ACT THIRTY
Old Woman 3: (grinning) Are you desperately trying to convince your heart it doesn't love him, only to realize it's already fallen for him? Or perhaps you've fallen hard but refuse to face the truth?
Sekinat: What on earth are you talking about? I've said it a thousand times—I don't love him. Do you want me to start lying to myself now? I feel absolutely nothing for him.
Old Woman 2: If only you knew that you're his top priority. If only you understood how he treasures you more than any diamond. From a young age, he harbored a deep-seated resentment for our gender, thanks to the Empress and the tragic loss of his parents. But you, my dear, shattered that bitterness. You showed him the worth of a woman in his life by falling in love with him. For the first time, life held meaning. Why is it so hard for you to see? Your stubbornness and arrogance are tearing him apart. Imagine if he treated you the same way. You might not have survived it. Instead, he swallows his pain, hurting himself to ensure he doesn’t grow to hate you. Trust me, if Toheeb despises someone, their days are numbered. We've witnessed it all, silently hoping you'd wake up to the truth. He was willing to embrace Islam because of you, finding a purpose to live. Since he was a teenager, he wanted to die, but fate tied him to the empire. Now, at thirtyfive, he contemplates family and marriage because of you. Think about it. Your heart is in safe hands; he'd sacrifice everything to see you happy. That's true love.
Sekinat: (her disbelief sends chills down her spine) I... I don’t know what to say. I can't... I don’t want to acknowledge this, please.
Old Woman 1: Fair enough. Let’s shift focus. How's the preparation for your...
(whispers in her ear) escape going?
Sekinat: He hasn’t revealed the plan, but he insists we're leaving tonight.
Old Woman 3: Excellent! Now, we have a favor to ask.
Sekinat: What kind of favor?
Old Women: Promise us that once you're out there, you'll cherish him. Promise to love him fiercely until his last breath and guide him along the righteous path of
Islam.
Sekinat: (hesitant) I... I can't make such a colossal promise.
Old Woman 2: We get it, it's a heavy burden. Look at us – we've been his guides, but it's time for us to rest. Transfer the duty to you. We're old. We want to rest too.
Sekinat: (overwhelmed with guilt) I’m sorry.
Old Women: Just promise us. (They grip her hand, tears streaming down their faces) Please... promise us.
Sekinat: (hesitates, then nods) But we're not even sure if we'll survive this escape...
Okay, fine! I promise. I'll do my best.
Old Women: (they wipe their tears uniformly and smile) Thank you. (they sigh heavily) Now we can die a peaceful death, can't we?
Sekinat: (forces a smile) Hmm. (suddenly hears a knock at the door and goes to open it) You!
Hat Man: Are you ready? Who's inside with you?
Sekinat: (leaves the door open)
Hat Man: What are you guys doing here with her? I thought we discussed this.
Why are you coming to her again?
Old Women: (they say nothing but respond with a calm smile on their faces)
Hat Man: Whatever! (faces Sekinat) Are you ready?
Sekinat: (nods sadly) Yes.
Hat Man: Good! Now, come with me.
Sekinat: (she holds his hand)
Hat Man: What?
Sekinat: At least say goodbye to them. What if you never see them again?
Hat Man: And since when do you care about people around me, talk less of me?
Sekinat: (sadly looks away)
Hat Man: Goodbye, grandmas! I love you all. (turns to Sekinat again) Now, can we leave?
Sekinat: (nods with a smile, but he looks away and leads the way to his other room. He packs some tiny devices into his pocket. She notices he wears an ear pod and his dressing is thick. She wants to talk but doesn’t want to distract him.)
Hat Man: (carries a small bag) Let's go. (heads to his basement) Enter that car. (he also enters and wears his seat belt, then turns to her) Here, take this, and you need to sit at the back.
Sekinat: Why?
Hat Man: Just do as I say, please. Don’t question me.
Sekinat: Why have you been yelling at me since yesterday? And I can't sit at the back; I'm scared.
Hat Man: (stares at her for a few seconds) Come to the front, then.
Sekinat: Thank you.
