THE MISSING WALLET

SCENE 1

MILTON: (Camera opens on pieces of papers and dry leaves being tossed by the wind, leading to a lost old wallet on the ground. Camera captures the still wallet, fades, and opens on inaudible footsteps matching towards the wallet. Camera then fades and opens on a man’s hand picking up the wallet and turning it all over, supposedly checking it out to find traces that could lead to the owner. The man’s face is then captured looking around for its possible owner among the passersby but doesn’t seem to lay eyes on any seeming potential owner. His eyes then fall on a young pretty lady rushing to catch a cab to work, as she appears to be late already. He horridly approaches her from behind at once) Hello Miss.

NURSE: (Turns sharply) Hi there.

MILTON: Sorry to bother you. I just found this wallet on the ground back there and thought you might know who dropped it. I assume you’re from around this neighborhood. Am I right?

NURSE: Yes I am. But sorry, I don’t know who dropped it sir. You can try asking others around here. I have to go now. I’m late for work already. Bye. (Leaves at once)

MILTON: Bye. (Analyzes the wallet again, seemingly contemplating on his next line of action. Looking inside the wallet, he finds N300 and an envelope containing a crumpled letter that looks like it’s been there for years. He opens the envelope and retrieves the letter, hoping to find some clue, only to find a dateline; 1956. He proceeds further to explore the other contents of the letter, which reads thus;)

VOICE: Uche my love, I write you this letter with much tears in my eyes. My heart bled when word reached me from my mum that we’ll be moving to the city in a week’s time, never to return again. She never approved our love affair, and is doing this to prevent us from seeing each other ever again. But my love, like they say; destiny can be delayed, but can never be taken away. I believe in fate, and I will hang on to the hope of seeing and being with you again someday because I’m incapable of loving another but you; for indeed, a boy like you can’t be found anywhere in the world, be it London or New York. I dare to believe that not even heaven or hell has recorded the presence of your kind. Know this my love; my heart will always be yours; come rain, come shine. I will miss you dear. I will miss you so much. It’s sad we won’t even get to kiss ourselves goodbye. But until we meet again, I will always love you. With love and kisses from your dearest; Bola.


MILTON: (Touched by the letter, he determines to find its owner and return it alongside the wallet. Not knowing where to commence his search from, he stands puzzled. But then, turning the back of the envelope, he finds an address on it and shows excitement) YES!!  (He then envelopes the letter again into the wallet, puts it in his suit pocket and makes to proceed to the address he found on the envelope) (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 2

MILTON: (Camera opens on Milton alighting from a commercial bus or cyclist somewhere around the address on the envelope. At different intervals, he looks repeatedly at the envelope and the structures around the place to trace the actual building with the address on the envelope. Finally he finds it and proceeds there at once. Reaching the entrance door, he knocks) Knock-Knock! Knock-Knock!

LADY: (A voice is heard from the inside) Hold on, I’m coming. (A moment later, a middle age lady approaches the door and opens it) Hello there.

MILTON: Good afternoon.

LADY: Afternoon. Looking for someone?

MILTON: Yes. I believe I may have found a lost wallet belonging to someone who lives here. Does anyone here happen to go by the name; Bola?

LADY: (Thinking) Bolaa….? Bolaa….? No. no one here goes by that name.

MILTON: That’s strange. I found this letter in this wallet. (Brings out the wallet and retrieves the letter) It’s written by Bola. And it has this address on the envelope. (Hands her the envelope) Go ahead and take a look in case you’re mistaken.

LADY: (Gets the envelope and confirms his claims to be true) You’re right. But… (Suddenly recalls something) Okaaay… I remember now.

MILTON: (Relieved and excited) Thank goodness! She lives here right?

LADY: Not exactly. Actually, we bought this house from a family that had a daughter named Bola. But that was 30 years ago.

MILTON: Wow. That’s a long time now. Would you know where that family could be located now?

LADY: I remember that Bola had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago. Maybe if you got in touch with them, they might be able to track down the daughter.

MILTON: A nursing home? (Thinks for a second) Which of the nursing homes please?

LADY: Emmanuel nursing home if I’m not mistaken. Ask for Tope Ayetunde. That’s Bola’s mother’s name if I’m not mistaken too.

MILTON: (Jokingly) I hope not. (They both laugh) Thank you very much. You’ve been most helpful.

LADY: Anytime. Keep up the good work. Bye. (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 3
Emmanuel Nursing Home

MILTON: (Camera opens on a receptionist at the nursing home too busy with files to notice the entrance of Milton, whose greeting calls her attention to him) Hello there, good afternoon.

