Scene 11

(This scene opens with an alarm been shown on the screen. Once the alarm hits 6:15 all three of them wake up. They go to brush their teeth, have their bath and get dressed. As they come down they greet all the staff their dad and Tomike and Dayo. As they are eating their breakfast they check their time and it reads 7:15, they get up and head for the car. They are shown later in the day coming into the house from school, they greet everybody and head to their rooms, remove their things and keep them neatly. They are shown on another day as they repeat the same schedule. Everybody in the house stops to look at them, and when they come back from school, Loretta is seated in the living room and Fredrick tells her to look at his kids as he hears the door open and when they come in they greet them and Loretta is shocked to see it. It continues all through the week as they are shown washing their dishes after they use it or keeping it neatly in the sink. And keeping their rooms arranged at all times. After all that, it's Friday evening two weeks later and Fredrick isn't yet back from work. The kids are seated at the table as Titi serves them. After Titi serves them, she takes Tomike and Dayo's food to their rooms. As Tomike and Dayo open their food they see that there is no meat in their food. They both come out of their rooms and look at each other then Tomike shouts Titi's name. After a few calls, Titi comes out and goes to meet Tomike on the stairs).

Tomike: Why is there no meat or anything in my food or my son's, ehn?

Titi: Ma Anna is in charge my job is just to bring the food to you.

Tomike: Go and call me that stupid fool now! I said now!

(Titi turns around and goes to Anna's room. A few seconds later Anna and Titi are shown coming into the living room. At this point the rest staff come out).

Tomike: Is something wrong with you?

Dayo: Ehs come closer jor, my mother is talking to you and you are standing far away.

Tomike: Don't mind her, that's how she did the other time. Look at her face. I said come closer what rubbish or is something wrong with your hearing?

Anna: My hearing is just fine.

Tomike: Oh so you have mouth, welcome back. Tell me now, why is my food plain?

Anna: They gave you rice without stew?

Tomike: Rice without stew, what are you saying gbayi () who are they to do such. There was no chicken, meat or turkey or anything at that. So what happened?

Anna: Nothing happened. There's just no meat in your meals.

Tomike: (Are you okay). Are you normal at all this girl? What is the meaning of all this rubbish now! Oh, so because I insulted you earlier that's why. In fact you are mad.

Anna: It's not because you called me a fool times without number since I got here. It's because I have a job to do and it involves cut backs and appropriation of resources efficiently so that's exactly what I did, put what were it was needed. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with my employer.

Tomike: Ah, (Me. It is me that you are talking to like this). Oluwa oh (God). (Stupid girl, fool, idiot. It will not be well with you. Life will scatter for you. See as she carry leg like lizard. Prostitute).

(Kunle and Titi exclaim).

Anna: (Smiles). (Just because I'm not a Yoruba person doesn't mean I don't understand the language, so next time choose your words carefully).

(Anna leaves and Kunle and Titi start laughing seriously. Tomike and Dayo look at them then Tomike eyes them. They look at where Anna was standing, then turn back and leave. As Kunle and Titi continue to laugh, Ene, Chuks and the kids keep asking them what they said).

Chuks: Oya na Kuns, yarn us wetin sup na.

Jennifer: Titi please now, both of you now.

Kunle: Una too like amebo.

Titi: I swear.

All of them: Ehn, ehn.

Titi: Oya Kunle talk na.

Kunle: Okay, make I stop to dey laugh. (He stops laughing). Okay, okay, oya. So Tomike been they para say Anna be fool, just they call am names say e no go better for her, say life go scatter for her, she con talk say her leg na like lizard own and that she be ashawo. (They exclaim). Na so the thing shock us too o. Na e Anna con fire her own back con let Tomike know say she understand everything she dey talk. All the times wey Tomike don dey insult her for Yoruba, she know.

(They laugh).

So Anna say just because say I no be Yoruba person, no mean say I no understand the language so make she Tomike, choose her words wella next time.

(They continue laughing).

Jennifer: I'm sure after this they won't be gossiping in this house again, now they know that Anna understands the language.

