REMOULDED

Chapter Twenty Six

Happy is our voice,
In the short time we knew,
Though,bad memory be renewed,
Yet,it got us all amused.

"Earnest is dead!.What killed him?" The voice sounded under the cloak of blue and red mixture of lights.

The scene continued to stretch until it got to the arrays of seats and then a strand of light on their bright faces.

"Why are you smiling?" Asked Morenike,"It's the drama. It's Earnest Atkinson, the lead actor in the drama. Not you"She continued and smiled as well.

They were at a left corner,on a raised platform at the end of the structure,having a clear view at the traditionally set up stage.

Allen syn was at the centre of the scene,delivering the sad news of their hero,Earnest Atkinson's death from severe leukemia.

It was really an intriguing drama so far but it was the traditional settings that had struck Earnest Williams the most as he spoke.

"I know. It can't be me. I can't die now" He assured,nodded and beamed.

"Like it's so sure for you" She replied jokingly.

"Bad people hardly die young" Earnest teased.

"You know you are bad?" She asked with a shock and a widening of her bluish eyes.

"Of course. You told me that day" Earnest reminded just as the curtain fell and another scene was brought up.

"And you accepted?" She dragged the words.

"Of course"

"Liar" She nudged him,"You rather got me smacked and toiled anywhere"She accused playfully and they both laughed at the recall of the fateful day.

It was no longer a fierce occurrence. It was now an amusing one to recall and deeply in Earnest,he agreed this was a more proper outing than washing babies' diapers.

That also made him remember Daisy for a while but he shook it off his head with the next words.

"Never thought there's anywhere like this in New York". He finally made acknowledgement of what had amazed him ever since.

It was a strange place to him,entirely. He had been to cinemas and theatres but none as traditionally adorned to the African taste. The mixture of lights,the solemn background songs and the feeling everywhere. They were all black in nature.

" Yes. There is"Morenike answered,then caught a questioning look on his face which propelled her into further words,"It was specifically built for Africans in New York. It was sponsored by some rich people who resided here long ago and it's all geared towards reminding ourselves of our valuable culture" She accounted.

"Valuable culture?" Earnest sneered.

"What's that?" Morenike noticed it.

"Is there anything valuable in traditional culture?" Earnest said with the most serious of a facial expression.

"A lot!" Morenike screamed,and Earnest raised a brow,"It is very responsible of us to cherish our traditional way of life. It is sweet to remember who we are even in a far land. Home is the sweetest place to be but it can even be sweeter to turn a strange land to another home. Our culture is something we should guide jealously and not lose. Those big men realized that and had sponsored this. I think you know they were not stupid and did have some other things to invest in"

Morenike gave the epistle of reasons which Earnest patiently heard amidst stealings glances at the stage.

"So people depriving themselves of crucial developments in favour of their traditional culture,that's very right too?". Earnest said,referring to the case of Oge',Adio,Koto and their conservative elders.

"If it harms their culture,then it's fine" She slammed, forcing Earnest to look strongly into her eyes and then smiled before looking back to the stage, "But if it won't harm it,then they are stupid not to allow it. No one says development is bad but it shouldn't come with strange and bad influences. It should not take your stand and beauty away. There's a lot beauty in Nigerian culture. The style of dressing,the hairstyle, the modesty,the morals and respect for elders. I wish I could live a village life." She narrated with great adoration that caused Earnest to laugh somewhere along.

"You talk like Kemi" He said.

"Who's Kemi"

"My Mum"

"You call your Mum by name?"

"Of course. It's norm" Earnest chuckled.

"No,it isn't. You should show more respect. It's very bad to call your parents by name" She scolded.

Earnest nodded understandably and then wrapped his arms around his chest.

"What else does your culture---"

"Our culture" She corrected sharply.

"Alright. Our culture. What else do I need to learn about it" He smiled.

"You greet everyone in the house when you wake in the morning" She lectured further.

"Plus the gatekeeper?" Earnest intended to joke.

"Everyone. He's a human too. And certainly older" But she wasn't joking a bit.

"Alright" Earnest suck in a breath. There was a way her words do captivate him and make him lose his own words. Maybe because she always speak the stark truth,she always call the spade what it is.

"Okay" She continued,"You also maintain good relationship with everyone in the house and you help with the house chores. You wash, tidy up the rooms,cook---".She stopped when she noticed Earnest's face come up with a glow,"What's wrong with cooking?".She got it. That was what had actually made him smirk.

"Men don't cook" He said bluntly.

"Who taught you that?"

"Your culture teaches otherwise?"

"Our culture" She corrected again.

Earnest gave a sound of frustration.

"Seriously,everyone should know how to cook. Female child. Male child" She said and hesitated, "You don't?"

Earnest lifted his shoulders, "You already know I don't"

"You want to learn?"

"Will you teach me?" Earnest could not imagine himself in that apron,in that kitchen doing the meal. It was funny but he stifled the laughter.

"I will" She affirmed and Earnest smiled again,fixing his gaze on the stage.

It was Allen syn again on view,sat on a stool and his soliloquy being played underground.

Morenike tried to fix attention back to the drama as well but she was lost. A couple of scenes had gone.

"Oh,we missed some scenes" She lamented.

"Sorry,you were busy shooting another drama up here" Earnest sniggered.

"Not only me,'We'" She said and bopped him on a shoulder.

"Alright. No argument with my kitchen teacher". Earnest joked and they both laughed,attracting the attention of a couple of men.