Bang Bang Bang (6 page)

And I sleep with him so he is happy.

SADHBH. And Amala, are you happy with Commandant Jerome?

MATHILDE.
Est ce que toi tu étais heureuse?

AMALA
shakes her head.

MAMA CAROLINA. He frightens me. I can't always make him happy.

I try to escape – but the soldiers catch me and then the Commandant says he doesn't want me for his wife any more so the soldiers take me to the forest and tie me to a tree.

SADHBH.
Ça va, Amala?

MAMA CAROLINA. It was better when I was the wife.

SADHBH. Amala, did the soldiers hurt you?

MATHILDE.
Ils t'ont fait mal?

AMALA
nods. She leans into
MAMA CAROLINA.

MAMA CAROLINA. Night and day. Day and night.

They say, ‘Your village is destroyed. Your mother is dead.

And soon you will be dead.'

SADHBH. Can you tell me how many soldiers hurt you, Amala?

MATHILDE.
Combien de soldats t'ont fait mal?

MAMA CAROLINA. I think – twelve.

They say I belong to the Interhamwe.

I say I belong to my maman.

MATHILDE.
Tu te souviens de leurs noms?

MAMA CAROLINA. The leader. They call him Sergeant.

He laughs when he hurts me.

I shout and shout and he says

‘No one can hear you.

No one is listening.'

One day they forget me. They do not come back and I run, run, run, I walk, walk, walk.

SADHBH. And Mama Carolina found you?

AMALA
nods.

MAMA CAROLINA. She thinks I'm a ghost because I'm covered in white dust. I do not know if I am alive or if I am dead.

Mama Carolina – she brings me to this camp.

She says ‘Amala. You are alive.'

AMALA
steps away from
MAMA CAROLINA
and speaks for herself.

AMALA.
Je peux venir habiter avec toi. Je serais sage.

MAMA CAROLINA.
Calme – toi, ma petite Amala.

AMALA.
J'ai tellement peur de rester ici.

MAMA CAROLINA.
T'inquiete pas, Amala. Viens ici.

SADHBH. If I take you home then I have to take everyone home and I can't do that.

AMALA.
Ici je pleure tout le temps.

AMALA
throws herself into
SADHBH
's arms.

Tu peux être ma maman. Mama Sadhbh. Mama Sadhbh.

SADHBH
comforts
AMALA.

MAMA CAROLINA.
T'inquiete pas, Amala. Viens ici.

MAMA CAROLINA
extracts
AMALA
from
SADHBH
's arms.

C'est l'heure de dejeuner.

AMALA.
Ton chapeau?

Je l'aime bien. Tu es blanche.

SADHBH
hands her the hat.

SADHBH. The sun makes me – (
Mimes a burnt face.
) rouge!

AMALA
giggles and puts on the hat.

Amala. We want to stop Colonel Jerome and his soldiers hurting people.

MATHILDE.
Nous voulons l'empêcher de continuer á faire du mal.

AMALA.
Tu dois le tuer!

MATHILDE.
C'est le juge qui va décider.

AMALA
leans into
MAMA CAROLINA.

MAMA CAROLINA. Will he be there?

MATHILDE.
Non. Ca sera en huis clos.

SADHBH. You will tell your story to the judge. You won't see the Colonel.

AMALA.
Si tu es là, Mama, je peux raconter mon histoire.

MAMA CAROLINA.
Amala, tu es courageuse.

SADHBH. Then I will be there. I will be there.

Six

A bumpy and noisy clattering car journey.

The compound.

SADHBH
is leaning against a wall.

SADHBH. Oh, man.

MATHILDE. You are unwell again? Hey, don't faint. Ai ai.

MATHILDE
drags over a crate and makes
SADHBH
sit on it.

Put your head between your legs.

SADHBH
does so.
MATHILDE
crouches beside her.

That is a hell of a drive.

Sometimes I'm thinking are we gonna make it?

MATHILDE
takes
SADHBH
's hand.

Better?

SADHBH
nods.

SADHBH. A country without roads.

Hard to imagine until you are actually here.

MATHILDE. I can no longer feel my backside.

SADHBH
laughs.
MATHILDE
rubs
SADHBH
's back.

Today was too much, ah? The heat too.

