UNTITLED SCREENPLAY

by

My Name Here

123/456-7890
no.such@thing.com
Typical residential street past 11pm; the road is empty save
for a kiosk selling small items. NASIR (33) is inside with
his wares illuminated by a single light bulb. A customer
leaves. Suddenly, KAMSI(16) appears out of the darkness,
sweating and fidgety.

NASIR
Aunty KAMSI! Kedu?

KAMSI
T-two thousand naira credit. Glo.

NASIR goes into his pocket looking for the credit.

NASIR
My hundred, hundred naira friend.
Who dey give you this kind money?

KAMSI smiles shakily.

A gate's metallic screech cuts through the air. KAMSI snaps

in that direction looking for it's source.

NASIR
I only have them in two hundred
hundred naira, it's ok, Kamkam?

KAMSI
(pauses still looking for
the noise)
How much for slippers?

NASIR
Five hundred.

KAMSI
One thousand five credit and one
slippers.

NASIR
We get your size? Make I see.

NASIR hands the credit to KAMSI, then turns his back to

search for the slippers. KAMSI slides a loaf of bread
displayed into her shirt, NASIR none the wiser. He drops

said footwear without looking at KAMSI, still searching for

the proper size.

NASIR
It's like we don't have your size.
Ok, two k.

NASIR turns around and KAMSI is gone.

 2.

EXT.ROADSIDE-NIGHT

INT.PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE-DAY

FUNKE (15) is standing in front of the PRINCIPAL(48)seated

at his desk. Behind both of them, by the door are TEACHER#1

and KAMSI'S GUARDIAN (K.G) (53). We've caught them mid-
interogation of Funke, who is flinching at ghosts and
promises of future slaps;she doesn't know where they might
come from. K.G has also been beaten up although she is
wearing a facemask and sunglasses (maybe).

K.G
You see? She is lying? I said it,
these girls can lie.

FUNKE
Madam, I'm sorry but I'm not lying.

PRINCIPAL
Shut up! How can you lose your
phone at a time like this? Now, now
when we need to see it?

FUNKE
No sir, I lost it in the morning
yesterday. I wouldn't know if she
called.

A female slaps the back of Funke's head. Funke holds the back
of her head, crying sans tears. K.G joins in the beating.

FUNKE (CONT'D)
(sobbing)--

EXT.SECONDARY SCHOOL-DAY
Teens and pre-adults are in the courtyard getting ready to

GO HOME/ENJOY THEIR BREAK.

Funke exits the principal's office crying till she is a few

yards from where she was "disciplined". ZARA(16) and
JUDITH(16) motion to Funke discretely. She looks around
making sure no one is watching, then joins her friends.
 3.

ZARA
(sotto)
Did they ask you? You didn't tell
them about the call, eh?

JUDITH
Principal beat you, sha? I knew it.
That man face wicked. You cry?

FUNKE
Shhhhh!!! KAMSI? Did she call
again?

JUDITH
No.

Judith hands Funke a PHONE.

JUDITH (CONT'D)
Take.

Funke looks around, then proceeds to check her phone.

FUNKE
Her aunty wanted to know if she
contacted me. Did we talk about it?
Who else did we plan it with? That
kind of thing. After, they beat me.

JUDITH
Chai this girl you don suffer

FUNKE
(hisses)
No reach, that woman is stronger
than she looks, sha.

ZARA
For KAMSI, you are doing this for
KAMSI? You saw what she did to her
aunty?
FUNKE
(still looking at the
phone)
Abeg, forget that one. She was
looking for a place to sleep last
night...

JUDITH
She has nowhere to go. Zara, stop
being wicked.
 4.

ZARA
KAMSI can always go back home to
her village.
(hisses)
What nonsense?

FUNKE
You wouldn't like it if it was you.
Leave it.

ZARA
Me ke? It can never be me, abeg!
(Funke shoves the phone
into
Zara's hands regardless)

FUNKE

Hold it for tonight, jor. In case

she calls.

ZARA
Ah-Ah, why should I keep it?

JUDITH
I hid it this morning, why don't
you want to do it? Be helpful and
stop being stubborn, ah.

As Zara pockets it begrudgingly, K.G walks out of the

principal's office waddling to her car, in her wake are
TEACHER#1 and PRINCIPAL. The girls glare.

INT.AMBA'S SALON-MORNING

AMBA'S(22) salon is not quite like others.

