Dramatis Personae
Brother Abraham…A street wise lad on the prowl for girls.
Sister Mary…A born again lady eagerly seeking to meet a decent mate for marriage.
A Voice…From the void
ACT 1
It is a street near the church. Sister Mary is standing by the church, waiting to enter the church for a weekly activity. She tucks her Bible safely under her armpit while she fiddles with her phone. Unknown to her, Brother Abraham had her under his radar as she stood near the church door. He moves in for the kill by stepping up to Sister Mary. He drops his handkerchief and bends to pick it up. Feigning that he’s just seen Sister Mary, he hails her.
Brother Abraham: Hi Sister Mary…good evening. How are you? (Sister Mary looks up very reluctantly from her phone and manages a greeting in return).
Sister Mary: Good evening, brother…
Brother Abraham…..Abraham. I’m Brother Abraham (He stretches his hand towards Sister Mary for a handshake. She ignores him and continues to fiddle with her phone. He coughs as he hovers over Sister Mary. The cough seemed to bring her back to reality.
Sister Mary: So Brother Abraham, what can I do for you?
Brother Abraham: Ah, plenty…there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you all this while…it’s very important.
Sister Mary: Really? (She drops her phone in her pocket and gives him her attention). So what’s this important thing you want to tell me?
Brother Abraham: It’s this dream I have been having…
Sister Mary: A dream…! What’s your dream got to do with me?
Brother Abraham: Just hear it first…
Sister Mary: Oh…ok.
Brother Abraham: (He appears to hesitate) I’ve been having these dreams
Sister Mary: You’ve said so…
Brother Abraham: Always the same dream…I see myself standing on a beautiful mountain…
Sister Mary: Beautiful mountain…hmm…
Brother Abraham: Around the mountain, the clouds are clean, as if they’ve been washed and ironed…
Sister Mary: The clouds look washed and ironed…sounds nice o.
Brother Abraham: (Now the spirit of the story seems to have gotten into him). Yes, the clouds look really nice. Our teachers say they are cirrocumulus…they look like oranges in the skies… Anyway, in that dream, whenever I look down the valley, I see very lovely flowers. The place resembles the Garden of Eden.
Sister Mary: Lovely flowers you say?
Brother Abraham: One of the flowers, the one in the middle of the garden looks exactly like you…
Sister Mary: The flower in the middle of the garden looks like me?
Brother Abraham: Yes, it does. It has your lovely eyes, pointed nose, chubby cheeks, long hair and sparkling white teeth…
Sister Mary: The flower has teeth like mine…?
Brother Abraham: Yes it does…and you know what?
Sister Mary: What?
Brother Abraham: The most amazing thing happens when I see that flower.
Sister Mary: The flower smiles at you? (She smiles in spite of her skepticism).
Brother Abraham: Not just that, Sister Mary…from somewhere in the cirrocumulus clouds, a very loud and friendly voice usually says over and over again…
A Voice: Behold…Behold…Behold…
Brother Abraham: That’s when I wake up. I’ve been having this dream now for a whole month.
Sister Mary: (Falls silent as she considers the import of the dream). Listen to me Brother Abraham. I understand your dream…I like you as well. But can I ask you a couple of questions?
Brother Abraham: Why not…shoot.
Sister Mary: Shoot…?
Brother Abraham: I meant that you could go ahead…ask me.
Sister Mary: Oh, I see…you say you’re a Christian? (Brother Abraham nods twice) Oh, thank God for that. Now tell me: which church do you attend?
Brother Abraham: (He seems caught off guard) Church? Oh yes my church…! It’s…it’s….Christian Fire Pentecostal Salvation Ministry, yes, CFPSM!
Sister Mary: Oh, CFPSM…I’ve never heard of it, but the name sounds familiar. Ok, what’s the name of your Pastor?
Brother Abraham: My Pastor…oh, yes my Pastor…the man of God. His name is Pastor MKO Bibiola, miracle worker extraordinary…he turns water to coke and Fanta and he used to give people work.
Sister Mary: I see…Pastor Bibiola. He must be new…I know the names of all the pastors in the churches around here.
