This is the creative work that will entertain, teach moral lessons, educate, and give relaxation. Have you read a short play before? This is the one. It is written in acts and scenes and this is the Part One. Enjoy reading! You can read the play further here, You can continue the play, Part Two.
Act 1 Scene 1
Contents
The Adebayo family is in the sitting room sitting before the television except for their father because he his death in a car accident. Mrs. Adebayo pampers her children since her husband’s demise. Mrs. Adebayo is sitting on an armchair while her children Henry and Love are sitting on another armchair in the room. The two teenager’s eyes are glued to the television on the wall.
Henry & Love: (Groans as the music video they are watching goes off the screen replaced by a news splash) Oh God! Why now
Mrs. Adebayo: (Laughs at her children) Take it easy you have had so much of fun watching the music video. How I wish I could dance like you too but wait let us watch the news.
Newscaster: Breaking news just reaching us indicates that the government has set up a committee on the missing 500 million naira from the government coffers
Mrs. Adebayo: Yeah! Big money! (Shakes her head) Oh! How I wish that 500 million is sitting coolly in my bank account.
Henry :( Hisses) Mum, you are too selfish. How I wish the money is in my account too or in my Ghana-must-go bag
Love: (Covers her mouth in disbelief) Ah! How can you carry 500 million in your bank account?
Mrs. Adebayo: Ah you don’t know anything Love. The smartest way to make money in Nigeria is by “taking all you can, canning all you take, and sitting on the can”.
Love: (Shakes) Mummy!
Henry: That is why you are a girl. You don’t even know about life.
Love: But… Henry… they stole the money, those who stole the money are thieves
Henry: (Hiss) And so what
Mrs. Adebayo: I wish I was the one who was able to steal such a huge amount from the government.
Henry& Love: Mummy!
Mrs. Adebayo: Why are you calling money? You should be thankful to have a mother like me.
The light slowly fades out as the argument continues.
Act 1 Scene 2
This is the home of Mr. Koko unlike the first family, the television is switched off Mr. Koko is a single father since the demise of his lovely wife. The children Esther and James are reading the pulled-out newspaper pages. They have stooled in before them with a piece of paper and a pen placed on it. As they are reading they are making jottings on the paper before them.
Esther: (Drops the newspaper and stretches) Oh Daddy, let us watch television… I am tired of reading this boring newspaper
Mr. Koko: (From the kitchen) What did you just say? You can’t be tired of reading. I won’t allow you to watch TV until you and your brother are true to what I asked you both to do
James: Ah! Daddy, you are like my English teacher, you always want us to read and read and read.
Mr. Koko: When you watch TV your brain becomes inactive. All it does is ask from the screen, “What next”. But when you are reading, all your intellect is involved. So go back to what you are doing, I need to continue cooking.
James and Esther: Ok, Daddy.
The light slowly fades out.
Act 2 scene 1
Henry is in his class, ss2 of his secondary school. A male teacher, Mr. Mike is at the board teaching, James and others are concentrating but Henry can be seen at a corner of the class counting a large sum of money.
Mr. Mike: (Turns from the board to face the class and catches Henry counting money) Ah! What are you doing with so much money in the class, Henry?
Henry: (Grumbles) It is my money
Mr. Mike: did I say it was mine? What I want to know is why you choose to count that money in the class when you should be learning like others. You never concentrate in class you should have changed ever since your father died. It is because you know that your father will deal with you if any teacher reports to him. How I wish he is still alive. Well, a test is coming up right now (to the student) tear a sheet of paper and write.
(Writes a test on the board)
You have just 30mins to write the test.
(Students begin to write but Henry who seats next to James tries to spy on James’ work.)
Henry: (Whisper) Oh God! My head is blocked. I don’t understand the question. James open your books let me spy on your answers
James: (Ignores Henry, covers his answer, shielding them from Henry who is stretching his neck)
Mr. Mike: Henry! Well done!
Henry: (Jumps up in shock, as a student who has been watching him bursts into laughter
Mr. Mike: Why won’t s you have to cheat when you would never listen in class? Now my eyes are on you. If I ever catch you again, your test will end
Henry: Yes sir (looks at James balefully before looking up at the ceiling as if answers to the test will appear written on it. When he sees Mr. Mike is looking away he brings out his phone to search for answers on the internet.)
Mr. Mike: (Walks to Henry in anger as his phone unfortunately rings). You again! Didn’t I warn you and others to switch off your phone? Now give that phone to me.
Henry: (Hands the phone over to the teacher with trembling hands) I wasn’t doing anything with the phone… I wasn’t trying to cheat with it…
Mr. Mike: (Pauses suspiciously) Who said you are trying to cheat?
(Checks the recent app on the phone) You have failed this test follow me.
Light fades off as the tests end and troubled Henry followed the teacher for punishment.
Act 2 Scenes 2
It is lunch at Henry’s school. Everyone is playing on the field. Henry and three other boys are seen at the corner discussing.
Henry: Oh were you there when Mr. Mike punished me
Olu and Uche: Yes.
Henry: That man is so strict that my parents are considering removing me from this school.
Olu and Uche: Ha!!
Henry: Yes they said that I need a school where the teachers are not so strict on students.
Olu: Ha! Henry… don’t go, please. Who will be buying us things?
Uche: Who is going to make us have fun?
Henry: Don’t worry I will still be here for some more while but just be praying that the teachers change and become nice to me.
(It is at that moment James came running by)
Henry: (Reaches out and trips James. James crashes to the floor)
James: Yeah! My knee!
Henry: (Bursts into laughter)
Olu and Uche: (laughs with Henry)
James: (still on the ground) Why did you trip me? Do you want me to break my leg?
Henry: I don’t care if you break your legs. Didn’t Mr. Mike say I will break my neck trying to spy on your work? Why did you cover your work?
James: Because I don’t want you to cheat.
Henry: Cheat? I only want you to open your book so I can spy the answer.
James: That’s cheating. If I open my books I would be cheating on an accomplice to your crime.
Henry: (Changes the topic) I don’t like you I can’t buy anything for you.
James: I don’t want anything also from you.
Henry: If you are my friend you can have so much fun.
James: Leave me alone, I don’t want anything from you. You can spend your money with your friends. (Henry, Olu, and Uche watch as James slowly back off limping)
(Light slowly fades out as the break ends)
Editors
adminate
