{"id":18940,"date":"2017-01-05T16:56:10","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T15:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/?p=18940"},"modified":"2022-11-09T12:16:52","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T11:16:52","slug":"caya-makhele-congo-brazzaville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/caya-makhele-congo-brazzaville\/","title":{"rendered":"Caya MAKH\u00c9L\u00c9 – Congo Brazzaville"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Caya<\/a>
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Caya Makhele was born in Congo-Brazzaville in 1954 and has been living in Paris for the fast 8 years . A play-writer and theatre producer, who started his own company in 1981 and put together some of his own works which were played in Brazzaville, Kinshasa and Paris : \u2019Sa Majest\u00e9 le vent\u2019, \u2019Le boxeur\u2019, \u2019La fable du clo\u00eetre des cimeti\u00e8res\u2019 . Caya Makhele is also a writer of two\u00a0<\/span>novels, \u2019L'homme au landau\u2019 and \u2019Le voyage inattendu\u2019 (\u00c9ditions L\u2019Harmattan), and one children's book, \u2019Une vie d\u2019\u00e9l\u00e9phants' (Edicef-Hachette).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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***<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Canis Familiaris<\/h1>\n

[published in RN 04 in March 1992, unpublished original text written in French translated by V.C. Koppel]<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What we have here is a god who's been banished and become a devil on earth.<\/em><\/p>\n

The gods have their black sheep too.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this scene the metamorphosis of Makiadi continues.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2013 A stand in the marketplace. Beyond it some two-by-fours are scattered about on the ground.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba \u2013 In a trance<\/em>
A grey miniature poodle, lovely lady, and your hair will stand on end! The poodle is for an estouffade. One of my favorite dishes. Marinate the poodle for as long as your patience holds out, in palm wine seasoned with pimento, bay leaves, a few cloves, little onions, salt and a litre of peanut oil. When the big day comes, reheat the poodle with bacon cut in triangles, strain the marinade, put the meat in a casserole and simmer, covered, here again, for as long as you can stand it. While that\u2019s cooking, make a thick sauce of chicken or tortoise blood... My good man, for you, two black briards and you\u2019ll leave here with as many dirty tricks as you\u2019d ever need to know ! I am Ogba the devil-god. Here today, gone tomorrow. Don\u2019t miss your chance. I\u2018ve got nine hundred and ninety thousand objects that\u2019ll transport you to worlds you never dreamed of. You\u2019ve got troubles, I\u2019m a trouble doctor, like I was a shoe doctor, a watch doctor, a clothes doctor, doctor of all sorts of problems. Don\u2019t hesitate to come see me, I\u2019ve got a solution for all your problems. Have a look, it can\u2019t hurt. Some camel stomach powder, scorpion venom and cockroach turd liqueurs, frog spittle, holy water and lilliputian sperm balms. Ageless vials. Come on over, don\u2019t be afraid ! Are you all gonna desert me ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
I\u2019m Ogba, the devil-god. Kind today, who knows what tomorrow. Choose your day. Butter me up with a couple of dogs : a Yorkshire male, a Basset female, vaccinated and tatooed, a Greyhound, a Bulldog, a Briard, a Fox terrier, a Boxer, a Doberman, pedigreed or not, even some Dachshunds, that dirty nasty species - according to St. Anthony \u2013 and don\u2019t forget the Bat\u00e9k\u00e9 dogs. Ogba is a cross-eyed pig. He burps, limps, ogles, drools and farts.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba is Ogba !
