|
Bashorun’s House.
The chiefs sit down. Each of them holds a calabash-full of wine. They
occasionally sip from their calabashes. The Asipa brings out a small snuff
bottle from his pocket. He begins to sniff carefully, sneezing heavily as
he takes it. None of the other chiefs appeared to notice him as they
concentrate on the keg of pamie before them. The Bashorun puffs from what
looks like a shortened tobacco pipe. He is having some problems with it.
He strikes a stick of match on the matchbox; the flame is being blown out.
Strikes another… the same story… another… he’s fed up. He is
protesting silently. The Samu buries head with the extra-large calabash he
is using. His throat makes funny sounds as he gallops the palm wine. |
| SAMU: |
Concentrated. |
| ASIPA: |
Hm… undiluted. Probably straight from the palm tree. |
| AKINIKU: |
I think so too. |
| LAGUNA: |
It must be. |
| BASHORUN: |
It is. The man knows. If a drop of water is detected,
he’s finished. |
| ALAPINI; |
I think I need an introduction. Mine is so silly. Very
untrustworthy. Unreliable man today it’s good, tomorrow it’s sour. Day
after, it’s a mixture of the two. During the last masquerade festival, I
was almost disgraced, some of my guests complained about the quality of
the wine. |
| LAGUNA: |
Gentlemen, enough of palmie talks. Lets face issues. It’s
suicidal to leave a puff adder on the roof and go to sleep. |
| AKINIKU: |
That’s true. Let them continue palm wine palaver as if
they are in. If heaven will fall, it won’t fall on one person. When the
time comes for us to be marched to Oyo, you won’t remember your
calabashes. |
|
(The chiefs tap their fingers over
their heads) |
| CHIEFS: |
The Gods forbid! |
| SAMU: |
Bad thing! After all, the Partridge sees with both the
feathers and the eyes. |
| BASHORUN: |
There you are (he points at the
other chiefs).As for me; I am ready
to face Abipa, to make sure that we don’t move an inch from this place. |
| ASIPA |
I am ready for the worst too (he
stresses). |
| BASHORUN: |
Gentlemen, we all know the purpose of this gathering. The
King’s dictation at the Palace today. Pretence. That’s all it did at
the palace, to make him look stupid. When’ am not insane I can’t
support the idea of moving to Oyo till infinity – And not when it comes
from one who thinks he’s infallible. Whereas, he’s an ignorant person.
We shan’t allow him to toss us around. |
| ASIPA: |
Yes—we shan’t. I still wonder if he buried something
there. |
| SAMU: |
Despite our persuasion, he’s desperate. |
| ASIPA: |
Let’s give him another chance. May be he will change his
mind. |
| OTHERS: |
(angrily) No… No. His river had over flown its banks. |
| ALAPINI: |
That adamant man? The son of a stubborn father? |
|
Not again. |
| BASHORUN: |
We just have to stop him somehow before he marches us to
Oyo. He’s ready and ‘am ready to face him. The question now is, what
do we do to disallow him from carrying out his designs? |
| ALAPINI: |
(sips from the calabash)
Hm… not too difficult. We stir up an uprising. A rebellion. When
there’s chaos, he will forget about Oyo and try to put his house in
order. |
| SAMU: |
Quite right. If he’s got domestic problems, he will think
first about consolidation before other things. |
| AKINIKU: |
That’s the problem with human beings. He found a place to
squat; he wants to touch the floor. |
| BASHORUN: |
Hold it everyone. It seems as if you aren’t aware of the
implications and effects of a commotion. It might backfire. Producing a
negative result. When you point a finger at someone else, the remaining
four becomes yours. (Bashorun brings out his tobacco
pipe, knocks it against the bench twice, puts it in the mouth and fills it
with some tobacco leaves wrapped in a small dirty handkerchief. He strikes
the box of matched with a matchstick, there’s combustion. Quickly, he
lights the pipe – no mistakes this time. He begins to puff abythimically,
as others are busy drinking while the Samu battles with his snuff). |
| SAMU: |
(angrily) It
seems this wine has taken the better part of you all. |
| AKINIKU: |
A thief calling the owner a rogue. That’s what you are. |
| ASIPA: |
He thinks snuff hasn’t taken the better part of him. |
| AKINIKU: |
Leave him alone. He doesn’t know we are better off. At
least we don’t sneeze recklessly. |
| SAMU: |
I don’t fall into trenches either. |
| BASHORUN: |
The sneezers and sleepwalkers should allow us to
deliberate. (Tries to imagine something)
Gentlemen, I think I’ve got an idea of what we ought to do. We should
scare everyone away from Oyo. |
| AKINIKU: |
How? |
| SAMU: |
Scare? |
| BASHORUN: |
Yes! Scare them. My opinion is that we dispatch some
half-humans considered suffering from the vengeance of the gods. They will
precede the king’s messengers who he will send propitiate the gods at
preliminary to settlement – and infact … this… it is debatable… |
| OTHERS: |
Yes... yes |
| ABAPINI: |
Supernatural beings will easily scare messengers… |
| SAMU: |
Sorry to interrupt. No one could suspect us or even link us
to this plan. It will grip the king down to his toes. The messengers will
tremble as the sight of those counterfeits. You know people hate their
sights (stresses). |
|
(The chiefs nod) |
| LAGUNA: |
This is a nice idea. |
| ALAPINI: |
It is. How do we carry it out? |
| BASHORUN: |
Collect the counterfeits and dispatch them immediately |
| LAGUNA; |
(jumps up to his feet)
I will bring a dwarf. |
| ALAPINI: |
I’ll provide an albino |
| ASIPA; |
me… me a… lep… leper. |
| BASHORUN: |
I will present a camel-like hunchback. |
| SAMU: |
From me, a prognostic |
| AKINIKU: |
Hm… and I think a cripple will make the group fearful. |
| BASHORUN: |
(scratches his leg.) |
|
We should quickly gather these eni ovisa, these unnatural
beings suffering the vengeance of the gods and send them to Oyo. |
| ASIPA: |
May I remind you that it should be treated with all
secrecy? No one should ask the king for a change of heart. |
| ALAPINI: |
Comrades, let's work perfectly with precision. |
| LAGUNA: |
What’s worth doing at all is worth doing well. |
| AKINIKU: |
No half-baked jobs. |
| BASHORUN: |
The king will soon discover that not all father’s last
wishes are executed. We’ll make him shiver. Last wish ko, first wish
ni. |
|
(Laughter) |
| AKINIKU: |
(still beaming, he walks like a cripple)
My cripple will daze them when he walks like this. The messengers will wet
their pants in bid to escape. |
| ASIPA: |
(shortens his fingers)
The leper will roam the bush and chase those idiots back here. |
| BASHORUN: |
We shouldn’t delay. Lets set out quickly |
|
(The chiefs stand up except the Samu,
who seems to be setting a grudge with the keg of palm wine. He tries to
dodge his head and concentrates. Still carrying some particles of snuff in
his palm, the Asipa continues to sneeze. Suddenly, there’s a soft
bata sound. The chiefs hold their thighs and begin to gyrate to the sound
– the Asipa still with the snuff dances; the Samu merely shakes his
head. Others dance away leaving the Samu and the Bashorun. Moments afterward,
Bashorun seems to be helping Samu to his feet. He staggers on. Bashorun
gives him heavy slaps on the back as he eventually closes the door after
him.) |
| Bashorun: |
What sort of man is this?…Hum? |
|
Fadeout |