The building she is in doesn't match the expensive equipment

and expertise she has in there. The store is in a rough but
not bad area; a place where the tenants have to take a few of
the responsibilities of landlords. Which is why we find Amba
on the phone with her landlord as she is currently styling a
woman's hair.

AMBA
(on the phone while
weaving a customer's hair
'all-back') (she's also
using an earpiece)

... but sir, we literally do

everything in this compound.
(MORE)
 5.

AMBA (CONT'D)
We even contribute money for
borehole, sir. You have stopped
doing it for months.
(beat)
I'm not being disrespectful sir.
You can't say that!
(beat)
Hello? Sir? Hellooo?

(the call cuts)

Amba is exasperated and upset at the conversation.

CUSTOMER#1

Your landlord don start him wahala

again abi?

AMBA

Azin ehn! I'm just tired! The Oga

is trying to increase the rent,
even with everything I pay for in
this shop.

CUSTOMER#1
In this economy?

AMBA
Where everyone is struggling o

INT.AMBA'S SALON-MORNING (LATER)

Customer#1's hair is immaculate and has shine to it. It's a

well laid straight wig, and you can tell when she moves her
head how sleek it is. She however haggles price with Amba.

CUSTOMER#1
Wait, wait...

AMBA
No, no, please. We agreed to that
price.

Customer#1 grabs her handbag and starts to head outside.

CUSTOMER#1
Abeg nau, na wetin i get
 6.

AMBA
But I gave you a discount last time
and you know the hair is better
than the price I charged you. I'm
doing everything here by myself.

EXT. OUTSIDE AMBA'S SALON- MID-DAY(CONTINUOUS)

CUSTOMER#1
Please nau, Amba. You know I'm your
favorite customer

AMBA
Ehn me too am I not your favorite
hair stylist?

CUSTOMER#1
(sheepishly)
Manage that one jor

AMBA
You want to send me back to my
village?

A new shiny black BENZ begins to pull into the driveway with
a custom "GOLDIE" license plate. Both women are unaware.

AMBA (CONT'D)
What happens if the shop closes?

CUSTOMER#1
(laughing)
Can't you do it in your parlour.

AMBA
Stop laughing. I need to pay
Susan's school fees.

The car is now close enough to both women that they must
acknowledge it's presence. The car is parked and the DRIVER
(Middle Aged/Young) opens the passenger door letting his
PASSENGER (Late 30s) out. A stunning, light-skinned woman,
wearing a turban and designer sunglasses along with a
pretentious white gown, steps out of the car. She smiles as
she makes her way to the ladies

CUSTOMER#1
(sotto)
Who is that?
 7.

AMBA
(sotto)
I'm not sure maybe you can ask her
to pay your bill, you cheap cow.

The PASSENGER from the car smiles and uses her bejeweled hand
to take off her sunglasses

PASSENGER
Good day, ladies. Do you know where
I can find the hairdresser? My name
is GOLDIE, I heard about--is it
Amba?--from Hawa.

INT.AMBA'S SALON-MID-DAY

Hands are in Goldie's hair, alongside a curling iron.

The hands belong to Amba as she's doing what she knows best.
While giving Goldie nice bouncy curls, they engage in
conversation.

GOLDIE
I must say, not trying to be rude,
your prices are really cheap. You
are aware I'm taking advantage of
you right now?

AMBA
(laughs)
I know, I know. I have to compete
with these other girls and I know
they play games with their prices.
You can see it in the quality. If
you say I did your hair, you can
never say I did nonsense. Never.

GOLDIE
You know Naija girls will wear
anything and call it fashion as
long as they see it on Instagram.

INT.AMBA'S SALON-MID-DAY(LATER)

At another station (stick-on NAILS) Amba works on Goldie as

well as listens intently to her tale.

GOLDIE
...my father couldn't stand the
divorce since my husband was an
officer, you know? He was also the
son of his best friend.
 8.

AMBA
You don't mean it?

GOLDIE
That is a trap many women have to
escape girl, especially in Nigeria.
Then I used my connects with the
presidency and friends in the UAE
to start my first business.
(Hard cut to)

INT.AMBA'S SALON-EVENING(LATER)

Both women are seated side by side, with Amba more

comfortable talking to Goldie. Goldie's never talking
chaffeur pours them a glass of champagne each, gotten from
Goldie's car. Amba is impressed.

