SCENE TWO
The traditional palace of the king (Alaafin). The medicine men are seen discussing with one another before the arrival of the King. All of
them are seated except Elenre who breezes in shortly after, panting.
PAKU: (Shocked at Elenre's appearance)
What is it? Why are you running like an antelope that was chased by a hunter?
ELENRE: I hope you have not started the meeting.
TETE ONIRU: We have not. But what is this that you are sitting profusely like a goat tied to the stake waiting to be slaughtered?
ELENRE: This is more than the problem of a goat. We will talk about it later. What we have before us is more important that what is chasing me.
PAKU: Well if you say so. Lets move on. We were wondering why you haven't come. My friends, home is home. There is no place like home. No matter how long you stay in a foreign land, there is this natural feeling, this pull that draws you back home. A man returns and settles home after his sojourn in a foreign land.
TETE ONIRU: That is true. A beautiful life in exile cannot make me forget my town. As for me, there is nothing that can stop me from going home. My own presence here is just for formality. I have made up my mind that I must go home.
ABITIBITI: After many years of waging these wars, we deserve to go home and rest as we saviour, the joy of victory. At least a man should have a time for reflection, count his gains and losses so that he can be able to face the future. What will I be doing around here at the end, of the war? We have succeeded in clipping the wings of all the ravens troubling the king.
ALARIBABA ISEGUN: But that may not matter to Ajaka. He may still like to see your faces in Oyo. Although there is peace in the empire but I suspect that the king may still tell us there is need to have us around him to fight some adversaries. Whatever he says will not change my mind. I'm longing for home. If you people want to continue to stay here, you can. As far as I am concerned, I will go home.
PAKU: Yes, you have hit he nail on the head. After the end of civil war, we just have to go home.
ELENRE: For me, nothing is going to stop me. Don't forget that my people have secured a beautiful lady for me. They are waiting for my arrival to celebrate our union in marriage.
TETE ONIRU: (Whispers) I hear footsteps, Shhh..... (He peeks into the corridor) Kabiyesi is coming.
(The four medicine-men courtesy to the king as he approaches the main court in the palace. Ajaka is dressed in royal regalia adorned with charms and gourds. Two nobles Olubi and Oluwo follow
him.)
MEDICINE-MEN: (Prostrates Kabiyesi) The sole authority and second-to-the-gods. Yes, you are the next one to the gods. We greet you.
AJAKA (Shakes the Irukere (horse whisk)) In appreciation I greet you all gentlemen. I thank you for the honour you have done for me in weathering through the communal storm that had plagued our land.
OLUBI: They have really done well.
OLUWO: We cannot forget their deeds.
PAKU: Thank you for your good words on our efforts in Oyo, Kabiyesi, we are here to intimate you about our plans to visit our various places of birth. You know as human beings, we must have been missing our people, especially our families we left behind all these years. Though the results of our military expeditions and successes have reverberated in the entire land, they still will love to see us in flesh.
TETE ONIRU: He is right Kabiyesi. We cannot deny the fact that we really long to see our families. Some of the kids we left at home these years will be planning to choose women as wives. They must be adults by now, already grown up.
ALARI BABA ISEGUN: I know that many people will not recognise me again in my town. Those who would have remembered my escapades in those years would have gone senile due to old age or gone to the great beyond. It is better one quickly seizes this opportunity to see those who are left before one becomes totally a foreigner in his old birthplace.
AJAKA (After watching the medicine men grudgingly and disdainfully). What effusions are coming from all of you that you feel you are speaking words? What kind of people are you? Aren't you ingrates? Despite all that one has done for you, you now feel this is the right time............ (Stammers)
To return to your home towns? What a thing to say! Did you think very well before embarking on this move? You people are just selfish. You do not think about other people. You just think only about yourselves.
ABITIBITI: (Interrupts). This is not true Kabiyesi, we are just home sick...........
AJAKA (Furiously) Are you saying I do not know what you are telling me again Abitibiti! What is this insult that you people have come to give me in my palace? Ha! If the Sigidi'*' is preparing himself for a disgrace, he will ask to be taken to the riverside so that he can have a good bath! Look, you people can just do whatever you want to do. Do you think we cannot do without you? You are not indispensable.......... let me tell you. You can go to blazes (Ajaka paces up and down still abusive and spitting fire).
* Sigidi is believed to be robot-like and made of clay
AJAKA: In fact, why have you come to tell me. I ask, why did you bother to come here? You can go at once.
(The dumbfounded Medicine men look at each other with awe).
OLUWO: You people should listen to Kabiyesi and rescind your decision.
MEDICINEMEN: Kabiyesi............... there is no reason for all these attacks on us.
PAKU: (Steps forward) Kabiyesi, please we beg you. We will just go home for a brief period and return. We just want to see our people, after all these years.
ABITIBITI: We pray your Highness to please grant our request. Our visit to our people will not be long. You know we are so used to Oyo so much so that we have become one with the people.
