(Curtains fall)
Scene 2
HENRY
Edu… Chinedu… where are you? Where is this boy? My friend where are you? Please come… come because it has happened! I told you it will happen, didn’t I? For God’s sake, where is this boy now?!
EDU
Why are you calling me… like that? What has happened? What did you tell me was going to happen?
HENRY
Edu my brother, please will you just shut up and listen. I told you, didn’t I? I told you.
EDU
You told me what?! Henry what are you talking about? Please I am trying to finish my math assignment so if you don’t mind I will like to go back to what I was doing before you started calling me unless—
HENRY
Unless what Chinedu?! Unless you do what Chinedu! See, don’t just let me show you the dark side of me this evening! Imagine you talking to me like that! Children of nowadays! You see, that is what I’ve always been telling you. You are too serious with everything. You think you are the first person who has ever gained admission to study in a university? You think you are the only one who has got some assignment to do? Well, let me tell you, you are not! I myself, I am in the university. Nneka is also in the university, for your information! So my guy relax, relax and sit down. I have something very important to tell you.
EDU
Okay! Let’s hear you, what have you got to say?
HENRY
Edu this very thing concerns us; I mean you and me, more than it concerns any of the rest of them in this family.
EDU
What is it again this time?
HENRY
Listen. Listen to me. Where were you yesterday? You were not around this morning. Had it been you were around you would have heard what Nneka told mama this morning!
EDU
What did she tell mama?
HENRY
I told you it would happen. I told you! I hope mama and Nneka are not around because they thought no one was around when they were talking about it but they never knew I was inside. You know they think I am always at that drinking bar every morning.
EDU
Oho! As if you were not there! Tell me something else, please…
HENRY
Okay agreed I went there but I came back early enough to over hear what Nneka was telling mama.
EDU
And what was she telling mama?
HENRY
I am not sure you will understand but first sit down and listen to me because this is more than you would’ve ever imagined.
EDU
I am sitting down now but Henry I’ll like to remind you again that I still have an assignment to complete, so you better be fast.
HENRY
Of course I know you have an assignment to do but then this thing I am about to discuss with you now will be a greater assignment to you, in fact to all of us, because it concerns our future.
EDU
Why don’t you start now by telling me rather than beating about the bush?
HENRY
Watch it… watch it again son! There you go again! Anyway, I won’t start telling anything until I’m sure you are ready to listen. I can only start when you are relaxed and you are in the mood to listen and not now when your whole thought is focused on that stupid mathematics assignment of yours…
EDU
(Scoffs) Okay. So what did you hear Nneka tell mama?
HENRY
Yes, I think I have your attention now. Edu listen and listen very carefully. Tell me the truth, do you really believe papa was telling us the truth, I mean the whole truth about whatever event he said happened at his office?
EDU
Why should I doubt him? I thought you mentioned Nneka and mama, now it is papa?
HENRY
I am coming to that but first give me your honest response. No, just tell me. Do you really believe that cock and bull story papa told us about two weeks ago?
EDU
You are now calling it a cock and bull story?
HENRY
Yes Edu, yes I am because that is exactly what it is!
EDU
And how did you come to know that? Please big brother tell me, since when did you discover your own father has become a cock and bull story teller?
HENRY
You have to keep an open mind to what I am about to say. Edu, papa does not owe anybody! That’s just the simple truth!
EDU
Ahem! Hmm! How did you come up with that nice and interesting theory?
HENRY
Yes and I am very sure of that now! Now you tell me, Edu will you ever give your money to somebody as a loan even though you cannot tell for sure if this person is capable of repaying the loan?
EDU
Hmm! Umm… except for charity purpose… I don’t think I can…
HENRY
But that is exactly what papa said the bank did! Which bank in this Nigeria is running a charitable organization? Tell me! And you know the amount we are talking about here? Fifty million! Edu, fifty million naira for goodness sake!
EDU
So… what are you suggesting really happened?
HENRY
Listen. From the way I look at it, papa is up to something fishy. In other words, papa has a game plan and this story he told us was just a major part of the whole grand scheme or rather let me say that tale papa told us is nothing but the introductory stage of the drama that is to come. Do not say I didn’t tell you. You will see. Oh yes look out for what is going to come next…
EDU
Something like what? Wait my friend… is that what you heard from Nneka?
HENRY
Yes! And since then I have given it so much thought. It made sense to me. A lot of sense. You see, there are no two ways about it! Papa is planning to bring another woman into this house!
EDU
Tufiakwa!18 I reject that in Jesus name!
HENRY
Yes but it is true. I have looked all over the facts and that is what it appears like.
