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August 31, 2022

WHAT MORE HIDDEN CHARGES IS “BABA” SPRINGING ON TOCHI AND HIS FRIENDS WHO ARE IN SEARCH OF WEALTH THROUGH RITUAL SACRIFICES?

Greetings, folks!

I am Harry Agina, with edition 5 of Michael Shaibu’s “Blowback” AfroCultural Drama Series. It is about money-making ritual in Africa. Innocent humans are devilishly butchered, supposedly sacrificed to some gods, in search of wealth. We did say already that this evil crime is currently going haywire in Nigeria among youths.

If you have not read episodes 1 to 4, they are all linked up, and waiting for you here on Afro-Scope.com. The gist so far is that Toba, Tochi, and Bude, embarked on an evil quest for money through some unholy rituals. They were initially made to understand that they only had a couple of simple things to do, to get rich beyond words! That’s when I brought up the possibility of hidden charges, right from the start. I always say, when it looks too doggone simple to be true, then, most often, it’s not true. I have a favorite gospel song, which says that the devil does commonly hand out largesse to his followers quite alright. But, “when he gives you with one hand, he always collects it back from you with the other hand.” And, I add that the motherfucking devil always does collect more than he hands out.

Now, let’s see how the three misguided, greedy friends are doing in the hands of the gods of wealth. The agent of the gods, the “Baba,” gradually and casually dishes out the demands and messages of the gods. We ended the last episode as Bude started his assignment of sleeping in a coffin for 14 nights. Will the three friends acquire the devilish wealth? And if yes; are there anymore hidden charges before it happens? Michael Shaibu will give us the answers to all the questions, thus:

 MONEY RITUAL IN AFRICA, FEATURING, “BLOWBACK,” 5:

1. A PATH. MORNING.

BABA AND TOBA AND TOCHI ARE WALKING WITH BABA LEADING. THE PATH IS FILLED WITH PUDDLES. TOBA AND TOCHI LOOK WORRIED AS THEY CROSS THE PUDDLES. BABA KEEPS LOOKING AT THE WORRIED FACES OF THE YOUNG MEN…

BABA:

You two look worried.  What is it?

THE TWO LOOK AT EACH OTHER, BUT DO NOT TALK. NOW THEY GET TO AND CROSS ANOTHER PUDDLE. THE YOUNG MEN LOOK AT EACH OTHER AGAIN, EVEN MORE WORRIED. NOW BABA STOPS AND BLOCKS THEM…

BABA:

Now, what is it?

TOBA:

The puddles, Baba.  With the heavy rain of last night, are we sure something has not happened to Bude?

BABA

Something like what?

TOCHI:

Well, like the coffin getting filled up and drowning him since you gave him something that would make him sleep without waking.

BABA:

Is that what both of you have been worried about?

TOBI/TOCHI

(In unison):

Yes, Baba.

BABA:

Very well, in that case you have nothing to worry about.  I drilled holes at the bottom of the coffin so that fresh air could get in for him.  So even if rain should get in, it would drain out through those holes.

BOTH TOBA AND TOCHI LET OUT SIGHS OF RELIEF IMMEDIATELY…

BABA:

Anything else?

TOBI/TOCHI

(In unison):

Nothing else, Baba.

BABA:

Good.

HE TURNS ROUND AND BEGINS WALKING ON. THE YOUNG MEN FOLLOW…

BABA

(Walking on):

And what is the latest about your own quest, Tochi?  You have only two days left.

TOCHI:

I am doing all I can, Baba.

BABA

(Shrugs):

Well, you have yourself to blame if by end of tomorrow you still cannot bring a virgin.

THEY WALK ON…

2. EXT. A CLEARING. MORNING.

BABA AND THE YOUNG MEN WALK CLOSE TO WHERE THE TREE STOOD UNDER WHICH THE COFFIN IN WHICH BUDE SLEPT WAS KEPT. THE TREE IS NO LONGER STANDING, ITS ABSENCE VERY CONSPICUOUS. ALL THREE OF THEM RUN THERE. HE TRUNK OF THE BIG TREE IS RIGHT ON THE TOTALLY FLATTENED COFFIN, A PUDDLE OF BLOOD CAKED ON THE GROUND BY THE TREE TRUNK. OTH TOBA AND TOCHI SCREAM AND BURST INTO TEARS PRONTO, AND RUSH TO BEGIN LIFTING THE TREE TRUNK OFF THE COFFIN TO NO AVAIL. BABA FALLS ON HIS KNEES IN AGONY, MUTTERING INAUDIBLES…

BABA:

Who looked back when we walked away last night?

BUT NO ONE LISTENED OR RESPONDED…

BABA:

There is no use.  We cannot move the tree.  Let us go back home.  I will call my colleagues.  We know how we can extract the body for burial.  But the body cannot be buried until after the 14 days.  If we bury it before the 14 days are over, we will all be in danger!

BABA RISES TO HIS FEET, HEAD HANGING IN DESPAIR.  THEN HE GOES TO PULL BOTH TOBI AND TOCHI AWAY FROM THE TREE TRUNK, TURN THEM ROUND, AND THEY MAKE TO WALK AWAY, STILL WAILING…

BABA:

Still, as we go, do not look back.  It is still dangerous to do so.