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\u2013 Come in Makiadi<\/em>
Ogba knows just what you need, a mask. I\u2019ve got masks of all colors here. You want to be white, black, yellow, red, albino, mulatto, I\u2019ve got the mask for you. Happy masks, sad masks, hypocrite masks, hate masks, desperation and disdain masks, tired masks and rested masks. Just put one on and off you go, a new you.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
No thanks, I don\u2019t need a mask.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
That\u2019s too bad, a little happy mask would brighten your face up.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
Sorry, but I have the face I need. It\u2019s the face of defeat, abandon, and resignation.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
In that case you need a hate mask. You\u2019ll hate every creature on earth.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
I wouldn\u2019t know how to have hate on my face. I was forbidden to show hate.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
By whom ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
A woman.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
You love her and you\u2019re trying to forget, is that it ? She\u2019s driving you crazy and you don\u2019t know where to find her. She\u2019s running through your veins like a spooked horse and you feel her whinny in your gut. You\u2019re in love with a dead woman. The leash she\u2019s got you on reaches through limbo, a universe I know well.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
You\u2019re right.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
Ogba can\u2019t be wrong. Ogba has eyes everywhere. Night eyes, day eyes, X-ray eyes, eyes that see far and wide. I take care of my eyesight with cat\u2019s eyes. I don\u2019t like cat meat, so when there\u2019s cat I only eat the eyes. I\u2019m a worry doctor and I\u2019m at your service, noble sir.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
Can you tell me how to find my beloved and how to save her ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
How many dogs have you got ? I don\u2019t want any more cat\u2019s eyes. I had a stomach ache just last night from too many. So, how many dogs have you got ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
None.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
This country is disappointing ; Not a single dog left. Let me tell you, there was a time when you couldn\u2019t even go out, the sidewalk was so full of dog shit. Those were the good old days. Ogba arrived... Ogba, that\u2019s me. We\u2019re Ogba from generation to generation, so that down through the ages there is, in effect, but one Ogba. Anyway, at that time, all I had to do was reach out my hand to catch as many canis familiaris as I could eat. Other times, other tastes.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
All you eat is dog ? You don\u2019t think that\u2019s disgusting ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
Have you ever heard of education ? Being taught how to woo a woman, how to dress, to have morals. In my case, I was taught how to eat. I was taught to eat dogs, and they\u2019re good to chew, they are the basic identity of my stomach. And we\u2019re living in an age of identities, don\u2019t you agree ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
Is that a reason ?
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
What do you know about stewed spaniel leg, about how you have to let it hang two full days, debone it just half way up, wrap it twice in strips of lard, tie the whole thing together with string, and not forget to stick it with raw garlic cloves ? You have to know how to prepare the skillet using palm oil. Then all you have to do is add the spaniel, seal the pot and put it in a hot oven. You wait, but not very long, because the smell coming from the oven will well whet your appetite. Take it out and sprinkle it with a little water. Done like this, it cooks through and ends up with a delicious, crusty skin.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
Listen, I didn\u2019t really mean anything by that. I know there are even people who eat caterpillar and snails. I\u2019m perfectly tolerant, in fact. I just don\u2019t have a dog to give you.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
No matter ! You seem likable enough to me. I\u2019m gonna give you the steak tartare of german shepherd recipe... Really - it\u2019s so easy, you can probably guess what to do. Better yet, the recipe for bulldog head in grain sauce.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
Keep your recipe. Just give me a new face and get going.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
Don\u2019t worry, I\u2019m going to change your face right away and for free.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\u2013 He rumages through his stuff pulling out one mask after another.<\/em>
No, not this one, it\u2019s too narrow. Not this one either, no...no...no... Decidedly, there\u2019s nothing here that really suits you. Oh look...look ! What have we here ? A habit ! Ogba the devil-god has found a monk\u2019s frock for his nameless friend.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\u2013 He gives him the monk\u2019s robe.<\/em>
It\u2019s the body mask you should change. Here, put this on !
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
You\u2019re not thinking straight, these things are sacred !
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
Because I\u2019m a devil-god and because I guarantee peace of mind. Don\u2019t hesitate too long, opportunity may be passing you by.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
If you think this will help me find my beloved...
He puts the habit on. Church bells ring and a religious chant can be heard.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
Do you hear how the habit is accepting you ? Have faith in my diabolic know-how, you\u2019re not far from this woman you call your beloved.
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Makiadi<\/em>
If only what you say could be true !
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Ogba<\/em>
Here, as a bonus, I\u2019ll build you a confessional.
He slaps together two seats out of the two-by-fours lying around and puts them facing each other.
There you go, a poor man\u2019s confessional, but it works.
He packs up his things and leaves.
See you later !
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>
Caya Makhele<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Caya Makhele writer from Congo-Brazzaville. Unpublished text for Revue Noire ‘Canis Familiaris’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250,64],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18940"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18940"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22573,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18940\/revisions\/22573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.revuenoire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}