| (Jayin sits on the throne speaking to his wives.) |
| JAYIN: |
|
Ebewi, Efumi, Opeke, Abeke, who is to see me tonight? |
| (The wives stare at themselves without a word). |
|
|
Ebewi, Efumi, Opeke, Abeke, who’s to see me tonight? |
| EBEWI: |
|
Efumi, my lord. She is the one. It is her turn. |
| JAYIN: |
|
I
know it must be her turn. Efumi, you mean if they do not tell you, you
won’t know. Look at her watching me like a goat. |
| EFUMI: |
|
My lord, I thought Ojuri is the one to see you. |
|
|
And I do not want her to fight me. She might fight me just like she did
that day when that man I told you was walking like a crab came. You know I
told you that I saw someone walking like this. |
| (She dramatizes the crab walk) |
| JAYIN: |
|
(furiously) Shut up you idiot. Who is
talking about Ojuri? |
|
|
When I have you people around me, you shouldn’t talk about Ojuri at
all. All of your can go away except Efumi. |
| (Exit the wives except Efumi) |
| JAYIN: |
|
Efumi, how many children have you got at the moment? |
|
|
Come closer and tell me. I know you do not know. |
|
|
If you know come and tell me. |
| EFUMI: |
|
I
know my lord. I now have four, five, and six. |
| (She displays her fingers) |
|
|
No, I’ve made a mistake. I can’t really remember at the moment but I
know that they know me and I know them when I see them. And they will
always come to me. |
| JAYIN: |
|
I
see, I’ve always wondered and though that your condition will improve.
But I cannot see any improvement or reduction in the witching of the
mother-witch who bore female children. |
|
|
How on earth will a woman not know the number of children she has. Go,
go away from here. I do not want to see you here again. |
| EFUMI: |
|
Please
my lord. I told you that they are many in the palace and that they always
come to me. They know me and I know them. Please my lord. I will prefer to
stay here. |
| JAYIN: |
|
I order you to leave this place now before I show you my red eye balls. |
| EFUMI: |
|
(shrugs her shoulder) Well, I will go away if you
ask me to go. |
|
|
I will... |
| (Exit Efumi) |
| JAYIN: |
|
The
chiefs think that they are wise. They are busy looking for ways to get me.
They will never get me. They will never get me. |
|
|
Let someone go and tell them now that I’m not their equal. |
|
|
They want to detect my deeds by all means but they will never succeed.
May the gods never give them the chance. |
|
|
When the enemy beats the drum of peoples downfall, |
|
|
The Creator will not let is sound. And if it does, their children will
forever dance to the beat. |
|
|
Even if their wind of destruction blows, it will not expose the buttocks
of the fowl. |
|
|
They shan’t succeed. |
| (Basa enters) |
| BASA: |
|
(prostrates) King, my lord. I have carried out the assignment. |
| JAYIN: |
|
Thank
you Basa. I still have another assignment for you. It is about Opeke. I
must get her. But the problem is that she is never on one place these
days. |
|
|
I could have dealt with her also. Its either she is in the village
square or in the market. |
|
|
Even if she hides in the ant-hole, I will get her. |
| BASA: |
|
My lord, if you want to get her, I can get her immediately. I know her
routes-of-gossip. |
|
|
It is either she is in the middle of a crowd telling them lies or she is
in the market. |
|
|
She normally takes a particular route that leads to those two places. |
| JAYIN: |
|
I know her routes of operation too Basa. |
|
|
But we have to be patient to grab her. At the same time, we have to be
cautious because if people start disappearing from my palace like that,
they might suspect. |
|
|
Be patient Basa, be patient. |
| BASA: |
|
Alright my lord. I will be patient |
| JAYIN: |
|
Think about it Basa. Be patient. |
| BASA: |
|
All right my lord. I have to go now before it’s too late |
| JAYIN: |
|
I have to be in the room now. |
| (Exit Jayin and Basa) |