THEY ALL WALK AWAY…

3. EXT. BABA’S COMPOUND. DAY.

BABA AND TOBI AND TOCHI WALK HOME. THE YOUNG MEN ARE NO LONGER WEEPING. TOCHI ANGRILY HANDS THE ROD BACK TO BABA…

TOCHI:

Here, please talk this back, Baba.  I am no longer interested in this.

BABA

(Alarmed)

Ha!  Absolutely impossible!  Once started, this is not a process you can stop till it is accomplished!  If you stop midway for any reason, the consequences will be dire!

TOCHI:

What else is worse than dying?  I am not interested any longer, Baba.  Now, look!  Bude’s death will hang on my neck for the rest of my life!

BABA

(Calmly):

Listen my son, the only thing promised in this endeavour is money.  And that is if you live long enough to accomplish it.  Nothing else is promised.  But if for any reason you decide to stop now, I assure you, you will definitely be sorry!

TOBA

(To Tochi):

Come on, man!  You cannot stop now.  I am in already.  And I have just three years to live.  Do you think I would be happy to let you live…knowing you brought both Bude and me into this?

TOCHI:

Guy relax. I know a very powerful man of God.  I will take you there.  He will reverse the three years rubbish.  Don’t worry!

BABA GETS ANGRYA AND BEGINS TO SHOUT INCANTATION AT TOCHI WHICH LASTS A FULL MINUTE, SHUTTING TOCHI UP…

BABA:

Now, I command you, Tochi, turn round and go.  If you don’t bring a virgin, too bad for you!  But for you to stop now, the gods forbid it!

WITHOUT A WORD, TOCHI TURNS ROUND AND WALKS AWAY WITH THE ROD. A SHOCKED TOBA WALKS AFTER HIM, NOW SCARED OF BABA…

4. EXT. UNDER A TREE. SHORTLY.

BABA IS SITTING UNDER THE TREE, POUNDING SOME ROOTS AND BARKS IN A SMALL MORTAR, AND STOPS ON SEEING TOBI RUNNING UP. TOBI HAPPILY RUNS UP TO BABA…

BABA

(Puzzled):

What is it?  Did anything happen to him?

TOBA:

Yes, Baba.  But it is not something bad.  He finally found a virgin.  He is bringing her right now.

BABA:

And what is the need of running ahead of them to inform me of it?

TOBA:

Well, nothing really.  I was just scared that, with the way you sent us away in anger, you might do something to make us forget coming back even if he found the virgin.

BABA:

Well, thanks be to the gods that he-

BABA STOPS SHORT ON CATCHING SIGHT OF TOCHI AND THE VIRGIN COMING, AND GETS UP.  HE RUSHES UP TO THEM, LOOKS AT THE VIRGIN, SCREAMS IN DESPAIR, HOLDS HIS HEAD WITH BOTH HANDS, AND THROWS HIMSELF TO THE GROUND, ROLLING AND WEEPING. BUT TOBI AND TOCHI ARE CONFUSED AS THEY WATCH HIM ROLLING AND WEEPING UNTROLLABLY.  THE EFFECT OF BEING TOUCHED BY THE ROD KEEPS THE VIRGIN STANDING THERE LIKE A ZOMBIE. ALL LET BABA WEEP FOR A WHILE…

TOBA:

Baba, what is the matter?

BABA

(Weeping):

It is my daughter ooo!  My only child in the world is the one this wicked Igbo boy has gone and brought with the rod ooooo!

TOBA/TOBI

(Alarmed):

Ha!!!

BABA

(Weeping):

What did I do to you people that he is repaying me with this?

TOBA:

In that case, Baba, why not give Toba another rod and then treat your daughter without using her?

BABA

(BABA):

Using her or not using her is all the same oooo.  In fact, if I don’t use her, the gods will not only still kill her, they would kill me and kill this wicked Igbo boy too!

TOCHI:

Hian!  Then Baba, you better use her o.  I wanted to stop.  It was you who did me juju and commanded me o.  And I didn’t even know how I managed to continue again.  Use her o!

BABA CONTINUES TO ROLL ON THE GROUND AND WEEP…

END

By Michael Shaibu

So now, what do you think? Does the ending not look like the law of karma to you, huh? You may recall that I actually said something about Baba’s daughter, when I didn’t know where Mike Shaibu was going with the plot. I did complain that Baba loves his own daughter so much, like cooked food, as my Jamaican in-laws would say. Yet, he thinks nothing of slaughtering other people’s children as sacrificial lambs.

Unfortunately, though, Mike refused to reveal to us if the doggone money-making ritual actually works; right? Not to worry, something may, and can be done about it. Don’t forget that we, the dramatists, are gods. Umm huh, the Almighty God, the Mighty Creator, truly did make us in his image, as His small creators. Between Mikey and me, we can create a continuation of the story, and put in any direction that we like. However, we always create from the realities of society.

If we choose to revisit the story, we may go ahead and recreate some instances of the end-results of some real-life situations. And then, we may go in the direction of revealing to you if people actually make wealth through sacrificial rituals. We did see in that Bude died in a coffin. It was apparently an accident of a tree falling on the coffin in which he was bedding for 14 nights. After all, rain did fall, with wind and all, which probably fell the tree on the coffin. Or did the tree fall because someone broke a rule of the gods, as Baba implied when he asked the boys if they looked back? Mind you, Tochi did act like a zombie at the command of Baba. And, yes, he did obey the command, against his own will. And yes again, Baba’s magic rod did bring a virgin as he had said. Unfortunately for Baba, his evil net caught his own daughter.  Good for him.