The High Table by Temi Wilkey

Author:Temi Wilkey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 1989-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Scene Nine

The North Star.

Yetunde Did you hear all that?

Babatunde Every word.

Adebisi So he’s from the present?

Babatunde That isn’t possible.

Yetunde Teju? Do you understand us?

Adebisi He must be. He must have only just died.

Yetunde I’m so glad you’ve come. I’m so very glad you’re here.

Babatunde That doesn’t make any sense.

Yetunde We have an opportunity here. You’ve ascended to the afterlife. Do you understand me?

Adebisi Why wasn’t he sent to Orun re-re?

Yetunde You’ve bypassed your resting place to come and make this vote.

Babatunde This must be a mistake.

Yetunde The gods do not make mistakes. Omotara is getting married. Your niece. Much beloved. She’s getting married to the woman she loves and we’re here to decide whether to bless the wedding.

Adebisi Babatunde and I are voting no.

Yetunde But with your vote, and Tara’s will, it doesn’t matter. We can go ahead and bless it.

Adebisi This is unfair!

Yetunde How?

Adebisi He’s not supposed to be here! The gods wouldn’t send him here straight from death.

Babatunde Plus, he’s biased.

Yetunde No he’s not!

Babatunde I’m sorry, Yetunde, but he is, you know he is. He’s . . . you know, one of them.

Yetunde And so? Are you not biased yourself? Don’t we all have personal affinities? Misguided and well informed. Divine and damned. Just and unjust. Tejumade here knows his mind. Don’t you? You know what is right. I know speaking is difficult but, please, just nod your head for me. That’s enough.

Adebisi No, he’d need to say it. Verbally.

Yetunde That’s not what you said before!

Babatunde Well things have changed.

Yetunde What is wrong with you? You are her ancestors, you’re meant to be her divine protectors. How can you withhold her right like this?

Adebisi This blessing is not her right.

Yetunde It is! It’s their chance for happiness and good fortune. To harmony. Everyone deserves that.

Adebisi Not everyone, Yetunde.

Yetunde We cannot leave their love to the wilds of fate! It may not survive.

Adebisi If it was for everyone the gods would give it to them automatically. They wouldn’t need us! There’d be no council of guidance, no summoning, no vote –

Teju I vote . . . no.

Yetunde What?

Babatunde What did he say?

Teju I said, I vote no.

Interval.

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