IN THE CHEST OF A WOMAN

IN THE CHEST OF A WOMAN

In a distance lightening struck deep blue. The noise kept on increasing in magnitude as if an angry mob was descending on my house. I run to the window to investigate.  Down the narrow street of this quiet suburb, I saw a large mob of women holding placards, beating frying pans against gallons and singing war songs. on the first few leading placards I could see were written the statements; ‘Hail feminism’,’what men can do women can do better’, ’we can also rule’. I watched in horror as women surrounded and lynched men who stood in their way. Like locust, their advance spelt doom for every male in the wake of their fury.

The scene reminded me of my favorite play, ’In the chest of a woman’ written by Efo Kodjo Mawugbe, a Ghanaian playwright. The play tells the story of a princess who from her youthful age had longed to yield power and be ruler of a kingdom in Ghana. Though the rightful heir to the throne, her dream was denied her, because she was female, by her mother who was queen mother at that time and the position given to her younger brother. Resolved not to give up that easily, she incited her only daughter to act as a male to marry the king’s daughter. That way, she could, through her son, rule the kingdom. The story unfolds with a mixture of aggression, treachery, wisdom, deceit and ends with the unveiling of the true identity of the king’s supposed nephew; a fatal blow not only to the royal family but also to the whole kingdom.

                By now, the mob was just yards from my house. I closed my eyes and tried to envision the whole earth. As my understanding of the world narrowed down to one image, it suddenly struck me hard; what I saw. All I could see was the long struggle of humanity; a perpetual struggle to be in control of circumstances; a fervent struggle to possess and use power. I realized that everybody, even children, was involved in this struggle but the most noticeable of them all were women.  Of late, there have been many right movements by women. Women are beginning to fight for their rights to also exercise power and the struggle intensifies with time.

                As you read the story of the restless princess, you cannot help but see the totality of the story and the appeal the writer was putting across through superb imagery, ‘Let the women be, for they also are human’; an assertion I have come to second fervently.

                I find myself, again and again, in total agreement  with the writer’s chief  quote that reads,'In the chest of a woman is not just an extension of the breast and a feeble heart but a  flaming desire to possess and use power’; a desire bent to erupt soon.

                The fervent knock on the door pulled me out of my dream. The door was soon banged open and I saw red eyed woman deliberately reach for my neck… Where could I run? ...? ...? .