Bang Bang Bang
Page 4
They drink.
And to Sadhbh and Stephen.
Together you still –
glow.
They drink. STEPHEN and SADHBH look at one another.
MATHILDE. L’amour. I’ll drink to that.
They drink.
The music is turned up. STEPHEN leans and kisses SADHBH.
I want to remember this.
Music. The row echoes through the music.
Three
North Kivu.
Democratic Republic of Congo.
MATHILDE steps outside the compound. (A gated area, which houses a number of NGOs.)
A WOMAN in a bright headscarf carrying a sick baby accosts MATHILDE.
She is speaking Swahili – and very fast. They speak across one another.
WOMAN. Dada, dada, tafazali, Unisaidie. Mume wange ni mugunjwa sana na motto wangu naye pia. / Sijuwe nifanye nini. Ninakuomba, dada! [Madame? Madame, please? You must help me. My husband is very sick and now my baby is sick. I don’t know what to do. Please help me.]
MATHILDE. Tu parles français?
WOMAN. Tafadhali, Tafadhali Saidia uyu / binti wangu. [Please. Please. Save my little girl.]
MATHILDE. Je comprends pas.
Francais? English?
WOMAN. Dawa kwa binti wangu? Dakitari, dakitari? [Medicine for my daughter. Doctor. Doctor?]
MATHILDE. Pardon, je comprends pas.
WOMAN. Dawa, dawa! Medico? / Medico? [Medicine. Medicine?]
MATHILDE. Medico? Je suis pas medécin! [Medico? I’m not a doctor.]
WOMAN. Tafadhali. Nisaidie. Dola, / dola. [Dollars. Dollars. Please help me.]
MATHILDE. Dola? Tu veux dire dollars?
J’ai pas de dollars sur moi, mais.
WOMAN. Unaweza kunipeleka kwa dakitari? Mtoto wangu apa hatari ya kufa. Anaitiji matibabu. / Dada anaitaji Dawa: Kwa nini huwezi nisaidia? [Can you take me to a doctor? My daughter is dying. She needs medicine lady. Why will you not help me?]
MATHILDE. Pardon. Je comprends pas, mais si tu viens avec moi. On pourra trouver quelqu’un qui parle Swahili. Juste la au portail. / Médecins? La? MSF. Tu comprends?
WOMAN. Kamata motto wangu. Hakuna namna ingine ninaweza mufanya. Umusaidie. / Umupe maisha mema. [Take my baby. You must take her. There is nothing I can do for her. You can save her.]
MATHILDE. Peux-tu venir avec moi? Viens avec moi.
The WOMAN pushes the baby into MATHILDE’s arms.
Non. Non. Toi tu tiens ton enfant: moi – je vais chercher de l’aide.
MATHILDE tries to give the WOMAN her baby back but the WOMAN steps away.
WOMAN. Hapana. Hapana shika / mtoto wangu. Msaidie. [No. no. You must take my baby. Make her better.]
MATHILDE. Oh mon Dieu. Ton bébé tremble. Ca fait combien de temps qu’elle est? Oh mon Dieu!
WOMAN. Mungu atakusaidia. Msaidie. Ni motto mzuri sana. Hakuna kitu niwezacho fanya. [Bless you. Be kind to her. She is a very good daughter. There is nothing more I can do.]
The WOMAN moves away.
MATHILDE. Hey! Tu vas où? Reviens!
The WOMAN runs away.
Hey! Come back!
MATHILDE looks at the baby.
Petite princesse.
MATHILDE listens to her heart.
Ah non! Mon Dieu.
She tries to resuscitate the baby. She fails.
She takes out her VHF handheld radio.
Sierra Kilo. Sierra Kilo. This is Mike Romeo over.
SADHBH. This is Sierra Kilo. Mike Romeo send.
MATHILDE. I’m outside the compound. There’s a sick baby.
She’s dying. I need help.
SADHBH. Hang in there. We’re moving. Over.
MATHILDE. I think it might be too late.
SADHBH. We’ll be right there. We’ll be right there.
MATHILDE listens to the baby’s heart. The baby is dead.
MATHILDE. Oh, non. Non!
MATHILDE closes the baby’s eyes and whispers in her ear.
Chut, chut, chut. Là, là! Chut, chut.
She stops. SADHBH runs on.
She’s dead. I’m sorry.
