Copyright (c) 2012




CHANGE

BY

MUONEKE CHIDIEBERE


08168473187, chiboymuoneke@yahoo.com



ACT ONE

The stage is arranged to suit a modern day sitting room.
There are couches, a center table,
chairs and a fan attached to the ceiling of the where the play is being staged.

MR. ANTHONY, a tall, grey-haired, heavy-set man, with gruff voice, is
sitting on a couch.
He is a successful businessman and his countenances shows that he is disturbed.
His long time friend, MR. FELIX enters the stage.
He is an obese, bald, bright-looking man. He is the senator representing
a senatorial district in _____ part of Nigeria.
He drags a "Ghana-must-go bag" along as he walks to MR. ANTHONY.

MR. FELIX
(Grinning warmly)
Good day, Tony...

MR. ANTHONY
Good day, Senator. What brings you to my home?

MR. FELIX
(Totes the "Ghana must go bag"
I brought the quarterly revenue allocation for my senatorial zone...

MR. ANTHONY
So funds have been allocated...?

MR. FELIX
Yes....two hundred million naira each...

MR. ANTHONY
That alot of money...

MR. FELIX
Yes, it is...I want you to transfer the money for me into that foreign account....

MR. ANTHONY
Swiss account..?

MR. FELIX
Yes...remember our 70/30 ratio still holds (Beat) conduct the transfer smoothly....I will call you this evening...

(Mr. Felix smiles at Mr. Anthony. He turns and tries to walk out of stage.)

MR. ANTHONY
(Calls calmly)
Mr. Felix. ..

(Mr. Felix turns around to listen to him)

MR. FELIX
What's it my friend?

MR. ANTHONY
I can't...

MR. FELIX
You can't what?

MR. ANTHONY
I can't transfer the money for you. My conscience tortures me....

MR. FELIX
(Puzzled look)
You conscience tortures you?

MR. ANTHONY
(Nods)
And weighs me down. Haven't you noticed that the state of the nation is deteriorating?

MR. FELIX
So you are not helping me as usual?

MR. ANTHONY
I can't comply any more. Every day I drive through the street, I see the poor masses on the road looking awful, you know...

MR. FELIX
....awful, how?

MR. ANTHONY
They look like overworked jade horses dressed in rags....

MR. FELIX
...jade horses? What does that mean?

MR. ANTHONY
Like old, wretched horses who have worked from dawn till dusk...

MR. FELIX
But that's not my fault (He walks to the couch and sits) I don't see them...

MR. ANTHONY
Of course, you don't. Probably because they drive you around
in SUVs' with tinted glasses and you don't get to see the thick population out there. Rising as if Nigerians have sex everyday...

MR. FELIX
...oh, that's because Nigeria women are fertile...

MR. ANTHONY
....but the National Assembly has to do something about it...

MR. FELIX
Yes, they are trying to pass a bill that will see condoms distributed to everyone in Nigeria freely,
especially the north....

(Frail barks are heard off the stage)

MR. FELIX
(Flinching)
What's that?

MR. ANTHONY
Oh. my dog, Farouk..

MR. FELIX
Your dog...?

MR. ANTHONY
....worry less about him, he is subdued in his cage without food.

MR. FELIX
(Exhales)
Umm, we have to be careful about animals
especially dogs we keep in our house these days....

MR. ANTHONY
...forget the dog. (Beat) Above all there are a lot of paupers living on the streets these days...

MR. FELIX
So politicians are the cause of their conditions?

MR. ANTHONY
Yes, we are. It's like we are sweeping away their dreams and aspirations like they are piles of dusts..

MR. FELIX
But you can't blame me alone. Most leaders had seven, some eight and even twelve years...

MR. ANTHONY
We know those previous leaders were hopelessly lazy like frogs...

MR. FELIX
...Tony, you are making me feel bad...

MR. ANTHONY
Sorry if I do. But not only politicians should feel bad, even pastors...

MR. FELIX
...pastors, how?

