Dear Lord
︎ AnotherKind Playlist, Track 7. Howard Roberts, Jonas Gwangwa, Howard Roberts Chorale, ‘Motherless Child’, 1968. Let my People Go.
SCENE 22: PARK STATION REDUX
Singing, the CHORUS moves into the audience and sit down.
CHORUS: (singing) What are you doing, Silumko?
Where are you going, Silumko?
Who do you follow, Silumko?
What do you seek Silumko?
Are you lost in the hollow city, Silumko?
From the audience, the CHORUS watches the following scene unfold.
SILUMKO, togbag in hand, walks into the middle of Park Station. It is completely empty. Dead silence.
SILUMKO: Hello? Hello? I need some assistance here. How is this possible? Not a single soul in the whole of Park Station? Hello? Anyone, please? Not now, this is not the time I want to be alone…. Come on, man!
Silence.
SILUMKO: Okay, fine.
He gets down on his knees, hands clasped in prayer.
SILUMKO: Dear Lord, I know you are not used to hearing from me but I need your guidance… I am caught between a rock and a hard place and I need you to tell me what to do. I need you to tell me whether to stay or go. (He waits. Nothing.) Please. Anything. A sign. (No sign comes. He stands and looks around for the chorus. Doesn’t see them watching him from the audience) What about you three? Always talking, talking, talking in my head and the one time I actually need you, you are nowhere to be found? Come on! This can’t be happening. I need help. I can’t be left to my own devices…
CHORUS A: Can’t we help him?
CHORUS B: No. Not this time.
CHORUS C: He needs to do this on his own.
[...]
Singing, the CHORUS moves into the audience and sit down.
CHORUS: (singing) What are you doing, Silumko?
Where are you going, Silumko?
Who do you follow, Silumko?
What do you seek Silumko?
Are you lost in the hollow city, Silumko?
From the audience, the CHORUS watches the following scene unfold.
SILUMKO, togbag in hand, walks into the middle of Park Station. It is completely empty. Dead silence.
SILUMKO: Hello? Hello? I need some assistance here. How is this possible? Not a single soul in the whole of Park Station? Hello? Anyone, please? Not now, this is not the time I want to be alone…. Come on, man!
Silence.
SILUMKO: Okay, fine.
He gets down on his knees, hands clasped in prayer.
SILUMKO: Dear Lord, I know you are not used to hearing from me but I need your guidance… I am caught between a rock and a hard place and I need you to tell me what to do. I need you to tell me whether to stay or go. (He waits. Nothing.) Please. Anything. A sign. (No sign comes. He stands and looks around for the chorus. Doesn’t see them watching him from the audience) What about you three? Always talking, talking, talking in my head and the one time I actually need you, you are nowhere to be found? Come on! This can’t be happening. I need help. I can’t be left to my own devices…
CHORUS A: Can’t we help him?
CHORUS B: No. Not this time.
CHORUS C: He needs to do this on his own.
[...]
