The air was heavy with the smooth scents of rich food and thick with conversation on the night my dreams came true. The dinner table was long, and its occupants animated. At the head of the table sat a glowing Desdemona, keeping the conversation going with witty prompts and good-natured jesting. I immediately felt a sisterly connection to her.
Beside me sat a small and quiet little girl, pale as a ghost and just as quiet. The only word she uttered throughout the entire meal was her name: Tziporah. She tugged gently on my sleeve and whispered it in my ear, as if it was an important message that she'd just remembered.
Her brother sat next to her, a tallish youth named Eliezer, and though he had a kind disposition and conversed lightly, he had a haunted look about him. It sent shivers down my spine.
Next to Elie sat a girl with rich mocha skin and a playful gleam in her eyes; Ezinma, daughter of Okonkwo. She was stately and poised, quick and clever, and I enjoyed talking to her about her father's skewed views of her intelligence. Though it bothers me that he would only fully appreciate her if she was a boy, she explained to me why she understood and accepted her father's reasoning.
Beside Ezinma, a stately and strong Othello sat with his hand protectively resting on Desdemona's arm. He kept sending pointed glares across the table at a relatively confused Michael Cassio.
Across from Othello and next to Desdemona, a trio of men sat talking animatedly: Unoka, Ikemefuna, and Nwoye. Unoka and Nwoye greeted each other like old friends, though the old man and his grandson had never met. They had much in common, but the conversation became heated when it came to the topic of religion. Meanwhile, Ikemefuna and Nwoye bonded as well, finally reunited.
Cassio sat nervously next to Ikemefuna, wondering, I'm sure, why Othello kept staring at him so viciously...
Next to him - or more like in his lap, I suppose - sat Bianca, her long arms draped around his shoulders. She spent the entire dinner whispering sweet nothings into his ear, making her neighbor, Mr. Brown, a bit uncomfortable.
Mr. Brown said grace before the meal, though Nwoye was the only other Igbo person to take part in the prayer. At that moment the tension in the room was almost visible.
Next to the missionary, a thin man who looked much older than he actually was sat timidly. He sent nervous glances across the table at his children Elie and Tziporah, almost like he thought that if he blinked they'd disappear. He and his neighbor conversed politely on the topic of God and the differences between their two faiths.
Beside Shlomo, Roderigo spent the whole meal completely spaced out, staring at Desdemona.
Next to him, Okonkwo sat at the end of the table with Ekwefi at his side, immersed in comfortable silence that was interrupted only when Okonkwo told the story of how he threw Amalinze the Cat in a legendary wrestling match. The whole table grew quiet and listened to his thickly accented voice, and the men nodded with respect and interest.
And finally, between me and Ekwefi sat Emilia. She conversed animatedly with Ekwefi and the other women, obviously pleased that her husband wasn't around to put her down.
I chose to invite the people that I did for one main reason: they were interesting. I did not invite Iago because I dislike him. His character is selfish and rude, and his presence would cause great turmoil had I invited him. I chose to seat the characters where I did based on who I thought would relate well, and who I thought I should distance people from. For example, I kept Cassio and Roderigo far away from Othello, and I made sure there were many people in between Okonkwo and Nwoye, Unoka and Ikemefuna. That way no arguments or violence would break out. The dinner was a very interesting experience, one I will definitely remember forever.
SEATING CHART:
Desdemona
Unoka Othello
Nwoye Ezinma
Ikemefuna Elie
Cassio Tziporah
Bianca Me
Mr. Brown Emilia
Mr. Brown Emilia
Shlomo Ekwefi
Okonkwo
That's my final project! I hope you enjoyed it!
-GlamingoGirl
No comments:
Post a Comment