November 2, 2022
Afro-Scope—The Magazine
(Directed By Harry Agina)
WELCOME TO LADY ZALIKA’S LIBERATED AND LIBERATING WORLD OF POLYANDRY
Greetings!
This is “Afro-Scope,” the telescope that beams on Africa, the African people, and the African Culture. Naturally, the African Culture comprises thousands of sub-cultures. We give you the variants, as we compare the African Culture with other cultures of the world.
Our beam continues today on polyandry in Africa, which is the reverse of polygamy. This is episode 2, and we have the link to episode 1 at the end of this in case you missed it last week. We also have the link to our series on polygamy for ya.
Do remember that Afro-Scope is a magazine project for InterCultural Exchange between Africa and the rest of the world. By ‘magazine,’ we mean that the project has several categories or segments. They include “AfroCultural Titbits,” “AfroCultural Entertainment,” “AfroCultural Festivals,” “AfroCultural Documentaries,” “AfroCultural Dramas,” and more. Our basic style is InfoTainment, which means Information through Entertainment. I am Harry Agina, the director of the project.
Enough of the introduction for now. Let’s take you now to episode 2 of polyandry in Africa. The star of the show has shown us in the last episode that, indeed, “Whatever a man can do, a woman can do, even better sometimes!!!” Zalika did not waste any time in letting Otieno into her world of female liberation. You know, Zalika’s kind of move is one of the reasons that I was glad to grow up in the USA, and I’ll tell you why, pronto! Umm huh, I tell ya, I have always been kind-of-shy when it comes to making the move to “capture” a lady for a relationship. Until I left Nigeria after Secondary/High School, this was a little issue for me. Um huh, I was one of those dudes who would be last to “capture” a girl during social occasions, such as school ballroom dances.
Sure, I did have girlfriends, but that was mostly when bold non-typical African (Nigerian) girls who really fancied me approached me first. Otherwise, the fast-hustling dudes would always “capture” all the fine girls at the occasions. As they put it in the hustlers’ lingo, I would always “board last” on the wagon of boy-girl love affairs, but for one saving grace. I was often lucky to be discovered by some girls who didn’t like fast-talking hustlers. I was blessed to be a good dancer, and that always helped me to be “discovered.”
Anyway, all that was just to tell you about my relief in the boy-meet-girl affair when I emigrated from Nigeria to the USA after my Secondary School education. One of the first pleasant cultural differences that I discovered upon arrival in the USA, was the attitudes of the girls in the boy-meet-girl romance game. The American girls were simply a gazillion times more liberated than their African counterparts. Unlike the typical African girl, if an American wanted a man, she made the move, no hesitation. Mind you, it was back in the 1970s.
Of course, the American girls were so bold because, unlike in Africa, the society did not frown at it. In fact, my first girlfriend in the US was an 18-year-old white girl. She virtually came after me like a hungry lioness in search of a prey. She worked in a pastry shop on the popular Castro Street in San Francisco, California, where I had stopped a couple of times for some cookies. She was working at the counter, and I had never seen her before that fateful day. When I placed my order, my accent immediately captured her fancy. She instantly fell in love with my African accent, and that did it!
“Where are you from?” she asked.
“Nigeria,” I responded.
“Oh yeah? I love your accent; it’s beautiful, simply cute.”
I was literally swept off my feet, and momentarily speechless. I wouldn’t be so shocked if she was black, you know! I didn’t expect so much racial liberality in the US. But I recovered quickly enough to respond. And the love affair was already in motion before I knew exactly what was going on. “Thank you,” I said.
“So, what’s your name?” she asked as she came around the counter to chat.
“Harry.”
“Yeah? I am Rita. How old are you, Harry?”
“Nineteen,” I responded.
“O yeah? I am eighteen.”
