One Act Play

Written by Abdirahman Yusuf Artan

Translated by Zahra Jibril

The Action in the play is taking place one of the cities in United Kingdom

Characters in the play

1. Milgo: Hodon’s mother from a former Husband  35 years
2. Alin: Milgo’s Husband 50 years
3. Anab: Milgo’s cousin  40
4. Ali: Anab’s son 17
5. Amina: Anab’s daughter 19
6. Mukhtar: neighborhood friend 22
7. Ahmed: neighborhood friend 18
8. Naimo:  neighborhood friend 16
9. Sh. Hassan Imam of the local Mosque 30
10. Crowd of young people (how many?)

 Scene 1

Anab and Milgo are on stage. Both of them look very stressed and anxious. Milgo looks very sad as well.

Anab:  Milgo, what happened? You came back very quickly. Did you not carry out the task we discussed? Hey, why do you look so upset?

Milgo: Anab, something really bad has happened to me… but it is not something I can tell you here sister… come closer to me.

Anab: (They lean closer towards each other) Did you already sort Hodon out and make her halal?

Milgo:  No, I did not make her halal, I buried her! (Milgo looks devastated and full of fear)

Anab: Buried her? (Anab is in shock and expresses disbelief and is confused about what Milgo means).

Milgo: Burying her would have been better… Hodon is injured….. I should have listened to you when you told me…

Anab: Sister Milgo calm down…… You are crying. What is going on? 

Milgo: As soon as we arrived back home, it was the first thing we decided to sort out. This old lady was recommended to us by everyone. I knew she did the procedure quiet painfully, but I took my daughter to her. She was a wise old woman, who has carried out female circumcision on hundreds of other girls. I do not know what went wrong. As soon as she started the procedure and the small blade slit Hodon, I told the old women, “How come you do not use anaesthetics!?”  She replied, “I have never used anaesthetics on any of the girls I have circumcised”.  Then my dear sister, the old lady started to circumcise Hodon. Myself and four other women were holding Hodon down. From the moment the blade touched Hodon, she was screaming – not just any scream…her scream could spilt the sky or wake the dead! Her scream pieced my soul! I have never heard such an anguish and pain in my life!! Even the old lady who was furthers away from her and holding her leg down said, “what are these terror inducing screams that are coming from this young girl?”

(Milgo is in pain and crying softly. She continues).

After that terror filled screams, there was not another sound from Hodon, Not another sound emerged. I looked at her face. She was silent but huge tears dripped from her eyes. Her face covered in sweat even though we were sitting in a cold place. Her eyes caught mine. Her gaze full of pain and a thousand accusations. I couldn’t hold her gaze. I think she understood the enormity of the injury that she sustained. I loosened my grip on her arms. She struggled to lift the dead weight of her arm up to softly caress my face. Tears filled my eyes and started to fall, dripping down on to her face. She bared her teeth and the arm she held up to my face fell heavily on to the floor.  I leaped forward and said to the old lady who was still carrying out the procedure, “Stop! Stop! My daughter has died! Stop cutting her with the blade!”. The old women said, “I am very fast. I finished the procedure a long time ago. Get off the girl and stop bending over her”.   I thought Hodan had died but she was still alive. I relaxed a little bit, but after a while Hodon was still silent. She had still not uttered a single word. I realised that the severity of the pain had sent her into some kind of shock. Her terror screams and anguish had burst her ear drums damaging her hearing and speaking ability. (Anab silently cries)

This is my situation now. Maybe it would have been better if she had died. This is all my fault! I know there is no adequate medical care in Somaliland, so I decided to bring Hodon back to England to get her the medical help she needs.

Read the rest of the Play:The Muted Cry

Written by Abdirahman Yusuf Artan

Email: cycartan@yahoo.com