“A Note On ‘Birthday’ by ‘Shèun and Bebe Ominira-Bluejack”
‘Birthday’ is the teaser episode that my sister Bebe and I developed for our original series “Palm Oil and Ash”, which we first developed for television a couple of years ago. Like our previously published teaser episode ‘Reflections’, it is intended to serve as a webisode that drums up interest in the series without overly affecting its internal narrative.
The piece is meant to introduce the public to major characters that feature in the series, which is currently being adapted by us as a cycle of light novels that will also be known as “Palm Oil and Ash”; the widowed mother Mrs. Gbemisola Okwei, her psychic daughter Vesper, her brother Officer Olatunji Shittu, and the Abikus – otherworldly children that are intent on killing Vesper and making her return to their fold in the spirit world. The following are their bullet point character biographies. It is hoped that it will give our readers a sense of what we have planned for the series.
Mrs. Gbemisola Okwei (nèe Shittu): Our protagonist for the first book in the series, “Abiku”, Gbemisola has been hardened by her various experiences over the course of the past six months. Be that as it may, she has dedicated her entire life to protecting her daughter because she sees this as giving validation to her late husband having sacrificed his life to defend her and Vesper from the Abikus. She is capable and a planner, and has a finely tuned sixth sense that probably would have kept her and Vesper one step ahead of their pursuers indefinitely had it not been for Vesper’s running away from her. When her death comes shortly thereafter, she meets it stoically. Although she initially appears to be somewhat abusive (with her lying to Vesper about Chiwetel and refusing to let her touch her in an attempt to keep from inadvertently having her mind read), her great love for her daughter is such that she refrains from crossing over following its occurrence, and she pops up in her life from time to time afterwards as a ghost.
Miss Vesper Okwei: A precocious little girl whose Abiku status has endowed her with the powers of tactile telepathy and healing, Vesper has been acting out ever since the road trip began – much to her mother’s irritation. Even though she is frightened by the Abiku spirits, she’s also somewhat fascinated by both them and her powers, and so when one of them comes to her and tells her that her mother is trying to hinder her from becoming all-powerful, she suspects that there might be truth to it. After her mother is ultimately torn apart by them, she struggles with an abiding sense of guilt as a result. Heading into the second book, her and Olatunji’s arc is therefore one that follows their individual searches for a redemption that is proving to be very elusive.
Officer Olatunji Shittu: Our protagonist from the second book on, Officer Shittu is initially a hard-hearted sceptic – one who thinks that his sister is a mentally unstable murderess. When he witnesses her death at the hands of the Abikus, he has a change of heart, and inherits her duties as his niece’s primary guardian thereafter as a result of this event. Where Gbemisola is street smart, he is more sophisticated, and as a result he uses his own history of tracking the Okweis throughout Nigeria to make finding Vesper much more difficult following her mother’s demise. While Vesper deals with guilt for having caused Gbemisola to die, he struggles with guilt of his own for not having believed her concerning the Abiku spirits before it was too late.
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Palm Oil and Ash
Teaser Episode 0: ‘Birthday‘
Written by
‘Sheun Ominira-Bluejack
and
Bebe Ominira-Bluejack
============
FADE IN
1 EXTERIOR. LAGOS, NIGERIA. DAY.
The city of Lagos stretches out before the afternoon sun in all of its chaotic glory. From above, we see a car making its progress through its streets.
MAN: (PRE-LAP)
Get the files from Alana out in London
so that I can look at them before we
proceed.
WOMAN: (PRE-LAP)
Okay. Should I send them out to you today?
CUT TO.
2 INTERIOR. THE CAR. SAME AS BEFORE.
We are introduced to CHIWETEL OKWEI, 39, an upwardly mobile member of the new upper middle class. He is the one that’s on the phone.
CHIWETEL:
No, give me the day. It’s Vesper’s
birthday today, and Gbemi and I are
having a party at the house.
WOMAN:
(Over the phone)
That’s wonderful. Give her a hug and a
kiss from me, and tell her that my gift is in the mail.
CHIWETEL:
(Smiling broadly)
Will do.
WOMAN:
(Over the phone)
Are you sure that we can afford to
wait a day, though?
CHIWETEL:
You worry too much. The deal isn’t
going anywhere. It’ll keep. Besides,
it’ll probably take that long for the
files to come in from the U.K.
WOMAN:
(Over the phone)
I was going to harangue Alana into
getting them to us sooner.
CHIWETEL:
Well don’t. Take the rest of the day
off instead.
(beat)
What exactly do you do on your days
off?
WOMAN:
(Over the phone)
If I told you that, they wouldn’t be
days off anymore.
CHIWETEL:
(Smiling again)
Fair enough. Talk to you tomorrow,
okay?
WOMAN:
(Over the phone)
Have fun at the party, boss.
CUT TO.
