My Son, Your Son

The oil boom era had just set its foot in Nigeria of the 1970s. The country and its communities had to struggle with the demands of modernity vis-à-vis traditional ways of life, this time at a higher level. Young people from rural communities continuously heard wondrous stories of the wonder of city life and would go the extra mile to be part of it. One of them, Ekam, has a chance, grabs it, but is ensnared and subsequently entwined by all the evils of city life. A woman, through her unpublished script, lets Ekam into the story of another woman that was unable to manage the stresses of city life. The uncanny resemblance with her life in many respects jolts her, but temporarily. The decision to go back to a life of decadence-a departure from the usual case of "turning over a new leaf"-should make the society wonder if it is equipped to handle moral relapse or sustained immorality.

Bassey Ubong studied marketing and philosophy of education. He has published twelve plays, one novel, three poetry anthologies, three children books, and one collection of fables. He hails from Oboyo in Akwa Ibom State and is currently on the faculty of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, both in southern Nigeria.