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HASSAN: - {Rudely interrupting} We don’t need a sermon from you! Now, listen old man, just now you spoke about Death. Do you know where we can find him?
OLD MAN: - So, you want to meet Death, don’t you?
KOFI:- Yes, old man.
OLD MAN: - Then follow the path that my walking stick points to… {Pointing with his stick} You’ll find him under that Iroko tree. I hope that you’re ready to meet him! He is a very dangerous man, I must warn you. May God save you!
(The old man goes off, shaking his head disapprovingly and contemptuously; the three young men rush over to the tree.)
SCENE THREE
{Under the Iroko tree. The three young men enter and find a gourd filled with gold.}
WOLE: - {Kneeling down and running his fingers through the gold.} Eureka! Look! We’re rich!
HASSAN: - {Joining Wole} There’s no need for any of us to ever labour again! We can buy clothes and houses and marry more wives.
KOFI: - Friends, listen! What are we going to do? If we take this gold home now, people will say we stole it. We’d better be careful. Let’s wait until nightfall.
HASSAN: - A good idea! Then we can take the gold home and nobody will know anything about it.
WOLE: - But we can’t wait here all day. We have nothing to eat. We are hungry; at least I am hungry, and it’s only palm wine that we have in our already churning stomachs.
KOFI: - I’ve already thought of that. Here, I have three straws in my hand. The one who chooses the shortest will go and get some food and drink for all of us. The other two of us will stay and guard the gold treasure.
HASSAN: - Good Idea!
WOLE: - Agreed!
{They each take a straw. Wole gets the shortest one.}
WOLE: - {Grumbling} I am always the one who does all the work but I haven’t any money to buy anything!
KOFI: - (Grumbling and mimicking Wole.) I’m always the one who pays for everything! Here you are! You always complain but you do not complain when I pay for your drink. Come on, go and get us food and more palm wine! Let me check my pocket. Wole, take these Afro notes and buy us food to eat. And don’t forget the change! Hurry!
WOLE : - {Leaving} All right my friends. See you soon! {As Wole leaves, the other two sit down under the tree.}
SCENE FOUR
{Walking along a footpath, Wole enters, carrying three bottles and some food. He is soliloquizing}
WOLE: - {Talking to the audience} If I had all that money to myself and didn’t have to share it with the other two, I would be very rich! But I can’t fight Hassan and Kofi. Thank God for the Juju priest. The Juju priest claimed that the poison is so strong that the smallest drop will kill a man in ten seconds. Great! They shall all die and leave all the gold treasure to me alone. {He is laughing wildly to himself. He pours a concoction into two of the bottles.}
SCENE FIVE
{Under the Iroko tree}
KOFI: - You know, Hassan, I’ve been thinking. There’s not enough gold for all three of us, you know.
HASSAN: - But what can we do? Wole is coming back soon.
KOFI: - Two are stronger than one! When Wole comes back, we’ll wait till he sits down, and then we’ll both stab him until he is dead.
HASSAN: - And then we’ll share the money between just the two of us! All right, I agree, but look out, here he comes! {Hastily, they both check that their knives are concealed and pull the sleeves of their shirts up to their elbows. Wole enters.}
WOLE: - Hallo, my friends. Look, I have bought some Moi-Moi and some Agidi for us to eat and relish. I also bought some palm wine to wash the food down! As for the change, there was nothing left as change.
KOFI: - Welcome Wole. Come and sit down.
HASSAN: - Let’s eat first, and then evaluate the gold treasure.
{Wole sits down and puts the food and the palm wine on the ground. Kofi and Hassan stab him with their knives.}
KOFI: - There, you see? Hassan, it was easy!
HASSAN: - Yes, Kofi, I was getting tired of Wole, he was always grumbling and he never had any money to pay for his round of palm wine.
KOFI: - Let’s forget him! We’ll bury his body in a minute. Let’s have a drink first, to celebrate.
{Kofi takes the bottle of wine, drinks and offers it to Hassan, who also drinks. They both grimace at the increased churning in their stomachs, writhe in pain and then die. Enter the old man.}
OLD MAN: - They didn’t have to go far in their quest for the elusive and unscrupulous Mr. Death. They all found death when they least expected to. They were greedy, selfish and brutish. And so is Africa, my beloved motherland. I pray for Africa and all her daughters. May Africa not remain in the mire of greed, selfishness and brutality! She should learn to live in peace, prosperity and independence. I believe, with all of my heart, that Africa shall be great again. It shall be soon, very soon, sooner than the proclaimed coming of Christ. And definitely before Mr. Death finally gets his cold grip on my old neck and kills me too.
