ASUNDER!.....(Family Matters)



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Naira land forum, thank you for your audience, CSSA Re-union, my Face book page fans, I say thank you for the love.




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DEDICATION

This one is for Daniella, my Second.

CAST
OGIRI
TOMBRA-Ogiri’s Wife
JOSHUA-Ogiri’s Son
DANIELLA-Ogiri’s daughter
UNCLE JOE-Ogiri’s Uncle
MAMA JOE- Ogiri Uncle’s Wife
DANDY- Ogiri’s Friend and Owner of Dandy’s Bar
TOPE- Ogiri’s Friend
TAMUNO-Ogir’s Friend
BRIAN-Ogiri’s Friend
NJOKU-Ogiri’s Friend
OLD SOJA- Tombra’s Father
MAMA-Tombra’s Mother
POLICE
BANKER 1
BANKER 2
AKPAN- Bar Man at Dandy’s Bar
WAITRESS-At Dandy’s Bar
SALES GIRL 1&2- Tombra’s Shop

ACT 1 SCENE 1

(Mr. Ogiri has just lost his job, the contract being executed by his Company where he is a site Manager is completed and the Government has paid them off. No further contract in the company’s kitty and as such has to close down business until further notice.
Ogiri a.k.a Lanky because of his stature enters his house and undresses lazily, he toss his Shirt and Singlet carelessly on the Chairs in the sitting room, he goes to the wine shelf and pours himself a shot of Brandy, he gulps down a shot and squeezes his face in reaction to the effect of the brandy in his mouth, he then pours in another shot and retires to sit of the three seater couch in the Parlour, he picks up the TV remote control and flips through channels until he settles for one.)
Ogiri: (hissing as he soliloquizes) Na wa o! (Sips some brandy and squeezes his face) Where man wan start from now? (Hisses) Only God knows when they will call us back! With the elections around the corner, surely no hope for us until after the elections and too bad for us if the incumbent does not win (Hisses) kai! Na wao! This is the first time I will be out of Job in fourteen years! I did not see this coming at all! (Hisses a long one and sips his drink) Water go pass Garri if my Oga Party no win this election o! (He gulps down the content of the glass, squeezes his face and belches out loud, he pulls off his Shoes and lays comfortably on the couch and sleeps off)
ACT 1 SCENE 2
(Enters Mrs. Tombra Ogiri and their Kids. Joshua is twelve and Daniella is seven. The Kids are still dressed in their School Uniforms, they rush to greet their daddy but sees him sleeping thy run into their room to change their clothes, Tombra comes around and looks her sleeping husband over, she picks up the empty glass cup and smells it, she picks up the Clothes Ogiri had dropped carelessly on the Chairs then she sees the folded envelope on the centre table, she picks it up and reads the retrenchment letter of her husband: Ogiri turns over on the couch, utters some incoherent words, he hisses a long one and continues to snore )
Tombra: (Murmurs) Jesus! Jesus Christ! (She drops the letter and runs into the room tilting over a side stool, Ogiri jumps awake abruptly)
Ogiri: Who goes there! (Wide eyed) I say who goes there! (He stands up and looks around the sitting room; he notices the movement of the adjoining Curtain to the bedroom, he moves care fully towards the bedroom and shouts) I say who goes there! (The Kids now in different clothes rush out to greet him, hugging him, he was taken aback) oh dear me! It’s you Guys! Who brought you home?
Joshua: its Mummy sir!
Ogiri: Your Mum came home this early? What for?
Daniella: Today is Thursday nah! Mummy will go to Church for fellowship
Ogiri: Oh! Oh! I forgot!
Joshua: But Daddy, why are you home so early? Are you going to Church too?
Ogiri: Em, em, no! Not really, something happened at work and we closed early
Daniella: What happened at work Daddy?
Ogiri: Em em, we are on recess for now! We have finished the project we were handling at Elekahia and we do not have any other one at hand so I won’t be going to work for sometime until we get another Contract. Where is your Mum? Is she inside?
Daniella: yes daddy! She is inside! (The Kids leaves their dad and proceeds to the dinning table with their books to start working on their home works, Daddy come and help me out with my home work.
Ogiri: I am coming my dear! Give it to Josh to help you out; if he cannot do it, then I will do it!
Joshua: Daddy what about if you cannot do it! (Sneering)
Ogiri: Then we will consult the internet! (He enters the room only to re emerge trailing his wife) sweet heart I was coming to meet you in the room, the Kids say you are preparing for Church!
Tombra: yes I was!
Ogiri: You were? You changed your mind?
Tomra: Yes!
Ogiri: Wtin happen? Why the change of mind? Did you just change your mind on your way home? (Picks up the letter his wife dropped in the floor) or you changed you mind when you got home and read this letter?
Tombra: Daddy Joshua what is it nah? Haba!
Ogiri: Ahn han! Why are you so agitated? Did something happen to you too?
Tombra: (Snaps her fingers over her head) Tufiakwa! God forbid! Nothing will happen to me in Jesus name!
Ogiri: (Nods his head knowingly, he hands over the letter to her) Sweet heart, please read this!
Tombra: Read what? Will my reading it change its content? Please don’t give me any ad news letter to read o!
Ogiri: Which means you have read it already while i was sleeping, that is why you are acting this way and that is why you are no longer going to the Church, but you did not even show any sign of concern towards me! You did not even ask me what happened! You are supposed to me my pacifier instead you are being hostile and aggressive! What kind of attitude are you giving me so?
Tombra: You lost your job and instead of going about to look for another job you came home to drink, sleep and snore!
Ogiri: How? Is it not today that I lost the Job? Did I see it coming? No! Won’t I come home first and think of the next step to take? I have been working consistently for fourteen years non stop! I don’t even know where my credentials are any longer except I begin to search, I don’t have an updated CV! All these I have to come home and arrange before going out to look for another job!
Tombra: You did not come home to think! You came home to drink! (Points to the empty glass cup on the centre table. The Children leaves the sitting room with their books slowly)
Ogiri: see how you are disgracing me before my Children? Tombra what is wrong with you? You are getting me scared! You have never talked to me like this in our twelve years of marriage!
Tombra: you have never been jobless in our twelve years of marriage!
Ogiri: But you swore to stand by me for better for worse! Just my first day out of job and you are acting up this way! Darling, I hope you will not make me regret this marriage because as it stands now I need your support more than ever! I see no reason for this attitude you are putting up after all we are not yet desperate! Your Shop can sustain us until I get something to do or until they call us back to work!

