ACT I
[Scene I]
The boy sets up a video camera and begins recording. He appears to be stained in blood.
Boy:
Hello everyone out there, I am here today not because I want to but because I need to. I know something you need to know if you do not know already. There is something very big that cannot remain private simply because it concerns the general public. It all started six months ago, right after my father’s All-State Comedy Tour. The last place he performed was at Kapitol Hall. It was his first time performing for the President and other top government officials. When he got back, he told my mother about the type of reception he got from the audience. I was in the living room as well, but I was certainly not part of the conversation. I was still considered too young for certain conversations.
[Scene II]
Living room, young boy sitting on the floor watching television, mother on the sofa, knitting a sweater.
Father:
Hello, who is happy to see me?
Mother:
You are late. Did you stop over at your other family’s house that we do not know about?
Father:
You certainly know how to welcome a husband into his own home.
Mother:
Still does not change the fact that you are late. I made dinner two hours ago. Your meal is in the microwave.
Young Boy:
Daddy! How was your tour? I want to hear all about it.
Father:
It was nice. I met a lot of people, and the crowd responded well. They were a little stiff at the beginning, but they opened up later on.
Young Boy:
Did you meet the president after the show?
Father:
We will talk later on. Your mother needs me right now.
Mother:
Tell us about the President and the rumors. Are they true?
Father:
Well, I do not know. But I saw Tolani Ajanaku after the show. She seems to be nothing like she appears on television.
Mother:
Really? Is that why you came home late? Korede, go to your room. Your father and I need to discuss adult matters.
[Scene III]
Boy in front of the video camera.
Boy:
I pretended to go to my room. I stopped and overheard my parents’ conversation. My father spoke about the kind of people he met and had conversations with. He mentioned something that caught my attention. He spoke about the newscaster on the NTA Newsline. The conversation he had with her and told my mom that we were moving to the capital. And she was going to be our next-door neighbor. He said she wants to move away from the capital to a quiet town or city where she can live a private life. While he was still conversing with my mother, he said there are many ways to redemption, and some of them are not peaceful. My mother seemed to have a lot against the woman she only knew over the television screen. I discovered why later on.
[Scene IV]
Boy packs his belongings. Narration continues.
Boy (Voiceover):
I was in SS2 when my father mentioned we would be moving. The move was not made in my best interest, but I was excited regardless. My next-door neighbor was going to be the woman who makes married men and younger boys watch the news every Sunday night. The countdown to the move began. After five months of packing, planning, and strategizing, we finally moved to our new home in the capital. I believe I was the happiest of the bunch. I was in the Federal Capital Territory, the place where the current and future plans involving our country are discussed.
[Scene V]
Family arrives at the new house. Boy looks around excitedly.
Boy (Voiceover):
Our new house had three bedrooms, one of which was an en-suite, two living rooms, a dining room, a lovely kitchen, an office, a laundry room, two and a half bathrooms, a garden in front and at the back. It was a really nice house. My mother was excited; she loved the house maybe more than everyone. I know the least happy of us was my father. He must have spent a fortune on the house. My parents had the movers move their things into the master bedroom. I was given an option to select between the other two rooms. Without hesitation, I selected the room with the windows facing Miss Tolani’s house. There was a window right opposite mine. I hoped and prayed it was the window leading to her room.
[Scene VI]
Family dinner. Boy is asked about his future plans.
Father:
What are your future plans after secondary school?
Boy:
Since I got into secondary school, I have been battling a serious dilemma. I am not sure if I want to be a journalist or a politician, so being in the capital made me feel like a child at the North Pole. I plan to test the water.
Family says goodnight. Boy goes to his room.
[Scene VII]
Boy enters his room. The lights in the other house are on. He sees a woman undressing.
Boy (Voiceover):
When I walked into my room, the lights in the other house were on, and I watched quietly as a female undressed from what looked like an evening dress or gown. She was the only other woman aside from my mother I had seen naked. Her body was more defined than my mother’s. I grabbed my camera and attempted to zoom in to see if it was who I thought it was or one of her guests, perhaps her daughter if she had any children. But as I tried to zoom in, my fingers did something else entirely, and a picture was taken with a flash. At this point, she was facing me. I froze, and it seemed like time froze for a second. She did not get dressed in a hurry; she simply wore her nightgown, walked graciously to the light switch. I was in shock and did not move. I cannot recall going to bed that night. I dreamt about nothing.
[Scene VIII]
Boy wakes up on the floor, close to the window facing Miss Tolani’s room. He wakes up with a plan.
Boy (Voiceover):
The next morning, I woke up on the floor close to the window facing Miss Tolani’s room. I woke up with a plan. I was going to walk over to her house and introduce myself.
[Scene IX]
Boy walks to Miss Tolani’s house and knocks on the door.
Boy:
Hello, Miss Tolani. My name is Korede. I just moved in next door, and I wanted to introduce myself.
Miss Tolani:
Hello, Korede. It’s nice to meet you. How are you finding the new neighborhood?
Boy:
I love it here. I was wondering if you need any help. I could be your assistant.
Miss Tolani:
An assistant? That’s interesting. What makes you think I need one?
Boy:
I know you’re a journalist, and I want to learn more about journalism. Plus, I have some free time after school.
Miss Tolani:
Well, let’s see. How about you come over tomorrow after school, and we’ll discuss it?
Boy:
Thank you, Miss Tolani. I’ll be here.
Boy leaves with a smile, hopeful for what’s to come.
[Scene X]
Boy in front of the video camera again.
Boy:
Sometimes I look at you and it feels like nothing ever changed, like we’re still together. I look at your face and realize how lucky I was to ever have you, and it kills me to know that I cannot just reach out and talk to you anymore. If you love me, you will let me go. Do not count the days; make the days count. I have been searching all around for a woman like you. The love I have for you is non-stop.
Boy’s expression turns somber.
Boy:
First, I am overwhelmed by grief and the reason I do this is because of the truth. The truth must come out, no matter the cost.
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End of Act I