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Writer Profile
Saintmoses Eromosele
The author is a Nigerian writer, editorial consultant and community organizer born in Benin City.
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Comments
Very enthralling story and timely! eghere udumetotor | Jun 27th, 2008
The play is very interesting and I enjoyed every bit of it. You are a good writer, Saintmoses. How may we get other of your hard copies books? Keep it up.
adham Adham Tobail | Jun 27th, 2008
Dear beautiful story writer, there are many money spent for something useless
I wish you success
Adham
shakil ahmed | Jul 1st, 2008
Really excellent story. Is it real?
Thanks for the Comments Saintmoses Eromosele | Jul 3rd, 2008
Thanks Udumetotor. Thanks Adham. Thanks Ahmed. And thanks to all of you who had called to say you liked the piece. I am really honoured. Ahmed, you asked if it was real. It's obviously fiction. But the message is clear and real. Totor, you may get my books by vising amazon or write to me directly. I guess you have my contacts online. Adham, I did not get you really clearly but i suppose you are commenting on the characters in the play. Life is beautiful and we must all strive to be happy in our lives, shunning all vice, which precipitates death.
Delightful Piece Iyere Valentine Era-Imuse | Jul 3rd, 2008
You are a great writer, Saintmoses. I have been following your writings and I think highly of you. I want us to be friends. Do you mind?
Amazing! Tess | Jul 8th, 2008
In every soul there's darkness, greed, and selfish ambition to get rich, or to be on top. They are all hidden in a human heart. Some will trample someone to get there no matter what. Mr. Corruption, Death and Wole's friend are no difference. However, it all comes to the bottom line. I would ask the people who read this play...could you identify yourself in the play? Nevertheless, a man is also capable to be as honest, dignified as a servant of God, his governmennt and every part of his life.
I enjoyed it and captured the image of what you are portraying.
Thanks, and God bless with your writig.
Tess
This extreme wonderful joseph | Jul 11th, 2008
This play is very interesting, men bro keep it up.
What else can l say? you re the bomb.
joe
Thank you Tess Saintmoses Eromosele | Jul 11th, 2008
Your quasi-review was delightful and I really appreciate our friendship. You are a great friend and I hope that the future holds the best for us. Saintmoses.
That's creative Kingsley Idiagbor | Sep 11th, 2008
Saintmoses, that short story is quite creative. All that remains is for you to have a distinct style that will ring through all your write-ups. We are proud of you. Keep it up.
CRAZYSMART WRITER Hafiidhaturrahmah | Oct 2nd, 2008
u know...i always read the comments first before read the story...
and..i become more curios to read quick ur story.
and...they are right. U are very smart writer that i found directly by TIG.hehehe
You make me smile when I know Mr. Corruption died. GREAT Saintmoses....very deep touchy story.
I love to read ur book also (when u was 16)
I wrote a novel also when I was in junior high school but just for fun. hahahaha
Thx for sharing Saintmoses
Keep Writing
Warms,
aViS
^_^
Hafiid Saintmoses Eromosele | Oct 2nd, 2008
Thanks for your kind comment. I browsed your pages and noticed that you have been doing great in the promotion of knowledge in your communitites, especially on HIV/AIDS awareness. Kudos. I repect your courage and drive. Keep it up. I also noticed that you have travelled to many countries, but never Africa. Why? Would you like to visit here someday? I like to see someone like you. Once again thanks for the kind comment. It's really humbling for me. It can only spur me to greater achievements.
dear Saint Hafiidhaturrahmah | Sep 15th, 2009
nice to hear ur invitation to visit Africa
I would like to be there someday, hopefully after I graduate from my medical school, so I can do sumthing better there (not only just vacation^_^)
waiting ur new stories again friends^_^
do u have facebook
let me be yours
my facebook: avis unsoed
Avis Saintmoses Eromosele | Nov 7th, 2009
Thanks for the comment. It is always exciting to hear that ones work is appreciated from around the world. Like you requested, I have added you to my facebook. Lets chat more frequently and see how we could collaborate in our efforts to see a better world beginning from our immediate environments.
Saintmoses Eromosele | Mar 30th, 2010
Sure you can find me on facebook with me names...
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