NURSE: (Snaps and quickly turns to attend to a supposed patient) Good afternoon sir. (Thinking that the supposed patient is displeased with her for attending to something else at his expense, she apologizes) Sorry about that sir. There’s just so much work to do. You’re welcome to Emmanuel nursing home. How can I help you sir?

MILTON: (Recalls her) Aren’t you the lady I met earlier today to talk to about a missing wallet?

NURSE: (Recalls him too) Oooh! You! Yes, it’s me. (Laughs) Small world indeed. So what brings you here? You need some medication?

MILTON: I wish I did. But I’m afraid I’m still trying to find the owner of that same wallet. I visited the address I found on an envelope in the wallet and was redirected here. I was told the mother of the writer of the letter was placed here for care some years back. I believe if I can reach her, she will lead me to her daughter, who will in turn lead me to the owner of the wallet. That way, he can get his N300 back with the letter from his love.

NURSE: (Surprised) Mister, why go through all these stress just to find the owner of a wallet containing N300 and a “Dear John” letter?

MILTON: It could mean the world to the owner. You never can tell.

NURSE: (Rests her case) Alright then. So, you have any names?

MILTON: Yes. The woman’s name is Tope Ayetunde, and her daughter’s name is Bola.

NURSE: Just a minute. (Flips through the pages of some documents and gets dull) I’m sorry sir, but our record here has it that Tope Ayetunde passed away some years back. You can’t see her.

MILTON: (Downhearted) Oh no. May her soul R.I.P. What about her daughter? Is there any information there about her?

NURSE: (Flips the documents again) Yes. It’s stated here that Bola herself is also currently placed in a nursing home.

MILTON: I can’t believe this. Please, which of the nursing homes this time?

NURSE: She was transferred from here to Samaritan nursing home. It’s on the other side of town. It’s going to cost you a great deal to go down there. I think you should put a call across to be sure she’s still there before heading down there.

MILTON: Would you please help me with some sort of contact or something?

NURSE: Sure! (Reaches for her drawer and brings out a card and hands it to him) Here!

MILTON: (Gets the card from her and expresses gratitude) Thank you for your help. I appreciate.

NURSE: Anytime. (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 4 (a)
Samaritan Nursing Home

DOC: (Camera opens on the Doctor at the reception attending to Milton) Yes. Bola Ayetunde stays here.

MILTON: (Anxiously) Please-Please-Please, I’d love to see her! I found something I think she might be interested in.

DOC: I think it is kind of late for that. But if you want to take the chance, she might be in the day room watching TV.

MILTON: Yes, I’ll take the chance. Which way to the day room please?

DOC: The guard will take you there. (Calls on one of the guards) Guard! Take this man to the day room please.

GUARD: Yes sir. (Milton thanks the Doc and follows the Guard to the day room) (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 4 (b)

GUARD: (Camera opens on the Guard opening the door of the day room and ushering Milton in. He then takes Milton to Bola and introduces him to her) Good evening Madam.

BOLA: (With old rickety voice) Evening. How do you do?

GUARD: Fine thank you Madam. Madam, this young man here is asking to see you. He says he found something you might be interested in.

BOLA: Found something I might be interested in? I’m hardly interested in anything these days. Okay. What is it?

GUARD: Over to you Sir.

MILTON: Thank you.

GUARD: Now if you’ll excuse me. I have to go back to my post.

MILTON: It’s alright. Thank you once again. (Guard leaves)

BOLA: (Fixes her stare on Milton and asks sarcastically) So you have something for me eh? I wonder what a pretty young man like you would have for an old woman like me. You know, I look at you and I remember someone I used to know long time ago. (Laughs) Let me not bore you with my story. What is it you have for me?

MILTON: Actually, I found a wallet on my way this afternoon and thought I should give it back to its owner. The wallet contains a letter believed to have been written by you. I traced the address on the envelope, and it brought me to you.

BOLA: A letter written by me? (Laughs) Are you sure? I haven’t written any letters in years.

MILTON: Absolutely not. This may have been the first and last you ever wrote. (Reaches for the wallet, gets the envelope and hands it over to her)

BOLA: (Puzzled, she reaches for the envelope. The second she sees the powder blue envelope with that little flower on the left, she gets astonished and asks) Young man, where in the world did you find this? (She then takes a deep breath, gets emotional and says) this letter was the last contact I ever had with Uche. (Looks away for a moment deep in thought and then says softly) Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the actor. Uche Ejiofor was a wonderful person. I loved him very much. But my mother felt we couldn’t build a relationship.

MILTON: (Feels her pain and enquires to know more) Why was that?

BOLA: It’s a long story. A very long story. 

MILTON: (Adjusts himself to hear the full story) I’m all ears.

