The Broken Flute Read online

(Stammers) err…., err…… its cold so I….

  WARDER. (Ignoring him) that one, una go settle when you come back. You get just 15minutes to spend there.

  The WARDER drags TAYO out.

  CURTAIN.

  SCENE THREE

  The stage is empty, except for an old wooden table and two plastic chairs. SEGUN is seated at the table; he placed his arm over the leather bag he brought.

  TAYO is dragged in by the WARDER.

  SEGUN. (Hugs TAYO) brother Tayo.

  TAYO. (Excited) oh my God! Is this you? You have grown so big. What do you now feed on? Wow, look at the expensive clothing you are putting on, you have really metamorphosed. Do you now work? How is Mama? How is home? Is Baba dead?

  SEGUN. All these questions at once? Which will I answer? But anyway Baba is not dead or perhaps, I should say, he is now living.

  TAYO. (Patting him gently) it’s being five years now since I saw or heard from any of you. What else do you expect?

  WARDER. (To TAYO) hope you never forget say its 15minutes?

  SEGUN. (Pulling out a small flask from the leather bag) at least that would be enough for you to eat. We wanted you to have a feel of home even after a long time.

  TAYO. (Grabs the flask and quickly opened it) that’s so thoughtful of you all. Mama cooked it right?

  SEGUN. No, the …

  WARDER. (Collects the flask from TAYO forcefully) you no know the rules? Nobody get permission to eat food whey them bring from outside. (Looks into the flask and smiles) but since it’s you, I go allow you. He’s your brother right?

  TAYO. Yes.

  WARDER. If person hear the way you talk self, them no go believe say we they feed una for here. (Hands the flask to SEGUN) taste am first.

  SEGUN collects the flask. Swallowed two morsels and handed it to TAYO who immediately cut a large morsel of the pounded yam, rubbed it in the egusi soup ensuring chunks of fish were well attached and swallowed.

  WARDER. (Smiling) why you they do like this? You no know rule number 2? You go just they do like ‘johnny-just-come’. When you first come, ehm, we agree say you no fit talk. But now whey you fit, you no go put pepper for my tongue?

  TAYO laughed and pushed the flask towards the WARDER as they ate together.

  WARDER. The food sweet well, well oh. Who cook am?

  SEGUN. The housemaid.

  WARDER. Unna get money oh, sotey una get house Madame, abi wetin you call am? How come this one come day jail?

  TAYO. (Shocked) housemaid?

  SEGUN. Yes, the housemaid cooked it. Lest I forget, I wanted to tell you, Baba has being appointed a minister so on Saturday; we will be organizing a small party to celebrate. We wish you would be there.

  TAYO. (Mockingly) I thought the old man would have given up. Twenty years in that church and all through he was just a deacon. Nobody even recognized him as a church elder. So now they are making him a church minister. Perhaps, the rest church elders and ministers died.

  SEGUN. Brother, you still haven’t changed even after five years. Anyway, Baba has being appointed minister of mines and steel development of the federation.

  TAYO. Did you just say mi-nis-ter? Mines?

  SEGUN. Yes brother.

  TAYO tried hard to swallow but he couldn’t as tears rolled down his cheeks.

  SEGUN. (Not noticing the reaction on TAYO’s face. Talks excitedly) nobody believed it at first, it came as a shock to us all. He was commended for his veracity. Just last week…

  TAYO. (No longer listening) h’m.

  The WARDER kept on eating, as he listens to the excited SEGUN.

  CURTAIN.

  SCENE FOUR

  ABEJIDE’s house. Four clothed chairs placed around a wooden centered table. Framed pictures on the wall denote a fairly comfortable sitting room.

  TAYO is gently but sadly playing on a flute.

  Enter ABEJIDE.

  ABEJIDE. (Collected the flute from TAYO and dropped it on the centered table.) My son, we need to talk.

  TAYO. (Lividly) talk what, Baba? What? What sort of a father are you? You saw street boys beating me up, accused of larceny. And what would you do? Tell them to beat me a little more to learn my lesson. What stupid lesson, Baba? Most times I wonder if truly you are my father.

  ABEJIDE. Most times, I doubt too if truly you are my son. Is this what the 21st century has brought upon us or is it just you never spoke to anyone rudely, younger , older, not to talk of my father. Then, Sango would have strike me dead. Just thank your stars, we no longer worship Sango. (Shakes his head in disappointment) I wonder where you picked up all these evil characters from; Stealing, lying, disrespect and many others. (Thinks loudly) Could it have been from your mothers’ lineage?

  KIKELOMO. (Shouts from backstage) you want to start now, ehm? Segun comes first in class, it’s your lineage. Tayo steals from the street, it’s my lineage. Men!