MR. ANTHONY
Pastors in Nigeria have combined evangelism with predicting football matches. Arsenal would win champions league and most of them own more planes than Virgin Nigeria...

MR. FELIX
...oh, that's true! (Pause) I feel so ashamed of myself.

MR. ANTHONY
I feel bad also. (Speaks with tinge remorse) Do you know that I have been running unusual business...houses of prostitutions of young girls and housewives who can't make end meets for fifteen years now?

MR. FELIX
Prostitutions of young girls and housewives?

MR. ANTHONY
Yes, and most recently some Chinese girls...

MR. FELIX
...oh, sweet Jesus that makes you a foreign sinner!

MR. ANTHONY
There is no local or international sin, a sin is a sin.... (Beat) I had a deep thought last night and early this morning...

MR. FELIX
...why? What could have been the reason?

MR. ANTHONY
.....we are sinking into a terrible age where terrorism has taken a better part of our world....

MR. FELIX
You speak as if life these days has a cruel look...

MR. ANTHONY
....yes, more like a zombie look...

MR. FELIX
(Shrugging his shoulders and fanning himself)
I am feeling hot. The weather burns...!

MR. ANTHONY
Hot?

MR. FELIX
(Wipes his brow with a finger)
Sweaty and extremely hot. Please turn on the fans or air conditioner...

MR. ANTHONY
...No electricity. I wonder why Nigeria don't have steady power supply...

MR. FELIX
...perhaps, because we are nearer to the sun.

MR. ANTHONY
...what's that suppose to mean?

MR. FELIX
...we are close to sun and sun is a natural source of light...

MR. ANTHONY
...is that a political reason?

MR. FELIX
Probably, P.D.P's reason...

MR. ANTHONY
That's a cheap reason.

MR. FELIX
You speak deeply like occupying a political office is evil...

MR. ANTHONY
....it's not. We have failed.

MR. FELIX
So what are you suggesting we should do?

MR. ANTHONY
Me and you?

MR. FELIX
Yes..

MR. ANTHONY
....I had thought deep in my sleep...

MR. FELIX
....And what did you conclude..?

MR. ANTHONY
...suicide...

MR. FLEIX
...that's sheer madness....sheer madness!

MR. ANTHONY
We have indirectly killed. Killing myself doesn't scare me one bit
(Indicates a half inch on his finger)
One bit!

MR. FELIX
But I have a son...

MR. ANTHONY
...yes and he is serving sentence in China prison. Accused of drug trafficking...

MR. FELIX
....what about your daughter Amara? Has she stopped using drugs?

MR. ANTHONY
No. Our children are no benefit to us, what do we have to live for?

MR. FELIX
Sex! Sex lightens all problems, you know...

MR. ANTHONY
....sex is a mortal thing...there is much more to life than sex....

MR. FELIX
...like what?

MR. ANTHONY
...like eternity (Pause) There might even be re-incarnation...

MR. FELIX
(Puzzled look)
....Re-incarnation! What does that mean?

MR. ANTHONY
Re-incarnation means something coming back to life again...

MR. FELIX
...like Buhari or something like that?

MR. ANTHONY
No, not political reincarnation. But physical and spiritual re-incarnation...

MR. FELIX
Right now. It seems to me that I am Judas Iscariot.

MR. ANTHONY
Much like the two thieves...much like the two thieves in the bible...

MR. FELIX
I heard that one of them was forgiven, because he repented before his death...

MR. ANTHONY
...yes, that true. He repented at last minutes of his life...

MR. FELIX
...what should we do, Tony?

MR. ANTHONY
Pray and poison ourselves...

MR. FELIX
If we do that would God forgive us, and welcome us to heaven, will he?

MR. ANTHONY
I think so...

MR. FELIX
....are you sure?

MR. ANTHONY
(Vehemently)
Yes...sure...

MR. FELIX
Do you have a poison in your house now...?

MR. ANTHONY
...yes...

MR. FELIX
...what are you waiting for? Bring the poison, let us drink and sail to heaven......I can't wait...

MR. ANTHONY
....okay.

(Mr. Anthony rushes off the stage and comes back quickly with a bottle of poison)

MR. ANTHONY
(More)
This is it...

MR. FELIX
...the poison?

MR. ANTHONY
Yes....but we have to pray first...

MR. FELIX
...yes....yes.

(MR. ANTHONY and MR. FELIX sit abreast each and hold hands. They murmur words in undertone.
MR. FELIX concludes the whole ritual saying "AMEN"

MR. ANTHONY
Who drinks first..?

MR. FELIX
...you...

MR. ANTHONY
...me?

MR. FELIX
You...because you own the poison..and older...

MR. ANTHONY
Okay, then.

(MR. ANTHONY drinks the poison and hands the bottle of poison to MR. FELIX. MR. FELIX gulps the poison)

MR. FELIX
(Looks at MR. ANTHONY)
Umm....the poison is sweet....and tasty...

MR. ANTHONY
....I know....let’s wait for some seconds. We will be dead, and hopefully, we will be in heaven and see God....

MR. FELIX
(Rubs his palms together)
...okay.

(There is a big pause between both of them. They stare at each other steadily and not speaking to each few seconds)

MR. FELIX
Are we dead?

MR. ANTHONY
Are we?

MR. FELIX
I guess so...


MR. ANTHONY
Do you see God?

MR. FELIX
(Gloating)
Yes...

MR. ANTHONY
...how is he? I can't see him...?

MR. FELIX
(Staring directly at MR. ANTHONY)
He is standing in front of me. He has grey hair and speaking to me.....Seems like God has your face...

MR. ANTHONY
You know we were all made in image of God. Where is he? (Turns his neck abruptly, looks behind his back)

MR. FELIX
It seems like God is you...

MR. ANTHONY
(Furrows his brow)
Shut up! (Pause) Are we dead?

MR. FELIX
I think so...

MR. ANTHONY
But apart from me, what can you see?

MR. FELIX
I see, em, furniture..tables, chairs...and even a lighting bulb....I still see the money, are there "Ghana must go bags" in heaven, Tony?

MR. ANTHONY
No, forget the money for now....Can you check the window and look outside?
(Mr. Felix rushes off the stage; we hear sound of window being opened)
What do you see, Mr. Felix? What do you see...?

MR. FELIX
(Standing at right end of the stage)
...I see bad road...

MR. ANTHONY
Bad roads? Are there bad roads in heaven?

(MR. FELIX walks back to stage dejected. He sits on the couch)

MR. FELIX
(Weakly)
I guess we are still in Nigeria. Seems like we are refused passage into heaven because we are black...

MR. ANTHONY
Why...?

MR. FELIX
...because posters of Jesus we have in our houses are all white.

(REBECCA enters. She is MR. ANTHONY's wife)

REBECCA
(Sees MR. FELIX and her husband, MR. ANTHONY)
Good afternoon...!


(No response)

REBECCA
(Greets again)
Good afternoon...

(MR. ANTHONY and MR. FELIX stares at REBECCA in bewilderment)

REBECCA
(More)
Seems both of you are in bad mood...

MR. FELIX
(Stares at REBECCA, glances quickly at MR. ANTHONY, and then back to his REBECCA, and then stares at MR. ANTHONY)
Is your wife dead, too?

MR. ANTHONY
(Shocked)
I don't know...I am surprised like you, too.

REBECCA
(Sees the bottle on the table)
Are both of you drinking the bottle of syrup I bought this morning...?

MR. ANTHONY
...Syrup?

(MR. FELIX and MR. ANTHONY stare at REBECCA with widened eyes; little embarrassed)

MR. FELIX
So we are alive...?

REBECCA
...yes

MR. ANTHONY
What of the other bottle? Just like this one?

REBECCA
You mean the diluted acid in a bottle...?

MR. ANTHONY
Yes...the other bottle...?