Tombra: (Furious) Did You hear your self now? You hear yourself?

Ogiri: What did I say wrong?

Tombra: So you are going to wait until they call you back? And when will that be?

Ogiri: Hopefully, after the elections!

Tombra: (Claps her hands sarcastically) ha ha ha! You make me laugh! That is four months from now! And what will you be doing until then? Drinking and sleeping?

Ogiri: I cannot be hungry till then, I have some savings that can carry us for the next six month.

Tombra: Including payment of the Children’s School fees when if falls due?

Ogiri: Can’t you take care of the fees for me? Your shop can take care of that nah! After all i have never asked you to give account of your shop income to me! I gave you free hand right from its inception. But now, I need your assistance.

Tombra: Bros I can’t o! I can’t at all at all! I have other concerns i need money for!

Ogiri: (Angry) other concerns? For where? In this house of else where? Are you okay? Look here woman! It is for better for worse o! When it was rosy you were there to enjoy good life! Just today, today! That I lost my job you are already showing me attitude! You could not even persevere for a month of two before you start to complain. Just one day! One day! Tombra, you fall my hand!

Tombra: was it not you that said you want to wait until eternity before you start looking for another job? How did you expect me to react? You are scaring me with your nonchalant attitude!

Ogiri: Oh! Me! Nonchalant attitude? A whole me? I have maintained a steady job for fourteen years with a nonchalant attitude! I built this house from my savings with a nonchalant attitude! I bought you two Cars and set you up in business with my nonchalant attitude abi? Kai! Kai! Kai! My Gawd! Now i understand why it is not good to marry a girl you met when you have arrived! They will never know how to manage you when you go down because they are used to having everything at their disposal. Tombra! You are a gold digger! I made a mistake in marrying you! I think I will have to convene a family meeting so that we can revisit this charade you and I called marriage!

