GOD BLESS THE ANCESTORS
by
V for 5
.2
FADE IN:
Black screen.
A loading sign appears at its center, alongside a soft
HUMMING noises.
It’s on now. The black screen turns into a computer
desktop with the cosmos set as its background.
A banner appears. It’s written:
Karibu
Tuendelee?
SUBTILES: Welcome, shall we continue?
A cursor clicks yes. The banner disappears.
A video player opens.
INT. MOYA’S HOUSE/ LOUNGE - DAY
FREEZE on DIANI, a god with scarification on his
cheeks. He’s sitting on the couch with MOYA, a goddess,
wrapped between his legs.
There’s a video progress bar at the bottom of the screen.
A small cursor hovers over the play button. It clicks on
play.
DIANI retwists her dreadlocks. Her hand rubs his hairy
shin.
The cursor drags the progress bar and FAST FORWARDS
through to:
KITCHEN
Moya opens the spice cabinet. She takes out a spice and
gives it to Diani who is sizzling onions on the stove. She
kisses him.
LOUNGE
Diani and Moya are meditating.
KITCHEN
Moya is eating a mango.
The cursor rewinds to begin the scene again.
.3
FREEZE on Moya eating the mango. Lying on the ground is
CHEBE, goddess, their skin is of a dark ebony, almost
blue. Chebe is convulsing on the floor. Moya is eating a
mango.
CHORUS
Ukiomba tutakuja.
SUBTITLES: When you pray we shall come.
LOUNGE
Moya and Diani are levitating in their meditative posture.
CHORUS
Ukiomba tutakuona.
SUBTITLES: When you pray we will see you.
Moya opens her eyes.
The cursor slides the progress bar to a further time
stamp.
INT. MOYA’S BAMBOO HUT - DAY
Moya rubs her forehead.
She yawns and opens her eyes. Her hand traces down to her
pregnant belly. A breeze moves the mosquito net around her
bed.
AMANDA, a goddess with grey skin, places his hand on
Moya’s head. Faint blue lines form on Amanda’s skin once
he touches Moya. It crawls up his arm and disappears
within his temples.
Amanda hands Moya a green coconut. Moya sips from it.
FREEZE on Moya.
A banner appears on the screen written:
Faili mpya imepakuliwa. Tuendelee?
SUBTITLES: A new file has been downloaded. Shall we
continue?
The cursor clicks yes.
EXT. FOREST FIRESIDE - NIGHT
Moya is eating fruit.
.4
NEEMA (O.S)
Mtoto ndani ya tumbo la uzazi
ameambata na mhenga.
SUBTITLES: The child inside the womb is connected to the
ancestors.
Moya stops eating. She removes a cowrie shell from her
mouth. She looks at it curiously.
A silhouette looms over her body. Moya looks up to see
CHEBE, whose face is veiled with a purple sheer fabric.
FREEZE on Chebe.
The cursor minimizes the video player revealing the
desktop.
It clicks on a folder written umama.
SUBTITLES: motherhood.
Multiple videos pop up. It opens one of them.
EXT. FOREST/RIVER - DAY
Moya stares at the sun. Her feet are inside the river and
the ends of her yellow dress are soaked in the water. Her
belly is a little bigger now.
Moya looks over to the women. They are all dressed in
yellow.
They kneel before the river and rinse their gemstones.
Moya opens her palm revealing her own set of gems.
She joins the women in rinsing gems.
A woman starts HUMMING.
The cursor clicks pause and minimizes the video player. It
opens another video in the motherhood folder.
INT. MOYA’S BEDROOM - DAY
Moya kneels before her mirror which is embellished with
seashells, coral and sand. She screams silently.
She screams out the WAVES of the ocean.
Chebe appears behind her. Their face is veiled by a white
scarf. They sway closer to Moya. They stop. Moya stops
screaming waves.
.5
MOYA
ORE YEYE!
SUBTITLES: Mother of goodness.
Chebe reaches for Moya. Touches her face, reaches for her
throat. Choking her. Chebe removes their hand. Moya coughs
out cowrie shells.
Chebe unveils their face. They have two cowrie shells for
eyes and several shells drawn into a smile. FREEZE on
Chebe.
The cursor moves to the search bar at the top of the
screen and types: kikumbuko.
SUBTITLES: remembrance
A video pops up, the cursor clicks play.
INT. MELISSA’S BAMBOO HUT - NIGHT
MELISSA, a mother, groans. She’s lying on blood stained
sheets. Moya peers from outside her window.
There are five goddesses beside to Melissa. GODDESS 1
holds Melissa’s hand as she gives birth. GODDESS 2 has her
hands between Melissa’s thighs, ready to receive the
child. GODDESS 3,4 and 5 wear orange scarfs over their
heads and hold necklaces made of cowrie shells, they
mutter an inaudible language.
Melissa grunts again.
EXT. MELISSA BAMBOO HUT/FOREST - NIGHT
Moya gulps and touches her belly. She slowly retreats from
Melissa’s hut. Melissa grunts again. Moya quickens her
pace.
She’s running now.
She’s running faster.
Faster.
INT. MOYA’S BAMBOO HUT - NIGHT
Moya closes her door. With a fright, she sees Chebe. Moya
faints. Chebe crawls towards her.
Moya’s skin is a darker shade of ebony now, almost blue.
It shines bright, almost glowing. Her body shakes.
.6
Chebe straddles Moya’s body.
Chebe wipes their hand on Moya’s face, leaving traces of
red paint on Moya skin. Chebe takes their other hand and
wipes Moya’s face in the opposite direction. This time
leaving traces of white paint on Moya. Moya gradually
stops shaking.
CHEBE
Umetoka wapi?
SUBTITLES: Where have you come from?
MOYA
Ufukwe wa bahari.
SUBTITLES: By the ocean shore.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Moya wears a white dress as she moves the waves with her
hands.
CHEBE (V.O)
Mama wako ni nani?
SUBTITLES: Who is your mother?
MOYA (V.O)
Simba jike wa kimaasai
SUBTITLES: The warrior lioness.
EXT. FOREST - DAY
Moya drinks a gourd filled with blood.
CHEBE (V.O)
Na baba wako?
SUBTITLES: And your father?
MOYA (V.O)
Mfalme wa jua.
SUBTITLES: The sun king.
EXT. FOREST- DAY
Moya is nude, with orange painted skin.
CHEBE (V.O)
RA!
.7
EXT. CHEBE’S BAMBOO HUT - DAY
An extremely pregnant Moya waddles towards a bench outside
the hut. Chebe is seated next to her.
Amanda hands Moya a green coconut. Moya sips from it.
A banner appears on the screen written:
Moya, tuendele kujipakua?
SUBTITLES: Moya, shall we continue uploading ourselves?
FADE TO BLACK:
