ACT TWENTY-FOUR
Sekinat: Really? Is he that dangerous?
Hat man: Yes, more than you could imagine.
Sekinat: Where have I landed myself into?
Hat man: And for the record, you've caught his attention. He has destroyed the lives of many young and beautiful ladies, never marrying them. But for the first time in history, in fact, you've broken his record. He wanted to offer you 30% of his power by making you his bride.
Sekinat: And what are you trying to say?
Hat man: No! Don't get me wrong, okay? I'm just amazed. I guess I wasn't the only one who saw an angel in you. That wasn't the life you wanted, and I had no other choice but to say I will marry you. Trust me, if I had any other choice to stop him from taking you as his bride, I swear I would.
Sekinat: But are you sure he's going to let you marry me?
Hat man: Well, that's your choice to make. You are free to either reject me for him or reject him for me.
Sekinat: I can't believe this. So now I'm stuck with you! Do you have any reasonable plan on how to get us out of here without causing any chaos?
Hat man: I'm working on that.
Sekinat: Your plan better be legit! Or else, you are dead in my hands, and we are
both dead again. Let me get this straight. If we escape from here alive, once we get to the real world, we're getting a divorce, okay?
Hat man: Okay.
Sekinat: I'm serious!
Hat man: Fine! Anything you want. Your wish is my command.
Sekinat: Good!
Hat man: So is that a yes?
Sekinat: Whatever.
Hat man: Yes!
Sekinat: And one more thing. You will not touch me, never!
Hat man: Time will tell on that. I can't make that promise.
Sekinat: Then I'm not marrying you.
Hat man: (shakes his head and gets on his feet) Sekinat: Where are you going?
Hat man: To get you something to eat. You must be starving.
Sekinat: (rolls her eyes) You are unbelievable.
Sultan: As-salamu alaykum, everyone. (looks around)
Chef: Wa alaykumu as-salam, ahaah! Brother Sultan! Longest time. So, we can actually see your bright face again in this house?
Sultan: Mrs. Chef! My amazing chef! It's not like that. I've just been busy with work. I came back from abroad last night.
Chef: You're highly welcome back! And how was your trip?
Sultan: Stressful but alhamdulillah. So, how is everyone? Ever since I came back, I've been trying to reach Sekinat through the phone, but her line is not reachable.
So, I came to check on her and everyone else.
Chef: Aha! So you were not aware of what’s going on?
Sultan: What happened?
Alhaja Selimat: Who are you talking to since? Ahaha! Sultan.
Sultan: Yes, ma, as-salamu alaykum, Hajia! I know you must be so angry at me for not showing my face, but I traveled out of the country that same day I came over last time. It was an emergency business trip, but alhamdulillah, I'm back. I've been
trying to reach you for several weeks now, but none of you is responding to my
messages. Sekinat’s line isn't reachable. So that's why I'm here this early morning.
Alhaja Selimat: (finds a place to sit) Have a seat, my dear.
Sultan: (worried) I hope all is well, ma?
Alhaja Selimat: Nothing is well, my child. In fact, we're just breathing, waiting for our own end time. This life is so empty without our loved ones.
Sultan: Sorry to say this, but I am still confused, ma'am.
Alhaja Selimat: Firstly, my daughter has been missing since that same day you set your eyes on her. It was also the last time we set our eyes on her. We've searched for her everywhere, involved both the police and soldiers, but no clue was found about her whereabouts. I tried your Nigeria line several days, but it wasn't reachable.
Sultan: (shocked) Sekinat has been missing for four months! Please, ma'am, if this is a joke, please kindly stop.
Alhaja Selimat: (laughs in disbelief) Will I joke with such a thing? My own daughter, for that matter.
Sultan: What about Alhaji? He should have tried to reach me. There are technological ways to locate her. Gosh, but it's been so long! Where is Alhaji? I
need to speak to him, ma, or has he gone to the office?
Chef: (interrupted) Alhaji passed away two months ago.
Sultan: (phone falls from his hand) Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un? And my dad failed to tell me? Oh my God! (gets up and sits next to Alhaja) I am so sorry for your loss! May Allah forgive his sins and grant him alhajat Firdaus! Damn it! I have got to do something. What about your eldest daughter?
Alhaja Selimat: (fails to respond to his questions again because she was trying to control her emotions)
Chef: She is inside too, but her own husband also passed away two months ago!
Sultan: Ahahah! (didn't realize when he got on his feet in shock) What is going on? Is someone attacking them? First, Sekinat was kidnapped! Now the two men are gone? What is going on?
Chef: That’s how Allah is testing this family. Very unbearable!
Sultan: You know what, ma'am? Firstly, I am really and deeply sorry. Forgive me for not being there for your family when they needed me. I am deeply sorry about that, but I will try my best to find Sekinat! I assure you of that. Please permit me to leave now; I have some steps to take right this instance! I am coming back. (he takes the exit)
2 hours later
Sultan picks a flight to Abuja.
Sultan: (phone call) Make sure you get them all there! I must not wait for anyone, got that? And make sure their GPS is ready! Am I clear?
5 hours later
Sultan: (enters the headquarters) I hope everything is ready?
That same evening
It was a very cold evening for the Empire’s community. Sekinat covered herself with an unused wrapper found in the room as she drafted something in a book and worked on it. She heard a knock at the door. She was definitely sure it was the hat man again, but she failed to get up.
Sekinat: I don’t want to see you; please go away. (the knocking continues) I said go away unless you want to break down the door. (the knocking increases until she couldn’t take it any longer) Fine! Am coming, but I am not letting you in. (she opens the door, and immediately she is strangled at the neck and pushed inside the room)
Empress: We finally meet, huh? You, this whore! How dare you cross the line by trying to take what belongs to me? I let you perform your stupid drama in front of everyone, but you have crossed the line!
Sekinat: (struggling to breathe) I can't breathe. (tries to fight back)
Empress: Oh, you want to fight me, huh? Well, guess what? I come fully prepared, and today is your last day on earth! You slut! (she brought out a small knife) I will shred that face of yours and make sure you die a painful death since you choose to compete with me. Now tell me! (she pushed her to a chair and tied her mouth) I am just starting with you. (she tied her hands and legs together) Now tell me, how many times did you sleep with my man?
Sekinat: (no tears fall from her eyes, but instead she is trying to free herself)
Empress: I can see how stubborn you are! (she slides the knife into her skin, leaving her to scream in pain) You haven’t seen anything. This is just the beginning. Now tell me how many times you slept with my husband? (she roars angrily)
Sekinat: (bleeding)
Empress: (shreds her hijab with the knife to see her skin better) Now where should
I target next? Maybe your breast! Once I am done with you, you will be the one begging me to slaughter you instead. (she shred her dress exposing her body) for the last time… how many damn time did you slept with my husband? Sekinat: (scream out in pain struggling to speak) zero!!!!!!!!! Hat man: (barge into the room immediately with a deadly glance at the empress) let her go! Right this istant!
Empress: oh! here comes her hero! I guess he is the one you’ve been waiting for uh? Well guess what? Not even he can save you tonight from me. Hat man: (he hijack the knife from the empress and throw it out of the door) face me instead! Don’t touch her! (realize she is bleeding) if not for your position in this community I swear I wouldn’t hesitate to have slaughter right this instant! So please go away from here and the next time you tried to come back for her.. I will makes sure I kill you even if is my last day on earth. Empress: (wicked smile and pressed sekinat neck to the chair) I hate to see your face you witch! I hate you so much! That I want to see your skin rip off your body. Hat man: (he didn’t hesitate to push the her to the wall and trangle her neck) I warned you! to stay away from her but you choose to listen.. I don’t joke with her.. you’ve killed my family with your bear hands, you killed my mother! Trust me you have no idea for how long I have been willing to kill you.. so if you don’t stay away from me.. I will make sure I pieces your fresh right in front of your husband, I don’t care if this cost me my life. Empress: (struggling to breathe and tapping him to her let her go) Sekinat: (scream his name) Toheeb stop! Stop please! Hat man: (realize she is almost giving up then he let her go while she fell to the ground couching heavily) next time you try to come closer to her, just know you are opening your death date.. (he move closer to sekinat and untie her) am so sorry.. (he covered her with a wrapper and carry her to the bed) you are bleeding.. I will go get a nurse (he ran out of the room) Sekinat: (sadly stares at the empress and get down and move closer to her and speak in a soft tone) are you ok? Empress: (tried to hit her but she dodge it) you have no idea of how much your end will sweet me. Sekinat: don’t you have a daughter like me? Why are you so eager to kill me because of what I don’t even want to.. you think I wanted to be here? No! I hate it in here. Being your husband’s bride is the last thing I wanted in this life.. I would rather kill myself than to marry your husband.
Empress: well because you don’t know what It means to marry him. Sekinat: well I don’t even want to know! This isn’t the life I want.. so please don’t think am trying to snatch your husband.. and killing me wont solve your problem. I was kidnapped and stuck here, hoping to get out of here soon.. if you kill me.. how do you expect my mom to feel.. thank goodness you are a mother too.. if someone tries to do the same to your daughter how would you feel? You cut my skin.. just because of your husband.. I just want you to know that am not your enemy and I don’t want to be.. I just want to go back home please. (breaks down in tears) Empress: (panting heavily)
Empress: (she shreds her dress, exposing her body) For the last time, how many damn times did you sleep with my husband?
