Even Odds

by Yas Niger

your life

  If it is the cursed knife

  They will use to kill me

  And forever dry my sea.

  (NE pulls BI by the arm towards his sharply. She struggles to free herself but he grabs her throat, one hand at a time, and tries to strangle her. She frantically tries to fight him off as she starts to gasp for air. Just when it looked like she was giving up, he suddenly pushes her away and looks down at his hands in disbelief. She regains her composure and starts to laugh softly at first and then louder.)

  NE:

  You’ve every reason to laugh I agree

  Because you just narrowly escaped

  Your just penalty with every degree

  Ever possible for one so ill-fated.

  BI: (She massages her neck)

  Far from it brother,

  Is why I do bother.

  I recall the old lady

  To me she would say;

  “Beware of this devil,

  Your call big brother.

  He is pack full of evil.

  That much I see further.

  “And in days more in front,

  With an expression for hunt

  And big hands on your throat

  He’ll squeeze out your breath.”

  (She smiles thoughtfully)

  She however forgot to say

  If that will be my last day.

  When you held me like feeble grass;

  I thought it had really come to pass

  (She pauses and turns to face him)

  Still it makes me laugh now

  For this certain fact I do know,

  Unlike every other manly soul

  You can not strike a killing hole.

  You are a bragging piece of bone.

  When it comes to guts, you’ve none!

  (BI suddenly slaps NE and runs out.)

  NE: (Stunned and yelling out loud)

  You mean forsaken lone whore.

  Aren’t you the problem I foresaw?

  Didn’t your work cause the worry?

  Yet you still hold back your sorry.

  (He begins to pace back and forth)

  If only you chose not to sleep with him.

  You knew it could have been a scheme.

  You; yourself, mentioned it so to me.

  You called my attention to look and see.

  You said we had them where we wanted

  And we could also take them for granted.

  I warned, told you to forget all about them.

  I told you not to play their little icy game.

  But no, you would not listen.

  Because you have this thing!

  You claimed he’ll get hooked.

  Now look who got so crooked.

  And now you carry his child,

  With no shame for your pride.

  Of all the many tricks in the world,

  They picked the one with the best hold.

  For honour and our sake,

  You knew what was at stake.

  You knew the king had sent him;

  You knew it had to be his scheme.

  And now look, just you look!

  The worm is in its own hook.

  (He looks at his bare feet and shook his head)

  The world knows I never liked the boy.

  What was his name again, the tiny toy?

  (He starts to pace again, faster)

  He is attractive, oh yes.

  You won’t settle for less.

  He planted the seed of his manhood,

  Settled back and saw his work is good.

  Within you grows his own fruit

  And swore loud it wasn’t the truth.

  I bet this day his master and king

  Is knighting him with a gold ring.

  (He stops pacing)

  Now the land wants your head

  For it is never so seen or heard,

  That an unwedded maid is heavy

  With someone's unclaimed baby.

  (He calms down)

  It is in our culture's way

  And you just must pay.

  Why did you risk it;

  You knew he is a bait?

  (Shouting again)

  Now I can not even complain

  With you a candidate for hanging.

  I can not continue to pursue my claim

  And must now revert to petty haggling.

  Everyone knows this very well,

  I will not forego mine even in hell.

  The throne is my birth right,

  Even if our grandfather was a drunken mite

  Gambling it away in an impulsive wrestling match.

  The idiot's legacy died like bad eggs that never hatch.

  (And softly)

  I wish our father had the might

  To stand out and doggedly fight.

  (BI reenters slowly and their eyes meet.)

  And just when I had made my plans

  To get the throne back in our hands,

  You put to risk efforts to regain the lost

  With your disgusting, selfish, sexual lust!

  (BI looks away and NE does the same.)

  What has her shameless mind decided?

  Is it to wait for the bulge to be sighted,

  Then act as expected and marry the owner.

  But before marriage the groom make an offer.

  (He mimic BI)

  “That will be if he agrees it is his

  And he takes me as his dear wife."

  (Speaks normally)

  Then he will have my dear little sis,

  Have her within his firm grip for life!

