Rainbow City
Tenants Rebellion
Mr Bature pays an early morning visit to the Caretaker, Pa Momoh.
The issue of his unexpected visit is a vexatious letter from Mr Johnson the Landlord concerning an increase in the rent which Mr Bature declares a ‘nullity ab initio’ and rejects outright both figuratively and literally by returning his copy of the letter.
Endurance Villa…
Chris and Madam Asabe discuss the aberrant rent increase with the demand for a 6 months advance. Their discourse is also spiced by gossip about the happenings in the compound; from Pa Momoh’s attempts to flirt or make ‘love-love’ with her and the viciousness of Vero’s mother, Lydia, and Sefinat.
Madam Asabe suggests a meeting of the tenants of Endurance Villa to discuss the rent increase and Chris agrees to spread the message.
Tenants Meeting
The tenants of Endurance Villa are gathered for the meeting. Chris is nominated as Chairman of the Endurance Villa Residents but he steps aside and nominates Mr Bature in his stead.
Pa Momoh is unanimously evicted from the meeting as a non-tenant, though he vociferously objects and threatens to take action against the tenants particularly Mr Uduma, the Pool House Manager who led the call for his removal.
Adolphus who owes six months’ rent is conspicuously absent at the meeting.
Mr Bature and Chris seem to be the most knowledgeable and raise reasons why Mr Johnson cannot have his way per the Tenancy Agreement:
1. Rent increase must be discussed.
2. Rents are to be paid monthly and not in advance per Mr Johnson’s demand.
3. The tenants have kept their part of the Tenancy Agreement and the Landlord has constantly failed to live up to his part of the contract as Endurance Villa is the shabbiest, dirtiest apartment on Promise Street even when tenants pay dues for repairs and maintenance.
Mr Adolphus finally arrives at the meeting and disrupts the tide as he meekly suggests that the tenants go on a peace mission to Mr Johnson and further entreats the tenants with dire warnings about battles between tenants and landlords in which the latter always has the upper hand. He is abused and called out as a coward and chameleon by the angry tenants…
Why do I have a feeling that this is all related to Mr Johnson’s Chairmanship aspirations? Future episodes will tell!
This is a production of the African Radio Drama Association.
Listen to Episodes 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3.
