405 10 9693 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/2f2cc7b38abbefc0d2e6f603746ad2eb.pdf 85033e5080df006fc869570739612474 PDF Text Text HOW TO PLAY LOVE '.*:- Miss Helen Nwamma A Wonderful Lady. ��AY 'LOVE STEPHEN'S DRAMA SERIES COMPILED BY FELIX hr. STEPHEN (NOVELIST AND DRAMATIST) Copyright strictly Reserved. 2$ N. O . N j o k u. Send your Orders to:- Njoku cE. Setas B ~ ~ b h o p C/o No. 17 Nnewi Street, ONITSHA - NIGERIA. �%% %%X%X% Printed by Chinjelu Printing Press, No. 1 Iweka Road, Onitrha - Nigeria. % : g % '*c' �PREFACE This is a book which deals mainly on the requirements of love and particularly, the type existing between men and women. It is indeed a very interesting piece of drama, desgnied to suit both the young and the aged. Like my other drama books, I am confident, that readers will be interested, since [he price a t which it is sold, is cheaper. than what the book really contains. The play is entirely imaginary and thus, all the characters are purely fictitious and relate to 03 1 existing persons. FELIX N. STEPHEN. he ~ u t h o r . �HOW TO PLAY LOVE CONTENTS Act Reply from comfort to uba Uba writes to another girl Act one ( Scene 2 ) housand and wife Act ' ' ( Scene 3 ) Abel and his lover ( Enter Onyeuku ) Act one ( Scene 4 ) ( Enter Nneka, Onyeuku's wife Act one ( Scene 5 ) Act two ( Scene One Act two (Scene 2 Act three ' ' ' ' One Act ‘“‘ "'c two ' ' three 'Scene four C ' L S 3 Act four Scene 4 ' 6 6 1 Page. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE UBA J ( 3 ) SEARCH O F L O V E N UBA: I must learn how to chast. I like beautiful ladies. 1 must play love and will, not care what people may say. I saw a beautiful girl yesterday, who is a lady teacher. I must 'not waste time in writing to her, now I "begin" Government School, Jos Nigeria, 4 1 -62. Dear Heavenly Comfort, Indeed it is with deep pleasure that I write you this letter which 1 think will come to you as a surprise. *Butyou must excuse my forwardness. - - Definitely, you d o not know me and I seem to grasp, how you will feel to read a letter of a person whom you have not known before. Infact, "Love" has forced me to give you my warm admiration. 1 am a student a t above address, studying f o r my Cambridge. My name is Uba and I am popularly known as "Social boy" Infact, my position will suit you. i met you yesterday during my school hour. but could not say anything as I was tongue tied, hence this cote. I shall not waste my time to 'request you this. Please will you be my lover? Hence you have known that "Love is a powerful magnet that drows two souls tc?gether2'. N o need of rejecting me. Infact, I would dedicate my whole life to you .should " Yes " be returned and 1 assure you that I shall be yours for ever and ever. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Kisses frow, b b a the social boy. A REPLY FROM COMFORT TO UBA. Comfort Nwaeke, C. M. S. School, Awara Town, 15- 2 - 62. Dear Uba, Infact, your missive surprised me indeed. Please, do not address me again either in public or by any other means. You are mistaken if you consider me t o tolerate such nonsense, I would have handed that letter to my parents but due to what it will bring upcn your career I stopped. But if you address me in any way again, I shall not hesitate to lay the whole matter to my parents. 1 am, C. Nwaeke tough girl. UBA WRITES T O ANOTHER GIRL. Uba the social Boy, Government School, Jos- Nigeria, 26 2 62. - - Dear Pauly, 1 do not know how to begin this letter as I have only met you last night. The thought of f r i e n d s h i p makes me feel quite uneasy, infact, wants to crazy me. �HOW TO .PLAY LOVE Oh! Pauly! iVil1 you drow me nearner and let me touch your smooth body and glance s t your hairy hands? In fact, a lock at your brown eyes and your pointed nose will remove all thc devils of my foolishness and make me to be the happiest man ever lived. Do not allow me to run mad because of you. Pleare, what I want from you is your sincere !ove, kindly love me as I love you. Hence, you have known that "Love is a WARM AFFECTION". Kindly take the enclosed photograph and glance at me and see whether I am not handsome. I am wa,iting to hear "YES" from you, my dear Yours Beloved. Uba the social boy. This time Paulinah did not respond. Uba waited and waited and could not get any reply. Uba: I will tiever write to any girl for friendship again hence, this Paulinah did not reply. It will be better for me to speak to any girl orally o r personally rather than wasting my time in writing. I d o not know what prouds these our modern ladies, is it because they are beautiful or have I a bad luck for getting them. Infact. 1 d o not know what to do just to get a lover. Shall I consult a native dsctor about it? O! No, I shall never d o it, for my mates did not consult a doctor before they got theirs. Yes. I must. speak to this girl coming in front of me now. I have met her some where before. Her name is Helen. I hope to win her lev-., wrely I must. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Excuse me Helen. Helen: Yes my Lord, what can I d o for you ? Aba: Listen to you Helen, I must be sincere. Your beauty is one of the charming that I had tver come across. lt docs not in any way occur to me that I should get alone in life, without looking once or two times at your face, everyday. In age, we seem to be mates and in other spheres, I d o not think myself very much below the average, when speaking particularly, in the terms of achievement in the circle of mates, Love is something which is inevitable. It is indeed like death. Some people take it as a type of game. But I regard.it as someihing very helpful i n the day to day life of minkind. I t solves certain problems which money may not even be able to solve at times. True love will always speak for itself since it has such a very wonderful magnetic influence that can even draw a lion, as ferocious as it is, out of its own den. For me to talk very much a t length just now, might give you wrong opinion of my person from the oneset. Thus, 1 have perfectly determined. to control myself while speaking..In short, 1 would like to have your love. Helen: Can that be the. reason for this long sermon of yours? Uba: y e s my dear, for I quite realise that it takes women some time ro be convinced to agree to a request. It might even be to their own desire. But, they will still dailly-dally over it. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Helen: Yes, it is because, in those days we had not known and so. took men serious in all that they spoke t o us. But now, just as the day breaks and another date comes, we are gradually coming to the realisation of the facts and figures. The days of flattery, seem to be going away. especially in my own case and as far as my affairs with men are concerned. You said that I am'biautiful. Naturally, ahy woman with such makeups as I have now, will surely look attractive. I mbst besincere to you, for I d o not like to say many things and mean only a few of them. It is not an easy thing, to secure my love. There are certain terms that I go by. If you are really serious, then, I can tell them t o you. Well, if after hearing and you wish to get along with me, then you may have to d o so. But where otherwise, J shall be fully prepared to take my own way, without any atom of regret. Uba: I have actuaily heard you say that you are tough and I presume i t is so. In any case, one thing that surprises me the more, is that many tough people d o not easily reveal themselves as such. Whatever be the case, I would not mind informing you tbat 1 am. equallj tough. I have my own principles, set down ones too. From them, I do not hope to go back please say on, for I shall be very much prepared to hear. As strong as the laws of nature are, yet, they are kept. I am sure too, to meet up, with your own requirements. Helen Indeed, you are right. The first is that, you should have. no other friend, male o r female. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Uba: If it is only a question of not getting another female friend, I shall be able to d o so. But, that of dissociating myself from my fellow men, is something that might need a second thought. Helen: I t then, means, that you are not prepared, for the business. Is that correct? Uba: It is not so! I am fully prepared. Helen: Why then not agree to my first proposition? Uba: Male friends are very useful. Something about love-making, cannot be solely relied upon since it is plausible. Well, 1 shall be prepared to d o so since it 1s your wish and 1 have a strocg desire to make love with you. Helen: That is very good of you. 1 d o not like any person making love with me, to have ma!e friends. For, they might deceive him and thus, our love gets shattered. But remember very well, that you are uot the first person to contact me, over this. However, since you have been able to go through the first step there is every likelihood of your succeeding in the affair. It is this. that has knocked out many people who came up to ask for my love. I Uba: If it be thy will that 1 shall succeed, then, ' shall have t o be one of the happiest men. Helen: Thesecond, is that I will not like to have anything from you, in the form of presents either in cast or in kind, Uba: Well done my beautiful lady. This is where you differ very much from other women. �HOW TO LOVE PLAY Helen: N o t only that, I shall be prepared, to defray some part of your expenses. Uba: Thank you very moch. It appears as if God pushed me on, to you. Helen: Just hold on a bit! I shall buy all clothes that you may need Uba: May ,God bless you more and more. I had not even thought that I would in life, meet with such a fortune. That next prevents me from dismissing my male friends and then, havicg you right away? Afterwards they are not doing anything for me. They are only o.ut to exhaust my pocket. Helen: My father left an estate for me, when he died and it is from there, that I will be giving you some money for busicess. At least, fifty pounds per month. Ubs: O! Goodbye to poverty! Welcome to a tremendous fortune I Who else will have to compare himself in wealth, to me? I shall at once purchase a car and both of us will be driving through the streets of this town. Truly, I shall be known as a big man. Infxt, I do not know what ro say that I shall do for you, when that is executed. N o more! No more! Let our love making begin at once. .What next delays us ? Helen: I shall everi surrender my father's upstair building and both of us live there i n full comfort and entirely free o f charge. bba: If all sounds like a dream. Wheo I begin to consider what it will all have to look like. I become very much filled up with joy, May heaven bless you again! Are your parents now old? - - 11 �ROW TO PLAY LOVE Uba: My mother is fourty this year while my father is sixty ,five. Helen: Have you got some brothers and sisters? Uba: Yes my dear. Two sisters and one brother. At any rate. all of them are still schooling. Helen: Well, the third step is this; Uba: Lest I forget. My wife is also with me, but she has not yet given birth to any child. Helen: That is very good. The next and final step, is that since I drink nothing else than blood, you should be going out dally to bring people for me. Your father whom J am to take as a slave, will be busily engaged, cutting off their heads and filling cups with blood, For me to drink. In addition, he will be carrying me on .his back, from the parlout, to the bath room and when to finish taking my bath, he brings me back. Your mother's head will be cut off by your father. Your wife's head will also be treated like that. Both of these, will be kept in the bathroom. While taking my bath I shall stand my right foot on the skull of your mother and the left, on the skull of your wife. I n order to get an efficient service from your father, he will be casterated. You must disown your brother and slsters. Uba.: This is yet one of the most wonderful state of life, 1 have ever come across As a matter of fact, I need a lover and I am desirous of having one earliest. I had fixed it within my mind, that I would have no any other lady but you. All the same, I cannot tell you lies. I love my n1o:her very much. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Blood is very thick. I am sufe ~ h a tif you pinch yourself, you might go to experience the pain and then agree that it would not be all that proper, to pinch another person. For me therefore to kill her and give you her head as a type of stool while taking jour bath, is a thing which I d o not deem very possible. My father is quite precious to me. Helen: Please remember that we shall only be for and nothing like marriage, will love mskir~g have lo come in. Uba: There you are my only beloved lady. It then means that 1 might not have more shares. My profit might only have to be some type of sweat. It is true that there may be children or not, But none of them will have to take me as 3 legitimate father. On the whole, I shall have t o be at a loss. My brother is somebody who is very dear t o me and it is sure that he will have to relieve me when my days or this earth, might have finished. Coming to n y sisters whom you say that I should disown, I wish to let you know that this cannot be all that possible. Truly. money is a very essential thing, but it cannot force me t o do away with what might be against the actual commandments of God. I shall be laughed a t by men. God will not like it. Again, I cannot because of the purposes of making love, go to be a murderer or encourage anything relating directly or indirectly, t o the kill. of people. My approach of you, might have been somehow misdirected. Please. pardon me l own my error. If you might have somehow been used to this type of evil, I positively . �HOW TO PLAY LOVE maintain before you, that I am just a novice. Please. I can now say goodbye to the request that I had earlier made. I shall alwaysicontinue to be liking you. Distance might have to be no barrier to our relationship which is just, but, growing. Other people who are ioterested may g o t o usbject themselves to your conditions, but. 1 shall not. ACT ONE (SENE 2 ) HUSBAND A N D WIFE Agnes: My dear husband, how do you find it useful, to remain without doing anything quite visible, as to make a better living? Abel: You might not consider yourself correct, to ask me this type of question. You may appreciate that since you came to my house, you had never remained hungry. Everyday, I run about to see how I can manage up to get some money for our food. Left with me alone, I could have been eating in the hotel?, even on I credit. I had many customers with whom I had such an arragement as thal, before your arrival to this house, to bs my wife. It is only about two months ago that you came here. I really consider it too early for you to have already begun to find faults with me. Agnes: Yes my dear, I quite realize that it is really too early for me to -have begun to find faults with you. But I am only talking the truth and what I consider, will help both of us. When you came to marry me, you told my parents, that you were a civil servant on leave. Now, I have come to find out that there is no truth in the statement. Consider now, how woefully disappointed, my parents shall be, if they come to find your statement to them otherwise. But what shall we eat today? 14 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Abel: D o not worry. Even though I have not got a penny in my pocket, yet, I shall not be worried 1 know very well, haw the thing usually comes. God in heaven. will bring something for US to eat. Agnes: Never in my life, had 1 heard of, or seen, any person who sat down and kept on looking for food to come down, from the sky. Even if it might have per chance, been the luck of one man perhaps according to the scriptures, yet I do not bdieve that it is what will apply to each hacd every person. Abel: Infact. I cannot easily tell. what might have becn the sole cause of )!our speech this day. T o me, it appears that love does not mind certain things that could be regarded as serious mistakes If I am even a thief you can hide the fxt away from other people, since any type of shame on me, will also reflect on you. Let us keep on loving ourselves more and more. Trouble shouId pive chance to peace and comfort, so that this our lives can easily be turned into a bright outlook of hope. When I was an irresponsible man, I played life verj well and now that I am responsible, I hope to do everything, carefully. Agnes: How do you think that you are now responsible? Abel: You may not like the result, if you venture to insult me. Agnes: It simply makes me laugh indeed. i have never been trained 10 tell lies and I find it late to begin d training of that type, now. Many of those people whom you call your friends have approached me and busily engaged themselves in trying to force me out of your hands. They say that you are of a questionable character. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Some of them maintain that you are an ordinary rambler. Others say that you are an ordinary deceiver. I must be frank to you. One lady came t o me and told me with every sincerity, that I shall not know the day, that you will like to run away from this house and live in another town. Then she continued, that I shall have to been responsible for the payment of the house rental, If such a thing happens, it simply means that since I am a helpless woman, there will every possibility of my going home to my parents to look for some financial aid from them. How can such a lover, with these q ~ a l i ties be relied upon. It is understood that 1 am not the first woman that you had cunningly brought in. I have also heard that you simply want t o spoil me and to leave me entirely useless in life. 0 dear! when love bears another meaning, from what it normally ought to, then, the sole motive for which that sacred thing was made. is defeated. 1 cannot tell you lies, 1 love you, but, I do not love your ways. Ydu are quite handsome and very presentable. But it should be known very well, that when character is lost, everything seems to have lostalmg with it. This is why I will not like to be in alliance, with any person whose character, seems t o be all that strange. 1 had heard right from childhood, that any woman who gets married to a thief, is alsoa thief But you can only know what that idiom, stands for. I may not have to talk very much again. All that 1 want, is not silver or gold but good character from you. Where you fail me in that, you may not have t o blame me when I bid good- bye to our love and farewel! to a heart which 1would then refer to, as once beloved. 16 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Abel: Look care! I am getting fed up with this type of address. I am sure that you will stop to remind me of the past. When first we met, you agreed very strongly to get married to me. Today, I am simply confused over your present thoughts. Since you have already termed me wicked. I might be forced to deal with you in life manner, so as to agree very well with your opinion about me. If you could have been a bit tactful, I could have hidden away some of my wicked acts and then charged to good. But now, I must have to expose myself to you, in the true form You may be disappointed and thus, begin to great, why you ever attempred to love a man of my own type. It will be such a lesson to jou, that throughout your life time, you will continue to remember it. In the first place, you should realist: tbe fact that I did not force you to love me. Your parents were very happy, to consume my money. They did not say that it came from a wicked man. After keeping me poor, > o a ,low come to discredit me. D o not forget lbat your parents demanded and received one hundred and fifty pounds from me as a bride price on you. Look at it a youngman of my own type without parents. From where else, do you .exp. ect the money for feeding to come? G o then. to your parents. get some money from them and I am eomfident, that it will lead us in maintenance, for some time. Hal ha! ha! I will teach you a lesson and tell you in a language which you'can understand, that you have joked with the wrong man. Meanwhile, let me only go out and be back. I will show you how to treat an insultive fellow. �HOW TO ' PLAY LOVE ( H e goes out ) Agnes: 0 Love! A big deceiver of people! Thou hast got me tied up to a man who appears good, but internally rotten. A very wicked fellow! An imp of misfortune and an ungrateful scamp. He is such a type that will like to cail good, bad. Look at him, telling me how .possible it would be, for food to come to a person who does not like to struggle for it. A thing never done in human history. I wonder how some people reason. H e was talking of s3me hi3 sufferings while attempting'to marry me. Is he the first man to marry a lady? O!No wonder he might have no doubt forgotten thrt he who wishes to have a wife, must first of all, be prepared for it Indeed, it is not joke. What wo'rries my mi~:d much; is the insult that this wretch.has given to my parents. He says that he will tesch me a lesson. Ofcourse, that is the normal way of a crook: J wonder what he means by that. It appears that this man does not seem to realize that he.is a fool. I am determined to !eave him. I have actually made a big mistake by coming to him. He is perhaps makmg some p!ans to undo me, but I shall be ready with mhe, Helen: It is for this reason that 1 have actua!ly decided to try men. Now, I can easily find out that you do not appear to'have meantwhat you said. I do not wish to abandon the taking of blood, simply ,because I have come to you. &in, I do not wish any man with whom.1 am t o be frieodly. to have any other man who is his own friend or brother. The sisters are also to go away. When the man is only ready to satisfj, 'his own wish and forget everything 18 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE about my commandments, T shall not be prepared to have him. Goodbye then my youngman. Farewell to our proposed love. ACT ONE ( SCENE 3 ) ABEL AND HIS LOVER Abel: Get out of this house! Margaret:' Was this how we began the love? It might be anyhow. I will only like you Abel: to go away and tbat is all. Please my dear lady, d o not sta) here, until I come back. Margaret: I actbally have determined to be your wife. Truly, I do not wish to abadon you. There will be no harm, if you only go to cool down yourself for a while. Abel: I would only have to go and pray for death. People must actually d~scredited me for quite a long time. This will surely be the end of my sorrows and like my fore-theres who had bravely resisted any attempts to keep them ashmed, I shall march on and afterwards, history, and nothing but history, shall have to speak of me. It is then that people will have to say that I was once a man who would not like to tolerate the fooleries of a woman. There are some men who may like to tolerate such nonsense as this. But for my part, I consider it nothing short of the abuse of destiny. God himself who created me and brought me into this life, will also hear witness of my actions. Yes, I was forced to marry, when 1 found out tbat many of my own mates have Cone so. But instead of enjoying it 1 found it rather boring. He who can get along w ~ t h bags of insults can do so. I shall not. My heart is seriously aching over this; Life could mean anything to others. 19 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE But for me, it has come to show another thing quite contrary to expectation. I am not a rich man. People like Onyeuku are enjoying themselves and perhaps, if death comes, they might bother. But I am not like that. Everyday, I srt down and look at people enjoying. But I d o not take part. (ENTER O N Y E U ~ U ) Margaret: ( Weeping ) Welcome Sir. Onyeuku: Yes my dear. It appears that you have something worrying your mind. Margaret: I t is nothing else tban love. I only misfired. The man I chose a s my' own lover and husband now wants t o abadon me and 1 d o not know what next to do. Onyeuku: Have you apoloeised to him? Margaret: I have actually done that but it appears that he does want to listen. What next to do, is just beyond my own imagination. Onyeuku: Yes, this why 1 always liketo have money. When a poor man makes love, he does not enjoy it. If you were to be in my house, you could not have felt any type of sorrow. ( Enter Uba ) Margaret: I am prepared to gd away, since all attrmpts t o reconcile have failed. You are only shedding crocodile tears Abel : and that, cannot help you. I am indetd, very sorry for you. Uba: Is it all the same story this way too? A lady coming t o tell me that she would like t o use my mother's head as a stool while taking her bath, is just what I cannot understand. Onyeuku: When did it happen ? �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Uba: It is a very recent talk. Abel: Or else? b b a : , Then there will be no love. Abel: I do not quite understand, what is worrying these ladies. Well, I have taken my own decision. ( Enter Agnes ) Uba: Oho! Here we are again. You blood drinker. Abel: She must have been the fellow. no doubt? Uba: Surely, she is. Abel: Today is my final day in everything relating to the insults of women and everything about their love. (Onyeuku goes away) Uba: I shall be very pleased to have it so, too. T a k e it (He Abel: (Locking the door ) shoots the three and himself too). ACT ONE (SCENE 4) Onyeuku: I am a very happy man in life. At the moment, nothing worries me. As for the money, 1 can say with every assurance, that 1 shall he allowed to take my seat amidst the wealthy people. 1eat.anything that I like and my drinks are costly ones. he money is there and so, I will not like to associate with anything that is inferior. (Enter Ikem, a friend) How are you poor man? Ikem: Yes my friend Onyeuku, 1 admit that I am poor. But as long as I eat well in my house and maintain my family, I assure you that I am equally rich. The fact that 1 have not got a car or erected a skyscraper, does not very much matter. 21 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Onyeuku. You ought to buy a car so that i t can easily be confirmed, that you have the mokley. For my part, I put on costly dresses and in that way, draw the attention of the enlire public. No wonder, when 1 go on foot, eipecially. when I feel like takmg breeze in the evenings people state at me, as if they have seen a god, 0 my dear! it is pleasant to be a big man. Nothing worries the person and no person has authority over him. Ikem: That might be correct. I, however feel that everybody. whether rich or poor, exists until death the leveller, comes to give its verdict.. Onyeuku: Death or no death, I am no: in the least, perturbed. It is only a poor man who is afraid of death, because he has no money t o cure himself, when sick. In my own case, my money can take me to even the most costly hosp~tal. I can even engage about two or three medical doctors to take charge of my health. Thus. sickness will run away acd so. death too, will be afraid to come near. Ikem: Infact my friend Onyeuku, I am not a small boy, as you very well know. I had seen some wealthy men let low into the usual six feet of earth, which 1 stronly maintain, can be said to have been the equaliser of all. I hope that you will not dispute this. For, it is an established fact. Really, whenever it is time, there might be no need resisting, since it will be entirely meaningless, so to do. Surely a man of your own experience and age, ought not doubt the truth in what 1 have told you. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE (Enter Nneka, Onyeuku's wife) Onyeuku. My name suits my position very wek O! How I like it! If 1 were called a bigman and in wealth, I had no stand, I could have liked to commit suicide than to remain and be mocked about by each and every fellojr. D o you fail to realize the fact, that a man who has no money is always a friend of everybody, including even a small boy? Ask my wife, I also purchase costly cloths for inorder that my prestige will stand upright. She has more gold than most of her mates and coupled with a superb maintainance, she thus becomes one of the happiest women that ever lived. My dear wife, is it not so? Nneka. You do not seem to be very much mistaken. But, 1 do not quite think, that eatii~g well and dressing very flamboyantly can ktep a person happy all the days of his or her own life. Ikem. My most respected lady, you have actually made a very wise statement. ( Enter Benson, a potter ) Onyeuku. Yes Mr. man, what is your name and how did you maoage to come ht r&? Benson: Master, I have come to you, for some help My wife has just put to bed in maternity and I need money badly. If and only but if, you can manage 10 assit me out of this difficult situation, 1 shall be most grateful. Onyeuku: Ha! Ha! Ha! Perhaps these people think that it was how we got rich. I do not borrow money and will not like to lend :o any person any brass farthing. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE At the moment, I am determined to sue one man who has lived i n one of my plots for six months now, but does not care to pay the rental. Benson: The position might be so sir, Rut, out of human kindness, try, try sir, to help me, Onyeuku: 1 will not help you. The earlier you go away from here, the better. But, how much do you really want from me? Benson: Any amount. not less than two pounds, will be greatly appreciated and I hope to return that, within a fortnight. Onyeuku: Two pounds? Big money indeed! Anyway I[ have not less than ten thousand pounds as fixed deposit in the bank. In my house here there is an amount not below the sum of two hundred pounds in cash. But, sorry! sorry! I will not give out any money to you. Benson: On my knees, I beg sir! ( Shedding tears ) Help me Sir! Onyeuku: I did not weep before 1 became a rich man. Amuse me more and more. Ha! Ha! Ha! Look at his lips and wrinkled face. Money is hard to get. Benson: If you hzlp me, God will reward you sir. Onyeuku: I am not ready ti, help you at all. Benson: Ehl My poor wife and her child. May you not because of them help me a bit? Onyeuku: They may even die and that will be better! Benoon: If that happens, it simply means that more will be added to my sorrows. There might be no money to purchase coffins for them. Onyeuku: Yes, that is exactly what 1 want. You will then be laughed at, much to my own pleasure. Did I prevent you form being rich? 24 �WOW TO PLAY LOVE Infact, where were you, when I gathered my wealth? Alright, let me come down a bit. Dance for me. Benson: ( Dancing ) I hope it will please you Sir and then you may help me, so that I can go back to the maternity and see the woman and her child. For, by now, the woman might have been feeling hungry. Onyeuku: 0 no! There is money right enough as I said before, but I shall not give you. However, let me just see what I can d o now. Benson: Yes Sir! I beg, try Sir. Try and help me. Onyeuku: bring your head. Renson: (Bows ) At your service, my dear Sir. ( Onyeuku cracks him ). Thank you Sir! Onyeuku: Alright! You may now have t o go away. Renson: What about the help, Sir ? Onyeuku: I am sorry my dear youngman. Yon might very well appreciate that I am not a money-lender. Really. I suffered before getting whatever you now see me use. I will alse like everyother person to sweat very well for cash. G o away! Get away at once! Benson: After all these sufferings received, should I still go away without your help? Onyeuku There is no help at all! ~o!co!away I say! Benson: Thank you very much. God is alive and will be the judge. Onyeuku: Come if what may! My money is there! Benson: Let it be ( He leaves ) Onyeuku: Ssrvanr! ( Servant enters ) Give me one bottle brandy. ( The drink is served and he begins ro take. ) 25 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Nneka: You might not have bten quite rig'it . in treating the poor man in that way. Onyeuku: That is not my concern. I must be hard hearted, since 1am not owing any person. - Ikern: I have no other statement to make. But if 1were you, I should not have like that. Onyeuku: I have obeyed my own conscience and that is all about it. (Exeunt) (ACT ONE SCENE 5) Benson: This is yet, one ofthe most inhuman type of treatrnent,erer given to mankind. That I can go to a wealthy man for some aid and after being subj,cted to series of humiliations, would s:ill come home, just as I had left. 0 God! Why keep n e alive it1 the world to be toyed about, by each and every person who might have been fortunate to get some cash? My wife is still waiting for me. Truly, everybody realises what it is, for a moth:r to be with her child in a maternity. O! no food m i no money to buy some! What next, should I do? MY hopes, now seem, to have been entirely foiled and >haltered to pieces! No help from any source no help at all! But, God is there. (He prays) "0 most gracious Father, who always listens to the cry of His children, kindly come near and help me now. I confide in no other person or thing l know and have also heard of;how far you had !;tlped other people o! I let me be favoured 1ikewi.t-. T h ~ s confidently ask, Amen" Any other thing can happen. - �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Onyeuku or no Onyeuku, since1 have prayed to God, I am happy, For, He never fails. (Enter Joseph, a friend) Can this be you Joseph? Joseph: For many months I had been away to the spanish territory. lnfact I made a lot of profit over there. From the ninet) cases tobacco I broght home, I was able to make a gain of one hundred and ten pounds. This amount of course, exculdes the profit made on the brandy. On the whole, it was a very pleasant trip. I had no difficulty with either the police or the customs watereuard officers. Now my friend, where is your wife Erinma ? Benson: She is now in the maternity. What for ? Joseph: She has recently, given birth to a bouncing baby boy. Benson: Congratulations, my friend Benson: O!The wonders of God, are great! If it were someing to be bought with money, you coulf not have been able to compete with these wealthy and greedy men around us. At any rate, since I shall not be privileged to see her today, (dipping hands into his pocket and bringing our some notes) Take this little amount of five pounds and manage up, until I am chanced to to come back to you. Benson: Thank you very much Joseph. Please, do not fail to turn up on Saturday. For, it is on tbat day, tbat I shall invite friends and wellwishers to my house and all of us will have to rejoice together, over the merciful work of cod to me. Joseph: I hope to be in your house, by then. I still have some revolver and pistol guns, to deliver to customers. 