Tombra: (Clapping and booing) nonchalant man! Lazy man! Go and get a job! You want to turn me into a man over night! What is mine is mine! You will not see a kobo from my shop! You gave me money for business, and so what? Am I not your wife? Is it not your responsibility to make me comfortable? So why are you bragging as if you have done what Napoleon could not do? Go to Town and see what Men like you are doing for their wives! Common three million naira that you invested in my Shop we no go hear word again! (The Children emerges from the room standing side by side they stare at their Parent ranting till fade)

Just thought of checking your profile this evening Sir and I'm not disappointed DOMAWOLEYE Buying my ticket where is the bushmeat and palmwine

Eniqurl, liljboy, Hfinest1, where una dey?

A picture of the times we are in...

oga, I beg u in d name of Jesus, if d story still remain, Abeg continue, abeg

peeled

following, chairman, continue

I don sit on front seat . Bar man give suya nd palm wine make take drink to see front. Nice story I believe more drama to come.

peeled

peeled

ACT 4 SCENE 1
Ogiri’s sitting room, the two Kids are busy at the dinning table with their home works. Ogiri enters
Joshua: Daddy welcome! Good evening!
Ogiri: Goode evening Josh! How are you?
Daniella; (Comes to hug Daddy) welcome Daddy!
Ogiri: How are you my pretty Angel? Where is your Mother?
Joshua: She has gone to Church for fellowship! Daddy, they say we should not come to School tomorrow!
Ogiri: why? Because of your School fees abi?
Daniella: Yes Daddy! We were called out today at the assembly ground for non payment of School fees! It was so embarrassing!
Ogiri: did you tell your Mother?
Joshua: mummy came to pick us from School and our Bursar saw her and told her personally.
Ogiri: and what did she say?
Daniella: she said we should tell you! She said you have the money to pay our fees but you do not want to pay it.
Ogiri: My God! Is that what she said?
Joshua: yes Daddy! We reminded her that you are jobless but she threatened to slap any one of us that says so again!
Ogiri: how much is the total fees?
Joshua: mine is seventy two thousand naira and Danny’s own is sixty four thousand naira. The total is em em one hundred and thirty six thousand naira!
Ogiri: Okay! I will give you the money tomorrow, but don’t tell your mother about it yet!
Daniella: Daddy but you said you do not have money! So mummy was right after all?
Ogiri: I can raise the money for your fees my dear, but after paying the fees, things will get worse for us, especially me!
Daniella: how daddy?
Ogiri: I will become penniless! I will have no dime left to feed on! I am sure your mother will not allow you Guys to go hungry, but for me, the Lord is my Shepherd!
Joshua: but Daddy, why is mummy behaving like this to you? Was it not you that opened the Shop for her when I was ten years old? I remember nah!
Daniella: mummy must be wicked!
Ogiri: no! No! Danny do not say that about your mother, she is only going through a process called metamorphosis! When jungle mature, who no know go know!
Joshua: Mummy has a lot of money Daddy! Every day at the Shop she counts a lot of money! Why cant she help you out?
Ogiri: my Son, women are like Children, give a Child a piece of Cake and try to collect part or all of it, you will see drama!
Daniella: ahan! How will you give a Kid cake and you want to collect it back! Is it fair?
Ogiri: good! Joshua, you heard your Sister abi?
Joshua: yes sir!
Ogiri: that is a woman for you! Don’t you know that the Person that gave you Cake and wants to collect part or all of it has a good reason for doing so? Well, no wahala! (Walks towards the room and looks at the lights) this light! Is it NEPA or Generator?
Joshua: it is generator sir!
Ogiri: ha! Why not wait until seven o’clock before putting it on?
Joshua: we need it to do our assignments and home works!
Ogiri: you can still do your home work at night nah! It is just past four o’clock and you have already put on the generator! Do we still have fuel in the fifty litre jerry can?
Daniella: Joshua poured the last one into the Gen!
Ogiri: hmm, you Children don’t know what you are up against! Look! I don’t have money, I am broke! After paying this School fees of your, I will be left on nothing! I will become a beggar until I get a job. You Children are used to a life of surplus but my dear, levels don change o! This your new mother that I know would rather buy fuel for her Generator at the Shop instead of the one at home. Go and put off that Gen until night!
(Joshua reluctantly leaves the room grumbling)
Daniella: daddy, did you buy anything for me?
Ogiri: how? Anything from where nah? Did I go to work? Don’t you understand all that I have been going through in this house? I am a jobless man! I am getting desperate now! (Storms out of the house, Daniella feels embarrassed and begins to sob as she enters the room)