SADHBH. It’s okay.
SADHBH tries to take the baby from MATHILDE.
MATHILDE. I’m sorry.
SADHBH. Give me the baby, Mathilde.
SADHBH takes the baby from MATHILDE and helps her to stand.
MATHILDE. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
SADHBH. It’s okay. It’s okay.
They exit.
Four
Night. A tropical night. A shot in the far distance.
The compound.
SADHBH is sitting on a wooden crate working on her laptop. She’s sipping a glass of whiskey. MATHILDE approaches her.
MATHILDE. Emailing Stephen?
SADHBH. When I’m here I want to be there and when I’m there I want to be here.
MATHILDE. You did not eat this evening.
SADHBH shrugs.
But you drink whiskey?
SADHBH. I can always drink whiskey.
SADHBH passes her a bottle and a glass.
I was expecting you.
You okay?
MATHILDE shrugs. She pours a drink and drinks it back.
Atta girl.
MATHILDE pours another and sits beside SADHBH.
You shouldn’t have left the compound today.
MATHILDE. So we gate ourselves in here?
SADHBH. Yeah. We do.
MATHILDE. And we travel to the camps –
They’re crowded – they’re awful.
We listen to the stories and then we come back to our nice compound again.
SADHBH. And we don’t go out the gate.
Not by yourself anyway.
MATHILDE takes a sip of whiskey.
MATHILDE. I thought I heard a gunshot.
SADHBH. When?
MATHILDE. Oh God. It was a gunshot.
SADHBH. There’s been a pocket of fighting about thirty kilometres away but MONUC have reassured me that it’s minor.
MATHILDE. Why didn’t you tell me?
SADHBH. What’s the point in worrying you?
I didn’t want to worry you.
MATHILDE. Well, I’m worried now.
SADHBH. Don’t be.
We have Janvier – our security. He’s totally on the ball.
Any sign of trouble in this area – we’re gone.
I’m not putting anybody’s life at risk – including my own.
MATHILDE gets up and walks away.
We’re not in Kansas now.
MATHILDE flashes SADHBH a look.
MATHILDE. My father passed away when I was eight. It made me very aware of life and death. I thought – this work –I could help others.
What a stupid fucked idea that was.
SADHBH. You’ve been here less than a month. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
MATHILDE. Yes. What do I expect but –
Je crois – Je veux croire qu’il puisse y avoir justice pour tout ces gens –
Maybe I can do nothing but bear witness. But do I change anything? / What am I doing? Tell me.
SADHBH. If you wanted to be an instant lifesaver you should have worked for MSF.
MATHILDE. Okay.
SADHBH. Even so – you probably couldn’t have saved the baby’s life today.
MATHILDE. No. No. I can’t think about that.
SADHBH. Mathilde – we believe in justice –
but it takes time –
so –
We write the reports.
Each testimony helps identify the perpetrator.
And someday – it might change things.
Listen –
If you don’t want to travel to the camp tomorrow I / absolutely understand.
MATHILDE. Don’t try to protect me, Sadhbh. This does not work for me. If there is gunfire don’t tell me it is firecrackers.
Don’t tell me not to go out the fucking gate because I will anyway. Don’t treat me like a stupid kid.<
br />
It will be a privilege to hear the stories tomorrow.
I want to be there.
SADHBH pours herself another drink. She looks at MATHILDE.
MATHILDE looks away.
SADHBH. We’ve got R and R coming up.
We’ll go to Goma.
Let off steam. It works for me anyway.
MATHILDE. Sounds good.
A gunshot in the far distance.
MATHILDE freezes.
What was that?
SADHBH. You heard it as well as I did.
SADHBH picks up her things and goes indoors.
MATHILDE tries to brave it for a moment and then runs.
Five
A makeshift hut in an IDP camp.
A dirt floor. SADHBH and MATHILDE are sitting together.
SADHBH takes up her writing materials. Throughout the scene she writes down AMALA’s testimony. AMALA is with MAMA CAROLINA.
MATHILDE simultaneously translates.
SADHBH. Mama Carolina says you want to tell your story. Is that right, Amala?
MATHILDE. Mama Carolina dit que tu voudrais raconter ton histoire, Amala? C’est vrai?
AMALA nods.
MAMA CAROLINA. Prends ton temps.
AMALA leans in to whisper to MAMA CAROLINA.
