Yetunde It’s not like that for Omotara.

Teju No. But you can’t get far in this life without your family behind you.

Yetunde You can.

Teju I don’t want this for her.

Yetunde It’s not easy, but you can!

Teju It isn’t worth it. I don’t want her to be like me. Living in fear. Getting beaten in the streets.

Yetunde She won’t.

Teju You’re telling me people like us don’t catch beatings for London?

Yetunde She won’t be alone! Did they come for you? Is that why you’re doing this?

Babatunde You don’t have to answer that. Yetunde He does! Teju! How did you die?

The sound of static rises very quickly. The Ancestors are still. Then the static becomes one high pitch note and cuts to silence. The Ancestors turn and look at Teju.

Scene Fourteen

London, Tara and Leah’s home.

Mosun It’s very small, isn’t it?

Tara Mum.

Mosun You’d think you could afford a bigger place by now! You’re nearly thirty.

Tara We’ve had to save a lot. For the wedding.

Mosun Right. Are you renting?

Tara Yeah.

Mosun Pouring your money down the drain.

Beat.

Who’s your caterer?

Tara What? Uh . . . Aunty Gloria.

Mosun Hmm. Good luck. That woman will rob you blind!

Tara What are you doing here?

Mosun Your father sent me.

Tara OK. Why?

Mosun Where is she?

Tara Leah?

Mosun Yes.

Tara She’s not here.

Mosun Is she at work?

Tara I don’t know. I don’t know where she is.

Mosun Who puts your shelves up?

Tara What?

Mosun Who does the gardening?

Tara We don’t have a garden!

Mosun What do you do when a chair breaks?

Tara We have a balcony but –

Mosun Or your toilet’s clogged?

Tara What? We fix it. One of us fixes it.

Mosun You need a man around the house.

Tara Dad doesn’t do any of those things!

Mosun That’s because we can afford to get someone to do it for us. By the looks of things, you can’t.

Tara Did you want to say something? Or did you just come here to take the piss?

Mosun Yes. Your Uncle died.

Tara Oh. Right. Which one?

Mosun Uncle Teju.

Tara What? How? He’s younger than Dad.

Mosun I just thought I should tell you.

Tara He can’t be dead.

Mosun He is.

Tara How did he die?

Mosun He killed himself.

Tara What? Mum. Are you serious?

Mosun Yes Omo. The police found him at a gay party in Lagos and then, when your Daddy refused to give him the money to pay them off and move to London, he took himself to the outskirts of a little village near Warri and topped himself apparently. Took them days to find him. Agbaya!

Tara A gay party?

Mosun Their mother is in pieces. This will probably finish her off, poor woman. Your father’s going to have to fly over there again to take care of her. And Wunmi!