Fade

ACT 5 SCENE 1
Dandy’s Bar Arena, Customers are seated and getting entertained. Soft jazz music plays on the back ground. Ogiri is ruminating over a bottle of Legend extra Stout at one end of the Bar in solitude. He did not notice Dandy’s presence until Dandy tapped him on the back.
Lanky: oh Dandy! How nah?
Dandy: old Boy, na so the thing don bad reach? You just dey deep in thought sotey you no know when I reach your back
Lanky: my brother, I just tire! I don search for work tire, every where wey i go na the same story!
Dandy: no vacancy?
Lanky: no vacancy!
Dandy: it is over five months now nah! Ant word from your former Company? (notices Ogiri’s drink) wait a minute! You are drinking Legend? Wetin happen ? no Star for my Bar?
Lanky: old boy forget that thing o! Na when I get money be dat o! Under normal circumstances I fit take three bottles of Star on a good day, but now I just need a bottle of Legend to give me the effect of three bottles of Star. It is called cost saving! (laughs)
Dandy: na wao! Before we sabi wetin dey happen now you go begin drink shekpe and kaikai! All na cost saving with more highness abi?
Lanky: me shekpe? God forbid bad thing!
Dandy: no worry nah! Na small small, when you reach that stage you go still find reason to justify am! I don tey for this business! I have seen Customers rise from drinking Alomo Bitters to drinking blue Label and exquisite wines here! I have also seen big boys go down from blue label to sachet whisky! Back to the matter! your company, how far?
Lanky: old boy I don lose hope for there o! Government don change hand nah! Our connection na from Abuja before and since the ruling Party don change now n aim be say no hope of automatic ticket for our Company again. The new Party stalwarts would have their own Candidates too, you know how it works in Nigeria!
Dandy: hmm, do you remember my friend Tamuno the Banker?
Lanky: Tamuno that smokes cigarette like a chimney?
Dandy: yes! Yes! I told him about your condition, especially your Wife’s attitude.
Lanky: can he help? I don’t have any experience in banking o, I read Agric engineering in school, but I can adapt to anything sha, anything as long as it is legitimate!
Dandy: (laughs) don’t worry Lanky! Tamuno is a big boy! You don’t know anything about him other than the fact that you see him here smoking and drinking. He will help you, just bring your CV to me and start praying and fasting so that those wey dey fillow you from home no go see road block this one for you! (Both men laugh) meanwhile don’t breathe a word of it to any body until it clicks!
Lanky: (Brings out a folder envelope from his rear pocket and hands over to Dandy) here! My CV!
Dandy: (Surprised) shuo! You dey carry am waka?
Lanky (Brings out two similar envelopes from other pockets, waves them at Dandy and pockets them back) my Guy! Dem no dey tell man o!
Dandy: so what is the situation now at home?
Lanky: I have paid the Children’s school fees. Now I don’t have a dime on me, i survive by engaging in any menial job that I come across. You won’t believe my wife came to me three nights ago and told me to provide money to replenish the food stuff in the house!
Dandy: kai! This woman no go kill you so? Upon say she sabi say you no get work!
Lanky: and the most annoying thing she does is that she chooses to embarrass me in the presence of the Kids! But my Kids are smart, they know her game and they console me after words. She cant influence them.
Dandy: kai! Your wife dey fall hand I beg!
Lanky: (Empties the content of the bottle into the glass cup) real falling hand my Guy!
Dandy: you don chop?
Lanky: I wan thief am? For where? This Stout dey serve as food and drink for me o! If I reach house for night, I go check Kitchen for any left over food to eat, if I see any, then I am lucky else i drink water and go to sleep in hunger.
Dandy: old boy! This your case na like ‘living in bondage o’!
Lanky: in my own house o!
Dandy: (Calls out) Akpan! Akpan! (Akpan appears) Bring another bottle of Stout for Oga Lanky and tell them for Kitchen to prepare rice for am (To Lanky) you prefer jollof or white rice?
Lanky: Guy! No vex I beg, I no need alcohol again, and as per the food, my own beggar still get choice o, because na we we. Give me strong fufu or eba, I take God beg you! Rice na bird food
Dandy: okay Akpan, tell dem to prepare yellow garri with native soup and Cow belle. You hear me?
Akpan: yes sir! Fufu plus yellow soup and (Dandy interrupts)
Dandy: shut up ya mouth! Idiot! Get out from here!
Lanky: (Laughs) you and this your Akpan sef!
Dandy: you no hear wetin he dey talk? I told him to order for yellow garri, native soup and cow belle and what did he say when I asked if he understood?
Lanky: he said fufu and yellow soup! (Laughs out loud)
Dandy: please let me give your order to them at the Kitchen (Excuses himself)

