{Bukola coming back from the stream when she bumped into a group of her fellow women}
Yinka: Ahh (Stops as a pot of water fall over her head)
Shade: Who is this somebody
Bukola: Ahh, am sorry Yinka, hope you didn’t injure (drops her pot tries to hold her)
Yinka: Don’t touch me (rebukes bukola and throws her face at an unknown figure)
Yemi: Metchew (hissed) this shameless woman don’t you ever get tired ehh, you want to infect us both your barreness abi
Shade: Help me ohh.... metchew (hissed) hmm__ please let us leave her let shi carry her course away (yinka picks up her pot as the three of them went back to the stream to fetch water)
Bukola: (looks up in disgrace and shame) (carries her pot her head).
At her home – that night.
[Gbotemi comes in]
Bukola: Ah gbotemi, Good evening, come in
(Gbotemi comes in and relax on the rear by stool)
Bukola: Gbotemi this one you are at my home this time of the night hope all is well (looking confused)
Gbotemi: (Glancing at the void, inhales) Bukola,...... Bukola....., Bukola.....
Bukola: Eh,
Gbotemi: How many times did I call you.
Bukola: Three times
Gbotemi: Bukola, I don’t like what am hearing
Bukola: About what?
Gbotemi: I was coming back from the market then I heard a group of women discussing about you. I had to enter the discussion and dismiss them harshly, because I did not like what I heard.
Bukola: what did you hear,..?
Gbotemi: it’s about your bareness and that why am here so that we can sort it out as friends.
Bukola: (Feeling sober) well...., my friend you have heard it all, I don’t know what to do again.
Gbotemi: I know of a friend of mine who is a native doctor but she does give children also, if she gives other children then why not you.
Bukola: (feeling surprised) ahh Gbotemi. You are a friend in deed, I will not forget this
Gbotemi: do not rejoice yet, let it work first
The following day
(On their way to the shrine)
Gbotemi: ehh… Bukola you must promise me one thing.
Bukola: yes, my friend; tell me
Gbotemi: you must promise me that whatever she tells you, you must do it.
Bukola: (laughs) is that all (demonstrates all)
Gbotemi: yes
Bukola: okay, anything for the child I will do
Gbotemi: Good, now let’s go.
At The Shrine!
Native Doctor: (Beating her gong and chanting her Incantation)
(Exhaling deeply) (bring out a pot of fish and hands it over to bukola) take! Keep this as a pet in two days you will take in (Bukola collects the pot of fish)
Now you must hid to my instruction.
(both gbotemi and Bukola look at the Native doctor)
Native Doctor: Now; You will dedicate this child be it a boy or a girl to the river goddess two days after her birth and you must not let the child go into any sexual intercourse until the child clocks 20 years then she or he is free to do whatever she likes, if she doesn’t reach their age and have any kind of sexual intercourse…….. she dies.
Bukola: (opens her mouth in fear)
Native doctor continues – and she will be presented on every of the child’s birthday until she is ten years and then every year you will bring something for the river goddess.
Bukola: Only me?
Native Doctor: yes, you, you alone.
Bukola: okay, wise one I have heard you. I shall do as you have told me.
Native Doctor: (Exhale) the gods have heard you.
(Gbotemi and Bukola gets up and leave)
18 years After.
(By then Bukola has done all the requirement but remain the main test)
That Afternoon.
Tolu: (Knock on the door) Bidemi, (knocks again) Bidemi
Bidemi: Hey Tolu, How are you doing?
Tolu: am fine (both hugs themselves)
(Bidemi welcomes Tolu inside)
Tolu: What about mummy?
Bidemi: she’s fine, she is inside sleeping.
Tolu: okay! (Looks around the house)
Bidemi: Tolu, today you came to my house all is well?
Tolu: all is well oh! I just came to invite you to party the OBA has organized for the youth of our town which is coming up tomorrow evening.
Bidemi: Party (looking surprised), I have to tell my mum about that and besides you know I don’t like parties.
