Smoking Guns and Bleeding Streets

EXT. OSHODI/ OSHODI ISALE, LAGOS. NIGHT.

A panorama of Isolo, Airport Road, Oshodi Expressway, Oshodi Isale, Agege Motor Road and Ilupeju. There are cars and buses on Oshodi bridge and cars entering the service lane (after the military barracks/ Charity Bus-stop) towards Oshodi Isale.

There are people at the bus-stop waiting for a bus, some others are struggling to enter the few available buses. There are also agberos/ area boys/ thugs chasing after buses, extorting the bus conductors, harassing innocent bystanders, and generally looking menacing.

FADE TO:

EXT. AGEGE MOTOR ROAD, BETWEEN OSHODI ISALE AND ILUPEJU, LAGOS. NIGHT

There is a fast-moving SUV on the road with music playing from within. Moments later, the sound of a flat tire. The driver (LADI 28 smart casual with a jacket) steadies the steering wheel and slows down. He then carefully negotiates the SUV off the road. The area is dark and visibility is poor, save for the headlights of fast-moving cars on the road.

The SUV comes to a halt and Ladi keeps the car engine idling. He sits quietly and nods his head slightly to the music playing from the car stereo.
He looks around to see if there is anyone around then he bends and picks up a pistol from under the car seat. He puts it in the gun holster at the back of his trousers.

He adjusts his jacket, switches off the car, and turns on the hazard lights. He pops open the car boot, picks up his phone, and gets out of the car.
He puts his phone in his trouser pockets, adjusts his jacket again,n and looks around. He then goes to the car boot and brings out the wheel spanner, C-Caution, Car Jack, and the spare tire.

As he puts down the tools and spare tire, six thugs armed with cudgels, knives, and machetes surround him and his car. He calmly stands up to face them, with his back to the car.

THUG 1
Ogbeni, why you just park your car anyhow? You no know say na our area be this? You wan die abi?

Ladi looks at them calmly and smiles.

THUG 2
Why you dey smile? No be you we dey talk to? You wan make I daze you with slap?

LADI
Una no dey look face abi?

THUG 1
Who you be?

LADI
Ladoski.

THUG 1
Which Ladi?

LADI
AlawoDre P.A.

The thugs look at each other and then they peer carefully at Ladi’s face. One of them moves back to examine the SUV. Then he nods to the others. They all salute him with their hands in the air.

THUG 3
Boss, you for quick tell us na.

THUG 2
Sorry sir, I no know say na you.

THUG 1
Oya boys, make una help oga change him tire.

Ladi moves aside as the thugs pick up the wheel spanner and jack and start to work on the tire.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT, ILUPEJU. NIGHT.
The room is dark. Then the door opens. The light from the corridor cast a shadow of Ladi at the entrance. Ladi switches on the light and enters into the apartment. He close the door, locks it with the key and bolts.

He kicks off his shoes, takes off his jacket and throws it on the settee.
The sitting room is modestly furnished. There are two paintings, side by side, adjacent the front door. Opposite the front door is a door that leads to a small corridor, which leads to the bedrooms, bathroom and toilet.
The first painting is that of a Leopard in a tree stalking a antelope eating grass beside the tree. The second painting is that of a group Buffaloes charging with their horns lowered.

He walks past the paintings on the wall into the small corridor and then turns left into his bedroom. He puts on the light. The bedroom is clean but untidy. There are clothes on the floor, as well as, empty beer cans.

He removes the gun and the holster and puts it under his pillow. Then he takes off his shirt, singlet and trouser and throws them on the bed.
There is a smoking gun tattoo on the right side of his chest and a nasty, big knife scar across his abdomen. Now wearing just a boxer shorts, he comes out of the room and enters the kitchen.

He grabs a bottle of water and drinks and comes back to the sitting room.
There are three canvas boards in a row by the wall. Two of the boards each show a colourful drawing of a young lady. Each drawing shows a different facial expression of happiness of the same young lady with a small mole on the left side of her nose. The third is an unpainted drawing. He stands in front of the plain drawing and stares at it. The drawing is also that of the young lady with a small mole on the left side of her nose. But in this drawing there are tears coming from her eyes down her face.

He removes a flier from his jacket on the settee and pins it to the top left corner of the incomplete drawing. It is an invitation to an art exhibition holding in the evening of the next day.

Extract from the Screenplay — Smoking Guns and Bleeding Streets

Signed

Olumide Holloway (King Olulu)