| Act 1 Scene 2 |
| (On an acre of plain land lies a single rectangular block covered with thatched roof.The rectangular block is partitioned with slabs of plywood into classrooms.On the entrance to this block stands a signboard with the inscription:Ake Secondary School.) |
| OLU(dressed in a well-made school uniform,emerges into the school compound,appears to have summed up courage to be able to stand the embarrassment that would emanate from the students,is totally absorbed in his thoughts).My aim of returning back to school is to build a brighter and happy future for myself and nobody else's. |
| I should not mind whatever anybody says about me.What i am to become depends on the steps i should take today. |
| (As Olu goes into his class,he meets some three students who are well known to him.Neither of them greets him and he in turn greets none of them.As he walks past,they start to discuss him.) |
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| FIRST STUDENT(appears to first recognise Olu).Attention everybody!Can you please shift your gaze in the direction of the object that just moved past us now.Does anyone recognise who he was? No!That is Olu,the boy that dropouts as a result of his unseriousness and nefarious activities in the school.Has he now repented? I can see he is wearing our school uniform.Probably,he has been reabsorbed back into the school by the headteacher.Only God knows.... |
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| SECOND STUDENT(Cuts in).Probably he has had a change of heart and attitude.Nobody knows the extent to which he has thought and considered his future.Everybody needs to build a good future for themselves,and this can only be got through a good and sound education. |
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| THIRD STUDENT(Completely fixed his gaze on Olu,clears her throat and speaks).I absolutely appreciate the steps he has taken towards his returning back to school.His coming back to school would be doing the society a lot of good,and a rest of mind for people living in the village if he has had a change of attitude.We may not realize this. |
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| (Olu enters one of the classrooms designated for form IV students and sits in one of the chairs that are very close to the chalkboard and places his books on the table in front of him.Shortly afterwards,the bell rings to announce the call to morning devotion by the students.Every student responds to the call and prayer is said and everyone disperses into their classes.olu,too,goes into his own class and sits quietly on his chair.As time goes on,some students accost him and speak with some respect to him.Olu doesn't hesitate to answer them.As these go on,one of their subject teachers comes into the classroom and immediately recognizes Olu.) |
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| TEACHER(speaking to Olu). It appears to me that you are a new student in this class.I believe that you have come to join us from another school.Isn't it? |
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| OLU(reluctantly responding.).Umh! No,sir! I had been a student in this school for a good four year,sir. |
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| TEACHER(a little bit taken aback).What happens to you? Where have you been all these years that i have been posted to this school? You must be joking. Does that mean that you have been playing truancy all these years? Now tell me your story or history as the case may be. |
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| OLU(reminiscence over his past deeds,stands up to speak).Sir,it is unfortunate that i have to still remain in this form.This is a form i was some four years ago.When i was admitted newly in the school as a student,i saw myself rising high in my performance at examinations. I want to believe now that it is this that went into my head and believed i was very good and i started cultivating bad habits by joining bad boys in the school in their dirty habits and when the examinations for promotion into form V were conducted, and written and the result came out i saw that i failed woefully and i was asked to withdraw and that was how i became a dropout.As a dropout,i believed i could make a good living without a good and sound education,but i was mistaken.It dawned on me recently after many years that the path i have been treading can lead me nowhere.It is then i decided to make a return and now i am determined to make a success of myself. |
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| TEACHER(dumbfounded as Olu tells his tales,comes alive again.).Olu,sit down! This is really pathetic.Your story is almost similar to the story of the prodigal son who after many years in exile with extravagant spending of his shared portion of his father's wealth,came back to apologize that he had sinned against his father.His father had compassion on him and he was asked to be washed by his servant and allowed back into the household.Students,hope you have heard Olu's tales as told by Olu himself.For those of you who could be nursing that idea of joining bad gang, hope you will have a change of heart and attitude for the better.Olu,i congratulate you on your resolve to return back to school.You will have to be a lot happier for this in the nearest future. |
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| (As the teacher looks at his wristwatch,he discovers that the time is fast spent and that he has spent the whole period listening to Olu's tales) |
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