3 EXTERIOR. LAGOS, NIGERIA. SAME AS BEFORE.
We are back on an aerial shot of Chiwetel’s car. It turns a corner into a tawny compound’s front gate.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN.
4 INTERIOR. THE OKWEI RESIDENCE. DAY.
A few minutes later, Chiwetel comes in through the front door of his house, carrying a cake box, gifts and balloons as he does so.
CHIWETEL:
(While kicking the door closed
behind himself with his leg)
“Honey, I’m home”!
There isn’t any answer. Chiwetel frowns to himself in response to this.
CHIWETEL:
(Calling into the seemingly empty house)
Where is everybody?!
After a moment of silence, laughter is heard off to the side of him. Eerie laughter, almost inhuman in its quality, like the tinkling of little bells that are far away from you. This unnerves him. Before he can react properly however, a piercing scream comes from above him. Without thinking, he rushes forward, unloads his burden onto the dinner table, then bounds for the stairs.
CUT TO.
5 INTERIOR. VESPER’S BEDROOM. A SPLIT SECOND LATER.
Chiwetel explodes through the door to his daughter’s room. He finds a surprising scene playing out therein:
VESPER, 12, is dancing up and down excitedly while brandishing a cell phone. Her mother, GBEMISOLA, 37, is sitting on her bed and laughing at her display. Chiwetel is confused.
CHIWETEL:
What is going on here?
GBEMISOLA:
I gave her the option of opening one
of her gifts now. She took it, and
just found the phone.
CHIWETEL:
(Sighing in palpable relief)
Oh. Okay.
(then, after turning to Vesper)
Vesper, this phone is a symbol of your
new responsibilities. You can now call
your mother and I in case of an
emergency. Your grades mustn’t suffer,
and we don’t want you spending every
waking hour texting your friends and
surfing the internet.
VESPER:
Yes, daddy!
CHIWETEL:
If you mess up in any way, we’ll
confiscate it as punishment.
VESPER:
Yes, daddy!
CHIWETEL:
Are you just saying that to shut me
up?
VESPER:
Yes, daddy!
Chiwetel shakes his head and smiles. Vesper then tries to hug Gbemisola in gratitude, but her mother recoils instinctively from her touch. The three remain silent for a minute after this is done, then Gbemisola gets up.
GBEMISOLA:
I should go and make sure that David
has finished getting everything ready
for the party.
She leaves the room after giving Chiwetel a kiss on the cheek. Her husband looks at their daughter, clearly sad at what just happened, and sighs again wearily.
CHIWETEL:
She doesn’t mean it.
VESPER:
I know.
(beat, then more happily)
Want to see what my new phone can do?
CHIWETEL:
(Smiling broadly)
I thought that you would never ask.
CUT TO.
6 INTERIOR. THE OKWEI KITCHEN. DAY.
A short while later. Chiwetel enters the kitchen and finds his wife and DAVID, their steward, getting food ready for the party. He takes a small plate and serves himself a little bit to taste.
CHIWETEL:
It all looks great!
Before either of them can answer, the doorbell rings. David wipes his hands on a washcloth, then goes to see who it is. Once they’re alone, Chiwetel puts down the plate and swallows what’s in his mouth. He then looks at Gbemisola.
GBEMISOLA:
I didn’t mean for it to be so obvious.
CHIWETEL:
I know. I told her as much.
GBEMISOLA:
(After a beat, not looking him in
the eye)
What did she say in response?
CHIWETEL:
She said that she knows that you don’t
mean it.
GBEMISOLA:
(After a beat of contemplation)
I’ll try harder next time.
CHIWETEL:
(Gently)
Okay.
CUT TO.
7 EXTERIOR. THE FRONT PORCH OF THE OKWEI RESIDENCE. DAY.
David opens the door and comes outside to meet – Nothing. There’s nobody there. He looks around, confused, then goes back inside the house after a moment.
CUT TO.
8 INTERIOR. THE OKWEI FOYER. SAME AS BEFORE.
David is walking away from the door when the doorbell rings again. Getting flustered, he stomps back towards it and opens the door again. Rather than find a young prankster waiting on the doorstep, he finds OFFICER OLATUNJI SHITTU, 33, Gbemisola’s brother.
DAVID:
Ah, Oga ‘Tunji!
OLATUNJI:
(Coming inside)
Hello, David. How are you?
DAVID:
I’m well, sir.
OLATUNJI:
And your oga and madam?
DAVID:
They are both in the kitchen, sir.
OLATUNJI:
(Giving him a wrapped package)
Here, take this. It’s for Vesper. Put
it with the rest.
DAVID:
Yes, sir.
Olatunji heads for the kitchen.
DAVID:
Oga ‘Tunji?
Olatunji stops and turns to face him.
DAVID:
Did you ring the bell twice?
OLATUNJI:
(After a beat)
There’s never a need. You always
answer it after I do it once.
