ACT TWENTY-THREE
Hat man: Can you just stop doing this? I don’t want to hurt you. Promise to behave if I let you go?
Sekinat: Leave my hand alone!
Hat man: Promise to behave!
Sekinat: (getting weak, then she stops screaming)
Hat man: Physically, you don’t have the strength, but your inner strength can kill thousands of men. I will let go now, and please behave!
Sekinat: (panting heavily)
Immediately he lets go of her, she pushes him to the ground and tries to strangle him as they attack each other on the floor. The hat man is trying his best not to hurt her.
Hat man: Could you please stop this? Are you that hungry to kill me?
Sekinat: One of us must die tonight! If you don’t kill me tonight, then you will die.
(She doesn't even bother that she is on top of him as she tries to strangle him)
Hat man: (panting heavily) Seriously? Please stop this! Don’t let the devil use me on you!
Sekinat: Let him use you! That’s exactly what I want! (pressing his neck to the ground while not moving an inch)
Hat man: That’s it! (In a blink of an eye, he is on top of her and pushes her hands to the ground) That’s enough! (panting heavily) I really do enjoy this fight we are
having, but you are gonna get hurt! Stop playing around and let me explain. (He
realizes the position he is in)
Sekinat: (back to her senses too, she pushes him away and hurriedly gets back up) How dare you touch me?
Hat man: Now this? Were you not the one who started it? Oh! I can't touch you, but you can touch me?
Sekinat: (looking around)
Hat man: Oh, you are looking for a gun?
Sekinat: Yes! (finally spots one and runs to pick it up and points it directly to his forehead) Goodbye, Toheeb! (she pulls the trigger) Why isn’t it working? (realizes there is no bullet)
Hat man: Here. (He moves to his drawer and hands over his gun to her) This is fully loaded. You can use this one on me since you want to end this once and for all. At least you will gladly marry the empire now. Now that you want to kill me, you will finally be the mafia’s Queen—the Empress's one and only rival, even if she had birthed your age mate. Just do it! It will be a new chapter in your life.
Sekinat: (couldn't control her tears as she pants heavily) I hate you so much!! I really do! (She presses the gun to his forehead, ready to pull the trigger) Goodbye!
Hat man: (peacefully closes his eyes) Goodbye, my Sekinat! At least this time, I die in the hands of my woman and not in the hands of the enemy. Now I can gladly call myself a winner and not a loser.
Sekinat: (she screams and throws away the gun, and immediately the hat man opens his eyes, pushes Sekinat to the wall, and kisses her. However, Sekinat pushes him back with a slap.)
Hat man: I am sorry!!! I didn’t mean to.. I didn’t even know what came over me.. I am sorry.
Sekinat: (she falls to her knees and breaks down crying like a baby) Why is all this happening to me only? Why?
Hat man: (tries to take some steps towards her)
Sekinat: Don’t you! You know what? Please, now I am the one begging. Please... I don’t want to marry you. I don’t want to marry a gangster! I don’t want to marry a Mafia, please. Just set me free.
Hat man: (her statement hits him hard, instead, he walks away and slams the door)
Sekinat: (panting heavily, then resumes her cry as she squeezes herself in) I can't believe he just kissed me! A mafia just kissed me? What should I expect after marriage then? Bear him kids? Noo!!! Ya Allah, if this is my punishment, please
have mercy on me and give me a chance to make things right. But marrying these
people is my last wish in this dunya, please. Help me! I am tired.
2 days later (morning)
Summayah: (in the kitchen making breakfast) Shuaib: As-salamu alaykum, Mum?
Summayah: (forces a smile) Walaykum salam, my son. I hope you prayed for me?
Shuaib: Yes, Mama, especially Daddy, so Allah grants him Al-Jannah Firdaus up
there.
Summayah: (short of words) Shauib: Mum?
Summayah: Uh! You can go to your room. I will call you when I am done making breakfast. Today is the weekend, so you can rest very well.
Shuaib: Okay, Mum. (heads out)
Alhaja Selimat: What are you preparing?
Summayah: (doesn't notice her mom’s presence) Alhaja Selimat: Summayah!!!
Summayah: (startled) Ma!! Sorry, Mum. Do you need anything?
Alhaja Selimat: Are you overthinking again?
Summayah: No, Ma. Do you need anything?
Alhaja Selimat: Just wondering why you are making breakfast? Where is the chef?
Summayah: (suddenly holds her vomit and rushes to the bathroom)
Alhaja Selimat: Ahah! Summayah! What happened to you? (she follows her) Are you alright? Summayah!
Summayah: Ma? (pours water on her face) Ma… (with a weak face) Alhaja Selimat: Are you done vomiting?
Summayah: I think so...
Alhaja Selimat: Come with me. (She holds her hand) Are you pregnant?
Summayah: (she nodded bitterly)
Alhaja Selimat: Subhanallah! Why didn’t you tell me?
Summayah: Because I am not happy about it... although we have been praying to get pregnant for the past five years now... but when Allah finally answered my
prayers, it's at the wrong time... Look at me, Mum! A widow... carrying another child of a killer. Uh? How do you expect me to be happy to announce this? How?
Alhaja Selimat: I understand how you feel, but children are a blessing, and I expect you to be happy, okay? We will overcome this together.
Summayah: You don’t get it, Mum, but he is late! The child’s father is late... this baby’s father is a killer.
Alhaja Selimat: He is late too! Stop reminding your kids about their father’s sin, okay? Or just because this baby is coming then you are gonna blame the child?
You wanted this and embrace it.
Summayah: I can't believe you could say this, Mum.
Alhaja Selimat: And I can't believe you could say this either. Are you thinking this way because of your pregnancy hormones?
Summayah: I don’t want to continue with this conversation, I’m done! (She heads into her room)
Alhaja Selimat: Can you imagine this girl? A child you’ve been praying for all these years, and now she has arrived, and this is how you welcome the child? Why are people so ungrateful these days? Wait a minute! Were you trying to abort the baby before? (she follows her) If that’s the case, you dare not!
Days and weeks pass, and the two fighters fail to check on each other or care for each other anymore. The hat man feels heartache hearing such statements from Sekinat, while she doesn’t want to marry out of her will. She locks herself in without talking to anyone, while the hat man never cared to check on her either but instead gets busy with his personal plan without giving her any hint since she wasn’t ready to give him her ears and trust him for once. This silence continues for months, then Sekinat is visited by the three old women, who are ready to hint at Sekinat about the hat man’s mission. That’s how Sekinat couldn’t take it anymore; she has now gotten to her senses to understand why the hat man made such a decision. Now she is yearning for an answer.
Sekinat: Maybe I went a little bit too far this time around. I never realized I was being selfish. (She decides to keep her door wide open) I just hope he would come check up on me. I didn’t mean to overreact, but who wouldn’t do worse than that if they happened to fall into my shoes? Marrying a random guy? Does marriage like that even work in Islam? But it's better I marry him than to marry that old monster.
I wish he could come check up on me, even if it’s once! Just once, and I will apologize.
Hat man: Hey, you! Where is the list of available weapons, and how many bags of coke did we sell out this week? I need all the accounts!
Subordinate: Yes, sir!
Hat man: Why am I not getting any message from the Empire? Or is he upset over my random decision?
Sekinat: (appears behind him) As-salamu alaykum.
Hat man: (shocked to hear that voice) Walaykum salam... You! What are you doing here?
Sekinat: Well, uhhm, I came to say hello.
Hat man: To say hello? Just like that?
Sekinat: (in a soft tone) Yes.
Hat man: Okay. (He resumes his work)
Sekinat: So, you are not going to say anything?
Hat man: If I had anything to tell you, I would have come to see you. So, the fact that you are here means you have something to tell me.
Sekinat: Oh! I never knew that’s how it works... Alright then, bye. (She was about to leave when he pushed his chair and grabbed her hand) What?
Hat man: You are just gonna leave?
Sekinat: What else? Please! Stop touching me. You know I am the one begging you now.
Hat man: Besides, you are my bride-to-be... so.
Sekinat: I never said I will marry you.
Hat man: That’s not your choice to make but the Empire’s.
Sekinat: What?
Hat man: Look, I don’t want any arguments or misunderstandings with you again.
Please. If only you could give me your ears, let me explain this to you.
Sekinat: I am listening.
Hat man: Oh, right now?
Sekinat: Yes! That’s why I am here.
Hat man: That was unexpected, but I am in the middle of work. Maybe when I am done, I will come to your room.
Sekinat: Okay. (Smiles) Bye.
Hat man: Bye. (Smiles and waves his hand) Yes!! I never thought she would be
the one to come to me first. And I was hoping to see her after work before. Yes!!
Back to work, people... and where is the damn list?
Subordinate: Coming, sir.
Hat man: You know what? We are done for today. Make sure you bring all I asked for to my office tonight! Got that?
Subordinates: Yes, sir.
Hat man: Good! (He puts his laptop in his bag and walks away)
Certainly! I'll make some edits to improve the flow and clarity of the dialogue:
Subordinates smiled as they escorted him with their glances.
Subordinate 1: The boss is in love!
Subordinate 2: Yeah! I've never seen him this radiant before. Like, gosh! Where can we find a love story like his? Can't believe he's getting married soon.
10 minutes later
Sekinat: (opens the door) You! I thought you said you are...
Hat man: Can I just come in?
Sekinat: Oh, okay. Come in. (she leaves the door open) Hat man: Have you had anything?
Sekinat: Not yet.
Hat man: (raises his voice) Chef!
Sekinat: (laughs) I never said I was hungry now. And must you scream?
Hat man: Oh, sorry about that. Chef!
Sekinat: I'm fine for now. Stop calling the chef.
Hat man: If you insist. So, about the explanation... before that, can you tell me what you really want me to do for you? Just name it.
Sekinat: Well, to tell the truth and expose the empire's den to the world, and start a new life. I know this can't be easy, and it's going to create a big war, but at least end this once and for all.
Hat man: (shakes his head) Let me explain something to you about the empire that you don't know. He is a powerful man, and no one can defeat him in this country.
He is the king of all the mafia in Nigeria. He didn't earn that throne for nothing, and no one can expose him, not even me. He has so many connections with white men. It's going to take hundreds of me to defeat him.
Sekinat: Then let's build you into hundreds.
Hat man: What?
Sekinat: I know this might sound crazy, but my biggest wish is to see the end of the Empire because he is behind thousands of lives being taken every single day.
Hat man: You don't get it. This isn't his only hideout. He has up to 10 in this country. It's going to take the whole army in Nigeria to defeat him.