AMBA
(has loosened up to Goldie and is
narrating her life's ordeal)
You hear the stories but don't
believe it. After my parents died,

AMBA (CONT'D)
(cont'd)
...everyone gradually forgot about
my sister and I. Without my father
to leech off of, they had no need
for us. That's how they all
abandoned us.

GOLDIE
It happens like that sometimes,
babes.

AMBA
I sold some things, used the money
to open up this salon, as hair is
something I've always been
passionate about.

GOLDIE
Gosh, humans! You know, with these
your skills, you could make serious
dollars and pounds. Girls abroad
make plenty doing what you do.

AMBA
I can see them on Instagram
(picks up her phone and
shows Goldie)
(MORE)
 9.

AMBA (CONT'D)
I mean look at @lekkideluxhairs,
she has over 300k followers. And I
can do better and faster.

They sip their champagne as they bond in sisterliness

GOLDIE
Do you know how many African or
even Nigerian women in Dubai are
looking for hairstylists as good as
you? You could make serious money,
my dear.
(sips her drink from a
glass)

AMBA
(hopefully)
Wow! But the thing is, how am i
going to get there? With which
money?

GOLDIE
Babe, you know I've got contacts
there, now. I'm going to make you
rich.

EXT. VILLAGE COMMUNITY- DAY

We are in one of those make-shift communes on the outskirts

of the city. Buildings destined to be condemned due to their
location are present and haphazard yet there is life.

(B-roll of community activity)

EXT. VILLAGE COMMUNITY- AFTERNOON

Esther is headed out of her low income house and sees

something that puts a fly in her ointment. It's GOLDIE'S
BENZ. She walks away right into UFOT(16) eating from a box of
cookies.

UFOT

Esther, where are you going?

Market? (looks in the direction of
the nylon Esther's carrying)

ESTHER
(nodding)
Aunty Goldie gave you?
(gesturing to the
cookies)
 10.

UFOT
Yes, she's in aunty rosemary's
house. She brought something for
everybody.

ESTHER
She always does. (her tone is
sarcastic and condemning)

Esther walks off, as a perplexed Ufot looks on.

EXT. MARKET- EVENING

Esther is looking at products in the market when she spots A

JUNKIE (20) smoking with his friends in an abandoned/unopened
stall. Esther spots him, just as he does. They lock eyes as a
feeling of anger mixed with disappointment washes over
Esther. In that same moment, a hand grabs her, it's UFOT.

UFOT
Why didn't you pick up your phone?

ESTHER
What's wrong?

UFOT
...your mother.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM- NIGHT

Esther looks on as her mother lays in bed attached to wires

and tubes, frustrated but happy she's managed to survive.

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM-NIGHT (LATER)

Head in hand, Esther sits outside her mother's room.

DOCTOR (O.S)
Good thing you were able to get
here on time, and pay for
everything.

GOLDIE (O.S)
She's my aunty, she took care of me
when I was younger. I love her and
do what I can.

We hear Goldie making her way to the seated Esther.

 11.

GOLDIE (CONT'D)
(sitting down next to
her)
I know you never want to touch my
money but something told me, you
wouldn't mind this time.

ESTHER
Thank you for paying the bill,
aunty Goldie. I'll try my best to
pay you back.

GOLDIE
(scoffs)
Forget it, you can't afford it. But
if you worked for me--
ESTHER
-- (interjects immediately)Thank
you Aunty, but I am not interested.

GOLDIE

Not interested? (she says her next

words very maliciously as she gets
up)
(hisses)
In the next few months, your mother
will lose so much weight like an
onion losing its layers. Her
friends will pray as she suffers in
her bed, delirious with pain as her
body betrays her. Till one day, she
will die smelling of shit and
urine. You will find her dead for
hours because unlike today, I will
not be showing up.

Esther is too shocked to say anything

GOLDIE (CONT'D)
You get money for funeral? Are you
going to crawl back to me? (scoffs)
You will be lucky if I give you
work. And that your useless drug
addict junkie brother that only
comes when he needs money.
Hmmm...one day his market friends
will abandon him because he stole
from them, or they quarrel over
drugs--I've seen it before --or if
he's lucky he will live long enough
to be a mad man and join your
mother soon enough.
(MORE)
 12.

