The Rejected Child by Tina Bogwu is one of the selected drama texts for BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) J.S.S. Upper Basic 3: NECO 2020-2023 Syllabus
Summary of the Play
Kilani is a poor farmer but lives happily with his wife Kashimawo and daughter, Omolaso.
They had just had a meal on his farm settlement and he leaves to do some work on the farm but was bitten by a snake. His screams attracted Baba Ojo whose farm was next to his. Kilani's wife Kashimawo and daughter, Omolaso came out weeping profusely having been told of the snake bite. Kilani did not survive the snake bite but dies shortly after. After Kilani’s death, life becomes tough for Kashimawo and Omolaso. They decided to go to the city and beg for alms to survive.
On a particular day, Dr. Mrs Ada Omowunmi sees them begging and takes pity on them after listening to the brief story of Kilani’s death. She takes them to her house and places Kashimawo on a salary of #60,000 and her job is to take care of the entire house.
Dr. Mrs. Ada is married to Engr. Kola Omowunmi whom she met when they were both undergraduates at the University of Massachusetts in their final year. Ada was a medical doctor in the making while Kola was studying to be an Engineer. They both met at the University cafeteria. Kola had asked to join Ada on her table which she accepted and he immediately requested to be her friend. Both later recalled they once received lectures together as freshers in a course handled by Professor Chinkanter from Sri Lanka. Ada leaves and drop her phone number with Kola. On the send-off party organized in honour of the graduating students, Kola proposed to Ada and she accepted. They got married in Nigeria and after three years of marriage, they had a son, Ayo. Due to childbirth complications experienced during Ayo pregnancy, both Kola and Ada decided to put a stop to child bearing.
Ayo notices Omolaso whom he considers to have grown so big and beautiful and he sneaks to the boy's quarter only to meet Omolaso. He tries to sexually molest her but Omolaso refused. Ayo then resulted to intimidating her and threatens to push them out of the house and back to the street. Eventually, Ayo succeeded in defiling her and threatens her the more not to tell anyone about it.
After three months, Dr. Ada notices pregnancy signs in Omolaso and calls Kashimawo’s attention to it. She goes tough on her daughter but the Doctor counselled that violent would not resolve the matter. Omolaso reveals it was Ayo. She narrated how Ayo intimidated her into having sexual intercourse with him but Ayo repeatedly and violently denies having anything with Omolaso who he calls a brat.
Ayo requests from his parents that Omolaso and Kashimawo pack out of the house. They regretted that Ayo is rejecting what many married couples are looking for and they hope that he does not regret his actions in the future.
Engr. Kola and Dr. Ada Omowunmi rents a new apartment for Kashimawo and Omolaso. Six months later, Omolaso gives birth to a baby girl.
The naming was sponsored by Engr. Kola and his wife. They submitted three names of the baby to the Pastor.
Ayo later got married to Nneka whom he met in Oklahoma while studying but his parents did not attend the wedding because they were still upset with him. Ayo and Nneka had no child after marriage and this brings a little quarrel as each put blame on the other. But four years after, Nneka gives birth to twins (Mary and Joseph). The twins chose to study Engineering in University of Lincoln after their secondary education in Nigeria. The twins vow never to visit Nigeria again as they condemn the way their father usually gets drunk and beat up their mother. They doubted if love exist between the two of them.
Mary and Joseph were rusticated for exam malpractice and return to Nigeria. Their parents were bitter about it. So they got admission into Ogun state University and start all over again. They are to study Mathematics education. In the school, Mary goes wild in dressing while Joseph takes to drugs. Mary becomes a member of a cult group while Joseph is a leader of another dreadful cult group. The twins die same day.
Mary dies of concoction for the blood oath on her initiation day while Joseph dies fighting other cult group in a gun duel. Only Mary's corpse was taken to Ayo's compound. Joseph body was never found. There was great wailing in Ayo's compound.
Meanwhile, Omolaso’s daughter, Opeyemi was given scholarship to study in any Nigerian University of her choice for her intelligent speech. Opeyemi becomes a renowned surgeon and she meets Dr. Kwame from Ghana whom she intends to marry. Omolaso too had gone back to school after she gave birth to Opeyemi and had become a professional Nurse.
Ayo who had been delivered by a pastor of drunkenness and wife battery is now a born-again. He attends Opeyemi's wedding to Dr. Kwame and he indicates that he is the true father of Opeyemi. He remorsefully pleads for forgiveness from Kashimawo and Omolaso whom he impregnated and abandoned. He said he was too ashamed to get married to an uneducated lady and that he couldn’t stand the embarrassment of marrying a maid. Ayo's parents pleaded on his behalf and Dr. Ada Omowunmi willed her hospital to Opeyemi as she is the only surviving grandchild.
SETTING OF THE PLAY
The setting of the drama is the United Kingdom, United States of America and Nigeria. It is a contemporary play.
LANGUAGE
There is the use of English Language in most parts of the play and a little of the local Yoruba dialects which is used to give a clear picture of the scene being described.