Before I could say Jack Daniel’s, she was already insisting that I must go home with her to meet mama, papa, and two sisters. Well now, enough of my diversion! I’m sure that you have caught my point. Zalika in Mikey’s polyandry story, in the 21st century Africa, reminds me of my 20th century experience in the USA, as a shy dude. Yeah, I did get girls in the 20th century Nigeria before I emigrated, but they were the daring types. There are always exceptions to every rule. I was lucky that they fell for my peculiar shyness, and my dance moves. Not to forget my “cute” nature, as Rita said in ‘Frisco…hahaha! But I tell ya, though, those my 20th century bolder Nigerian girls still never got nearly as bold then as their counterparts in the USA, such as my Rita, in ‘Frisco. The 20th century bolder African girls/ladies were not as bold as today’s African ladies either, such as the lady called Zalika. A combination of time-change, and the system called polyandry, has liberated more African ladies in matters of coupling relationships.
If you missed Zalika’s initiative, then you’re the reason for our link at the end of this episode, for you to check it out. Maybe you should even check it out before continuing with today’s episode, to bring yourself up to speed. But I can tell you briefly that, at the end of the last episode, Otieno was still trying to get over the shock that Zalika gave him. He was being entertained by Zalika, in her home. Bang, her husband entered. The panicky Otieno considered himself a dead man, shot by a jealous husband. But no! “Not a problem,” calmly said Zalika, and managed to get the petrified, half-naked Otieno to sit back down. She was still trying to get him to relax and continue the fun. But would you if you were Otieno? Call me chicken if you like, but I ain’t getting back in the cosy game with Zalika any time soon if I find myself in such situation. Now, here is Mikey with episode 2 of “Reversed Harem” in Afro-Scope’s AfroCultural Drama series on polyandry in Africa. Let’s see what Otieno does next, and Zalika, of course:
AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS ON POLYANDRY IN AFRICA, FEATURING “REVERSED HAREM,” EPISODE 2
- INT. BEDROOM. MORNING.
OTIENO IS STILL IN BED, SLEEPING. STANDING IN FRONT OF THE BED, ZALIKA BENDS OVER HIM AND KISSES HIM GENTLY. OTIENO OPENS HIS EYES, IS MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED, AND RECOILS FROM ALIKA. ZALIKA SMILES AND KISSES HIM AGAIN…
ZALIKA: Wake up, Sunshine. Remember Zalika?
OTIENO FROWNS, LOOKS HERE AND THERE, HIS EYES POP OUT IN ALARM AND HE JUMPS OUT OF BED TO START DRESSING. BUT HE CANNOT FIND HIS DRESSES…
OTIENO: Jesus Holy Christ! I slept here?
ZALIKA BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER…
OTIENO: It’s not funny, Zalika. Where are my dresses?
ZALIKA: Take it easy man!
OTIENO: I can’t take it easy, Zalika. I have to rush home for a change of clothes before going to the office.
ZALIKA: Actually, that might not be necessary. My husband Mwangi laundered your dresses. I guess he is ironing them right now.
OTIENO (Confused): What? What in the world is going on here?
ZALIKA BEGINS TO GIGGLE. SOFT KNOCKS SOUND ON THE DOOR, IT OPENS GENTLY, AND MWANGI WALKS IN WITH OTIENO’S NICELY PRESSED CLOTHES…
MWANGI (Excitedly): Good morning, Tee! Did you sleep well, man?
OTIENO (Puzzled): Uh…yeah, I did. Did you?
MWANGI: Oh, most certainly, man. Anyway, I brought your clothes. Well laundered and good to repeat it to the office.
MWANGI HANDS THE DRESSES TO A DUMBFOUNDED OTIENO. OTIENO ONLY NODS HIS THANKS AS HE TAKES THE DRESSES…
MWANGI: By the way, breakfast is ready too. Shall we go and have it?
ZALIKA: Uh…thanks, Mwangi. We will be right there. But we need to take a shower first. Right, Tee?
MWANGI: Oh, but of course, of course! Take your time!
MWANGI WALKS OUT, WHISTLING EXCITEDLY…
OTIENO: What in the world is going on here, Zalika?
ZALIKA: Relax, Tee. I told you he is my husband. And it is his turn to run the house this week.
OTIENO: That part is easy to understand. But how about the part that he is actually happy to see me with his wife?
ZALIKA: That puts you off?
OTIENO: That is not the word, Zalika, and you know it. Which husband is actually happy to see his wife with another man?
