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Subject: Literature In English
Topic: Summary Analysis of The Novel ” Let Me Die Alone” By John Kolosa Kargbo.
Lesson Objectives: by the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to:
1. Summarise the play Let me die alone;
2. Give plot summary of the play;
3. State the setting of the play;
4. Mention the characters and their roles in the play;
5. Pick out the themes in the play.

Learning Aids: See Reference Resources below lesson content.

Note: This is just summary of the novel for instruction purpose and does not cover all contents. As students preparing for exams, we always advise not to depend on this alone but get a copy of the book from bookshops for detailed study. 

Lesson Summary / Discussion

The Play-wtite
John Kolosa Kargbo is the author of The play “let me die alone.” He was born a1954 and lived till 1994. He is a native of Sierra Leone. He has contributed greatly to development of African literature.

SUMMARY OF THE PLAY

“Let me die alone” by John Kolosa Kargbo, is a play written in three short acts with rich dramatic and theatrical values. The play opens at Senehun in Gbanya’s bedroom amidst Sanded running offstage, with Gbanya pulling a shouting Yoko, his wife, into the room. Yoko has just been dislodged from the company of her Sande women (a cult of women dancers and entertainers) to come and attend to the emotional urge of her husband. She protests as Gbanya forces her to his bed. This protest gradually changes to ecstatic and sensual moans but soon interrupted by violent knocking offstage. Gbanya who is the ruler of Mende Chiefdom receives a message that Governor Rowe, the British Colonial Representative will be visiting tomorrow. This kind of visit isunusual; Gbanya quickly summons a meeting of his warriors as he suspects it might have something to do with the boys he hired out to John Caulker to fight against his brother, George. Yoko senses that her husband is troubled and he confirms that he is unwell and even fears to sleep at night because of the constant visits of his ancestors to him in his dream, imploring him to join them. It dawns on Gbanya that his end is imminent. Yoko suggests sacrifices to ensure a peaceful journey, believing that he should’ not die without honour. Gbanya prepares to receive his enemy the Governor with the greatest of gifts but his wife Yoko thinks differently; the warrior must be put on the alert to forestall any eventuality. She reminds him further Of his promise to hand over the chiefdom to her at his death. Unfortunately, Gbanya wants to rescind this promise because of many enemies hovering around the chiefdom to wipe off his people and reasons that a man will hold the fort better than a woman at the helm of affairs. She insists and questions his sincerity and betrayal having encouraged her not to bear children because of the prerequisite initiation into the male Poro cult before she can be come king. She complied and now at the verge of old age she is being abandoned. Gbanya prefers to handover the chiefdom to Ndapi but Yoko would not want to share her bed with Ndapi as custom demands that a new king inherits the wives of the old one. Yoke also draws his attention to the different women who have reigned successfully over some chiefdoms for many years, such as Take Yoya, Kema of Galu, Fangawa of Wando, Kpanda Gbello of leppiama Woki of Tunkia and Nancy Caulker in Sherbro land. Gbanya agrees they are good rulers and also good lovers in bed and drags her to the bed to show him how good she is too. Lamboi is equally interested in taking over the chiefdom from Gbanya but fears that his sister, Yoko, may succeed to persuade and compel her husband to hand over the chiefdom to her. He therefore connives with Musa, the seer and medicine man, through blackmail to plot the death of Gbanya before he makes any commitment to Yoko, his wife. Lamboi: “All I want you to do is to kill the chief and help me to prevent the chiefdom from falling into the hands of a woman” (p. 94).They both strategize and resolved to lure Gbanya to the Poro bush after the Governor’s visit to drink from a medicine bottle poisoned with the gall of alligator. Final preparations to receive the Governor are underway. Gbanya wants to give five fat cows, five fat rams and sheep as presents to the governor. Lamboi thinks they are too much for Governor Rowe, but the chief insists. Musa prepares the chief’s mind to visit the Poro bush after the Governor’s visit, so they can carry out their evil plot to kill Gbanya. Yoko has a premonition that a great evil will be fall their household today and urges Gbanya to prepare for war as he receives the Governor and ambush him. He faults the judgement and berates her as a woman: “Can our chakabulas and spears, or machetes and slings withstand the guns of the Governor and his frontier soldiers?” Gbanya announces that his elaborate reception for the Governor is to sue for peace and protect his people from senseless killings. Governor Rowe arrives and accuses the chief of sending his warriors to fight on John Caulker’s side against his brother, which the Governor sees as a direct affront against his orders that there should be no more fighting. Gbanya continues to deny the accusation but the Governor humiliates him by ordering his soldiers to stretch him out on the ground and beat him with a whip. The chief is equally fined to pay fifty pounds in the equivalence of cattle and rice. The Governor and his team leave. Lamboi and Musa cash in on this development to give the chief a poisoned drink to kill him, pretending it is meant to relieve his pain. On realizing that death is inevitable, he curses his killers and instructs Yoko who just comes in to take charge of the chiefdom. Lamboi tries to persuade her out of the idea of becoming chief because she has to join the Poro cult which would consequently prevent her from bearing children. But she insists she is ready to be chief; she mourns her husband and she is coronated as the next ruler of Mende Chiefdom. Act Two opens with Jilo preparing to cook and Lansana her lover appears to have an affair with her. Jilo resists, fearing that her husband, Ndapi, may show up. He seizes her against her wish claiming that having failed to talk her into it, the other option left is to force her. Lansana gags her with his hand and drags her into the hut Just then Ndapi and Lavalie, a warrior, enter from opposite ends. They both express concern over the ‘mysterious’ death of their chief, Gbanya. There was something unusual about the funeral; the dead chief’s skin was black as charcoal, yet no one could give any credible explanation, not even Ngo Musa, the medicine man who saw it all. Yoko now feels her life threatened and does not even trust her brother, Lamboi. She wants to embark on expansionist war of her warlords feel otherwise; Ndapi and Lavalie especially, who now leave to strategize on how to stop Yoko from embarking on war. Lansana and Jilo emerge from the hut; he got what he wanted and he is prepared to risk his life for a repeat performance at a safer place. Ndapi returns home and queries Jilo, his wife of her where about; why isn’t food ready for him to eat? She blames it on their sick daughter, Jeneba. Ndapi does not take kindly to her excuses, he steps on her big toe and slaps her. A guard enters and prostrates but warns him against the danger of beating his wife every day; he could lose self-esteem. Both men review Yoko’s greed for war which they consider vain and provocative. Jilo also reveals Yoko’s plan to move the chiefdom from Senehun to Moyamba. we meet Yoko in her royal splendour in her palace in Moyamba with many women attending to her needs. They all like it here in Moyamba; the chiefdom has expanded even more. Yoko reminisces her dead husband —Musu and Fanneh (her maids) think his spirit is guiding her because In Moyamba they have found peace and the Governor is very happy. Yoko however feels uneasy with the fear of the unknown, that she may be killed and her reign toppled. She also misses the joy of motherhood she lives under tremendous pressure from those who do not want