December 4, 2022
Afro-Scope—The Magazine
(Directed By Harry Agina)
AFRICAN TRADITION OF BRIDE PRICE: IS DOWRY BY LADY ZALIKA TO BE, OR NOT TO BE?
Greetings!
I am Harry Agina, and this is Afro-Scope, the telescope that beams on Africa, and the Africans. As we beam, the rest of the world continues to understand more about Africa and the Africans.
We’re back with our series on the flip side of polygamy in Africa, which is called polyandry. Specifically, we’re in a matriarchal community in Kenya, in East Africa, where polyandry is practiced. At the end of the last episode, we saw as Lady Zalika, the liberated polyandrous woman, got hit with a surprise. She has been enjoying what she sees as the perks or benefits of polyandry, just as men do in polygamy. But she apparently had never thought about the full weight of the maxim, “What a man can do, a woman can do, even better.” For one thing, the matter of dowry, which is traditional or customary in African marriages had never crossed her mind. In this ancient tradition, the spouse who is doing the marrying pays the dowry. Polygamous men pay it in patriarchal societies, and polyandrous women must also pay it in matriarchal societies, too. Remember, “What is good for the goose, is good for the gander,” too! And “what a man can do, a woman can do.”
Well, though Lady Zalika had never given the matter of dowry or bride-price any thought, she’s apparently liberated enough to quickly overcome her surprise when it came up. She realized that the guys were right to bring it up. This is the day that our dramatis, Michael Shaibu, will let us in on his agreement with Lady Zalika on this matter. And, of course, Mikey has a little more than that for us on this episode 4 of “Reversed Harem.”
When we left Lady Zalika in the last episode, she was in a pub with two out of her harem, John and Nwangi. Otieno, aka Tee, was on his way to join them. Let’s see what we have now, thus:
AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS ON POLYAND, “RYREVERSED HAREM,” 4:
- INT. LOUNGE. DAY.
ZALIKA PRETENDS TO READ SOMETHING ON HER PHONE. MWANGI AND JOHN ENGAGE IN CHIT-CHAT AS THEY DRINK, AND THEIR VOICES SOUND LIKE FILTERS TO ZALIKA IN HER MUSING…
JOHN:
…I mean yeah! This lifestyle has its perks alright. But like everything else, there are intricacies that require spelling out.
MWANGI: You and I are clearly on the same page in that. All I add is that we begin from the beginning.
JOHN: I know. I know. I am not against that in any way. No matter where we begin from, we will touch all the other angles, won’t we?
THEY BOTH PICK UP THEIR DRINKS AND SIP AS THEY LOOK AT ZALIKA WHO HAS BEEN SILENT…
ZALIKA (Soliloquy, musing): Wow! … This is one corner I never thought existed.
JOHN: You alright, Zalika?
ZALIKA REMAINS SILENT, STILL MUSING, NOT HEARING JOHN…
MWANGI: Zalika, are you here with us at all?
ZALIKA: Hun? Did you say something?
JOHN (Laughing): Did we say something? Where have you been?
MWANGI JOINS JOHN IN LAUGHING. ZALIKA QUICKLY CATCHES UP AND RESPONDS WELL…
ZALIKA: Reading. That’s where I have been. Reading. And what is so funny? Didn’t you know it is bad manners to talk to someone who is reading?
BOTH MWANGI AND JOHN GRADUALLY STOP LAUGHING, REALIZING THEIR FOLLY IN TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO IS READING. ZALIKA SMILES, SHRUGS…
ZALIKA (Smiling): See? Got you, didn’t I? (RISES) I need to use the ladies. And then make a private call. Be right back. And then we can jaw-jaw.
BOTH MWANGI AND JOHN NOD. ZALIKA SMILES AGAIN, WINKS, AND WALKS AWAY…
- EXT. PARKING LOT. DAY.
ZALIKA IS IN HER CAR WATCHING ALL THE CARS DRIVING IN AND OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. OTIENO DRIVES INTO THE LOT, PARKS, STEPS OUT, LOCKS UP HIS CAR, AND IS ABOUT TO WALK INTO THE LOUNGE. ZALIKA TOOTS HER HORN TO ATTRACT OTIENO’S ATTENTION, OPENS HER CAR DOOR, RAISES HER HAND, AND CALLS OUT…
ZALIKA: Tee! Over here, please.
OTIENO TURNS ROUND, AND WALKS OVER TO ZALIKA’S CAR. THEY GREET…
OTIENO: I thought Mwangi said we were having a drink inside?
