Cold blue light descends as a mournful flute drifts across the stage. Yaa Yaa and her children appear dressed in black, heads lowered. Barefoot singers hum in sorrow. A first group cries out, “Oh! Oh! Oh! Adeɛ a ato yɛn ani! We have lost a precious gem!” A second group rushes in: “What happened?Who??” The reply falls like a stone: “YawAsante… slept and never woke!” Shock ripples through the stage. “Buei! Why do goodmen die young?” The groups encircle Yaa Yaa, wailing and guiding her offstage as the narrator whispers, “Damirifa due…may God hide his soul in His bosom.” The lights dim gently, ending the scene in solemn silence. SCENE FIVE PART I The rise of a WARRIOR WOMAN 74 The Birthday Journal
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTAyMTM3NQ==