her on the throne especially Lamboi her brother and Musa, the medicine man who she suspects killed her husband. Yoko asks after Jeneba (Jenneh), Ndapi’s daughter who she adopted as her daughter with so much care and affection. She brought to Yoko and the little girl confirms that her father often beat her mother A guard announces the arrival of a messenger from the Governor who is well received and made comfortable. Yoko prepares for a meeting with the elders (Lavalie, Ngo Musa, Keke Lamboi and Ndapi); Ndapi beats his wife, Jilo, and drags her in before Chief Yoko. Jilo is accused of adultery with a member of Yoko’s household, Lansana. He is already on the run to Taiama; Yoko deploys two warriors to apprehend him outrightly Yoko is disappointed with Jilo for the abominable act with Lansana, a rescued war slave and ordered her detention as a reprimand. Jilo’s three-month-old pregnancy is also wasted because of the illicit act. Yoko assures Ndapi that she will make Lansana pay all the damages. Yoko is visibly angry more than ever before; Lansana betrayed his friendship with Ndapi. Lamboi and Musa hatch up a plan to kidnap and kill Jeneba, the little girl Yoko is so fond of and loved by the community. The intention is to shift the blame on Yoko as the murderer and mislead the people to believe that her growing strength as a chief is because she sacrifices young children because she sacrifices young children to her charms by burying them alive. This plan they hope will whip up the sentiment of the people against her and ultimately force her to abdicate the throne or be forced into exile or be killed. With her out of the way, Lamboi hopes to ascend the throne. Musa does not believe it is a very good strategy, but Lamboi assures him that the searchlight will be on Yoko and not them. Madam Yoko with some of her elders receive the Governor’s messenger in her palace with pompand pageantry. The Messenger appreciates the unprecedented reception accorded him and delivers the message of the Governor, servant of her Imperial Majesty the Queen of Great Britain. The Governor considers her a shining example of African leaders who blend grace,magnanimity, bravery, audacity, tranquillity, and majesty to her role as custodian of the protectorate. He wishes her well in her reign. Jilo prepares to go and wash in the river but wants her daughter, Jeneba, taken to Madam Yoko by Fanneh but she is on an errand for Yoko to look forLansana. Fanneh wants to know why Jilo committed adultery She complains that her husband abuses her body with incessant beating and he is not tender with her while, on caring and also makes her proud as a woman. A woman needs reassurance and admiration, and Lansana gives all these. Jilo sees Fanneh off leaving Jeneba all by herself. Lamboi sneaks in, hypnotizes Jeneba with a fruit and some other medicinal liquid substances and takes her aways sleep walking. In the palace, Yoko announces to her elders in council that the Governor has sent for her to two chiefs in Taiama and she has to leave that evening. The elders want the council to discuss the property tax the Governor has imposed on their land, but Yoko suspends any discussion on the matter’ as she opts to execute the Governor’s order. She hands over the Chiefdom to lamboi to take charge in her absence, just then two warriors enters with lansana and yoke orders his detention without food till she returns from her trip as he is being led away Jilo breaks wailing and announces the disappearance of her daughter, jeneba. Yoko also orders an immediate search party for the missing to be found at all cost; appoints Musa as second in command to Lamboi for a few days and they direct orders to find the girl before Yoko returns, but Jilo is devastated as she weeps uncontrollably In Act ‘Three, Lamboi is alone in the palace (barre) and about his quest for power, control and dominion over his fellow men, his walk towards the throne and seat of supreme power, blood has been spilled and there no going back for him, his hands have bean soiled With the blood of Gbanya, Jeneba and Yoko ‘Day be next because she stands between him and his ultimate dcsire to be the Chief’ or Moyamba Chiefdom. Iavalic enters with no good news on Jeneba, He leaves to get palm wine and Musa enters. Musa has been busy spreading the rumour that Yoko has used Jeneba as sacrifice; buried her alive in a big pot to fortify her power and acquire more power to gain the favour of the Governor. The same dummy is sold to Ndapi, Cather of the missing girl; he buys it after some persuasions that Gbeni the oracle revealed it and also with the potent rumour mill spearheaded by the women. Sande women, a powerful cult, summons a meeting to dispose Queen Yoko for this supposed dreadful deed. Ndapi sends word to the women to break up the meeting. Queen Yoko returns and is surprised at the disrespectful reception she receives from her subjects. Those she put in charge o the chiefdom, Lamboi and Musa, even call her murderer too. Ndapi confronts her to produce his daughter if she wants to be Queen again and sits on her throne with heavy thunder rumbling. She is accused of of sacrificing Jeneba and burying her alive in a big pot; she is defenceless in her innocence; she is subjected to great humiliation and insults by Lamboi, Musa, Ndapi and has come under the scorn of the entire chiefdonv, she is called murderer, witch, devil, and wicked. Ndapi even insults her with her childlessness — “you don’t know the pain of childbirth, so you don’t know the worth of a child. You have never had children of your own, so you don’t know what motherly love is.” She offers to swear by Poro to prove her innocence but she is not given a chance as no one believes her. Just then news comes that Jeneba’s body has been found behind Sande bush with the breastbone broken, the heart pulled out, her neck cut with a knife and her private parts removed. The nature of this dead body negates the claim of Lamboi and Musa that the child was buried alive. It is this revelation that necessitates a re think and Yoko gets a reprieve and seizes the opportunity to investigate the matter to discover the real culprits.At the Poro shrine in the night, it is discovered that Lamboi and Musa are responsible for the death of Jeneba. Queen Yoko is thereby vindicated and Queen Yoko is thereby vindicated and Ndapi promises to go after them to seek redress. The Messenger to the Governor brings a message to Queen Yoko at the Poro bush; he is stopped from entering by the guards because only initiates and members are admitted into the shrine. But Queen Yoko clears the Messenger as a member and he gains access to see her. He brings a message to reduce the territorial control of the Queen and she is upset by it and sees it as a disgrace. On hearing this message, she sends Lavalie for some herbs which he sends to her through a guard. She gives it to Musa to prepare as usual into a thick concoction. Queen Yoko turns, back to the Messenger to express her displeasure over the boundary demarcation. After her long years of service and loyalty to the Governor, this manner of reward is least expected. She feels used and insulted and sends strong words back to the Governor. Ndapi and Jilo come to seek forgiveness from the Queen claiming they were misled; Lamboi and Musa set a trap for them. The Queen will hear none of their apologies. she recalls that her late husband warned her that “behind every set of white teeth there lurks an evil plotting mind”. She dismisses the couple and the Messenger; the concoction is ready and Musa suspects it is poison and wanted to drink it first before the Queen. Yoko says no, “Let Me Die Alone” because she has savoured the fruits of power alone; known and enjoyed the grandeur of high office alone. She drinks the poison to die and avoid the humiliation of her power being whittled down by the Governor. In death she hopes to find peace and never to be used again. She connects with the noble ancestors of the land to receive her she slumps to the ground and sends word to the entire chiefdom not to be mourned as she did not bring a child to this world. She dies and a dirge rises.