ZALIKA: I know. He and John are waiting in there. But I need to have a quick word with you. Could you come inside the car?
OTIENO: Sure thing!
OTIENO WALKS ROUND AND STEPS INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. ZALIKA TURNS ON THE CAR A/C AND LOWERS THE MUSIC…
ZALIKA: I think the best sand shortest route to every discussion is the straight one. So I need to ask you: do you still have any questions to ask me?
OTIENO: About what?
ZALIKA (Chuckles): Oh come on, Tee! You know about what. Mwangi. John. Me. Yeah. About us. So…any questions?
OTIENO: Well, you called them both husband. So uh…this is polyandry, right?
ZALIKA (Laughs): Smart you, Tee! Anything else?
OTIENO: Well, and now that I am in the mix, and they are kind of cool with it, do you uh…want to marry me too?
ZALIKA NOW LOOKS DEEP INTO OTIENO’S EYES…
ZALIKA: And my husbands also want to know. So, would you say yes if I asked you to marry me?
NOT PREPARED FOR THIS, OTIENO LOOKS AWAY FROM ZALIKA’S EYES…
OTIENO: Uh…I don’t know. I…I mean…the idea of sharing. I wonder how they feel, seeing me with you. I really don’t know. But I know one thing for sure.
ZALIKA: And that is…?
OTIENO: I like you. I really do like you a lot. And I like being with you.
THEY FALL SILENT AND REMAIN SO FOR A FEW SECONDS…
ZALIKA: Anyway, like I said, my husbands want to know if I also plan to marry you. And yes, I do. I really want you to become one of my husbands. So while you take your time to make up your mind, you could sit in and listen while we discuss other issues they just raised. Is that okay?
OTIENO: Uh…yeah. That is quite okay.
ZALIKA: Very well. Let’s join them then.
THEY BOTH GET OUT OF THE CAR, LOCK THE DOORS, AND WALK INTO THE LOUNGE…
- INT. LOUNGE. DAY.
MWANGI AND JOHN ARE STILL DRINKING AND CHIT-CHATTING. MWANGI WHO IS FACING THE ENTRANCE NOW SIGHTS ZALIKA AND OTIENO WALKING TOWARDS THEM…
MWANGI: Oh, Tee is here!
JOHN TURNS HIS HEAD ROUND, SEES THEM, SMILES, TURNS BACK TO MWANGI…
JOHN (Sotto voce): She is going to marry him alright.
MWANGI (Smiling, sotto voce): Stop being jealous, bitch!
THEY BOTH BEGIN TO LAUGH. ZALIKA AND OTIENO WALK OVER TO THEM. THEY RISE TO WELCOME BOTH ZALIKA AND OTIENO, SHAKING HANDS WARMLY WITH OTIENO. ZALIKA AND OTIENO SIT. MWANGI CALLS THE BARTENDER OVER. OTIENO AND ZALIKA ORDER DRINKS…
MWANGI: So, how are you doing, Tee? Office good, man?
OTIENO: Oh, yeah! Office is good. And you two…don’t you work, guys?
JOHN: Well, I am into a small business of my own. So my time is mine.
MWANGI: I am purely into crypto. I set my bot and let it trade for me. I check in now and then to close a trade and to reset another.
OTIENO (Smiling): Okay, okay, okay! Spare me please! I have no head for that language.
THEY ALL LAUGH OVER THAT. BARTENDER DELIVERS ZALIKA AND OTIENO’S DRINKS AND GOES AWAY. ZALIKA SIPS HER DRINK AND PUTS IT DOWN…
ZALIKA: So…where do we begin from?
AND ALL SIT UP AND BECOME ATTENTIVE…
END
By Harry Agina and Michael Shaibu
I said in my introduction that Lady Zalika had two husbands—Nwangi and John—and a half. Otieno was new, and only halfway into the family. He was still checking things out, and unsure whether to join the harem. Now, Lady Zalika has taken her courtship one step forward by popping the proposal question, “Will you marry me?” He has accepted, and they can be said to be “engaged” now. So, he can be said to have moved a quarter to becoming a full husband, all things being equal in the discussions leading to the marriage. But will all things be equal? That’s for Mikey our dramatist to know, and for you and I to find out, in the next episode of “Reversed Harem,” next week. Until then, It’s bye from me, Harry Agina.
WE APPEAL TO YOU TO FOLLOW US AND SUBSCRIBE THROUGH ALL OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES.
LINK TO EPISODE 5: