| The
king, Olori and Ologbo go off state. The chiefs stand up and depart. Light
dims. Moment afterwards, they re-appear on stage – which now represents
the Palace court yard, a place meant for nobles. After the sacrifices the
chiefs retired. They sit on small benches. Staring everywhere. The
Bashorun finally breaks the silence. |
| BASHORUN; |
May we live long to see many years of such sacrifices. |
| AKINIKU: |
Amen. |
| ALPINI: |
Amen. |
| LAGUNA: |
Asipa, what’s happening? We are wasting time. |
| AKINIKU: |
My throat is revolting; normally I ought to be on the
second keg now. |
| SAMU: |
Mine is protesting. |
| ASIPA: |
I am not in the position to know. |
| BASHORUN: |
Why? |
| ASIPA: |
Bored. Fed up with the Palace activities. Didn’t want to
engage in impossible departure arrangements. |
| BASHORUN: |
It’s futile already. |
| LAGUNA: |
Mission impossible |
| AKINIKU: |
Asipa was right. |
| BASHORUN: |
The king should have realized he’s bound to fail. He’s
quiet for sometime over Oyo. |
| SAMU: |
Our creatures must be doing a lot of scaring down in… |
| BASHORUN: |
(interrupts)
Shhhh… the wall have ears. |
| (At
this point, one of the chief’s emissary, the lunch back enters the
courtyard and walks straight to the Bashorun with a keg of palm wine) |
| (Silence) |
| BASHORUN: |
(nervously) Oyo…Oyo. Aren’t you
supposed to be in Oyo? (Still perplexed). |
| (The
albino emerges and walks toward the Alapini carrying a keg of palm wine). |
| ALAPINI: |
(embarrassed)
‘Am in trouble… you … (Next, the leper,
the prognostic, the dwarf and the cripple each carrying a keg of palm wine
to the one who sent them. A very deep silence pervades the courtyard as
the unnatural human beings put the kegs down and vamooses. Moments later,
the King enters the courtyard with smiles). |
| KING
ABIPA: |
(smiling) my
chiefs… my people’ am sorry for keeping you… |
| CHIEFS: |
(greeting nervously)
My lord… |
| KING
ABIPA: |
(sits down).
This is a terrible world. The wind of evil work blows over the evil
doors…not so? |
| BASHORUN: |
(reluctantly)
Right my lord. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
Did you know
why? |
| BASHORUN: |
No my lord. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
Do you know men are cunny? |
| BASHORUN: |
yes my lord. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
If men saw red, don’t you know they can convincingly call
it black? |
| BASHORUN: |
I know my lord. |
| KING
ABIPA: |
A man was chased into my palace the other day an Ibariba.
He was having an affair with another man’s wife. I asked the offender
‘are you guilty? He said he wasn’t. The angry husband asked him some
questions. “Didn’t I catch you the other day before the last harvest
in the same hut? “He answered, “It was only on that occasion. Again,
the husband asked “Didn’t I catch you during the Ogun festival? He
answered, “it was just that one occasion”. Even if the man caught the
offender in his own room with his wife, he’ll still say “afi iyen”.
Don’t you think so my chiefs? |
| CHIEFS: |
Yes my lord. |
| KING ABIPA: |
But… you’ve not been taking your palmie. Why? Let’s
celebrate… lets continue celebrating the sacrifices. Drink…drink men
of lucid intellect. (The chiefs drink. They feel
uneasy thinking the king will ask them questions about the apparitions.
Moments later, the king leaves the court. The chiefs depart
flabbergasted). |
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