Exit.

I like d scene of d family meeting. Ride on

Hello Mr Dominic, glad you are back with anther one.......

good work keep it up.......still waiting??

peeled

I am laughing while reading this update. Every body old soja don fight him dey plunk their teeth. A man that doesn't know who is stronger than him is a dead man.

peeled

Thumb up bro,pls keep it coming

Nice story

Nice one . Mr. OP give me some more. In timaya's voice.

ACT 8 SCENE 1

Ogiri’s apartment, he enters the house to se Tombra discussing on the phone, she is seated on the Couch and facing her on the centre table are bundles of naira notes. Immediately she sees Ogiri she cuts the call and begins th garther the money into her hand bag.

Tombra: (Surprised) ahan! Can’t you knock before you enter the house? (She packs her money hurriedly)

Ogiri: I should knock before I enter the house? Why didn’t you lock the door when you know you don’t want to be interrupted! And by the way why are you packing up your money because I came in? Do I look like a thief? Or have I stolen from you before?

Tombra: that is your business! I can do what I want, when I want and how I want!

Ogiri:: In fact madam! You don’t know how you disgust me! My hate for you grows by the day! You are hiding money from me! The money that is the proceeds of my labour and sweat! So I have fallen so low that you will see me and start hiding your money? You have changed the keys to the Kitchen so that i will not eat! You changed the key to all the Lockers and Cupboards! Even the key to the bed room door you changed it! You turned me to an out cast in my own house! You have sex starved me for almost eight months now! (Raises his voice) well, I know you have a man some where that is servicing you! All your actions since I lost my job show that you have been unfaithful to me all along!

Tombra: yes shout! Shout let the neighbours know that you are a frustrated man!

Ogiri: why wont I shout? What else do I have to hide? I am down and he that is down fears no fall! All the neighbours know of my condition already! They all know about how you are treating me too! Is it not the neighbours that take me in when you lock me out some nights? Is it not the neighbours that feed me some times and give me stipends on which I have survived thus long?

Tombra: I hope you are sleeping with their Wives too?

Ogiri: oh! You think they are like you? No! They are human beings with clean conscience! Haven’t you asked your self how I fuel my Car and still try to look as if all is well? Have you seen me come home drunk at night since I lost my job? No! Yet I still hang out with my friends and they take care of me! The same friends I had before I met you! The same friends that attended our wedding ceremony! They did not abandon me! No! Not for a moment! They have been helpful and surportive.

Tombra: Please go and sit down! You are only jealous of my success! You can not face the fact that I am now richer than you, that’s all!
Ogiri: Jealous of you? How myopic you think! Is it a competition? And how do you measure success? Is it in monetary terms alone? (Laughs sarcastically) woman let me tell you what you do not know!