She wants to know if you will write all of this in your book?
SADHBH. I will. Is that okay, Amala?
MAMA CAROLINA. Tu es d’accord?
AMALA nods. She leans into MAMA CAROLINA who speaks for her.
Thunder killed my mother.
SADHBH. Thunder?
MAMA CAROLINA (sotto voce). Grenade.
The Tutsi rebels – Banyamulenge – they took my brother.
MATHILDE. Est-ce qu’ils portaient un uniforme?
AMALA nods.
MAMA CAROLINA. They are wearing a uniform—with a yellow band around the arm.
The rebels fire fire all the houses in the village.
SADHBH. Amala – What happened next?
MATHILDE. Qu’est ce qui s’est passé ensuite?
MAMA CAROLINA. The thunder is coming – louder – louder.
Me and my mama we run, run, run.
She falls – the thunder comes.
I run but the soldiers catch me.
They say ‘your mother is dead. We are your new family’.
SADHBH. Where did the soldiers take you?
MATHILDE. Où t’ont emmenée les soldats.
MAMA CAROLINA. We walk a long time. There is a camp. They took me to the Commandant and he says, ‘You are my wife now.’
SADHBH. What is the Commandant’s name?
MATHILDE. Comment s’appelle le Commandant?
MAMA CAROLINA. Everybody knows his name.
Commandant Jerome Mburame.
I am his wife so I cook for him and clean his shoes. He likes his shoes very nice.
And I sleep with him so he is happy.
SADHBH. And Amala, are you happy with Commandant Jerome?
MATHILDE. Est ce que toi tu étais heureuse?
AMALA shakes her head.
MAMA CAROLINA. He frightens me. I can’t always make him happy.
I try to escape – but the soldiers catch me and then the Commandant says he doesn’t want me for his wife any more so the soldiers take me to the forest and tie me to a tree.
SADHBH. Ça va, Amala?
MAMA CAROLINA. It was better when I was the wife.
SADHBH. Amala, did the soldiers hurt you?
MATHILDE. Ils t’ont fait mal?
AMALA nods. She leans into MAMA CAROLINA.
MAMA CAROLINA. Night and day. Day and night.
They say, ‘Your village is destroyed. Your mother is dead.
And soon you will be dead.’
SADHBH. Can you tell me how many soldiers hurt you, Amala?
MATHILDE. Combien de soldats t’ont fait mal?
MAMA CAROLINA. I think – twelve.
They say I belong to the Interhamwe.
I say I belong to my maman.
MATHILDE. Tu te souviens de leurs noms?
MAMA CAROLINA. The leader. They call him Sergeant.
He laughs when he hurts me.
I shout and shout and he says
‘No one can hear you.
No one is listening.’
One day they forget me. They do not come back and I run, run, run, I walk, walk, walk.
SADHBH. And Mama Carolina found you?
AMALA nods.
MAMA CAROLINA. She thinks I’m a ghost because I’m covered in white dust. I do not know if I am alive or if I am dead.
Mama Carolina – she brings me to this camp.
She says ‘Amala. You are alive.’
AMALA steps away from MAMA CAROLINA and speaks for herself.
AMALA. Je peux venir habiter avec toi. Je serais sage.
MAMA CAROLINA. Calme – toi, ma petite Amala.
AMALA. J’ai tellement peur de rester ici.
MAMA CAROLINA. T’inquiete pas, Amala. Viens ici.
SADHBH. If I take you home then I have to take everyone home and I can’t do that.
AMALA. Ici je pleure tout le temps.
AMALA throws herself into SADHBH’s arms.
Tu peux être ma maman. Mama Sadhbh. Mama Sadhbh.
SADHBH comforts AMALA.
MAMA CAROLINA. T’inquiete pas, Amala. Viens ici.
MAMA CAROLINA extracts AMALA from SADHBH’s arms.
C’est l’heure de dejeuner.
AMALA. Ton chapeau?
Je l’aime bien. Tu es blanche.
SADHBH hands her the hat.
SADHBH. The sun makes me – (Mimes a burnt face.) rouge!
AMALA giggles and puts on the hat.
Amala. We want to stop Colonel Jerome and his soldiers hurting people.
MATHILDE. Nous voulons l’empêcher de continuer á faire du mal.
AMALA. Tu dois le tuer!
MATHILDE. C’est le juge qui va décider.