EDU
How? How do you think such a thing is possible? At his age, he cannot be considering getting married again? He is too old for that! Besides, I have not noticed signs of any strained relationship between him and mama so what could have lent to this line of thought?
HENRY
Yes at his age he may not be considering marriage again but that’s because you are looking at if from that angle—from your own angle. But what of if he is being pressurized by someone who seriously needs or wants to get married? What if he has jammed somebody who is controlling him using jazz? What if this person is even blackmailing him into marriage? Think about it! Just think about it. You know like they say, everything is possible!
EDU
Hmm! This is a strange tale. Papa…? Getting married… again? A really strange but funny tale! But then there is something that I am still yet to understand…
HENRY
And what will that thing be?
EDU
To tell you the truth Henry, I have never had any reason to doubt papa in this life. You see, you want to make me understand that mama and Nneka are of the view that papa wants to bring in another woman into this house, right? But how can we base our judgment on the views of these two women, that is, mama and Nneka, most especially Nneka. You know that she can be so emotional sometimes. Secondly, what has this second woman issue got to do with the huge weight hanging on papa’s shoulders?
HENRY
Everything my brother, everything! Although you can’t see it now!
EDU
How? See what?
HENRY
Chinedu think well, think again. So can’t you see that papa and this his latest accomplice are onto a big hoax. See, let me tell you how I feel the whole setup is being orchestrated. First, papa tells us this story about his financial difficulties, and next thing you know we all start looking for the likely solutions. Then later papa comes back again and shows us this w
oman who has help him out of the troubled waters. Naturally we are expected to show our gratitude in which case we support fully whatever their next plan is…
EDU
Which you will agree with me you and I don’t have any inkling on what that could be, right?
HENRY
Of course I don’t know but I am not going to wait to find out!
EDU
Wait my brother; let us look at this thing critically now. You don’t know a thing about what is going on. All you have are assumptions. Who this woman is, you don’t know. You haven’t even seen her, I believe. What her business with papa is, you don’t know. And you are sitting there telling me that you will not wait to find out. Find out what, I am asking you?
HENRY
Edu the truth is that if I say now that you are still acting like a small boy, you will get angry but the truth is that you are acting like a small boy here, right now. Yes! Instead of you to ask me what I am going to do about it, you are asking me who this woman is, what her business with papa is, and if I have ever seen her. Wait Chinedu, are you going to stay there and allow events to overtake you? Is that what you are going to do…?
EDU
No but I will like ask you the same question. What are you going to do?
HENRY
Of course I am going to protect what is mine, what is ours!
EDU
And what will that thing of yours be?
HENRY
Look at this guy o! It seems you don’t get it, do you? From the look of things, it seems that papa is set to bring in another person into this home and you know what that means? More heads more problems, more things to share, this house, our inheritance, most especially our inheritance and in fact everything, including papa’s attention and affection towards us all. You can’t imagine what is going to happen! So I won’t just let that happen!
EDU
My friend, think like a man for once. Nothing is going to happen. You people act as if papa has no right to do whatever he wants to do again. If he decides to take another wife, what are you going to do about that? If this woman is going to help him out in exchange for marriage, what is wrong with that? Please, tell me another thing…
HENRY
You are right. He is free to do whatever he wants to do. He can have as many concubines and mistresses he wants but everything changes immediately he makes her his wife which I am suspecting now is what he is definitely planning to do. Agreed, you will not see what is wrong in there right now but that’s because you don’t know the implication of him being married to two women. The dangers and the problems involved…
EDU
So?
HENRY
So I am going to stop him.
EDU
So how do you think you are going to stop him? What exactly are you going to do? Big bros, wake up! You Henry, you simply cannot stop him.
HENRY
Don’t try me, do you hear me? Definitely he will be stopped! I am going to stop him but I will be doing that with your help, with your full support! That is why I called you!
EDU
My full support? How?
HENRY
Edu listen to me. You see in this house, the truth is that the future belongs more or less to you and I and nobody else, I hope you know that?
EDU
It’s possible.
HENRY
Chinedu you are not cooperating and I must tell you I don’t like that attitude from you! Let me make it clearer to you, assuming that papa finally settles down with this woman…
EDU
There you go again! That’s all you have! Assumptions! And that’s what you are working on! C’mon!
HENRY
Wait, let me finish son, okay, suppose that papa succeeds in bringing this woman home, I have told you what to expect. This house will never remain the same again!
EDU
I know that. So what are you going to do about that?
HENRY
I am going to confront papa—again!
EDU
Again?