BOLA: It all began in a small village in Enugu state where my mother was posted to serve as a principal in one of the secondary schools there. I ended up schooling there since my mum wouldn’t let me out of her sight. There, I met a boy named Uche. One faithful day we got talking. He was so sweet that I wished our discussion would be without end. It continued that way until we fell in love. He was 19 then, and I was 16. One day my mother found out and forbade me to ever see him again; calling him a mere village boy with no future ambitions. But I was already so much in love with him to even heed the words of my mother, and that drove her nuts. So.. (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 4 (c)
Flashback

UCHE: (Camera opens on the young Uche and Bola on a fallen tree in a small bush, holding onto each other most affectionately and gisting each other like the teenage lovers that they are) Bola, one day I’m going to take you out of this village to the city and build you a big house where you and I will live together as husband and wife.

BOLA: (Blushes) Uche my love, you don’t have to build me a big house. Whatever you offer me is okay for me. All I want is to always be with you. Promise you will never leave me for another girl. 

UCHE: I wouldn’t leave you for the Queen of England. My dearest Bola, I’ve told you time and again, and I’ll yet tell you again; I will marry you, (Jokingly) If only you consider me worthy of a goddess like you.

BOLA: (Blushes again and says romantically and playfully) Get out of here. (They laugh and hold tightly onto each other again, having a feel of the love in the air. Just then, they hear Bola’s mother raging towards them from the street)

TOPE: (Screaming with rage) Bolaaaaa! Bolaaaa! (Uche and Bola here her and get frightened, not knowing what to do) Bolaaa! Don’t even bother hiding. I know you’re inside that bush with that palm wine tapper’s son that wants to turn you into a village champion. Come out now before I come in there to get you. If you let me come in there, you will not like what I will do to you ooh! Bolaa come out now before I count 5! 1, 2, 3, (They both get scared and proceed to meet Bola’s mother before she counts to 5) 4……..,

BOLA: (Interrupts her mother) Here I am mummy.

TOPE: I knew it! Only a child from a bad home is capable of eloping with another man’s child to a bush to be swallowed up by snakes. Bola, is that how you want your life to end? You see this boy here, he has no future! He is destined to be poor just like his father. You on the other hand have me and your father to provide you with everything you need to amount to someone great in the future. Why do you want to trade that for a mere local champion?

BOLA: Mummy, he has promised to marry me and take me to the city where he and I will live as husband and wife.

TOPE: (Intensifies rage) Ehn? Ehn? Ehn? Ma… Ma… Ma-what? Hei! Egba mi oo! Marry an Igbo boy? You want to become the next in line for human sacrifice? (Points to Uche with disgust) Especially this kind that has no hope of attaining financial freedom legitimately except through ill means like blood money! Oya Bola, before I close my eyes and open them, vamus from this place to the house! If I open my eyes and you are still here, I will chew you raw! Oya! (Bola at once runs home. Tope now faces Uche who still stands there freezing with fear) Now you listen to me! I never want to see you around my daughter again. Go and look for one of those your Igbo girls and marry. You can even marry ten of them for all I care! Then use nine of them as your money making machine, while the last one will serve as your baby making machine. Just leave my Bola alone! If I catch you around her again, you will spend the rest of your days in Kiri Kiri! Nonsense! (Sighs and leaves the poor boy standing there and shading tears)

BOLA: (Bola’s voice is then heard narrating the rest of the story as pictures and inaudible video portrays her narration) That never stopped us from seeing each other. When my mother realized it was impossible to keep me apart from Uche, she applied to be transferred from that school to prevent Uche and I from seeing each other again. Her request was granted and we moved to the city. But just before we left, I wrote Uche this letter. That was 60 years ago. (Camera now fades and opens on Bola in the day room) After all these years I still have him in my mind. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. (Hesitates for a moment, almost biting her lip) Tell him I still love him. You know, (Smiles as tears begin to well up in her eyes) I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Uche.

MILTON: (Touched by the tale, tears drop down his eyes) I promise you, if I find him, I will tell him that. I’m so sorry for what happened. So so sorry.

BOLA: That’s okay. Wipe your tears. (Consoles Milton for a little bit until he gets a hold of himself)

MILTON: Thank you Madam. I will be on my way now. Take care of yourself.

BOLA: I will. (Milton turns and makes for the door while Bola watches him leave. He reaches the door, opens it, and leaves. Camera flashes on Bola’s face and fades)

SCENE 5 (a)

GUARD: (Camera opens on the guard at his post as Milton shortly makes his way to the exit with a dull countenance. The guard notices and enquires) You don’t seem alright Mister. Wasn’t your meeting with the old lady helpful?

MILTON: (Tries to brighten up) Actually, it was. It was very helpful. She has given me a lead. At least I have the last name of the man who owns this wallet. (He says waving the wallet) But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet.

