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THE TITLE: THE MELTING CHOCOLATE

BY AKECH OBAT MASIRA

This is a story of Betty. A young university industrious, brilliant and committed university student pursuing her degree course at the prestigious University.

The East African Community University based within the region.

During her college life, she meets many challenges in life. These challenges therefore provoke and stimulate her to critically examine the university ways of life and how best these very problems could be amicably addressed. She starts to champion the cause of university students, particularly in the provision of inadequate health services at the institution because of the increased student population.

Her former high schoolmate Mercy, who is a beautiful and an outgoing third year student with multiple partners. She has devised mechanisms of survival at the university. She is highly successful in her operations and seeks to lure parents Betty.

Will Betty succumbed to Mercy’s peer pressure to exploit God’s gift.

A PLAY BY

AKECH OBAT – MASIRA

DIRECTOR

MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE

KISUMU (KENYA)

Email: obatmasira@yahoo.com

Tel: 254726164954

Google search obat masira

Website: misangoartsensemble.tripod.com

BABA (BETTY’S FATHER) – FREDRICK OBONDI OWITI

MAMA (BETTY’S MOTHER) – SUSAN AWINO

BETTY (A UNIVERSITY STUDENT) – PAMELA KADALI

FRANK (A SUGAR DADDY) – PHILIP OSULA

MERCY (BETTY’S FRIEND) – MERCY ATIENO

DOCTOR BEN (MERCY’S DOCTOR) – OBAT MASIRA

DOCTOR JACK (VCT DOCTOR) – VICTOR OTIENO

COMMISSIONED BY EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY / AMREF

PRESENTED DURING THE LAUNCH OF EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY/ AMREF PARTNERSHIP ON LAKE VICTORIA

"THE MELTING CHOCOLATE"

(Sitting room. A man is reading a letter. He seems excited with its content. He calls his wife who is busy in the kitchen)

BABA : (Excitedly) Mama Betty! Are you there?

MAMA: Yes, Baba Betty. I am preparing your evening tea.

BABA : The tea can wait. Come here at once!

MAMA: (Surprised) Baba Betty, what is the emergency? Tea is almost ready (complaining).

BABA : (Firmly) You heard my voice loud and clear. Are you coming or not?

MAMA: Yes, coming my dear husband (she sits down attentively)

BABA : (Happily) Mama Betty (laughing). Good news. Good news!

MAMA: (Surprised) Good news from where?

BABA : From across the borders

MAMA: (Perplexed). What do you mean across the borders?

(In the bus, seated next to Betty is a superannuated philanderer "Sugar daddy" with itchy hands, raving eyes for pretty young women. Rich and idle has become his hobby to stalk any vulnerable student traveling alone from one state to another within the region.)

(Sitting next to Betty, Frank the itinerant "Sugar daddy attempts to strike a conversation with Betty to ensnare her to his furtive plot")

(Fishing a pack of chocolates from his pockets, eats a bit and sighs with delight)

FRANK : ….. Uummm so nice… o my young lady why don’t you have a bite?

BETTY : Sorry sir, I am alright.

FRANK : Come on, come on my bright young lady…. don’t be a sissy…. We’re here to

enjoy life (laughs) and the better when young and beautiful.

BETTY : (Not interested) Please I am not that type

FRANK : (Surprised) Oh! And you’re so charmingly beautiful, so enchanting, so

BETTY : (Smiling) Mmmh, that’s some piece of flattery indeed (laughs). You sound like

Romeo flattering Juliet in the balcony.

FRANK : (Surprised but moved) O sweet heart. So you have a voice? Who better can

compete a song bird? (laughs). May I have the pleasure of knowing who my

BETTY : (Happily) I am Betty….

FRANK : (Proudly) I’m Frank… better known as Frankie by my best pals. As Frank I want to

be Frank with you. Do you accept that my dearest? (Laughing)

BETTY : (Smiling) Yes, but I am a new student joining the East African Community

University.

FRANK : Are you from this country?

BETTY : No.

FRANK : (Shout in triumph) Bingo! Bingo! That is it, my beauty.