GOLDIE (CONT'D)
No, wait, he's probably going to
hell with all the things he's done
to feed his drug addiction.

Esther is enraged now. Goldie calmly adjusts her clothes.

GOLDIE (CONT'D)
So, where do you want to work
(beat)
We can give you either France or
Dubai?

INT. BATHROOM- NIGHT

Zara is in the bathroom (en suite), doing a Tik Tok

challenge.

FUNKE'S PHONE begins to ring.

Zara hearing the phone ring, dashes off to pick it. She
rushes back into the bathroom with it, as she peers around to
ensure none of her family members are within earshot. She
locks the bathroom door and picks up the phone.

ZARA
Hello?

INT. PHONE CHARGING CENTRE- NIGHT

KAMSI looks bedraggled and completely sleep deprived.

KAMSI
Hello Funke?

NOTE: BOTH SCENES WILL INTERCUT WHEN NECESSARY.

ZARA
This is Zara. Kamsi, where are you?
They are looking for you!

KAMSI
I don't even know. One call centre
like this. I'm using my last money.
Can you send me credit? I need
credit?

ZARA
Go back to the village, KAMSI!
 13.

KAMSI
With which money? I don't even know
how I ended up here.

ZARA
(scoffs)
Don't give me that.

KAMSI
Wait...what do you mean?

ZARA
Kamsi, what you did was wrong

KAMSI
(defensive)
You nko? You that used to snap
yourself. You...you snap yourself
and you'll be sending to boys in
school. Don't judge me, please.

ZARA
That is not the point! You are now
in trouble for stealing from your
Aunty and beating her up.

KAMSI
(sad)
See... you don't know what it's
like living in that house. After
school, I'm always cleaning, and
cooking and they'll be sending me
here and there every day till like
12 midnight. It's why I never have
time to do my homework. I can't
even go out to see anybody. If I
watch television, she will beat me.
When I fall asleep during the day;
she will beat me, if I don't finish
my house work on time, she will
beat me.
(Kamsi breaks down in
tears as the weight of
all she's had to endure,
including recently ,
comes bearing down on
her)
They will now say I should stay;
because the money is going to my
mother and father in the village. I
don't have anywhere else to go.
 14.

ZARA
KAMSI, go home.

INT. AMBA'S HOUSE- EVENING

Folding a few of her clothes into an empty suitcase, Amba

gets ready to travel as her sister, SUSAN (17) looks on.

Amba hands Susan a folded dress.

AMBA
I know you've wanted this dress for
a long time. Smile for me now.

Susan silently takes the dress. Amba smiles, she's not done
yet. She pulls out a wad of bills from a bag and slaps it in
her sister's hand.

AMBA (CONT'D)
You like this one better now, eh? I
got it from selling off the
equipment at the salon, since I'm
going to buy them in Dubai.

Susan's demeanor breaks as she pockets the money.

SUSAN
I don't want to stay with Mummy
Tobi, she's too strict and boring.
(beat)

Amba shuts the suitcase and hugs her sister.

AMBA
When I get on my feet I will send
for you. I'm not abandoning you,
ok?

As they embrace, waterworks.

EXT/INT. AMBA'S HOUSE- EVENING (LATER)

Amba walks to a car waiting for her outside (COULD IT BE

GOLDIE'S CAR?) as Susan looks out of the window, watching her
sister leave for a better life.

EXT. UNCOMPLETED BUILDING- NIGHT

KAMSI is making her way into an uncompleted building, holding

paper cartons, looking around to make sure she isn't seen.
 15.

INT. UNCOMPLETED BUILDING (ROOM) - NIGHT (PICK-UP)

Illuminated by a 7% BATTERY flashlight, KAMSI is arranging

the paper carton as a bed. Her BLOUSE/SHIRT is torn at the
back revealing SCARS AND INJURIES from her time in KG's care,
which she dabs at with a hanky/cloth, while she's sobbing.
She folds up into a fetal position, her body racked with
sobs.

INT. UNCOMPLETED BUILDING (ROOM)-NIGHT (MUCH LATER)

KAMSI wakes up being carried by two abductors, as she

vehemently struggles and kicks at them. They try to muffle
her screams, succeeding in whisking her out.

KAMSI
(screaming)

LEAVE ME!PLEASE! I NO GET MONEY!

As they restrain her, her screams slowly die out.