REBECCA
I threw the bottle away...

MR. ANTHONY
(Contorts his face)
You threw it away?

REBECCA
...yes, outside...and it broke...

MR. FELIX
...Broke? Damn!

REBECCA
Why?

MR. FELIX
That bottle could have given us eternal life...

REBECCA
(Sarcastically, giggles)
Please did it drop from the sky?

MR. ANTHONY
No, sweetheart. You won't understand...

REBECCA
....what's wrong with both of you right now? I assumed that, the liquid in that bottle was harmful...

MR. ANTHONY
...how? How did you know? Did you drink liquid in the bottle?

REBECCA
No, I was sickened with cough this morning and I need a cough syrup to drink so I found your bottle in our bedroom....in the cupboard.
I wondered what it was, doubted if it was syrup or a hair dye. So I carried my experiment on a passing fly...

MR. FELIX
....housefly?

REBECCA
(Nodding)
Yes, a housefly....I drizzled the content in the bottle on a housefly...

MR. FELIX
...that's brutal...

MR. ANTHONY
That's inhumane...

MR. FELIX
(Jiggles his head)
Life is vain upon vain...

REBECCA
(Stares at both of them; confused)
What's wrong with you two?

MR. ANTHONY
Sweetheart, you killed an active thing...

REBECCA
It's just a housefly. I drizzled the content of the bottle on the housefly, and the housefly dried up....shriveling up like it was placed in fire...

MR. FELIX
That's barbaric...


MR. ANTHONY
That's insanity! My wife is so heartless....

REBECCA
...how?

MR. ANTHONY
...you took away the life and dreams of that poor creature...

MR. FELIX
You ended the poor creature enthusiasm to live...

REBECCA
(Forces a plastic smile on her lips)
Ummm.
(Sees the "the Ghana must go bag"
What's in the bag?

MR. ANTHONY
In what?

REBECCA
In the bag?

(MR. FELIX and MR. ANTHONY looks at the bag and remembers there is money in the bag)

MR. FELIX
(Gazing at the "Ghana must go bag"
Oh, the bag?

REBECCA
Umm-hmm!

MR. FELIX
Money
(He looks at MR. ANTHONY and raises his forefinger like he has a genius plan)
Tony! Tony, I have an idea...

MR. ANTHONY
(Highly interested)
....what's it, senator?

MR. FELIX
I am going to boast employment with this money...


MR. ANTHONY
Boost employment...?

MR. FELIX
Yes (grinning like crazy) Thereby reducing the number of poor people with dried lips and milky eyes...

MR ANTHONY
Very ingenious....very perfect...

MR. FELIX
And that money I own in Swiss bank. I going to withdraw them
and start a charity home for homeless kids.

MR. ANTHONY
Serious?

MR. FELIX
Yes, God has touched my soul today...

MR. ANTHONY
...I am going to do the same, too. I am going to do something for Nigeria...and going to assist you in any way beneficial to our country.

MR. FELIX
Yes... I believe we have uprooted trees of greed in us.

MR. ANTHONY
We are bringing them down.

MR. FELIX
(Glances at his watch)
I have to go now...

REBECCA
(To MR. FELIX)
Senator, wait a bit let me prepare something for both of you...

MR. FELIX
...sorry, I have to leave now. Most of youths and graduates need to be employed and empowered...

MR. ANTHONY
Indeed. Senator, I am going with you...

MR. FELIX
Thanks. Let's go and provide employment for the youths...

REBECCA
(To MR. ANTHONY)
My husband, are you not eating now?

MR. ANTHONY
Not yet. Until youths on the streets have food on their tables to eat.

(Mr. Anthony and Mr. Felix stand form the couch)

MR. FELIX
(To ANTHONY)
Yes, it's time to provide employment for youths and reduced the misery in Nigeria...

MR. ANTHONY
Yes, the time is now.

(They shake hands and exits)

REBECCA
Umm...God is always with us and never sleeps. (She smiles)

(THE CURTAIN FALLS)