THE PLOT
The play begins with Chief Gbanya, the ruler of Mende Chiefdom forcing Madam Yoko, his wife to bed to satisfy his sexual desire as that is the only thing women are meant for aside child-bearing and domestic chores. But Yoko is determined to show her relevance and usefulness in the ruining of the Chiefdom by reminding her husband of his promise to hand over the reign to her. Not only does her husband, Gbanya, care less about her opinion in the affairs of the State, he strongly believes that the Chiefdom must be ruled by a man and so does Lamboi, Musa and Ndapi. Madam Yoko rises to prove all and sundry wrong by insisting that Gbanya should keep to his word and it is the same fear that leads to Lamboi and Musa poisoning Chief Gbanya after his humiliation and public flogging by the British Governor, Rowe. In his last gasp, Gbanya asks Yoko to take charge of the Chiefdom and that does not go well for Lamboi and Musa who again plot against Yoko with false rumours and allegations of murder to dethrone her but which she survives, thanks to her wits wars that her husband would have shield away from. Yoko’s wisdom, courage and strength of character makes her defeat Lamboi and Musa in their own evil schemes. Unfortunately, the play ends with Madam Yoko committing suicide. Thanks to the falsity of the British Governor, who truncates her chiefdom and clips her wings. She dies a great tragic heroin, a legendary Madam Yoko.