EXT/INT.???????-NIGHT

KAMSI is being carried by the assailants from the uncompleted

building. KAMSI is tied up and she attempts once again, to
struggle and free herself. At this point, she's totally
depleted and can no longer resist being whisked away. She
thinks she hears the sea. It's actually lulling.

KAMSI'S POV: Her vision gets blurry as her eyes shut.

EXT. VILLAGE COMMUNITY/OUTSIDE ESTHER'S HOUSE- NIGHT

After an exhausting evening, Esther makes her way to the

house. She walks in and catches Abel right in the middle of
carting the television set away to go sell.

Esther tries to block his exit as he carries on ignoring her

ESTHER
(screaming)
So now is the time you want to come
and steal from the house. Useless
drugs addict. BASTARD!! CRIMINAL!!

She yells as she tries to prevent him from leaving with the
tv. A physical back and forth ensues, as they both scream and
claw at each-other. In a druggie fit, Abel breaks the tv.
 16.

The struggle continues, as Esther's brother breaks more stuff

in the house. He punches the wall, screams, then gradually
comes to his senses as he sinks to the ground.

ESTHER(CONT'D)
Mama dey hospital, and you still
dey tiff like animal. ABEL you are
a bastard.

INT. ESTHER'S HOME(PARLOUR)- NIGHT

Esther and Abel are both seated on the ground in the midst of
the chaos. She hands him pure water.

ABEL
No Coke?

ESTHER
You know there's no Coke.

Esther sits next to him, drinking her own pure water. (beat)

ABEL
"France or Dubai?" She said that?
After all that talk?

ESTHER
I felt like strangling her

(beat)

ABEL
She's not lying, sha.

ESTHER
About what?

ABEL
Me and Mama. Mama is going to die.

Insert flash-back of a hospital convo between Esther and her

mother here below

( Flashback

ESTHER

(confused)
 17.

Mama... I do not want to be a

prostitute.

MAMA
What of me, ehn? You think I want
to die of a curable illness because
my daughter can't make sacrifices
for her family?

(End of flashback

(back to the present)

Abel sits up, throws his water in the dustbin and heads for
the door.

ESTHER
Abel, wait, please. It's hard doing
this by myself. I need you. You
used to be a good student.

ABEL

Abel makes his way to the door.

ABEL (CONT'D)
I'm going to be doing this thing
till I die, Esther. I want you to
know I love you. I just don't know
if I love myself.

Abel leaves the house as Esther cries.

Esther picks up her phone and dials a number.

INT/EXT. GOLDIE'S CAR- NIGHT

Goldie's car moves through the city as she sits in the back,
as elegant as you'd expect, looking at the number on her
phone as it rings. Smiling. She answers the phone.
GOLDIE
(v.o)
Speak

INT. A DIRTY ROOM - EVENING

Goldie is preparing documents in this uncharacteristically

dirty room. Boxes are everywhere, there are broken office
desks with files bursting out, a leak has caused a puddle in
the corner and the walls are stained burgundy.
 18.

Amba is nervous wondering why Goldie would want to meet in a

place like this.

GOLDIE
(looking at the
documents)
This should be ok for now --

As she hands her passports and other documents

A commotion is heard outside the room. Amba can't help but

look through the open door. She sees KAMSI thrown into
another room by two men. Kamsi is blindfolded and tied up.

Amba turns back to Goldie

AMBA
T-that girl is so young...what did
she do?

GOLDIE
(ice cold)
She didn't pay what she owed.
(stepping closer to Amba)
You don't plan to disappoint me, do
you?

AMBA
(nervously)
N-no, I will not.

GOLDIE
(demeanor changes to
Faux optimism)
Then you will not have to worry
about them. Now, serious talk. When
you go to the airport, don't answer
to those immigration people. All
they want is money. Just say that
you are going for holiday, okay?

Amba smiles like a pidgeon that wandered into the hawk's

nest, as she nervously begins to wonder what is going on, a
feeling of unease, washing over her.

INT. AIRPORT - EVENING

Amba smiles at the check-in officer at the counter, who hands

her back her documents. She is about to move forward, when
OFFICER#1 steps in front of her.
 19.

OFFICER#1
Good evening. Ma. Please could you
follow us?

Turning around, Amba sees she's surrounded by another

officer. She knows Goldie's words will not help her.

