Hi Leaders,

Here’s an expert of my book which is an approved supplemental literature book for Junior Secondary School in Oyo State, Nigeria. It’s loosely based on my mother’s early history so it was fun to write.

PROLOGUE

The year is 1946. It is dawn in a traditional Yoruba family compound. Two teenage girls are sweeping the yard.

OLAYEMI: Five times Six?

IBIDUN: Olayemi, please leave me. My brain is not yet awake.

OLAYEMI: But we must study for our exam. Don’t you want to pass?

IBIDUN: I will study when…

Ibidun stops short when two boys stagger on stage. They each carry a sack. They look tired and dusty.

BOYS: Ago onile o! Ago onile o!

OLAYEMI and IBIDUN: Ago ya o!

The girls rush to greet them as a middle-aged woman stumbles in. Like the boys, she looks dusty.

OLAYEMI (Helps the woman to a seat): “Iya Ipoti, ekaabo Ma! Is all well?”

Olayemi helps her to a seat. She goes to get water for the travelers. Others come from the different huts around the courtyard.

JUDGE: My sister, what happened? Why are you here so early in the morning? Hope nothing’s amiss.

IYA IPOTI (looks at the faces around): Nothing’s amiss. I just said I should come to visit you. It has been a while.

JUDGE (gestures towards his hut): Indeed. Let us breakfast together in my parlor.

Judge and sister walk offstage. Others crowd around the boys.

IBIDUN: What happened? Why are you here so early in the morning and looking ragged?

KOLA (whispering): I don’t know what started the trouble, but Baba fought with Mama yesterday morning. You could hear them all around town. Then Baba chased her out of the house, and she ran to Akoda Olupoti’s house. He returned with her and spent all day trying to settle the quarrel. Despite Akoda’s rank, Baba refused to settle and asked her to leave his house and take us with her.

The women murmur in sympathy.

OLAYEMI (walks away from the crowd, stands center stage): We always have guests – friends who pay a visit, combatants who need the judge to resolve their conflict, and family (gestures to the boys). The first two groups have a reason they come and a time they leave. Family… (She moves closer to the audience as if to tell a secret) is a different matter. You simply welcome them and hope for the best.

Curtain falls

 Want more? Grab your copy in Amazon – Olayemi goes to College.