Tolu: ohh!... Bidemi, Bidemi, when will you come out of your mother’s arm at 18 years. Ahh (faces another side in anger)
Bidemi: ah,ah,! Tolu is that why you are now annoyed with me, I did not say am not coming I just said let me ask my mum ...abi is that a bad thing.
Tolu: okay ohh ask! But you know mothers they can just do anyhow.
Bidemi: ahh don’t worry my mum is not like that (both laughs)
Tolu: Okay now, Bidemi, I’ll come back by tomorrow afternoon!
Bidemi: okay!
(both hugs).
(Tolu leaves.)
Meanwhile
(Jide the son of Dr. Bamidele the prosperous doctor in the town was walking with segun the son of the chief Justice of the town.)
Segun: Ahh! I can’t wait for that party the oba want to host for us.
Jide: abi….. me to, I can’t wait, I just pray let tolu invite that her humble fiend.
Segun: Who! Bidemi?
Jide: Yes, I so much love that girl, but any time I come close to her, she always pushes me aside and it hurts me so much
Segun: hmmm…….
Jide: am telling you … even the time I called her into my car and gave her 50,000 naira.
Segun: ehh
Jide: Yes, but she rejected it.
Segun: Chai… (put her hand on his mouth in surprise) ehn… but ehm.. jide Jide: ehn
Segun: do you like her?
Jide: Yes, yes I do!
Segun: Ahh… you know that what you said for yinka, and Bolu even Fatima.
(Both laughs loudly)
Segun: I know that is the main thing you have in mind well, who am I to stop you (Both laugh again and hugs themselves and disperse separately)
NEXT DAY—That Afternoon/Evening
[Tolu comes in and see Bidemi and her mother outside the house discussing]
Tolu: Good afternoon Ma (greets Bidemi’s mum in the Yoruba style)
Bukola: Good afternoon my daughter, How are you? Tolu: (with broad smile) am fine,
Bidemi: Tolu, come and sit here (taps the bench space besides her)
Tolu: (Joins bidemi there) so have you told your mummy?
Bidemi: yes, I have, but she said she will think of it!
Tolu: And ….. Bidemi: (hits her back hand on the front) I don’t know maybe you should tell her yourself
maybe she will accept.
Bukola: Do you girls want to tell me anything (looking at them in a suspicious manner)
(Bidemi taps Tolu to talk)
Tolu: eh… mummy, the oba of our town is hosting a party at his palace for the youth, so am
thinking if Bidemi can follow me so I won’t be lonely.
Bukola: hey… (looking wooried) Tolu, you know I can’t say no to you, anything just make Bidemi happy.
(both smiles)
But, you know what, Tolu please take care of her very well ohh you know she is still a small girl.
Bidemi: ahah, maami at 19 am not a kid again o
Bukola: eh… don’t mind her ohh. Infact when you want t cross hold her hand firmly okay!
Tolu: (smiles) Okay ma. I’ll do as you have said ma. Bidemi: mummy can I go?
Bukola: anything to make you happy. Bidemi: (filled with joy as she hugs her mum)
Tolu: thank you ma (greets her again)
Bidemi: am coming lemme go and change my cloth (Bidemi rushed in within a couple of minutes and came out and left with Tolu)
Bukola: (in her mind) hmm… look at them so happy hmm… well I hope she is happy all the daysof her life) Let me go and do something's inside.
(She stands up and leave as she kept on soliloquizing)
At the party:- That Night
(Tolu and Bidemi came in looking around)
Segun: (taps Jide to see Bidemi)
Jide: (Feeling happy) Thank God! She came.
Segun: so what’s your next move!
Jide: hmm… just watch me (brings out a paper wrapped something and put it inside a glass of wine and drops it on the tray with another glass beside) Segun.
