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Telephone Conversation

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Submitted By hanishams
Words 335
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Telephone Conversation

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam" , I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey - I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of pressurized good breeding. Voice, when it came, Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder piped. Caught I was, foully.
"HOW DARK?" ..I had not misheard....."ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK"
Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Read Booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar
It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis-
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came
"You mean- like plan or milk chocolate?"
Her accent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality Rapidly, wave-length adjusted
I chose. "West African sepia" as afterthought.
"Down my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness changed her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding "DON'T KNOW WHAT
THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?"
"Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but madam you should see the rest of me. Palm of my hands, soles of my feet.
Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused-
Foolishly madam- by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black- One moment madam! - sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears- "Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"

Wole Soyinka
The author of Telephone Conversation, Wole Soyinka. Is a Nigerian playwright and political activist. He's won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. He wrote everything from novels to plays to poems. He's taught literature and drama and headed several drama groups. He was a lecturer as well and some of his lectures even got published. He's done everything from A-Z in the literature department. He's managed to head several political groups, served time and has been exiled. He was the first black African to be awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature.

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