BETTY : (A little taken aback) what is all the fuss?

FRANK : I cannot wait to tell you (laughs)

BETTY : (Surprised) Tell me what?

FRANK: Tell you what? Can’t you guess? You’ve hit the jackpot! (Laughs)

BETTY: I don’t understand has the Bus arrived at its destination? But there is no sign (looks) of a

University around here.

FRANK: Calm down…. Calm down young lady… that’s a non issue… (smile) you are in

very good hands.

BETTY: What do you mean? It’s late and you are saying I’m in safe hands. Where am I going to stay?

FRANK: It is a simple fate. I’m a simple man and yet the richest in the region. And can you

BETTY: (Laughs) You can’t be serious…..

FRANK: (Proudly) This is the truth and the real truth from the horse’s own mouth.

BETTY: (Smiles) It is ok….It’s ok… I want to go to the University NOW! (Firmly)

FRANK: (Concerned) It’s past mid night. You’ve not been booked in any hotel as far as I may

BETTY: And how, if I may know?

FRANK: (Removing a bundle of bank notes from his pocket). I know maybe you have no money.

BETTY: (Shocked) No…No…what is this for?

FRANK: (Laughs) Of course service rendered. You’re pretty, sexy and desirable…very

desirable…and this cash is handy for your future comforts…take it and let me drive you to one

of my hotels.

BETTY: (Firmly) No….what? Do think I’m one of these loose women around who can be

FRANK: (Surprised) Take it my angel and let me show you the paradise. It takes two to tango.

BETTY: (A little angry and her face creased). No…no…. I don’t need your money! AM NOT A HAG.

FRANK: (Looking at this emphatic rejection - annoyed). This rebellious attitude can take

you nowhere young lady. Everything hereabouts belongs to me. Who will

accommodate you without my help?.....who will feed you if I put my feet down?

BETTY: (Firmly) You’re fit to be my grandfather….why are you doing this to me? I came here to seek for

Knowledge and not comfort. You ought to be my mentor, my guardian. NOT MY LOVER!

FRANK: Betty I am giving you the last opportunity to think about this proposal. Otherwise your education

here will be miserable.

BETTY: (Annoyed) No…and…no…and no…my education is all I care for…. Not You! Goodbye.

(EXITS)

FRANK: (Furious) Damn you…damn you…you’ll see fire in this country. (Sarcastically) BYE. (Drives his

new limousine away)

(Betty finds company alongside a group of business women and spends the rest of the night at Bus Park. At dawn she finds her way to the University, registers and when it came to accommodation, was told she was to look for by herself. At this point, she was reminded of Frank’s warning, but her resolve not to be corrupted by promise of luxury remain firm as a rock)

(Three months later since Betty joined the University. She is now happy and has made friends. She could not find a decent accommodation therefore she was forced to stay in the slums within the neighbourhood of the University. Betty meets her former schoolmate and a friend within the university. Her friend is known as Mercy an outgoing third year student.)

MERCY: (Excitedly) Betty my old friend and school mate. When did you join the campus?

BETTY: (Smiles) Oh Mercy my dear friend. I’ve been here for the last three months. I’ve really suffered a

great deal. Just imagine I’m staying in the slums! God forbid!

MERCY: Oh Betty my dear have you eyes to see? Brain to think? Look at me critically. We are well off

BETTY: (Surprised) what do you mean?

MERCY: This is a strange world. A world of men. A world of the rich people. We only benefit

through association with them. All my costs (proud) are catered for by different men.

This is the order for survival here. You still have more than 2 years to go. Open your

BETTY: I still don’t understand, Mercy

MERCY: You will understand soon. We women are gifted. Let us exploit our gifts of nature constructively.

God’s gift. (Laughs). We hardly read yet we pass our exams with flying colours.

BETTY: How is this possible? (Surprised)

MERCY: You see I am a very busy person I have to attend to all my partners. In order to get all my needs

(proudly) catered for. I don’t have time to study or do assignments. (Smiles)

BETTY: (Surprised) Then how do you pass your exams with flying colours?