PAKU: Kabiyesi, we beg you.
AJAKA: Enough! I say enough of the begging. You think I do not know what I am doing. How can I open my eyes and allow a bent stick to strike it? What do you think will happen if I allow you to return to kingdoms will seek your assistance and finally deprive me? Then, they will carefully scheme and begin to attack me from every angle. With my achievements during the wars and final consolidated, I will not open my eyes and allow anyone to scatter my gains. Even if you leave here and decide to run away, you will not succeed. I have already stationed the best guards around the boarders. They too are equally vast in medicine and the art of supernatural.
OLUBI: Gentlemen, you don't seem to understand us anymore. Why?
MEDICINEMEN: Kabiyesi, May you live long. Our position has nothing to do with lack of understanding. We suspected it might come to this. We only came here as a matter of courtesy. We know you can refuse us. You have not seen anything yet.
(Paku falls down before the king and vanishes into thin air. Tete Oninu, Abitibiti and Alari Baba Isegun fall before the king just as Paku and they disappear. Elenre, one of the medicine men stands, looking away without any action. An angry Ajakas charges forward towards Elenre).
OLUWO: What bizarre is going on here?
AJAKA: Elenre, you had better follow your colleagues. You should just follow their examples and vanish, or I shall wreak my vengeance on you for their disobedience. You better command the ground to yawn and swallow you too. Consult your spell to make you disappear or you are finished.
ELENRE: (Hesitantly) Me? Follow their examples?
AJAKA (Screams) Heeee.......... you better follow your colleagues (Two palace guards rush on stage with glittering swords in their hand. They bloat intermittently, charging forward and backward - staggering)
PALACE GUARDS: What is going on here? What is the problem Kabiyesi? Is this man playing games with you? Is he trying to be funny?
AJAKA: I say follow their examples, this instant or I shall order your execution!
ELENRE: Kill me if you can? Try it. Just kill me if you can
AJAKA: (angrier, orders furiously) kill him. Get him and cut him into pieces. Cut his body into bits.
(The two palace guards rush forward and deal heavy blows from their swords on Elenre. As the swords hit him, they brake into pieces to the king's astonishment.
PALACE GUARDS: (Startled) Ewo! Abomination, Impossible! What is this?.
AJAKA (Stupefied and perturbed) Get him and cut him into pieces. Take the best glittering swords from the wall.
(The palace guards take two spears from the ones hung on the wall. They again deal heavy blows on Elenre.)
AJAKA: (Supportive, moves closer) Spear him, Spear him and pin him against the wall. Spear him once and for all .............
Don't let him escape! Don't let him escape! (Bloats energetically) Kill him at once (The guard hits Elenre with the spear. The spear bends and just cannot pierce him to everyone's astonishment).
AJAKA: Ewo! Impossible!
1ST GUARD: I'm done for ............ I am paralysed. (Stammers as his hand stiffens and withers).
2ND GUARD: What is this? My hand too has withered!
ELENRE: (Looks at his adversaries with satisfaction) You ........ you (pointing to the second guard) Do you want to come?
ELENRE: Why don't you follow his footsteps? Come along if you are sure of yourself. We can be afraid of those who send us on errands but we can never be scared of whom the message will be delivered. Go ahead. Spear me.
2ND GUARD (Recoils) Kabiyesi, the bizarre has entered this kingdom. We should do something fast. Me, I can't go and allow my arm to be withered like that. This one is a poisonous snake.
AJAKA: (Furious and desperate) You cannot escape. I know how to deal with people like this. Even if a child is so endowed with lots of fine dresses, he cannot have more rags than his father. I will deal with you. I've dealt with your likes before. (Suddenly sees a big box in one corner and he looks back at the other palace guards), Get that box. Push that box against him. Pin him to the wall with the concrete structure with the concrete structure
(The guards comply, they run the stone against Elenre. They push, sweating profusely against him. But there is no danger to
Elenre.)
AJAKA: (Joins in pushing) Push! Push! Push till he dies. He must die, Push!...
(After a protracted push. There is frustration on their faces. The guards give up one after the other until the king is left alone, pushing).
AJAKA: Despite all the food you eat daily. You are nothing but empty barrels. Yes, big empty barrels.
(Bellows orders at the guards).
AJAKA: Don't let him escape. Just hold him. You, get some thick ropes and let us tie him quickly before he transforms. We must put him behind bars. Don't let him go O! Let us tie him.
(The guards bring ropes and they quickly begin to the Elenre's hand behind his back. Ajaka supervises them and orders once again).
AJAKA: Have you tied him very well?
GUARDS: Yes. The hands are well tied
AJAKA: Good. Take him straight behind the bars and lock it firmly while we look for ways of solving the knotty problem.
(Elenre is led behind bars constructed somewhere on stage. The nobles and Ajaka watch as he is being taken away).
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