DRAMATIS PERSONAE
OBA ADEWALE: The King of Ilu-Aje.
QUEEN OJUOLA: His wife.
BABA FAKUNLE: The blind Babalawo (Ifa Priest).
OGUNREMI: A proud warrior and friend to the King.
ESU-DARA: The Trickster, an unseen force/spirit.
ATTENDANT: A server in the palace.
GUARDS, CITIZENS
ACT I
SCENE I
The battlements of the King's palace in Ilu-Aje. Night. A heavy mist hangs in the air. Two GUARDS, ABIOYE and BOLA, stand watch.
ABIOYE:
Who's there? Stand, speak! Unfold yourself and say!
BOLA:
A friend to Ilu-Aje, and the King's man.
ABIOYE:
You come upon the hour with careful tread.
BOLA:
'Tis struck the twelfth. The air is sick and cold.
Have you had quiet guard this troubled eve?
ABIOYE:
Not a mouse stirring, save the wind's low moan.
The plague that wastes our city seems to sleep,
But leaves a chill upon the waking heart.
BOLA:
Good night, Abioye. If you do meet the captain,
Or stout Ogunremi, bid them make haste.
They swore to walk the watch with us tonight.
ABIOYE:
I think I hear their heavy step e'en now.
Stand, ho! Who comes?
(Enter OGUNREMI and ATTENDANT.)
OGUNREMI:
Friends to this ground, and liegemen to the crown.
ABIOYE:
Give you good night.
OGUNREMI:
Farewell, honest soldier. Has the air been calm?
ABIOYE:
As a still pond before the pebble drops.
Good night.
(Exit ABIOYE.)
OGUNREMI:
Welcome, Attendant. Welcome, good Bola too.
What, has this thing appear'd again tonight?
BOLA:
We have seen nothing, sir, save shadows deep
And the thick fog that clings unto the stone.
OGUNREMI:
'Tis well. My mind is filled with dreadful thought,
A vision of the King's unrest. He walks
His chambers, pale and troubled, with a brow
More creas'd by sorrow than by kingly age.
He speaks of dreams, of whispers in the dark.
This realm is sick; the gods are not appeas'd.
ATTENDANT:
'Tis true, my lord. The Babalawo is sent for,
The blind Baba Fakunle, wise and old.
His cowrie shells and palm nuts hold the key
To break the curse that binds our fainting land.
The King doth hope that Ifa's sacred voice
Shall name the ill and show the remedy.
OGUNREMI:
I like it not. These ancient rites of fate
Do often speak in riddles, dark and deep.
Man's will should carve his path, not yield to stars.
(A low, haunting hum is heard. The mist thickens. Esu-Dara's presence is felt but not seen.)
BOLA:
Hark! Heard you that? A sound like distant bees?
ATTENDANT:
The wind, good Bola, naught but the night wind.
OGUNREMI:
No wind that, that bears a conscious hum!
It speaks to me of things not born of earth.
A presence is felt, mischievous and fell.
(A faint, mocking laughter is heard, quickly suppressed.)
ATTENDANT:
My blood runs cold. What spirit walks abroad?
OGUNREMI:
Be still! Speak not, lest we draw
The gaze of those that watch from realms unseen.
This fog is full of eyes. Let's to the King,
And hasten the old priest. Our natural world
Is challenged here by forces we can't name.
Come, let's away. The air is poisonous.
(They exit, moving with haste, as the humming sound grows louder and then abruptly stops.)
(The stage is left empty, save for the mist and a lingering sense of unease.)
**(SCENE ENDS)
act 1 act 2
SCENE II
A well-appointed chamber in the Palace. OBA ADEWALE sits, his face grave and drawn. QUEEN OJUOLA attempts to comfort him.
QUEEN OJUOLA:
Good my lord, cease this heavy meditation.
Your constant sorrow doth impair your health,
And makes your Queen a partner in your pain.
The gods are just; they shall provide relief.
OBA ADEWALE:
Ojuola, speak not to me of relief!
The people cry for aid, their bellies starve,
Their children sicken in the streets below.
My crown sits heavy on a troubled head.
For fifteen years I've ruled this land with love,
And yet, this curse doth haunt my every step.
Some ancient sin, a transgression yet unnamed,
Doth poison Ilu-Aje’s very soul,
And all the blame doth settle on the King.
QUEEN OJUOLA:
Have patience, love. The Babalawo comes,
Sent for by your command. The wise Fakunle
Will cast his Opele, and Ifa’s voice
Shall thunder forth the truth. You must have faith.
OBA ADEWALE:
Faith is a garment for the summer day;
In winter's storm, 'tis shredded by the wind.
I fear the truth more than I fear the curse.
What if my reign, so built on honest aims,
Is founded on a lie, a bloody stone?
These dreadful thoughts do rack my sleeping mind.
(Enter OGUNREMI, BABA FAKUNLE, and ATTENDANT. Fakunle is blind, led by the Attendant.)
OGUNREMI:
My liege, the holy man is here. Baba Fakunle,
The mouth of Orunmila, stands before you.
OBA ADEWALE:
Welcome, Baba. My kingdom thanks you for
Your speed and wisdom in this time of need.
The state is weak; we beg your urgent aid.
BABA FAKUNLE:
The gods are never late, my worthy King.
Orunmila sees all, past, present, and the paths
That lie before the feet of mortal men.
I need the privacy of sacred space;
My shells must speak without the noise of doubt.
The truth is sharp; are you prepar'd to bleed?
OBA ADEWALE:
I am prepar'd to drain my life’s last drop,
So that my people may draw breath anew.
Lead on, good Baba, all is yours to command.
(BABA FAKUNLE is led out by the Attendant to the divination chamber. The OBA, QUEEN, and OGUNREMI remain, waiting in silence.)
OGUNREMI:
(To the KING, in a low voice)
Be strong, my Lord. Your honour is unstained.
No man I know has a more righteous heart.
OBA ADEWALE:
(Distracted)
I thank thee, friend. But shadows lengthen here.
(SCENE ENDS)
ACT II
SCENE I
The same Palace chamber, later that day. The OBA and OGUNREMI wait. BABA FAKUNLE enters, led by the ATTENDANT. His demeanour is grave, his face showing the weight of the Odu he has cast.
OBA ADEWALE:
Speak, Baba, speak! What says great Orunmila?
What sacrifice is ask'd? What sin's the cause?
BABA FAKUNLE:
(His voice is low and heavy)
The Odu speaks of destiny entwined,
A knot of fate no human hand may loose.
It speaks of Ika-Ofun, a heavy sign:
The King who sits upon the throne is not
The rightful son of he he calls his sire.
He is a stranger to the blood he claims.
(A profound silence. Ogunremi stiffens in surprise.)
OGUNREMI:
(To the Priest, sharply)
What madness is this, blind man? You speak treason!
Oba Adewale is our true King’s son!
BABA FAKUNLE:
My eyes see darkness, warrior, but my soul
Sees truth revealed by Ifa. This same King,
Whose heart is just, in ignorance has done
A deed so foul, it stains the very earth.
He is the cause, the victim, and the cure.
He killed his father, spilled his royal blood,
And took his mother as his wedded Queen.
This is the curse that wastes your city now.
OBA ADEWALE:
(Stunned, stepping forward)
Lies! Vile and utter lies! I killed no King!
My father died in peace, of noble age!
I married Ojuola, a widowed Queen,
But she was young, and my heart's chosen mate!
BABA FAKUNLE:
The man you knew as father was not so.
The man you killed upon the forest road,
A decade past, in a most private feud
O'er stolen goods and words of heated pride—
He was your sire, the King that ruled before.
You were stolen as a babe, a hidden child,
Raised in a far-off village, ignorant.
The stars decreed this fate; you ran your course.
(The OBA stares in horror, the truth beginning to dawn on him.)
OBA ADEWALE:
The traveler... the fight... the face... I see it now!
Ogunremi, you were there! You saw the man!
I struck him down when he insulted me,
A rogue who claimed some kin to royalty!
OGUNREMI:
(Pale and shaking)
He did make claim, my lord... we thought him mad.
He bore a mark... a symbol on his chest...
The royal mark of Ilu-Aje's first Kings.
We dismissed it then... O gods, we were blind fools!
BABA FAKUNLE:
The truth is out. The Odu has been read.
The sin demands a cleansing. You must act,
Or Ilu-Aje is condemn'd to dust.
(The OBA stumbles, his world collapsing around him. A faint, triumphant laugh is heard from Esu-Dara off-stage, unseen by the characters.)
**(SCENE ENDS)
ACT I
act 2 scene 2
SCENE II
The Queen’s private chamber. Later that evening. QUEEN OJUOLA is sitting alone, deep in worried thought.
(Enter OBA ADEWALE, his face a mask of profound horror and distress. He is staggering.)
QUEEN OJUOLA:
My Lord! What news? You look as pale as death!
Has the blind priest pronounc'd some dire ill?
Does Ifa ask for sacrifice of gold,
Or beasts, or lands? Name it, my King, my love!
We can survive whatever fate demands.
OBA ADEWALE:
(A hollow, broken voice)
We can survive naught, Ojuola. Naught remains.
Our life is a foul play the gods have writ,
A tale of blood, and sin, and deepest shame.
QUEEN OJUOLA:
Speak plainly, sir, your riddles chill my soul!
OBA ADEWALE:
The traveler I killed upon the road,
A decade gone, before I took the crown...
QUEEN OJUOLA:
(Growing fearful)
The rogue? The madman who did vex your honour?
What of him?
OBA ADEWALE:
He was no rogue. He bore the royal mark.
He was my father, she who gave me life!
I am a stranger, stolen as a babe,
And raised in ignorance of my own blood!
(Ojuola gasps, her hand flying to her mouth.)
QUEEN OJUOLA:
A lie! A monstrous fabrication this!
Fakunle speaks with Esu's poison'd tongue!
You are the son of the old King, my Lord!
I bore you witness when you took the throne!
OBA ADEWALE:
My noble mother, Ojuola, my wife, my Queen...
The gods have twisted all our sacred bonds.
The priest has proof. The mark... the time... the place...
