WIDOWS' FATE

EPISODE 7: THE CONFESSION

[Light fades in few seconds after Episode 6 blackout. Same sitting room, tension still high. Mrs. Awele is holding her bleeding head with a wrapper. Chinanza and Mrs. Okooro are on one side, Mrs. Olatunji, Ashabi and Ronke on the other side. Lawyer Kunle and Investor Lam are standing in the middle. Everyone seated except them.]

SONG 4:

Iwa jowa ni n je ore jore

Tinu ba shee oun kan ishesi ajo papo

Iwa jowa ni n je ore jore

Tinu ba shee oun kan ishesi ajo papo

L. KUNLE: (clears throat) Good day y'all, the matter will soon be resolved. I'm here with my partner in crime as oyinbo talk am...

I. LAM: (cuts in, whispers) Partner in crime bitibawo?

L. KUNLE: (clears throat again) Oh yes, with my partner... (moves away from Investor Lam) He is Investor Lam, the one and only wise investor in the state...

[While Lawyer Kunle is hyping him, Investor Lam is busy adjusting his suit and tie, forming big man]

ASHABI: ...and so? What now happen?

RONKE: Is he with the will?

MRS. OLATUNJI: I wonder ohh.

L. KUNLE: I say make I first do introduction na...

CHINANZA: Abeg talk biko, wetin happen?

L. KUNLE: (shocked Chinanza talked to him like that) Haa modaran! Emi ni oyinbo pupa ba soro bayi... Okay everywhere good, no wahala. Over to you Investor, please carry on from here.

I. LAM: Where? From where?

L. KUNLE: Talk now, you dey fear woman?

I. LAM: Hmm... (clears throat) Hello everyone, I am Investor La...

MRS. AWELE: (cuts in) Please fast forward yourself, you can see I'm not good right now.

[Lawyer Kunle from afar is signaling Investor Lam to be bold]

I. LAM: Okay! (makes his suit firm) I am Investor Lamidi aka Investor Lam, the sabi man, Investor Sabinus.

L. KUNLE: (laughs) Correct!

I. LAM: Yeah, regarding what has happened and what is happening, I'm more like the messiah sent to shed light to the issue so you all can see. But like the days of John the Baptist, he said he is not the savior, so am I. I'm only here to bear witness because the savior is right here with us... He is my man, Lawyer Kun...

L. KUNLE: (cuts in quickly) Ah sorry guys, my bad, please there is a mistake somewhere. (runs to meet Investor Lam) No be like this we talk am na.

I. LAM: How we take talk am?

L. KUNLE: You told me already you will help me resolve this issue now.

I. LAM: As how now? As how noooow? When did I say that? What I have always been saying no pass say na you go still resolve this matter and all of a sudden you asked me to follow you here abi shey na lie ni? (facing audience)

L. KUNLE: Ahhhh eda Adamo!

I. LAM: Ajaaa, who wan put hand for fire? Abeg I wan dey go house sef. My beautiful adorable war-free wives dey wait for me for house. You better do fast before they raise their voice again... (about to leave)

L. KUNLE: It was HIM!!! (pauses)

RONKE: That...?

L. KUNLE: He was the one that brought the suggestion that my late friend should impregnate her (pointing at Chinanza) so as to have his male child for him!

EVERYBODY: Ahhhhhhh!!!

MRS. AWELE: (gets up, covering her injury) Very good! Very very good! Na you no let my daughter get peace of mind!

I. LAM: No ma.

MRS. AWELE: Yes sir... You now have audacity to visit lion in his den. I did not enjoy my husband before his death, na so so fight everyday and now that he is dead I have been fighting myself so much that my husband's family took me away from them unless I do what they want. And here is my daughter, after the death of her husband she should sober for his death and later enjoy the work of his labor with her Iya'le abi what did I say? (faces Mrs. Olatunji)

MRS. OLATUNJI: Ehen now.

MRS. AWELE: Abi you want her to be unhappy throughout her life?

I. LAM: No ma.

MRS. AWELE: Ko tie jo, ko shey kiini.

