| Ololo
is seen carrying an earthen-pot and walking through the audience to the
Kings palace. She is dressed in a white wrapper, which covers her breast.
The pot is balanced on her head with ease as she walks along. Lighten;
effects focus also on the King who is sitting on a royal stool in the
palace. Ololo talks as she walks towards the palace. |
| OLOLO: |
|
I cannot understand the nature of this present job. How can
I be asked to do such an arduous task of carrying a port of herb to the
palace with the warning that I should not talk to anyone I meet on the
way. They said once I say just one word to anyone, the whole evil in it
will turn against me. |
| (She walks off stage while Abeke
enters the palace and sees the King snoring. She observes him at a
distance). |
| ABEKE: |
|
Hm..... I trust him. He is totally exhausted and sucked dry
like an overripe orange. I don’t blame him. He has added another one to
his wives. |
|
|
(Aside)
I’m surprised he had now has the palm wine seller’s daughter. I have
been warning him in recent times but he said I was envious. The palace is
now full of women singing proverbial songs. Well a dog that is destined to
be lost during a hunting expedition will ignore the hunter’s whistle. |
| (She
goes and Ololo emerges later from a corner, approaching the palace). |
| OLOLO: |
|
People
have almost taken me for a mad woman. They were greeting, and I was
ignoring them. That sort of around is this. I will soon get to the |
| (At the palace, she knocks but there
is no answer. She peeps, sees the King and walks closer. She kneels before
him gently and pats him until he wakes up) |
| AMUNIWAYE: |
|
Who - who is that? Oh...Who is it? |
| OLOLO: |
|
It’s me my lord. This is from my husband. He asked me to
give this to you. |
| AMINUWAYE: |
|
(Carried away by her beauty)
from your husband? If I am not mistaken, this must be from Oloko, and you
are his wife. |
| OLOLO: |
|
Yes, my lord. (She hands over the pot.
As he receives, he grabs her hand). |
| AMUNIWAYE: |
|
But your hands are so tender. The Creator structured them
just like the morning lily. |
| OLOLO: |
|
Thank you my lord. I want to go. |
| AMUNIWAYE: |
|
Why are in haste? I have a message for your master. Come
and relax in my Chamber till I wish myself clean with this herb. |
| (He
holds her hand walking into the chamber. He makes her sit comfortably and
goes away with the pot tightly held to his side. Ololo stares round the
room briefly before Ojuro breezes in carrying her belongings. She hisses
and walks to the Chamber. She suddenly notices her presence. She withdraws
back with fear, and begins to speak to the audience). |
| OJURO: |
|
Someone
who has been under the orange tree for the past three days has not
witnessed a fall. She came around and expects a fall. She does not know
marrying into royalty is not fun. To worsen the situation, she is even married to Oloko, the medicine man and my
father’s best friend. I don’t mind people calling me names in the
village. I will first of all call at her husband’s place as I am packing away to our house to reveal this
indecent affair. |
| (She
walks away. Amuniwaye who has just taken his bath walks in hanging his
cloth over his shoulder.) |
| AMUNIWAYE: |
|
How are you good woman? I’m sorry to have kept you
waiting. |
| OLOLO: |
|
My lord, I will want to leave as soon as possible. |
| AMUNIWAYE: |
|
All right. But who is your father in this land? Who gave such
a beautiful woman like you to a medicine man? A woman like you should have
a taste of the royal blood. |
| OLOLO: |
|
(Looks away)
Thank you my lord. |
| (He
moves closer and sits beside her. Ololo moves away with a slight protest.
The King draws nearer while she tries to keep away. The King grabs her
rapaciously and embraces.) |
| (There is Blackout on
stage and backstage there is the chorus of:) |
|
|
“Yokolu Yokolu |
|
|
It’s
over |
|
|
The
bride floored the groom |
|
|
And
he developed a hunch on his back |
| (Shortly
later, spotlight focuses on the stage. This time around, Amuniwaye is seen
putting on his baggy-trousers while Ololo is tying her wrapper. They walk
off stage while Abeke enters.) |
| ABEKE |
|
Did
you see them? Did you see the king and that thin – legged bird? |
| Fadeout |
