The Night Dwellers by Tosin Adeniran
ACT ONE
A cleansing rite-the cleansing leads to festive gathering in the
palace of the king. The spotlight brightens on the king and his wife
in the auditorium. The two move to the stage to join the jubilating
crowd. While the celebration is in progression a man comes in
aggressively
Man: Magnificent, isn't it? What a gorgeous celebration!
Unreasonable fellows we are!
King: (Militantly) how dare you interrupt this celebration? Who do you
think you are? You ant!
Man: (Authoritatively) I'm Jengbonran. A man with flesh and bone
like you
King: Ah a man with flesh and bone like me Interesting!
(Guffaws) Young man, do you love yourself? No! A man who loves himself
doesn't challenge the supremacy of the gods.
Jengbonran: ( with reticent) the gods who are the gods? For how
long are we going to be insensitive to your gods? Why people, why do
you pretend as if all is well and later go back to your abode to
lament in silence all isn't
King: (Rushes after Jengboran and rough handles him) Tongues like
yours deserves to be cut (Jengonran struggles) Relax young man! I'm yet to make a
scapegoat of an unpatriotic fellow like you I don't think you know who I
am-because if you do, you will not negate my supremacy. Guards! Arrest
him and lock him up in the gallows (The people are rapped in fear) Imbeciles!
Out all of you out! Oh sorry my people important deed awaits me you may
leave please!
(The people depart dejectedly)
He who questions my supremacy challenges the destined order of the
gods-and such a person deserves the wrath of the crown!
(Lights out)
Song emerges Dem be proper yeye people
So so yeye people
Dem be so so yeye people
Proper yeye
Security dem be guardian
For society to protect
Their land yanyan
Dem be tief o dem be rogue o
See o hear o etc
Jengbonran is spotlighted as he struggles with the guards. He is
pushed into the guardroom erected on the stage left. He attempts to
brake loose from the guardroom but he couldn't. Submissively he
falls into a sleep after much exertion with the gate of the prison.
The spotlight goes dim while this action is on Within this
happening, Jengboran is seen waking up as if in a trance
While the celebration song is going on, the scene is temporarily in
darkness, as the tempo of the song reduces, the unstable tongues of
shakabula* lanterns start to surface. The lanterns totally illuminate
the market and at the same time the humming of the marketers enliven
the scene
Flamboyantly seated at the center is Iyaloja-watching the marketers as
they sing
A spotlight focuses on her
Iyaloja: O to! Enough, I say if one says enough a drummer must
surely put an end to his drumming-disobedience will put him into
trouble. Let rain strike Bata* and its acolytes
(The drummer chant her praises)
Enough of this comedy drummers! Today is another day of festivity
A day that makes your lives worthy of living (Drumming) Drummers!
As you honor me today-the whole world shall praise you.
(The marketers respond with "ase" each time iyaloja ends her
prayer)
Sweetness feels honeycomb-may your houses be stored with happiness!
Ata jere oja*
May your purse continue to swell.
Let your enemies be filled with sadness
Sopana*, overpower those who speak evil of my children
(Joyously the marketers shout "ase"except Jengboran who remains
indignant to Iyaloja's prayer)
Jengboran: Iya! May you live long before you continue with this
supplication. I'll like to remind you of these intruders, who burst
in at an unholy hour to look for what is not lost in their mothers'
bosom
(A marketer)
I wonder o!
Jengboran: Yes, I wonder too!
Iyaloja: Ah ha Jengboran ou* Patience! When trees mount
trees-is it not the topmost one we first remove? Answer, Oga
Jengboran (Pause) So you'll not answer me? The issue at hand is
not the intruder ke*
Jengboran: Iya, it is!
Iyaloja: Ou*Young man, do not invoke the red part of my eyes
(All the marketers plead with IyalojaLara moves closer to
iyaloja pleadingly)
Lara: Iya, it's a good thing Oga Jengboran has said. He never said
it to infuriate you Yeye, but as you elders' say- That what pains
one most occupies one's mind. Iya, it is a mother that saves her
children from evil It is you we have and you must surely accept
us
Abi ki le ni mo wi*
The marketers: Beni* (Song emerges)
Oja oja ma ja wa ox2
Oja ure
Ka se'owo ka jere
Ka kere oja yi dele
Oja oja ma ja wa ooja ure
Ile yi do'wo re o
Yeye ure
Yeye oja ye gba wa o
Yeye ure
Ka se owo ka jere
Ka kere oja yi dele
Ule yi dowo re o
Yeye ure
Oja yi d'wo re o
Oja ure etc
Iyaloja: I've heard and I promise that your grievances shall be
tabled before kabiyesi
(Pause, then looks at Jengboran with contempt) But Jengboran should
learn to exercise patience
(Iyaloja proceeds with the prayer)
May our hold be firm!
In different styles days appear-you will always come out in many
styles that will give pleasure to your family.
Obeisance we pay to you gods of our land-Let the coming year be
celebrated in abundance (Pause) That reminds me, Oge, Lara and
Abeni. Have you taken our dues to Oloja?
Oge: We shall do that tomor
Iyaloja: To mo ki ni? Ah enh! You want to incur the Oba's
wrath? The intruders palaver* can't wait till tomorrow?
Please, concerned people of our land spare me the anger of the
king!
Lara: Ah mother, we mean no evil neither do we exhibit pride not to
have taken the royal homage to the palace today We've only deemed
it fit to ask for your position concerning the Wolewole mother!
Iyaloja: (Mimics)
We've only deemed it Is this supposed to be the right time?
(Hisses)
Jengboran: Iya, for how long are we going to continue to pay this
dues? It never ends! Yet the Wolewole will not bid us farewell with
their powder flasks. We call you mother, but yours kind of a mother is
a vampire that sucks to the
Iyaloja: (Annoyed)
Emi*You insult me! A child you are and you must
Marketers: Ah! Iya we are sorry
Iyaloja: Sorry for your seeds that will bear the pain of his outburst!
(She walks out in anger)
Abeni: Oga Jengboran or wetin be your name! You insulted our
mother
Jengboran: Whose mother?
Abeni: Mr. Know-all. Our mother!
Lakunle: (Another marketer-with a pedestrian accent)
Wo monu* yi ah! The trouble you'll cause in this moket ah!
Your head will not be able to carry the wahala o! Ah wetin gan
lef us alone
Oge: See people, for how long do we want to keep enduring? The thing
Oga Jengboran asked Yeye isn't too much. It is for our own sake
Lara: Oge is right- for our own sake and that of our children Now
that we've made our minds known to Iya, things will be better.
Lakunle, were you not the one who lamented most the other day the
Wolewole came? Why then this sudden change (Mimics Lakunle) Lef us
alone! Yet things aren't well with you and me. Wo* Oga Jengboran,
move on-we are for you!
Abeni: Ah enh-he should move on? Count Abeni out! (She walks away)
Duro: Abeni wait. The Oba's homage!
(Abeni stops)
Abeni: Ask your leaders! (She hisses and exits)
Lakunle: Hey me I'm talking my own o lef us alone!
Jengboran: Let her go!
Oge: She can go
(The marketers are set in argumentative mood. Jengboran, Oge and Lara
aside)
Jengboran: Don't be discouraged! Do not think that they don't know
what is happening.
They do! But they are afraid of the unseen. We have a lot to do Oge
and Lara. Ours is to unveil this mysterious mystery! And until this is
done we shall not rest.
Lara: Beni*!
Oge: We won't!
[end of extract]