LITERARY DEVICE / DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES OF LET ME DIE ALONE

Language/Style
Kargbo makes superb use of the English Language in Let Me Die Alone. The play is particularly well crafted and the language is embedded with cultural nuances that adequately contextualize the play, especially the rich use of proverbs.

Kargbo makes superb use of the English Language in Let Me Die Alone. The play is particularly well crafted and the language is embedded with cultural nuances that adequately contextualize the play, especially the rich use of proverbs.

Songs And Dance
Kargbo carefully intersperses the different acts with song and dance and pays particular attention to sound effects. The Sande dancers are of particular interest here. As they have the wherewithal to entertain, so they also have the power to check and balance the authorities.

Comic Relief
Moments of comic relief also heighten the overall tragic nature of the play. The way Gbanya drag Yoko to bed stimulates some pleasurable interest. The encounter between the guards and Messenger also underscores some comic relief. The Messenger has been manhandled before the guards realize that he is a member of the very powerful Poro Society (pp. 131-134).

Symbols
In the play thunder rumbles. Jeneba, poison are key symbols deployed to advance its plot structure At some significant points in the play, thunder rumbles to arrest our attention to consciousness Jeneba in the play represents shattered hope and a new order denied from sprouting. Poison becomes a potent tool of ending the reign of each leader in the play. Gbanya died from poison by his trusted aids while Yoko’s death is by self-consumed poison. For Gbanya, poison took him out in a disgraceful manner but Yoko used poison to leave the scene with her royal esteem and integrity intact. Poison in this instance has a dual image of negative and positive ends. But why does Kargbo make the two chiefs to die by poison? Probably for dramatic convenience.

Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, or a chapter, and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story. We have some instances of this literary device in Let Me Die Alone. When Jeneba is sent to call Lamboi and Musa for a meeting in the palace, Lamboi admires her and remarks that “Girls of her type stand to dje in the hands of the enemies of Senehun” (p. 94). This statement foreshadows Jeneba’s abduction and gruesome death in the hands of Lamboi and Musa who are indeed the enemies of Senehun. Similarly, Yoko has a premonition that “a great ill will befall this household today” (p. 96); the Governor later comes to flog her husband, Gbanya, and he is eventually poisoned to death. As royalty, Gbanya does not want a humiliating death but he ironically foreshadows an unpleasant end – “why should who sent so many to enemies non their quest for such peace be afraid to die? No, I am not. My fear rests in the manner of dying” (p. 87). Gbanya dies of poison with his skin turned black as charcoal.

THE SETTING OF THE PLAY (LOCALE)
Set in Sierra Leone let me die alone depict the ancient royal descent of African kingdoms like Mende, Gbo, Taimawaro and Bandajuma during the colonial era when these kingdoms Chiefdoms where under the chains of imperialism orchestrated by the Western powers which are Britain, France, America etc. a time when Africans even the service of the white man are ridiculed and mocked at the slightest provocation. It can be dated to about 1849 as it presents the reign of Yoko who became the chief of Senehun and later officially recognised as Queen of Senehun by the British.

THEMES

  1. Lust For Power
    Madam Yoko represents one with a lust for power and authority. Though she does not kill or maim for its sake, she sacrifices her chance of motherhood to join the Poro, which is the only stumbling block to her ascension to the throne after her husband, Chief Gbanya’s death. In the same vein, Yoko’s brother, Lamboi resorts to murder and homicide in his bid to wrestle the throne of Mende chiefdom from Yoko. First, he connives with Musa to poison Gbanya so as to stop him from handing over to Yoko. When he lost at the first attempt, because Yoko defiled every obstacle to claim the throne, he kidnaps and kills Jennifer, and once again, through Musa, he spreads the false rumour that madam Yoko had used the child for sacrifice just to dethrone her. At a time, Madam Yoko wishes she had her own children but it was too late. This simply proves that the list for power can easily lead one to gross immorality.
  2. Theme of Gender Inequality
    In the play, Chief Gbanya, Lamboi, Musa and Ndapi – the men that matter; so to say – all believe that it is impossible for them to be ruled by a woman who should be on the bed to be used at will. While Gbanya believes that women are weaklings when it comes to matters of national affairs. Lamboi and Musa insist that Madam Yoko can easily sell them off because she can be manipulated easily by the white man. The only reason Lamboi and Musa killed Gbanya is that they will not imagine themselves ruled by a woman. The play, through Yoko’s character of wits, wisdom, courage, resilience and strength proves and tends to teach that no gender should be neglected or cast out as weak or subordinate by making her achieve the feats her husband Gbanya did not in his life time.
  3. Colonialism
    Colonialism embedded in imperialism as reflected in the play through the character, Dr. Samuel Rowe, the British Governor, does not respect any form of African traditional norms and the glory of the royal institution. The stretching and flogging of Gbanya by armed soldiers at the Governor’s command and before his subjects is very ruthless. The imperialists and colonists impose taxation on the owners of the land on which they the whites are visitors, they divide and annex chiefdoms at will disrespecting the customary boundary marks and rightful ownership of those lands. These forms of intimidation cause Yoko to take her own life having realized she was used and dumped, and made a fool for risking her life, throne and chiefdom to please the Governor.
  4. Suicide And Homicide
    The occurrences in the play leading to people committing suicide are highly avoidable but were allowed to play to show that man cannot have it all. madam Yoko kills herself believing she cannot face the humiliation of the British after all she risked for them – her life, throne, and dignity; while in the actual sense she could have made deal with the portion she was left with moreover, she had been vindicated from the evil woman that she was responsible for Jeneba’s murder. Likewise, Lamboi should have device other means of dethroning Yoko rather than using poor and innocent Jeneba as bait. His pills the little girl’s blood wasting her life in the process in connivance with Ngo Musa who should be a preserver of life and always extol the sanctity of human life. Both if them, Lamboi and Musa, committed homicide by killing both Gbanya and Jeneba. At the death of Yoko, Lamboi could have become ruler, so why does he have to be in hast.

CHARACTERS AND ROLES

In fiction, a character is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a “fictional” versus “real” character may be made.