MERCY: (Proudly) I keep a boyfriend in the class who does all the assignments for me I am also nice to all

My male lecturers. (Smiling). If you associate with male lecturers you will pass with flying

colours. Betty do you now understand? (smiles)

BETTY: (Shocked) What a sad world….oh my God! A world without ethics! A world of manipulation!

SCENE FOUR

1 year later Betty in University

A year later, Betty is still focused and active in student activities. She is a well liked student peer leader.

Mercy has been sick…and repeatedly treated for malaria and typhoid. She has lost weight and does not look so well. She no longer has the money to be treated in private clinics in town.

Betty gets to hear that Mercy has not been well and is admitted at the university clinic.

BETTY: (With sympathy) Pole sana my friend Mercy. What is the problem? (Surprised) you look so weak.

MERCY: (Struggling to talk) I don’t know what is happening to me. I feel sick. They treated me for

malaria and typhoid but I’m not improving. I don’t feel comfortable with services here. (Refering

BETTY: What is wrong with the clinic here?

MERCY: Since I was admitted 3 weeks ago I only saw the doctor two times. And each time I was told there

are no laboratory reagents. If they prescribe drugs I have to find money to go and buy them in town.

And the nurse (sarcastically) my God!

BETTY: My goodness. Can’t the university do better than this? (Surprised) I must go and talk to the

(Betty meets the nurse in charge who makes unsavory remarks about Mercy and refers Betty to the University Medical Officer)

BETTY: Good morning doctor. I have come to see you about my friend Mercy, who seems to be

very sick.

DOCTORBEN: Oh that one. There is nothing much we can do to her at the University clinic. It would be

better if she could go for HIV test somewhere else where better care can be given.

BETTY: How sad for my friend. Can she at least get counselling before we go for HIV test?

DOCTOR BEN: Yes. We can only arrange for her to get counseled here at this clinic. For the rest she has to

go elsewhere.

(Betty convinces Mercy to accept the voluntary counseling for HIV at the University clinic and accepts to go for HIV test. She tests HIV positive but with help from Betty and other friends she picks courage)

(Mercy and Betty are talking. Mercy decides to live positively with her disease. Betty vows to fight for better and more comprehensive health services at the university)

Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre VCT is conducted in the presence of Mercy.

DOCTOR JACK: Am Doctor Jack. And what’s your name?

MERCY : Am Mercy.

DOCTOR JACK: Welcome Mercy. How are you? Please take a sit here. (Mercy sits down opposite the

MERCY : Thank you doctor.

DOCTOR JACK : Could you tell me more about yourself?

DOCTOR JACK : That’s good Mercy. Are you ready for the test?

(The doctor then takes the blood sample and mix with other lab reagents. Meanwhile Mercy is keenly observing the testing process)

DOCTOR JACK : Can you see this red mark?

MERCY : Yes, doctor I can see it.

DOCTOR JACK : Mercy I’m sorry the results of the test is positive.

MERCY : What?

DOCTOR JACK : The results is positive.

MERCY : (Breaks down wailing). How will I face the family with this sad news. (She fells down

crying. Betty storms the doctor’s clinic to find out why Mercy is crying.)

BETTY : Mercy my friend please calm down. This is not the end of the world.

MERCY : (Crying) I was cheated! I cheated myself. I misused my body because of short lived

comfort (crying) I swallowed the MELTING CHOCOLATE Betty. Oh! My.

BETTY : It does not mean that if you are HIV positive you have AIDS. You can still live longer

MERCY : Betty really? (Calming down)

BETTY : Mercy (smiling) yes why not? Mercy let’s use our energy to fight the HIV / AIDS scourge.

MERCY : (Comforted) Betty… I feel relieved. Let’s fight the HIV pandemic.

BETTY : Mercy your encounter with the staff of the university clinic has provoked me to fight for

MERCY : (Smiling) Yes Betty, drama is the most powerful social tool for behavioural change. Once I

BETTY : (Smiling) My friend we have a responsibility to our generation. Let’s talk openly about HIV /

AIDS scourge.

MERCY : Let’s talk openly about HIV / AIDS (smiling) together let’s fight AIDS.

=====================================================



 
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