Читать книгу The Present Moment - Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye - Страница 6

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Women in the Refuge

BESSIE: Kikuyu. Does not remember her full name or age, or most of her lost family. Her last son, Leonard (Lucky), was born in detention.

MAMA CHUNGU (MOTHER PAIN): Seychelloise. Born Mimi Paul c. 1925. Brought to Mombasa by her father, a ship’s steward. Works as a servant for “Mr. Robert.”

MATRON: Kikuyu. A widow. In charge of the Refuge. Has four adult children.

NEKESA: Luyia. Born c. 1920 in Nairobi. Has lost touch with her family, except one brother. Friends and members of the Revival Fellowship, Keziah and Mama Victor, offer her help and support.

PRISCILLA NJUGNA: Kikuyu. Born c. 1923 in the “settled area,” where her father works as a cook in a European house. Marries Evans Njugna, and both work for the Bateson family.

RAHEL APUDO: Luo. Born c. 1915, daughter of a soldier. Marries a soldier with whom she has a son and two daughters, Vitalis, Margaret, and Florence. Her husband and her co-wife also have several children.

SOPHIA MWAMBA: Swahili. Born c. 1912 in Mombasa Old Town and named Fatuma. With her husband, Ali, has three children, Hassan, Mariam, and Hawa. Hawa has married Solomon Wau and has several children, including Joseph Baraka Wau. After Ali’s death, Fatuma marries a Taita Christian, Henry Mwamba, and been baptisted Sophia. Henry has a daughter, Emma, from his previous marriage.

WAIRIMU: Kikuyu. Born c. 1905, daughter of Gichuru with several sisters and a brother. As a young woman, is seduced by Waitito.

Nurses

GERTRUDE: Friend of Mary Kamau. Engaged to Sam Kamau.

JANE: Engaged to John, who is in the Kenya Air Force.

MARY KAMAU: Friendly with Jose Baraka Wau, and has a brother, Sam Kamau.

Other characters

“LADY FROM THE CATHEDRAL”: Escorts Mrs. Reinhold, and has known Priscilla and Mama Chungu.

MRS. REINHOLD: An employee of a donor agency, observing projects in different parts of Africa.

THE SOLDIER: A vagrant, and subject to delusions.

REV. ANDREW WAITITO: Son of Nellie, brought up in an Ugandan orphanage.

Historical figures mentioned

ARCHBISHOP ALEXANDER: South African church leader who helped inspire the independent church movements.

JAMES BEAUTTAH: Kikuyu activist.

ARCHDEACON LEONARD BEECHER: Representative of African interests in the British Legislative Council and later Anglican archbishop of East Africa.

CHARLES BOWRING: Colonial secretary.

ARTHUR CREECH-JONES: Colonial secretary.

MR. DOORLY: Nairobi magistrate.

SHEIKH HYDER: Head of a prominent Mombasa family.

JOMO KENYATTA: Activist and later, first president of Kenya.

MARGARET WAMBUI KENYATTA: daughter of President Kenyatta and mayor of Nairobi

CHEGE KIBACHIA: trade unionist.

MBIYU KOINANGE: Founder of the Kenya Teacher Training College, minister of state under Kenyatta.

FRED KUBAI: Trade unionist.

ELIUD MATHU: Representative of African interests after Beecher.

MARY NYANJIRU: Protestor in the “Harry Thuku riots” of 1922.

MAKHAN SINGH: Trade unionist.

ABDULLA TAIRARA: Colleague of Thuku.

HARRY THUKU: Kikuyu political activist, 1895–1970.

REV. MR. WRIGHT: Anglican chaplain.

NOTE: In Kikuyu custom, the first son is named after the paternal grandfather, so there will be a recurring sequence of names.