With that, Olatunji leaves the room. David opens the door and looks outside again warily.
CUT TO.
9 INTERIOR. THE KITCHEN. DAY.
A minute later, Olatunji enters the kitchen and finds his sister and brother-in-law looking very serious there.
OLATUNJI:
Uh-Oh. I’m not interrupting a moment
of passion, am I?
CHIWETEL:
As a matter of fact, we were just
about to start making baby number two
right here in the kitchen.
OLATUNJI:
(Gagging)
I think that I’m going to be sick.
All three laugh at this. Chiwetel then leaves the room.
GBEMISOLA:
You look well.
OLATUNJI:
(While fixing himself a plate)
So do you.
GBEMISOLA:
To be honest, I haven’t felt it
lately.
OLATUNJI:
Oh? What’s the matter?
GBEMISOLA:
(After a beat)
Pay no attention to me. It’s probably
just the stress of planning today.
OLATUNJI:
(With a mouth full of food, while
looking at her with an unreadable
look on his face)
Yeah, that’s probably what it is…
CUT TO.
10 INTERIOR. THE OKWEI DINING AREA. DAY.
A short while later. Vesper’s party is now in full swing. After a moment, the music is lowered and Chiwetel gets up to address the various guests.
CHIWETEL:
Ladies and gentlemen, children of all
ages, friends, Romans, countrymen…
There are sharp guffaws from some of the parents at this introduction.
CHIWETEL:
(After a beat)
Gbemi and I would just like to thank
you all for coming to share Vesper’s
big day with our family. As many of
you know, the two of us struggled for
a few years to have a baby before she
was born. We had actually given up
hope when it happened. And since then,
she has filled our days with
unadulterated happiness.
VESPER:
Daddy, you promised that you wouldn’t
embarrass me!
CHIWETEL:
(Laughing)
Okay, okay. I better close here before
I’m disowned.
(then, while raising his drink)
To Vesper. We all love you greatly.
ALL PRESENT
(While raising their own)
To Vesper.
Everyone drinks, then they put down their glasses and break into a rousing chorus of the happy birthday song. As the singing goes on, Gbemisola walks over and hugs Chiwetel. Over at the head of the table meanwhile, Vesper glows under the light of everyone’s appreciation.
CUT TO.
11 INTERIOR. VESPER’S BEDROOM. NIGHT.
Later that night. After we are left to enjoy a moment of tranquility, a loud thud is heard from the outside of Vesper’s door. A second later, Gbemisola comes into the room. Far from being the glamorous woman that we met earlier in the day, this Gbemisola is on edge, frazzled, almost crazed – She’s wearing a pair of gloves – And inexplicably, she is covered head to foot in BLOOD.
She rushes to Vesper’s bed and shakes her awake.
VESPER:
(Groggily)
Whaah?
GBEMISOLA:
(Panicked)
Vesper, wake up.
VESPER:
(Sitting up and rubbing her eyes)
Mommy, what is it?
GBEMISOLA:
(Going around the room and
grabbing various items before
stuffing them in a duffel bag)
We have to go.
After a beat, she grabs the cell phone from earlier and tosses it into the bag.
VESPER:
Mommy, you’re scaring me.
Gbemisola stops in her tracks. She goes back to the bed, puts the duffel bag on it, then kneels down so that she’s looking her daughter in her eyes.
GBEMISOLA:
Don’t be scared, honey. This is part
of your birthday surprise.
VESPER:
(Getting excited)
It’s a game?
GBEMISOLA:
(After a beat, while feigning a
smile)
Yes, it is.
In response to this, Vesper gets up. Gbemisola grabs the duffel bag, then takes Vesper’s hand and leads her to the door. She then looks at her.
GBEMISOLA:
Close your eyes, honey. You don’t want
to ruin the surprise.
Vesper does as she’s told, then Gbemisola pulls her along and they exit the room. Once they get downstairs, they rush past the living room. We linger here, notice that there is blood and gore all over it, and as we pan along in their wake, we come across a dismembered arm – CHIWETEL’S ARM.
CUT TO.
12 INTERIOR. THE OKWEIS’ CAR. SAME AS BEFORE.
Gbemisola buckles Vesper in, then straightens up, starts the ignition and puts it in gear.
CUT TO.
13 INTERIOR. THE CAR. NIGHT.
A short while later. As the pair are driving along, Gbemisola has a glazed, somewhat shell-shocked look on her face. Vesper looks at her silently for a moment, then takes her phone out from the duffel bag.
VESPER:
Where’s daddy, mommy?
GBEMISOLA:
(After a beat, while looking
straight ahead as tears begin to
stream down her face)
Your father will meet us where we’re
going.
VESPER:
With my surprise?
GBEMISOLA:
Yes, honey. With your surprise.
FADE TO BLACK.