27 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE So,good-bye till then and pass my greetings, t o the worthy woman. finson: I have heard you and I am very grateful, indeed. (Joseph leaves. It is indeed very gratifying, that the fervent prayers of a man of my own type, can thus be easily answered. (He sighs) 0 money ! It was because of you, that I went and vaily suffered every amount of disgrace, toda! . O! when w~ll troubles of this life, cease ? At any the rate, 1 must take h e m . Onyeuku, will not lige forever. (Enter Erinma) 0 b dear. Are you back? l was only preparing t o come for you. Erinma: T o my surprise, a Taxi driver came u p and informed me that your friend Joseph, had paid him, to convey me home ro my husband. I had t o respond at once and together with my child, B:ns oncame home. Thanks be to God, that you are back to this house. ( Exeunt ) ACT TWO ( SCENE ONE ) Onyeuku: (sitting in his parlour, smoking a pipe and with a cup of wine in hand ). I wonder when these poor men, will cease from worrying me. Ha! ha! ha! I created one of them, in the most contemptuous manner, last time. He was talking of his wife. Does he not know that I also have a wife ? Nonsense! Enter Ude, Debtor ) Yes, thanks be to whatever demon that might have brought you here today. where is my money? 1 mean the rental, that you owe me? I am Porry Sir. Infact, I d o not have the money here and I beg you io allow me some days, to look for it. 28 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Onyeuku: Shut up your mouth! I actually have the right t o slap you just now and cover up every thing,with my money. D o you agree that you are my slave right now? Ude: Yes, my Lord. Onyeuku: What I what, is my mofiey. Ude: I have not got it sir. Please consider my plea. Onyeuku: 1 don't Lazy man1 I cannot consider you. What I know, is that you must Pay me today and just now. If nor, you will not step out of thisroom. I will not mind, beating you !o death. Ude: 1 beg you Sir. Onyeuku: Perhaps you not understand what I am saying. Where is my money? Ude: It is not here Sir: Onyeuku Did it run away? Ude: N o Sir. The fa'ct is that I cannot produce i t today Sir. Onyeuku: A Lazy fellow. I wonder why there should be very many lazy people, these days. I will teach you a lesson today. I can even kill and skin you. Afterwards' 1 bury your corpse or leave it for the vulture and use your skin in making a drum, which I will use in entertaining myself, when I want t o add more t o my own comfort. Poor fellow, I am indeed sorry for you., Be sure, that your family will no longer enjoy your company He handles a big stick and Ude escapes). I am sorry that thsi idiot of a man, has escaped. However,it is not difficult to get him round. I wish to d o as already planned. meanwhile, let me sit down and think properly over how to catch and kill him. If possib!e, I can even drink his blood. I want to be as hostile as possible, to any poor man, who comes across iny way. (He sits.down puffins his pipe. 29 �HOW TO FLAY LOVE The wine is still on the table, when death d:essed up in a black suit, entered and stood opposite him). Who are you my man? Death: I am death. I: do not joke, as you might have heard. Onyeuku: It a p p e a r s then, that you might have made a mistake to enter my house. 1 do not want you now. But can i help you and is their anything wrong? Death: (Looking very grave) I did not make any mistake: Is vour name not Onyeuku ? Onyeuku: Sure 1 Onyeuku is my name. Death: What else? I have proposely come to take you. Therefore, prepare at onc and follow me. Onyeuku: ( Sweating 2nd throwing away his pipe) Might there be not mercy? (Looking quite subtle). Drath: (appearing more serious with eyes open). If need be. Onyeuku: Please, what should I do, to cease the situation ? Death: (In a deep tone). Time is flying. 1 have been trained, not to joke with my time. Onyeuku: Although no human being trifles with you and you are not prepared to waste any time, yet, it would be something of unparallelled kindness, ifyou can only, out of goodwill, allow me give some directives, to the members of my family. Truly, everybody fears you and I am no exception. lnfact, I respect you. The truth is that, you do not appear as wicked, as people think you are. Death: (Smilling a bit with one of his eyes, slighly open). Infact, if it were not that, I am duty bound, to safeguard my own business, I could have left you, scotch free. 30 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE But. I cannot help it. As a matter of fact, you are among the few wise people, who admit that 1 am in some cases, kind. Onyeuku: (With some smiles). I have found out that1 cannot escape this. But, still, [ plead that you give me scme days, so that I can hold some discussions with the members of my family. Death: But earlier, I underst'ood that you would resist me. For that, 1 came with full force, to meet you face to face, so as to know who is more powerful than the other. Onyeuku: (Smiling.) Even in dreamland, I cannot tell you or any other person, that I am your equal. I am a weak cre.iture. Infact, such that cannot stand you in any angle. Death: Well, I am happy to hear this. Onyeuku: Furthermore, you know that man, has enemirs. One of the people who my downfall, could come t o you and tell you anything that will make you angry over me. I take you as my master and f r i e ~ d . Dra:h: Though I scarcely go back to my decision, yet, in view of your kind work about my person, I have granted you some days t o have a word with your Fanily..Will you appreciate that I' am kind enough? Onyeuku: Drfinitely, youare! I am grateful indeed. Death: (Smiling and nodding). Remember that I must come. Perhaps, your people who might be laughing now, will then be weeping and gnashing their teeth, on thitt terri- �HOW TO PLAY LOVE ble day. Surely, it is by then, that you will have t o remember your past performances. Meanwhile. let me go and take some rest. I have done a lot of work today. Not less than five hundred people are t o obey me tomorrow. Onyeuku: Safe journey Mr Death. Death: ( With a very low tone ). Thank you very much, Mr Onyeuku. (Exit Death) Onyeuku: ( Pondering ). Thus, man shifts fromthe life of splendour, to agony. That man w~ll be interviewed by death, a monster of that nature, face to face, still appers t o me, as one of the mysteries, yet to be solved be experts in anthropology. For, besides them, none other, can. (Foldmg his arms and with his mouph, wide open, face looking pale with fear). But, how will this type of news sound in the ears of the members of my family? How will the entire public, react to it? Members of my family, might take me serious. It is also likely, that they may feel, that l am telling them lies or cracking jokes. For, no living man can one day confirm that he or she, bad never debated with death. How! How will it be? But was it in dreamland? No. my eyes were c!ear. The figure might be back soon. No need wasting time. For I am no longer, a free man. (Exit) ACT TWO (SCENE TWO) Nneka: I wonder why my husband Onyeuku, has not come to the dining room for food. It is now fifteen minutes after two o' clock. Emeka: Dad, rather seems late to luncheon today. Nduhuisi: I am surprised to see that my brother Onyeuku eats more food, these days. In the �HOW TO PLAY LOVE past, he did not attach importnce to afternoon meal. (Enter Onyeuku, looking sad and disgusted) Ada: Papa, I wonder why you chose to punish me today. You very well know, that I cannot eat in your obsence. Onyeuku: I am very sorry for that, my little daughter Ndubuisi: That might not be correct. 1 also thought so at first But later on, I found out that both the sellers and the buyers, were all victims of the gloom. Onyeuku: (Smiling). When a man sees what is by fat' greater than he can bear there will be no alternative, than to yield. Ikem: Yield to what? T o what! I say! No! Not me forever. ( Emptjing a tumbler of bear). Nneka Of course, it depends upon the circumstance. Ikem: (Emptying anolhcr tumhler of bear ). I care less for m y type of circumstance I damn the consequence. Onyeuku: (Standing up). Let us be serious. Infact I have only some day more to live. I am already a dead mnn. Ndubuisi God forbids. Ikem: I wonder why you try to joke over serious matters. How will such a dream as this come truet when you are not sick, even now. that a fun! Never in histcry, had any persol1 known when to die. Ada: O!papa, d o not say so! If you die now, who will help mum to care for us? (Onyeuku shndding tears and looking at his - children. ) Emcka I am indeed s~:rprised.I do not know uhat nex! to do. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Nneka My husband actually means his speech. Ndubuisi Certainly, he is serious. Ikem: Serious over what? T o die how? My bcs3m friend to die. How does know.? Onyeuku It was rewaled to me. ( All of them burst into tears. Exeunt Act 2 ( Scene I ) Entered Death and Four of his Messengers. Death: (Pinting at one old man). Get hold of him be has spent very many years on earth. Old man: Am I the oldest man today? Death: Shut up your mouth and obey me at once. ( The man dies). 1st Msger: T o where again Sir? Death: G o to the market and get up to so people. Second messenger should go to the Ocean and sink the ship, make sure that many people were got. Tbird messenger should be in the air and crash aeroplanes, while the fourth goes to cause motor accident. I shall go personally to Onyeuku and get him to my Kingdom. All: Your orders must be obeyed Sir, They go while Death makes for Onyeuku's residence. (Exeunt) Act 2 (Scene two) Ooyeuku: Neither sorrow, n o r tears, can disuade death from executing his evil intentions. It is now necessary that I must be separated from you. "Death is an inevitable end of man horn af a woman, and must come. when it will. All that I pray is that my memory should remain indelible into your memories for my part, it is now finish with existence. Act 2 (Scene Two) Onyeuku: Oh, but if I were a bachelor, I could have happily gone away; knowing that 1 have �HOW TO PLAY LOVE nothing to think of. Now, the situation is different. There is no iota or doubt, that this tragedy, will be a big blow to my family; friends and relatives. Oh, death! Thou wickcd monster that will always refuse to be bribed. I am now at your mercy! Take me to any place that you might deem fit, for it is 'through you: that I shall get to my fore-fathers. Only some hours more to go. Poor, Onyeuku will no more eat, or drinlc. Ooly some months more to go, the memeries of Oayeuku, will all be forgetten. It is sure that I must be taken by the cold lands, of death. Bravely however, I shall confrmt it all as others had. Perhaps, it is time. Oh! the memory of my children who will be left as orphans pains me greatly. The die is now case: Terrible! Oh! How painful it is to part from loved once! This i s question of must. (Enter Nneka, Ndubuisi, Emeka, Ada) Nithher tears no sorrows can cease the situation. Ndubuisi: This talk again? Onyeuku: You might sesse from bzing a Thomas when everything is pracrically dzrnonwated Well Emka it is up to you to comfront your mother Nneka brust into tears ) Stay well with your sister too. Although you seem too young to manage a family, just now yzt the will of fate and dsting must be obeyed. Ada: Papa when will you return? �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Onyeuku: O! tender child, Quite ingnorant of what is being said! ( Ndubuisi ) folds his arms and looks at his brother in surprise) My only daughter, when is time, you will meet me there. (Enter Ikem) Onyeuku: My house shou!d not be kept in confusion when the tragic period comes, 1 have uever been a confusionist. Ikem: The death will spare wicked men and easily take the quite ones is something that greatly baffles my intelligence. O! Onyeuku, Is this the way in which we are to part? Death! come too! come I say and take me away. What next are you leaving me for. Onyeuku: If were something that can be prevented by force or money, I would have tried my best. But as it is, I stand confused now as to what else to do than to obey the call. Since all of are preseni, and are quite aware of the entire catastrophe, I shall not regard myself as some body who might have dsed intestate., I now declare in the presence of living witness that I bequeath my estate to my son Emeka, there is no atom of doubt that everything is now, settled. Things may be however what they seem. I shall be the last man to be all that worried, since death is the lot of all human beings, ( Exeunt ) Act Three Scene One Benson: Ladies and gentlemen, I have assembled all of you to this place, so ?hat you can come along and share the joy of the day, with me. Each and every one of you can easily tell, what it is, to heve a wile, who might have safely �HOW TO PLA LOVE given birth to a child infact, it is for that purpose, I have determined not to be alone, but to be in merriment, with you. There might be money or not. But, it will be much to my own pleasure to afford the little presents that I have. Life may be hard or soft. But, I am solely determined, to conquer, all the difficulties, in my way t o success. (They cheer him ) As a matter of fact, I could have been very much let down. But as a resuit of true friendship, I had nothing t o lose. Jasper: We have actually heard a great deal cf your sayings. Even though that be the case, I am opined that things should go in the right form. However, 1 d o not blame you at all. At ?he same time. it will be unfair of me, to pounce upon your opponent, merely for the sake of satisfylog your own very desire. At any rate. I am pleased over the way, in which things are going, at the moment. Your entertainments, I shall have to take. Thank you very much. Joseph. It is true, that I tend t o be one of the most significant figures here, when talking in terms of those, who are somehow. related to Benson. It cannot be disputed, that both of us are quite friendly. Truly, about the most intimate of friends, that might have ever existed. Some people are actually well to do. There are others too, who are not all that. Whatever might have been the case, it wi!l not be advisable, for one section. parrlcularly the wealthy side, to despise the poor. For every body is levelled. by six feet of earth, which ought to be for all. - �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Benson: Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am sayinp without any type of prejudice, that some of these people, who think that money can d o everything for them, might be a bit mistaken. I have no doubt, that you might have heard of or even known, one Onyeuku, 1 actully approached him, when 1 was in a type of financial difficulty. Truly, he subjugated me to series o f , tortures and in the end, made a ridicule, of it all. I am not determined to blame him. But then, he ought to have been in sympathy, with my own situation and then, reconsider my stand, in the .whole affair. At any rate, I am not in the least, perturbed. Jasper: Let the ugly past be forgotten. I have no doubt that the Almighty God, will d o his wish. Joseph: That also, is my own plea. All t h a t ~ I ask, is for God's own protection, over this woman ( Exeunt ) and her child forever. ACT THREE ( SCENE TWO ) Death: Mr. Onyeuku, I have now come! ~ n y e u k u : I have actually found out that I cannot resist. Take me therefore, to anywhere, that you will. Nneka: Master! I understand that your name is Death. Will you please not mind pardoning my husband? Death: In Fairness of it my dear lady, business is to business. I am sure, that you will not l ~ k e joke over your business. Thus, tbisis mine infact, I cannot help it a t all. Your husband must be taken away. Hiscut is now full. When it is your own time too, you will undoubtedly have to come along. No amount of plea, will disuade �HOW TO PLAY LOVE me from my own determination. As a matter of fact, 1 helped him very much. In reality, I. d o not inform people when I wish. t o visit them. But Oiyeuku is the man that I like very much and it will be very unfair t o snatch him away from his family, without notice, hence I gave him a hint to prepare. Ndubuisi: Does it then go to mean that you can take any person whenever you choose to d o so ? Death: Well Mr. Man,the whole thing is that I have m y time table with m, whicb acts like a typeof : 'schedule. Every body's name, is therein listed. You might be the next person t o come. But, since I have not come to you, it i s sure that you might only have t o brag. But my arrival is sure. Truly, by letting him know in time. .Actually some. ptople might spoil me, by branding me bad. I am not so. Please hold on, for your own turn. Ikem: That is nonsense ! Death: You may choose it so t o be. But I a m not worried. The whole thing is thatonyeuku must I repeat must, come along with me. Your own time is coming, You may not even have the mouth t o say this when it is time. Onyeuku ! Onyzuku ! Come along !Come along I a t once and let us go: Forge: everythig about your property, wife and children. Emeks: Since it appears that you d o not seem t o have any mercy, I d o not know, what next, to do. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Death: I pity all of you. In fact, I do not come out for bad. Please, bear any type of inconvenience, like that. I must have to vist teach and every person. It anly depends upon the time. 1 wish you good-luck in all your own undertakings. Nneka: I had thought that even that most wicked people, have some considerations at times. Death: Madam, I cannot do otherwise. I am sure that 1 have actually spoken at length. Let it be, that whatever name you may call me right now, I shall be prepared to answer. But, there is one thing. I cannot Iqve Mr. Onyeuku. He is to get along with me. Ikem: It simply appears that you are adamant to all the please of all of us? Death: Positive! I maintain! Take yourself to be i n m y own position surely, you will do likewise. Nneka: Afterwards, the whole thing, has come to an end. Onyeuku is gone, much to the joy of his enemies. Benson: I had thought that big men do not die. The thing is that it will not be advisable, for a big man to despise a poor man and feel that he is the all in all. Fortune meets people mistakenly. Ude: The man who promised to skin me, is now gone. But however, he did me a world of good. For, he pardoned me, my deabt. Ikem, All said and done, the thing has come to an end. At any rate, no person can tell, when it is his or her own turn, to kick the bucket. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE H e who does good, it is for him and he y h o does bad, it is also for him. Ude: Mr. Death, is there no consideration for this man? Death: I am very sorry indeed. I have actually wasted a lot of my own time. If I could have considered him, you might have been late t o meet me. Benson: But remember, that he is a big man, whose death, might n3t be appriciated by many people. D z a ~ h : That is actually what I want it all to be, Ikem: But do you think that you are very powerful? Death, That might be well answered, when I come to you. Ikem: Shut up your mouth! When are you coming. Why not now, idiot? Death: No more time to waste. ( H e strikes Onyeuku dead and disappears at once. ) Onyeuku- ( A m ~ d stears) It now has become quite t apparent, that I must have to abandon all my proposals and family and get along with my sister - death. ( Enter Ude ) Ifact. I am going to a strnage land; I d o not know any person there. It might therefore, be difficult for me to make friends. However. Ude, you have now come here and I am sure, that i t is for the settlement of the debt. Take it. 1 hate now granted you a pardon.Please, pray for my own soul. ( Enter Benson ) 1 also apologise to all those, that I might have wronged, in one way, or the other. Please, pardon me and only look after my family. By the grace of God, we shall meet again. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE ACT THREE ( SCENE 3 ). Death: (Sitting down comfortably and with his legs crossed ) What a very busy day! Infact, I must have to congratulate myself, for all my activities, within the month. ( Enter Onyeuku, conducted by one of death's Officers ) Ha! Ha! Ha! There is no doubt that this is Mr. Onyeuku, the man who knew what is means, to have my orders, disobeyed. Surely, this is my own palace. You might have seen for yourself, a bit of what goes on here. How do you like the place? Onyeuku: .4lthough I am quite a new man to this kingdom, yet, I shall not hesitate to let YOU know, that as far as I am concerned, there 1s nothing very worthy of a major criticism. Men and women are lively and the place looks quite gay and disciplined Death: I am indeed happy, to hear you say so. This is a place, where people are free from worries of all types. There is no question of sweating very much for daily bread and running very fast, in pursuit of money. Here, communism is practised to the very last meaning of the word. This is one of the reasons why I pity men whenever their families cry in sorrow of my having them snatched away. But i t will be interesting to note, that those who come here, scarcely wish to get out. Officer: Pardon please your worship, May I know what type ofjob to which this new member should be assigned? Death: Of course, that is very much in line, with I the system here E! M ( Scratching his head ) H e is to clean my shoes everyday. Hey l Mr. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Onyeuku, do you know how to clean shoes properly? Onyeuku: I shall have to rehearse that once mcre. For while in the world. Ican assure you, that I had servants who did various types of jobs for me including even this that 1 am now to do for somebody else. In reality, it has taken not less then ten years, since I did that last. Death: Ha! Ha! Ha! That is what you people, d o over there. Any of you ones idering himself wealthy, would at once grow lazy. See now, you have come to a place, where there is no form of discrimination. If the smallest person, receives twelve strokes of rhe cane, you wdl likewise be treated. ( Handling a cup of beer, while Onyeuku looks at him eagerly ) When in the other world, you enjay yourself very much. But here, there is no time for that. Perhaps you are interested i n taking a cup of wine as I am now doing. , Is that correct? Onyeuku: Most certainly, it is. Death: But it is a pity. No person who comes to this kingdom dominated by me, ever drinks. He will only look at me, enjoying myself to the full and will not participate. Onyeuku: Kindly allow me even a sip of the cup. Death: I am sorry my man. That, will be a violation of our principles here. However, I am getting ready for a convention and I hope that you wlll very soon adapt yourself, to the environment. We are good. We are kind and we are the real peace loving citizens. At the same time, I must not fail to let you know that, anything wrongly done here, is seriously accounted for, by -the doer. 43 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE I may or may not know. There are sufficient and able lieutenants of mine, who can deal with various issues. So, in your own interest, I reveal this, since I am only in the position to give commands, which must be executed, without acy disobedience. (He leaves for the convention). Officer: Thenext phase of it all, is to appzar before a iurv. 0nyedcu; What for? Officer: Here, it is always the policy of "NO ANSWERS T O QUESTIONS." Take note of this. (Enter the Jury) Prosecutor: Where is Onyeuku? Onyeuku: I am here. your lordship. Prosecutor: You are commaded to stand properly, before his lordship and confess all that you did on earth. Remember that you will be cross examined. Onyeuku: When I was on earth, I did certain things in order that I might become weahby. The first was to sacrifice my mother to the God of wealth. The second, was to cheat and oppress poor men and widows. That was not all. I bought one lorry, that would always convey robbers, from one place to the other for plunder. At the end of operations, I would have to share the booty, with them, But people did not suspect that I was transacting a business of that nature. For so it is, that when people see a man who drives in a car, they feel that he is above dishonesty. �TO HOW PLAY LOVE Cnyeuku: That is all I can remember, your lordship Associate Judge: Why then d o you bring this man here? His record does not seem as blcck as thought. It ought to b s noted , that we a r e to give people fair trial, s o as to be 'released from the pangs of conscience. Prosecutor: May your lordship listen to prosecution witnesses? Associate Judge: Where are thev? Callthem UD at once. There are many people to be tired and if you have not prepared your case will, this man, can be discharged and acquitted a t once, for want of evidence. Prosecutor: Selinah! (Enter Selinah and she goes direct to the witness box ) D o you know this =an who stands here as a n accused? Selinah: Yes, your lordship. Prosecutor: For good o r for bad? Explain to the court. Selinah: The man standing as an accused., is known as Onyeuku. He was my first husband and I was the first woman, that he married. Prosecutor: Why did both of you separate. Selinah: I t was one night, when he conducted his lady friend inlo my room and introduced her to me. But in actual fact, Goth of us were legitimately married in the court and afterwards, went to a priest and received some blessing. I cou!d not therefore, look to another and Ge too, was bound by law, to be in the same s a t e with me. After some hours, the lady left and of course, that wzs not wi:hout hearing a noisy quarrel, going on between my husband and me. I. clearly pointcd it out to Onyeuku, that I would expose. - - - �HOW TO PLAY LOVE the matter and have him disgraced. At once, he got infuriated and with a bicycle chain around my neck, he strangled me to death. He dug a grave that every night and let low my corpse. Chief Judge: Onyeuku, have you any questions t o ask her? Onyeuku: None your lordship Her evidence is quite correct. Chief Judge: 1 am sure, that apart from this, there is no other hidden deed of his ? Prosecutor: Yes, your lordship. Chief Judge One thing that men and women seem t o forget, is that all their deeds arc always recorded by some unseen hands. I suspect that they simply feel that they can do anyth~ngand run away from it, provided they are not seen by people. One of the offences we regard grave here, is tbat of killing somebody. For, by so doing, out kingdom is overpopulated and souls are sent to us, at odd time, Well, without wasting time, the punishnent, should be inflicted. ( An officer administers twelve strokes of the cane on the buttocks of Onyeuku. ) So far, so good for the day. We should close up. Until we are needed again. (Exeunt ) All: As the court pleases. ACT THREE (SCENE 4 ) Clerk: During the last convention, Life was the chairman. This time, in accordance with the stipulated constituion Death is to occupy the chair. ( Death gets up and takes the seat, to the applause of his supporters. ) �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Dcath: Tam pleased to have been appointed, to direct the meeting. I assure all of ycu, that it is my intention, to try my best, in seeing that ever) thlng, is will carried out. There are no new member and so, it is believed that each and e./ery person here, knows exactly when to say something and what t3 say. I t is usual, that an account of stewardship by each and every officer, is the first item on the agenda. Accident: During t5e last convention, I was ordered to bring nine hundred and nighty eight persons, into our kindom. Within the first six months, I was able to get sixty five people, through road accidents, fifty. Two, by air and after sinking a launch which made one hundred and twenty people on board, perish, I had as my to:al ,two hundred and thirty seven soul, For the next six months, the statistics, stood a s follows. lorry crashes -- two hundred people dead. Aeroplane disaster one hundred and fifty people and one train accident in which o r e hundred and seventy four souls, were f o ~di missing. Thus, on the whole, I was able to can;eplete the figureof nine hundred a n j nlnety c @ r - Death: You did a very good work indeed. . Life: May I know the exacr number of people, that we agreed upon, to be taken away from me last year? Clerk: On the whole, it was five thousand. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Life: But my own record shows that five thousand and fifty persons, were taken away. What might have brought about the surplus. Death: I feel that it would be more convenient to go gradually. After !istening to the activities of the officers, then, we can easily know, where we went wrong. War: I was ordered to combine' with Trouble, Hunger and Suicide. to get the balance of four thousand and two people. One inter-tribal war, gave us three thousand people. Hunger then, rushed out and brought more one thousand and upon finding out that two more were needed. Suicide, stepped in and got them. Thus, we completed the number. But 1 still have got a remark to make. Peace. has found much pleasure in challenging me, whenever I am on duty. In some cases, he even overpower me, since he knows our secrets. I am hereby appealing to all officers, for co-operation in the execution of our respective duties. Peace: Look care Mr. Wat! I actually challenged you as you said. I also, shall continue to do so, until you send back or account properly. for the fifty people, taken away from our own kingdom. If you d o not, then you should bear in mind, that I shall always resist your attempts to take away people from me. If possible Mr. War, 1 would not mind having theissue out with you, personally. War: I suspect that you are not in your correct senses. Infact, you are talking arrant nonsense. It is just like a speech. made by a little boy. Who are you? �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Peace: Damned fool of your own type! A person who can only be out for destruction. D o you at times sit down and think a little bit of what people talk about you! Bloody scamp! War: I find it a waste of time, to exchange words with your corward. People on earth, might talk anything about me. Infact, I do not care. That is how, those in my own kingdom are also talking bad of you too. Love: Well Mr. War, please cool down yourself. Mr. Peace, should also d o the same. If tempers begin lo rise like this, the meeting might have to end in a fiasco. ( War and Peace, shut up their mouths ). Birth: There might not be much need for my own speech. As commanded, I transfered five thousand people safely, from Mr. Death's Kingdom, to Mr. Life. Death! From where then, comes the difference ? Did any officer take more than he was ordered? (Silence for a while. ( Every officer, re.cheking his list ) Trouble: I now remember one thing. Life: What can it be ? Trouble: There are some, that keep on knocking at the gate a t odd hours when asked how they were brought, they cannot explain. They have no tickets and so, and keep on roaming from one end to the other. �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Death:I have now come t o know, the cause of that. There are some, who fall c n their fellow people, out of anger and kill them right away. Since it might not have been, the time we expected such a victim, the soul keeps on walking to and for Thus, such will neither be for lrfe, nor for me. Even in my kingdom, not less than forty souls have appeared and given evidence against their murderers. Truly, we d o not encourage murder and my chief judge, is always ready to apply disciplinary measures, whenever such is noticed. In fairness of it all Mr. Life, you will then appreicate, that I have not robbed you. It is only a mistake on the part of tbe people your in own kingdom Right from time, we had worked co operatively and it is my most ardent wish thatsuch parity should always be maintained. Life: Thank you very much Mr Death, for your statement, which has now thrown light, into the whole issue. It can now be seen, that none of us is wrong and so. tempers should no longer rise. Let us forget the past-indeed, the exchange of words, which took place between one of your lieutenants and mine. Really, they are not small boys and they ought not be reminded, to apologise, without hesitatio one t o the other. War. Well Mr. Peace, I am very sorry for what had earlier taken place. Please pardon me, for any bad statement, that I might have made. Peace. Goodbye to skirmish. Let us re dedicate ourselves to our duties. Mr. War, J am sorry for causing you an inconvenience. (Both of them shake hands and smile,) - �HOW TO PLAY LOVE Death: I have very well come to realise that everybody is alive to his job. P'else. let us get along like this and hope to ahieve a great future. Exeunt ACT FOUR ( SCENE 1 ) Ikem: Well, my friend Onjeuku is dead. Nneka: That is, as clear as crystal. I cannot help it. I am only pleased, that you, his personal frlend, were here during the most part of the incident. You now can see, that I have automatic ally become a widow, at this ycung age, sequal ofcourse, to no direct fault of mine. I am just like a sheep, without a shepherd. Infzct, just like a ship without a pilot. Whither I head to, is not easy for me to tell. Emeka, my only son is still young. Indeed, too young, to manage a family. Ndubuisi, my husband's bcother, is very greedy and jealous. Onyeuku's dcath: has come to dislocate the entire frame-work, of the family. The days of Cowfort, seem to have vanished. My former greatness, is now, something to be told as a tale to children, during moonlight. ikem: You may no doubt realise, that I am still a bachelor. Nneka: That, I very well know. But in what way, d o you think that it will help, solve the problem that I now face? Ikem: My l a t ~friend's wife Nntka. Please note, men are one at all times and every-where. What might differ, is the position, as far as fortune is concerned. However, please be satisfied with the fact that no man or woman, was born together with a bag of gold. 51 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE I concede, that the material thing is life. He who has it, will be capable of doing anything of his, own wish, provided there is the chance I am fully confident, that, hope combined with a burning ambition, will offer such challenge t o misfortune, that neither the devil, can stand. What seems'to matter more in life, is peace and not pieces. With this family, I had been infimate. That is entirely, beyond all reasonable doubts. It is as clear as dayliqht. Again, you can easily confirm, that I had not on any occasion, misconducted myself, either to the annoyance of your own self, or my late friend Onyeuku. Thus, with implicit confidence, 1 maintain, that you can be proud of me. By this time ofcourse, you can also tell about my character. It will cause me a lot of tears, to see my friend's wife languish in agony, f because of the inevitable lcss o the pillar of the family. If and only but if. you can agree, as 1 feel that you might like to consider, I would not mind drawing nearer you. it is in this way I presume, what might have been deemed lost, can be regained, Further, Nneka. it would be ungrateful of me, to refuse to let you know, that you were the main cause fo my friendship, with your husband. Earlier, I had been contemplating upon having a secret deal with you, during Onyeuku's life time. But, just as if plans had worked exactly in accordance with my hopes, he �HOW TO PLAY LOVE kicked the bucket, ofcourse, not at all, to my cwn joy. At arly rate, it is indeed, something that we cannot help. Let us therefore, say goodbye to the past and face nothing but the present. Yaur graceful manners, together with your personal charm, often compel me run crazy, anyday, that I kil to catch a glimpse of this face, which is as bright as the morning sun. Your shape alone, is not to be rivalled, by any other. Truly, I feel that it will be very unnecessary of me, to say all that you might have heard me say. For, you are also a living witness to my behaviour towards you. If 1 am talking a lie, please, without any reservalion, prove me! Prove me at once 1 say-much to my own disgrace ! Nneka; You are not wrong in any from. Ikem: Wellthen, what next?Shall we have to wait for Onyeuku to rise form the dead and instruct us so to do, before wc become active? Surely, if the dead see, he will be very grateful for this approach of mine. Nneka: How then will my consent, ring in the ears of people, particularly, those who might have hated my husband, when be was alive? Ikem: Leave that for me. I shall be prepared to face the scandal My long association with Onyeuku, actually tutored me a great deal. Today, 1 can surmount an insurrection, in all its ramifications. The personaiity of Onyeuku, has been gently transfered to me. It is by his own spiritual guidance, that I move In the dream, he tells me many things �HOW TO PLAY LOVE which 1 shall not be prepred to reveal to even my own mother. Now Nneka, let us bes eriaus. I am not acting on my own directives. Only promise me your love and also, have that effected, at once. Agree that I have become your own sincere husband and I shall take you as my own beloved wife. (Looking at her, straight in the eyes, smiling and holding her arm) Nneka: It is not difficult to agree that I am your wile. Infact, If f had not loved you enough, you could have proved that too. But what binders our getting closely tied up together, is just one thing and that is how will my children or the entire family reach to this new atreement? Emeka is there. At the moment, he is regarded as a small boy. But in reality, he is not all that. He can easdy know what is wrong. Again, Ndubuisi is a full ffetched man. I t is possible that he might form an opinion, which can be detrimental to the tranquility of both of us. However, in doing that, he ought to be supported by even, public opinion. When people are hastily after something, they d o not seem to mdke out some chance to think over certain delicate issues, they might be involved. See now, it can safely be said, that in order to achieve our ends, both of us, had to conspire and kill Onyeuku. We cannot escape the allegation. We shall therefore, be subjected to scandal, contempt and ridicule. Witb what face, can I then stand - �HOW TO PLAY LOVE amidst my fellow women and have a say ? there, will be many opponets and of course, the end might have to mean much, if not tragic. In truth, In truth, I do not disagree to your request. For, it is really quitedifficult, for a women to remain for years, without a man. I know for certain, that death is a national catastrophe, from which no person can escape. Tnat is very sure. But at the same time, you ought to realise, what I am particularly afier. Towards this, I would like you, to give the matcer, a second thought. (Enter Ada) Ikem: If men were only listening to what people say, things could have not been executed in the normal form. (Ada running into ikem's laps and crying, Papa! Papa!) There you are.! Everything now seems to have been made qui'te manifest to you. Let them say anything they like. Forget that and let us execute the proposal and thus? prevent further distress. I assure you, that it w~il in any form, strain relations. not Nneka: I need not to say more. (They kiss) Ikem: Am 1 now your husband? Nneka: Yes I am your wife. Ikem: Truely, together, shall we enjoy the beauty, and prestige ofthis house, by the grace and glory of God. Exeunt (ACT FOUR ( SCENE 4) As one of the elders of this town, I have actueIly found it necessary to summon all the citizens together, so that we can decide upon what steps to take, in finding a person, to take the place of Onyeuku. 55 �HOW TO PLAY LOVE All of you, are fully aware of the fact, that Onyeuku, when al~ve,was our chief. Today, things seem to be going very wrong, since there IS no ruler. It should be made clear, that if we continue like this it then simply means, that we are heading towards a di5aster Fellow old men, youths and women, let us all join hands and make our town, respectable and dignifying. However let it be clearly understood, that I am not longing for the post, since it is something that can be done by means birthright. Thank you Sir. On behalf of the youncg men of this town, I stand up here to move that, the question of having a chief, should be by election. Infact, I d o not support dictatorship. Our former chief I am sorry to say, was very much hard-hearted. He had no regard for the poor people. In truth, he felt that any man favoured by fortune should torture the less fortunate. I d o not belleve. that this ought to happen in a free society, where democracy, is daily harped on. For my part, I do not even pray, to have a ruler. At the same time, I will be interested t o know, who is to be tipped for the position. In my own eyes at the moment, no person seems fit. Joseph: 1 may not find it easy, to agree with you. I have not got much to say. Give the right thing, to the r:ght man and that is good. Kingmaker: Even while in the dream, I was instructed to allow Emeka his right. All: Yea! Right choice ! Grown him ! Kingmaker: Now I consider the opposers as very unfortunate indeed Thus, let it be know this day, that Emeka, the son of late chief Onyeuku, has taken over nls fathers stool. Em-kn: lam grat efui. Inspite of my lender age, J promise to do my best,. with your full-coperation, of course. 56 ��How Tshombe and Mubotu regrettG the death -of Lumumba - 14. HOW get a lady irr love. fo .. . Olritrhr - Nigeria. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Onitsha Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to play love Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Stephen, Felix N. Type The nature or genre of the resource Onitsha market literature Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Onitsha, Nigeria : Njoku & Sons Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1962? Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Nigerian literature (English) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ksrl.c3275 Description An account of the resource This quirky yet refreshing play by Felix Stephen (a.k.a. Nathan Njoku) does not spell out a clear moral or seek to be prescriptive, unlike many of the Onitsha plays. In addition, the misogyny is downplayed. In many ways the play's title is not a clear representation of its message, since death trumps love (and money) here. A somewhat disjointed story, How to Play Love lacks the development of other plays written under the name of Nathan Njoku that appear here in the Onitsha Market Literature Collection. Each act of these four-act plays could stand on its own, and none of the plots or characters have much impact on the other acts.<br /><br />The play begins with the search by Uba (the main character of the first act)for a prospective lover. He tells the audience that he will "play love and will, [sic] not care what people may say," (pg. 5). However, he appears somewhat inept at the game. He approaches the first two candidates through letters because he was too tongue-tied to seek them out in person. He declares that since love is a magnet, there is "no need of rejecting me," (pg. 5). Neither letter nor approach receives a desired response. Uba then decides to try to be more direct.<br /><br />This is how he meets a vampire, Helen Nwamma, who would happily take him as a lover, albeit with a few conditions. Uba finds some of these conditions distasteful. He states "my approach of you, might have been somehow misdirected . . . Please, I can now say goodbye to the request that I had earlier made. I shall always continue to be liking you," (pg. 13-14). Uba discovers that he does care what other people may think, and he realizes that not all beautiful women are good partners.<br /><br />The second half of this act brings in Onyeuka (the rich man), Abel (a friend of Uba's), Agnes (Abel's wife), and Margaret (Abel's lover). Abel and Agnes have recently married and are having difficulties. Abel flees to Margaret, and he discovers that Margaret also wants to get married. Abel tells both women that he is not a man to be trifled with. He runs into Uba, who tells him of his fearful encounter with Helen. All four end up locked in a room with a gun.Uba mistakes Agnes for Helen. Helen, the vampire, serves as a warning against powerful, demanding and beautiful women. This mistake is fateful and reveals some of the underlying misogynistic logic of the play. Agnes, like Helen, is unreasonably demanding and bloodsucking. One can only assume that this mistake costs Uba his life, as Abel ushers them all into the room and murders Uba,Margaret and Agnes before committing suicide.<br /><br />The second act begins with a rich man, Onyeuku, declaring that rich men are immune to death. Thus begins the other main story line--a declaration that the power of money and the privilege of wealth have limits, for Death reigns supreme. This message continues for the remainder of the play, and each of the following acts show how Onyeuku is punished for his rich life. The final insult occurs as his loving wife happily marries his best friend. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. However, for this Item, either (a) no rights-holder(s) have been identified or (b) one or more rights-holder(s) have been identified but none have been located. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/</a> https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/0497e5982ceb9cbd70438c0a0cdffbcf.jpg b540b4cc5e827ee785cf442d3ce656f2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Travel, Tourism, and Transmission of Knowledge in and around Japan Description An account of the resource These are items for the Fall 2025 "Travel, Tourism, and Transmission of Knowledge in and around Japan" exhibit Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to See Shikoku Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available TokyoL Japan Tourist Bureau Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1936 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Personal Papers of Kate Hansen, <a href="https://archives.lib.ku.edu/repositories/3/resources/3223">PP 19</a>, Box 5, Folder 7 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/c8d2df38d1d8804756a8ad5147da4ef2.jpg 5ec40c69dae5238a5f460bec2de93b56 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/292666f75867a9b3fcfae53e65dabb1c.jpg eccfc6acfb00d7d69c6d3c952f58ba35 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/d2929ca487c6d63f40432f4fc070fdba.jpg 5f6a251e9ebc12f17e2e955b3c2d9a06 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/f79f52aded94d1459e570d49f2023417.jpg f93b225f3a036ca48a7c7b0f3ee77bf0 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/91dcb2c127841c70125794a1335a2b04.jpg beb1371c1460c38a9f6cee6e5eea4ee2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Travel, Tourism, and Transmission of Knowledge in and around Japan Description An account of the resource These are items for the Fall 2025 "Travel, Tourism, and Transmission of Knowledge in and around Japan" exhibit Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to See: Nikko; Nara Park; Mt. Fuji and Five Lakes: Fuji-Hakone National Park; Hokkaido; Nagano and Environs Description An account of the resource Tourist guide booklets on Japan used by US Naval Intelligence Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Tokyo: Japan Tourist Bureau Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Personal Papers of Kate Hansen, <a href="https://archives.lib.ku.edu/repositories/3/resources/3223">PP 19</a>, Box 5, Folders 7 and 10 https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/d0bf7ee07d438dc8b7af74b42ac78a94.pdf 7b573c4f7c077c4dc8581d00971726ea PDF Text Text �3 HOW TO STUDY k AND d k & T? % WRITE 3 GOOD LETTES, ) & A PPLIC4TIONS, COMPOSITIONS, & c!! id 3 3 3fI 3 3 )& k TELEGRAMS, AGREEMENTS, BETTER SENTENCES IPORTANT LETTERS, -% y;( SPEAKING IN PUBLIC 3 7 3 G4bQD EJWGLISH 3 % =if 3 7 3 % 9 3 AND TEACH YOURSELF -- -- - $I k k - BY WILFRED ONWUKA -- k k k - & & k k & r 4 PRICE 316 Net 3, 4 kfFfF"ARAARFFFVFFF3 �OBTAINABLE FROM 6 E B 0 BROTHERS S. 4, No. 11 MAIN MARKET, ONITSHA. STUDENTS' OWN BOOKSHO'P No. 17 BRIGHT STREET, ONITSHA. �PREFACE This text book captioned 'New Grammar Book' is indeed very interesting to read. My principal aim in producing the book is to contribute my quota towards the educational building, progress and development of Nigeria and the world in general. There is no doubt that a student will achieve a rapid improvement, if he follows the example laid down in this book. The book is constructed for senior primary and students in the secondary schools. It is also useful to the students in the Teacher's Training Colleges and other general readers. To be candid, it is a book for all ages. WILFRED ONWUKA (Author, Compositor, Poet Novelist and Dramatist) (Master of Pen) �CONTENTS What is a letter How to write ordinary letters Warning and legal notice Business letters Applications Specimen of an application Love letters Composition Kinds of eassays Agreements Telegrams Part I Contents verbs Means of transport Lessons To come, to go, 10walk; to run, to ride, etc. To find, to found To discover, to invent, to explore To learn, to find out, to know To drown, to be drowned, to sink, to float To be born to die, to be dead To say, to tell To hear, to listen to To catch, to take, to obtain, to receive 41 44 46 48 51 52 55 58 60 �what ji a Tettei? 'A 'letter is a written or printed message from one to another. How many kinds of letters have we. There are five main kinds ol' letters. Name them: 1 Ordinary letter 2 Business letters 3 Application letters 4 Love letters 5 Letters of protest. How to write ordinary letters To construct ordinary letter, one must get one's point ready and arrange them paragraph by paragraph. For you to understand what I am saying below is a. typical example. Here is a letter from a person to his sister advising her to be careful about what he described as 'Modern Boys'. When writing an ordinary letter write your address at the risht and at end of the letter, sign or write your name in full. No. 10 Ukpor Street, Fegge.Onitsha. 7th November, 1962. Dear Sister Joan, To be candid, I would have written to you since, but owing to the fact that I have so many commitment, that kept me busy, I was accurately unable to do so. Indeed, what prompt me most to lift upmy pen to write this letter is one dangerous and risky rumour that I have been hearing about you. The rumour which wasconfirmed by many people claimed that you are the comforter of 'Modern Boys'. The rumour further clalmed that .your house over there has been turned into a complete boarder. Joan remember that one does good for himself �,and at-tin:es, . d~ei'for.ihe.:mn . sneself.-4s from ysur -childhoodi!J have. been i.giving'iyou' this: parti;cula&advice; :but,you do.: not .seem t o . understand me.' You are fair in so many thing+but you like 'The Game of Love' most in your life. That is one thing which is wrong with you. Do not forget 'that it was the reason whyyou did not marry immediately you' left the elementary school. You could remember that a wealthy and well educated )oung man who came t o narry vou heard of it and :ran. away viithout turning back, yet you do not care to repent. After those events. I spent a lot to see thatyou are employed as a school teacher,. so ' t h a t x p u could earn money. and stop all those ugly things, now the .fair situation 'is just like a battle tield of armed. forces. Please, my sis:er if you know that y w will marry at all in your life, stop 'all those illegal love deal, hence it ha brought your name to the ,public ridicule. odium and contempt, 'Beware of modern Boys'. They have: dangerous plans that .'is always 'capable of bringinz dangerous results. Ttiose type o f crooks wouldrnot mind: toy spend heavily in order, to get somejne. .The,headmaster. of your school also wrote me sayingthe.sahe.thing which others said and that made me to believe. I ' ' At pesent time I do not intcnd to inform our father ,about this serious matter, until 1 see that.there is no change in your character. Try to change because everything has its own specific times and you will be tired whea time for that comes. I should also like to know about your savings. How much is your money in the bank? I put this question, to you because 1 learnt that you have so many / uniforms, golden earrings and costly footwears. Therafore, I am suspecting that you have no rea- �sonable and fabulous accounts i n the hank. If you have, pardon me because of my wrong assumption but, in case you have none, try to have. Next year, yoo will he going to training, so as to qualify as a higher elementary teacher, then money will be needed for that period. Though I am to contribute a lot, yet, that is no licence for you to suffer from squandermenia. Frankly speaking, the day I will see a change in your character I will be a red letter day in the history of my life. Watch me, whenever you see me mishehavinp, criticised and correct me as I have just done. Thanks in advance. Yours dearest brother, Rufus Odogho. Miss Mabel Obi, Box 18, Nnewi. After completing A letter, put it in an envelope and post it at the Post Office. Do not forget to affix a 3d stamp and in case of a registered letter which will be claimed within Nigeria. But if on the other hand, it happened to be an overseas letters claimable outside Nigeria, the stamp of one shilling will be used if such letter is going by sea mail. Subsequently, any overseas registered must bear a stamp of one shilling and nine pence. �Remember to draw,,two ,opposi&...pqjnllel ::lints ., . 'both a t t b e back and the face of the e n d o p r , con. jtaining the'letter. The two lines will form :our angiis, and each edge will be 900. After registering a icttcr be sure that you are given a receipt by the post Office clerk. Do not miss the receipt hence t h ~ \onsequence is obvious. .Below is an example of registered letter from a trader to his overseas customer warning him to ship his goods to him, immediately. Messrs AS. E. Onwuka & Sons, No. 90 Moore Street, Onitsha/Nigeria. .2nd November, 1964. Mcssrs Hebu Trading Corporation, P. 0. Box 4486, Kober Japan. Dear Sirs, R~gistered Our Order of Toy Pistol No. 24 We are deeply concerned over the. extremely long delay in the ,shipment our of order of toy pistol No. 24 of 1964. Asa matter of fact. we see no reason why you should be delaying theshipment of our order. You have shipped. those ordered by our competitors to them, while' you know properly that we booked our own order before.them, you deliberately refused to ship our goods to us. When we were booking the order, we wrote and informed you' that it is a seasonal goods and that after the Christmas period. none o f ' it could be .sold. Following that,. you acknowledged the receipt'of the letter and assured us tbat the article should be shipped t o . us to the middle of November, so that we could be, selling it . before' the Christmas ' day. None of . these 8 �promises has been fufilled. rhey are rather fake and base ess. After a long delay i n the shipment of the ordera we wrote many reminded letters to you asking you to ship the order to us, but you did not even care to reply those letters. At present time, others are selling their articles but ours is no wtere to be found. You want to push us into a beavy loss. WARNING & LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given to you that if you fail to ship our goods on or before 14th November 1964, a well democratic and instituted legal court action will br instituted against you. We have handed over all necessary documents to our solicitor' for close study. You are playing with our business including yours because, if you had shipped the order early, we would have opened another L/C in your favour. Take notr that we will be claiming the actual cost price of the goods including the selling profit from you. We wait to see. Yours faithfully, A. E. Onwuka. for - -.............".......... ............. ............,.. .... ...... Manager. - s. 9d. Messrs Hebu 'Trading Co., P. 0.Box 4486, Kober Japan. Diagram showing the specimen of an envelope of a registered letter. This is an oversea letter and it bears 1/9d stamp. The letter is to go by air mail. �REPLY. Messrs Hebe Trading Corporation, P. 0. Box 4486, Kober Japan. Messrs A. E. Owuka & Sons, No. 1 Moore Street, OnitshaINigeria. Dear Sirs, REGISTERED With reference to your registered letter to us dated 2nd January 1964, we hereby assure you that yoor articles and goods have been shipped to you and they are likely to land at the Port Harcourt Harbour at about 14th November 1964. The failure of our machine during the working period made it impossible for us to comply with the promise given to you, but now, all is alright. We do not intend to enter into legal hdttle with you, hence we know that we are wrong. Please suspend all about cmrt action because at the circumstances surrounding the event can be described as an "Act of God" and nobody is to be blamed. To assure you that we are frank and candid we enclose here with all necessary documents that would enable you to clear the goods with most easiness. Yours faithfully, For, Hebu Trading Corporation ..................................... .... ...."..Mr. Okey Acha, Director of Business ? . - Here' again is an example of an ordinary letter. It is from a girl to her brother requesting him to send her school fees. ' �CInitshrGirls' 3choo1, P. 0. Box 7, Onitshs. I st Decen~ber1964, My dear brother, I am writing this 'letter with heavy tears in my eyes and a great sorrow in my lieart. This is. because I am driven out of our school by our headma;ter owing to the fact that I have not pqid the school fees. The amount of scnool fees is (£2) two pounds, per quarter. He, the headmaster warned me to Fay my school fces before December 7, 1964 less my position will be given to another fellow. Please, my brother kindly send me the school fees before this given time so tbat I will be re-admitted in the class. Our final examination is now approaching and all classes are now making an intensive revisions, over their previous lessons. If I miss this revision, it all means I hat I will fai! the examination and repeat Standard Eve next ytar which is uot a good economic dceisisn. How about Hope, Ngozi, Chida and Mabel. I am with all aod every hope that they are well just as I am over here. Hoping to hear from you in few days, I wish the Yours Sisterly, Joy Obi. Mr. Emeka Obi, Box 646, Onitsha. �FAVOURABLE REPLY Box 646, Onitsha. 5th December 1964 Dear Sister, I enclose here with ( t 2 : 10s) two pounds ten shillings Postal Order No .... .. payable to you. Draw it out and pay the school fees with (£2) two pounds, use the remaining (IOs) ten shillings as your pocket money. Ctudy very hard so that you will catch up. At any rate, I know that you are very intellipent and that you must surely succeed. We are all well. Yours brotherly, Emeka Obi. Miss Joy Obi. 0. G. S., Onitsha. Never you leave any stone untouched when ' writing any ordinary letter explain yourself properly and simply, so that the reader will immediately understand you. Avoid the use of bombastic words, because by doing so you make yourself a fool. BUSINESS LETTERS Business is one's profession. In doing business one normally write some letters and those documents are known as business letters. As we all know, there are different types or kinds of business. When drafting business letters, one says simply and in the most obvious understandable form. Here is an example o f a business letter. Mesm Rufus Odogbo Trading Co., P. 0. Box 646, Onitsha-Nigeria, 6th March, 1964. 12 �Mrssrs Willg d Co. Trading Corporation, No, 2, Journey Street, England. Dear Sirs, DIAMOND TOURCH LIGHT We thank you for your letter dated 22nd February 1964. Weregret to say that the price of 519d which you quoted as the most competentive price of diamond tourch light is too dear comparing with the present market price over here. So consider and ship tbe goods to us at net price of 2s 9d a dozen. DIAMOND TOURCH BATTERY :- Subsquently please give us your samples and most competentive price of Diamond Tourch Batteries. So that we will consider and book orders from you. Frankly speaking we are very anxious to establish goods and reasonable business relationship with you provided tbat you would welcome us. As of us. We are not sample mongers, but true importers and exporters of general merchandise. HAND BRAND LAMP: We have today agreed to your quoted price of £5 10s. (five pounds ten shim llings.) Again, we have deposited the sum of 565 (sixty five pounds) with the Bank of West Africa in your favour, being the amount of PIC. SHIPPING: Please ship the goods to arrive at the Port Harcourt wharf between the months of September and October 1964. PACKING: Park three doxen into one carton, and four cartons in a wooden case. �MARKINGS: A t each of the four corners of any of the case, mark t e word "Lamp & Glass Handle With Care." We demand this so as to avoid careless handling at the wharf. We also demand that each .tamp should be wrapped with c tton wool to avoid any damage to the lamp globe. The initials of our name "R. 0 T. C." should be marked at the case. NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Dispatch all necessary the documents cdn'lrected u i ~ h goods to us immtdia. tely. The documents will he1p.u~ to clear the goods with easiness cn arrival. Your immediate attendan e to our orders will be highly appreciated. We are anxiously waiting lo hear from you soonest possible. Thanks in advance. Yours faithfully, For, Rufus Odogbo Tgadinp Crmpany Ltd. REPLY Messrs Willv Trading Co. :Yo. 2 Jocrney Street, London. 11th March 1964. Messrs Rufus Odogbo, Trading Company Ltd., P. 0. Box 646, Onitsha-Nigeria. Dear Sirs, We are in receipt of your letter dated 4th March 1964. And submit that the prices of 2/9d which you offered to pay in respect of dianond torch lights is considerably ton low, comparing with our cost of production. We will be unable to ship the goods to you at that low rate. �However, in view of future-business relationship and transation, we have oonsidered to raduce the amount to 3s per dozen instead of 5s 9s. Our motto you to scli it is "LIVE AND LET LIVE' so we w s ~ t with prcfit and that is why ' we have made tais fantasti- reduction. HAND BRAND L M : A PWe have s h ip p e d your order on this item. Secondly, we have complied with your advice and instructions coocerning shipping, packing of the goods and marks on the case. NECESSARY DOCUMENT:We enclose herewith important and relevant documents t h a t could help you to clear the goods e a d y . We ere therefore waiting to obtain your favourable reply. Yours faithfully S~gned ...... ........ ...... blaoager. for Willy & Co. Trading Co. A company or a firm is not bound to accept he price quoted by his custo Tiers. TIk company has all and every right to offer the price which she has to pay. When writing business letters try to difinite the item you wish to order properly so that your customers will understand you. If you make a mistake, when quoting article or invoice number, it could lead to a serious mistake and such mistakes are capable of bringing fantastic loss of money, "Beware of overseas crooks" When doing business, always examine all invoize or letter sent to you by thcm. Some crookish film would not mind to qllote an aricle to a customer and finally ship another thmg to him. If this is don? by your customers, write :nd register a letter of protest to tbe cosmercial jepartmeot of oJr government. informin!: them of the incident and at the same time, requesting her to help you state your case before the Government of thq firm concerned. Try to surrey such goods with a licenced surveyor 7. �APPLICATIONS An application is a closed though or attention. On the other hand it can be described as a request letter. We have employment applicaticns and so many other types. Specimen of an application Umu-Ana-Edo Electrical Establishment 30A, Iweka Road, Onitsha--Nigeria. 131h February, 1964. Rufos Odogbo, Trading Company, Box 646, Onitsha. Dear Sirs, 1 have the honour to apply to the post of a sales clerk at the office of your company near in the Enugu, having. seen t'l : 4 1I S :n 1 Daily Times Issue of 12th February, 1964. Aged 10 years. I am a holder of R. S. A. Certificate in more than 10 subjects. I have served for years under tbe U. A. C. of Nigeria but owing to the fact that my salary was not so sufficient, 1 have no alternative than to resign. I Schooled at the Prince Commercial Onitsha. I attended a special cause on importing, exporting business, management, commerce, economics, Arithmetic, Book-keeping and Accountancy. If my apphcation is considered and approved I assure you that I would be a valuable and good asset in your office. Also I promise to be loyal and obedient towards my senior officers. Subsequently I will be careful, pain staking and energetic during the performances of all the duties assigned to me. 16 �With all and every hope, that you:. will fayour-. able give m y applicatinn - a-dui- coiiiiirwafion. The Manager, R. 0 T. C . . 4 Oeuta Road, Onitsha. I remain, Yours obediently, Peter Obi Oowuka. FAYOURABLE REPLY Rufus Odogbo Trading Company. Box 646, Onitsha 14th February 1964 Pe:er Onwuha, Um71.Ana. Edo Electrical Establishment 30A Iweka Road, Onitsha. Dear Sir, Your application dated 13th February was received considered and finally approved. We need your service as contained in your application provided that you will always adhere t o our rules, regulations and ordinances. Therefore, you are invited to an interview a t the Manager's office, No. 4 Oguta Road, Onitsha by 10 a. m. Your are also requested to produce all materials for writing. including ink and pen when coming. Take note that if you happen to succeed in the test to be given to you, salary of (£18: 10s) eighteen pouods ten shillings is to be paying to you monthly, but if you damage any of the Company's 17 �propertv you have to bear such r i s k Thanks in advance. Yours fa~thful, Signed: M. P. Okenwa. Manager. for 'Rufus Odogbo Trading Company OF-' asset, Here again is snother application from some m e requesting to be admitted a s 2 member of the Dynamic Party of Nigeria. No. 2 Ehi Road, Aba, 20th Avril 1964. Tile Secre a r y Gereral, Dyarnic P ~ r t y Nigeria, of dox 388, Onitsha. Dear sir, A application to be admitted as a member of the n Dynamic Party of Nigeria. I, Raphael Onwuka, whose name and signature appears below desire to be admitted as a member of the Dynamic Party of Nigeria Formerly I was a member of Nigeria Peoples, Party but owing to the f a t that, that Party is foundalistic and squandamenic, I resigned from it. If my application is approved and I happen to be a member, I swear to abide w ~ t hthe rules. regulations and ordinances governing the Party. 1 will also contribute my quota towards the Liberation of Africa and her Unity. �1 enclose here with the sum .oi 11. for, the purchase of membersh~pcard and . + n o t h e ~ y u mof (C2) , tb.'hejp to , $ i t pounds hiins 'v6iu"ta'ry..:'.do;i<ti'dh. increas'e the fund of the' party. Long live the party. Long live the fatherland. Yours in comradeship, Mr. Raphel Onwuka. FAVCURABLE REPLY The Secretarv General. Dynamic paicy .of. ~ i g e r i a Box 388. 'Onitsha. 23rd April, 1961 Raphel Qnwuka, 2 Ehi Road, . Aba. Dear Sir. ' . . , .. With reference to .your 'appli&ion . dated 20th April 1963, I h a v e to inform you that you are now edmitted as a member of theDynamic Party. Subject to the following conditions: 1 That you should .abide with the rule, regulations and ordinances of Dynamic 'Party. 2 That you should always abide with the decision of the.elected central executive committee of the Party - 3 That you should always .respect the. leader of the Party aud assist him in 'waging relentles..* war against bribery, nepotism and sq:~andermenia other of . . Nigeria -Political Parties. 4 That y o u will bz ready to serve' Africa bdth during the time of peace and, war, and. secondly help 'the. sanie :Africa" to gain her economic freedom. ' ' �If you know that you will fulfil these conditions, proceed on 28th April, 1964 to fill your membership card. I remain, Yours faithfully, S. E. Okeke. Signed for, Secretary General of Dynamic Party of Nigeria. Long live the party!! Long live the fatherland!!! When writing an application, try to explain your qualication very clearly and at the same time express what you could be able to .do if your application is considered and approved. This if done, .will help the person or firm to whom the application is being sent to understand the contents and, thereby know where to start and what to reply you. Important: LOVE UTTERS The word ''Love" means fondness, Pre-eminent kindness benevolence, leverential regard or the object of affection. Then love letter means a messive letter or document showing o r containing the above mentioned words, or phrases. When playing the game of love, the people in the field d o write letters, and such letters are known as ''Love Letter". Below is an example o r specimen of a love letter. The letter is from Esther Onye appealing to Gabriel Chukus to fall in love with her. �Holy Rosary. School -0-nitslia, 17th' February,' 1962: Dear swcet honey, Application to be in love with you I, Esther Onye, whose signature and n a ~ appear e below desire to be your lover. Born in the year 1944;I am a student of Holy Rosary School; Onitsha. At present time. I am in class four.. Yellow in comp'exion, I am bold, beautiful, attractive and posses pood and reasonable chap. In 1960, I . won th:: contest of Miss Africa beauty competition. Thus I won Miss Africa in 1660. . If you agree to be in love with me, I assure you that I must be comforting you always. Subsequently, I must try to satisfy your requirements and keep you absolutely happy.. Take note that as a good lover, I would not like you to give me any. thing or spend on my behalf.rather.1 will be spending on your behalf. I am anxiogsly ,waiting to hear from you soonest possible. Your dearest love. Esther Onye. Mr. G. E. Chuks, Box 6. REPLY P. .O. Box 6. Onitsha 20th 'January, 1962. Dear Esther, Your lovely letter dated 17th January 1962 was received with great thanks. It was when I received your letter that I knew that you have interest in me. �As of lover a Modern Girl, I bave accepted your love applicatior~. Even, 1 am ready to spend on you and if time permits, you will be the mother of my future children. Therefore, 1 invite you to come on Monday by 3 o'clock p. m. in my house for the game of lote to touch all parts nf the body but not to interco~rse with n y lovrr hence such practice usually result pregnancy. Waiting t o see you on the specified date. I remain Yours affectionately, Gabriel Chukus. Miss Esther Onye. H . R. S. Onitsha. Another love letter is from Paolina Eze, asking her lover to send her what she described as Christmas Presents. No. 24 St Jobn's Street Enugu. 2nd July, 1960. Dear Rufus, It seems to me that you have forgotten all about our love, but devil forbid. I have written at least four complete letters to you but you did not care to reply any of them. Have you lost interest in me. If so, inform me to that effect, so that I will switch to modern boys who are eager to intercourse with me. Please if you really know that o w love is still shining, send me Christmas presents as the celebration only remains two weeks. I need carring cloth and foot wearings. Also, I have no spectacle �s6-hp&h,i,$.;,w&fiTvtllrenF our pci?Cf?%.iind &n&' &- ;-41!r'\:chb$s 'f$;v$Y&s .: 1bi ..pr& defe&lih3'itbee. re~aj,Gi.ik&i . , . I.8m .eipkt.$tp:~i . :hear. frcim,&+efcsr.; days; . w yd,,? .you i i f epaiilin& .. . ,Mr. Rufus Obi. ' , . .. W ~ P A BRE~L-V.. ~E P 0 BOX 32, ; Port' Fiarccurt, 10th .July,,,1960. Dear, Paidilia; .. I have seen that what you want is.. to liquidate me. and see;that m y . pocket is empty ,and. nothing more..YLiu ,ark not, a;';true li)ver7';'otherwise, ,there is ncr'ieasdn wRjl..yod sha~ild 'be'.'demanding f r ~ m me always like that. . : T Ikfrfrahk a d c a t i d i d , I have.gothing' to .give '"& you as Christmas preielice. .If .you d a n t to switch to modxn boys .,because I did not give you,,money and Christmas presence, 'do t:iat without delay. Recgltly, my motheraied, but: you did not care e you are t o sM me message'6'f 'condole~~ck,;,iris'tedd ask.ing'for Ckristm i s :prese~$e. 'Thi$ shows ,'the: type of;i?;irl. you"are.. 'It $ubsequentIy proves': t6 me':what wb'itld have'4fappend ' tiad 1 ' agreed to have ybu as my: wife: as.:jrsu.jjrevi.ously wggtsted. . ; ~ . ~ bwtite~me :;gain. I 'donot usually,:tiefrieud ," i gijls of. your type. Yours ,faithfully; Rufus Obi. I @ ~ R T A N T : - When.. coqstructing. iove. ..letter .try.. to say,,,: scy~thing;that ig.to,.-,attract , your :..lover. and, ,., perhaps remind him/her of the past events. In case 23 �his relative dies, d o not fail to send him "message @fcondolence", because this will make him t o understand that you are a true lover. T o demand always from a lover is bad. Love is equal. Any lover could spend on behalf of the other whether male or female. COMPOSITION Composition is a way or channel of expressing ones idea on a particular topic clearly, and properly. In other to score a good mark in a composition, one must start very well and at the same time, end very well. The compositor must arrange his points paragraph by paragraph so as to present a reasonable outlook and at the same time convince the reader or the examiner, so that he/she will become an expert in essay writing. If this important objective is not achieved, the essay may not be interesting which will result t o a loss of make. Below is an example of a good composition. The topic is "Benin Village of Tomorrow" BENIN VILLAGE OF TOMORROW There are many in our country who idealise the Village of Benin City. Kwaki was one of these, Philip also had a yearning for the quiet countryside where one could regetate and reminate to one's hearts content, and yet perhaps a few of us today would like t o be permanent dwellers in a village. As a member of Benin community, I would like to be swept forward in the current of modern life even at the cost of being somewhat dizzy with the motion. We d o not want t o be left in the backwater of a n antiquated age which constitute life in a village. No one will for a moment, under-value the quietness, the sweatnesr, and even the poetry tbat the greent fields, the blue �skies, the colourful scenery -of a - v i l l a g e.hold up before.aor eyes; But- mddera. lif&--is.fwttj&-activity. There -is much to do an round, so much to change and to build anew. In the past, man was the slaves of an unkno*n destiny, !tie victim 01 change e\:ents. Today, :IS the poet sings 'man is she master of all things,' and therefore man has to nork inorder to build up a 'Brave new world' which he feels is for him to make or to unmake. The City and not the village, is the place bvhere most. of this work can be done. Villages, of course, cannot and must not be abolished as long as the ear111 has to be cultivated to give us our daily breLd, we will have villages, s"al1 semi-self contained se~tlements where the tillers of the soil live in close touch with the earth, and in intimate and fruitfulco-opemtion with their fellowmen, wha bring them help in many ways. But, the village tomorrow will not be at all like the village cf the past or exen of today. She will have to b e unbanished. She will have to be something between a viilage and s town -- a toHn in the midst of orchard and gardem, and surrounded by greet] corn field. The first step towards this urbanisation is to bring electricity to ekery cottage. Electricity will remove the depressing darkness of rural evenings. An illuminated night time will mean an extension of the day, and therefore, an addition to the span of human life. Not only will our homes look brighter, we will have clubs and hbraries aud even contiuuation Schools, for our workers, Try to imagine an electrified villsge booming with activities of all kinds, p h y s i c a I and intellectual and the differences with �the .village.~ ftodap.wil~.::bc. . at ,.once apparent. Fortuo; telyiour hy n~:leqlrm multi-purpose scheme Damode, Bhakra, Hirakud, fangabhadra. etc, will soon carry electric p0wc.r to distant villages, und thus transform thcm. Rural economy rest on small cottage, icdustries. The importance of artisan and the craftman, who bring to bear upon his art a ~ craft the personal d touch the hereditary skill that makes for beauty will always, remain. But electritication will also lead to the setting up of small mqqhines which will save labour and increase productio'n accorfing to the law of economics. Dr. Chike Obi's ambitious project of developing cottage Industries on the Russian model, may change the outlook in Benin villages The cottage will have their small machines to mdnufacture parts that will go into a common pool to a th: miking of bigger mao~inery. T : wat:h iqdustary in China is organised on this plain. 4 modern village will have scope for many new industries, like canning fruits pasturising milk, producing butter, and so on. Necessarily these will mean increased wealth for the village. They will also meau more vital existence. They lazy indifference of the village of today will be-substituted by a wide awake, many sided outlook. The Benin villagers of my dream will have all the amenities of the city ~ i t h o u tthe dearincss that goes with it. It will fell the stir of life without it's fretful fever. It will nor allow nerves to become frayed not the mind to become weary- It will cherish betuty and peace as things to be valued, but not at the expense of the Dynamic Urge which sweeps us through the years change to change unceassily. We are looking forward to the time when the completion of our river valley project will help us to transform our village into garden town. 26 �Remember that we have there kinds of Eassy:. I Descriptive Easjy 2 Argumentative Eassy & 3 harrative Eassy. Whenever you wish to write a composition. 1 Try to think about what you actually want to write 2 Hold some neccessary and also interesting important phrases. 3 D o not forget that your duty in writing .cornpositian is to sdy all you know about the :opic and not to change it. 4 Know the use of some parls of speech, such as: Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adverb, Adjective. Preposition, Conjunction and Interjection. 5 Let your composition have a good beginning and ending. 6 Check your your tenser whether present or past tense stick to one tense. 7 Try to make your oucline or headline to enable you to write briefly. 8 Avoid the use of big words for small w o r h because by so doing, you are trying to make youself a fool. 9 Do nct feil tbat when )ou use big or colloqual words your are well educated. 10 Give a good pilragraph to enable people to understand you. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 These are the example of "headlines" 10 use, if you were asked to write a composition on the "Stenographer" Who is a Stenographer? A Historical Note Importance in modern Office Qualification Technical Professional Some general reflection Conclusion 27 �7. (a) (b) (c) I 1. When constructing an essay on ' Farming 4 s a Career" use the following outlines:Farming generally applied to the cultivation of the soil for raising food crops. Gradually it came to mean organised production of all food material 'ncluding milk, poultry h0n.y etc. It's immense scope i n a large Agricultural country like Niper,a. It offers scope for variety s s well as large scale production, The worid shortage of food also is an incentive, The educational side of farming is gaining . importance. Modern farmiop is based on scientific vrincivles Hence the necd for Agricul~ure ~ o l l e ~ eand s research Industries These could be attached to big farm s o r located in ao area of large scale farming operative The organisatiooal side is all-important Kinds of Organisation Large scale farming to operative farming Collective farming--these are different type ~f organisation favoured in America, Indin and China respectively. . The India way sezk a synthesis of the Amercan and communist way The basis of all is the supersession of manual me~hodby mechanical appliances. The use of tractors for cultivating the soil, of incubators for hdtching egss etc. Different Departments of farming: Agriculture poultry, dairy, bean farming. Each has it's specialised training. And includes not. only scientific product~onbut of presertion as wellHence the scope for opening useful occupations is very great. What should be done so that farmiog would develope more, in general. Conclusion. 28 �If you want to write an easay oo "A College Debate" use the following outlines:1, 2. 3. 4. 5. Important of debate in modern times. A debate described. The subject matter. The speakers The chairman and other judges. 6 Voting 7. Remarks by the chairman. Judgement not on moral reflection or meaning but on points raised by the speakers. "00 point" raised by the speakers. 8. The result. 9. Impressions. Let me write a composition with these headlines so that you will follow me quite well. "A COLLEGE DEBATE" We are living in an aee of parliamentary democracy, We have to train ourselves to bc effective speakm and ready debater$. A good debater must be ahle to speak extempore, to aoswer the point raised by the previous speaker, to state clearly with reacons his own points of view, and to be able to combine arguments that convince with appeals that move the motions. FIe must not onlv speak fluently, logically, and with eloquence, but he must excel in the cut and thrust of debate in smart repartee and good humoured rebuff. T o acquire masmy over these, a good deal of training and practice is neccessary. Hence in these days, debates often comdl~cted on parliamentry line have become a feature OF college and eveD of school life. 29 �principles, ani dangerous in practice, and should be forthwith abondoned. As the resolution mooted a subje.:t on which feeling was running high, and was couched i n rather provocaWe language, the interest was great indeed and, u e back-benchers gathered together in laree numbers i3 expectation of a highly exciting debate. On ihe due date, classes were suspended for some time before the debate was takiog place and the students filled into the college hall aod took their seats, it wss apparent that a great deal of lobbying nad already taken place, for the promergers and the anti-mergers occupied opposite secrors of th- hall, grouped i n compact bodies. The neutrals not that there were many of them took there seats as they were attracted by conveniecce o r fiendship. The mover of the motion was allowed fifrecn minutes i n which he spoke in support of his resolu!ion. He had come, prepared and he spoke concisely, and pointedly. H: s:t f x t h th: genesis of the proposal, adduced arguments in support and explained the powerful reasons against it. His was a balaced speech. But not so speech of :the ssconder. It was a fiery oration, full of personal attacks, scathing criticism and withering scorn. And with that, the atm0sphe.e suddenly became electric words, were bandiee about noisy interruption proved strong counter attacks, crles of '~ithdraw' 'withdraw were met with louder cries: of 'shame,' 'sbame.' Some oi the spee~bes showed high oratorical gifts, some excdled inectite, orthers in argument, some spoke with deliberation others with anergy. The chairman, I must say, d'd his job admirably. �3 e pulled up speakers who were too personal or too irrelevant; he cooled down rising temperature with untimely jest, in relaxing the prescribed tirnelimit for speakers, he wisely took the sense of the house. After a full two hours debate, the mover was called upon to reply to the criticisms made. From the manner in which he disposed arguments that had been raised against him, it was clear that he -Mas a trained speaker. He made votes by promptly accepting a verbal alteration suggested by one member in an amendmeot which substituted the word 'Antinational' and 'angrous' by the less provocative word 'wrong' and likely to be dangerous. I believed that the acceptance of these sight changes was responsible for the overwhelming majority by which tbe resolution declared carried. So, overwhelming indeed was the vetd~t that a counting was not considered neccessar y. I am not a good or even tolerabie speaker myself. Perhaps that explains the admiration I felt for the various qualities exhibited by many of my friends. But my honest opinion is that many of the speakers sbowed excellent promises, and if given the opportunity at last, some of them will impress large audiences in the years to come. AGREEMENTS Agreement is a concord comformity, bargain o r contract between a person, company or group of individuzls and the other starting clearly what and how the person or persons agreed upon the matter. An agreement must be duly signcd by the people concernd, and their respective witnesses. Stamp should also be affixed acc. rding to the nature of agreement. The value of the stamp on an agreement depends upon the type of ageeement. �There are two kinds of Agreements, One is a "Written" agreement and the otber is a "Verbal agreement: AGREEMENT: Verbal Agreemenst is the one which is not written, but simply agreed upon i n the presence of witness invied. At the moment, we are not concerned with verbal agreement, but only a written one. VERBAL " DANGER" Of Verbal 4greement: Verbal agreem e x is not good and advisable in this age of modern civ lisation and parliamentry democracy. People could easily denv rhe other hence the agreement was not jotted down. If such issue 1s taken to the lnw court, the court is to fild it difficult to discover the truth, hence nothing was written In the olden days when people were God fearing and trustwor!hy, verbal agreement was good and useful. During these days, people were not educated and even there were no no schools at all. And in fact, they h ~ d alternative crder than verbal agreement. But now, let us forget all about \ertal agreement, and rdhere to the written one. Below is an example of a written agreement. "The agreement is made between Mr. Ikeotuonye Akpugbo and Albert Ibe" negotiating for the sale of a motor car. "Agreement b e t ~ e e nMr. Ikeotuonye Akpugbo and Albert Ibe. T o day being 29th Februarv, 1964, we Mr. Ikeotuoove Akpougbo and Albert Ibe both of Nnewi agreed as follows:-1, That a motor car, "E. 0. 7721" which fcrmerIv beloneed ro Mr. Albert Ibe has been sold to ~ r lke%uonye;Akpugbo at tbe cost of (£200) two . hundred pounds 2. Thsb hence the car has been sold to Mr Ike. otuonye, Mr Albert has no legal claim over it again. �That Mr. Ikeotuonye is the only person who has a legal claim over the said car. 4. That all the documents relating to the said car has been transfered to Mr. Ikeotuonye who is the legal onner of the car. 5. That after Mr. Ikeotuonye, his family members are to be the legal owner of the car. 6. That all the car documents bearing the same of Albert remains valid, though Mr. Ikeotuonye is the legal owner of the car. 7. Th3t if any one violated abuses or break this agreement, he will be liable to a court action and he is to pay a total cost of (£250) two hundred and fifty pounds to the other excluding the awardb of the court. SIGNED: M . Ikeotuonye His signature. r Mr. Albert Ibe His signature. In the presence of the following people as witnesses:1. Chukwuemeka Onwuka His signature I$ ,* 2. Wilberforc,: Onwuka Tnis agreement is signed before me on this 29th day' of February 1964. SIGNED WILFRED I. ONWUKA 3 Typist and witness to the whole signature Five shillings stamp affixed to make this agreement absolutely valid. Before you sign an agreement between you and any person or company 1 Try to read it over and over for several times 2 Be sure that it was what you actually agreed upon that was written 3 Study the whole phrases and clauses in that agreement properly as they may carry a differem meaning 4 Try to sigo it in the prestnce of the whole party concerned. �5. Be sure that it was not drafted by yourself alone. And also be sur; that others signrd the agreement. 6. Be sure that it is read and interpreted in any understandable local language. If possible, an agreement is supposed to be signed berore a lawyer or a legrl expcrt. Be io case a vendor or purch-ser is an illiterate or not properly educated, let him or 18er p r o d ~ c z his or her closed educated relative to read and interpret the words of the agreement fix him. This is to ascertain that the whole people concerned knew the actual contents of the agreement befor sloging it or affixing their thumb print. TELEGRAMS A telegram is written urgent message frorne one person to another, in the most shortest and precisent form. The amount of money lo be pald to the post and telegrm dcpertmeni depends largely upon the number of the words in the telegram. How to draft a telegram: If one wishes to draft a telegram, one must try to draft in the most shortest form inorder to avoid paying heavy amount of money. T o show you what a telegram is, let me send a telegram to Margret lkemefuna who is now for holidays at Sokoto and it bappens that ,on school will suddenly reopen on 29th Jaouary, 1964. But, she did not know before. The telegram will reads as follows:- Margret I kemefuna , Box 2 Sokoto Proceed school summoned 19th January Tbis telegram contains, only 10 words, and the person who is sending the telegram will have to pay about 216 to the post and telegram department. �HOW TO SPMK .lW PUBLIC 1 How to use your voice. It is very important to know how to use y5mr voice properly when speaking in public. 2 A few simple exercise can be recommended for a person. 3 As a matter of fact everybodyuses the riddle po:tion of the voice for ordinray conversation 4 You must also remember that the mouth should be well opened and the teeth apart otherwise your voice well. 5 In the first place there is the position of the speaker to ,be considered 6 If the occasion happens to be a wedding, break- fast, a dinner party, there wo4d be no plantform from which to speak. 7 A simple start in this way would be imposible for a local parliament which must have a fzir : number of me.nbers if it is to b a success. 8 This wonderful power of linking together words or facts uhich appear to have no relationship 9 Tkere are many other examples in our language of fine differences between words one of the most abused examples being the popular confusion between want and need. 10 This last point is indeed the essenst matter a couple of friend. of the �CONTENT VERBS To beat, To Hit, To Strike, To Kick, To Pucnh be a t bear beaten. hit hit hit strike struck struck kick kicked kicked punch punched punched . *.- Look at the following sentences: 1 John beats his donkey, (with his hand) 2 His father beat him. (with a strap (or) piece of leather) But. 1. Tom hit Henry (with his hand) 2. Tom struck Henry (on the face, with his hand 3. Albert kicked Joe (on the leg, with his foot 4. Henry punched Sam with his fist, as i3 boxing or 1. Tom hit the ball at tennis 2. Sam kicked the ball at football Also Sam beat Joe at tennis, at boxing; ie :. Sam won and Joe lost. . DRILLS A. Ask and answser the following questions:Example: Q. Did Tom hit Jim on the nose? A. Yes, he did. 1. Did Joe beat Henry at tennis? 2. How did Charles hurt John's foot? 3. What does your father do to you when you behave badly. �4 How is the man cruel t~ his '~ousz? 5 What are you doirg with the football? b Does Albert hit tbe ball hard at tennis? 7 Where did Herbert strike his nei,:hboor? 8 What is the servant doing to the carpet? 9 What did you do to make your brother? 10 How did you hurt your eves? B But in the missing word and then reDear the sentence as a w h o k - George. the ball into the goal , the other boy on the nose Sam Henry..........the dog with the whip Oscar............his school mate in the face with his open hand. Richard .........-.a nail in the wall We.......... the visiting school at football f You should never -...... anyone smaller than yoursel You can, ......a golf ball more than three hundred yards My carpet needs ........... 10 He .-.... me with his book GAMES SPORTS GYMNASTICS NOTE: 1 To play games, I play football, or To go in for games or I go In for football 2 To go in for spots. I 40 in for boxing (shooting, riding, etc.) or 1 box, (I shoot, I ride, etc. �3 To do gymnastics; or. tn go.in-.fclrgymntistiW GAMES footblll tenis tabletennis basket-ball cricket to play c.r hockey to go in for squash golf polo chess cards backgammon SPORTS box ., . ivrestle. swim run jump to ride shoot in fcr hunt walk fish skate ski .$aki'$g. .+resrfia$ .syirnmi@ rur~ning jumping to go ridink shooting hunting walking fis;:ing skatinp sking DRILLS A. Ask and answer the following questions: - EXAMPLES:- Q. What does George do? A. He plays tennis, or he goes in for tennis Q. What does Thomas do? A. He boxes, or he goes in fbr boxing. 1 What does Tom do? 2 What does Joscph do? 3 What does Henry do? 4 What does George do? 5 What does Albert do? 38 ( tennis ) ( table tennis) ( swimming ) ( cricket ) ( boxing ) �6 What does Herbert do? (walking) (basket-ball) (chess) (skating! 7 8 9 10 What What What &hat B. Ask and answer the following questions:Example:- Q. Ans. does Mary do? does Robin d o ? does Richard do? do you d o ? ( 7) Does Sam ride? Yes, he rides, or Yes, he does. No, he stGims, or No, he doesn't ride, he swims. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Does Alfred s ~ i m ? Does your brother go in for boxing? Does Arthur skate? ( N ........................tennis) Does George play back gammon? No .,. . chess Dots your friend play cricket?, No ............ ..swimming 'Does your father shoot? No .............................. working Does Charles play basket-ball? No ..................skating Does Henry fish? No ...................... hunting Does James go in for hunting? 10 Do you go in for golf? MEANS OF TRAVEL T o go by Train, Bus, Boat, etc. Look at the following sentence?:- 1 The best way to get to the cinema from here is to go by bus. 2 He went there on a dookey. �NOTES:We,.g~.._by, vehicle, by train,_:& bus. by car, by bicy.cJei.:,by aeroplane, b y . train,, ets. But we go on foot, on horse-back, on a donkey, on a camel. A. Ask and answer the following questions:- Q. Is i t quicker to go on foot or by car? Ans. It is quicker to go by car. 1 1s it cheaper to go by car or on foot? 2 Is it more comfortable to go on a horse or by train s 3 T it quicker to go by plane or by boat? 4 Is it more comforti ble to go by bicycle or by car? 5 Is it cheaper to go on a donkey or by car? 6 Js it cheaper to go by planc or by car? 7 Is it quicker to go by carrlage or on foot? 8 Is it pleasant to go by bus or by train? 9 Is it noiser to go by train or on a horse? 10 Is it dirtier to go by train or by plane? b. Ask and answer the following questions: Q. D o rich people usually go by car or on a donkey? Ans. They go by car. 40 �Q. To get to the other end of the street, Would yau go by train or on foot. Ans. I should go on foot. To get to England from America, would you go by boat or on a horse? Do people in the very North of Europe go on camels or on foot? Do more people travel by train or by plane? To get to n Londbn house from the office would you go by bus or on a camel? To get to South Africa from Egypt, would you go by plane or by train? To get from New York to tbe pacific coast of America, would you go by bicycle or by train? Do people in Denmark go short distances go by bicycle or by aeroplane? Do you come to school on foot or by car (If neither, how) To get to the next town, would you go on foot or by boat (If neither, how) Do every poor people go by car or on foot.? Do you prefer to travel by boat or by plane. To get to the top of a mountain, would you go on foot or on a horse. To cross a lake, would you go by bus or by bicycle. (If neithx, how) To have a healthy holiday in the country, would you go by plane or on foot. Do villagers in the Near Easter travel on donkeys or by car. �Tocome, To go, T o walk. To run. To ritlc etc. (It is adviseable tnat this,Section be done in conjuction with the previous one si Ice the two are very closely connected. ... 