THE DILEMMA OF A GHOST by Ama Ata Bidee NewNork : Longman, (Vos 1-53.To the memory of Papa Characters _xro vawsoN: [Ebow] A young Ghanaian graduate EULALIE VAWSON (nde RUSH: Afro-American graduate st kon [Mami] Ato" mother owka: Hissister Nana: His grandmother faxvent: His elder aunt Mansa: His younger aunt peru: His elder uncle AAKROMA: His younger uncle ISTWOMAN Neighbours ov) Two children ina dream. The boy being the cine} ghost of At’ former self ‘The Bird of the Wayside ‘The Dilemma of ¢ Ghost was first presented by the Students! ‘Theatre, Legon, on the 12th, 13th and 4th of March, 1964, atthe Open-Air Theatre, Commonwealth Hall, University of Ghana, Legon.‘The action takes place inthe courtyard of the newest wing of the Odumna Clan house, Iris enclosed on the right by a wall ‘of the old building and both at the centre and on the left by the walls of the new wing. At the right-hand corner door Tinks the courtyard with a passage that leads into the much bigger courtyard ofthe old house to de middle eet wall there isa door leading into the new rooms. A terrace ‘runs round the two sides of the new sector. Tn the foreground isthe path which links the roads leading tothe river, the farm and the market.Prelude Lam the Bird of the Wayside— ‘The sudden scampering in the undergrowth, Or the trunkless head. (Of the shadow in the corner. Taman asthmatic old hag Eternally breaking the nuts ‘Whose soup, alas, Nourished'a bundle of whitened bones— ‘Ora pair of women, your neighbours CChattering their lives away. ean furnish you with reasons why ‘This and that and other things Happened. But stranger, ‘What would you have me say About the Odurona Clan?. Lookaround you, For the mouth must not tell everything, Sometimes the eye can see ‘And the ear should hear. Yonder house is larger than Any in the town— Oldas the names (Oburamankuma, Odapadjan, Osun, "They multiply faster than fowls ‘And they acquire gold “Asiitwere corn grains— Bucifin the making of ‘One Scholar Much is gone You stranger do not know, Jus you listen to their horn-blower “We came from left We eame from right We came from leit We came from rightThe Dilemma ofa Ghast ‘The twig shall not pierce our eyes Nor the rivers prevail o'er us. ‘Weare of the vanguard Weare running forward, forward, forward. ‘Thus, itis only to be expected that they should reserve the new addition to the house for the exclusive use of the One Scholar. Not that they expect him to make his home there. No ‘he wil certainly have to live and work in the city when he Arrives from the white man’s land, But they all expect him to come down, now and then, at the ‘weekend and on festive occasions like Christmas. And certainly, he must come home for blessings when the new yam has been harvested and the Stools re sprinkled. The jhosts ofthe dead ancestors are invoked and there is no lscord, only harmony and a restoration of that which needs tobe restored. But the Day of Planning is different from the Day of Battle, And when the One Scholar came ... [cannot tell you what happened. You shall see that anon. Bueitall, began on a University Campus; never mind where. The evening was cool as evenings are. Darkness was approaching ‘when I heard the voices of a man and woman speaking... 0: Graduation! Ab well, that too isn’t bad. But who's a graduate? What sort of creature is it? Why should T have Supposed that mere graduation isa passport to rn ro: (Hani you must know, woman, I hink you do get ‘on my nerves: Since you do not think much of a degre, why for heaven's sake di you go infor 12 kv: Dontshout at me, i you please ‘nro: Do keep your mouth suf you plate fo: Louppose African women don’ tlk? No: How often do you want to drag in about African ‘women? Leave them alone, willy. Al ys they talk But Christ they don't run on inthis way. ik funning-ap drawl getson my nerves eu: Whatdo you mean? sor mean exacy what Land 0° Look here, dow think that Il stand by and have you 8 ‘The Dilemma of a Ghost say Lam notas good as your folks. .xro! But what have I said, for goodness sake? eu: Well, what did you mean by running-tap drawl? [only speak like Iwas born to speak—like an American! ‘aro! [Contre] Nonsense, darling .. But Sweetic Pi, can’t we ‘ever talk, but we must drag in the differences between your people and mine? Darling, we'll be happy, won't eu; [Relaxing] I'm optimistic, Native Boy. To belong to ‘somewhere again ... Sure, this must be bli aro: Poor Sweetie Pie tu: But I will not be poor again, will 1? I'just be Sweetie Pie’ ‘Wav! The palim trees, the azure sea, the sun and golden beaches, aro! Steady, woman, Where did you get hold ofa tourist ‘brochure? There are no palms where we will live. There are coconut trees .. coconut palms, though. Unless of course if Lake you to see my folks at home. There are real palm trees there. rv; Ah well, [don't know the difference, and I don't care neither, Coconut palms, palm-palms, aren't they all the same? And anyway, why should I not go and see your folks? avo: You may not be impressed. £4: Silly daring. Who wants to be impressed? Fine folks Eulalie Rush has herself, eh? Could I even point to you a beggar in the streets as my father or mother? Ato, can't your Ma he sort of my Ma too? aro! [Slowly and uncertain] Sure she can. eu: And your Pa mine? ‘xro: Sure, [Following tines solemn, lke a prayer} And