Tombra: (sits tight clutching her bag to her Chest) what do you have to say? I am listening!

Ogiri: good! I like that! You are listening! Today you go hear word from me! I can choose to chase you out of this house this minute! But I will not do that yet, not now!

Tombra: (Flares up) for where? You can’t! Try it and see!

Ogiri: even your so called business, I can set that Shop on fire without you or any one suspecting me! I can arrange with Boys to burgle the Shop and wreck you! I can pour salt into the engine of your Car and knock the engine! My dear I can wreck you! There are many ways to kill a rat!

Tombra: (Jumps up clapping her hands and shouting) thank God you are confessing! I will report you to my Father! I will report you to the Police in case anything happens to me or my Business!

Ogiri: see mumu! See mumu! If I want to do any of those things do you think I will tell you? I wont tell you nah! You will just be sleeping at home and you will receive phone calls that your Shop is burning, and as you rush out to drive to the Shop, you Car will not start and never will, have you forgotten I am a typical Port Harcourt boy? I grew up on the streets and i dey bam!

Tombra: if you dey bam, I go show you say me I dey well!

Ogiri: oh Tombra, Tombra! You don’t have foresight at all, you no get sense and I think it is because you did not finish your School! So you think I can not rise again or what? Have you forgotten I am still young? I am just forty years old! I have my first and second degree! I am a hustler which means I can do anything to survive! Tombra I am every woman’s dream man! I adored you! I pampered you! I spoilt you! I loved you Tombra! But you stabbed me in the back; you insulted me in the most unforgiveable way! You made me a subject of ridicule in the whole estate, amongst my friends and my family! Even before my Children! You want me t loose my respect before my Children! And by the way, (Calls out) Joshua! Ella! (He goes into the room and comes out) where are my Children? I understand they closed for the term yesterday?

Tombra: Tyhey are not around! They went to spend the holiday with my Cousin at Abuloma!

Ogiri: when are they coming back?

Tombra: until School resumes!

Ogiri: (laughs sarcastically clapping his hands) Tombra! You sent my Children to spend their holiday with your Cousin without telling me let alone get my approval? Even if I am jobless and broke, you do not have to disrespect me that much! Where and how did I even wrong you Tombra? I do not have a say in this house again because I don’t have a job abi?
But how could you have pretended so well for fourteen years? You are indeed a good actor! Nolly wood must be missing a star! Well I thank God that it happened this way! I thank God that I still have my health intact! What would I have done if I was incapacitated? That means you would have poisoned me for good so that I don’t have to be a burden to you! But I thank God that I am complete and my senses are okay! You should have waited for a better time to show me your colour! Not now that I am still hale and hearty! Yet every other evening you dress up and go to Church! How am I sure you are not even sleeping with your so called Pastor? I have not been going to Church for over six months now because I do not have money for offering or tithe yet none of the Pastors or Ministers has called me! How daft I have been all this while! Even Pastor Kelvin that I used to give financial assistance never called me on phone for once to say how far? At least they know I am out of Job! Yet you go to this Church every other day! Which kain Church be that I beg?

Tombra: I can see that your condition is beginning to affect your senses! You don dey Kolo Ogiri!

Ogiri: yes! I don dey Kolo! The truth they say is bitter (he walks into the room still nagging, Tombra dials her Phone and begins to discuss on the phone, Ogiri returns with his travelling bag fully loaded) madam heavy weight! Look this Man well, well! Look me! You dey see me? Good bye!
(He walks out while Tombra stood looking wide eyed and dumb founded)

Nice story.. I feel like am watching it and not reading it

Oga dom kilo happen na?? E don tey wella o! Abeg our throat don dry, water us small na. No dey stingy like tombra!!

I want more ooooooo[color=#000099][/color]

Pls ride on. Am anxiously waiting for d turn around for dis story when tombra will realize her wrongs.

Waooo, what a nice story. More plssss

peeled

INTERESTING

Pls update. More