  1. Gbanya: he is yoko’s husband and ruler of mended chiefdom. He is polygamous and so has thirty-seven wives. He is a great warrior King but flawed by frailty which makes him promise to hand over his chiefdom to Yoko in bed. He is glorious for his many victories at wars to the extent that he delves into one against the governor’s wish by joining forces with John Caulker against his brother, George. The result is a brutal humiliation by the governor Dr Samuel Rowe, who Flux him while he is stretched out by his soldiers, the pains of which paves way for Musa and Lamboi to administer the hall of the Alligator to him thereby poisoning him to death- to ensure he does not hand over power to his wife, Yoko. But before he gives up, he actually gives Yoko charge over the throne.
  2. Madam Yoko: she is one of Gbanya’s thirty seven wives and the one he loves the most. She grew up as a Sunday dancer and one of the very best at it. yoko’s character defies all the traditional mods and custom that perceive women as a second fiddle to men in matters of national affairs. She holds onto a promise her husband Gbanya made to her on the euphoria of matrimonial pleasures – to hand over the reign of the mended chiefdom to her – and does all she can to convince and persuade him to keep to his words but her husband Gbanya insist that Senehun must be ruled by a man who can by the winds and weather. Fate brings the throne to Yoko’s hands when Gbanya ask her to take charge, realizing he has been poisoned by Musa and Lamboi. To prove that she is equal to the task and ready to wield the powers, Yoko sacrifices childbearing which is the joy of womanhood as she joins the Poro. how character of cruelty and brutality and exhibitions of manly attributes and in words. Yoko’s wisdom and might scales her through all the hurdles incited by her brother, Lamboi and Musa. Her courage and strength are.
    Madam Yoko takes her life and becomes a tragic heroin because of the falsity of the British government who reduced her power and popularity by breaking her chiefdom despite all her efforts at ensuring that she says the governor right. her inability to start the humiliation from the British causes her to commit suicide and at that, urges no one to mourn for her death.
  3. Lamboi: he is yoko’s brother and one of the elders of the mended chiefdom. Lamboi is power-thirsty. At first, he connives with Musa to murder Gbenya to prevent him from handing over to Yoko that fails. He even goes further to kidnap and kill Jeneba, Ndapi and Jilo’s daughter, instigating that Yoko had used the little girl for a ritual sacrifice. Lamboi is hard hearted and unrepentant as he always uses the secrets he knows about Musa to threaten him into alliance with him.
  4. Musa: Ngo Musa is the supposed seer- “Togogbemui” of the royal household and the entire Mend chiefdom, who should be the mouthpiece of the gods, but he becomes an Ally to Lamboi in the perpetuation of his evil plans. Musa prepares the goal of the alligator that caused Gbanya’s death and also the charm that Lamboi used on Jeneba to make her follow him on consciously.
    Initially, he appears to be against evil better news tune amboy Street whenever there is mention of his past evil deeds. Musa and particulars sold the seed of the first woman alleging that Yoko had used Jeneba for sacrifices and it is quite simple to understand why the people easily believed him.
  5. Dr. Samuel Rowe: he is the governor and the sole representative of her Imperial Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, in other words, England. He implements all the colonial policies and laws irrespective of its negative effects on the rural populace. He desecrates African royalty and honour by publicly flogging Gbanya before his people; imposes taxes on the owners of the Land and his lack of respect for the dignity of labour and loyalty leads to Yoko’s suicidal deaths because it became clear that he uses and dumps her.
  6. Ndapi: he is a warrior of the Mende chiefdom and households to Jilo. Ndapi is hot tempered and a wife beater. He does not pay the wife any time he gets home and finds no food. He is jealous whereas he does not appreciate or admire his wife. He also beats up Jilo when he catches her with Lansana and almost kills Yoko by himself when he learns that she had sacrificed his daughter, Jeneba for ritual.
  7. Fanneh and Musu: these two are elderly women who are at the service of the Queen, Madam Yoko. They take care of her personal needs, plait her hair, tend her toes and make her meals. They were the only persons who did not easily believe the rumour that Yoko buried Jeneba alive in a pot for ritual sacrifice.
  8. Jilo: She is Ndapi’s wife and Jeneba’s mother. She likes to be admired and pampered which is the reason why she gives in to Lansana knowing that it could lead to his or her death if they are caught by the temperamental Ndapi. She breaks the news of Jeneba’s missing to the royal household.

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