THE ENCOUNTER

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THE ENCOUNTER

 Stage opens with Mother and daughter discussing about school, when stepdaughter enters with pot of water on her head.

Mother: – Don’t you worry, trust me na. Abi I nor bi your mama again?

Rose: – Mummy, I must go to school o. the money must come.

(Interrupts by Julie with load on her head)

Julie: – Rose please come and help me

Rose: – Can you hear this thing?  (Already Julie is inside calling on Rose to help her with the load on her head)

Mother: – Go and help that Useless thing

(Rose leaves sluggishly to help Julie and return back complaining)

Rose: – I don’t know what is wrong with Julie, so lazy!

Mother: – Don’t mind her, as we were sayingmy daughter, please don’t forget you are not going to school only to read, but also to increase my post in ————– (interrupts by Julie)

Julie: – Mama, I have finished fetching water, please tell Rose to come and help me in the kitchen.

Rose: – (very angry) Do you hear that?

Mother: – Leave her to me, – (walks up to Julie) Tell me I be your mama? Fear nor catch you, you come bold to cut me when I de talk with my daughter way I nor go born twice

Julie: – But mama ——- (interrupts her)

Mother: – Shot up idiot, was I your mother? (Just then Father walks in)

Father: – Make una fall my house (seeing Father, Mother quickly hits her daughter)

Mother: – You People go now! They won kill me in this house o (both daughters walk inside) welcome

Father: – Come o, when I build this house, I use your Papa money?

Mother: – Wetin come de bring this kind of talk now?

Father: – Wetin nor go bring am, way you won fall my house. When I go get rest for this house? Na for 25 meters away na I hear your voice

Mother: – Sorry, nor vase. So how you come walka? Because na e’ we just de discuss before you enter, Rose my daughter go go school

Father: –  Julie and Rose go go school. As for the money, I don walka walka tire. Everybody way I meet just de post me.

Mother: – Wetin you de talk na – say you nor come with money?

Father: – You de hear word so? Nobody won give me. This one go tell me “ha you nor quick come, I just give my money to so so and so” another go say “I just go use my money take buy seed yam” Eh-o! I don suffer

Mother: – Hem, Rose go go school

Father: – Julie and Rose our shildren go go school

Mother: – You don go see that your friend way de farm road?

Father: – which my friend de farm road and which of the farm you de talk of?

Mother: – (hitting her lap as if to remember the name) for small farm road, wetin be that him name again o, eh-eh-eh- Ide- Ide

Father: – Idemudia!

Mother: – Yes Idemudia (nodding her head in agreement)

Father: – You see why I de say make you put your head down, see now this one na good suggestions make we plan together. Na Idemudia place I de go now, Make you still carry your children and turn my house upside down you hear (no reply as he walks away).

At Idemudia’s House

(Idemudia outside his house playing coupon when Father (Odia) walks up to him).

Idemudia: – This one na must. It must enter this time

(Odia caughts his attention as he calls his name)

Odia: – Idemudia, Idemudia

Idemudia: – Odia is this you? ha you still de this village?

Odia: – Na me Odia go ask you that question

(After greetings)

Idemudia: – Sit down, Osahon! Osahon! Way dis boy, make he bring pechi (a local native drink)

Odia: – Nor worry yourself at all, na very important thing carry me come

Idemudia: – That one nor disturb you from drinking now

Odia: – Idemudia drink no go pas my mouth if I nor finish wetin bring me here. (Idemudia nods in agreement for him to go ahead). You see my story for one side e- good, the other na sorro (feeling very sad).  My children come house one afternoon with evelop. They come de jump and happy say them don pass the – the – versity

Idemudia: – University

Odia: – Yes, Aniversity.