I. LAM: Ahh... Ko jo ohh. Ahh Lawyer Kunle kama pade mo ohh. (about to leave but Mrs. Awele and Chinanza block his front)

CHINANZA: Where you think say you dey go?

MRS. AWELE: You think say na play play?

I. LAM: (kneels) I take God beg you please, take it easy with me, please just let me go abeg (sighs) Mrs. Okooro's daughter dey enter my eyes for my street, she no really sabi me but I sabi her very well through my wife because my wife sef na Igbo. So one day she came to my house with her daughter and I heard Chinanza never marry, na im I kon dey wonder say why person pikin go fine like this and somebody's son never find her. I kon tell myself say I go help her, somebody's son go find her one day. I explained this to Lawyer Kunle and I told him she will bear his friend a son he has been looking for and described where Mrs. Okooro dey live (sobs) That's all I know ohh... (crying)

MRS. OKOORO: Ewooo ooooh! Chiii nekeee! Chai! Kiini mo she fun eh ahh enya ma nika, humans are evil!

MRS. AWELE: (stares at Mrs. Okooro and hisses) Alaaseee! Better speak english wey you understand or speak your Igbo, na must you copy Yoruba people abi kilode gaan? You and your pikin no fit copy your fellow Igbo and scatter their house, why must you come to Yoruba? Mtcheew, enya menika enya menika (mimics her)

MRS. OLATUNJI: (Big sigh) Mum Ashabi please calm down... This matter don get as e be now ohh.

L. KUNLE: E get as e be oh.

RONKE / ASHABI: SHUT UP!!!

RONKE: Shut your freaky mouth up! Ahh Lawyer Kunle you are a devil ooooo (L. Kunle nods yes)

ASHABI: Omooo and I liked you ohh (L. Kunle kneels pleading) I even wonder what my husband see in you that makes him love you...

RONKE: I wonder ohh.

ASHABI: You don't need to beg me ohh, I personally don't need it at all, just pray if she will later end up giving birth she bears a girl.

MRS. AWELE: (cuts in) Delivers kiini? Abi make she no deliver at all?

CHINANZA & MRS. OKOORO: Tufiakwa!!!

CHINANZA: Oghinni! (faces Mrs. Awele)

MRS. OLATUNJI / MRS. AWELE: Ni kiini?

CHINANZA: You think say I fear all of you?

MRS. AWELE: Emi gaan I no fear you koobo, wo obinrin o keere, o...

CHINANZA: You think say I fear all of una?

EVERYONE: (aside Mrs. Okooro, I. Lam & L. Kunle) We sef no fear you!

MRS. AWELE: On shiere, in English I mean you dey mad, you dey craze cause you be Igbo make we dey fear you (does mouth fart) Wo o tintini, o below, o small, wo o keere si number wa!

MRS. OLATUNJI / RONKE & ASHABI: (moves to middle, stand with Mrs. Awele) E keere si number wa! Won keere si number wa, omo Igbo yi keere si figure wa...

[Chorus continues singing with them]

MRS. OKOORO: Ozugo! (music stops immediately) Ozuola gi! Ahan, I was thinking I'm talking to responsible housewives and family before, nawa ohh I don't even know I'm in the midst of animals who are not worthy to be called human. And as the matter be like this ehn, be it legal, illegal, right or wrong, hospital, mission house, mosque, church or even for shrine, my daughter asanwa, Chinanza mma will give birth to a baby boy and own all the properties her husband have labored for through her child!

MRS. OLATUNJI: (laughs exhaustively) This woman just like doing more than herself, you better no let your tradition deceive you.

Mrs. Okooro: I don’t care! (She steps forward confidently.) Even if it will cost me a lot, my daughter must give birth to a boy, whether the devil likes it or not! (She turns towards others) and whether you all like it or not (she gestures for Chinanza to follow her) Chinanza, bia! Makachukwu, make we dey go!

Chinanza: Mama, let’s go.

(They begin walking away. Mrs. Okooro suddenly stops, turns back dramatically and points at everyone)

Mrs. Okooro: Hmmm… (a long pause) Okay. (she gives them a threatening look) …just fear our return!

She exits with Chinanza.

[FADE OUT]