FESTAC
(Song Cue: "Wish" by Trippie Redd and Diplo)
The scene opens in a blurry, dark room. An open window emits a golden light, vividly carving out the silhouette of a male figure walking forward into the bright morning spot. The figure becomes fully visible: Ṣeun Aristotle, sharp in his modern detective suit, looking forward and adjusting his tie as though gazing into a mirror. He breathes in and out, wearing the expression of a man expecting disappointments today. Then—
CHUCK'N…
It is his reflection in the interior mirror of his front door. He opens it to a golden, beautiful morning outside. Birds chirp, their wings rhyming with the skies, while children preparing for school play in the compound of the block as their mothers yell at them.
"Good morning, Mr. Aristotle."
Ṣeun smiles and waves at the children as he passes them. He walks up to his car just as he hears a half-naked, dirty baby fall and scream in tears. He chuckles, picking the baby up.
ṢEUN: (Chuckles) Sorry, Yomi. Sorry, don't cry. (Chuckles again) Don't cry... oya, sorry…
10 MINUTES LATER…
Ṣeun is in his car, driving on his way to his office at the Victorian Mesdames Detective Department in Victoria Island, Lagos. He encounters a long, stagnant traffic jam. Posed pensively in his driver's seat, he picks up his phone—nothing new, just boring WhatsApp messages—and drops it back down.
40 MINUTES LATER…
He has arrived. Dinah Harari has been arrested and is currently in custody for interrogation. In the observation hallway outside the interrogation room, Ṣeun and his partner, Gerald Tumbuktu, walk simultaneously from different directions and meet up. Tumbuktu hands Ṣeun a warm cup of black coffee; Ṣeun returns a warm smile, takes a sip, and they open the door.
(Song Cue halts...)
Two detectives are already interrogating Dinah Harari. Ṣeun scans the room: one is Detective Anita Voombes, dark-skinned with a brown bob, sharp in a grayish-brown suit with a golden-brown inner shirt. The other is a male who barely looks like a detective—more like a pimp in a sharp red suit, a black inner shirt, standing dreadlocks, and dark-lensed glasses with golden frames. His face is obscured, so Ṣeun doesn't stress over recognizing him as he and Tumbuktu maintain their composure, standing quietly at the back corners of the room. Dinah glances at Ṣeun with a brief scowl before looking away.
ANITA: (Inquisitive) When you and the Wordsmith—
DINAH: (Pissed) It's Raymond...
ANITA: Oh, okay. Raymond... ran through the lane at 3:30 PM in Tel-Aviv, Israel, who did you see?
DINAH: Who? I wouldn't call that a who...
ANITA: What did you see?
DINAH: A blue... person. He looked like those Indian gods... then Raymond... he became a completely different person...
ANITA: A different person how?
DINAH: Whoa! Too many questions... I don't like that.
Dinah shifts her focus to Tumbuktu as he fixes a heavy scowl on her.
DINAH: (Sarcastic) And by the way, Mr. Stone-face, the technique of frowning so I would gobble out information in fear doesn't work for me. It's too old-fashioned. (Looks at Mrs. Voombes) Is he always like this?
ANITA: (Sarcastic smile) Let's just go back to Tel-Aviv, Mrs. Harari…
Suddenly, Ṣeun notices Tumbuktu walking toward Dinah with a visible, predatory motive. Ṣeun tries to stop him, whispering:
ṢEUN: (Confused) Hey, broski, wetin you dey do?
Then, reality shatters as a high-pitched sound pierces the air. Ṣeun grabs his ears in intense pain. Suddenly, he can hear absolutely nothing—absolute silence—as he watches Dinah and Tumbuktu break out into a physical fight. Voombes tries to separate them from the chaotic crash, but Ṣeun cannot hear a single muffled sound.
ṢEUN: What's... what is happening here? Hello?
Still maintaining his position, wondering why he hears nothing, he watches Anita Voombes successfully pull them apart. Dinah's nose is broken, and Tumbuktu's mouth is wide open; Ṣeun realizes he is shouting without hearing a single decibel. Tumbuktu is crashing out in pure, unadulterated anger—an intensity Ṣeun never believed Tumbuktu was capable of. Meanwhile, the man in the red suit maintains his position, his face still hidden from Ṣeun. Ṣeun shifts his focus back to Tumbuktu.
ṢEUN: Hey, bro, calm down na... you're never this expressive…
Then they all look directly at Ṣeun, smiling eerily—except for the man in the red suit. Tumbuktu begins to grow larger, turning hulkish as his face flushes red, all while keeping a wide, terrifying smile. This begins to etch an invisible, intense fear onto Ṣeun's face. A crimson, smiling red theatrical mask slowly melts out of Tumbuktu's face. Both Dinah and Anita's eerie smiles suddenly melt into fearful frowns as they look up past Ṣeun, trying to draw his attention backward. Refusing to lose eye contact with the towering Tumbuktu, Ṣeun glances back without warning, only to find a towering figure lunging forward with terrifying speed, prompting Ṣeun to shout in raw panic.