Idemudia: – Nor be Aniversity, university

Odia: – Ehn, thank you Uni-versty

Idemudia: Congratulations

Odia: – Thank you (feeling big) So me and their Mama come happy with them and they come tell us say nay next two market days na them won go City, and say them need hundred thou-san naira. Na this be the sorro, my friend na forty thou-san na I de look for since last market day to complete the moni (shaking his head in pains and sighs)

Idemudia: – Your story is very much painful, but as Oyibo de say one good turn attracts another

Odia: – Ha! Idemudia nor be so, one good turns deserveth another.

Idemudia: – Thank you for correction me. Wetin go happen be say, I de this machine meeting and we get some money way de with me

Odia: – (with all seriousness) I beg you, my shildren must go school. I go pay you back before the next two-market days

Idemudia: – Nor worry, me I go give you half now, tomorrow evening we go go the meeting together make you go thank them, for there we go complete the money for you. Wait make I bring the money (stands to go inside when Odia calls his attention)

Odia: – But Idemudia you do me. Na money I nor see pay for the meeting na you refuse to troduce me for the meeting.

Idemudia: – No be so

Odia: – You nor no my house?

Idemudia: – I de reach your house now, na you nor de see me. Me and your wife de see well, well. Nor vase, make I go bring the money (moves inside as Odia’s face glow with joy)

Odia: – (after he has left) you and my wife de see

(Meditating over the words)

                                                 Curtains

 The following night, Idemudia and Odia are seen moving towards the meeting place.

Odia: – We nor de reach the place, na so e far.

Idemudia: – we don near now, nor forget o, when we reach there, you go just thank the chairman well, well

Odia: – No problem at all.

(Meanwhile, at the meeting ground, all in position, the chairman seated with others standing in conspicuous positions. They are discussing).

Chairman: – Where is Idemudia?

Voice 1: – Your Highness, he will soon come, he is supposed to come with the new member today, I believe that is why he is late

Then Idemudia enters with Odia and greets in their usual way with Odia full with joy as he greets all

Odia: – Good evening sirs

Chairman: – Idemudia! (He responds) didn’t you teach him the rudiments?

Idemudia: – Your highness I did. (turns to Odia, pulls him to corner) wetin now?

Odia: – I do anything wrong? Shey you say make I greet everybody well, well

Chairman: – Idemudia! Don’t keep me waiting

Odia: – Nor bi so, we no —————- (interrupts him)

Voice 1: – Abomination! How dare you answer the highness like that?

Odia: – I beg nor vase, na Idemudia my friend told me to thank you people well, well. So thank you for —————– (interrupts him again)

Voice1:  – Abomination

Voice 2: – Taboo!

Voice 3: – Sacrilege!

Idemudia: – Odia!

Odia: – Idemudia! Wetin? You say make I greet them, nor be greeting me de?

Chairman: – Odia (shocked as his name was called) for accepting that money, you must be our member, and ——— (interrupts him)

Odia: – E-hen! Na me want, I wan tomatically be member for this machine meeting, so chairman make secretary write my name now now, you (pointing the highness) —————- (interrupts him)

Chairman: – Machine meeting? (all laughs, even Odia joins in the fun unknown to him, it wasn’t one)

Odia: – Yes now, machine meeting (nodding his head). Oya who de write name?

Chairman: – Shut up! This is not a machine meeting, this is the Igbegbe brotherhood.

Odia: – (surprised) En-, sorry I nor hear well, nor be machine meeting be this?

Voice 1: – Are you deaf, this is not a meeting, it is a fraternity,

Odia: – A frata- what? Idemudia na secret cult you carry me come?

Idemudia: – You don fall my hand

Odia: – (angry) fall – fire, na secret cult you carry me come, na you say na machine meeting, E-ho! (Bites his finger) Idemudia don kill me (bows his head in great pain)

Chairman: – Idemudia, so you did not do your work on him perfectly?

Odia: – No need, Oga nor vase. Idemudia come collect back una money, I nor fit join cult. Una bye, bye.

(But as he turns to leave, the Chairman calls his attention)