HENRY
Yes, again! I have spoken with him before but it seems the man is so adamant and he’s bent of destroying this whole family. But this time around, it is going to be different. I am going to let him know that I won’t standby and watch him take us down with him. I am going to tell him that as the first son and spokesman of this family that we are seriously against his plans and that is where you come in!
EDU
Hmm! Spokesman of the family! That’s a new one! I think I like that! Well, this must be the greatest joke on the planet. Anyway Mr. Spokesman, what makes you think my support is just enough for you to talk sense into the old man?
HENRY
Of course! I can see you are not taking this thing serious! See eh, I can only count on you in this thing. Reason why; we are the men of the house. I cannot count on mama, she is too emotional and papa can always cower her into submission to his will. As for Nneka, she is not an option too.
Besides you know what girls are like? Before you know it, Nneka will soon be getting married; so she just has one foot in this house now. Yes we all know she has papa’s ears but like our people say the death that will kill a dog does not allow it to perceive the smell of feces. My point is that Papa is already far gone in this thing and nothing said or done could bring him back. I believe you know that!
EDU
I am still waiting for you to tell me what exactly you are going to do— how you are going to confront him or didn’t you say that is what you intend doing?
HENRY
The thing is that you people in this house keep on underrating me. Obviously you guys don’t know me and what I can do.
EDU
Why don’t you start now to elaborate those things you can do for me?
HENRY
Edu, you are still a small boy so you won’t understand. Let me tell you something you don’t know. I know people. I know men who can make things happen. They can make people disappear, if there is any need for that. I don’t expect you to understand all what I am saying now but just know that with one single command from me, this gold-digger of a vampire that is trying to take over our inheritance will be counted among the missing people. Nobody will know what happened to her.
EDU
So what you are saying exactly is that you have the capacity to stop either papa or the woman?
HENRY
Exactly! I will only say the word and the woman will become history! And that is exactly what it is going to be immediately I discover that this woman is going to be a nuisance! Mind you, I have made my arrangements to this regard.
EDU
Hmm! In that case I’d rather you first confront papa to see if you can get more information before you end up making a grave mistake.
HENRY
Oh yes, I am going to confront him. It is going to be a different type of confrontation like the one Nneka or mama is going to give to him. This is the time! This is the time when we will act like the men in this house. We have to advise papa and we have to stop him even if it is going to be by force.
EDU
And you think that will work? I don’t see how it will work unless you are suggesting we beat up the old man. Ha ha ha!
HENRY
Edu, to tell you the truth, I am so disappointed in you. Please tell me because I will like to know, why is it that you are not seeing this thing the way we all are seeing it?! Yes, tell me! Yes I really want to know! Tell me!
EDU
Okay, listen let me tell you why I am not buying this your idea of papa getting married to some other woman. Look at the facts, my God; you guys are beginning to sound so crazy! You people are beginning to think that papa is not even involved in any financial difficulties but what if he is actually in it as I know he is and he’s trying to get help? Connect that with the fact that he wants to get married now, at his age, and tell me how that adds up? I am just wondering how you guys even came up wit
h that marriage angle which looks so pathetic and ridiculous me.
HENRY
You will not see how we came up with the marriage angle but that’s because you can’t even see anything. Tell me, what on earth could papa and another woman be doing in a hotel? Why should they change their rendezvous place to an entirely unknown place all of a sudden? Why should papa be having a clandestine activity with this woman at all? If their meeting was genuine, why can’t they have the so called meeting in this house rather than in a hotel? If that doesn’t sound so suspicious to you, I’m afraid, but I don’t know what else you need to be convinced that something, something so sinister, is really going on…
EDU
But even at that, I still maintain that that is not enough for you guys to conclude.
HENRY
So what are you saying?
EDU
What I am saying is that papa getting married right now is not in any way the best way out of the current quagmire we have in our hands right now and I so much believe papa is well aware of that too. Now let me ask you, what is she even going to offer papa in return for the so-called marriage? From what Nneka said, do you think this woman is rich?
HENRY
According to Nneka, the woman appears rightly so.
EDU
Now since you came to know papa, your own father, do you think he will ever embark on such project like getting married without informing anyone in this family, do you?
HENRY
Who knows? People do change. Maybe he’s just bidding time…
EDU
Not papa! Not my own father! He will never do such a thing. If you guys will allow me to have my own say, I will say that papa is seriously trying to get help from this woman. Simple!
HENRY
Chinedu shut up let me tell you something. While you were busy yakking on, I was thinking. Suppose this woman is not even rich at all. Suppose she’s just putting up a front. Suppose she is nothing but a shameless gold-digger looking to reap from where she did not sow, you see what I mean? She could be setting papa up for a catastrophic downfall. For all we know, she could have put papa under a spell with African magic. You know there are so many desperate women like that nowadays and they are capable of doing anything?
