Narrator: In the village of Fantu lived two brothers, named Zack and
Fanny. Zack becomes very sick and is dying. He asks his wife Esi and son, Femi
to be close by . His brother, Fanny, is very anxious for his rich brother to die
so that he can confiscate his property. Unfortunately, Fanny's plans fail.
SCENE ONE: (This Scene opens with Zack very sick on the bed. His wife,
son and brother are around him.)
Esi: Go and call the medicine man.
Fanny: Is there any need? He will get better in a few days' time.
Esi: Please go, Zack is dying.
Fanny: Okay, I'm going.
Femi: Mother, is Father going to die? (crying)
Esi: He is not going to die.
Femi: Then why are you crying?
Esi: I'm not crying, leave me alone.
(Fanny returns with the medicine man.)
Medicine man: (after examining the patient) I'm sorry, there is nothing I can
do. This disease has eaten up his heart. He will probably die in a few day's
time.
(Exit Medicine man)
Zack: Esi, don't cry; Femi, my son, don't cry. Death is something that
must come to pass.
(To Fanny) Bring me the safe. Take this safe, there is 1,000 naira in it. Keep
it and take care of my lands until my son is old enough to inherit them.
Fanny: Yes, my brother.
(Exit Fanny)
(Zack does not completely trust Fanny so he writes a will, puts it in a locket
and hangs it around Femi's neck.)
Zack: See that no one removes this locket until he is old enough to
understand what I have written in it.
Esi: Yes, my husband.
Zack: Esi, take care of yourself and Femi, my son. The world is a wicked
place, but God will see you through.
(Dies after saying this. Esi and Femi begin to cry.)
SCENE TWO:
Fanny: (To himself) So God answered my prayers at last and now, I'm a
rich man. Who cares about my brother's widow and son? They can fend for
themselves. After all, all these years I have only eaten the crumbs that fell
from their table.
Ene: What is all this rejoicing for?
Fanny: My brother will soon die and he has entrusted to me all his
belongings to keep for his son until he is of age but they are now automatically
mine.
Ene: That's unfair.
Fanny: Shut up and get out. Who cares for fairness these days?
SCENE THREE: (Femi is now grown up; his mother tells him to open the
locket. After reading it he is very angry and goes to his uncle.)
Femi: Good-day, Uncle.
Fanny: Good-day, my son.
Femi: I have come to claim my inheritance.
Fanny: (looking puzzled) Inheritance! What proof have you got that I owe
you an inheritance?
(Femi gives him the locket, he opens it and after reading the contents, he puts
it in his mouth and swallows it.)
Fanny: (shouting) Get out of my house; I don't know what you are talking
about.
Femi: If you don't know what I'm talking about, why have you eaten up my
proof? (Fanny chases Femi out of his house. Femi goes to the palace and
complains to the king.)
SCENE FOUR: The King's Palace
Messenger: What do you want?
Femi: I want to see the King.
Messenger: Wait here.
(goes to the King) Your Majesty, someone wants to see you.
King: Bring him in.
Messenger: Come with me.
Femi: Your Highness, long may you reign. Several years ago when my father
was dying, he entrusted my uncle with my inheritance. When I went to him to
claim what was mine, he pretended not to know me and swallowed the proof I gave
him to see.
King: Go and call me your mother, uncle and his wife. I shall find out
who is lying when you return.
SCENE FIVE: In the Palace
(The king tells them to carry a heavy box round the village in pairs i.e. Femi
and his mother, then his uncle and his wife.)
Esi: This box is very heavy. If my husband were alive, this wouldn't be
happening to me.
Femi: Don't worry Mother, God will soon prove us innocent.
(Femi and his mother return with the box, Fanny and his wife take it.)
Ene: What you have done is very unfair.
Fanny: Who cares for fairness anyway? The King can't do anything about
it. The only proof the boy had is now in my stomach.
Ene: I am tired; please, let's rest a bit.
Fanny: (kicking her) Hurry up and stop complaining.
Narrator: When they finally return to the village, the king walks up to
the box, opens it and out crawls the king's most trusted advisor. He narrates to
the King what he had heard. The boy is given his inheritance and Fanny is
banished from the village.