SCENE 15

( Silent, that's what the environment says, jummy is gone, the broken hearted news,what can we say to stop jummy's mum from crying, and what are we going to say to stop jummy's dad from weeping like a baby in his room).

Adamu : Hmmmm is this how madam jummy will go and leave us alone in this house, death you are wicked

Driver: Jummy is a very nice girl,i can remember my first day here as a driver,when i called her madam, she was so upset, she said i am old enough to be her father so i should call her jummy, its so sad that we lost such a nice girl

Adamu: Very sad, if there is something i like madam jummy for its that she is very respectful

Driver: Yeah, letsgo inside our oga dey sad mood, maybe you should prepare something for them to it

Adamu: Baba driver, i have done that, its just that they don't have the appetite to eat

Driver: That's true,i cant eat myself not to talk of our oga, but still make pap at least if its two spoon or three they are able to take,it will still do something.

Adamu : Yes i will do that, at least its better than not eating at all

(They both entered the house to console Mr/Mrs owolabi, inside the house, mr owolabi and his wife were seating on a three seater, two of their relatives were with them because they haven't announced their daughter's death to anyone yet, just some of their relatives knew about it)

Mr owolabi : Dear, i hope you haven't told my father yet

Mrs owolabi : I cant even tell him,you know daddy wont be able to take the newss lightly, am not confident enough to tell him that his grand-daughter is dead, jummy is dead, she is gone forever(She sobs)

Mr owolabi : it okay dear, you don't need to cry, i just wanted to be sure that you didn't tell him, you know he is hypertensive, i don't want him to get affected on hearing the news

Mrs owolabi : you don't need to be explaining, I understand you, my daughter is gone, how i wish she was alive, i will do everything she asks for and i will never allow her to have a stupid friend like Angela, i just wish she was alive.

Mr owolabi : You should please stop crying, i need to be strong and i cant be strong if you are like this, your eyes have popped out since we came from the hospital yesterday so please stop crying okay

Mrs owolabi : Before you accuse me of crying take a good look at your eyes in the mirror, its not different from mine, you cant deny it, i have seen you crying everywhere, if you don't cry in the bathroom, you will cry in the room when you are alone, i even caught you crying in jumoke's room this morning, so don't even dare to act as if you are strong, please cry your heart out darline ,cry out, anybody that says you should be a man by not crying, he/she should kill their only child and try act like a man there not here, its easy to say dear but i will advice you not to listen to them, cry your heart out now,it makes you feel better, it takes a little burden away from you,if you don't cry you will think and thinking can be more dangerous to your health than crying dear,so please don't turn me to a widow dear,cry your heart out,jummy is gone forever dear,there is no more jumoke owolabi.

Mr owolabi : (In Tears he sat on the chair and started crying like a baby)You are right,my princess is gone,she is gone.

Vera : Oh my, please don't mind my sister,you have to stay strong and be a man, acting strong doesn't mean you are not disturbed by the situation at hand, it doesn't mean that you are not sad but you just have to be strong please, and to you sis, i don't expect this from you at all, crying and thinking are both dangerous to his health,so non is good sis, please just try to be strong that's the only thing you can do for jummy right now, since she is being buried today.

Mrs owolabi: Please don't tell me to calm down , i wont okay, i wont,i curse the day she met angela, if they were not friends my daughter wont be dead by now

Vera: Don't try to blame angela for this please, she is jumoke's good friend, and am sure what happened is not her wish, and through the explanation you had told me when i asked about how all this happened, i realized it was jummy's fault, and its normal for friends to fight but not to the extent of pushing her friend into the pool,i know you very well sis, if it was angela that pushed your daughter into the pool by mistake, you wont take it easy with her at all, but angela's family did no such thing because they understand that things like that happens sometimes and even if their daughter died the same way jummy died now, they wont make it an issue, they will just accept it for God's sake, so please don't bring that poor girl into this matter.

Mrs Owolabi : (In Tears) That's the problem vera, i cant seem to accept all this, i cant accept it ,no i don't want to accept it

Vera: (Seating near her sister) You just have to sis, please if not for anybody but for your daughter's sake, she wont love to see you breakdown like this, so please be strong

Mr owolabi : That's what i have been trying to tell her ,she needs to calm down and be strong, if she goes on like this i don't think i will be able to handle this at all (He sobs while his phone rang)

Who is this, father, dear its father on the phone ,what am i going to say, he will surely know that there is something wrong with me through my voice, how am i going to tell him that his grand-daughter is dead,i really cant pick this call.( He ran upstairs to his room)

Mrs Owolabi: I will have to pick this call, orelse father may get the idea that something is wrong or he may get upset (she picked her husband's phone)

Hello dad

Pa Owolabi : Hello dear,where is your husband,i have been calling him for sometime now, he didn't pick his phone, i hope all is well

Mrs owolabi : All is well sir, he is in the toilet right now sir, that's why i decided to pick the call since it was your call

Pa Owolabi: Ok, Extend my greetings to him i just decided to call and know how you people are doing, how is my sweet grand-daughter, tell her to pay me a visit or i will visit you people myself

Mrs owolabi : (Hearing jumoke's name she burst into tears and got silent)

Pa owolabi : Are you there, hello

Mrs Owolabi : Yes father, You don't need to come and visit, she will surely pay you a visit very soon father, and she is very fine

Pa Owolabi: Where is she now i know she is fine because i spoke to her yesterday or when self, but i know its not quite long sha

Mrs Owolabi : Of course father its possible you spoke with her, its just that it cant be yesterday, don't worry father since you cant really remember when you spoke with her, it's the sign of old age, take care of yourself father

Pa owolabi: (Laughs) Alright you too

Mrs Owolabi: I will father bye

Pa owolabi: Bye

Mrs owolabi: (Burst into tears)She is dead father, your dear grand-daughter is dead

Vera: Sis take it easy please, what did father say

Mrs owolabi: He said he spoke with jumoke yesterday, which i know its impossible, cause she died yesterday, i know its old age ,he wasn't even sure, he cant remember when last he spoke to her

Vera: Yes its old age, but you don't need to cry, or maybe jummy's ghost has called father since he doesn't know she is dead , am just joking

Mrs owolabi: Yes its old age, no matter what it is i don't care, i just wish my daughter is alive and with me right now

Vera: Its alright sweetie, lets Just thank God

( They sang thanks thanks oh lord we give you thanks, as mrs owolabi burst into more tears)

Light Out