  ABEJIDE. Woman, pele, just ensure your eavesdropping doesn’t prevent you from cooking well. (To TAYO) I have no skeletons in my cupboard. I love to keep the slates clean. Why? Because I learned to heed to the words of my grandfather. Likewise, you should heed to mine. Sealed, sealed, sealed. He would always say …

  TAYO. (Cutting in. stood up) Baba, you are boring me. Now you want to bug me with that poem again. Your grandfather has filled your head with poverty, you can’t fill mine. I will be rich, whether you like it or not. Do you think all those politicians have clean slates? But look at them, big men. If this is what clean slates bring I rather not even have a slate. Just imagine, a senior lecturer in metallurgical engineering cannot feed his family well, cannot frequently fuel his pafu-eleye car. Nobody knows a pocket less man. Money brings the good name; nobody cares how it is gotten.

  KIKELOMO. (Rushes out with a broom. Screams at TAYO) would you shut up? Stupid boy. Do you realize you are talking to your father? Is that where you ogigor has reached?

  She raised the broom to try to hit him, but she was stopped by ABEJIDE.

  KIKELOMO. (Hissed) I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t have stopped him. After all he spoke the truth. How will a senior ….

  ABEJIDE. Go and continue cooking while I talk to your son.

  KIKELOMO. (Pointing at TAYO. to ABEJIDE) look at his large nose. Where did he get it from? You, His shapeless head. Where did he get it from? You, so it’s no use denying facts. The day he was born, even your father testified. This boy is so adamant, I wonder why you keep wasting energies you could use elsewhere on him (looks at herself as though trying to get his attention to her).

  ABEJIDE. Please, leave us for now.

  She walked away, murmuring.

  ABEJIDE. (To TAYO) that’s how you will feel now. But in the end, Honesty wins.

  TAYO. (Now quite sober) but Baba, just look at me. I am twenty-five, a frustrated first class graduate with no job, living under his parent’s roof.

  ABEJIDE. And that’s because you earned it the wrong way. People now expect much from you and since you can’t prove it. Who will employ you? What will you offer? Besides, you happen to be an aficionado of air musical instrument, flute to be precise. Last year, you won the church province competition. You should go into music. There, you would make it. If and only if, you do it honestly.

  Sealed, sealed, sealed,

  Their hearts were set ablaze for wants,

  Full of abhorrence for truth and honesty

  Their intents were so evil. Eyes couldn’t gaze

  Deceitful looks, charms and fame.

  Could it ever get abate?

  So, they seal, conceal

  So many skeletons in their cupboard

  The cat would never leave the bag,

  They would jabber

  The seam seem so strong

  But always, in the end

  Things get berserk, seals are broken

  The freed cats now whine its tail to their face

  Cacophonous mockeries, reddened face with shame

  Is always the backwash

  ‘Perhaps, I should have
done it right

  Seeking truth and honesty.

  To live, enjoy and for life, have a good name’

  Are always their last words.

  TAYO. (Livid) you have recited this poem ad nauseam, my ears are bored already. And do you know what you succeed in doing when you recite it? You annoy me. I can’t even find meaning to your abstruse sayings. Am certain you have gone gaga. And in case you don’t know, me Tayo, my future can’t depend on a flute. Which big man have you ever seen that made it by playing flute?

  ABEJIDE. You could be that …

  TAYO broke the flute on his knee, and leaves.

  ABEJIDE. I promise. The next trouble you get into, I won’t show up.

  TAYO. (Shouts from a distance) who cares?

  Down stage. TAYO roamed about the stage and mistakenly barged into KELECHI.

  TAYO. (Using his palm to clean his eyes, as though trying to see clearly) I can’t believe my eyes. Is this really you?

  KELECHI. This is me oh, my friend. (Moves to hug him) it’s been almost like an eon ago. Wow! I stay in Lekki.

  TAYO. You mean this same Lagos?

  KELECHI. Yes oh, my friend. I met Joel just a few days back. And he told me you stay in the staff quarters of UNILAG. That’s why I came all the way to look for you. I even wanted collecting your phone number, but he said you had no phone, why?

  TAYO. (Stammers) err….err…

  KELECHI. Anyway, that’s by the way. How have you been? You have just abandoned all your friends since we graduated.

  TAYO. I didn’t. Works of life has kept me. How have life been with you? You look really good.

  KELECHI. It’s not me, my friend. It is the works of wisdom. Life is good, LG will say. But life is better when you tap into wisdom.

  TAYO. En-hem! (Adjusting a wooden bench) let’s sit.

  KELECHI. Give me a moment let me lock my car.

  TAYO. You mean you already