The Sunday Mail
Masimba T Muusha
Abigail and Nia become women of substance, that is, they discover the strength, the power that they have within themselves when they do decide to dig deep inside themselves. We are reminded of the song entitled, “Something inside so strong”
“Todii, senzeni
“What shall we do”
These heartfelt lyrics from “Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi’s song- “Todii” express the dilemma, the question that two remarkable women from very different backgrounds have to address and resolve.
Abigail and Nia share a very heavy secret. Both have contracted the HIV virus. In addition, they are both expecting and most likely they will transmit the virus to their babies. Nia is a young black American woman who is infected by her lover- the basketball star- Darnell. Abigail is a Zimbabwean mother and wife of Stamford who infects her.
The issue, then, is how do they respond, deal with their predicament, their personal crisis.
What does it mean to them, what does it call for, what inner resources can they summon, who can they turn to for help, for comfort, for strength, what are their options, are there any alternatives?
It is not hard for the reader to empathise with these two women as they struggle to come to terms with their reality
Both Abigail and Nia are fully conscious of the stigma, shame, humiliation, rejection, prejudice, ostracism and abuse they will be subjected. We are witnesses to the process as they go through phases of denial, desperation, panic, bitterness, anger, disillusionment, illumination and ultimately redemption. The play explores the possible answers to such traumatic, stressful, agonising questions.
At first glance there is little to suggest that Abigail and Nia have the capacity to resolve the moral dilemma that they face.
Instead one initially gets the impression that both will crumble into self pity before opting for self destructive course of action given that they appear to rely on the “glamour of their men” They got the men they desired, now they are paying for the men they got, men they thought would give them joy, happiness, but ironically men who have compromised and threatened their future, life.
Abigail, as the play opens, comes across as vain, snobbish, pretentious and frivolous. She aspires to relocate to the leafy suburb so as to put as much distance between her and those she considers inferior, those with a strong rural background.
Her children are to attend group “A” schools.
As for herself, she envisions herself working at either SABC or CNN not at the bankrupt ZBC. She is driven by love for glamour.
Personally, she married Stamford, the man that every woman desired by playing the part of “The Ice Queen”
On her part, Nia joined in the desperate competition to secure the attention and romantic interest of Darnell, the basketball star who has just won a scholarship. Just like Abigail, Nia appears to define, to measure herself on the basis of having the dream lover. It is, therefore, ironic that what appears to be the fulfillment of their fantasy becomes a nightmare of some sort.
Vulnerable, Abigail and Nia reach out for props, for crutches for support, for that to hold on to, to sustain them, to help, to deliver them out of their plight.
Abigail turns to aunt, Sisi Thembi and Petronella, “a been to” who advises her to turn to the “witchdoctor”.
The “witchdoctor” admits that there is no cure for AIDS and instead offers her medicine that will induce abortion so that the baby will not have to suffer.
The sex worker urges her to find herself a wealthy man. To Abigail, these are not viable options.
Nia receives streetwise advice from her cousin Keysha to “blackmail” Darnell with the pregnancy. From her mother, she receives no sympathy at all except a blunt rebuke that she should have used a condom. Her mother-in-law to be, i.e. Darnell’s mother rejects her together with the baby preferring to buy her off or pay her off.
The two come to a moment were they have to do a lot of soul searching, introspection. Their souls are laid bare for the reader to relate. They are morally aware as they question themselves, as they evaluate their actions, situations. No one, except themselves have to wrestle and resolve their personal crisis.
Remorsefully, she admits that, “l know it’s nobody’s fault but mine” Nia recalls the counselling that she received from Probation Patti to the effect that she can turn her life around.
“There are consequences in choosing to violate the rules… there are no shortcuts in life…You can still be anything you want to.” Probation Patti’s encouragement is validated by her own testimony of how she “escaped” the ghetto.
Alone in a cheap motel, alienated, Nia agonises over her situation. To her horror and outrage, she realizes that Darnell had irresponsibly slept with her even though he knew his status. In fury, she makes up her mind to expose him to the world. Abigail, likewise, decides to do the same to her “promiscuous” husband.
