TSP Blog

LIGHTS UP

AT RISE

INT. BOMA’S ROOM – MORNING
IT IS 6.AM. BOMA A SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL IS PARTIALLY SLEEPING IN BED. HER DAD WALKS IN

DAD: Hello sweetie, are you still sleeping?(Sits at a corner of the bed and caress her hair)

BOMA:(Sleepily) Goodmorning, dad. You haven’t gone yet?

DAD: I am waiting to drop-off your mom at her office

BOMA: Why?

DAD/BOMA:
(Simultaneously)Her car is bad, remem.. oh I remember her car is bad

MOM (OFF): Honey I’m ready

DAD: I have to go now. See you when I return. Be a good girl, okay?

BOMA: Ok(Hugs him)

DAD:That’s my girl (Mom enters)

MOM: You and this your daughter sef. You have come to report before leaving as usual

DAD/BOMA:
Don’t be jealous don’t be jealous, mom

MOM:(Chuckles)Hmn! Who’s jealous?

BOMA:Dad, please buy me ice cream when returning

MOM: Is it not what he normally does?

DAD: Ofcourse, darling

MOM: Please buy for me and your son too. I know that we were not in the picture
DAD: Is he at home? Nah those wey dey home dey eat ice cream

MOM: Can’t we go give him at school?

DAD: You will go give him yourself because I won’t be that chanced today (Exit)

BOMA: Goodmorning, mom

MOM: Goodmorning to you too. How are you?

BOMA: I’m ok, a little sleepy

MOM: As usual. You watched movies till late last night. Ofcourse you would be sleepy in the morning. I can’t wait for you to get into the university as soon as possible to end these your late nights movies

BOMA:(Chuckles)

Who says students don’t keep late nights in school?

MOM:At least it won’t be this much you do at home by the time you are occupied with several classes, assignments, tests and exams

BOMA:(Chuckles)Don’t worry jamb exam is forthcoming Saturday

MOM: I hope you’ve been doing more of studying?

BOMA: Trust me, mom

MOM: Okay o!

DAD (OFF):Honey, what’s keeping you? We should be on our way now

MOM:(To Dad)Please give me a minute(To Boma)Dish out our own soup as you are dishing yours. Keep it in the refrigerator, by 5pm steam it for us. You know where other things are

DAD (OFF): Woman! I’m running late!

MOM: Have fun
BOMA: Thanks, mom(Mom hurriedly exits)

MOM(OFF): And make sure you study

BOMA: Yes, I will(Goes back to sleep)
LIGHTS UP

AT RISE INT.JULIET’S ROOM – MIDNIGHT

BOMA IS SLEEPING. DAD QUIETLY ENTERS WITH A NYLON AND WAKES HER

BOMA: (Sleepily)Dad

DAD: Yes, sweetie. I brought you some gifts(Handovers the nylon bag to her. She examines the items)This is for passing your jamb exams

BOMA: Thanks dad, but I don’t wear G-strings

DAD: Those are what big girls wear and you are my big girl, daddy’s big girl. C’mon, wear them let me see how it looks on you

BOMA: But dad, i… you… em…

DAD: What sweetie?

BOMA: I can’t try them on right now

DAD: C’mon, I’m your dad. There’s nothing to be shy about. Try them on sweetie, I know all four colors would look so good on you. You can turn off the light(She turns off the light and wears them sequentially and while on the last he moves closely and caresses he buttocks)I told you it would look so good on you

BOMA:(Uncomfortably)Dad, what.. i..

DAD: Relax, I’m your dad(Caresses her breast)

BOMA:(Uncomfortably)Dad, i..

DAD: Relax, sweetie it’s me, daddy(Kisses her)

BOMA: Mom could come in

DAD: She won’t. She’s so exhausted and deeply asleep(Carries her into the bed)
BOMA: But dad i..(Kisses her)

DAD: It’s okay, daddy’s girl(Moves a part of the G-string on her)

BOMA: Awsh!

DAD:(Covers her mouth with his hand)Your mom could hear you, sweetie

BOMA:(Quietly)Awh! It’s painful

DAD:(Mumbles)I will do it gently sweetie

BOMA: Emm hmmmm

DAD: Oww… emm…

BOMA: Oh dad… emm…

DAD: That’s my girl. Oww… aah… emm… awwh!…(Goes into the bathroom and comes out almost immediately with a wiper. Cleans her bloody private part)Go wash yourself sweetie, wash with very warm water it would be better. I will see you in the morning(Kisses her)Don’t forget to flush down those wipers(She nods)

LIGHTS UP

AT RISE

INT. KITCHEN – NOON
MOM IS COOKING WHILE BOMA HELPS HER PREPARE THE ITEMS

MOM: So have you properly gathered your belongings?

BOMA:Yes, mom. I’m thinking of going to visit Damina before going to school

MOM:That would be nice, he would be very happy. Buy him some presents as a big sister. Collect money from your dad

BOMA:(Chuckles)You can give me too nah

MOM: Abeg I no get money. Daddy will give you nah, Daddy’s girl

BOMA: You no dey always get money

MOM: Shut up! (Boma laughs)School is not an easy place to be..