  (He looks at her)

  Is that the way she will go?

  Is that then what she’ll do?

  (BI remains by the entrance. She lifts her head and their eyes meet.)

  BI:

  You know why I'm angry as well as I.

  It isn't just because he chooses to lie.

  You also know I wouldn’t allow

  A situation where that baby cow;

  Who claims he is king in these parts,

  Can control me like one of his carts.

  I won’t let him tame your just effort,

  For it is your right you duly sought.

  NE: (He smiles)

  And now you tell me.

  Now your eyes can see.

  BI: (She looks away again)

  I knew all this while,

  For I also saw it pile.

  NE: (With distaste)

  Now that you really think,

  You wish to make the link.

  You realize your only chance,

  Which you set out to enhance.

  Now that you just might

  Lose more than your sight,

  You settle for the available,

  Since others aren’t obtainable.

  BI: (Still not facing him)

  You do me great injustice

  And you must truly notice.

  I’m your sister, my dear brother.

  We’re of a same single mother.

  NE:

  And the very same father,

  One who surely does matter.

  One who valued his armour

  As he surely did his honour.

  BI: (Now turns to face him)

  I stood here and heard you tear me,

  Lashing my sex from every degree.

  You know I am what I was made

  And my future was all you men said.

  If I was to remain ever honourable,

  I was to remain as ever controllable.

  (Slowly walks up to him)

  I was destined to sit on a stool

  While you alone went to school.

  I was to sit down quietly to milk

  While they only hear you think.

  I was to kneel down and cry

  While idle they let you fly.

  I was to weep when hurt

  While you tear out my gut.

  (She smiles at him)

  I was to men
d torn clothes

  While you look for mangoes.

  I was to wash everything dirty

  While you enjoy making them filthy.

  I was to carry pots on my head

  While you relaxed on your bed.

  I brought water a long way home

  While you never leave me some.

  I was to sing songs at feasts

  While you ate the best of the beasts.

  I was to hum the kids to sleep

  While you made their tears drip.

  I was to stand by them always

  While you went away for days.

  I was to dance on happy days

  While you emptied the trays.

  I was to smoke the fish

  While you had your wish.

  I was to cook every meal

  While you ate to your fill.

  I stayed at home all day to wait

  While you stay out ever so late.

  (She looks away thoughtfully)

  I guess that was how it was to be.

  It was how I was taught to agree.

  I was to be brought up as a wife

  And you the bold feeding knife.

  So if indeed we really do differ,

  There is no real cause for bother.

  (They are both silent as they stare into space.)

  NE: (Turns slowly and stares at her back)

  That is the least of my worries;

  Worrying brings me no glories.

  Let nature shoulders the blame of the past.

  The future should bother all those who last.

  I will do what I must for my just course,

  Not because you have become my curse.

  (BI turns around to look at NE briefly, then turns away.)

  I remember quite clearly

  As our father left us early,

  He shook his frail old head

  And swore his hope is dead

  But to him I swore as I wept

  Till this time such I’ve kept.

  BI: (She turns to look into NE's eyes)

  I pray we indeed have a divine fan.

  I fear this is too much for just a man.

  NE:

  And what to man is more divine?

  Would you please kindly define?

  BI:

  A God perhaps, maybe more.

  A being whose ways are sure.

  (With sudden vigor and enthusiasm)

  A God like our old maid ever says.

  A God with the most sacred ways.

  A God good to such a fault.

  A God who knows no halt.

  A God who is never confused.

  A God who has never refused.

  A God that will always wait.

  A God that has an open gate.

  A God so full of every power.

  A God greater than every tower.

  A God that will not just fight.

  A God that gives fright sight.

  A God ever rich and so pure.

  A God that assures a future.

  A God full of all that is good.

  A God with no visible mood.

  NE: (He smiles at her)

  I must say; true believer.

  Or just another deceiver.

  (He lets out a short laugh)

  You forget that she was also my maid

  And everyday of my youth so she said.

  However unlike you I used my brain,

  For I also remember her story of rain.

  (He mimics a weak female voice)

  “So loudly we cry,

  And keenly we