to pour out of her eyes. Three seconds later, she gathered the courage to move. She entered the parlor to see their father sitting on the chair looking sweaty and speechless, and Martina, Patrick, Victor, and their mother crying in circles on the floor, and in the middle lies JoJo.)

YOUNG SAMUEL:- (he walked into the parlor from the boys' room with sleepy eyes and yawns) What's going on?

"OUR CHILDREN" written by Isa Hafsat Hamtin