ṢEUN: (Intense fear) hah, haaahh!
KNOCK! KNOCK!! KNOCK!!!
It was all a dream. Ṣeun is still trapped in his car in the slow-moving Lagos traffic. The sharp knock of Detective Anita Voombes on his car window jars him awake.
ANITA: (Muffled) Aristotle!
He rolls down the window. The ambient sounds of traffic rush back in—he can hear again.
ANITA: You're on your way to the office, right?
ṢEUN: Yeah, yeah… what are you doing—
Before he can finish, she stares at him with intense, probing curiosity. Ṣeun raises his eyebrows in confusion, feeling the weight of her gaze.
ANITA: Can I get a ride?
The question catches Ṣeun completely off guard, though it isn't an unreasonable request.
ṢEUN: Yeah, yeah! Sure! Hop in… let's go—
She immediately opens the car door and slides into the passenger seat.
ANITA: I was on my way to catch a bus… and, uh, I saw you, so…
ṢEUN: It's… it's okay. It's fine.
An awkward beat passes as they exchange a strange, lingering look.
ANITA: Do you want coffee? I got two cups…
ṢEUN: Yeah. Hope it's not black…
He reaches over and takes one of the cups.
ANITA: (Chuckles) Sure it is…
ṢEUN: (Chuckles, then takes a sip)
She unzips her bag, pulls out her case files, and lays out the agenda for the day.
ANITA: Well, Dinah Harari has been in Nigerian custody for close to a week now, and we're putting her through another round of questioning today. So many detectives from the Victorian Mesdames have interrogated her and haven't gotten a single thing out of her yet. So I was thinking maybe me, you, and Tumbuktu could…
ṢEUN: Yeah… sure…
Anita lowers the files, looking at him with clear disappointment.
ANITA: Why are you doing this?
ṢEUN: As how… ma?
ANITA: Always trying to make a conversation feel weird. Can't we just speak like normal human beings?
ṢEUN: (Confused) Uh, Anita, we are actually "human beings" having a "conversation".
ANITA: You argue about everything.
Ṣeun turns away in subtle disappointment before turning back to face her.
ṢEUN: You know… Anita, it's been a while. How have you been?
ANITA: Oh, I've been doing great without you.
ṢEUN: Oh… (Smiles gently)
ANITA: Yeah… and I'm not alone. (Smiles)
Ṣeun's smile softens into something warm.
ANITA: You should be happy for me… for that.
ṢEUN: Oh, yeah. Why wouldn't I be? I'm happy for you, naw.
She reaches over and gently presses his arm, her expression softening into a smile.
ANITA: Well, how have you been, Ṣeun?
ṢEUN: Oh… well, that doesn't matter.
ANITA: (Pissed) I insist.
ṢEUN: Oh… okay. Well, I'm still in that loop…
ANITA: (Confused) Okay? Now you're bragging about it…
ṢEUN: (Pissed) Let me finish…
Anita falls silent, waiting.
ṢEUN: I'm still stuck in that loop—the one that ended one of the most beautiful chapters of my life. And now I find you trapped in that loop, too.
ANITA: I'm not in your loop. I'm close to getting to the bottom of this.
ṢEUN: Oh.
ANITA: And by the way, I'm still trying to understand what the big deal is with this Wordsmith case…
ṢEUN: Oh, you'll see. (Lets out a sarcastic chuckle)
ANITA: (Slight anger) And let me make this clear: I'm only considering you because you're good. In fact, you're one of the best when it comes to the Wordsmith case.
A heavy, suffocating silence settles back over the car.
ṢEUN: You know, I left that case because of you…
Anita stares at him, her eyes filled with pure disappointment.
ANITA: Come on, Ṣeun. You left that case after we ended. Even if you stepped away from the case, your mind never did. I've known you for years. You and this case are one. It's far too late for that now.
They finally pull into the parking area and stop. Ṣeun sits frozen, absorbing her words like a bitter truth.
Without another word, Anita steps out of the car and heads toward the building entrance. Ṣeun quickly pulls the door shut, rolls up all the windows, and sits alone in the muffled cabin. Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of pure frustration, he screams at the top of his lungs, slamming his fist onto the steering wheel—sending a sharp, jarring honk echoing into the parking lot.
