Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T20:30:44.710Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Scene 2

from Act One

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2019

Zakes Mda
Affiliation:
Ohio University
Get access

Summary

The park. Lights come up on LORD STEWART. He is searching for something among the flowers. He finds it and we see that it is a mushroom. He titters and skips joyfully to the swing. As the swing sways he chews on the mushroom. His expression shows that he is not enjoying it. There are some pieces of greasy paper strewn on the grass in front of the bench. MADLOMO enters from the opposite side. She has on an orange overall and wears a plastic bag on her head as she would a headdress. She is holding an open black garbage bag with one hand and collects pieces of litter with the other, using a long wire rod with a sharp point – poker-like. LORD STEWART is looking in her direction. He giggles. Then he breaks into silly laughter.

MADLOMO: Yho! Wangihlek'umlungu!

LORD STEWART, looking dazed, is staring at her. His laughter has frozen on his face and now looks like a snarl.What are you looking at?

STEWART: I don't know what I was doing eating this crap. It lifts my spirits for a while and then leaves me in the dumps. I'm in the dumps, lady, so don't you pick on me.

MADLOMO: You were staring at me.

STEWART: Because you're a beautiful princess with colours of the rainbow all over your sexy body.

MADLOMO: Pervert!

STEWART: And the sun reflects so gloriously on your plastic headdress. It is like a halo.

MADLOMO: You've made this place dirty. You people, aniz'thandi nix. You dump litter all over the place. What do you think those dustbins are made for?

STEWART: If we keep the place clean you lose your job. I, His Royal Highness Lord Stewart, keep you employed. You should thank me.

MADLOMO [picking up the papers]: Ngabelungu abanjani laba?

STEWART: Here, try these. They will brighten your day. They'll make you see the colours of the rainbow. [He hands her a piece of mushroom, but she ignores it.] Suit yourself. Maybe I didn't eat enough of these things for them to give me a happy and lasting high as they do with the Seller of Laughter.

He stuffs the mushroom into his mouth, chews and then swallows quite ostentatiously.

MADLOMO: Angizidli izinkowankowane namakhowe mina. I am not a mad animal that eats mushrooms.

Type
Chapter
Information
Our Lady of Benoni , pp. 17 - 34
Publisher: Wits University Press
Print publication year: 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Scene 2
  • Zakes Mda, Ohio University
  • Book: Our Lady of Benoni
  • Online publication: 16 May 2019
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

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 Dropbox.

  • Scene 2
  • Zakes Mda, Ohio University
  • Book: Our Lady of Benoni
  • Online publication: 16 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 2
  • Zakes Mda, Ohio University
  • Book: Our Lady of Benoni
  • Online publication: 16 May 2019
Available formats
×