GUARD: (Notices something familiar about the wallet) Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Ejiofor's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that bright red lacing. He's always losing that wallet. I had found it in the halls at least three times last week.

MILTON: (Surprised and curious) Who is Mr. Ejiofor?

GUARD: He's one of the old timers in the third ward, just a block away from this ward. That's Uche Ejiofor’s wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks.

MILTON: (Flabbergasted) You mean Uche Ejiofor is here?

GUARD: I bet it with my life!

MILTON: This is amazing! Can you take me to him? I need to see him. I really need to see him.

GUARD: I think he's still in the day room. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man. I’ll take you to him. Come with me. (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 5 (b)

GUARD: (Camera opens on the guard knocking on Mr. Uche’s room) Knock-Knock! You’re in there Mr. Uche?

UCHE: (Camera captures him on the inside being distracted by the knock from the book he was reading. He then responds) Come in!

GUARD: (Opens and enters with Milton, and at once hyperactively asks Mr. Uche of his wallet) Good evening sir. 

UCHE: Evening.

GUARD: Sir, have you lost your wallet again today?

UCHE: (Reaches for his back pocket and checks for it but doesn’t find it. Then he smiles and says) Certainly! It is missing!

GUARD: This kind gentleman found a wallet and wondered if it could be yours. Please take a look. (Milton reaches out and hands Uche the wallet. The guard stands back and watches)

UCHE: Yes, that's it! It must have dropped out of my pocket early today when I went for a walk. Thank you for bringing it back. You’re a good citizen of your country. I want to give you a reward.

MILTON: No, thank you. But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the wallet in the hope of finding out who owns the wallet.

UCHE: (The smile on his face suddenly disappeared) You read that letter?

MILTON: Not only did I read it, I think I know where Bola is.

UCHE: (He suddenly grew pale) Bola? You know where she is? How is she? (Smiles) Is she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me.

MILTON: (With a soft tone of voice) She's fine. Just as pretty as when you knew her. 

UCHE: (Smiles with anticipation and asks) Can you tell me where she is? I want to call her tomorrow. (Grabs Milton’s hand and says) You know something, mister, I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess no one was good enough. I've always loved her. (Bows his head and begins to reminisce)

MILTON: (Knocks him out of his reverie with a call) Mr. Uche. 

UCHE: (Snaps) Yes.

MILTON: Come with me. (Uche tries to figure him out unsuccessfully but rises and follows him anyways) (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 5 (c)

GUARD: (Camera opens on the guard knocking on Bola’s door while Milton and Uche wait behind him) Knock-Knock!

BOLA: (Replies from the inside) Come in!

GUARD: (Opens and walks in while Milton and Uche still await approval to come in) Evening Madam. There are some people here to see you.

BOLA: Again? Will I get to catch some sleep tonight? Let them in.

GUARD: (Comes back out and ushers them in) You may go in now. I have to go back to my post. Good luck. (Milton and Uche thank the guard and he leaves. They then move in and shut the door behind them)

MILTON: Good evening Madam.

BOLA: (Recognizes him) You again?

MILTON: Yes, me again, but not alone this time. I brought someone here to see you. (He slowly moves sideways to make Uche, who he had been masking visible to Bola. He then asks) Do you know this man?

BOLA: (She adjusts her glasses, looks for a moment, but is unable to recognize him) Iii…….

UCHE: (Cuts in) Bola it’s me, Uche. Don’t you remember? Uche Ejiofor.

BOLA: (Gasps) Uche! I don't believe it! Uche! It's you! My Uche!

UCHE: It’s me. (Uche walks slowly towards her and they embrace) 

MILTON: (Left with tears streaming his face, he says to himself) See how the good Lord works. If it’s meant to be, it will surely be. (He stands there and watches them reunite with tears in their eyes, leaving him marveled and speechless. He then walks to them and says) Sorry to interrupt, but it’s now time for me to go. Just thought I should say goodbye. (They thank him and express their heartfelt gratitude for his kind gesture that has led to the reunion of their 60 year love affair. Milton then waves them and leaves) (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 6 (a)

MILTON: (Camera opens on Milton getting seriously dressed up in tuxedo to go for an occasion. After the whole dressing session, he proceeds to the mirror to check himself out) I think I’m all set! Yes I am! (He leaves for the occasion) (LIGHTS FADE)

SCENE 6 (b)

(Camera opens on the wedding ceremony of Bola and Uche with all the people at the nursing home present in the celebration. Bola wore a light beige dress and looked beautiful. Uche wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. They made Milton their best man. The hospital gave them their own room, and the 76-year-old bride and 79-year-old groom acted like two teenagers in love then and thereafter. And they lived happily ever after) (LIGHTS FADE)

THE END