10 MINUTES LATER…
(Slow close-up zoom in)
Ṣeun is already in the observation room, gazing through the glass at Dinah. She sits handcuffed to the table opposite him, looking down with a deep, pensive scowl. Her face is obscured by the heavy shadows cast by the overhead light. Then, suddenly—
"Do you still think this is a good idea?"
The sudden question catches Ṣeun completely off guard. He jolts slightly and turns to his left.
ṢEUN: (Sighs) What?
TUMBUKTU: I said, do you still think this is a good idea?
ṢEUN: Questioning Dinah?
TUMBUKTU: With your ex?
Tumbuktu glances over his shoulder, and Ṣeun follows his gaze.
(Slow zoom in)
Down the hall, they see Anita Voombes locked in a quiet, intense conversation with President Detective Veronica.
ṢEUN: Yeah, but Vero seems unhappy that I'm back on this case…
Tumbuktu hands Ṣeun a cup of black coffee. Ṣeun takes it, delivers a warm smile, and sips.
ṢEUN: You know, she told me she was doing great without me. (Sarcastic chuckle) Like, who wouldn't… that statement was unnecessary.
TUMBUKTU: She's not.
ṢEUN: …What?
TUMBUKTU: Looks like she's better off without you. You don't even understand relationships.
ṢEUN: I don't?! (Whispers) You think all this is easy? I've been trying to put my shit together without affecting her life… wetin you dey talk na?
Voombes notices Ṣeun's heated exchange with Tumbuktu. She dismisses Veronica and approaches them.
ṢEUN: Oh, she's coming… make I dey sharp.
He quickly composes himself, straightening his posture, while Tumbuktu remains as unbothered as ever as Anita reaches them.
ANITA: Okay, I guess we are all ready to question, right?
ṢEUN: Yeah…
Tumbuktu nods.
ANITA: Okay, she's not happy I added you to this case, but because of what we have in common, she decided to allow you on one condition…
ṢEUN: What?
ANITA: I lead the case, not you… but… (playful gesture) I think that was a joke.
ṢEUN: (Chuckles)
ANITA: (Serious) But I still have the lead.
ṢEUN: (Nods) It's not my case, Voombes. I'm just…
ANITA: Abeg, you're pretending like you're not authoritative sometimes. (Chuckles) Abi, Tumbuktu, am I wrong?
ṢEUN: …What?
TUMBUKTU: Yes. (Chuckles) He is kind of authoritative. In fact, he believes he can do everything by himself.
ṢEUN: (Confused) What? …Am I?
ANITA: Anyway, I saw you gazing at Dinah earlier… what's going on in your mind?
ṢEUN: Yeah… yeah…
(Slow close-up zoom in)
Detective Voombes and Tumbuktu flank Ṣeun, standing pensively on either side of him. They wait in silence for his reply. Ṣeun doesn't look at them; he remains perfectly still, his gaze fixed intensely on Dinah through the glass.
ṢEUN: (Intense suspicion) I still don't understand… something is wrong here.
ANITA: (Inquisitive) What?
ṢEUN: It's Dinah.
ANITA: Dinah?
ṢEUN: Yeah, I don't understand. She hasn't tried to break out… she's an experienced ex-soldier. At least she was trying to get to Raymond, but why the sudden give-up? She could have broken out without us knowing… she's up to something.
DJIRNN!
The heavy door of the interrogation room swings open. Ṣeun emerges from the dark corridor into the room, offering a warm, almost sarcastic smile. Dinah smiles back, matching his energy. Voombes follows him in, her expression settling into a mild, confident professionalism. But Tumbuktu is different; he steps out of the darkness bearing an unsettling, heavy scowl.
NRIJD!
The door slams shut behind them.
ṢEUN: (Smiles, moans slightly) The Wordsmith must have good taste in women…
DINAH: First time seeing a real Nigerian detective flirting. I'll put that in my diary.
ṢEUN: (Inquisitive) How about we talk about this diary?
DINAH: How about I get a drink?
ANITA: (Pissed) How about we call it a day?
Anita and Ṣeun pull out their chairs and sit opposite Dinah.
DINAH: (Sarcastic) It's barely ten o'clock in the morning… we can't call it a day.
ANITA: (Fed up) Oh, stop it.
DINAH: What?
ANITA: You're not a child. It doesn't suit you, don't act like one.
ṢEUN: You know what? I love children! Oh, children… so innocent.
DINAH: Oh, me too. You know what…
Both Anita and Ṣeun lean forward, their
curiosity piqued.
DINAH: I had this small orphanage home in the middle of a farm…
Suddenly, Dinah's eyes narrow. She squints in suspicion at a dark spot in the corner behind them, pointing toward it as she speaks.
DINAH: You love stories?
