Written by Ayokunle Olagoke
INT. OFFICE RECEPTION. EVENING
LARA (35) is seating at the receptionist’s cubicle with a tag on her table that reads “kindly make all your enquiries here”. She is conversing with someone over the phone. Her food pack is on the
right side of the table. She has the TV remote
control in her hand, a Nigerian movie is being
shown on the television. She is chewing a piece of
meat in her mouth as she is also engrossed in the
conversation.
LARA
I already told her, until she leaves that church I
don’t see an end coming to her pro… You married
a husband who has no job, as if that is not enough
you are now attending a church where your
pastor who is 68 years old has no child, how
do you think he will pray for you to have a child?
She pauses to get a response from the other end
of the phone. Femi, a young man walks in, looking
very exhausted with a small sheet of paper in his
hand. He wipes off the sweat on his face with his
sleeves. He takes a glance at the sheet of paper
then takes a looks at the name of the company
boldly written on the insignia hung on the wall, he
walks towards Lara, taking a bow with his head as
a form of greeting. Lara stares at him from head to
toe, his appearance does not look impressive or
choice.
She signals to him with her left hand to hold on
while she continues with her conversation. Femi
attempts to speak but Lara repeats the signal
again. Femi waits right there standing in front of
Lara’s desk, hoping that Lara’s conversation will
end soon. Lara continues to chew on her meat.
LARA (CONT’D)
Since we all left school, no progress in her life.
There is so much of bad luck following that so
called husband of hers… really? Is that his new lie?
He can never get a job. Until I see him working
with my two eyes and paying bills at home, I will
never believe he… ah you know you believe things
so easily.So, have you heard from Leye? Is he still
dating that Nike girl?
She makes a long hiss to depict hopelessness on
the matter.
LARA (CONT’D)
Nike has cast a spell on him, how can a lady tell
you her two sibling died of sickle cell and she is
AS, and you still want to go ahead and marry her…
ehen? Even if he is AA nko? AS and AA, there is
still “S” there so they can have SS child o… ehen?
So they can’t have SS child that way? Are you
sure? Anyway you work in the hospital… me I sha
don’t like Nike, she’s even slim like an ogbanje…
her tinny legs like that of Miss Pepeye
She bursts out into laughter,
LARA (CONT’D)
Yes now, she wears skinny trouser like a prostitute
She hisses in disgust. At this point, Femi walks to
where the seats are to take a seat, he seems
restless as he checks the time on his phone
which is bonded with a rubber band. Lara glances
at him as he goes to take his seat and quickly
takes her eyes off him.
LARA (CONT’D)
All I know is whatever we all sow we will… Muyiwa
leave me jare, all you men are the same, show me
a man who does not cheat and I will show you a
first class liar. I lived with Lanre for fourteen years
still he went about chasing after tiny legged girls
and me I don’t have patience, before he could
say “Jack” I’ve packed my… So you are saying
your wife left just because she doesn’t want to
relocate to Nigeria with you? I don’t believe
that Femi’s phone rings, he goes out to receive
the call.
Lara stretches her neck to peep at him and see
what he is up to, pulling the land line closer so
she can see him clearly.
LARA (CONT’D)
I have a visitor jare, he resembles all this aboki
selling suya, he has been so impatient, ah I told
him to wait, I will attend to him, nobody can even
do any shakara for me in this office. They never
pay me my three months salary so I will work at
my own pace… my battery is flat, we’ve been
talking for more than an hour… She is fine o, she
is back from school so I sent her to the market,
she should even be back any moment from now.
Amen ooo, all of them will give us great delight.
Her brother is writing his WAEC next month, I
am getting relieved gradually…
Femi walks in and approaches Lara’s desk
impatiently, looking worried
FEMI
Madam…
LARA
So we will talk later jare
Turns her revolving chair towards Femi, staring at
him rudely
LARA
So how may I help you?
FEMI
My name is Femi, an accident occurred close to
Azizat Market some hours ago involving a young
girl and a taxi, the taxi did not wait after the
collision so I took the girl who was lying
there helplessly, to the hospital, there was no way
we could recognize her, she
wasn’t speaking. On my way home to go change
my shirt because it was stained with blood, I saw
this piece of paper in my back seat with this
company’s letter head so I thought someone here
might know her
He dips his hand into his pocket to bring out the
sheet of paper. Written on it is the list of things to
buy from the market. Lara quickly snatches it from
his hand trembling as she recognizes her own
handwriting on the paper, she is
shaking uncontrollably.
LARA
Yeh! Yeh! She’s my daughter
FEMI
We need to hurry now, I just got a call from the
hospital that my attention is needed
LARA
Ah! You should have told me… you should have…
yeh
THE END
Ogbanje – a child believed to repeatedly die and
then return to its mother to be reborn
Miss Pepeye – a character in the Wale Adenuga’s
Papa Ajasco comedy who tries to create the
impression that she is classic but is truly not. She
is simply plastic


https://litehelp./2016/01/19/boomerang/