AMALA leans into MAMA CAROLINA.
MAMA CAROLINA. Will he be there?
MATHILDE. Non. Ca sera en huis clos.
SADHBH. You will tell your story to the judge. You won’t see the Colonel.
AMALA. Si tu es là, Mama, je peux raconter mon histoire.
MAMA CAROLINA. Amala, tu es courageuse.
SADHBH. Then I will be there. I will be there.
Six
A bumpy and noisy clattering car journey.
The compound.
SADHBH is leaning against a wall.
SADHBH. Oh, man.
MATHILDE. You are unwell again? Hey, don’t faint. Ai ai.
MATHILDE drags over a crate and makes SADHBH sit on it.
Put your head between your legs.
SADHBH does so. MATHILDE crouches beside her.
That is a hell of a drive.
Sometimes I’m thinking are we gonna make it?
MATHILDE takes SADHBH’s hand.
Better?
SADHBH nods.
SADHBH. A country without roads.
Hard to imagine until you are actually here.
MATHILDE. I can no longer feel my backside.
SADHBH laughs. MATHILDE rubs SADHBH’s back.
Today was too much, ah? The heat too.
You want to lie down in your room?
MATHILDE takes a bottle of water from her bag.
SADHBH. No, no no.
She hands it to SADHBH who drinks.
MATHILDE. You want the whiskey in it?
SADHBH shakes her head.
SADHBH. I draw the line at afternoon drinking.
SADHBH holds out her hand to MATHILDE.
You did well today. Thank you.
MATHILDE. Ahh – all the stories are mushed in my head.
I don’t know… very shocking.
She breathes out.
The little girl we first interviewed today.
Amala – Oh my heart. It hurts.
SADHBH. There’s always one like Amala �
� who catches your eye –
The sound of a gate being banged.
MATHILDE. She was Mburame’s ‘wife’.
This is important testimony. Non?
SADHBH. I made her a promise I shouldn’t have.
I don’t know where I’ll be if it ever goes to trial.
The sound of a gate being banged.
MATHILDE. What do you mean ‘ever’?
The evidence against Mburame and his troops stacks up? We talked to twenty / women today who –
SADHBH. Mathilde – We’re a human rights organisation – not the police, the army or the government. Our work puts pressure on other players to act. So we must present them fucking good evidence!
MATHILDE. So – we write up the report now, now, now. Let’s call for his arrest.
SADHBH. None of those twenty women agreed to testify.
Do you understand?
MATHILDE. I didn’t think –
SADHBH. This is just the beginning.
A FEMALE SOLDIER in army fatigues enters holding an AK-47.
SOLDIER. Madame Sadhbh!
SADHBH. That’s me.
SOLDIER. Toi, viens avec moi!
SADHBH. No. I don’t think so.
SOLDIER. J’ai reçu des instructions.
SADHBH. From who?
The SOLDIER hands over a letter.
SADHBH reads the letter.
MATHILDE. What is going on?
SOLDIER. J’ai reçu des instructions.
SADHBH. Put away your gun.
SOLDIER. Okay, madame. Pardon.
The SOLDIER slings the gun across her back.
SADHBH. You have frightened us.
SOLDIER. Excuse-moi si je t’ai effrayé.
SADHBH. Why did you do that?
SADHBH hands MATHILDE the letter.
SOLDIER. Pardon, madame.
Tu peux enmener ton garde du corps. / S’il te plait, ne le dit pas au commandant: il sera fâché contre moi.
MATHILDE. You’re not thinking of going?
SADHBH. Of course not.
SOLDIER. Madame. Please. Please.
Je ne peux pas retourner sans vous.
SADHBH. Don’t go back. You don’t have to.
SOLDIER. Alors là vous m’avez tuée!
MATHILDE. / She says you have killed her.
SADHBH. Oh – crap.
MATHILDE. Can we help? What / can we –
SADHBH. My security guard and I will travel in our own car.
MATHILDE. What?
SOLDIER. Bien sur, madame. You will follow me.
SADHBH. Okay. Wait outside, please.
SOLDIER. Pardon, madame. Pardon.
The SOLDIER slopes off.
MATHILDE. So – I’m coming with you. Let’s go.
SADHBH. Janvier will be with me.
MATHILDE. But it’s crazy.
SADHBH. I’ve been meeting with warlords for years.