You want to lie down in your room?

MATHILDE
takes a bottle of water from her bag.

SADHBH. No, no no.

She hands it to
SADHBH
who drinks.

MATHILDE. You want the whiskey in it?

SADHBH
shakes her head.

SADHBH. I draw the line at afternoon drinking.

SADHBH
holds out her hand to
MATHILDE.

You did well today. Thank you.

MATHILDE. Ahh – all the stories are mushed in my head.

I don't know… very shocking.

She breathes out.

The little girl we first interviewed today.

Amala
–
Oh my heart. It hurts.

SADHBH. There's always one like Amala – who catches your eye –

The sound of a gate being banged.

MATHILDE. She was Mburame's ‘wife'.

This is important testimony.
Non?

SADHBH. I made her a promise I shouldn't have.

I don't know where I'll be if it ever goes to trial.

The sound of a gate being banged.

MATHILDE. What do you mean ‘ever'?

The evidence against Mburame and his troops stacks up? We talked to twenty / women today who –

SADHBH. Mathilde – We're a human rights organisation – not the police, the army or the government. Our work puts pressure on other players to act. So we must present them fucking good evidence!

MATHILDE. So – we write up the report now, now, now. Let's call for his arrest.

SADHBH. None of those twenty women agreed to testify.

Do you understand?

MATHILDE. I didn't think –

SADHBH. This is just the beginning.

A
FEMALE SOLDIER
in army fatigues enters holding an AK-47.

SOLDIER. Madame Sadhbh!

SADHBH. That's me.

SOLDIER.
Toi, viens avec moi!

SADHBH. No. I don't think so.

SOLDIER.
J'ai reçu des instructions.

SADHBH. From who?

The
SOLDIER
hands over a letter.

SADHBH
reads the letter.

MATHILDE. What is going on?

SOLDIER.
J'ai reçu des instructions.

SADHBH. Put away your gun.

SOLDIER.
Okay, madame. Pardon.

The
SOLDIER
slings the gun across her back.

SADHBH. You have frightened us.

SOLDIER.
Excuse-moi si je t'ai effrayé.

SADHBH. Why did you do that?

SADHBH
hands
MATHILDE
the letter.

SOLDIER.
Pardon, madame.

Tu peux enmener ton garde du corps. / S'il te plait, ne le dit pas au commandant: il sera fâché contre moi.

MATHILDE. You're not thinking of going?

SADHBH. Of course not.

SOLDIER. Madame. Please. Please.

Je ne peux pas retourner sans vous.

SADHBH. Don't go back. You don't have to.

SOLDIER.
Alors là vous m'avez tuée!

MATHILDE. / She says you have killed her.

SADHBH. Oh – crap.

MATHILDE. Can we help? What / can we –

SADHBH. My security guard and I will travel in our own car.

MATHILDE. What?

SOLDIER.
Bien sur, madame.
You will follow me.

SADHBH. Okay. Wait outside, please.

SOLDIER.
Pardon, madame. Pardon.

The
SOLDIER
slopes off.

MATHILDE. So – I'm coming with you. Let's go.

SADHBH. Janvier will be with me.

MATHILDE. But it's crazy.

SADHBH. I've been meeting with warlords for years.

MATHILDE. What does that mean?

SADHBH. I'm going without you.

MATHILDE. No. No. No. I am very unhappy about this.

SADHBH. I'm looking forward to the chat.

She turns and
MATHILDE
physically stops her.

MATHILDE. Stop. Just stop.

You are trembling.

SADHBH. Let me go. If we're not back in two hours call MONUC.

SADHBH
exits.

MATHILDE
calls after her.

MATHILDE. Hey! We're in this together like a lifeboat?

Seven

Makeshift military headquarters.

SADHBH
is waiting. She is sitting by a small table and has a book and pen.

COLONEL MBURAME
enters. He is dressed in army fatigues. He wears a black beret and has a yellow band on his shoulder. He is wearing army boots polished to a high shine.

SADHBH
stands.

SADHBH.
Bonjour.

Merci pour votre invitation.

COLONEL MBURAME
beckons for her to sit down.

COLONEL MBURAME.
Je vous en prie.