Now look at it this way. Suppose she now has papa in her clutches and she wants him to do her one or two financial favor because she’s the one that is in a serious financial debt. If papa is to raise some money for her, he will definitely have to sell off most of his possession, right? Yes what if he will give the proceeds from all he is going to dispose off, things like house, all his plots of lands, even his car and all that to this woman because he’s no longer in his senses? Think my friend, think. Where do you think that will leave us? That is what I am thinking and that is why I am determined to fight now or never!
Don’t forget that there’s really no evidence suggesting that he was actually involved in any wrong financial dealing except that he told us so! So for all we know, papa might be spinning us some cool yarns and we are buying that hook, line and sinker already.
EDU
But what about the two cars he said the white man left with him as a surety? Is that not also part of the evidence? I have seen the papers, you know? Nothing stops you from going to his bank to clarify things for yourself assuming you are in any doubt.
HENRY
My friend wake up! Forget that one! Is this not Nigeria again? Anybody could present a forged evidence, if and when necessary! About going to his bank to find out things, do you think he has not taken care of that already by getting himself some accomplices to back up his story?
EDU
Hmm! I see, but I must say this thing is very hard for me to digest. You made some sense there considering the fact that our present society is now filled with so many fake and unscrupulous people, impostors, actors, vultures… let me think… what you just said could be a possibility. In that case, I think we really have to find out what is going on. Yes I think we have to call papa to order! But first, I think it is our duty to at least find out from him what is really going on, or is that not what you are trying to say?
HENRY
Now that’s my boy! Now you are talking. Finally! Now, you have started to see the sense in what we were saying! Nneka! Nneka come! Edu has finally started to reason!
(Nneka enters)
EDU
Nneka? Where is she? Look at her! Wait… did you people just plan to set me up? Hmm! So you guys have already had this conversation before and yet you came to disrupt my mathematical concentration huh? This is serious!
NNEKA
Edu what we have in our hands right now is more serious than that mathematics. Now that you have seen reason with us, let us think of what to do and how to go about it!
EDU
You tell me. I suppose you must have discussed that too? Hmm, I am beginning to fear you guys now o!
NNEKA
Edu my brother, it’s not like that. It’s for our own good. We have not even seen nor heard from papa since yesterday. He just sent mama some random text message telling her he has to embark on an important journey to Benin. Now tell me Chinedu, is that how papa used to behave? Since when did he become so inconsiderate? Do you think that is your father? I heard you telling Chiemeka… sorry Henry... that you know papa so well. I’m afraid he's not in his senses anymore. That is why we must find out whatever papa is planning to do. I am suspecting something must have come over him. And it is a must that we put an end to it immediately if it is not going to benefit us. Is that going to be a problem?
EDU
No it’s not but I am still waiting for you to tell me what we you have planned to do next.
HENRY
Well, well, well… for a start I have decided, well, we have decided to seize hold of the papers to those plots of land and this house, and even those cars. We cannot allow papa to throw away our future and mama’s future too away just like that. We must do something about that. Our people say that it is not the lunatic that is ashamed but rather it is his relatives who are ashamed and you know it’s true. So that is why I have come to you. You are the custodian to that safe where he keeps those documents. You have to give me the keys to that safe! Now!
EDU
Which keys are you talking about? You mean the ones I gave to him six days ago? My friend you guys came very late. Wow! Papa has shown you guys that he is a much greater planner and a better strategist than any of you. I don’t know about you guys but I know my father is a great strategist and I must say that’s one thing I like most about him! You see he knows what he is doing! I tried telling you guys but you wouldn’t believe me! I hope you will learn something from there, even you Nneka!
HENRY
Hmm! Haa! Haa! Is this what it is! Chinedu, I hope you are not lying? Because I promise to make it so hot for you if and when I find out you are lying to us.
EDU
Me? Lying? Why should I lie?
HENRY
Well in that case this whole thing has come down to an all out war! Papa is finished! Nneka what do we do now? Where’s mama? Nneka, have you seen it now? I hope you are now prepared because if papa comes back today or whenever, I will face him. I am going to challenge him man-to-man. I am going to collect back those papers from him. Edu are you still sitting down there? You better get ready! Your father has declared a war on this family and he’s going to get it hot, I promise! There will be no peace again! Let me wait and see where he is going to keep that harlot of his! As far as I am concerned papa has murdered sleep in this house. It’s now him against us!