BOMA: Hmn!

MOM: You must be determined to succeed

BOMA: Mom, you keep repeating this over and over again

MOM: Yes, because it must get into your skull. Blend those tomatoes

BOMA: Mom please let me sit for a little while(Sits)

MOM:(Glances at her)Are you sure you are okay? Lately you’ve been sleepy and looking weak. Yet you say you are okay?

BOMA: But I’m not ill

MOM: But I just said you look and act sick

BOMA: But I’m not

MOM: I will take you for medical checkup tomorrow(Blends the tomatoes)

BOMA: Mom, I’m fine. I own my body and I tell you that I’m okay, completely okay, very okay(Sleeps)

MOM: Is this your normal self? Was this how you weakly talk?(Stares at her)Are you serious? This is serious(Exit and enters shortly with Dad)You see what I’m telling you?

DAD:(Wakes her)Sweetie, wake up. Are you okay?

BOMA:(Sleepily)I’m okay, dad. Very okay I told you

MOM: I will take her to the clinic tomorrow for medical checkup

DAD: Yes, she needs medical attention

BOMA:(Sleepily)I am fine

DAD: Okay sweetie, let’s go to the living room. Stand up(Helps her up)

BOMA: I am fine (To dad) Mom is just worried for noth…(Throws-up heavily)

MOM:(Thoughtfully)Could it be she’s…?

To be continued…

NWOATAM
Mina pu omini imi eh?
My people I greet you
Yet another 25th December
Yet another worship
We danced in costumes
Much enthusiasm in dramatization
We played different roles as we performed
Performing at every point
All over town
This celebration not only by townies
Eventually, It comes in much honor
The one we celebrate
Covered from the head to ankle
In black waist-length gown
Of light brownish raffia from waist to ankle
With the word NWOATAM few inches above its stomach
And more inches amid the inscription and raffia
The reason for its broom hand prop
I am yet to know
This broom of few sticks
And short like a pencil
Nwoatam’s head a small crafted unearthly
On a slightly bent posture
A man holding its rope-tail behind
Wherever it goes for the fun of it

As it displays on a roof top
In a market square
The town jeers in appraisal
Though truly it is a good dancer
Two hours of display on the roof top
Finally, down it jumps
Six o clock on the dot
At the third count of the canon sound
In the evening session
Joyfully we danced along with it
As we walked it back to the cemetery
Where we waited mid-morning
And at dawn walked it to the market square

There at the cemetery we cried
Pleading to spend more time with it
Never wanting to end the excitement
Once in a year event we always cried
After all said and done
Now in my confused state I ask
I thought we were to celebrate a God not a god?

-Tina Sowaribi

EVER HEARD OF THE IRIA BIBITE CEREMONY OF GRAND BONNY KINGDOM?
(The Rite of Passage into full Womanhood)

Firstly, let me take you on a very short ride of Grand Bonny kingdom. Bonny kingdom is a coastal traditional state situated 40 kilometers southwest of Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria. It dates back to the 15th century when it was a major trading center for the exportation of Palm Oil, Ivory, Timber, and Palm Kernel and in the 19th century it became the major place for slave exportation in West Africa. It is a resource and culture – rich town with approximately 215 square kilometers. The native language of the Bonny people is ‘Ibani’ and their main livelihood was fishing till the 20th century. Bonny Kingdom is headed by a monarch.
Thank you for your brief ride with me through Bonny kingdom, now let’s board a bus through the Iria Bibite Ceremony of Bonny kingdom. Relax, it’s gonna be a very cool ride!

IRIA BIBITE CEREMONY
The Iria Bibite ceremony is an ancient tradition of the Bonny people. Every parent desires their female children to celebrate it. It is a Rite of Passage into Full Womanhood. It is also commonly known as “tying of wrapper”.

Iria Bibite has three stages. The first stage is called Kala-Egerebite, this is for maidens between the ages of 12 and 15. The second is the Opu-Egerebite, it is for females between the ages of 18 and 21 and the third is the Bighibite, this is for woman between the ages of 40 and above. Overtime however, girls between the ages of 12 and 21 rarely celebrate it. The maidens are usually tied wrapper by their parents though in some cases, it is by either of the parent or by their fiancées in the process of marriage while the older woman who are 40 and above are tied wrapper by their husbands or themselves for the unmarried ones. These females performing this rite are known as Iriapubu if they are more than one and Iriabo if only one. It worthy to note that, the Iriapubu usually have Iriapama-bu (Lead dancers) who leads the Iriabo or Iriapubu on dance. They are positioned in her front and back.

This act of Iria Bibite ceremony can be classified as a Traditional Theatre because it involves the use of a dance space which can be likened to a theatre stage, the use of singers/drummers which can also be likened to an orchestra in a stageplay and there are also spectators who can be likened to an audience watching the actors (Iriapubu) performing on stage.

To be continued…