Sekinat: (screaming in pain, struggling to speak) Zero!
Hat man: (barges into the room immediately with a deadly glance at the Empress) Let her go! Right this instant!
Empress: Oh, here comes her hero! I guess he is the one you’ve been waiting for, huh? Well, guess what? Not even he can save you tonight from me.
Hat man: (he hijacks the knife from the Empress and throws it out of the door) Face me instead! Don’t touch her! (realizes she is bleeding) If not for your position in this community, I swear I wouldn’t hesitate to slaughter you right this instant! So please, go away from here, and the next time you try to come back for her, I will make sure I kill you even if it's my last day on earth.
Empress: (wicked smile and presses Sekinat's neck to the chair) I hate to see your face, you witch! I hate you so much that I want to see your skin ripped off your body.
Hat man: (he doesn’t hesitate to push the Empress to the wall and strangle her neck)
I warned you to stay away from her, but you chose not to listen. I don’t joke with
her. You’ve killed my family with your bare hands; you killed my mother! Trust me, you have no idea how long I have been willing to kill you. So if you don’t stay away from me, I will make sure I tear you apart right in front of your husband. I don’t care if this costs me my life.
Empress: (struggling to breathe and tapping him to let her go) Sekinat: (screams his name) Toheeb, stop! Stop, please!
Hat man: (realizes she is almost giving up, then he lets her go while she falls to the ground, coughing heavily) Next time you try to come closer to her, just know you are opening your death date. (he moves closer to Sekinat and unties her) I am so sorry. (he covers her with a wrapper and carries her to the bed) You are bleeding. I will go get a nurse. (he runs out of the room)
Sekinat: (sadly stares at the Empress and gets down, moving closer to her and speaks in a soft tone) Are you okay?
Empress: (tries to hit her, but she dodges it) You have no idea of how much your end will sweeten me.
Sekinat: Don’t you have a daughter like me? Why are you so eager to kill me because of something I don’t even want? You think I wanted to be here? No! I hate
it here. Being your husband’s bride is the last thing I wanted in this life. I would
rather kill myself than marry your husband.
Empress: Well, because you don’t know what it means to marry him.
Sekinat: Well, I don’t even want to know! This isn’t the life I want. So please don’t think I am trying to snatch your husband. Killing me won’t solve your problem. I was kidnapped and stuck here, hoping to get out of here soon. If you kill me, how do you expect my mom to feel? Thank goodness you are a mother too. If someone tries to do the same to your daughter, how would you feel? You cut my skin just because of your husband. I just want you to know that I am not your enemy, and I don’t want to be. I just want to go back home, please. (breaks down in tears)
Empress: (panting heavily)
Sekinat: I am sorry he did this to you, which I promise it won't happen again. So please spare our lives. Please. We just want a peaceful life; we were forced in here too. Not everyone is happy with a problematic life. Some people like us just want peace. Please.
Empress: (furiously gets up and walks away, hiding her face)
Sekinat: (still on her knees, crying really hard) I never said I wanted to be here at all. Why is this happening to me? Why? (glances at her bleeding shoulder) I am really tired of all this; I just want to die instead. I am tired of fighting despite not
gaining my freedom. I am tired. (cries bitterly).
Hat man: (rushes into the room with two nurses dragging their equipment table) Here she is. (finds her crying on the floor) Hey, (in a soft tone) I am so sorry.
Please forgive me for showing up late. (he carries her to the bed, but that doesn’t stop her from crying even louder) This must really hurt! (yells at the nurse) Do your job!
Nurses are startled by his statements and hurriedly move closer to Sekinat.
Sekinat: No! No one should touch me.
Nurses: (glance at each other in surprise) Then why were we called here?
Sekinat: (wipes her tears) Let me be! I would rather die of this injury than recover and still be stuck here again. (glances at Hat man) Let me die! Please.
Nurses: Ok then! (try to leave but stop due to a deadly glance of the Hat man at them) Well, she said she doesn’t need us, besides she can treat herself.
Hat man: Get out!
Nurses: (glance at each other again) Then why were we called here?
Hat man: (furiously turns his head towards their direction)
Nurses: (without any further hesitation, they flee out of the room, leaving behind their equipment)
Hat man: (gently moves closer to her) I am sorry.
Sekinat: No! You don’t have to be sorry. This isn’t your fault. But that is my kadar. Hat man: Meaning of kadar?
Sekinat: Destiny. How Allah has destined my existence on this earth. I think it's high time I learn to embrace my trial and fight it peacefully rather than blaming you for everything. She just made me realize the truth about my existence. This is the biggest trial of my life. But I don’t know if I can survive it.