Hat Man: One more thing, don’t distract me with your voice! Don’t ask any questions until this mission is a success. Got it?
Sekinat: Yes, sir.
Hat Man: Good! Now put on your seat belt because this isn’t going to be an easy one. (he kicks the car and drives through a dark tunnel for up to ten minutes before they finally get out of the underground and reach the exit gate. He slows down the car for security check) Hey man! Open the gate.
Security: Where are you going, sir?
Hat Man: It's none of your business; just open the damn gate!
Security: Please get down from the car right now.
Hat Man: (touches his guns, setting them underneath, while Sekinat begins to panic as she sees the security loading their guns) I knew this was going to happen.
(furiously gets down) Stay inside! Don’t come out! (realizes he's surrounded by
hundreds of subordinates and fifty Empire’s personal armies) Damn it!
Sekinat: (also realizes the gravity of the situation) Ya Allah! This isn’t going to end well. I thought he said he had plans? Is this his stupid plan? Oh, we are dead already. (about to open the door)
Hat Man: (roars at her) I said don’t you dare get down from that car! And as for you guys? What are you doing? Why are you pointing guns at me? Put that gun down right now! It's an order!
One of the armies speaks.
Army: One more move and I will blow your head off!
Hat Man: Oh! So the empire sent you, huh? To kill me?
One of the subordinates: Yes, sir! If you try to mess around, just be a good boy and come with us to the empire’s palace, or we do it the hard way, but we will have to kill you then.
Sekinat: (already crying like a baby) We are dead today! Ahah!
Hat Man: Oh, really? (furiously steps towards them while they stand firm with their guns)
Armies: We are warning you! I swear one more step from there, and we blow your organs! On the count of three! You drop your weapon… 1!
Hat Man: So, we are doing it the hard way, huh? (checks his pocket, trying to press a device)
Subordinate: 2!
Instantly, they begin to receive unexpected gunfire from outside the gate, killing many subordinates, while the Hat Man crawls into his car, trying to save Sekinat.
The empire’s armies and subordinates fire back without hesitation, but they still haven't identified the intruder.
Sultan: (giving a sign) Keep firing!
Hat Man: (uses the opportunity to scan the intruder and realizes they are Nigerian armies. Instantly picks up his two guns and begins to fire back at the empire’s men as he tries to find a hiding place for Sekinat) Stay here and don’t come out! You have your gun in that bag! You know what to do with it.
Sekinat: (nods in tears)
Sultan: Sighted the Hat Man with a lady at the back of the building as he instructs his subordinates to break down the gun with a bomb. Half of his armies have already been killed. He continuously fires back until he realizes that the empire’s armies are adding up.
Sultan: We need backup now!
Hat Man: (resumes firing at the empire’s army)
Sultan: I knew that lady in the hijab is my Sekinat. I guess that guy was trying to rescue her! Keep firing! (in a blink of an eye, he realizes Akeem has been shot in the arm) No!!! (he continues firing at them and throws a bomb to minimize the gunshots. Instantly, he sees a bomb thrown at them, and he runs.
Sultan: (runs for his life as the bomb hits the ground, killing all his armies and soldiers) Oh no! (panting heavily) Akeem!! No!! (finds a place to hide as the empire’s army finally stops shooting, moving forward to the intruder’s pieces of flesh on the floor)
One of the subordinates: I think we got them all! (immediately, two explosions occur amidst the empire’s armies, killing more than 50 people instantly)
Hat Man: (comes out of his hideout and begins to fire at the remaining subordinate, while Sekinat can't help but cry out bitterly, knowing the Hat Man won't survive this for long. She runs out of her hideout and blocks the line between him and the empire’s men. Hat Man screams so they stop firing, and they all halt.) Army: Hey, woman! Get out of the way; let's do our job.
Sekinat: (can't control her emotions, falls on her knees instantly) Please, that’s enough! Please! Stop killing yourselves… please. (cries out bitterly)
Sultan is finally caught by three subordinates and brought back into the gate as they match the flesh of the dead armies towards the rest of them.
Sultan: Sekinat?
Sekinat: (turns to the caller of her name instantly but can't recognize him) Who are you?