1 :. I came here by car.. 2 1 went there by car. 3 I walked there. as it was nof far. 4' t ran' there, as there wa.s fi'ftle time. .5. 1 ; rode there,-as my friend was nb!e to take me in his car.. XOTE- "The 'most 'common verbs of mot~on or movement are to come and to go. We can use them '('with or without. the helpof adverb phrases)to express,.any k i n d of motion -(see 'Means of Travel' p, 94.) Thus you can sav. "I came (or went) by car (or bybus, by train, by boat, on foot, etc.) Never say, 'I rode here in a car.', Say either necessary to mention what kind of vehicle it was, simply" .'I rode here.' "I walked here" and 'I came here on foot" mean very nearly the same thing. I came here on foot, ,may also mean I ran here. Do not mlx their two expressions up. Above all, never use the verb *to run for anything except fast motion on foot. ( T o run can be used in other way, but it is safer to keep t o its chief meaning.) Other verbs of motion that you may sometimes -peed a r q l . t o sail, to drive, to swim, to row, to . 'march' to fly. Do.,,not use any adverb phrases to make the meaning clear. The complete meaning is ':already iWfhe verbs. , �Ask and ioswer the following questions:- Examples: .Q. How would you go if you h a . d no money? A. If I had, no money I should walk, or I should go 00 foot. Q. How would jcu gel across a lirte boat \kith oars? A. 2 lake if you had I should row across it How would you get across a river if there were no. bridge and )ou had no boat? , 2. How would yo.1 g,) from India to England if you were in a hurry and had plenty of moncy? 3. How would you reach the polic station in the next strect if somebody had juht been . murdered? 4 Hou would you get to your work. if it ,were : too fdr to walk?5. How would a co n p n j of 'soldiers get to the next town if they were alt on foot? 6. How would you go from Europe to the far East if you waated a pleasant journey of about five weeks? . 7. How would you go donn rbe river Nile if there were n6 steamer or motor boat. 8. How shodd you go across France if you were by yourself and had a car? 9. - How would you go from Paris to Rome if you want ihe quickest way? 10. How would go if you waated to spend an afternoon in the park? 1. �11 12 13 14 15 How would go up a .river if you had a small sailing boa ? How woald you get to rhe fire station if a fire broke out io o u r house and there were neither telephones nor L , chides of nny Kind. How would you go about if you were in the country and had a house? 8 o w would you go i t the place you wanted to reach is only a a d z awav and had a bicycle. How would you get if )ou w & @ d to to get to one end cf L o c d o ~ , frc m the other the quiekest way TO FIND, TO FOUND fiad found found found founded founded Look at the following Sentences:- 1 I found a shilling in the street 2 1 cannot find my hat 3 The letter was founded amoung the rubish. 4 Mr. Smith's fathe'r founded thz business 5 The business was founded by Mr. Smith's hther. NOTE T o find has the sense of to discover, to come upon. The past tense is found and the passive . infinitive is to be found. T o found has the sense of to start. We use it especially of such thing, as building (schools hospitals) aud business. The past tense is founded and the passive infinitive is to he founded. �Never mixt the two r*ord~ up. to find is a wry common word and to found no1 a very common word. DRILLS A. Ask and answer the following questions:- Example: Q. Wculd you find o r found a pocket-book? A. You would find it. , Would you find or found a long lost friend? l 2 Would you your food? 3 Would you own. 4 Would you 5 W o d d you 6 Would you ,ticket? 7 Would you 8 Would you 9 Would you 10 Would you find or found a bite of dirt in find or found a big shop of your find or found a letter on the table? find or fouod a home for old people? find or fouod an unused ra~lway find or found new museum? find or found the way home? find or found a dog in your garden? find o r found an old shoe? 8. Complete each of the folbwiog sentences putting i n the correct form of, to find or to found. Repeat each of the sentences as a whole. �Example: I have.......................a fly in my glass. A I have found a fly in my glass. Q 1 If I had enough money, 1 should ............a house for the poor children. 2 He............ the key he thoupht he had lost in his trouser pocket. 3 I cannot any rest here. 4 Haven't you ................ your pen yet? 5 Lord stop shire the club fifty years ago 6 I cannot ................ the answer to the question 7 Whsre wai the baby .............................? 8 Charles Dickens ...................... that newspapers. 9 He.................. gold watch in the Gar a 10 Tne society was.... by the president. 11 Can't you ..---..". any thing to d o ? 13 Hasn't he............ anything to do? 13 If you turn left you will ..........thz buildin: opp6site you. 14 Your hopes are on sand 15 Diamonds are ,................in South Africa. To Discover, To Invent, discover discovered discovered To Explore invent invented invented explore explored explored Look at the following senteoces A I Cbristopher Columbus discovered America. 2 The driving power of s!eam was discovered by Hero of Alexandra. B I Trevethick invented the Railway eogioe. 2 The aeroplane was invented by the Wright Brothers C I Mungo Park explored the river Niger after discovering it. �2 After discovericg the new land, the men explored it and so learned many interesting things about it. NOTE: T b -disk&er ineans%oEnd or' t o - find a thing or a place :for ~ht&sr t h e .. . ~o'jnvent: means to think out something:newl T o cxplere:- .fleans to travel through a. strange place and learn something about it. DRILLS A. Ask and answer the following questions:Example: Q Who discovered Hawaii A Captain C o ~ k discovered Hawaii Cook did or Captain 1 Who discovered disease germs? (Pdsteur) 2 Who discovered the River Niger'! (Mungo Park) 3 Who discovered Tutankhomen's tomb? (soward Carter) 4 Wllo discovered the malaria-carrying mosquito? Ross 5 Who discovered the sea route to I n d ~ a ? (Vasco Da Gama) 6 Who discovered a cure for smallpox? (Jenner) 7 Who discovered the Victoria Falls? (Livingstone) 8 Who discove~ed the heavenly body Uranus? (Herschel) 9 Who discovered r.rdium as a cure for certain disease ? (Curie) 10 Who discovered the reason why bodies fall to earth? (Nowton) 47 �B. Ask and answar the following questions:- 1 Who ivented a printing press in Europe (Gutenberg) 2 Who iovented a way of makinn steel? (Bassemer) 3 Who invented the first practical steam engine? (Savery) 4 Who invented the cotton gin? (Eli Whitoey) 5 Who inlented the sewing machiw? (Howe) 6 Who invented the telegraph'! (Morrison) 7 Who invented long distance wireless telegraphy? (Marconi) 8 Who invented the telephone? (Graham Bell) 9 Who invented electric lightine? (Edison) 10 Who inveoted the safety lamp for miners? (Davy) C. Ask and answer the following questions: I Who explored some of the coldest parts of the world? Shackleton 2 Who explored parts of "vlexico? Cortes 3 Did Columbus explore America after discovering it? (No) 4 Have you ever explored any of the ancient Egyptain temples? 5 Have you ever explored your village? 6 Have you ever explored-the capital of your coun~ry? 7 Have you ever explored the desert? 8 Has the whole world been explored yet? 9 Have you ever explored any old buildings? 10 Wbich part of the world would you like to exploref �TO LeARPJ, TO FIND OUT, TO KNOW You learn a subject Thus, I am learning French You fin3 out information Thus, I found out his name (You can often use to learn instead of to find out 'Thus, "I learned his name.") You know something you have already learned or foun dout. Thus, 1 knowmy own language (Because I learned it as a child.) DRILLS Put the correct forms of to learn, t o find . out, or t o know in each of the following sentence and then repeat each sentence as a whole:Example: Babies must ....... .how to walk Babies must learn how t o walk I am ~ o i - g o the station to.................. nt when the train .starts I am goiog to the station to find out when the train starts. Fish ......- how t o swim Fish know how t o swim. �A' ' g o d teacher ......how to keep hi*'pupi.ls:.in 2 We are now ......... English 1 order 3 Have you ever - .. ..Russian? 4 Do you ........... Russian? 5 Can you ...........if he is coming 6 Birds............ how to fly 7 Yesterday I ............ a pzom by he@ .* . 8 I it so well now that I cao say it backwards 9 A successful business man .......... how to make 'money 10 You must ............... her address tomorrow I I Please.......... whether he still has my watch 12 They................. that I do not believe them 13 I have ........how to do it now how to do it now? 14 Do you ............ 15 You me very well 16 He was drowoed because he did not ..... how to swim 17 He was drowned because he had not .....how to swim 18 Most people......how to ride a bicycle very quickly 19 I want to......where ought to go ........... 20 I have forgotten where it is, but once 1 what has happened to him 21 Nobody 22 It is the business of the police to.......... who committed the crime. my friend, don't you? 23 You 24 Have you ...... the lesson? 25 There isnot enough time to ............the trick 26 D o you ...... where I can get one? 27 I came to see you but..- that you had gone out how to do it 28 It took us a long time to 29 All English children in secondary schools .....French 50 �30 W e you - sta+.qhool you---how hn to speak 31. He' hasn't'been able t........:....what they are doing 6: 32 You are wrong: I...... -..-it docs not cost as much as that. 33 Would you mind ............, if the cat is still in the house. 34 I don't.,. ,... how to tell you. 35 You will have to.. , - to be more polite. TO Drown, TO be Drowned, To Sink, To F l a t . sink drown drowned sank drowaed sunk float floated floated Look at the following sentences:. 1 Many men were drowned when the boat sank 2 The man sank and rose again to the surface of the water. 3 The ship was sunk by the guns of the enemy. 4 Iron sinks: wood floats. 5 The man drowned his cat. 5 The man drowned himself Note To To To To drowned to cause death by water. be drowned: to die by water. sink: to disappear below the surface of water. float: to remain on the surface of the water 51 �Ask and answer the following questions - I How many men *ere drowned when the boat sank-? 2 How ixany won en drowned nhtn.the beat sank? 3 How many childrendrowned uhen the boat sank? 4 Wer, many of the crew drowned when the boat sank? 5 Did the ship sink in deep water? 6 Wtere did the ship sink? 7 Why did the ship sink? 8 By whom was the battle zhip sink? 9 W h ~ did the crew do when the ship began to sink? t 10 Why did ihe man drown the rat>? 11 Why did the man drown himself? 12 Will you be dromned if you cannot swim? 13 Where was he drowned? 14 Were many people drowned in the flood? 15 Would yo11 help a man who was drcwnin,? 16 Does a paper sink or floot? 17 Does gold sink or floot? 18 Do heavy metals sink or floot? 19 Does cork sink or floot? 10 Does rubber sink or floot? ,To be Born, To Die, To be Dead. die died die �Look at the fdtewing sentencee: 1 2 3 4 5 - My brother was born before I was. William Shakespeare uas born in 1564 and died died in 1616. Napoleon died in 1821. He is wearing black clothes because his father has just died. H i s father is not alive; he is dead. DRILLS A. Ask and answer the following questions:- Example Q. When were yog born. Ans. I was born in 1921 or I was born-years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ago. When was Napoleon born? (1759) When was Harounal Rashid born? (1786) When was Louis Pasteur born? (1812) When was Peter the Great born? (1672) When was Ahmed Shawki, the famous Egyptian poet born? (1853) When was Mar:oni born? (1874) When was Galizo born (1564) When was Sir Issac Newton born? (1642) When was Thomas Edison born? (1864) When was Tennyson, the Fmglish poet born (1852 �A. Ask and answer the following questions:- Q. Where were you born? Ans. I was born in Egvpt. 1 Where was your king born? 2 Where was Shakespeare born? (England) 3 Where was Victor Hugo born? (Fmnce) 4 Where was Nelson horn? (England) 5 Where were your brothers horn? (England) 6 Where were your parents born? 7 Where were your uncle born? 8 Where was Alexander the great born? (Maccdon) 9 Where was Plato born? (Greece) 10 Where was Voltarie born? (France) b. Ask and answer the following questions. Example:- Q. When did Swift, the English writer, die? Ans. Swift died in 1745. I When did Queen Victoria of England die? (1901) 2 When did Alfred the Great die? (1626( 3 When did Francis Bacon die? (1901) 4 When did Lord Beaconsfied die? (1881) 5 When did Marco Polo die? (1323) 6 When did Duke of Marlborough die? (1722) 7 When did Marie Antoitte die? (1793) 8 When did Philip V of Spain die. (1746) 9 When .did Rousseau die (1778) 10, When did James Watt die (1819) �Q. Is he dead? Ans. Yes, he is died Q. Hai he dead Aos. Yes, he has died. or Yes, he is. No he is not dead or No he is not (isn't) or Yes, he has. No he has not died or No he has not (hasn't) Is Is 3 Is 4 Is I 2 Julius Caesar dead Christopher Co!umbus dead Cleopatra dead. Hitler dead? Has Hitler died? I. We only use this form of people who have been living recently. 5 Is your father dead? 6 Is Marco polo dead ? 7 is Aristotle dead? 8 Is Shakespeare dead? Has your father died? TO SAY, TO TELL. Look at these sentences: A. I said to him, "I shall return soon." (Direct speech) I told him that 1 shall return soon. NOTE:- (Indirect speech) 1. Change sly to (said to) into tell (told) when changin direct into indirect speech �2. When you use tell (told) in Indirect"kpeech, it must be followed by the name of person by a personal pronoun. Now look at these sentences:- B. He said, "I am angry" (Direct speech) He said that he was angry (Indirect speech) When turning D~rectinto Indirect speech do not change say (said) unless it is followed by the name of a Person or a ~ersoni1"pronon. NOTE:- DRILLS A. Ask and answer the following questions:- Example:- Ans. I Q. What did he say when you shouted? He said that he was not deaf. What did he say when you came late? : What d ~ d say when vou gave him the book? he 3 4 5 6 7 What did they say when they heard the news? Who said that there would be a holidays soon? Who said that there would beno lessons tomorrow Who said that the war would end soon? Did you say that you were sad. 8 Did you sav that you were happy 9 When did he say he would return 10 Why did you say that' you would not come. B. Ask answer,the following questions:- 1. What did he tell you when you said that you had failed. 2. When did you tell his father that he was in need of money? �3 When did he tell you itre gaod newsZs 4 When did he tell his father that he was i~ need money? 5 Who told you that there would be holidays soon? 6 Who told him to work hard? 7 Why 'did you tell him t o go away? 8 Why did you not tell him what had happened? g Did he tell you that he was ill? 10 Did he tell you that he was going to England soon. MOTE:- 2 3 4 5 The verb 'te tell' is also used as follows:- T o tell a story. T o tell the truth. To tell a lie. T o tell the time. T o tell one thing from another. DRILLS A. Ask and answer the following questions:1 Who told you that story? 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 When did he tell you that story? Did he tell you an interesting story? Why did you tell lie. Was he punished for telling a lie? Will you be believed if you always tell the truth. Do newspapers always tell the truth. Can you tell the time of his arrival. Who told you the time of his arr~val. Can you know a good book from a bad one. Can you know a horse from a cow. �12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Can you tell the difference from a pen and pencil. Do you tell lies? Do you always tell the truth? Can you tell me an amusing story. Can you tell the difference between a boot and a shoe. Can you tell me the time of his departure. What happens to people whp tell ties. Are people who tell the truth honesty. Does your teacher tell you stories. . TO HEAR, TO LISTEN. Look at the following Examples:- 1 I heard him speaking but was too tired to listen to him. 2 Listen to what I say. 3 You should always listen carefully to what your teacher is saying. 4 I listened to his speech but did not hear any thing I have oot heard before. 5 I have just heard the sound of a gun. When you listen to a person talking, you will not only hear him but you also pay attention to what he is saying. You can hear a person talking without paying attention to what he is saying. NOTE:- �Drills (a) . A k and answer the following questions : s - 1. Can .you hear the rain beating zgainst the windows. 2. Cim you hear what I am saying? 3. Did you hear the noise of the children phyirig? 4. Can deaf people' hear? 5. Would you sit near a speaker 0:: far away from him if you wish to hear him? 6. Can you hear the noise outside? 7. Can you h+ir the wind blowing? 8. Have you ever heard a .great mao's speech? 9. Can you always hear well when someone is 10. Have you ever heard birds singing? (b) . Ask and answer the following pestions : I. Did you listen to what he was saying? 2. D o you always listen to what ycur teacher is saying. 3. D o you always listen to t!le acvice your father gives you? 4. D o you listen to his speeches? 5. What will happen.if you do not listen to a person when he is spe3king to you? 6. Did you listen to the music which was played last night7 7. Did you listen to him when he was telling you a story? 8. Will you remember what your teacher says if you do not listen to him? 9. Can you hear a person without I'steoing to speaking to you over the telephone? him ? 10. D o you like listening to a good speaker? 59 �TO catch, to take, to obtain, to re;eived receive obtain received obtained obtained received Look at the following sentences : (A) I. I caught tbc which he threw to me. 2. I stayed in bed all lasbweek because I tad caught cold. 3. The policeman ran after the thief but could not catch him. catch caught caught take took taken I. Take this and don't ask for more. 2. I gladly took the money which he gave me. 3. 1 have forgotten to take my books with me when 1 went our. ( c ) 1. I obtained high marks in my last examination. 2. You can obtain all kinds of food at grocer's 3. He obtained d l the money he needed from ' his father. (B) When did you receive that letter? 2. Did you receive the book I sent you yesterday. 3. As soon as he he received my money, he sent me a receipt. (D) I . Drills (a ) . Ask and anlwer the following questions : EXAMPLES : . ( q ) Did you catch the apple as it fell from the tree? ( a ) Yes, I caught apple as it fel! from the tree, or yes, I did. ' No, I did not catch the apple asi'it fell from the tree, or no, I did not/l didn't. �Order Your NIGERIAN NOVELS r . m n 17 Bright Street. o n i t s h i Friendship between boys & girlsand how to make it *s 9d The important book for Nigerian Bachelorp . ., 3s How t o write: good Letters. dad Applicati~ns 3s Forget m t not Is How to mske mertings 3s Husband and Wife 3s Awolowo and Akintola in Political Dattle 3s 6d 3s :6d How to study Hausa, Ibo. English' Languages . . .. 3s 6d How t o Write Love Letters 3s f d How LO make friends with girls Yever trust all that love you 2s 6d A guide t o Marriage 3 s bd '3 Why boys of nowadays d o not marry in' time No Condition is Permanent 3s The Way t o Succeed in Life 2s 6d About boys and gir!s 3s How t o make Love 2s- . Beware- of Women . . -3s. 6d How to get a Lady in Love 2s 6d How to write business Letters and Correct letters 2s 6d How Lumumba suffered ln lire and died in Kataoga 3s 6d Money Hard 2s 6d ,2s.6d Wonders shall never end Love shall never. End 2s 6d The Game of Love 2s 6d 3s Boy's life of Zik the man of Reason 4s' The last journey of President Keonndy Mouey hard t o get because the World is hard 3s '. First Step to study Engl~sh,.Ibo, Hausa .Yoruba 3~6d and Efik Languages Learn -to s ~ e a kEnrlish.- lbo. Hausa Bnd Yoruba Languages 3s 6d .3s 6d. How t o study and write English etc. Love at First and Hate a t Last 3s 6d: Life turns man up and down 3s 6d Man has no Rest in his Life 3s 6d Modern Hand Book 3s 6d How t o Start Life and end it well '3s 66 3s Cd English t t e language of the Modern World . . Order your copies today and become of one of onr &ntomers Immediate attention to every Order made. Order.' and have your own copy immediately. Orders should be msde with .*postal Order or Stamps. Always order your Nigerian Novqls horn: - GEBO BROTHERS SIUOWS' OWN BOOKSBOP, I7 BR16HT SIRtET, ONITSHA. P~infedby -- ALL STAR PRINTERS. 19 EMODl ST.. ONITSHA. 1 �, , , . . , .... . . ' 8 . 1 4 . ' $.-.L>' , - . HOW TO STUDY ~ . nWiTm n ions, Compositions, AGREEMENTS, BETTER SENTENSES, lMfT'JRT,dt,NT LETTERS SPEAKING PUBLIC AND TEACH IN YOUR SELFESGLIS . H � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Onitsha Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to study and write good letters, applications, compositions, telegrams, agreements, better sentences, important letters, speaking in public and teach yourself good English Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Onwuka, Wilfred Type The nature or genre of the resource Onitsha market literature Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Onitsha, Nigeria : Gebo Brothers [and] Students' Own Bookshop Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964? Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Business communication Nigerian literature (English) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ksrl.c3292 Description An account of the resource This pamphlet is another how-to guide described as a "New Grammar Book" in the preface. The author, Wilfred Onwuka, is also listed as a "compositor, poet,novelist and dramatist." He is referred to as "Master of Pen." Written mainly for "senior primary and students in the secondary schools," Onwuka notes that his aim of the pamphlet is to contribute "<em>my quota towards the educational building, progress and development of Nigeria and the world in general,</em>" (pg. 3).<br /><br />This pamphlet has morals and political statements within sample letters. Onwuka's creations include disappointment with a sister's behavior, the business dealings of an offshore company, and a request to join a different political party because the Nigeria People's Party is "foundalistic and squandamenic," (pg. 18)<br /><br />Onwuka's section on love letters offers advice about writing letters "when playing the game of love" (pg. 20). One sample written by a woman named Esther professes her own beauty and willingness to spend [i.e. make purchases] on behalf of her lover, (pg. 20). The response, from Gabriel, suggests an expectation of sexual relations "for the game of love", but not intercourse, since the practice often leads to pregnancy. This is an example of safe sex with "a Modern Girl" in Nigeria, c. 1962. <br /><br />In another sample exchange between greedy Paulina and a mournful Rufus, the author demonstrates that heavy demands placed on a lover can cause dire results, when Rufus rejects Paulina's demands for Christmas presents that will "liquidate" him, (pg. 22-23). "Love is equal", argues Onwuka, and Paulina's failure to offer condolences to Rufus after the death of his mother is cited as an egregious oversight, (pg. 24).<br /><br /> Other sections of this pamphlet explain how to write composition, agreements and telegrams. The last section of the pamphlet contains drills and exercises to improve readers' grammar and vocabulary. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. However, for this Item, either (a) no rights-holder(s) have been identified or (b) one or more rights-holder(s) have been identified but none have been located. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/</a> https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/0d80d5d736e77164b5e39d6de78832a3.jpg 508e5fb1f4d6931c768d55b264e781b2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Radicalism in Southeast Kansas Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Walter Sours Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to Teach Yourself to Swim, By Harry Hazlehurst, 1927 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Haldeman-Julius Company Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context From Walter Sours' personal collection Tweet from_user Twitter handle joshhonn from_user_id Twitter user_id 194454635 id Twitter id 2.49527E+17 profile_image_url URL of profile image http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/2505982851/5w1ecuqsi3hp8k0296s6_normal.jpeg Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Sat, 22 Sep 2012 15:15:10 +0000 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Josh Honn Title A name given to the resource How to use R software and MySQL with Google n-gram data sets: http://t.co/PybnkCcq #thatcampks https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/files/original/0579658cf2479f4e995642e88099f1e4.pdf 6dff9c20c3ee547c6fdef6a8ecbbffec PDF Text Text HOW TO WRITE ANL) REPLY LETTERS FOR MARRIAGE, VIUL YOU MARRY ME? MARIA replied ''yes". ��HOW TO WRITE AN1) REPLY LETTERS FOR MARRIAGE, ENGAGEMENT LETTERS, L O V E LETTERS AND H 9 W TO KNOW A GIRL TO MARRY THE PUBLISHER �CONTENTS How to write good letters about marriage Important questions for men. H0.w to know a girl to marry. Questions for girls. No. 1. letter comes from Christopher lke to Maria Ngozi asking to marry her. No. 2. Maria replies. No. 3. Second letter from Christopher to Maria Ngozi about marriage. No, 4. Maria replies the second letter. No. 5. A letter from Edward Mark to Paulina Ifeorna. No. 6. Paulina replies Edward Mark. Table o Contents f CHAPTER 2 An impressive love letter written by John Ukete to Edina. CHAPTER 3 An immediate reply to Johnny's letter cmPTeR 4 My love letter to you Ifeyi. CHAPTER 5 Ifeyi replies Dandy's letter. CHAPTER 6 Paddy writes to Sabina. CHAPTER 7 Sabina replies Paddy's emotional letter. CHAPTER 8 Charlie writes a love letter to Lucy. �CONTENTS CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER 9 10 11 12 CHAPTER 13 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 17 18 19 20 21 CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTEU CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER CHAPTER 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Lucy's comprehensive reply. My heart yearns for your love Felly. Felly replies critically, "Ike has my love letter" says Monica The letter. Ike replies heartly. A letter of engagement written by Nwokeoma to Patricia. Patricia heartly replies. Nwokeoma replies favourably. A promising letter for a visit. Patricia heartly replies. Ifeyinwa writes a 1ttl:er of engagement. A reply to Ifeyinwzis letter. P. P. 9tuchisirikwu writes an engagement letter to Miss Rose. Miss Rose replies. Otobo writes engagement letter to Anti. She replies the engagement letter. Nware writes a letter of engagement to Ben Ben's reply The charming love letter. The happy reply. The reply. Helen's engagement letter to Rich. Rich replies. Felly replies. �INTRODUCTION Ladies and gentlemen, for many years, 1 have been receiving uncounted letters from many people both men and women, together with boys and girls asking me to teach them how to write and reply letters for marriage, Engagement letters, Love letters and how to know a girl to marry. You will learn the styles and ways to write them when you read this handbook of knowledge. Read and answer questions for men and questions for girls. You cannot become a good letter writer if you don't study how to write letters. The letters are very interesting and reasonable, and the English very educative. Read and recomend to your friends one by one and they must never forget you. By J. ABIAKAM The Author �HOW TO WRITE .COOD...LCTTEHS.:ABOUT MARRIAGE They are:- (2) (I) Letters for marriage. i 3 ) Love letters. Engagement letters Let me start first with letters for marriage (a) A man can be disappointed by educated girls if he does not know how to write good letters for marriage From your letter s n int:'lligent girl will be able to tell the type of man you are and whcther to say yesor no. Brfortl you write such letter to a girl, she must be in somebody yo11 know c?r hive met so~nelime a train, on the way, in the market, in ths school, in the taxi etc. And she must know you as well. You cannot write to unknown girl asking for marriage. Many young men have been disappointed by some educated girls bxause they do not know how to write correct letters. When writing to a girl you want to. marry, do not tell her that you are very rich and that you have this and that. it is the work of' the girl' . i n question to find out your background before she can say yes o r no. ' Do not go to a girl whom you know that i s bein : married by another person and ask her to marry you because you are rich. You must look for another girl. If you have the money, there are many beautiful girls to marry. Ma~!y a!one cannot mtke you happy in you family love, children and long life is very important. �QUESTIONS FOR M I N Are you ready to marry? If not when will you d o so? What type of eirl will you marry, illitrate, passing six, cambridge holder, nurse o r teacher? Will you marry black o r yellow girl, tall o r short girl, beautiful o r ugly girl, fashionable o r timid girl? Do you get money to maintain a girl and live with her? Can you stand the sweet and bitterness of rr-arriage? From what t o w n will you chose a wife? Have you seen the girl you want to marry or are you on the journey to it. HOW T' KMQW A GIRL MARRY Refore you tell a girl that you want to marry her, you must make all reasonahle and necessary investigations about the girl and her family. If the investigations goes in her favour, then tell her openly that you want to marry her. In case she refuses, you can make more attempts by presenting to her your desire to be a good husband to her. If she still refuses, you can go with your best friend o r her relative to speak more. If all your attempts fail, leave her and find another girl. Do not beg a girl or force her to marry you because forced mhrriage can never last long. �QUESTIONS FOR GIRLS Are you married or are you not? Did any man promise to marry you, if so when? Wov are you sure that the man uill marry you and not to disappoint you? Do y ~ u think that the man has money to marry and carry the responsibilities of a husband? Do the mart love you as you love him? Do you know his work and his home town? Is he the type of man whom you can be proud of being your husband? Read the whole questions and know the answers by yourszlf. Thank you. 9 n e book says "Do not claim that you have good luck until you marry." You can begin your letter for marriage like this:My dear Paulina Honest Mary Humble Agnes Sociable Comfort Gentle Agnes or......................................................... or...................................................... or or ....................................................... or........................................................ No I letter comes from Christopher lke to Maria Ngozi asking to marry her. It reads: Christopher Ike, No. 1, Government Rd., Lagos-Nigeria. 6/6/65. �My dear Maria, I know this letter niay surprise you but I trust you will consider my request and do me a favour. Ever since we me in the train two weeks ago, 1 have never stopped to think of you. I have seen hundreds of girls in the town but you are the very one 1 love and want to marry too. Therefore do not disappoint me or refuse a true voice calling you - . for marriage; MY love for you is ireat and if we become husband and whe we shail make a happy hdme. 1 have mapy things to tell you durmg my next writing. I am putting my pen to rest for the night is coming. Never forget I love you and I want to marry you. Reply my letter and tell me' your opinion. Yours. Chr:stopher Ike. No. 2 Maria replies. Maria received the letter and after she has read it, she said to herself I d o not know whether Christoper means it, some men are very crazy when they sec beautiful girls. Anyway 1 shall reply this letter but I must never be very plain to him until he writes me the second time. Her 1e1:er reads Maria Ngozi, No. 244 Zik'g Avenue, Enugu-Nigeria. 12/6/65. Dear Christopher, Your letter dated 6/6/65 was received and I understood the contents very well. Such request is something I must make time and give due consideration belore giving you the answer. �I herefoffi:;I cannaL.say..Yes.or.,.No .now. since. it was not in agenda of thought. I shall likely give you my full answer some time not . . yet known. I am. Maria Ngozi. No. 3 second letter from Christopher to Maria Ngozi Christopher received the lettsr and read it. Let me hope she will agree, Christopher said,to himself. 1 know she must pretend because beautiful girls like to pretend when men go to marry them. I will write her very soon to know the answer. She is beautiful, 1 am handsome and I have money. Now reads his second letter to Maria which reads as follot*s Christopher Iki, No. 1. Government Rd., Lagos-Nigeria. 18/6/65. Gentle Maria, 1 am in receipt of your letter dated 12th June 1965. I vent through the letter but an not sure of the answer. I mean to marry you and must never disappoint you. If we become married, I will do everything to 'you as a good husband would do to his wife. Do not l-c confused by young men who may promise to marry you and never to those your girl friends who may advise you to disappomt the man. My love for you is great and my request comes from the kot om of my heart. My hope is on you. Come to me, stay with me and never forget me in your dreams of marriage. I beleive after reading this letter your answer will be on my favour. I beg to put down my pen and go to rest for the day. Yours Christopher. No. 4 Maria replies the second letter After few days this letter reached ~ a r i a . ' S h eread it and began to think of it. Seven days has passed and Maria was in deep thought. At last she concluded and agreed to marry 'Christopher. 9 �Maria Ngozi, No. 244. Zik's Avenue. My Dear Christopher, Your second letter came to my notice two days ago' For many days I have been in deep consideration ahour your request. Many are coming to marry me and some have even told my parents thinking they should get me through them. But for your sake I have disappointed them. From this day know me as your wife and you are my husband. Write me immediately ,and tell me when you will come to settle my parents. Yours,. Marla Ngozi. No. 5 A letter from Edward hark This is another letter from Edward Mark, a kigh Elementary Teacher in Government School, Lagos to Paulina Ifeoma who teaches in a Secondary School. The letter reads: Edward Mark, St. John's School, P. 9. Box 9. Lagos. 7/7/65. Honest Paulina. We have known ourselves for a long time and I believe you cannot disappoint me. Now 1 am writing to ask your hand in marriage. So far men and women are created to make choice and marry the one they like. 1 wish to marry you. �After reading this letter, .do, not neilect .me and never turn down my request. My qualification in education is certainly known to you the type of person 1 am 1s something you can tell better. If we get married, we will build a strong and happy home. I put down my pen to wait for your reply. I am, yours, Eduard Mark. NF. 6 Paulina replies Edward Mark The letter reached Paulina in three days time. After reading it, she refused to marry him. Read her reply: Paulina Ifeoma, Secondary School, Box 44, Ibadan, 14 -7-65. Dear Edward, Your letter was received and I am sorry to disappoint you in this question of marriage. I have for many years decided that I will not marry a teacher in Elementary School. To say this does not meau hatred on you, but my reasons are best known to me. You have known my educational qualification and 'at least you can know the type of man a lady with Inter B.A. Degree will marry. It is always good for a man to be more educated than his wife and never the wife to rule her husband. �Firstly I have to thank you very mucb for your noble idea and I am wishing you good luck to marry a good vife. I am, Pauliua. Chapter 2 An impressive love letter written by John Ukete to Edina. St. Agnes Girl's Secondary Modern Sch., Abor Ukwu, Zonal Enu. 4th Sept. 1964. Dear Edina, I am very happy to write you this letter. It is a pity we have not been able to see just as we had arranged previously. This must have been due to any reason best known to you. It appears you have forgotten your lover who loves you beyond the realm of human understanding. Why have you shown me this cold hand? Wave from me that I am for you and you are for me. I will measure your love for me by the way you remember in the form of paying me visits. I have not much more to add than to ask you to make a day to visit me so that we may have sit down discussions. I am, yours faithfully. Johnny. Chapter 3 The immediate repy to Johnny's letter. Akakata P. A.. Via Udeocha, Asha, 4th October 1964. Dear Johnny, I am evidently in receipt of your impressive letter. After persuing it thoroughly well, I came to know that you really love me. I have now decided to show equal love to you so that io reality, things might work out harmoniously. �Generally I judge you as a boy who is as true as his profile and )our reactions have proved you so. Thank you for your second invitation and 1 heartily promise that come what may 1 must endeavour to come just as I have promised previously, the formidable force of circumstances which made it very impossible for ire to honour my promise must not crop up again. Ohviously you are mine and I am y o m and it will be wrong for you to credit me as ii person showing cold hand to you. My love for you is wident and there is nothing to becloud the reality of it. So do not judge me wrongly next timc. Hoping to see you. I wish you to remember me to your circle of friends. I am, y o w lover, Eddy. Chapter 4 My love letter to you lfeyi Assumpta Grammar Sch. Ifor Ala, Kenuru, Kuru, 4th September 1964. Dear Ifeyi, Just as the morning dew feeds flowers s o does your presence feed my conscience. You are a mmning glory t o me and 1very much cherish this fact. You will never cease to be the food that feeds my amorous stomach. I know you have the same feeling for me. How d o you d o ? The day has comewhen you are to picture my heart and know what it has for you. You are not an infant and Tam prompted to say that you have reached the age of reasoning ''Amor Omnia Vinct" so the Romans say and Englishmen translate it thus "Love overcomes everything" 13 �He that is not very appreciative of this fact is doing himself more harm thats good for lift: would seen a perpetual toll if there were no love. For the mean time, I want you to note that I am your lover. Reply urgently. ' Your lover, Dandy. Chapter 5 lfey replies Dandy's letter. St. Michael's School, Alaocha, Ifedi P. A. Via Uke. Alu. 9th Sept. 1965. Dear Dandy, Thank you for your constructive letter and the thoughtful facts embeded in it. You may appreciate the fact that my love for you is shown through actions. Actims speak louder than words, so they say and I feel it is really the best way of showing love. Things are not really what they seem and I have it in mind's core that love, when excessively express verbally, will obviously lose its valour. Don't mind my actions sometimes because I often seem to b t indefferent to emotional love. Please you may continue to flood my eyes with love letters, mind with ioformation about the place where you live, and facts symbolising your true love for me. I seize this opportunity to congratulate you on your tremendous success in G. C . E. Examination though you never made any attempt to let me know of it. �Thanks, yours lovely, Ifehy. Chaprer 6 Paddy writes to Sabina. Our High School, Ife-Landah, Yaru Kura. Lagoon. 6th June 1963. My dear Sabby, This letter is a just expression of 'my sincere love in you. I have really looked around and you are the only girl who has captivated my interest and enthusiasm. I know you will equally be interested in me just as I am to you. You must have k n o w my person that very bright and sunny day we met at the Rex Cinema. I did a bold act by introducing myself to you and you so heartily appreciated it that you attractiveiy introduced yourself to me. Now it is opportune that 1 should wrlte you a letter to let you know that your name and bloomlng looks still linger in my humble heart. I must let you know too, that your possitive effort to reply me this letter will be immensely valued cherished. So, do anrl send me your pictures as tokens of your love. It is your dearest i n heart. Paddy. Chapter 7 Sabby replies Paddy's emotional letter. Aloyh School of Commerce, I Looky ' a b a ~ , Kafanshan, Kubu, 9th August 1963. Dear Paddy. I am duly in receipt your letter aod I very much thank you for your regard and remembrance. I had actually f o r g o t t e n your p e r s o n 15 �but the very mention of Rex Cinen~~.has.called stature the of the person writing.in.to me. Yeu see, I have been receiving series of letters about love making but I naturally hate any news about a boy and a girl being in love. I want to preserve my virginity and I think it an unpardonable disgrace to my parents rf if I should at any time tamper with it It does not nece.ssarily mean that I am going to be a Nun but the fact I want you to swallow properly is that I am not ready to soil my virginity unt I I am legitimately married. Really your letter, like any other one has touch the core of my heart but it isjust a ma1t:r of I can't help. I don't want to be a friend of any boy or man before engagement because men and boys always try to see that a girl satisfies their sexual urge betore they will agree to marriage but infact, I am not ready for that for it would be downgrading of the prestige of my family. If you had formed the wroug idea that I would yield to any of this immorality, you know that you have reasoned it a wrong d'rection. I beg to stop so far. Thanks yours faithfuly, Sabby. 16 �Chapter 8 Charlie writes a love letter to Lucy St. Ignatius Secondary Modern Sch., Abaka-Uku, Via Ala P. 0 , Kufu. My dearly beloved Lucy, It impresses me a lot to write 'you this letter. The motwe behind the brtting of this letter is to let you know that I have much interest in you and have a decided inclination to ask you to be my lover. You may say that my attitude to you the other time did not seem or become a person who would one day ask you to become his close bosom friend. Yes. this is true if you have formed that idea. Now I would let you know that naturally I do not like to be' friend grrls solely on accocn: of their beauty, for blanty is only but a skin deep. I am befriending you just because I have not s.en you parading our town with your boy friends. Sincerely speaking, I must not at any time inake any immoral attempt to destory your virginity. To be candid, I only intend to come into closer contact with you so that I may decide on marriage. You will do me a lot of good by replying promptly. Yours well wisher, Charlie De Bright. Lucy's comprehensive reply. Umekanachi Clan School, Uke, Via A kwa P. A. Olugbo. 4-9-64. �My dear Charlie, You are really a h naturally as good as your looks. Your love letter has just come under grip. I have read it comprebensively. You see. I would suggest that your letter should be called genuine letter of engagement instead of the anaymous love letter. I really know that you are not like other boys who only go about their dirty job of demoralising on demoralisable girls. Thank your star for I have readily consented to your request and there is the solid hope that God vill mecifully bless our marriage. Thanks. Yours Lucy. Chuprer 10 My heart yearns for your love Felly. St. Ive's Secondary Grammar School Yabuka P. A., Via Alaku, Oshy. Dear Felly, Your ever sighting eyes have so much occupied my heart that I am really in dire need of your presence. When I say that I have every intention to see you, I do mean that it will not pay me to be writing letters and iadulging in day dreaming. Really you may not know that degree of my love for you but I feel that it is qu4e useless for me to contiuue to express it. So you do and come so that possibly, we may sit down comfnrtably ad discuss the matter you brought forward in your previous letter. Hearty thanks. Yours lovelessing. �Chapter I I Fdly replies .critically Ife Grammar School, Akwagu P. A., Ife Alor, 6-- 10-64. Dear lovelessy, Yes, I got your letter yesterday. I am very thankful for it. Now I would remind you that you have erred by claiming to [ w e . me beyond the bosom of this world. Is it true that a boy should love a girl in such a way?. Frankly speaking, you only want me to give myself freely to you as if you were to be my husband. 1 emphatically say no and from this moment, I am not going to reply any letter which is not genuinely written. I thank you very much. I am, your lover to be Felly. Chopter 12 9 k e has my love letter" says Monica. The letter. St. Ives Grammar School, Ikauku Venula House, Ika. Dear Ike, It is greetings from the one you very much love but could not express it verbally. I now make it evidently open to you that whatever happens, I am ready to be your lover and if possible to marry you. �Declare your own intenkon as soon as you gel this letter. I want to let you know beforehand that our love should not be virginally soiled. Thanks. It is, Monica. Chapter 13 Ike replies heartily Ubulu-lke School of Commence, Box 503, Abor. Dear Monica. I heartily rcceived your meaningful and indeed candid lettter. I intended writing you the same letter not knowing that the same genuine sense of love making is in your mind. I know really that you are welLbrought up and so our love should not be like that of some moral-never-do wells in our society. I thank you for taking the first plung, :I am, your heartiest lover, Ikey. �HOW TO WRITE BEST ENGAGEMENT LETTERS Question. What is ap engagement? An engagement in this respect is a strong promise made by a man and a woman who agree to become husband and wife some time to come. Answer: Question: When writing an engagement letters or agreement what rules must people observe? Answer: It is always good and advisable to state condition when writing For Example, if you slgn an agreement with a wise and intellgent girl o r lady and by mistake she became pregnated by another person and because of the inc~dent you refuse to marry her, the girl can sus yoe to court of law to claim her right because you did uot state cond~tions the engagement agreein ment which you signed. She can even say that you are responsible for her pregnancy and you cannot deny it. In the other hand man can also sue his girl to court if she happens to dis appoint him in such a way that is not permissible the teams of their engagement agreement. Girls do not be deceived by men who cannot fufil their promise. AND Men do not be disappointed by girls who cannot keep to their letter, Examples of how to write engagement letters No. I Letter comes from Edwin Mark, a finalist io Kings College, Onitsha to Esther Johnson, a class three student i n Queen's College Port Hsrcourt. �Edwin.Mark, Kings College, P.O. Box 24, Onitsha. 1--8-65. Gentle Esther, I have the pleasure to write you, how are you. As I am a finalist this year and you are a class three student, I want to engage you. So that we shall become hcsband and wife immediately you finish up. The general manager,of works is my uncle and he has already got a plece whers I will start work next year. D o not disappoint me since I determined to marry you. I pray for your success, study hard while I do my best. I beg to close hoping to get a favourable reply from you. I am, yours, Edwin Mark. Chapter 15 A lteter of engagement written by Nwokesma to Patricia St. AYO School, Markurudi, Balaka. 4-4-63. Dear Patty, It is just a considerable time now since we met list. I had waited for your reply to my letter of last week but to my surprise, you have kept cold silence. 'Why? Is it because I did not make 'the whole matter quite open to you or have you decided otherwise? I must not hide the fact now because Iho people have an adage which states that ''If you remove a bug from the partbody of a dog and do not show it to the dog, the dog would wrongly think that you removed its hair". �3a.4want ta.bting.itaticdy '.hsune-to.qou.t@atI have 'a decided:.inclinationi~~marry .Tell ?me.tlie-star. you. you have chosen..The Northern star is a symbol of consent but the Southern is a symbol of refusal. I urgently want this but it does not follow that I a m now sufficientlyready to pay the money dowry. I just want to make the intention oven to YOU. Greet your circle of trustworthy friends. Thanks. Your husband to be, Nwokeoma. Chapter 16 Patricia heartily replies Nwokeoma's letter of engagement . ~ ~~~~ All Boys Primary School, Ajitu P. A.. Via Akaka, Oshaka. Dear darling, Your purposeful letter has just come to .my grip and owing to thc seriousness of its contents, I have resalved to accord it crgent attention and cordial treatment. You have done nobly well by making your intention to have me as your dear wife lovely open to me. Before I say anything, I must shower my sincere thanks to you for your honesty of purpose which has enable you to conceive th.s genuine idea. Really, I must say that I have legitimate interest in you and your engagement letter is readily accepted, of course, you are going to be true to your salt. I know you are not playing me a gambling promise? Now that I have given consent to your courtship and subsequent request that I should be your wife, I want. you to double the assurance that you really mean it by your consenting that we should write an agreement to this effect. Normally you kuow that we will have to exchange rings as emblems of our wholehearted consent. 23 �,Y~:syr..Northern.star .bar.bq~. accept~d q&I.wmtyou to:.cherish,.my 'own humble suggestion by acceptance. I beg to remain, Your ever darling. Patty Uke. Cliupter 17 Nwokeoma replies favourably to Patricia's request St. Ayo School. Makurudi, Blaka 6--5-S3. Dear Patty, You are really as true as your profile. Your appearance always portrays you as a reasonable girl and you have shown this fact beyond any shadow of doubt. I had not the slightest doubt about your love for me and I must not fail to thank you heartily for your proving yourself to be a properly domesticad animal of your family. Yes here is a ring which I solemnly give to you as an indication that I wish to marry you three years hence. Your own is very much desirable and where you still insist on our writing of agreement, I may suggest that we should come together and put our heads together so that oneness of feelings may be fostered. Generally I judge you as a girl who could be trusted with her promise. Congrats to you. I am, your husband to-be, Nwokeoma. Chapter 18. Patricia replies with a promise to visit Nwokema for personal interview. 24 �All Boys Primary SchooE, Ajitu P. A. Oshaka. 19-5-63. Dear husband to be, Thank you for your prompt reply of my letter. You have actually done nobly excellent job by trying to find a ring and then sending it to me, really. Infact I credit you for this and must remark that you have proved your verocity beyond any shadow of doubt. Now, in the presence and the name of God our Lord, who is everywhere and sees all things, I offer you this ring and humbly bid you to keep your promise. I have given my whole self to you and you have got to do the same for love guiding principle is give and take. This is a double and genuine assurance that the love of women is all. Remember me to your brothers who will, other things being equal, call me their wife according to the fashion of our town. I now make a promise to visit you in this mid4e of next month. Chapter 19 lfeyinwa writes. a letter of engagement to her boy friend master Erric. St. Augustinas School, Irereuku, Western Nigiria. 4-9-63. Dear Erric, Why is it that i have not heard from you since a month or so? I know you will try to escape my blame by claiming that your long silence is due to thc pressure of time. Really your work is not a small one and ycu are always tired whenever you come back from school but this is not reason why you should keep in suspence of illformation about life in Onitsha which I know is always cadden with terrifying news. 25 �Well. Erric, you know fully well that it bas taken a long time since we began or fr~endship After taken this fact into a constructive consideration, I found that we must either be one now. by being married or separate. I am putting this to you having much consideration on my age which is n:arins 21. This is a marriageable girl and it is sheer folly for r e to continue to deceive myself by indulging in friendship without being truly engaged. Choose now or never for I am serious about it. Till yos reply,, greetings to all I am, Your lovely, Ife. Chapter 20 A reply to lfeyinwa's engagement letter. All Gills Baby Shop, Iyalu Kadinah, Panispi, Kon-Ala. 11-10-65. Dear Ifey, Having read with keenest understanding and avid interest your meaningfully worded letter. I now think it opportune and indeed mannerly to reply it. Frankly spsaking, I never knew that you had the same feeling I have for you. for me. Thank you very much for this for I must have to cherish your oneness of mine soon. I will not not hesitate to you know that I have really . compromised to engage you for the same genuine thought made been lingering in my mind but I was fearing that you would not accept it at present. I will be yours t ~ l the last great day when it may please our Creator to l call any of us to the realm of the past men, who of course may have enjoyed his kingdom according to their individual stewardship on earth. 26 �Normally. we will have to exchange rings a s a way of indicating our real and legitimate promise. Chapter 21 P. P. Otuchkirikwu writes an engagement letter to Miss Rose. 224 Ogidi Road, Onitsha, 33b Afubera Street, Onitsha. D~arestRose, I believe you might have been expecting to get a letter of this nature from me. As true as it is. I ~ o u l d have written it before this time but 1 delayed in order to iavestigate the situation of things because all that glitters is not gold. Marriage is something done once in life therefore it must never need hesitation of any kind. Now I haw: vetrtureif to beg for your hand. Before you reply I should like you to think over it for two weeks so that whatever you give me as your answer will be irrevocable. May God grant my request. Yours preciously, P. P. Otuchisirikwu. Chapfer 12 Rose N. Chukwuemeka replies P.P. Otuchisirikwu's letter. 33b Afubera Street, Onitsha. 224 Ogidi Road, Onitsha. Sir, I can but inadequately express my gratitude in getting your dated about engagement. �I will not hesibte in giving you affirmative reply for I decided even. in anticipation. ,The magnitude of your love in me is equally resprocated therefore nothing will prevent your proposal (except death) from materiallsing. The earlier you approach my parentsfor it the happier I become. I ha. e re-erved niyself spiritually and kcd~ly for you. May God give urgent approval to o w proposal. 1 am, Sir, Your honest intended wife, Rose N. Chukwuemeka. Chapter 23 No. 5 Ikoba Road, Benin City. No. G ~ i h l t oRoad, Benin City. Dear Anti, 1 can no longer cndure to tell you the opinion I have of you. I since decided toengage you but I found it difficult to contact you directly. 1 idomatically ment~oned of it to you during our last social gathermg but I found out that yo9 did not understand me. Therefore I put it in writing and hope to get your rep!y as early as' possible You know very well how girls chase me yet I decided. to adhere to you. Wishing you God's blessing. Yonrs truly, J. P. O~obo. Chapter 24. Anti repties J. P. Otobo's Letter 28 �No. 5 Ikoba Road, Benin city. No. 6 Riluko Road. Benin city. Sir, Your letter ocengagernent reached me recently. I thank you very much. Indeed I have adequate love in you and I wish to grant your request but I entertain fear for one reason. Many boys have made it their occupation to disappoint girls. I have a friend named veronica. She was engaged to a young man who used her as an instrummt of his happiness w t eventually he disappointed her Many grls have been put in a family wav in pretence of marriage which did never materialise. Therefore my consent is subject to your honesty. I am. yours honest intended. A. U. Odiboli. Chapter 25 Iyienu Hospital: Via Onitsha. 3a Sokoto Road, Umuchu Okabia, Orlu. Dearest in heart, Our first meeting was held in the year 1960 but my love of you glitters still. I know very well that you love me too but my position seizes your tongue. Therefore let me tell you what you should first say instead. I will be very happy if you take me to the altar. I know you like to marry me but you think a common man cannot marry a nurse of my rank. �please d o not mind your financial madness for I am ready to submit my purse to your control. Many lawyers arid doctors have asked my hand but I definitely refused. I want to live with a man from financially depressed family so that I will struggle and contribute my own quota.in the building of the family. Any family that is built by the combined efforts of husband and wife, is usually more durable and happier than that built or constructed alone by a man. I promise to be o r remain a faithful wife to yor: till I have t h e bosom of this world, Meet me at your convenient time so that I will tell you how and when you will approach my parents. I enclose here with £50 (fifty pounds) in checque for your maintainance and a copy of my most recent photograph. Wishing you God's blessiogs. Yours faithfully, Nware B. Onyechinyelu. Chapter 26 Ben's reply. 3a Sokoto Road, .Umuchu Okabia, Orlu P. 0. Iyienu Hospital, Via Onitsha, E. Nigeria. My dear Nware, Your unexpected letter is a sea breeze to my heart. Happiness has swallowed.my heart and enervated my body that I cannot adequately write. I will come to you next Saturday as you requested. Please I feel more than I can write; till we meet face to face. Yours sincerely, Ben Onyeodanyere. �C. C. Nwakrihe writes engaeement letter to Eliza. No. SOc St. John's Street, Onitsha. No. 2 Enugu Road, Onitsha. Dear Eliza, Itlo not think of marriage in five years time but the ardent love 1 have on you is pow forcing me to marry prematurely Tell me plainly v*hetheryou are equally interested in me so that we shall immediately take conjugal step. I am convinced that you will be a good house wife. Yours sincerely, C. C. Nwakaihe. Chapter 28 The reply. No. 2 Enugu Road, Onitsha. No. 50c St. John's Street. Onitsha. Sir, I thank you very much for your recent letter to me. I allowed my parents to read the letter and comment on the contents. Their discussion is quite contrary to my expectation. Indeed the members of my famiiy strongly opposed my marriage with you. But one thing you must know is that we must marry each other irrespective of parental opposition. It is my right to marry any man I love and it is not the right of the parents to marry for me a man of their own interest. Those whn marry under parental influence usually make wrong choice; but when a girl marries the man she chooses by herself marriage is enjoyed. - 31 �Therefore I must marry you whether you are poor or rich. I advise you to approach for formal~tysake; they refuse if then I follov you and we can in the Government channel if not under church formality. May God bind us to one family. Yours lovely, Eliza E. Chikwe. Chapter 29. A charming love letter by James Ude. No. 8 Oguta Road, Onitsha. Dear lovely Joe, I have not heard from you since quite a long time now. How do you do? Hoping nothing has gone amiss? Yes it is Jammy and I know you will not but be interested to get this. I now decide to write you. I am holidaying at home so that you can make time to come and see me. Hoping to see you while wishing you the best of the seasons. Yours I~veiy, Jammy. The happy reply. No. 18 U~nuahiaRoad, Alanimili Ugwu, Umuahia. Dear Jammy, Thank you for your remembrance and sincere devotion to me. I obviously know that you dearly love me and wish me to be your own for ever. This means that we shall soon marry? If you disagree to this suggestion �yau b cott every love for me for I . am not...ready t~..~Faal mysel any longer, .. Yours faithfully, Joe. Chapter 3 1. Helen writes a letter of engagement to Richard Akagbe Grammar School, Ikey Village P. A., Abala. Deat Rich, How do you d o ? Yes I feel it is incumbent on me to %rite you this letter just to bring my intention about our love home to you. Firstly, I wnuld like you to know that we have fooled ourselves quite enough and it will reach the top of our bent if we continue to wallow in unnecessary love affairs. Secondly I want you to send me a ring which will show me that you really mean to marry me in the near future. 1 am up to a marriageable age and must marry now or never. Thanks, Yours in heart. Helen. Chapter 32 8 Reply to Helen's letter 64 Pound Road, Aba E. Nigeria. " Dear Helen, Your well worded letter of engagement has reached me. Thank you for not being morally too low just as some other girls who wocld rather choose to die in the sea of love making than marry. your offer I will not hesitate to accept the ring next week. and 1 will send you Besides, we shall marry on the Altar in December �this;.year..:P.Fay fewently. for ihis. Greetings, Your best luck, Rich. Chapter 33 Polly writes an impressive letter of engagement. All Saints Grammar School, Abab, Yabu. Dear Fellyd. I have just received your letter and I very much cherish the ideas in the letter. Thank you very much. Well, I would like you to tell me how best to meet your parents on the event of my engaging you I need this very urgently, of course on condition that you accept me as your husband. ~ Extend my sincere regards to y o parents. Your darling, Polly. Chapter 34 Reply Dear Polly, Congrats. You have said what I have been expecting to hear from you. Really you have done a lot to elevate our moral standard because by being married we shall become good citizens. For your directory, you have got to approach my mum and show her this my letter which will assure her that I have accepted to be your �wife. This is the end because my mum -does not refuse what I have accepted. Greetings from me while I still say bravo for your houourable more. I am, your wife to be, Feliyd. THE RICH MAN'S DAUGHTER A PLAY BY 'RAJA RAPHAEL (drtihor, Journalisr, Dramatist di Novelist) CHARACTFRS John Bull - a rich, man Elizabrth - his uife their d a u g ~ t e r Magi Joseph the father of Keni the mother Mary their son whom Magi the daughter of John Keni Bull the rich man \rant to marry. CHIEF BEN - The man whom Magi refused to marry his son Bonny. KATTY Maei's girl friend Keni's boy friend FELl IKEM ' Servant to John Bull. (the story.and the character's of the play are imaginary and therefore should not be associated with any person or place) - - PREFACE This story intends to show the big gap between the rich and the poor, and the extent this could go to hamper the social relations of both classes, over in case of love. �John Bull was a rich man and wanted his daughter MAGI to have a rich man's son as her husband. But Magi was determined to marry the man she love so much, not rnindi~igthe state of poverfy o r his family. Keni was the man kkigi loved with her whole heart. And Bonny was the son of Chief Ben whom her father wanted to marry Magi, but she couldn't give in. Her father threatened, bur she did not bother. And at last she won This is a story you will never forget. Raja Rapheal. SCEEE ONE John Bull comes out from his private room and asks IKEM about the wltereabout of MAGl.her daughter. John Bull: Where is Magi? I K E M I no see her. She no dey in, Sir. John Bull. Where's she been? Ikem: I no knob,' Sir. John Bull: But she went out to some place -I think? Ikem: Ycs Sir. john Bull: Has it been long she went out? Ikem: Yes Sir, ius' abouttwo hours now, Sir. John Bull: Did shk tell you where is going? Ikem: No. She 110 dey talk to me since two week now, Sir. Every time I pass where she standin she begin look me bad eye. I nu know why. I no k ~ o w whether na because I say last time say me follow one man wey de come here before. John Rull: That's-Keni ynu 'mean? Ikem: ' Yes Sir. Since I tell you say she rle follow him, and you askam, she no de gtee me talk to her again. John Bull: I see, she said she is love with him. Ah wonder, Sir! She wan leave that rich man Ikem: son to love another person wey no go fit make good husband to her. John Bull: Don't mind her, she dosen't like good things. She wants to suffer and I'm going to teach her a lesson. May be she.has gone out to see him. 36 �T no J e see him since-ah mean Keni. The man she say be her lover, Sir. John Bull: I have warned him never to come here anv more. Ikem: No wonder! 1 see. Na that de make him no come as he de do before! John Bull: Yes. Ikem, go and buy me one bottle of stilut beer. Cool one, you hear? (He ~ i v e s him money for the beer and Ikem turns to go out) G o quick, quick! Before three minutes I have seen you! Yes, Sir! Jkem: Ikem: - (Exit Ikem Alone) ~ohn Bull: I don't know what is wrong with this girl. I don't know why Magican't hear me and obey me. lifter all I'm doing so for her happiness. But she says that she wants' to suffer in life. No! I won't let her suffer the bitterness of poverty. I'm rich and my daughter should marry and live in a rich family as well. Oh this-! (ENTER M A G I ) John Bull: Where have you been Magi? Magi: No where, Papa. John Bull: You're a liar! Tell me where you have been since a long time now. I have not been out so long, Papa. Magi: John Bcll: Tell me the truth now or I'll handle you badly now. Will you? Magi: I have not been far, Papa. John Bull: Where were you then? D o you want t o tell me that you have not been out to Reni's? Speak out! Can you deny it? I have not been to his, Papa. Magi: John Bull: Shut uu! Don't anger me the more. Pitv yourself; Magi have-a pity on yourself. * Magi, Why this, Papa? John Bull, You don't know? You can't deceive me. I know what's right for you, but you won't listen to me. You want t o d o yorlr will, and you are going t o suffer for it. �But I have not been to that place, Papa. Who Magi: told you that I'went to him? John Bull: ;Did you go there? Magi: No, Papa. John Bull. Sbut up! Don't provoke mv anger with your lies! Oh, where's Ikem -where's him 7 Magi, I'm not telling you lie, Papa. John Bull, Stop! and get out from here, quick! You want to become useless. Don't tell me anything again. 'Magi, Oh, PapaJohn Bull. I say get out! You liar! You think' that you're cheating me. (EXIT MAGI) You don't wnnt t o 'hear your father's words! You want to d o your will. We shall see who rules here. (scratching his beard uneasily) Oh, Ikem won't come back with the wine in time This girl this foolish girl makes me grow annoyed. ' CURTAIN FALLS. SCENE TWO. Ma,i, alone s6bbing. Enter Ikem and asks why. Wentin de d o you, mag^? ( N o reply) Oh, you Ikem, n o hear wentin I d e talk? Please forgive me, I no know say we no de talk t o each other. (and he tries to walk -out) Magi. Wait. Ikem. (She dries the tears with handker". chief) I say come here, Ikem. (Walks back reb~ctantly) Yts, wetin you de call Ikem, me? Don't hurry, wait for a moment. I want t o ask Magi, you something. You don forget say me and you no de talk t o Ikem, each other since? 1 beg, leave me I de go d o one important thing. Is that thing more important than .what I want Magi, - t o ask you? I no know wetin you de talk, please leave me. Iker\l, �Magi: +.. I. don3 hsld you,: .you:.ka~~. what\.J.;wagt. :Ba to know from you. now is the persqn who .told...Papa that I went to Keni's house.. Please I don't know weting you.-de talk, miss. Ikem: You wan start- the Keni's talk again? Magi: Yes, weren't you the one who started it? How I starting it? You don begin again, Magi. Ikem: 1 no wan trouble now. Please make you go an' find another person, no be me. I oo de--o! Please, Ikem, I warn you now. As from today, Magi: stop flying into my private affairs. I no know wetin you de talk sef. Na English Ikem: vou cle talk to me?. You know say I no de hear English. Mind only yourown business in this house, ~ k e m Ma&: You're a servant here and have no right to interfere into the affairs of the family. I have suffered so many inconvinences because of you. Ah, you wan tell me say your father get money? Ikem: No be' only him be de rich man aey dey for this world. And will you leave this place m d go to that Magi: another place? I no go go! I no go leave here. No be you Ikem: take me for work here. 0 K; we shall see what is going to happen. . Magi: You no go fit do anything. lkem: (ENTER MANA) Elizebeth: What's raging on here again? Oh you won't give a 'little rest in this house. Ask him-ask that idiot. A liar! He's an eaveMagi: sdropper of the worst type, Mama. Ikem: Look! madam, she don start to curse me now. Please no curse me again, Magi. I no de hear wettin you de talk. I no de hear English, please. Don't you know where English is being learnt? Magi: I no know, ,please. Ikem: Why? you must know. . . Magi: �Elizebetb Please stop it sa far, 1 don't want. ta heac.a~y one of you again. But you must tell him to keep off my domestic Magi: affairs, Mama. Elizebeth: What is it again? Magi. He told Papa that I went out t o Kenl's, but I didn't go there. Elizebeth: To Keni's house? Ikem: I no tell master anything madam. Magi: But Papa asked me about it when I returned. Ikem: You know where you go no be me. Magi: What! repeat that again and 1'11 show you what . I can do. Jkem: Impossible! You no go fit do me anything. , Magi: You'll see now, (she moves towards him with fury) Today will be the end of everything. Elizebeth, (Holding her back) Don't d o that, Magi. You go to the kitchen, Ikem. Ikem: Make you leave her, make she come fight me. N o hold her back. Magi: (Struggling to free herself from the grips of her mother) Please leave me, Mama, I want to see the end to the whole insults Ikem has been pouring on me since he came to this house. Elizebeth: Don't be silly, Magi. (turning to Ikem) Please get out from here I say! Ikem. Can't you understand when somebody is serious and determined about something? J wonder! Ikem: Na because of you I de g o out now, madam. (Exif Ikem) Why did you let him go? You know I wanted Magi: to tear him into pieces. He has done me a lot of damage. Elizebeth: Cool your temper, Magi. One thing I want t o tell you now is that you must beware of Ikem. Your father is with him, that's why he doesn't respect anybody in this house than him. Magi: Why? Why should Papa trust Ikem like that? Is he not an ordinary servant in this house. Elizebeth: Yes, but he's more than a servant in this �house now. You must know that your father has advisechim to keep an eye on your movements these days. Why? Well, that's' a small 'case: ~ ehim d o anyt Magi: thing he likes, 1 will never marry Bonny in my life. I'll only marry the one I love that's Keni. Elizabeth: So you have not changed your mind. Magi? You'll consider whar your father told you. I have heard everything. If I marry Keni, he Magi: would not help me in any way, wasn't it what he said? Elizabeth: It was so. Magi: Well, all this bscausz Keni is not from a rich family? Elizabeth: Yes. Magi: Well, 1 can tell yoc again that I'm going to be his wife, whether rich or poor. Elizabeth: Why? Won't you listen to your father? Can't you respect hini? Magi: It is because E love .Keni. Mama. t!lizabeth: Please come back to your senses, Magi. Don't d o a thing you'll afterwards regret about it. Magi, Oh! don't make me weak, Mama. I have not expected to hear these words from you. Please look . at the matter from my point of view. I love Keni and he loves me as well. We're going to be happy conple whether poor o r rich. And talking about being rich, how many times have you told me that my father wasn't a rich man before he married you? Will you deny now of having talked so'! Elizabeth: No. You're right, Magi. Magi: And why do you support in this wicked discrimination against love? Elizabeth: I'm not against your choice, Magi. But it' you are in my position, you can see wbat I mean. It's true that I'm your mother, but your father has every right t o make any change about the sort of man you sould marry. �E'a;giee with.yair;-but .in this'case, hi's iusisimcy that I shouU not marry Keni because he's not from a rich fam~lyis wrong. His characters and general behaviour can't be questioned in any way, therefore I see no reason in rejecting him because he's not from a rich family. Elizab-th: Well, but -Wait Mama, let me finish fir-t. Yes, I know that Magi: he's not from a rich family, but 1'11 be happy to work struggle together with such a husband in love for ovr existellce than to be ill at ease in a readymade fortune. Elizabeth: Oh! it's enough, Magi. You have already turned a philosopher with a short period of your new acquircd knowledge of life. Yes, love derives its strength from the suppreMagi: ssion of its true meaning and the oppression of its will and desire. Elizabeth: Oh! still the philosopher? Stop so far, my daughter. I don't want to be associated with the name as an oppressor'and suppresspr of love; how much more to that .of my daughter. What I'll tell you now is to mind how you talk about him whenever ikem is around. But you must keep patieoce, t h i n p will sort out themselves. 0.K; but whatever may happen, I must marry Magi: Keni. He's the only one I love. Elizabeth: Oh! still talking about him? It's 0.k; my daughter. CURTAIN FALLS. Magi: SCENE THREE. The scene shifis. I n the hcuse o Joseph. f ENTER Joseph: Mary his wife end Keni their son. All of them are in a mood of long and heated argument Keni: I don't take all the things you're talking as any thing. Keep away from me and my sorrows. �Joseph: Ah! ah, look your son, woman. I'no know whether someth~rlg'do ctnter his head. Mary: Is he not your son again? Joseph: I mean na we two get him. I know say you no go be annoy again. Make you talk to him. Uary: Well, Keni-Keni, my son, .no be you I de call answer me! Joseph: He no bz your son alone. Na we two get him. Mary: Make you do disturb me! Alanwe. Make you answer me, Keni-no be you I de call? Keni: What's it? Mary: Why you de grow annoy with me? Name make your father no be r c h man? Joseph: Ah! ah, make you no tell him like that. You know say na you .be his mother, and me be his father. We two be his parent and we two be poor. no be only me. What are you talking so, Papa?.Can't you talk Keni: sensibly as a man? Joseph: Look-o! he wan eat me because I talk de thing wey come to my head. Make you no mind him, Keni. He no de know Mary: wetin he de talkin whe he don drink plenty wine. Keni: Oh! I see. Joseph: Make you no mind her my son, I no drink any wine. O2ly ah no know wetin de push my head like say I drinkin wine. Listen to me Keni. Why you say you go marry Mary: her7 ----. Because I love her and want to have her as my Keni: wife. I need her company so much. Magi can make a good wife. She doesn't do like the daughtei of a rich man. Mary: Wetin you tell me last time say her father tell you? Keni: Don't mind about that, what I know is that Magi is ready to marry me a t any time from now. But one blessing. thing remains now-I w a n t your Mary: Please my so, make you no bring trouble to to we here because of this girl. Me and your father �hear no go fit face Ozuru, de father of Magi. As he no gree say yoii go mariy his daughter, make you come out from it. Many many girls dey for town. Make you find anot!~er onc from dem. We no be rich people. V e no wan elter for rich nian talk. C That's not uhat I want to hear from ycu. It Keni: is nor the question of being rich, but the question of love and marriage. Two of L S love each other and we have dccided to get married. That's all. (EXIT K E W ) Mary: Keni! Keni! come back. Joseph: I tell you say the boy wan do his mind. He no go gree anything you tell him now. Mary: You wan make we leave him alone? Joseph: Yes, na that kind thing he waxt. He no de listen to anybody. We be fool for him face. He no go fall where somebody go carry him back. He wan marry the daughter of a rich man. f-le no go marry mother pirl? Xe wan big big thing. But he know say he no rich that big-thing. I drink any wine-o! Make you no talk say I drinkin wine. Only something de push me for head like wine-o! (And he falls back from the chair he's sitting on) CURTAIN FALLS SCENE F U R Kerii And Feli. This is a world where money and material posseFeli: ssions governs. Yes, you're right. But in this case, it's not true Keni: She's with me head-over heels! But the only snag about it is her father. Feli: That's why I say that money and material possession count s o much in every affair in this modern times. But this is not to discourage you, you see. Infact, I share the same thing with you in this matter. However, d o you think that he'll let her daughter so loosely as that t o marry the son of a poor family? You know these rich men look down on the unfortunate ones as urorthless people. 44 �Keni: You're thinkillg very childshly. Feli. Though, I understand whit you mean, but in the face of love everybody is the same. There is inferiority in love. Feli: You may be right, bct ................. Keni: I te11'~outhat Magi is not like that. She doesn't ' do like the daughter of a rich man as some use to do. She's very humble, and a very nice $1 too. It is only her father that tries to instil such htgh feelings into her mind in order to reject and forget all about me, but she could not give in. With the help of thc AImighty we shall overcome the obstacle that her father presented on our road of love. As for her mother, she presents no great difficulty. When we have succeeded in convincing the father, every other things will be easy. Feli: You Ozuru is a very rich and proud somebody But, however, I wish you every saccess. Keni: That's what 1 want to hear from you. This my first battle in liie for happiness and I'll never live to lose it. Wait somebody is coming here. (ENTER KATTY) Oh! she looks very beautifulFeli: Keni: Keep silent, don't disgrace yourself now. (Looking around) If I'm not mktaken, this is Ketty: Joseph's house, gentlemen? You're right, fair lady, this is Joseph's house. Feli: And yog're his son, I think? Whose name is Katty: Keni, I hope? Yes, his n a m you msntioned, but I'm n o t he. Feli: Look him (and he points at Keni) Friend she wants to see you; why are you so cold? keni: Don't worry please. Oh! Why? Have I done an) wrong against you Feli: by saying that this gentle lady wants to talk to you? Keni: Please, J say don't you worry me, Feli, you hear? Leave me alone to myself. �Katty: . .(Smili.ng,. 'Sorry; % h e ~ ~ o m c o nlep7vse is being oppressed he finds no other comfort than in complete solitude where he could visualies the mental picture of the object of his love, (Moving towards her with a little smile on his Keni: ,lips) Young chap, who taught you how to read what is a man's beart'! Katty: Don't be suprised for I'm a vessenger of peace between you and another person altogether. I have a message of love from your lover. A message of love for me from my lover? Keni: Katty: Yes. Let's go aside and I'll tell you the whole thing. Keni: Is it so private? Katty, Private and confidential! Keni: 0.K: wait. (turning to Feli) Friend, please give us some minutes, You're at liberty to kiss her feet! Feli: (EXIT FELI) (laughing lowly) He's a funny somebody. Is he Katty: your friend ? Keni: Yes, His name is Feli. Katty: Thank you. Well, can you recognise me now? Keni: Not quite well for that matter. What's i t ? But have you seen me with somebody before? Katty: Just a girl for that matter. Oh! yes I can remember now. I have seen you Keni: once with Magi during a social dance at a certain place, only could not remember when. But I did take a close look of your person. Katty: Well, don't worry yourself. Magi and I are just good friends to each other: We hide nothing from one another. Is that so? Keni: Katty: Yes. She sent me to come and call yuu. She's in my house just now. So don't waste time. Keni: Why? Katty: She says she has one urgent message for you, but she could not come to your house straight. ' �You can go now, I'm coming behind you. Please, don't waste much time. She's in a hurry know. 0 K: tell her I'm coming behind. You have known the p m e ? Yes, ~ t ' snot conlusing aly-way. 0.K; you may call :i your friend. (ENTER FELI) Feli: Oh! I'm very sorry! (trying to go out) I hope I have not disturhed you? Katty: Come back Feli, you have not (looking at Keni) He's quite a very funny creature, don't you think? Keni, More especially when he sees a beautiful girl like you. Katty: Ah! two of you are the same. Thank you very much. Come quick, she's waiting you. (turning t o Feli) We hope to meet another time, OK. replied Feli. (EXIT KATTY) Feli: Oho-o-o! you hare told her whom I am already, No wonder why she know my name. Please Keni tell me her name, or won't you? Keni: Why? her name is Kathy! And she's after you to the last. Feli: You mean it? Keni: The whole thing depends upon yon! Cast your net and you're going to make a big and nice catch. Feli: Well, that apart, what's the purpose of peeping in at this hour. For a messwe "private and confidential"! That's Keni. how she called 3. she was sent by my sweet Magi to come and look for me. Man, I told you something is going to happen! She can't pass a day without ,om me. seeing or hearing fFeli, What makes her sweet? She tastes like sugar or salt? Keni, This is not the time for jokes. ~ 6 your better e another day. Feli, O.K. Until that day, so that I can get a packet of sugar for niy own use. Keni: Katty: you Keni: Katty: Keni. Katty: �And give anofher packet of sugar to her-so that Keni: two of you can taste sweet to each' other. You're right, but this is not the time'for jokes. Feli: Hurry home to her and 1 1 'hurry back to get 1 ' ready for the catch! Keni: Still the joker? CURTAIN FALLS SCENE FIVE In Karl-v's Room Katty And Magi. Are you sure he said that he would come? Magi: F e said so and I'm sure of that. Katty: But why hans't he come by now? A short time Magi: now and it will get dark. Katty: If my cars did not fail me, he said that he would be coming behfnd. He may be coming now. mag^: Are you sure he can locate ihe sight of this house? He said he knows it quite well and should not Katty: miss the way. ~ a g i : Well. 1'11 wait for sorre more minutes and if he fails to tuin up, I go back. The only thing I know that will delay him a Katty: little is that young man I said that was with him. Feli, you called his name? Magi. Katty: Yes, he's quite a funny gnd charming young man! Magi. Yes, he's. That's how it use to be at the first -. sight. Katty: Not so with this one, Magi. Since we have come to intimatz 'each dtber with our private matters have you heard me praise . any young man in this manner other than this Feli? No.. you're right. Then I can say you have some Magi: special liking for him? Oh! I don't know how I can describe my feelings Katty: now about him. You must try to, Kathy, that's bow it starts. Magi, - - �Katty:. ;What's *&at, :.;Mag?? Magi: Well, I hope you're no longer. a chjld?. ... Katty: I'm not. And I hope you, don't thmk that I'm still a child? Magi: I haven't such an idea in mind, that's why I put that question to you. Katty: Yes, 1 understand you, but d o you kzow what will be his opinion about me? Some young men may appear very charming outside, but inside their heart, they are as black as coal about love. Magi: Oh! deai Katty. I'm sorry that I'm unable to give you a better advice about that now, but however things may turn good in future. Katty: Yes, l understand you quite well. But why has he not come by now? He assured me his being here after some minutes I have been back. Magi: That's one thing wrong with men. When you are after them, they will start to dodge you., I tell men know how to keep women in great expectations when in love--"..--(ENTER KENZ) Oh dear me! have you been eavesdropping on us, Keni? (perspiring) Not, no: I, my dear Magi, I'm just Keni: coming here now. You know you sent a message t o me, but by then I was with a friend Katty saw him I think. Katty: Yes, Feli, not so? Keni: He is. So before I could finish with him and get the chance t o come here, it took quite a long time. I hope I have not delayed you so much, my Magie. . any news? Mogi: Your bright presence have dried away, the dews your delay dropped into my heart. Oh! my Magi, cheer up! The slave of your heart Keni: is here now to look after you. Magi: Oh, enough of that, my love-control your heart! We have but a short time here. This is why I have sent for you. (She gives him a small sized purse) Keep that with you, and don't let it get out of your hold. �What'.$ is it my lov&$:-E$.4t made of-m&to kuow?of it$ .contents? Magi: .Yes, you're privileged to do so. However, its' contents is nothing but money. It is hundred pocnds on the whole. Don't let any other person into this secret. It is only three of us here who share ' this knowledge. Keni: Why this surprise change in your manner, Magi? You know I didn't ask vou about monev. What I want is your love and cohpany, nothmg again outside it. Magi: You're right my love. But I have not changed my manners-don't say so. Keep that money with you until1 the time I shall come to demand it back from you. That's the whole purpose of my sending for you now. You can g- now, don't waste any time, my dear. Keni : Dear, won't you..-.....--.... M a ~ i : No time for that now. until we see again. Keni: 0.K: until then. (he walks to the door and turns back) Oh! lest I forget, Katty, Feli sent his sincere greetings to you through me. Katty: Thank you so m x h , send him mine as well! 0 K; goodbye! Keni: (EXIT KENI) Katty: Oh, men are woaderfrll! Magi: Yes, especially in love. CURTAIN FALLS. Ken/: SCENE SIX. In John Bull's House. John Bull: We shall know who is the ruler of this compound, I wish Chief Ben and his son are.around now. However, they may be on their way coming I: think. (ENTER IKEM) D o you see her? asked John Bull Ikem: I no see her, Sir, I no fit tell how she J e go now. �John Bull: Don't mind her, ,I'll get her round very soon. Chief Ben and his son will be here in a very short time. She no de stay in the house in de evening. Small Ikem: time she go come in, small time she go go out again. Sometime she go hold somethings for hand, sometime she no holding anything. John Bull: O.K! thank you very much. Keep eye on her and her mother, you hear? Ikem: Yes. Sir Masa. John Bull: You can go out now. Ikem: Thank Sir. (ENTER ELIZABETH) Elizabeth: Stop and stand where you're, Ikem! I'm only very sorry for you, John Bull. It is not good of you to spy on your daughter and wife. John Bull: Don't disturb me now! G o out from here! and tell her to get prepared for Chief Ben and his . . son's coming. Elizabeth: I'm not going to tell her! Do whatever you like with her. she's vour daughter! Is it because she n ~ refuses to marry ~ o n that Gade you to keep a spy on me and her? Threatening her like that wor't bring any good result, you know. if she says that she won't marry Bonny, you better leave her alone. You have done your duty as a father, nobody is going to blame you for it. If she wants to suffer as she has chosen, instead of living on the fortune of a rich famiy, let her alone. Johh Rull: That can never be done in this house! She must do my wish or face trouble. Elizabeth: Kill her then if you wish! John Bull: So you're supporting her in her decision? Elizabeth: I support none of you. (ENTER MAGI) Johc Bull: Where have you been, Magi? Magi: Perhaps, your son Ikem have told you that I . . went out? Elizabeth: Yes, Ikem is no longer a servant in this house, but as his son! �John Bull: .Just tell me where you. .have been! Magi. : I have been no where dther than this house! Please, make nobody call my name now Ikem: Your name must be mentioned, Ikem! A liar, Magi: an eavesdropper! You're no longer a servant in this house, but as a son, according to the wish of your master, because I did not agree to marry the son of a rich man and a chief for that matter. John Rull, Stop that. Magi! Will you get prepared for the coming of Chief Ben and his son? Papa, if it's still your wish to hear me address 'Magi: ' you so. To be sincere, Im ready now to die, instead of marrying this son of a rich man! John Bull: Shut up! Do you want to marry the son of a . poor man? ' I m married to him already, if you don't know! ' Magi: Elizabeth: What are you talking, Magi? Do you know that you're addressing your Papa? John Bull: Leave her, she'sjnst cracking a big joke. Magi: Yes, may be a big joke to you now. And likewise, it's going to be a big surprised to see the first fruit of my marriage in a near future. Yes, I m determined to ' marry a poor man. And it makes no difference. Poor people are human beings as well as the rich people. Even the poor knows more about love than the rich. And what more 11 It is love that I want and I have found it. You can reject me and deny me as not being your daughter now, I'm satisfied! (EXIT M4GZ CRYING) John Bull: What's all this about? Is she mnning crazy? Elizabeth: I don't know. I have told yod often and agaJohnin to leave her alone, but you won't listen to me. Eliza Bull: That's a minor thing. She must marry Bonny. beth: I'm not holding you back from doing what is your will about her. �(8XlT MAMA) John Bull: Keep on watching their movements, Ikem. They want to deceive me wiih tricks. T h ~ is a plan s they have made in order to' prevent Magi's marriage with Bonny. Keepeyc on them, you hear? Ikem: Yes, Sir. John Bull: Don't mind whatever they may talk about you, or any name they may calf you.Ikem: Yes, Sir. I no de mind. the things they telling me, I no heardem. I no de hear big big grammatika. Ozuru; You're a funny somebody, Ikem. CURTAIN FALLS. SCENE SEVEN Ikem welcomes Chief Ben and his son, Bonny. Welcome, sir. Make una sit down for chairs. Ikem: My master de come. Chief Ben: Thank you. This boy be good boy, my son (azd he sit on a chair) Yes, he is a very clever and intelligent boy. Bonny: Chief Ben: Yes, na this kind boy I de like. Oh, why my son, plenty chair, plenty things dey here where you go fit sit down. Thank you, Papa (and he sits on a chair.) Bonny: Chief Ben: Ah! my big friend don come! (ENTER JOHN BULL) John Bull: Welcome. Chief Ben and son. How dovou do Bonny? Bonny: Goodevening, Sir. John Bull: Thank you so much my son. Has it been long you come? Chief Ben: Not so-o long! Your boy say make we sit down you de come. Ozuru: Yes, I instructed him to do so. I went to a nearby neighbour over there to take something. Chief- Ben: Oho-n-o! 1 think say you no remembers say we coming today. 1 remembered it quite well. Ikem go and call Ozuru: -, madam, big madam I mean.. Ikem: Yes, Sir. - ' �(EXIT .I .K E M ) . . . Chief Ben: T h i s your boy be cikver boy., John Bull: Yes, he ,doesn't delay in anything. Bonny: Very nice of him! Chizf Ben: Where the girl we come see? Or she no dey in now? Make she come see my son! John Bull: You're right Ben! She will be here within some minutes. ( E N T E R ELIZABETH) Elizabeth: Welcome, Chief Ben! You come to our house today, oh! with your son as well? Chief Ben: Yes, visisi. We come to see our wife. She stay for house? Elizabeth: Well, I don't think she's in now. John Bull: What? Where's she? Elizabeth: I don't know. Chief Ben: Ah! be she de fear my son? John Bull: No, not necessarily that. Chief Ben: Oh! I for say make she no fear, my son no be bad person. John Hull: No, not in that way. Elizabeth: Welcome, Bonny. Bonny: Goodevening, madam. Elizabeth: Thank you so much. (ENTER I K E M ) John Bull: Do you see her? Ikem: No. I no see her. John Bull: Where has she gone? I told her that Chief Ben and Bonny would be coming today. Where's she been, for goodness sake? Chief Ben: Make ino be say she no wan marry my son? John Bull: No, she's going to marry Bonny! Elizabeth: Do you say no, John? Chief Ben and Bonny, it is not good keeping you in suspense. Magi did not agree that she will marry you, Bonny! That's all, but I'm sorry. This is her wish and we have tried every method to see that she reasoned with us, but all were in vain. �John Uull So you know about her wher~about? Elmheth. I do not know, it is in the same camp . you are that I am. Chief Ben: Well, good make you no come here make argument. I wan go now with my son, but you go tell us the time we go come again, John. You know we be good friend long time now, no go grow annoy with you now. But that day wey you go tell we we come now, if we come that day and n ) meet her, I go be angry with you. John Rull: O,K! you will have to come back in two week's time, Chief Ben. Please don't grow annoyed with me yet, Bonny. Bonny: No, don't worry so much. Nothing is amiss yet, added John Bull. Chiet Ben. We de go-o! We go see that day-o! Bonny: Goodbye to you, slr and madam. John Bull: Thank you so much Bonny! Elizabeth: Go-dbye. Bonny! (EXIT CHIEF BEN AND BONNY, HIS SON) John Bull: What's wrong with Magi? Elizabe:h: I don's know. Vlagi knows herself and what she's doing. Give us chance first. Ikem. Ikem: Yes madam. John Bull: What's it, Ehza? Speak it out. Why do you look so gloomy throughout their stay here? Is any. thing wrong? ~lizabeth: Do you know that Magi is expecting a baby now? John Bull: What? oh! this girl doen't want to be good She has spoilt herself. Elizabeth: Yes, but you helped her in it. John Bull: By how? What are talking? Elizabeth: Without your threats, she would not have done so. She's not sorry for it. It seems she purposely did it in order to know what you'll do. John B 1 Well, well, where is her? or isn't she ir. now? 1: Elizabeth: Do you think I was telling lies when I said that I have not seen her since noon? �John Bull: What? Yes,after revealing-this4 0 . meb she went. out Eliza: unoticed. What's going to be done now? Don't you think John: we should go and give complain in the police station? Elizabeth No, not yet. It's seven now, before nine o'clock and if she didn't come back from wherever she may be, we can then go and complain t o the police. John Bull: What? Wait till nine o'clock in the night? If it happens that she is finding where she'll hang herself by now, don't you think that she can be detected out by the police at once than to wait till nine o'clock when she might succeeded in killing herself. Or don't you have in mind that she may commit abortion? Please let's do something about it now! ' Elizabeth: Im sorry I can be of no help to you now. This is your own doing and you must solve it alone. Perhaps this is the tlme you'll consider my worth in this ' house, but I m not going to gwe a helping hand. John Bull: You know all about her plans? El~zabeth: She'll be my witness if she can be seen al~ve. John Rull: Stop that. you fool! Stop kilhng my heart with those frightening words! I!lizabeth Yes. I may be fool now, hut you're ,more than me in the past. John Bull: It's useless exchanging words with you here. (EXIT JOHN BULL) Elizabeth: You have not seen anything yet. This is the beginning! CURTAIN FALLS. SCENE EIGHT In Karlv's Room MAGI AND KATTY. �has Katty;;. ,_kjg~lr,-mother announced the news to your -. .. father. . . .. Magi:' True 1 Yes.. And I learnt' that he's G r r i i d aljout it. Kattv: ~a$: Well, I bother less about his knowing of it. I must go back this night. I i is Keni who is delaying my going. Afterall, I have been out from home since afternoon. None of them knew my whereabout. even my mother. Katty, Why? you have a big heart, I tell you! Well, forget all about it now. Did you see him Magi, at home? Katty, Yes, He'll be here in a few minutes time, ( E N T E R RENI) Oh! look, he's just come in time! What's is it again, Magi? Why? anything wrong? Keni, Have I worried you so much, my Keni ? Magi, No, not at all. my love! Your worry, if it can Keni, be called worry in the real seme of it, to me js just the greatest moment of joy t o me, my love. Oh! if we go on like this, things will he very Magi: good for us. And if you can keep on understanding my feelings as you do at present, our life as husband and wife will be very interesting and joyful. Hope that I'm with you at any moment, darling Keni: and you'll not be disappornted! (addressing Katty) Please, Katty you can give Magi: us chance now for eome minutes. You're free to go on as long as you wish *it[]Katty: out being interrupted. (EXIT RATTY) Now, Keni, my love listen to me clearly. I don't Magi: want you to break down here. Whatever you may hear now, bear it as a man in your neart. Don't be afraid of anything and I don't want you to. If you like you take it, but if you don't, you may go and leave me to my fate, but never you forget that you once had a girl who loved you so much and died for your love. ~ ~ 57 �Why all' fhis;'" Magi?-: You have.pot been speak. Keni:. ing as' you're doing now. IS a bad thing going to happen, my dear? If so and it will affect your precious life, be assured that I'm going down in the grave with you,-if theri's no way to present such a thing. Oh! l'm back to myself again! I'm once more, Magi ' alife. If not for you. I would have gone back to the irlvislble world of spirits. But you're still at my side and fans the air of life intc, my heart. Keni: Re assured, my love and my live, Magi, that I'm with you and and will continue to d o so as long as there's life. Magi: I m happy now, my love The whole truth is ' that I'm expecting a baby for you. It is the first fruit of our love. That's why I have sent for you. Keni: What! So soon? Yes, isn't it sood so? Magi: 1 won't desert you, my dear. Keni: Thank you so much, that's all I want to hear Magi: from you. But what I want to let you know again is-erKeni: how can I explain it well to you? You mean about the bride price? Magi: Keni: Yes, actually! Well, don't worry s o much about it. I hope you Magi: keep that money I gave .you last time in a safe place? Yes, nothing has happened to it. Keni: Magi: Well. I want you to come withit lo our house about twoweek's time. You'll use it to pay my bride price to my faiher, if a t all he'll demand any. But be ready, you're 'going to meet something that day. Keni: Don't worry about anything. I shall come in time t o defend you from any attack, darling. Magi: Thank you very much, my love-that's all I want to tell you now. You ca? go now. ' 58 �6.K; take heart my love. Ken? Don't worry any more. You have satisfied my Magi: curiosity. Yes, bat don't you let anybody into the secret of that money, even to your parents. Keni: I'll never betray you, my love. Goodbye! Magi: O.K! My love. (EXIT KENI) Oh! he's quite a man to have as a husband! I have not made any mistaken in my choice! CURTAIN FALLS. SCENE NINE In Ozuru: John BUN'S House (he calls) Ikem! Ikem! where are you, Ikem? (ENTER IKEM) (sweating) You call me sir? I don come. Ikem: John Bull Yes, where have you been all the while I have been calling you? Ikem: Na from kitchen I de come now, sir. Madam tell me say you de calling me, make I come now sir. John Bull: Yes, I called you, has she returned? I rnear? Magi! Ikem: Ah! I no seeing her since she now returned yet, sir. John Bull: Nobody has seen her. But you have no idea of where she has gone? Ah! no fit make out, sir. She get trick plenty. Ikem: John Bull: When you go back to the kitchen, tell madam that I want to see her now. Ikem: Yes, sir. (EXIT IKEM) John Ball: What kind of temptation is this? What can I call it? Where has she gone? What's wrong with Magi? What's worrying her? I have money and can buy her anything she likes. Why do she preferred to �marry a poor fellow instead of the son af a rich man? I wonder what she's up to. And it seems to me that her mother knows all about her secrets, but she won't tell me where her daughter has been since. Yes, she's supposed to know he steps than I do, but she pretends to know not. I'm tired of all these things! But if she commits suicide now, uho will be blamed for it? Sometimes she may drop a suicide note and say that I'm the cause of her death. That I d~dil'tallow her to marry the man of her choice-her love -she may term it. And people will blame me so much for it! Oh! how can 1 face the blam: of people? And it may be published in the newspapers with bold letters! How where are you Magi! can I withstand such a s~ght-oh! Come back to your Papa! (ENTER ELIZABETH) Elizabeth What is it my dear? You sent for me, not so? Ozuru Yes, come in, I sent for you. Have you seen Magi? Elizabeth: No, I have not. John Bull: True? Elizabeth: Yes. John Bull: You see I can't sleep soundly this night without seeing Magi come back this night. Now is eight o'clock and shc's no where to be found. We must go at once to police station and give complain. This I S above me. You see I'm begmning to get worried ' over the whole affalr. Elizabeth: This is a situtation in which I found myself with no idea whatsoever for its solution. Infact, I have already started to entertain some fear about the whole thing. John Bull: The only idea I have now about it is to go to the police station and give report or notice, whith you may choose tocall it. I'm gettingtired about it all! Elizabeth: I think we better wait for some more minutes before that, to avoid giving false information to the police. You know they're going to publish it in the newspapers the moment it reaches them. 4nd if after �, . . . ~ , that she cdmes back without being found by the pelice or by any other person, for that matter, you know it's going to be a scandal in town. John Bull. Bu: 1 can't control myself any longer! This is paining me so much, but you don't know. (ENTER M A G I ) Oh! what an I seeing? Come back to me, my daughter Magi. Magi: Yes, it has not starred to pain you any way. You're just shedding crocodile tears! Elizabeth: Dont' you see now, if we had informed the police about it, what would have been our position now? John Bull: Come back to me, Magi-come back to your senses. It's not good talking like that. Magi, Well, I'm with my senses, and I know what I'm doing. You thought that I had gone out io covmit . suicide because I'm expecting a baby for my dear love-no! I will never do so, for my love is with me at any moment. Elizabeth: What's the cause of all this! Magi? Why? are you running mad? Magi: I'm not, but those who think 1 am, will first find themselves going naked in public, hut, 1'11 remain as you see me now, pitying them, if at all they will deserve my pity. John Bull: I hope you're not cursing me. Magi? Elizabeth: Please, go into my room, Magi. You're so tired to stand here and exchange words with your father. Magi: I'm not going to rest now. By the way, what kind of father is he? A father who don't want happiness for his daughter? A father who is threatening t o disown his daughter if she happens t o marry the man she loves? With nojust reason other than that he's from a poor family. Now I have come back to this house only t o give you the chance to do whatever you like now with me. Hut I'm happy that my love is with me. I'm expecting a baby for him. If you kill me now, you know that you have commited double murder! �Elizabeth; Stop so far, Magi! Will you get out and go to my room! This is not how to do it! (and she directs Magi out of the room) she needs rest now, you see? John Bull: Yes, actually. Something is worrying her now. CURTAIN FALLS. SCENE TEN In Keni's Room KEN1 AND FELI Feli: Hello! friend, cheer up. I have a good news from the dream world of lovers! Welcome, Feli, how do you do? keni: Feli: N o trouble at present. Nothing to think about, you see? Oh! my goodness! but you're looking so gloomy, Keni. Why? Nothing-I mean nothing, you see. Keni: Well, if you're hiding anything from me now, I won't do l~kew~se you. 1 can tell you that Im just to ' from Katty now. She's quite a nice girl. Keni. Is that so? Feli: Yes, I have started to [drink the wine of love. Keni: Yotlr own experience may be d.fferent from mine, you understand ? Feli: Yes, I do. She's quite a nice girl. I can tell you! Keni: Yes, Please did she tell you anything about Magi? Feli: Nothing, what's it. Keni: N o news about her? Feli: Nothing. Is she missing? Keni: No. It nothing of that sort. Feli: Ah! many things do happen nowadays-don't blame me for having asked as you did-after all so many things actually do happen these days. The whole truth about my question is that I want to know whetner you have heard about it-you know Magi is expecting a baby for me! Feli 62 �Feli: Is that so, do you mean if? Keni: I'm telling you the truth. nothing but the truth. I mean it to the last words of it. Feli: Well, if it's why you were looking so gloomy the time I came in, I can advise you to cheer up! it's no evil. Keni:b I'm not thinking about anything of that kind. I must welcome my first child with joy and happiness. After all, we shall get married before its arrival. Magi: I have not come to see who will marry me. I should welcome them, but I am sorry I won't give him my hand in marriage for I have already g o t married to my love who is with me at any moment Johnbull: Shut up, what are you talking? Magi. Yes, you won't understand because I refused to marry Bonny who is the son of a rich man and chief. I'm sorry to say that I don't love yotl Bonny and therefore, should never accept to be your wife under any circumstance and pressure. Chief Ben: What are we waiting again? Bonny, let's go, we have failed. Needless wasting t ~ m e This is a matter where love reigns supreme. Bonny: Well, I have no objection to your wish, Magi. If you love another person then I, I'll never be an int~uder, if afterwards you reconsider to come to but me I shall bc very glad to receive you. Chief Ben: That's it, my son. Magi; Well thank you very much, Bonny and C h i e f lgboanu. This is because you understand the language of love. Rut, the fact, and the only fact of the whole affair is that I have already decided to marry the only man I love. Johnbull; Who is this man that you love? What's his name? I want to know. Magi; Well, he's no other person than Keni, the son of Joseph, and if you to see him now, he'll be around. 63 �(EN.!.:!+ K.ELNO. Chief Ben: O h , . he's the son of my good 'friend, Joseph. Welcome, my boy. He's a good match to her. This is my son, Bonny. Keni: Oh, thank you very much, Bonny. How do you do:, Bonny: Nothiilg is wrong-that you so much. Magi: See where you're now! ,what objection ha;e you about it. Papa? Chief Ben: He can't obiect it, Magi. Your choice is a very good one. L&S go my son, Bonny. (Exit chirf Ben and Bonny) Johnbull: This is wonderful indeed. Keni; Now I have come to pay the bride price, and after that I wish you to bless our marriage. Johnbull: You're not going to pay the bride price, my son I want you to live in peace with my daughter. Your marriage have already been l~lessedby the Almighty God. Magi, you and your lo+e have won! Magi: Im very happy now that you have come to realise ' the true worth of love! CURTAIN FALLS "1 c Oh, have you made arrangement with her? Keni It's her will to become my wife. Feli: Oh, things will be alright then. Keni: Yes, but what remains now is my parents-I have not informed them about it. And i don't k n o w how far they are going to receive it with happy heart. Feli: That's a simple thing to do. If you're determined with your choice and decision, they won't present a difficult case in the least. G o ahead with your plan, boy. I wish you goodluck! Keni: Thank you very much for that. We shall see again But mind how you drink the wine of your lover! Feli: 0 K., goodbye, Keni: See you again. Exit Feli (alone) �Keni: So this is how it starts? This life is full of steps and stages! Soon. I should be called the father of a child! And from there I should begin to raise a family of my own. (ENTER JOSEPH) Joseph: Look, what are you thinking about, Keni? Do you know the time I came in? Keni: Oh, Papa! Infact, I don't know that it's you. I thought that it was another person. Oh, I have a very serious and important matter that occupied my whole <thoug!?t. Joseph: What's it, my son? You're thinking about the ' love of Magi the rich man's daughter, I hope? You're going to drap dead one day because, of her. Keni: Yes, I'm thinking a b o u t her now, but I'm not going to regret it. Things are beginning to shape themselves to our favour. Joseph: You know I have no money to pay for her bride price. Rich pesple marry rich men's daughters. It's only the son of a rich man who can marry Mzgi. You don't know her father, Johnbull. He's a very rich man and very very proud of himself. How do you think that he'll allow you to marry h e r daughter? Please, I don't want trouble here-I'm not rich, and therefore, don't want to compete with rich people. Keni: Don't fear about the money for' the bride price, things; will be alright. We have agreed to marry ourselves. Joseph: What? do you want to tell me that you have the money for the bride price now? Keni: Don't worry about that, only promise me t h a t you'll receive her as my wife when she comes. Joseph: Did you steal the money or what? Keni: Oh, for goodness' sake! don't talk what w i 11 stop anncy me now, Papa. Please, I'm not a thief, Papa suggesting that I might have stolen the money. 65 �Joseph: What do you want me t c d o then? I won't 'say that again.Keni: Thank you very much. Magi doesn't d o what some daughters of rich men do. She's auite a nice woman. shewrespects people and is will~ng learn from anyto body, whether rich or poor. Joseph: Until I see her manners, then 1'11 know what to do. Keni: Well, I want to tell you now that she's expecting a baby for me, Papa. Joseph: What!-what do you say? Who will give you the money for the bride price? You don't fall where .you can be seen. Keni: Well, don't worry about that. Just keep calm and you will see what is-going to happen. Joseph: 1 have nothing :o say again - y o u know how you are going all about it. - (EVTER M A R Y ) Oh, come and hear what's is going on, Onyema. Your son is not very hear here as you see him so. 'Mary: What is it, any trouble? Joseph: Ask him to tell you. I donot know how toexplain it to you. Mary: Well, what is it, my son. Keni? Please tell me, . anything wrong? Keni: No, Mama...-it's no bad news. Mary: What's. it then? Keni: I shall be getting married very soon. Marv: Get married? ~ e n f : Yes. Mama. Mary: ~ i i h whom? Keni: With Magi. Keni: The daughter of Johnbull. Mary: Are you still after her? Are you still made for -her lovd? Keni: I can tell you that she is expecting a:baby for me now. Mary: What! A baby, you say? �Keni: Yes. Mary: Well, I won't blame you so much, but where can you get the money for the bride price? Johnhull: Can you claim any amount f r o m hundred pounds upward. Joseph: That was what I have been asking him since. Keni: You'll not have to bother about the bride price. Just promise me that you're going to receive her well a ~ d treat her as the wite of your son. Mary: What? Keni: Yes. Mary Well, you can be assured of my earnest co-operation as yo11 have asked of me. Keni: Thank you very much for th~s, Mama. Joseph: But I wonder! Mary: Stop wondering any longer. After all it is not a bad thing. Keni: Oh, thank you very much Mama! Your words of encouragement to me can't be forgotten. Joseph: Yes. i know that you'll praise her so much, because she supports you now. Mary: And why shouldn't we support him'! At least, he needs our moral support in this matter, as we're unable to give him financial support. Keni: Oh, thank you once more for that, Mama! Mary: Yes, be assured of our moral support to you in this your venture. Joseph: We wish you every luck in this your business of life! Keni: Thank you so much Papa. CURTAIN FALLS SCENE ELEVEN (Johnbull and his wife Elizaberh) John: What is she doing now? I hope she's making some progress? Elizabeth: What I know is that she's not sick and she has not complained to me about any. �Johnbull: . Have you any idea about what w ~ u l d beher ...... beh.ayiour,,when. Ch&f Ben comes,+qday with'his::S&i, , . . _., g ld &me. Bonny?'. Y + - know it- ii't,day th's t h i. ' s h ~ __.__ . Elizabeth: Oh, 'is' it '-tod!&? Johnbull: Yrs, what do you think s,&' w.dl. d o ? i'ii&e she's not going to disappoint us again? Be alrtght. We have agreed to marry ourselves. Joseph: What'! Do you want to tell me that you hai'e the money for the bride price now? Keni: Don't worry about that, only promise me that you'll receive her we:l as my wife when she comes. Joseph: Did you steal the money or what'! Keni Oh, for goodnkss' sake! Don't talk what w i l l ancoy me now, Papa. Please, I'm not a thief, Papa stop suggesting that I might have stolen the money. Joseph: What do you want me to do t h e n ? I won't say that again. Keni: Thank you very much. Magi doesn't do what some daughters of rich m a do. She's quite a n i c e woman. She respects pzople and is w~llingto learn from anytody wthether rich or poor. Joseph: Until I see her manners, then I will know what t o do. Keni: Well, I want t o tell you now that she's expecting a baby for me, Papa. Joseph: What! Whit do you say? Who w~llgive y o u the money for the bride mice? You don't fall where you can be seen. Keni: Well, don't worry about that. Just keep calm and you'll see what is going to happen. Joseph: I have no:h;ng to say again you know how you're going all about it. (EVTER MARY) Oh, come and hear what is going on, Onyema. Your son is not very near here as you him so. Mary: What is it, any trouble? Jozeph: Ask him to tell you. I don't know how to explain it to you. Mary, Well, what's it, my son, Keni? Please tell me, anything wrong? C _ _ _ , ,,_:..i �Keni: No, Mama -it's no bad news. Mary: What's it then? Keni: I shall be getting married very soon. Mary: Get married? Keni: Yes, Mama. Mary: With whom? Keni: With Magi? Mary: Which Magi? Keni: The daughter of Johnbull. Mary: Are you still after her? Are you still mad for her love? Keni: I can tell you that she's expecting a baby for me now. Mary: What! A baby, you say? Keni: Yes., Mary: Well, I won't blame you so much, but where can you get the money for the bride price? Johnbull: Can claim any amount from hundred pounds upward. Joseph: That was what I have been asking him since. Keni: You'll not have to bother about the bride price. Just promise me that you're going to receive her well and treat her as the wife of your son Mary: What? Keni: Yes. Mary: Well, you can be assured of my earnest co-operation as you have asked of me. Keni: Thank you very much for this, Mama. Joseph: But I wonder! Mary: Stop wondering any longer. After all it is not a bad thing. Keni: Oh, thank you very much Mama! Your words of encouragement to me can't be forgotten. Joseph: Yes, I know that you'll praise her so much, because she supports you now. 69 �Mary: And why shouldn't we support him? At least, he needs our moral support in this matter, as we're unable to give h ~ m financial support. Keni: Oh, thank you once more for that, Mama! Mary: Yes, be assured of our moral support to you in this your venture. Joseph: We wish you every luck in this your busmess of life! Keni: Thank you so much, Papa. CURTAIN FALLS SCENE ELEVEN (Johnbull and his wife Elizabeth) Johnbull: What is she doing now, I hope she's making some progress? Elizabeth: What I know is that she's not sick and she has not complained to me about any. Johnbull: Have you any idea about what would be her behaviour when Chief Ben comes today with his son, Bonny7 You know it is today that they should come. Elizabeth: Oh, is it today? Johnbull: Yes, what do you think she will do? I hope she's not going to disappoint us again? Elizabeth: Well, I don't know what will be her next line of action. Her general behaviour cannot be predicted. Infact, 1 can tell you now that I don't know what she's going to do ln the next hour. But if may suggest, it is better to allow her to marry the man of her choice this time that she's expecting a b a b y. There'll be no gain in forcing her to marry against her will. Johnbull: Are you sure she's expecting a baby? Elizabeth: Yes, she said so and I believe her. Johnbull: That's quite a lie! I don't believe it. I know her trick. Where's she by thc way? Elizabeth: She's in the kitchen. Do you want her now? Johnbull: Yes, call her. Wait, where's Ikem? send him to go and call her. (ENTER MAGI) - �Elizabeth: Oh look, she's just come without being calledI wonder! Magi: What's it, Mama? Elizabeth: Nothing- I say noth~ng. Johnbull: I hope you remember that Chief Hen and his son Bonny are to coming this hcuse today? Magi: As your quests I hope? Johnbull: Why-and -/ours as well! Magi. Well, count me out. Johnbull: Why mag^? Why are you so obstinate? Can't you reason well? Magi: I don't want to exhaust myself before the real combat. (Exit Magi with anger) Elizabeth: You have seen what 1 was telling you before - . she came. Johnbull: Well. that's no vroblem now. lonlv w i s h . they have arrived now.Elizabeth: Oh, look they havejust arrived! (Enter Chief Ben and his son B m n y ) Johnbull: Oh, you're just welcome in my house. How do you do Chief Ben? Chief Ben: I no do any de. Johnbull: You're wonderful, well things will be alright today. Chief Ben: We no wan delay like last time. We go go another place after this. Make you go call her now. No be so my son? Bonny: You're alright, Papa. (Re-enter M a g i ) Johnbull: Oh, she's here already! Welcome them, Magi you're so beautiful nowadays! Welcome Chief Ben and his son, Bonny, who is going to marry you. Magi: I have not come to see who will marry me. I should welcome them, but I am sorry I won't give him my hand in marriage for I have : i h a d y got married to my love who is with me at any moment. Johnbull: Shut up! What are talking? Magi: Yes, you won't understand because I refused to marry Bonny who is the son of a rich man and chief. 71 �I m sorry tosay that. I don't love you ,Bonny. .and ' therefore, should never accept to Se your. wife under any circumstanc: and pressure! Chief Ben: What are we waiting again, Bonny? Let's go, we have failed. Needless wasting time. This is a matter where love reigns supreme. Bonny: Well, I have no o'jection to your wish, Magi. If you love another persm than I. I'll never be an intruder, but if afterwards you reconsider to come to me I shall be very glad to receive you. Chief Ben: That's it, my son! Magi: We, thank you very much, Bonny and Chief Igboanu. This is because you understand the language of love. But, t'-e fact, and the only fact o f the whole affair is that I have already deided to marry the only man I love. Johnbull: Who is this man that you love? What's his name? I want to know. Magi: Well, he's no other person than Keni, the son of Joseph! And if you want to see him now he'll be around (ENTER KENI) Chief Ben: Oh, he's the son of my good friend, Joseph. Welcome, my boy. He's a good match to her! This is my son Ronny! Keni: Oh. thank you very much, Bonny How do you do? -is Bonny: ~ o t h i n g wrong-thank you so mvch: Magi: See where you're now! What objection have you about it, papa? Chief Ben: He can't object it, Magi. Your choice is a very good one. Letk go my son, Bonny. (Exit Chref Ben and Bonny) Johnbull: This is wonderful indeed! Keni: Now I have come to DAY the bride - iee.. and after that I wish D you to bless our marrhb. Johnbull: You're not going to pay the bride price, my son. I want my you to live in peace w ~ t h daughter. Your marriage have already been blessed by the Alm~ghtGod. Magi, you and your love have won! Magi: -7% very happy now that you have come to realise the true worth of love! CURTAIN FALLS THE END. �; , * . .... *., .... ... . -. . .:.. Ordqv your ~ s ~ i c a rnovels from a . - J. I_ . , ...... a-_____ z 'L . . I L . . I- C ORDTUERS OOOXSWOC, . No. 30 Okwuenu Street, Fegge-3nitsh-a. Nigeria. -. ... .... .. ? i 1 Never tiust all that lore you 2s‘d 2 The way to avoid poverty 2s 6d 3 How t : ~know pr.werhs and many things 3s 6d 4 Man uorks hard for m o ~ ~ e y 2s 6d 5 The game of love .. 2s 6d 6 T h i n s worth knowing in-questions and answers 2s 6d 7 How to study English, Ibo, Hausa, 2: 6d and Ycruba 8 Our modern love leters 2s 6d 9 Why boys never trust money-monger- $;Is 2s 6d 10 What women are thinking about men 2s 6d 11 Ibo made easy in English lavguage 2s 6d 12 How to write important letters, applications and asreements . .. 3.6d 13 How to study good Englisti,~Notice'letters,. Better se~tencesand Compsitibn .. .'{: . . 2 6d s 14 Hausa to .speak to girls an& w$~.their:~lqvc2s6d 15 The trial and judgement cif-ChteF A w ~ w o . 2 $ . 6d 16 .The life st@y and death k & KenF&. $# 61 17 How to write Applicjtions, . Q .. fctier3'::% Agreements T6legrams; Bussinesn . elce&.3r Compositions Love*letters and Toast. .". -.;i,i,...: ..,-- --. x , Read j C. B a d t s for the,,follewiYIg .reasons'?$ ; ~. ,. . , % : , ;.B;q6d * . + %. - ~. 1 T h y will lgach 'kou maBy tbingsZwh;chj&?do . . . $:-.:... .* . . .. * :-. I...c+. ... $biz-know. T: 2 Cohstaot:rea?Thg w i .~ ~ a ~ s o v : . . ...... education. 3 Ir$er~st.ing aoyels 6iil ilispire .-. . . - .< v 19 Emodi Street, onitsha. �H O W TO WRITE AND REPLY LETTERS FOR MARRIAGE, ENGAGEMENT LETTERS, LOVE LETTERS ASD HOW TO KNOW A GIRL TO MARRY I f you know bow to writr intereking love letters, you must marry a beautiful girl of your wish. ' � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Description An account of the resource Full text of the pamphlet Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Onitsha Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to write and reply letters for marriage, engagement letters, love letters, and how to know a girl to marry Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Abiakam, J. Type The nature or genre of the resource Onitsha market literature Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Onitsha, Nigeria : J.C. Brothers Bookshop Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. 1963? Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Nigerian literature (English) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ksrl.c3280 Description An account of the resource This is a how-to pamphlet where "you will learn the styles and ways to write "letters that are "very interesting and reasonable, and the English very educative," (pg.4). Abiakam advises his readers to "Read and recommend to your friends one by one and they must never forget you," (pg.4). The author cautions his male readers by telling them that "money alone cannot make you happy," for "children and long life is very important," (pg.5). He includes a brief section on "How to know a girl to marry," however the bulk of the pamphlet's advice consists of sample letters that appear on pages 7-35. The author claims to have three important types of letters to teach: 1) letters for marriage; 2) engagement letters; and 3) love letters, (pg.5). Both the front and back cover have interesting illustrations about writing letters and knowing a girl to marry.<br /><br />The remainder of the pamphlet is a play, "Rich Man's Daughter," by Raja Raphael, (pg.35-72). This play's inclusion with these letters seems obvious because the play deals with the power of romantic love over arranged marriages and the power of love to surmount differences in class and wealth. This is a common theme in the letters as well.<br /><br />The opening scene sets up a confrontation between John Bull and his daughter Magi that serves as the play's source of conflict and action. However, this first scene also begins to establish class confrontations through initial characterizations. Language serves as a means to develop the differences between the classes and the sides of the confrontation. John Bull and his daughter Magi speak in nearly standardized English compared to their servant Ikem's pidgin. Keni, Magi's lover, and his friend Feli also speak a standardized English. However, Keni's parents, Mary and Joseph, speak something closer to pidgin initially. Additionally, the names identify the more elite and westernized characters: John Bull and Magi Bull rather than a Nigerian name such as Ikem.<br /><br />Magi and her father argue over which man she will marry. John Bull has chosen Bonny, a chief's son, as the future husband, and he has initiated the negotiations to seal the deal. Magi, however, has selected another man that she loves. Both have strong plans and know that they will win and make the other see reason. John Bull has his servant, Ikem, spy on Magi and follow her around. In the end, it is Magi's machinations that win over her father. She Reveals that she is pregnant to her mother, who then warns John Bull to accept his daughter's wishes. Fearing that she will commit suicide or have an abortion, he agrees that she should marry the man of her choice. Both Bonnie and his father, the Chief, are also quite enamored with Keni, her chosen partner.<br /><br />Keni and his family are characterized as good people. Keni is identified as a proper husband and partner for Magi, who in turn will make a good wife, for she does not "do like the daughter of a rich man," (pg.43). Magi will make a good obedient wife. Other gendered characterizations are also of interest. For Example, men in this play expect women to be soft and sweet. Women are literally like sugar. Feli: <em>What makes her sweet? She tastes like sugar or salt? ...O.k. Until that day, so that I can get a packet of sugar for my own use. Keni: And give another packet of sugar to her so that two of you can taste sweet to each other,</em> (pg.47-48).<br /><br />Women, on the other hand, perceive men to be deceptive and manipulative.However, they still find themselves interested in the game of love. Katty: <em>Some young men may appear very charming outside, but inside their heart, they are as black as coal about love. ... Magi: That's one thing wrong with men. When you are after them, they will start to dodge you. I tell men know how to keep women in great expectations when in love,</em>&nbsp;(pg.49).<br /><br />This play uses intrigue to prove the importance of romantic love. Yet it still emphasizes the cultural values embedded within Igbo society. In the end, Keniis a good match for Magi because of his character and his family's character rather than his wealth.<br /><br />* Note that this play has some scenes printed out of sequence and several repeated scenes. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. However, for this Item, either (a) no rights-holder(s) have been identified or (b) one or more rights-holder(s) have been identified but none have been located. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Howard United States Elk County Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sanborn Map Company Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1885 Description An account of the resource sheet number: 1 from a single-sheet set Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 1 sheet : color ; 64 x 56 cm. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context http://luna.ku.edu:8180/luna/servlet/detail/kuluna01kui~12~12~2245272~249884 ksrl.kc.sm_howard_1885_001 Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available New York, New York Sanborn Map Company Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource &lt;a href=&quot;http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/services/photo.shtml&quot;&gt;Acceptable Use Policy&lt;/a&gt; Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Kansas Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Subject The topic of the resource Howard, Kansas -- Maps Title A name given to the resource Howard, Kansas : 1885 Type The nature or genre of the resource maps Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Howard United States Elk County Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sanborn Map Company Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1893 Description An account of the resource sheet number: 1 from a set of 2 sheets Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 1 sheet : color ; 64 x 56 cm. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context http://luna.ku.edu:8180/luna/servlet/detail/kuluna01kui~12~12~2245286~249885 ksrl.kc.sm_howard_1893_001 Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available New York, New York Sanborn Map Company Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource &lt;a href=&quot;http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/services/photo.shtml&quot;&gt;Acceptable Use Policy&lt;/a&gt; Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Kansas Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Subject The topic of the resource Howard, Kansas -- Maps Title A name given to the resource Howard, Kansas : 1893 Type The nature or genre of the resource maps Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Howard United States Elk County Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sanborn Map Company Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1893 Description An account of the resource sheet number: 2 from a set of 2 sheets Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource 1 sheet : color ; 64 x 56 cm. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context http://luna.ku.edu:8180/luna/servlet/detail/kuluna01kui~12~12~2245300~249886 ksrl.kc.sm_howard_1893_002 Language A language of the resource English Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available New York, New York Sanborn Map Company Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource &lt;a href=&quot;http://spencer.lib.ku.edu/services/photo.shtml&quot;&gt;Acceptable Use Policy&lt;/a&gt; Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Kansas Collection, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Subject The topic of the resource Howard, Kansas -- Maps Title A name given to the resource Howard, Kansas : 1893 Type The nature or genre of the resource maps