Segun: Yes! Jide: The only thing I need you to do is to keep Tolu busy for me let me talk to Bidemi
Segun: Okay )Both of them walks up to Tolu and Bidemi)
Jide: Hey Bidemi, how are you doing? Bidemi: Hey Jide, you are here, am fine (Jide signals Segun to leave with Tolu)
(Segun leaves with Tolu to another table)
Jide: care for a drink (points at it) Bidemi: Yes sure. (picks the one that has already been mixed and had a gulp)
Jide: so how are you doing?
Bidemi: am fine
Jide: so what about your mum?
Bidemi: She's doing fine (begin to feel dizzy) Jide, Whats wrong with me.
Jide: I don’t know maybe because you had a big gulp.
Bidemi: Jide am..am…. feeling diz… (falls on Jide’s body)
Jide: (Looks around to check if any one see him, when he saw the coast was clear he carried Bidemi up to her car where they had sex)
{Thunder rumbled to show that something wrong was going on and then the fish in the pot of bukola dies}
[After Jide had finished with Bidemi in the car after 15 minutes in the care and Jide tries to wake her up but she couldn’t out of fear he drops her by the road side and calls Segun to come out let them go]
NEXT DAY!
Gbotemi: (Sees Bidemi by the road side and was shocked) Bidemi, Bidemi (shakes he body for response but no answer) heyy!!! Somebody
help me oh!!!
(A passerby came to help her carry Bidemi to her mother)
At bidemi's home!
Gbotemi: (panting) Bukola!!! Buukola!!!
[Bukola comes out arranging her wrapper around her waist ]
Bukola:Gbotemi, my friend what is it
Gbotemi: Bidemi is dead!!
Bukole: ehh (surprised) fainted as she see Bidemi’s body coming fort
Gbotemi: Bukola!!! Bukola !!! Bukola !!!! hey!!( place her hand on her head)
After a while......
Bukola: (sat on her chair crying)
(some villagers gathered to console her) (Tolu came in weeping)
Tolu: mummy am sorry, it was Jide and Segun.. I don’t know what they did to her. (crying, beside Bidemi’s mother.)
NEXT DAY [After the truth has been revealed]
Gbotemi: We must not accept this we must sue them to the Chief Justice
Bukola: [crying] Gbotemi, my friend. What can I do a mare villager like me! Who am i
Gbotemi: you see we have broken the promise of the river goddess the next is the court. That's our last card...
[A week after Dr. Bamidele have received invitation to court]
Dr. Bamidele: (Calling the Chief Justice) See, you have to help me. I don’t know what I can do again
Chief Justice: What do you want me to do
Dr. Bamidele: You should help me rule the case in my favour
Chief Justice: Ahh! [In surprise] am sorry my friend but there is nothing I can do
Dr. Bamidele: Ahh …… ehh because its not your son abi. Ehh … okay I know what I’ll do wait until I tell your wife and the people of our town what you have been doing with other people's wife
Chief justice: ahh… ahh.. ahh okay I do as you have said but but u kw this us against God and man.
Dr.Bamidele:my friend ,I kw but what can I do this is my son on the line here please...
Cheif justice: (exhale) I'll do it .....just for the sake of our friendship...
Dr. Bamidele: eheh.... thank you my friend, I will reward u handsomely
[Ends call]
Chief Justice: [in his mind] Oh God what am I going to do? God am confused.
ON THE DAY OF COURT HEARING;
[After all the lawyers have place their evidence and it was time for the chief justice to say his final verdict]
Chief Justice: After all the hearing and for further consideration. I here announce that Mr. Jide Bamidele is hereby discharge and acquitted.
[Everyone in the court filled with Joy as Bukola and Gbotemi and others were filled with shame, as they leave the court room]
Bukola: [Enters her room and goes to bidemi’s grave to cry] Bidemi! Bidemi o!!. If you know you are the true daughter of the river goddess avenge your death do not let your death go unpunished.
[Eats the poison and dies on Bidemi’s grave]
[Then the spirit of Bidemi kept on tormenting the village until date ]
Gingerbread works.
Ghodzpawarhh..