7/24/2019 Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

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Telephone Conversation

The price seemed reasonable, locationIndifferent. The landlady swore she lived

Off premises. Nothing remained

But self-confession. !adam , I warned,

I hate a wasted "ourney - I am #frican.

$ilence. $ilenced transmission of pressuri%ed good-breeding. &oice, when it came,

'ipstic( coated, long gold-rolled

Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.

)O* +#...I had not misheard....#/ 0O1 'I2)T O &/0 +# Button B.

Button #. $tench

Of rancid breath of public hide-and-spea(.

ed booth. ed pillar-bo3. ed double-tiered

Omnibus s4uelching tar.

It was real5 $hamed

By ill-mannered silence, surrender

6ushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.Considerate she was, varying the emphasis-

#/ 0O1 +# O &/0 'I2)T evelation came

0ou mean- li(e plain or mil( chocolate

)er accent was clinical, crushing in its light

Impersonality. apidly, wave-length ad"usted

I chose. *est #frican sepia7 and as afterthought.

+own in my passport. $ilence for spectroscopic

8light of fancy, till truthfulness chaged her accent

)ard on the mouthpiece *)#T9$ T)#T conceding +ON9T NO* *)#T T)#T I$.

'i(e brunette.

T)#T9$ +#, I$N9T IT

Not altogether.

7/24/2019 Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

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8acially, I am brunette, but madam you should see the rest of me. 6alm of my hand, soles of

my feet.

#re a pero3ide blonde. 8riction, caused-

8oolishly madam- by sitting down, has turned!y bottom raven blac(- One moment madam5 - sensing

)er receiver rearing on the thunderclap

#bout my ears- !adam, I pleaded, wouldn9t you rather

$ee for yourself