THEMES IN THE PLAY
1. Education is the key to success
2. Love
3. Consequence of bad habits
4. Regrets and Repentance
5. The pains of Poverty
6. The rejected child that becomes the most important
7. Intimidation and sexual molestation
8. What a man sows is what he reaps
1. Education is key to success: From the play we see the importance of education to success. Almost all the characters attended Universities and became successful at the end. Omolaso who was raped and her pregnancy was denied went back to school after she put to bed. And at the end she became a professional nurse. Also, Opeyemi the Rejected child, became a surgeon just because she had access to education which comes to her in form of a scholarship opportunity.
2. Love: The theme of love can be traced to the love that existed between Kola and Ada. Kola falls in love with Ada the very moment he set his eyes on her and does not relent until Ada becomes his wife. This theme is also seen in the relationship that existed between the Omowunmis and Kashimawo. The Omowunmis showed so much love for Kashimawo and her Daughter, Omolaso. They didn’t send them back to the street when Ayo denied the paternity of Omolaso’s pregnancy.
3. Consequence of bad habits: this theme is revealed in characters like Ayo and his children. Ayo used to he drunk. He would heat up his wife and children sometimes after getting drunk. These bad habits are later transferred to Joseph his son. Joseph claims to have learnt the habit of drinking from his father, Ayo.
4. Regret and Repentance: Ayo lives a terrible life which includes raping and denying that he got Omoaso pregnant. He also was a drunk who sleeps on the street and beat up his wife and children after such acts. He however becomes remorseful and regrets his acts. He repents of his sins and accepts Omolaso's daughter, Opeyemi, who is also his daughter.
5. The pains of poverty: Kashimawo and her daughter, Omolaso suffer in the hands of Ago because they were poor. Ayo threatens them with eviction if they do not comply with his demands. This is one of the reasons Omolaso refuses to inform any one that Ayo raped her. Even after it was discovered that Omolaso got pregnant from tje rape, Ayo rejects the pregnancy and treats them like rags instead.
6. The Rejected Child becomes the Most Important: when Ayo denies the responsibility of the pregnancy and eventually rejects the child, he does not know that he has rejected a treasure in his life. At the end, it is the rejected Opeyemi that inherited the family clinic to keep the family's name. She is the last hope of the family after the death of Joseph and Mary.
7. Sexually molestation and intimidation: In the play, Ayo sexually intimidates and molests the helpless Omolaso. The fact that Omolaso doesn’t not want to return to the street makes her yield to Ayo's threat. She keeps the secret of the sexual assault all to herself especially when she doesn’t know it would result into pregnancy.
8. What a man sows is what he reaps: Ayo does not experience any peace in his life for sexually assaulting Omolaso and denying it. His family does not experience peace either. At the end, all his children not only become useless but end up losing their lives.
CHARACTERIZATION: Major and Minor Characters
1. Kola: He is the only child of Engr. Sule Omowunmi and Dr. (Mrs) Ranti Omowunmi. Kola is an Engineer by profession who gets married to Dr. Ada, whom he met at cafeteria in the University of Massachusetts. Kola is presented as a loving person. His love for Ada is genuine right from the start. He is kind hearted and assists the poor as revealed in his treatment of Kashimawo and Omolaso before and after Ayo defiles Omolaso. He is Ayo's father.
2. Ada: She is Kola's wife and they both graduated from the same school and the same year. Like Kola, Ada who is a medical doctor has a good heart. She is loving and cares for the poor. She decides to help Kashimawo and her daughter when she sees them begging on the street. She is Ayo's mother.
3. Ayo: He is the son of Engr. Kola Omowunmi and Dr. (Mrs) Ada Omowunmi. Ayo is the only child of his parents. He is showered with so much love and affection and this spoilt him. He rapes and later denies being responsible for Omolaso’s pregnancy. Ayo presented a rude character going by the way he speaks to Kashimawo and Omolaso, and sometimes his own parents.
As an adult, Ayo becomes a drunk and lives terrible life. He later becomes remorseful and changes from his bad habits. Ayo is married to Nneka whom tje graduated from the same university. They gave birth to twins (Mary and Joseph) who don’t fancy them as parents.
4. Kashimawo: She is Omolaso’s mother who is employed as a maid by Engr. Kola. She was on the street after the death of jer husband, Kilani before Dr. (Mrs) Ada shows interest to assist her with a job and good salary in her house.
5. Omolaso: She is the daughter of Kashimawo and late Kilani. She is the mother of Opeyemi, a Child she got after Ayo impregnates and abandons her.
Joseph and Mary: They are the twins that Ayo and Nneka have after four years in marriage. They started well but became unserious later on and this is what brings about their untimely death. Joseph becomes a drunk and joins cult while Mary joins a group of unserious girls and these expose them to danger.
6. Kilani: He is Kashimawo’s husband who dies after a snake bite. He is a farmer by profession.
7. Opeyemi: She is Omolaso’s daugher and Ayo's rejected child. She grows up to become successful in life and this make Ayo remorseful for having rejected her and her mother Omolaso. She scales through her academics to becoming a medical doctor.
8. Dr. Kwame: He is the son of Chief Kwame and a Ghanian. He marries Opeyemi after her graduation from medical school.
Opinion
Do you think Omolaso should forgive Ayo after all he did to her?
Feel free to give your option in the comment section. Your feedback will be highly appreciated.
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