all my people your people tu And your gos my gous? ‘ru: Shall I die where you will die?The Dilemma of a Ghast ‘ato: Yes... And iF you want t, you shall be buried there also, [Pause] tu: [Anxiously} But darling, I really hope it won't matter at all? ‘avo: What? fu: You know what, Native Boy. ‘cto! Lalie, don't you believe me when I tll you its O.K.?1 love you, Eulalie, and that’s what matters. Your own. sweet self should be O.K. for any guy. And how ean a Tirstborn child be difficult co please? Children, who ‘wants them? In fact, they will make me jealous. I couldn't bear seeing you love someone else better than you do me. Not yet darling, and not even my own children eu: You Feally sure ‘aro: Aren't you the sweetest and loveliest things in Africa ‘and America rolled together? My darling, we are going to createa paradise, with or without children. xv: Darling, some men do mind alot, ‘avo: [Vehementh] Look at me, we shail postpone having, children for as long you would want. ‘eu: But still, understand in Africa ‘ero! Eulalie Rush and Ato Yawson shall be free to love ‘cach other, eh? This isall that you understand or should lunderstand about Africa, x: (Delighted Silly [wasn't going to say that. ‘ero: Then forget about what you were going to say. [Persistent] Lonly hope it's O.K. ‘10: Ieshall be O.K. tu: Atl 10 Act One Evening. The two village women are returning from the river with ‘her water pots om ther head’. io Ist A] And yt I though Iwas lone in this “The lonely woman who must til From morn illeve, Beforea morsel his her teeth Ora drop of water cools her throat ano w! My ster, youre not alone. Butwho would have thought shat, Whose howe tering wth children, My owe ny husband my sisters Bat thisis my cane. ‘Sal do this when ‘Thisand that have nothing todo? No: And theyll sc ‘With their hands between their knees. Irehe courtyard must be swept, Tei Aba’ ob Ifthe ampes must be cooked, Teis Abo ‘nei since the common slave was away ald ‘There was no drop in the pot aoe Tocool the parched those Tamteling yo my ster, Sometimes ne feel you are hckier Who are cides ssre Butat the sry ast “Yous are hackis who have them, {Take Est Kom, Ty. Lest kow enters from the door on the right with to stols which she puts on the cone ofthe stage. For the rest ofthe scene, she ‘mares slelthily but sunfil in and out ofthe stage arvanging six "tools in preparation forthe nex scene nThe Dilemma of a Ghost np ws What has happened? tsi w: You know her son “That was away beyond the seas Ismow comeback? sno w: Soy that explana the new paint. When? itr w: Veteright now Ishe here? "srw do not know 2x we I heard her younger children Crying for stow: Which me that those of us ‘Who are inthis neighbourhood Are going co have our moutha watering ‘Witk'sroma ofthe fryings and stewings ano ws Ofcourse that is what she always does. “And menwile the debts ile up ssw: Ves, but the avval of te son ‘May mean the paying ofall the debts atlas. Her soulisa good one xo w: Him. For ny part, I would beashamedt “Tolivein a Clan house for As long as she has done But et ws bury, my sister For my food is petng col [hey go out Aftera minute or so, 651 KOM goes out lo, having {finished arranging the stool] {Later is quite dark no, The oma oes in supied Ihe In her yout sh had bon aso dar pte Reames wl keto. Ne tough he eer tegueis a sherpa sharper or her gh ple She son keto he nth he sage Se pop hr hn on Keride: Pre nro enter from dor onthe left Fora esse te od woman cntmussting maine ate as ote hi thn sue she pak) ana: Tam glad you came and found me live 2 ‘The Dilemma of a Ghost ‘sto: Lam glad 10. Nana: And what ieon your mind, my grandson, ‘sto! There nothing else on my ming, Nana nana: Were you not thinking, nay hoping, you willeome and el ae deadeerernt ee zo: Oh! ‘lisa: Do not be pained my grand-child. [just wanted 10 Trouble youd lite. But go and tell your mother that if She and the others do not come early, Iwill be angry. {ero lave the door onthe rig |Already, naughty Shimber i stealing over my senses. (4 clanging nae from “sthn] Yes, someone has tripped inthe doorway, eh ‘One day the people in this house will commit murder. Do they not know that ifthe heavens withdraw thet light, man must ght his own way? But no. They wil ets all iiein darkness How wll he Find his way around thi dark place should the ghost of one of our forebearers pay us a *@ But thin is something one should not speak about They say they buy hein a pay for with money == as ifthe penny willshine and light our way when tis ed inacloth. But ofcourse, they wll say alk too much... Are they not coming? They are no removing their pans, tchia! Are thee women? I shit upon stich ‘women. When we were young a woman cleared her tating place after the lat morsel had hardly touched her tongue. But now, they will allow their nose-making pans tole around for people wo tp over. Butitis not theit fault: If they had to use earthenware pots which broke ‘mote easily than eggs they would have learnt their lessons long ago, _st0: [From thin] Maami, why do not you and my Uncles hurry? Nana is geting impatient. (He re-enter) waa: Have your Uneles Petia Aksomsa come? Isto: Ves, Nana [Votes frm within} seassas [From within] Oh, the old woman again Nawa: But what are they doing there? [Several voices. perv and axnoma come in, The tao men sit down.) 13