Sultan: It's me! Sultan!
Sekinat: (raises her eyeball in disbelief) You!
Sultan: Yes! I am the… (immediately, he is shot in the leg from nowhere) Ahhhhh!!!!! Hahhhhh (he falls on the ground)
Sekinat: (screams) Sultan! (crawls towards him in shock) Please stop! Stop shooting; we will surrender, please.
Hat Man: (thinking of his next plan as he sights the Empire walking towards them majestically) Immediately his remaining fighters bow to him as they make way for him.
Hat Man: (scans the Empire for a few seconds and furiously moves closer, punching him in the face) This will be your last day on this earth, you son of a bitch! Bring him to my palace with that girl! And as for you, soldier! You have no idea where you've landed yourself into! Bring him to me! I'm gonna make sure you die a brutal and nasty death. I'm not the type that grants early death, but if I do, you should be grateful because yours won't be funny.
Sekinat runs to Sultan's aid, crying bitterly…
Sekinat: Please help him! Please… he is bleeding.
Sultan: It's okay, Sekinat! I can hold onto the bullet. But I'm not sure if I'm going to make it out of here alive, but I really have lots of questions for you.
Sekinat can't help but cry as they are dragged until they reach the empire’s mansion. Suddenly, the Hat Man stands at the front of his mansion, failing to move into the building, while Sekinat and Sultan are dragged inside. Empire’s armies stand behind and push him with their guns.
Armies: You better move in before I hit your head!
The news is passed to the empire about the Hat Man failing to obey his instructions. He furiously moves to the balcony on the third floor and instantly points his gun at him.
Empire: I can see you have made up your mind to die.
Hat Man: (interrupts) Yes! And I am ready to die. But you know I've been serving you since childhood. Please! Grant my last wish by letting these two people go!
Let Sekinat and that guy go! Then you can kill me.
Empire: You think I'm gonna grant that? Never! You've been my loyal servant, and now you've betrayed me? How dare you! Despite knowing not even you can escape my wrath.
Hat Man: I know I can't escape your wrath, but I never betrayed you either. I still keep my loyalty. All I want is to start a new life with my wife. I'm tired of doing all
this. I just don’t want this life anymore. And I know you can't let me go like that, that’s why I choose to escape with her.
Empire: (wicked laughter) You think it's that easy to escape me? The more I see you speak with confidence, the more I want to slaughter you. Well, guess what! I can't grant your last wish. I am sick and tired of you anyway. Any last words, and just a reminder! I’m gonna shoot you ten times to serve as a warning to others who try such. I will use you as a scapegoat. Goodbye, Toheeb!
Empress: Noooooooo!!!! Don’t shoot! Please! (she runs downstairs and stands in front of Toheeb) Please! Don’t shoot. (panting heavily)
Empire: Woman! Don’t let me descend on you too tonight! Get out of there before I shoot you too. I am sick and tired of you anyway. Move for the last time.
Empress: Please don’t kill him… please (cries bitterly)
Hat Man: Madam, move out of my way. Besides, what's the point of living? You killed my parents, so why are you saving me?
Empress: I am saving you because I am your mother!
Everyone gasps in disbelief.
Sekinat: (also joins them downstairs)
Empire: Oh, now you are his mother! Any last word from you too? (about to pull the trigger)
Empress: I am serious! He is your son! Please (panting heavily) don’t kill your
heir. Don’t kill your son. Please.
Hat Man: (still in shock)
Empire: He is not my son! He is my servant!
Empress: Yes, if that’s what you think! But he is your son!
Hat Man: What in the world are you saying, woman?
Empress: (faces him) Yes, you are my son. I gave birth to you! You are my womb opener.
Empire: If you are saying the truth, then that’s what will make you die as well
tonight.
Empress: Go ahead! I'm tired of this life anyway. But please, let them go! They are still young, and they have a family to create together. I don’t mind dying for them. But please. Let them go! You can kill me instead.
Empire: (points the gun at his wife) Any last words?
Empress: At least now I am free from bondage and the fact that I hid the truth from my son all these while.