The Sunday News
Charles Dube
LAST week we traced the theme of courtship from a traditional perspective. We saw Shamiso through the influence of her sister keeping Clopas waiting, not knowing whether his proposal to Shamiso would be successful. He kept writing letters one after the other demanding replies from Shamiso. Shamiso’s sister kept on telling her to wait. She gave her advice on the trickery of men and told her not to encourage Clopas too much on the first instance.
When Shamiso asked what Clopas meant by the words, “fi . . . figigrrr and di . . . di . . . dizaya?”. Her sister was very discouraging telling Shamiso that those were words a drunken man used to court a prostitute in a beer-hall, not a decently raised girl like her. Shamiso did not take kindly to that and frowned at the idea that he thinks she might be a prostitute. But her sister insists that she warned her.
In an about turn she tells Shamiso to write Clopas and tell him she would not see him again if that was the kind of person he was. Shamiso expresses fears that he might dump her if she keeps putting him off? Shamiso’s sister scoffs at the idea of her being dumped. Maybe from experience her sister assures her that she would not be dumped and should not worry, everything was going to be alright. She confidently tells Shamiso that Clopas was already hers. She repeats: “He’s already yours. Oh yes, he’s yours, Shami.” True to Shamiso’s sister’s word Clopas’ proposal was eventually accepted by Shamiso and they got married.
We go back to Shamiso and Clopas’ house as seen at the beginning of our discussion at the beginning of the play. These are early days in the marriage of Clopas and Shamiso. Clopas announces his arrival home by ringing his bicycle bell loudly. Taste the greetings they share. Clopas says: “Hes, mudiwa Shami.” This could read this way in correct English: “Yes, my love Shami.” Shamiso responds in a loving way as well calling Clopas, daddy.
Clopas is excited and has brought his lover a parcel which turns out to be a big bream. Shamiso appreciates the gesture making it clear that she loves fish. She puts her head on Clopas’ chest in appreciation. Clopas declares that he loves her. He says the fish he has brought is nothing and promises greater things to come when he gets promoted at work. He says they will have a big white wedding with eight bridesmaids.
“I love you, dali! But this fish is nothing. Wait till I get promoted at work. We’ll have a big white wedding with eight braitmeds.” These are Clopas’ dreams. His heart is smitten with too much love for Shamiso. He expounds his dream telling Shamiso that after they had wedded they would move out of the bachelor room into a four-roomed house with a dining, spare room and a veranda. There would be roses in the front garden, not the African chomolia and maize everywhere. All this is said in a mixture of Shona and English.
All these dreams impress Shamiso. He adds that he will buy her leather sofas and a double bed and a big gramophone. Those were the radios of the time. His ambitions are limited to his level of education. Clopas does not dream of owning a car as he says he will be riding a scooter to work and they would have lots of children. These are signs of the times. People were dreaming of having lots of children since things like family planning were uncommon among the communities.
Clopas dreams of having four strong little Clopases and three beautiful Shamisolets. He is a chauvinist as he wants to have more boys than girls. Shamiso could also want to have an equal number of girls, but, Clopas’ dream is bigoted. Shamiso scowls at the mention of children. Clopas is already looking forward to having children. He is disappointed that Shamiso is not showing any signs of pregnancy. He has resorted to the services of traditional healers to assist Shamiso get pregnant. He asks Shamiso: “But did you take the special water that Sekuru gave you?”
Shamiso is sceptical about traditional healing. She does not believe in n’angas. “Oh, that wretched medicine man of yours with his snake oils and crocodile skins. Had I known you were taking me to a n’anga I wouldn’t have agreed to come with you. Not in a lifetime, Clopas. However, Clopas believes in the n’anga stating that the man definitely has special powers and reminds Shamiso that he told her she had mumps when she was in Standard 2 and her aunt was killed in a bus accident.
Shamiso is doubtful of that saying the n’anga could have found that out, somehow. She tells Clopas that the devil has cunning ways and warns Clopas to beware of trickery. Despite Shamiso’s scepticism Clopas is of the view that they should try everything. Clopas reveals that it is eight months since they got married and there is no sign of pregnancy. Clopas is worried that people would start talking. Usually people start blaming the wife for barrenness. A bigoted society is quick to blame the woman if she does not pregnant as soon as she gets married.
Shamiso concurs, but, sarcastically says they would be saying: “Shamiso is barren – ingomwa. How do you know the problem is with me? You men! It’s always the woman at fault, isn’t it? The matron at the clinic said all we had to do was to wait.
Shamiso believes in modern medicine and she prefers the nurse’s advice to Clopas’ n’anga. At least Shamiso stood for women’s rights at the time. When Clopas makes lewd waist movements she pushes him off and asks him where he learnt that kind of behaviour.
She says, “That’s all you think of. Where did you learn that? In the beer-halls?” Clopas claims he has never gone to beer-halls.
Shamiso continues to ask him where he heard about “figgers” and “dizaya?” This reminds Clopas of the letters he used to write to Shamiso and he asks her if she loved his letters but she is non-committal as she says, “Maybe. Maybe not.” This discussion between Shamiso and Clopas is interrupted by a loud tapping at the door.
We are introduced to corruption in the discussion to follow.
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