SADHBH.
Colonel Mburame, vous êtes la première personne que je voulais venir saluer. / Est-ce que on peut parler?

COLONEL MBURAME. Why do you not wear a wedding ring? Madame?

SADHBH. Kavanagh. Are you aware who I work for?

COLONEL MBURAME. Of course.

SADHBH. DDH is a neutral organisation. We are not linked / to any government.

COLONEL MBURAME. You are not married, Madame Kavanagh?

SADHBH. I was hoping we could –

The
FEMALE SOLDIER
returns with a tray carrying two teacups and a pot of tea.

COLONEL MBURAME. English breakfast?

SADHBH. Thank you.

The
FEMALE SOLDIER
pours the tea.

COLONEL MBURAME. Rumour has it you sleep with all the men. But we understand about radio of the pavement in this country.

He looks to the
FEMALE SOLDIER
. She smiles and nods.

SADHBH. I was hoping we could talk about the situation in Masisi.

COLONEL MBURAME. Are you a politician?

SADHBH. Now that we have this opportunity I was –

The
FEMALE SOLDIER
gives
SADHBH
a cup of tea.

COLONEL MBURAME. You have answered none of my questions – but I must answer yours?

SADHBH. Go ahead.

The
FEMALE SOLDIER
gives
COLONEL MBURAME
a cup of tea.

COLONEL MBURAME. Where are you from?

SADHBH. Ireland.

COLONEL MBURAME. Top of the morning to you.

SADHBH. Very good.

COLONEL MBURAME. I was taught by a Sister Bernadette from Tipperary. Do you know this place?

SADHBH. Yes. I do.

COLONEL MBURAME. She made us sing hymns all the days.

‘
Venez donc, les petits enfants, chantons tous ensemble – parce que Jesus vous aime chaque jour.'

COLONEL MBURAME
smiles. He laughs. He encourages the
FEMALE SOLDIER
to laugh.

Sister Bernadette was a farmer's daughter.

Are you one such?

SADHBH. No. But I grew up surrounded by farmland.

I can milk a cow.

COLONEL MBURAME. Myself? – I was brought up on a farm. I too can milk a cow.

Tell me why are you going around asking questions?

SADHBH. Colonel Mburame. I've heard a very concerning issue that I'd like to raise with you.

COLONEL MBURAME
dismisses the
FEMALE SOLDIER
with a wave. The
FEMALE SOLDIER
steps back and stands to attention
–
her AK-47 slung in front of her body.

I've spoken at length with individuals and this is what I understand happened.

Your troops attacked the town of Masisi.

COLONEL MBURAME.
C'est faux.

SADHBH. Over thirty people were murdered. Many were tortured and mutilated.

COLONEL MBURAME. Hyper
faux.

SADHBH. On March 4th your troops raped fifty-three women. Colonel. I'd be very interested to hear your reaction to that.

COLONEL MBURAME. Madame Kavanagh. I am not a warlord.

I am a protector of my people.

SADHBH. Colonel Mburame – again these are allegations – but I also heard that your soldiers went to the St Thérese School
– picked out girls and raped them, held them prisoner over a period of three weeks and then left them in the road. / Seven young women have told me that and I understand there are more.

COLONEL MBURAME. I can't believe this.

SADHBH. I've heard allegations that girls as young as eight years old were brought to you and made sex slaves for you and your soldiers.

COLONEL MBURAME.
Comment osez-vous dire ca?
Are you not ashamed to accuse me of this?

SADHBH. There are people who specifically identify your troops in the attack. There are people who identify you.

COLONEL MBURAME. Has the genocide taught you nothing about Hutu liars and killers?

SADHBH. The type of uniform your group wears was identified.

COLONEL MBURAME. This is what you base your claims upon?

You realise these uniforms can be bought.

Our enemies are known to have done this before.
C'est faux, faux, arche faux.

SADHBH. Why are so many people talking about it? You –

Colonel Mburame will be held accountable for the actions of your men.

Are you aware that these kind of crimes are war crimes?

COLONEL MBURAME. Maybe a few of my soldiers on this occasion got a bit crazy. You know what it's like –

They just had a bit too much to drink but in my armed group we're very serious about that. I will make sure I find the perpetrators of these acts and they will be shot.

Dites moi qui a dit ça?