TUMBUKTU: (Slightly agreeing gesture) Yeah, I love stories…
DINAH: Well 'ish, join the club.
TUMBUKTU: You know, there was this children's book I read last night… (Dramatic) A "Who is Who" mystery. The Mask by Olotu John Olayinka.
ANITA: You're reading a children's book?
ṢEUN: That is not a children's book.
TUMBUKTU: Why the sudden judgment, na? It's a book, who cares?
ṢEUN: That was one of my best books… and my best author. (Turns back to Dinah) Anyway, you were saying?
DINAH: Oh…
The three detectives lean in closer to listen to her story.
DINAH: It was an orphanage home in the middle of a farm in Haiti… Oh my God, I need a smoke.
They all react simultaneously, their voices overlapping in the tight space.
ṢEUN: Abeg, please don't do that. Don't put me in suspense, I get goosebumps when someone does that.
ANITA: Come on, really? You think we would go get you a cigarette? In police custody?
TUMBUKTU: I was enjoying that story…
Dinah ignores the protests and drops her next sentence.
DINAH: Then a "fat man" dropped and… (Dramatic) BOOM! Wiped them all out....And my daughter was among them. (Her spirit drops, voice hollow)
A heavy, melancholic silence falls over the room. Anita breaks it, her tone inquisitive but cautious.
ANITA: Sorry, but what do you mean by a "fat man"?
TUMBUKTU: It's an atomic bomb.
ANITA: (Realization dawning) Y'eh… oh, I'm deeply, so… sorry. That's really bad.
Ṣeun bows his head low in sheer pity, staring at the table as Dinah continues.
DINAH: Before the explosion, I saw the helicopter that dropped it. It had a New World Order logo on the chopper… then I knew what I must do.
The statement sparks an intense, horrifying realization in Ṣeun's mind. His head snaps up, his eyebrows raising in shock.
ṢEUN: (Whispers) New World Order…
The rest of the room goes completely still. They all turn to stare at Ṣeun inquisitively.
ṢEUN: New World Order. Raymond Kuti. The Wordsmith.
DINAH: (Confused) What? You didn't know that Raymond Kuti was the Wordsmith? The leader of the New World Order movement? They were responsible for the blast in Haiti… they were…
ṢEUN: The blast in Haiti… you were a part of that…
ANITA: (Confused) Looks like I missed the ten o'clock news…
TUMBUKTU: None of this makes sense. If he was the leader, he wouldn't have been here recovering from a coma… and that was when the blast happened…
ṢEUN: Yeah…
DINAH: Kayne. It was Kayne…
ANITA: What?
ṢEUN: Who be Kayne?
DINAH: Kayne kept the movement going after Raymond's disappearance. He did worse… took over and started to scorch the world…
TUMBUKTU: We don't have any intel on that guy…
ṢEUN: (Confused) Bro, it's Nigeria…
DINAH: (Serious) Ryan Kayne. Ex-marine, US citizen…
ANITA: (Realization dawning) And now the Wordsmith has regained full consciousness…
ṢEUN: (Realization) He's going to take back his throne…
ANITA: (Inquisitive) When you and Raymond… ran through that lane at 3:30 PM in Tel Aviv, Israel, who did you see?
DINAH: Who? I wouldn't call that a who…
ANITA: What did you see?
DINAH: A blue… person. He looked like those Indian gods… then Raymond… he became a completely different person…
ANITA: A different person how?
DINAH: Whoa! Too many questions… I don't like that.
Ṣeun squints, raw and intense suspicion crossing his face as he slowly begins to scan the room.
ṢEUN: Wait…
The conversation halts abruptly. They all turn to stare at him in pure confusion.
ṢEUN: (Frowns in suspicion) I have lived this… exact… moment before…
TUMBUKTU: (Inquisitively) Déjà vu?
ṢEUN: (Confused) No, more like… a dream…
ANITA: (Whispers in confusion) What?
DINAH: (Disappointed) Dreams, dreamers… I don't like dreamers…
ṢEUN: (Intense suspicion) Someone is supposed to be in this room. Someone in a red suit…
Suddenly…
DJIRNN!
The heavy door swings open. Emerging from the darkness of the observation room is Detective Wells Okonkwo—though he looks far more like a street-level pimp. Muscular and dark-skinned with a full beard, he is dressed sharply in a vibrant red suit, heavily draped in gold jewelry and charms. A flash of golden teeth shows as he breathes. He sports a fresh fade with thick, upright dreadlocks styled into a crown, a fierce look surprisingly softened by the thick nerd glasses on his face and the case file tucked under his arm.
WELLS: Sorry, gentlemen. I'm late…
NRIJD!
The door slams shut, cutting to black.
TO BE CONTINUED…