Obu – Stop and speak! Let your name be known.

Egbe – Egbe is the spoken word you’re looking for.

Beat.

Obu – No need to repeat. Welcome. I was expecting you.

Egbe – Isn’t it sad that now we have to disguise for ordinary life, not for theatre?

Obu – That’s how we have to evolve when threatened, so that we survive.

Egbe – Masquerade or be vanished… Our drama.

Obu – I know. A convulsion in history now that the empires have expanded.

Egbe – At least we still have our rituals and art.

Obu –  Until the religious promotions allow us. For now, we stay parallel to society.

Egbe – And underground. For safety.

Obu – But not for long. Action is needed.

Egbe – Yes. And I’ve got a plan written right here.

Obu – I’ll be your audience then. Speak.

Egbe – I have designed what to say, what to do, how to act, what to enact.

Obu – Sounds like a convention to perform.

Egbe – Yes it is.

Obu – Then let’s get out of the underground.

Egbe – Once back into the limelight.

Obu – Indeed. Now let’s go back into the festival, sheltered among the chants.

Egbe – Well spoken. You lead, I’ll follow.

 

 

[Originally written in 2008.]