ZALIKA: Well, generally, none. But not in this house. Anyway, come on, let’s bathe. There is enough time to ask all the questions later…
ZALIKA PUTS HER HAND ROUND OTIENO AND BEGINS TO STEER HIM TOWARDS THE ENSUITE BATHROOM…
ZALIKA: …unless of course, you don’t want to see me anymore after today. Could it be that, Tee?
OTIENO SHAKES HIS HEAD HELPLESSLY…
OTIENO: As if you didn’t know your charm, your lure, your irresistibility!
ZALIKA BEGINS TO LAUGH HAPPILY.THEY ENTER THE BATHROOM AND SHUT THE DOOR…
- INT. DINING. MORNING.
OTIENO AND MWANGI ARE EATING IN SILENCE. OTIENO DOES NOT LOOK UP FROM HIS FOOD AT ALL.
MWANGI KEEPS SMILING, LOOKING TO CATCH OTIENO’S EYES…
MWANGI: So uh…how did you meet my wife?
OTIENO (Looks up): I am sorry; what did you say?
MWANGI (Smiles): You seem not to be relaxed. I asked how you and my wife met.
OTIENO: Oh, uh…yeah. We uh…listen, I am sorry if-
MWANGI (Cuts in): No, no, no; if you don’t want to talk about it now, that’s quite okay.
OTIENO: No, actually, what I was going to say was-
ZALIKA WALKS TO THE DINING, CUTTING OTIENO SHORT…
ZALIKA: Tee’s car is not out there, Mwangi. How come?
MWANGI: Yeah, John came and took it to the car wash. He should be back any moment now.
OTIENO STOPS EATING AND LOOKS UP WITH ANOTHER SHOCK…
ZALIKA (Sitting): Oh! That was thoughtful of him. Did you tell him about Tee then?
MWANGI: You bet.
ZALIKA NODS HER THANKS AND BEGINS TO DISH HER FOOD…
ZALIKA: So uh…are you two getting acquainted?
MWANGI: A bit. But Tee appears to be somewhat shy.
ZALIKA (Takes a bite): Really, Tee? (To Mwanga) What were you two talking about anyway?
MWANGI: We were-
A CAR HORN SOUNDS OUTSIDE, CUTTING MWANGI SHORT. OTIENO LOOKS AT HIS WATCH, PICKS A DINING TOWEL. FRONT DOOR OPENS AND JOHN WALKS IN, GREETING BOISTEROUSLY AS HE WALKS OVER TO THEM…
JOHN: Greetings! Greetings!! Warm greetings, dear sweet wifey!
JOHN KISSES ZALIKA, THEN TURNS TO OTIENO WITH A SMILE, AND STRETCHES HIS HAND FOR A SHAKE…
JOHN: And you must be Tee! Nice to meet you!
OTIENO SHAKES HANDS WITH JOHN, LOOKING AT ZALIKA, CONFUSED…
ZALIKA (Smiles): John is my other husband.
THOSE WORDS HIT OTIENO LIKE A HUGE ROCK ON THE HEAD. HIS EYES POP OUT AND HIS LOWER JAW SUDDENLY BECOMES TOO HEAVY…
END
Boy oh boy! What has Otieno gotten himself into? Is this for real? A woman with two very happy husbands, with him now in the mix, too?
I wonder who pays the bills in the family. I personally introduced the two related guiding gender-equality sayings that are in the theme of this drama. One is that “what is good for the goose, is equally good for the gander.” The other is that “whatever that a man can do, a woman can do it, too, sometimes even better.”
Now, I can’t help but wonder how the two sayings are going to pan out in Mikey’s polyandry story. Is Lady Zalika equal to the task of footing the economic bills of the family with her multiple husbands in her polyandry, just as husbands with multiple wives do in polygamy in Africa? What else is in store for us in this polyandry? The answers are for Mikey the dramatist, and his character, Zalika, to know for now. And they are for you and I to find out, in the next episode of “Reversed Harem.” Please subscribe to our site through the appropriate channels, so that you will be informed as soon as the next episode is blogged next week. Until then, this is bye for now from Harry Agina.
LINK TO EPISODE 3:
“AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS” ON POLYANDRY, TITLED, “REVERSED HAREM,” 3: