Omollo Binairo (Play Series) Act 3 - A Thin Dissociation

A Thin Dissociation

Scene 1

Early at dawn. The sun is stretching, breathing morning's fresh air and forming tall shadows. Tall glassy buildings are reflecting the beautiful sunrise with bright red-orange twinkles. The restaurant is glowing with its yummy yummy advert decor. Inside the restaurant, Ms Kamau is dusting her office, attends to a client, gives her key and leads her to a room... Upon her  return, she finds Karanja and the police officer waiting at the reception.

Ms Kamau: Morning gentlemen, you need a room?

Officer: Not really.

Karanja: Any whereabouts of Mr Omollo?

Ms Kamau: Can't disclose my client's information with an empty hand just like that.

Karanja: An empty hand?

Officer: You want to be charged with attempting to bribe the law?

Ms Kamau: Am I not rich to get away with it anyway like they normally do?

Karanja: Where there's money; most likely, justice is served well.

Officer: Enough of your justices. Tell us if you've hard from him lately.

Ms Kamau: You know very well in this city nothing is ever given for free; we even give directions at a fee! As long as you're not buying tea I don't know what you're saying.

Karanja: Okay. (Signals the officer, they whisper a brief indistinguishable talk. Karanja then gets his wallet) 5k. Take!

Ms Kamau: 5k is small. Make it 10k I tell you the specific time and place that you'll find this man. (Karanja gives the officer a puzzled look)

Officer: I thinks its okay. Besides, you said Omollo owns you millions. (Karanja adds 5k)

Karanja: Take and speak! Nkt!

Ms Kamau: (As she puts money in her bra) He will be here in room no17 at 1:30 pm. (She progresses into her office)

Karanja: (While standing, moving reluctantly) A ten word phrase for 10k? You Kikuyus love money. Anyways.

Officer: You are new in Nairobi. Wewe ni wa kukam?

Karanja: (Feeling ridiculed) Nkt! Let's move.

 Officer: Okay Mr bank! (They both walk out)

(Lights fade).

Scene 2

(Inside room no17, Akoth is sleeping on the bed while Omollo is reclining on a seesaw seat. Omollo is woken with door knocks. He slides the door open, chamber maid gets in)

Ms Kamau: They were here!

Omollo: (Gazes at the chambermaid with somnolent eyelids) Who were here? (His left limb quivers, his face starts forming sweat droplets exhibiting his nervousness) Have they gone?

Ms. Kamau: It was the same bank representative and the police officer who were hunting you last time. But don't worry, they have already left though, without a word.

Omollo: Oh! That's a signal; they might be coming back!

Ms Kamau: Maybe yes maybe no. (Akoth turns at the bed-edge facing wall, grabs the bedsheet and covers her head) You got company!

Omollo: She is my daughter. I think we'll be leaving in a few.

Ms Kamau: As you wish, sir. (She then exits the room, slides the door. The door locks behind her)

Omollo: (Retires back to the seesaw seat, swings to and fro with his right hand stroking beard. Swings a little and stops suddenly. Slides off the seat, heads to the bathroom and cleans up in brief. He then walks to the bed where Akoth is sleeping) Baby girl, wake up! (He uncovers her head) Arise and shine!

Akoth: (Wakes up with her eyes clinging on sleep) Daddy!

Omollo: Get a bath over there (points to the bathroom door) Here is not safe for us. We need to act fast. 

Akoth: Okay. (She obeys and sluggishly walks into the walk-in-shower)

Omollo: Don't take it for too long. (He then reaches for his suitcase from below the bed and puts it on the bed. He removes two bags and sets them aside, fishes in the suitcase and his hands comes out holding a gun wrapped in a cloth. He unwraps; its a revolver, he fishes in the suitcase again and comes out with bullets. He loads the gun and stacks it on one of the bags. He then sets aside his clothes while looking for smaller size that could slightly fit Akoth. With sweatpants and a t-shirt, he walks to the bathroom) You can put these on. (He hangs them on the bathroom door)

Akoth: (Dressed in her dad's ware) Fresh! (She notices the bed and suitcase are well put). Are we leaving now? Are we going back home? (Omollo hesitates a little, words refuse to escape his mouth) I'm afraid I might get kidnapped at home again.

Omollo: (Manages to speak) Don't be afraid. Daddy is here and thinking of fleeing us to safety.

Akoth: But daddy, what is all this about? Are we wanted?

Omollo: It's a long story, I'll cut it short. I kept it from you while waiting for the right time, thought you were young to know but now I'll spill it; a 19 years can take it anyway.

Akoth: I'm on all ears.

Omollo: Its between me and you.

Akoth: (Seeks comfortable sitting position on the bed and settles close to the bags) I'll not let it off the bag. 

Omollo: You know why you are presently not in college?

Akoth: Because no school fee...?

Omollo: You are also aware of our housing situation...?

Akoth: The landlady has been our regular guest. Mmmm I'm aware of that.

Omollo: Right. So, as a man, I had to take action.

Akoth: Eeheemmm..

Omollo: I applied for a bank loan and gave our ancestral land as loan security, it delayed; by the time I received the loan, I had gotten into thuggery three months ago. I ran away with Musyoka's money after delivering 10 kilos of heroine to his client who happened to be a member of parliament. In exchange I was given a bag; this one right here, full of money and kept it. Musyoka had not paid me for the three months so I paid myself with this. Since then, Musyoka; the major supplier of heroine, has been hunting me. He wants his money back.

Akoth: I now understand. My kidnapping was meant for you to give back the money. I'm so sorry I made you give it back.

Omollo: It wasn't real. Once Musyoka opens the bag, he might be determined to send his goons for my head. I gave him papers with few notes on top.

Akoth: Oh my goodness! And he is directly linked to the government. Finding us won't cost him a lot. If we're fleeing; I think we can only find safety outside this town. 

Omollo: Yea. We need a plan.

Akoth: What about the bank loan?

Omollo: The bank discovered the land which I gave as a security was a family possession when your uncles sued the bank for grabbing family land. The bank is now hunting me down, they want their loan compensated.

Akoth: I think you should give back the money.

Omollo: But we have money problems we need money solution. Here we have money! We have solution.

Akoth: Solving problems with problems!

Omollo: We'll give back the money though, later. (Gets closer to the bags and opens at Akoth's clear view) The is it!

Akoth: We are rich! What about the other one?

Omollo: It's the same. Money. (Opens it)

Akoth: Oh my! (She's shocked) Dad, that's a gun!

Omollo: A real one. It is essential for self protection mostly where untaxed money is involved.

Akoth: (Holding the gun as if she wants to shoot. All of a sudden, the door opens with huge bang.  Akoth unknowingly pulls the trigger and shoots blindly) Pap! (Man down. With a closer view, she notices its Bura; down and dead with blood spilling off his dead body)

Omollo: Give me that gun! (Akoth curls up beside the bed and hands him the gun while shaking. The chamber maid walks in the room slowly with her hands on her head, behind her is Musyoka pressing gun to her back)

(Lights fade)

Scene 3

(In the same room and as they were at the end of scene 2)

Musyoka: You played adult on me you son of a b**ch! I would have sent you my goons but for taking me as a suckling, here I'm, for your head. By myself! (Omollo raises his weapon)

Musyoka: Put it down or I kill her!

Omollo: (Points the gun at the chambermaid to the neck where Musyoka is peeping at and pulls the trigger) She's not my relative, you can kill her if you want to.

Musyoka: You're not a hard man Omollo. Put it down! (Strides forward a little)

Omollo: One more step and I'll shoot you! (Musyoka tends to move his foot, Omollo shoots close to it, Musyoka retreats jumping backwards. In shock, chambermaid loses consciousness and falls helplessly on the floor. Omollo shoots again. Musyoka hides besides the door at the corridor. Akoth looks terrified with fear)

Omollo: (Hurriedly stacks the bags in the suitcase) Take this and jump out through the window. (Akoth inspects where she's jumping) First floor is not that high, you can manage.

(A garbage track parks behind a police car below the window. A garbage collector gets off from the front of the track, loads the garbage on the track moves in back in the track. As the track is about to move, Akoth throws the suitcase and then follows it and lands on the garbage at the back if the track. Omollo tries to jump, Musyoka shoots continuously denying Omollo a chance to escape. With a narrow look, he sees the track drive off. He then fires back. Suddenly, Karanja and two officers walk in the restaurant and creeps in to the corridor where gunshots are coming from. Musyoka's gun runs out of bullets so does Omollo's)

Officer 1: (Kicks Musyoka at the back pushing him inside the room where Omollo is) Hands up both of you!

Officer 2: Wakora nyinyi. You are under arrest!

Karanja: (points at Omollo) This is the man!

Officer 2: We will discuss that at the station. For now these two men are criminals!

Officer 1: (Inspects the bodies on the floor) While staring at Bura's dead eyes and feeling his purse on the neck) This one is dead!

Officer 1: (While noting down) Murder with violence.

Karanja: (Looking at the guns) And illegal possession of firearms.

Officer 2: This one is breathing. (Places the chambermaid on a first aid position, performs first aid and she wakes up with few weak coughs)

(The officers handcuffs Omollo and Musyoka. Officer 1 calls for ambulance, it arrives. As two nurses attend to the Chambermaid, the officers escort Omollo Musyoka outside the restaurant to a police car, Karanja follows inside the police car) (They drive off)

<Lights fade>