CHALLENGES AND COMPROMISE 2
BENJI: Aunty ooo! Aunty wake up! Wake up please. Aunty wake up! Neighbors’ oooo! Come and help me. Come and help me o! my aunty just collapsed. Neighbors come oooooooo!
NEIG 1: (Neighbors rush to Benji’s house in response to his call) Benji what is it? Why are you screaming like this by this time of the night?
BENJI: Please ooo, my aunty just collapsed!
NEIG 1: What happened?
BENJI: We were just talking, and she suddenly choked. Before I knew it she fell on the floor and became motionless.
NEIG 1: (Screams in shock) Jesus! As in, are you trying to say that she’s dead?
BENJI: (Tensed) God forbid! She only collapsed, but she’s still breathing. Please let’s join our voices together and pray for her to be restored. Please my neighbors join me pray for her.
NEIG 1: (Angrily) What is wrong with you Benji? Someone is dying and here you are talking about prayers. Are you well?
NEIGS: I wonder oo!
NEIG 1: Instead of talking about rushing your aunty to the hospital you are talking about joining voices together and praying. Let’s take her to the hospital Jare!
BENJI: Okay-Okay, please let’s take her to the hospital then.
NEIG 1: Now you are talking. Please let’s all carry her to a hospital. Someone should go and get a cab abeg
NEIG 2: Okay (Runs off to get a cab)
SCENE 6 (a)
REGINA: (Banging on the gate of the house she stays) Somebody should come and open the gate for me nah! What is all these? (Bangs on the gate again with more force) Open this gate nah! Could it be that everyone in this lodge have slept? What time is it sef? It’s just 10pm for Christ’s sake. (Bangs the gate again) Somebody come and open the gate for me ooooo…., (Phone call interrupts her battle with the gate) Hello?
JERRY: (Tensed) Hello Regina, its Jerry. I just got a call from Benjamin now saying that his aunty collapsed and has been taken to a hospital. He needs us there with him. Have you retired to bed already?
REGINA: Not at all! I haven’t even gotten into my lodge yet. The gate is locked and everyone inside seems to have gotten to bed. Please which hospital is Benjamin’s aunty?
JERRY: Revelation clinic. I’ve called usher Sunday and he’s on his way there. I just wanted to call you too before heading down there.
REGINA: Okay, I’ll meet you guys there.
JERRY: Okay, bye.
SCENE 6 (b)
USHER: So Benjamin, what exactly happened?
BENJI: I went home and met her sitting in the parlor, probably waiting for me to return home. She flared up on seeing me and scolded me because I returned home at a later time than I told her I was going to be back. I tried to explain things to her but she continued scolding me and suddenly choked. Before I knew it, she fell on the floor. So called on the neighbor to come and help me. That’s how she was brought here.
USHER: What sort of a development is this? Why is this happening? Where is she?
BENJI: The doctors took her from us the moment we brought her here. I don’t know which room they have put her in.
USHER: Where is the doctor that admitted her?
BENJI: He should still be there with her.
USHER: We have to confirm which room she has been put in so that we can go in there and pray for her.
BENJI: Oh, there is the doctor.
USHER: Where? (Turns to see the doctor)
BENJI: There. Doctor please what is wrong with my aunty?(Everyone cluster around the doctor, each inquiring to know what is wrong with Benji’s aunty)
DOC: Calm down everyone. She’s okay. Please who among you is the patient’s husband?
BENJI: Her husband is not here. I am her nephew.
DOC: Are you the only relative of hers here present?
BENJI: Yes. Doctor, is anything the matter?
DOC: Well, the woman is suffering from high blood pressure as a result of trauma believed to be emotional. That’s why I asked about her husband. Still on that matter, where is her husband?
BENJI: Doctor, her husband is not around.
DOC: Where is he? His attention is needed if this woman is to recover soon enough.
BENJI: Her husband doesn’t really stay with her.
DOC: And why is that?
BENJI: That information is private and cannot be discussed in the open.
DOC: In that case, you might have to come with me to my office, because I need that information.
BENJI: Alright Doctor.
SCENE 6 (c)
DOC: So boy, talk to me. What’s the situation with the woman’s husband?
BENJI: My aunty has been married to her husband for seven years now without bearing him a child. Her husband got tired of her because of that and is threatening to marry another wife who can bear him children. For some time now he barely stays at home with my aunty and no one knows where he goes to or stays when he is not around. It is for that reason that my aunty sent for me to come and stay with her since she couldn’t cope with the loneliness she inevitably had to face.
DOC: I see. That explains her situation. She has thought about that overtime and it has amounted to high blood pressure. As it is, the only thing that will put a permanent end to those thoughts is the return of her husband to her. As long as her husband is away from her, she will continue to harbor those thoughts and may have to be living on drugs and undergoing medical checkups more often than frequent for God knows how long. Young man, do you know how to pray?
BENJI: (Stammers) Yes sir, I try.
DOC: You may have to try harder, because your auntie’s situation requires more than mere trial.
BENJI: Okay sir. So Doctor, can I see her now? I would like to start praying for her now. Some brethren from my church are already here to do that.
DOC: No problems. You can go ahead.
SCENE 7
REGINA: Oluchi, what happened last night? I came home and was virtually banging on the gate without anyone coming out to open the gate for me. I had to sleep in a clinic till this morning.
OLUCHI: Regina, you know how these bad boys are, don’t you? You never can tell when they might decide to raid lodges. So it’s only advisable that we lock the gate as at when due. Besides, you know that the gate us usually locked by 10pm, don’t you?
REGINA: I was only some minutes late. And I know that there are some nights when that gate remains open till about after 11pm before being locked.