The stage is set for public humiliation of the two men and the tragic consequences to follow.
How the tragedy is averted is the question that the reader may have to establish for himself or herself. Is tragedy inevitable, can it be avoided, or prevented?
Is it within the capacity of an individual to combat, to modify, to temper the sting of a tragedy? Is there any consolation?
Can anything of great beauty emerge from such a situation?
We can choose to look at it the following way i.e. we can take this view. Abigail and Nia become women of substance, that is, they discover the strength, the power that they have within themselves when they do decide to dig deep inside themselves. We are reminded of the song entitled, “Something inside so strong”
The play, “In The Continuum” by Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter, all along provides hints of such strength. Abigail casts her mind to her high school days at Malbereign Girls high when she presented the winning speech on “the new African Woman” a speech whose key line was “And I can become whatever l please because my dreams can be a reality yet” It is a speech that reminds her that it is still possible to change the course of her (personal) history by choosing to forgive, to embrace the future and life, to envision a life beyond stigma, materialism and resentment.
It is the speech that can be used as a reference point in Abigail’s moral victory.
Nia, the award winning poet, who is considered a Maya Angelou disciple, finds inspiration in her poetry to see beyond the here and now and to reach for tomorrow, for life.
Now we should all know who the late Maya Angelou was: the formidable and legendary poet whose poem, “And still I rise” is timeless in its force, relevance and power.
Finally, the two women turn to prayer for spiritual fortitude to ground, to reinforce the moral decision that they have taken. (God) “Don’t let my baby be infected”
We can only marvel at the close of the play at how such an ending is possible, is achieved, an ending that is artistically , intellectually, emotionally and morally rewarding while at the same time challenging.
The ending is not tragic, gloomy, nor bitter for they choose to embrace life, the future and way of forgiveness.
It is said a great book does not end when you close the book.
Instead the issues raised and their resolutions will continue to echo, to quiz, to exercise our minds. We are never left complacent, but pondering the implications, the possibilities, the perceived outstanding issues.
“In the Continuum” is no exception. There are tender moments when Abigail and her son, Simbi exchange endearing words of mutual affection and when Nia composes and sings a song to her unborn baby.
In such big moments, there is no attempt at sentimentality, escapism, but to bring to the attention of the reader, the range and depth of feelings and reactions the women are capable of within desperate circumstances. We see the power, the strength of a mother.
What is to become of Stamford and Darnell? Are they to continue with their reckless sexual behavior? Do Abigail and Nia betray other women?
Does the play give or create the impression that men are the “culprits” we are to be alienated from?
Are they stereotyped or are they products of their society that abuses and exploits women, a society in which mothers have failed to raise morally upright men who respect women? Are they denied a voice in the play?
It is our considered view that Abigail and Nia are women of substance, portrayed in full with their weaknesses, inadequacies, insecurities, shortcomings, foibles and frailties yet able to dream.
They are enlarged characters, whole persons, for they care for their unborn babies, for life, for the future and themselves.
It is significant that their final act is to laugh and to laugh expresses a healthy, robust nature, attitude. By such a simple, human act, they have defined themselves, a measure of their strength and moral victory.
They make their decisions on personal basis, decisions that resonate with their individual situation, identity, decisions consistent with their moral sensibilities and emotional intelligence.
They make a commitment to the future, leaving behind fear, doubts and rage and deciding to live with the consequences of their decisions. It is a considered not spontaneous response.
Abigail and Nia can be regarded heroic in that they put to full use their mental, personal, moral, emotional and spiritual capacities. How they come up with their decision is related to the definition of the word-continuum- something or someone that changes in character gradually without any clear dividing point.
This is their story — THE STORY OF TWO WOMEN OF SUBSTANCE who declare in their own words that they are, “changing the course of history.”
The writer, Masimba T. Muusha is an accomplished English Language and English Literature teacher with over 20 years’ experience. He may be contacted on 0777498721.
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