All fits the tale. I am the very cause
Of all this realm’s most heavy, cursed state.
And you... my wife... you are... my mother.
(Ojuola stares at him, then sinks to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.)
QUEEN OJUOLA:
O, day of sorrow! Day of endless night!
Why did the gods permit this awful act?
I, who did mourn my husband's sudden death,
Did take my son unknowing to my bed!
The womb that bore you now doth hold you bound
In horrid chains of wedlock and of sin!
O, cover me, you mists of Ilu-Aje!
Hide me from the sun's most righteous eye!
OBA ADEWALE:
(Distraught, pacing)
There is no hiding place. The sky doth judge.
The Odu demands a purging, a cleansing fire.
My honour's stained, my people die below,
And all because a blind man saw the truth
That I, with open eyes, refused to see!
(Ogunremi rushes in, breathless with news.)
OGUNREMI:
My Lord, my King, the people swarm the gates!
They’ve heard the whispers of Fakunle’s words!
They cry that you should step down from the throne,
And end the plague with justice swift and sure!
They are a beast with many heads, inflam'd!
OBA ADEWALE:
(A tragic resolve settling on his face)
They ask for justice? They shall have their fill.
Go, good Ogunremi. Hold the gates a while.
Tell them their King accepts his dreadful fate,
And shall perform the rite the gods demand.
(Ogunremi bows, troubled, and exits. The King turns to the weeping Queen.)
OBA ADEWALE:
My Queen... no, mother... what a word to speak!
I go to make amends. My eyes have seen
Too much of horror, things they cannot unsee.
Farewell, then. May you find some peace in death
That I am sworn I never more shall know.
(He exits. Ojuola lifts her head, a look of quiet, final despair on her face.)
QUEEN OJUOLA:
The gods are cruel. But I shall find my peace.
**(She exits on the other side.)
**(SCENE ENDS)
ACT II
continue
ACT III
SCENE I
The Great Courtyard of the Palace, overlooking the city gates. The atmosphere is tense and crowded with CITIZENS and GUARDS. OBA ADEWALE stands on a raised dais, his face reflecting sorrow and resolve. BABA FAKUNLE stands near him. OGUNREMI and GUARDS maintain order.
1ST CITIZEN:
Behold the King, his face etched deep with pain!
2ND CITIZEN:
The plague has ceas'd this morn! The air is clear!
Perhaps his suffering is the balm we sought!
OGUNREMI:
(To the crowd)
Silence, good people! Hear your King’s last words!
He comes to address the kingdom in this hour!
(A profound silence falls over the multitude.)
OBA ADEWALE:
(His voice is strong and clear, full of solemn acceptance)
Hear me, Ilu-Aje, my lost, my loving people!
I stand before you, bearing heavy truth.
The oracle spoke true; I am the knot
That tied this kingdom in a fatal noose.
I killed my father, married my own mother,
And brought the wrath of Orunmila down
Upon this noble city. I confess
My hand did all these things, in ignorance,
Yet ignorance is no shield 'gainst the Fates.
(The crowd murmurs, some nodding, some weeping.)
OBA ADEWALE:
The gods demand a price, a life for life,
A cleansing fire to wash the stains away.
I give myself to face the consequences,
To set you free from this most heavy curse.
My life, a burden; my fate, your peace.
BABA FAKUNLE:
(Stepping forward, speaking to the heavens)
O, great Orunmila, witness thou this King!
He ran his course, he fell upon the sword
Of destiny, and now in noble grace,
He yields his future to balance what was due.
The scales are even; order is restor'd.
The new day dawns upon a cleans'd domain.
OBA ADEWALE:
(Turning his gaze toward the sky)
Then is my task complete. The cycle ends.
Farewell, Ogunremi, my truest friend.
See that a worthy ruler takes my place,
A man of birth untainted, pure and free
From these dark threads of fate that bound my life.
Lead me to where my penance shall begin.
OGUNREMI:
(Weeping openly, kneeling)
My King, my friend, my heart doth break for thee!
You were a great man, trapped by cruel gods!
We shall obey your will, and honour you
For all the ages that this city stands.
Your sacrifice shall ne’er be forgot.
(Adewale is led off by the Attendant and Baba Fakunle to face his punishment, the exact nature left to the imagination.)
(The CITIZENS begin to chant in a low, reverent tone. Esu-Dara’s laughter is heard one last time, a fading echo, as his work is done and order returns.)
(SCENE ENDS)
EPILOGUE
SPOKEN BY OGUNREMI
Ogunremi stands alone in the empty courtyard as the sun rises, casting a warm light over the clean, quiet stones.
OGUNREMI:
This high and noble tragedy is done.
The Fates are swift to mark the proud man’s fall.
From highest seat of pow'r, a good King falls,
Not for his malice, but for destiny’s call.
He taught us that no man, though e’er so grand,
May challenge the wise will of Ifa’s hand.
The city breathes again; the curse is past.
And in his fall, our future holds steadfast.
Let us with solemn march welcome the new dawn,
And place the true-born crown upon the rightful head.
Good night, sweet Prince, and flights of angels sing thee
To thy rest.
(He bows his head in respect.)
(THE END)
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