Brother Abraham: Yes he is…he was posted from Asaba two weeks ago. But the man is on fire for God.
Sister Mary: Wonderful…you’re lucky to have a pastor like this…but Brother Abraham, I have to ask you one more thing.
Brother Abraham: Shoot…sorry, just ask anything.
Sister Mary: Ok…as I told you, I fully understand your dream. But you know we’re Christians, right? (Brother Abraham nods again. Sister Mary continues). I’d like you to give me two days to pray about this…please. I hardly do anything without first saying my prayers.
Brother Abraham: (He’s in a pensive mood as if he is considering the request) Two days you say?
Sister Mary: Yes
Brother Abraham: No problem…take all the time you want…no problem.
Sister Mary: Thank you, Brother Abraham…looks like the fellowship will not take place this evening. I’d better be on my way home. I’ll see you here in two days?
Brother Abraham: Yes please…at this time?
Sister Mary: Yes Brother Abraham…bye. (She smiles and waves to him as she walks away).
Brother Abraham: Bye Sister Mary…!
(Exit Sister Mary)
Brother Abraham: Stupid churcheous girl. I’ll get you, you wait…you think you can use church to block me from your something abi? You never start. Church ko, church niii… (Brother Abraham walks away, humming a local tune to himself)
Personally,
Personally,
Professionally…artistically…singularly…I go deal with you…
(BLACKOUT)
ACT 2
The same. It is two days after the first meeting between Brother Abraham and Sister Mary. She lounges near the church. Once in while she looks here and there, as if she’s expecting someone. Suddenly and from nowhere, Brother Abraham shows up.
Sister Mary: Ah, there you are, Brother Abraham. How are you?
Brother Abraham: I’m fine. Have you been waiting long? (Sister Mary nods in the affirmative) Oh, so sorry to have kept you.
Sister Mary: It’s ok…guess what, Brother Abraham?
Brother Abraham: (A little agitated and somewhat ruffled) What happened?
Sister Mary: I too, I had a dream…a dream like yours!
Brother Abraham: A dream…a dream like mine! Praise God in heaven. HE works in wondrous ways
Sister Mary: I was on a very high mountain…
Brother Abraham: You were on a high mountain…praise the Lord!
Sister Mary: Around the mountain, there were clouds…very thick black clouds.
Brother Abraham: Thick black clouds…not bright cirrocumulus ones like in my dream?
Sister Mary: No, very thick black clouds…in fact, there was a lot of thunder, rumblings and lightning flashing everywhere.
Brother Abraham: You can’t be serious, Sister Mary. Plenty thunder, lightning and rumblings!
Sister Mary: I was so afraid…but I looked around anyway but instead of the fine and beautiful flowers that you said you saw, I saw a thick forest. There were hyenas, tigers and leopards running around the place.
Brother Abraham: Instead of flowers you saw hyenas, tigers and leopards?
Sister Mary: Brother Abraham, I was not sure of what I was seeing so I took a closer look at one of the animals. It looked like a harmless sheep at first, but when I looked a little closer, the face that I saw on that harmless sheep was your face…yes, your very face. This face…the sheep opened its mouth and smiled and instead of teeth, there were the fangs of a terrible beast! In fact, I was shocked beyond words in that dream.
Brother Abraham: What? Are you sure you’re ok? How can you stand here telling me that you saw an animal in your dream with my face?
Sister Mary: Yes…that’s what I saw. But that’s not all, Brother Abraham.
Brother Abraham: What more can be worse than that?
Sister Mary: As I looked on in horror, suddenly I heard a voice…
A Voice: BEWARE…BEWARE…MARY BEWARE!!!
Brother Abraham: But that’s not what I heard the voice say. It said, ‘Behold…!
Sister Mary: The voice called my name and asked me to BEWARE…!
Brother Abraham: My voice said Behold…
Sister Mary: So it was your voice…not a voice?
Brother Abraham: No, it wasn’t my voice…it was a voice telling me to Behold
Sister Mary walks away from Brother Abraham while he walks after her, both still arguing. They walk off the stage
BLACKOUT
———–
© Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku
Image: US Army
This is nice.