(They continue to laugh. As they are laughing, Fredrick walks in with his briefcase. The laugh dies down as they see him. Titi goes for his bag and takes it to his room. He walks up to the rest of them and they all greet him).

Ene, Chuks and Kunle: Evening sir. Welcome sir.

The kids: Welcome dad. Evening.

Fredrick: Evening everyone. Laughter in the air I see.

Whitney: Yes!

Fredrick: Well someone is excited.

(Whitney nods her head as Anna comes to the dining area).

Fredrick: So anybody want to tell me what the joke is about? What did I miss? Oh Anna, evening.

Anna: Evening sir Freddo.

Ene: Let me get your food sir.

Chuks: Excuse us sir.

(Ene, Chuks and Kunle leave. Titi comes down joins Ene in the kitchen as the kids stand to leave).

Jennifer: Oh dad you missed, tonight was fun.

Fredrick: Really, tell me about it.

Isaac: Oh Anna and aunty Tomike went at it today. Don't worry, Anna will give you details.

(Isaac looks at Anna weyrdly and she looks back at him then he winks at her and she is taken back before she smiles).

All three of them: Good night dad.

Fredrick: Night kids.

All three of them: Night Anna.

Fredrick: Night kids.

(They all go upstairs and Isaac and Anna still look at each other as he goes upstairs. When they enter their rooms, she turns her focus back to Fredrick).

Fredrick: What was all the looking about?

Isaac: I'll have to ask Isaac. (Laughs). So how was work?

Frederick: Work was work. Had a grumpy client today, words escaped, papers left their original positions, some to the floor, my face was well guarded though but forget about me. I want to know how your day was? What were the kids talking about?

Anna: (Smiles broadly). Eh, it's nothing.

Fredrick: That means there is something. Something good, because anytime someone says there is nothing then there is a lot.

Anna: Not all the time.

Fredrick: Most of the time. Come on tell me. Did she fall? Did you push her? Did they break a leg?

(Anna laughs loud). I just wanna know that's all.

(Fredrick joins in laughing. As they are laughing, Tomike walks into the living room).

Tomike: It's a good thing you are back, I have something to tell you about this. (Points to Anna).

Fredrick: It's a good thing we were taught from a young age that it's rude to interrupt someone or people when they are having a conversation.

Tomike: You were laughing Fredrick, that's not a conversation. The laugh was too unattractive if I may add, with a maid at that so no rudeness of any sort...

Fredrick: Tomike if you would open your eyes and see the expression on my face that I am not in the mood for any of your dramas this evening, given that I just got back from work, you would get to the point rather quickly.

Tomike: This nonsense maid of yours, this stupid girl, thought in her dump head...

Fredrick: Okay Tomike if you want to have a conversation with me drop the insults. And the point please.

Tomike: So you are taking the side of the maid over your sister in-law, over your family.

Fredrick: (Sighs). Tomike this is the drama I was talking about, point.

Tomike: Your maid here, refused to put meat or even fish in Dayo and I's food this evening. Then lied that you said she could do it.

Fredrick: Yes I'm aware, I gave the instruction.

Tomike: So you really are taking her side.

Fredrick: The only side I'm taking is the side of my sanity. I gave that other because you and your son are on the verge of driving me crazy. Tomike you and Dayo have been here going to five years now, and there has been no substantial input from both of you in anyway. So yes I told Anna to cut back on your meals that way you guys can leave my house. All you guys do is sit in my home, eat my food and blow yourselves out of proportion. Not one single contribution from you, just growing fat every day, y'all need to burn some calories.

(Anna Snikers)

So I'm going to stop spending my money on both of you cause I'm not the bank for the needy.

Tomike: Oh, oh so that's how it is. She has just been here three weeks now and she has managed to poison your mind. (She turns back and starts leaving as she continues talking). I'm not going anywhere Fredrick. You must take care of me and my son. I'm your sister in-law, Dayo and I are family. Elizabeth is not happy with you let me just tell you. Anna is God that will punish you oshi ().

(She slams her door when she enters her room. Fredrick and Anna flinch).

Fredrick: (Smiling). You badly set her off didn't you?

Anna: Maybe.

(They laugh and continue talking).

Scene closes.