OLUCHI: Well, unfortunately for you, last night wasn’t one of such nights. So tell me, which hospital did you spend your night in? Could it be that you have a relative who is a doctor or nurse somewhere in town that I don’t know of?
REGINA: For where? An aunt of one of my brother in church was rushed to a hospital last night and I was called upon to come over and join others and pray for her. She has high blood pressure. That’s how I ended up sleeping there till morning. We couldn’t leave the poor boy alone with his aunt.
OLUCHI: Eyyyaaa…., What has she been thinking of?
REGINA: My dear, the boy confided in us after praying for his aunty. He told us that his auntie’s husband leaves her from time to time to unknown destinations because she is unable to bear him a child. He even threatened to take a second wife. The poor woman thought about it until her blood pressure got high.
OLUCHI: Ah-ah, what is it with some men? Why would he do that to her. Is she God that gives children? Didn’t he promise to stand by her for better for worse? Chai! (Sighs)
REGINA: My dear, that’s how the world and its people are. I pray God saves and delivers me from such cases o.
OLUCHI: Yes o! That’s why I’m ever grateful for my Emeka. He would never do such a thing to me.
REGINA: (Dismisses it sharply) Abeg-Abeg-Abeg! Mek I hear word with this your Emeka!
OLUCHI: Ah-ah, Reg, na wetin nah? (They make fun of the subject) Ehen, Regina, our final year project is just by the corner. And we are commencing our exams two weeks later. Have you paid your fees yet?
REGINA: That one is not a problem nah. I still have four months to do that.
OLUCHI: I just thought it wise to bring it up in case you had forgotten.
REGINA: Not at all. I have 75% of the money available now. One of my uncles has promised to give me the balance before then. I’ll pay up as soon as the money comes in.
OLUCHI: Your own better say you get people wey dey give you money. Me, if I no sell okrika, no way to sponsor myself. That’s why I can never leave Emeka. I just pray he gets this job he’s hunting for. If he gets that job ehh, I will become madam overnight. He has been of great help to me during these past three years. I really love him.
REGINA: Hmmm, nawa ooo!
SCENE 8 (a)
PASTOR ITORO: (Preaching as church echoes Amens & Hallelujahs amidst his sermon. Calls for first timers to be attended to and Oluchi who is just visiting Regina’s church for the first time is one of those attended to)
USHER: Hello sister, we are very glad that you worshiped with us today. We do hope you were blessed by the various ministrations from the various units today.
OLUCHI: Indeed I was.
USHER: Hallelujah to that. We do take time to welcome our first timers and get some personal information with which we reach out to them when necessary. So sister, please fill this form. But before then I’d like to ask you a question; how did you come to worship with us today?
OLUCHI: I was invited by a friend who worships here. Her name is Regina. We are course mates, and at the same time, lodge mates.
USHER: Oh, I see. Thank you for honoring her invitation. Please just fill in your information on this form please.
SCENE 8 (b)
REGINA: So Oluchi, what can you say about church service today? I suppose you were touched by the sermon right?
OLUCHI: Regina, if this is your way of getting me to be following you there every time you go there, ee no go work!
REGINA: Haba, Oluchi, why not let me have a say first before chewing me raw.
OLUCHI: No need. I know what you always say. (Mimics Regina) Oluchi it’s not good to be at home on Sundays! Oluchi you need to be in a relationship with Jesus! Oluchi you need to do this! Oluchi you need to do that! And if I let you go further, you tell me my relationship with Emeka is not right. So…..,
REGINA: (Interrupts) Oluchi you sef! Ah-ah? You be case oo! Anyway, since you don’t want to hear what I want to say, no problems. (Silence for a little bit) Ehm Oluchi
OLUCHI: Yes.
REGINA: Remember that money I told you my uncle was going to send across to me?
OLUCHI: Ehen.
REGINA: He has finally sent it. I now have the complete cash to pay up my fees.
OLUCHI: Oh, lucky you. The whole project and final exams thing is just two weeks away. You better hurry and pay up before there’s no more time to do so. Mind you, some students like doing things at the dine minute. So you might hardly find chance to pay up if you chose to do so later than now. It’s late already as it stands.
REGINA: Are you telling me? I’m heading to the bank right away to withdraw the money so that I can pay tomorrow and rest. I’ve thought about this for so long.
OLUCHI: Yes o! Alright then, go ahead and withdraw the cash. I’ll just proceed to the house.
REGINA: Ah-ah? Aren’t you escorting me there?
OLUCHI: No o. I’m really feeling weak. I have to catch some rest. Sorry.
REGINA: Okay. See you when I return.
OLUCHI: Alright. Bye.
REGINA: (Breaks a cab)Taxi! (Hops in and taxi zooms off)
SCENE 9
EMEKA: Nna market bad today o. Nothing-Nothing since morning. Ee no even be like Sabbath day wey be say anyhow-anyhow, show must dey. (Sighs)
IKPA: No be small thing o. Me sef don dey tire. Ee be like say I go change line of business.
EMEKA: To wetin?
ATM: (At bank premises)Thank you for banking with us.
REGINA: Thank you.
IKPA: Bobby see! Market don show! You see that girl dier so? She just dey comot from that ATM. I see as she put something for inside her hand bag. I sure say na money.
EMEKA: You sure?
IKPA: Ehen nah!
EMEKA: Oya start bike. Mek we go wish am happy Sunday. (They start their bike, drive towards Regina, snatch her bag and drive away)
REGINA: (Screams uncoordinatedly and calls to the attention of passersby)Thief! My bag! Thief! Thief oooooooooo!
To be continued...
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
PART 4
PART 5
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