INT.INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT (LATER)

Amba is seated at a desk in front of OFFICER#1. OFFICER#2 is

behind him by the door. Both OFFICERS wear the same uniform.

OFFICER#1
(nodding)
So you sold everything you own?

AMBA
Yes, for this trip. To start a new
life in Dubai.

OFFICER#1
(gestures to OFFICER#2)
This Goldie you are friends with...

Officer#2 hands him a photo.

OFFICER#1 (CONT'D)
Is this her?

He shows Amba A PHOTO OF GOLDIE SANS MAKE-UP OR EXPENSIVE

CLOTHES AND JEWELRY. It might even be a CCTV camera captured
shot. Goldie looks aggressive and exposed, either way, Amba
is surprised.

AMBA
Yes, but not like this.

OFFICER#1
Her real name is not Goldie, it's
PERPETUA WILLIAMS, she uses
multiple aliases and occupations to
lure girls into several forms of
human trafficking.

AMBA
But, b-but she has connections.
What about her connections?
 20.

OFFICER#1
Either false or nefarious. Upon
your arrival in Dubai, you would be
taken to an undisclosed location,
where...

His voice drones on as Amba begins to cry.

INT/EXT.IMMIGRATION/AIRPORT/POLICE VAN - DAWN

Amba bawls in the van as it moves across the city streets

welcoming the day.

FADE TO BLACK

There is scuffling heard.

INT. SHABBY LIT HALL WAY. NIGHT

A lighter is lit as a lone man walks through a dingy, badly

lit corridor. it's hazy, and cramped, with several doors
covered in cheap, threadbare, dirty looking curtains housing
'ashewos' who service a variety of clients, as well as
druggies and all manner of miscreants. The lone man saunters
into one of the rooms.

Esther is crouched on the bed, scared beyond her wits. A

piece of a broken mirror wrapped in a cloth is hidden under
the pillow.

RAPIST

He takes the cigarette out of his mouth, drops it to the

ground, smashing it with the heel of his boot. He smirks in
wicked glee, as he soaks in the sight of fresh meat in the
form of Esther. He approaches her like a predator approaches
prey, while Esther shrinks further into the bed.

He grabs her and Esther lets out a blood curdling scream, as

a Tussle ensues. They go at it and the huge, scary assailant
pins Esther down to the bed. His intention is clear. He wants
to rape her.

RAPIST (CONT'D)
(laughs)
If not me then another man go chop.
Anyhow anyhow, relax. Abi you no
wan go Dubai again?

He licks his lips as he tries to unbuckle his trousers.

 21.

The release of the pressure of his weight gives Esther the

chance to feel around under the pillow for the weapon in the
form of the broken mirror she hid earlier.

SLINK!

Esther slashes Rapists throat repeatedly.

Rapist clutches his neck, bleeding as he chokes on his own

blood.

Esther, victorious but blood soaked and exhausted, stumbles

towards the door. Every step she makes a chore.

INT. SHABBY HALLWAY- NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)

As Esther sticks her head out the room, a FLASHLIGHT

illuminates her. She looks like a wet demon due to the blood
of her dead attacker.

VOICE:

YOU! STOP THERE!

The goon lifts up his gun which he points in Esther's

direction. Esther ignores, determined to leave one way or
another.

GOON
I say stop there!

The sliding of GUN METAL IS HEARD OFF SCREEN.

Esther sighs as she looks down at her bloody weapon.

VOICE
DROP THAT THING NOW!

Esther gathers her strength with a breath. Then charges

towards the light.

BANG!

Gunshot sound is heard. Esther drops to the ground.

CUT TO BLACK.
 22.

EXT. BEACH/SHORE-DAY

A group of migrants shuffle hopelessly, led to shore. KAMSI

is among their emaciated ranks.

KAMSI'S POV: Blurry; visions of the other passengers and a

boat.

EXT/INT. SHORE/BOAT-DAY (LATER)

KAMSI and the rest of her hoard are placed on the BOAT
cramped with hardly any room to breath.

EXT. SECONDARY SCHOOL- DAY

Zara, Funke and Judith watch as K.G brings NEW KAMSI (14) to
the school for admission, outside the principal's office.

NEW KAMSI is shy and vulnerable as she is the only one her
age without a uniform. The three girls look at each other,
with a focus on ZARA, who looks more uneasy.

EXT. VILLAGE COMMUNITY/OUTSIDE ESTHER'S HOUSE-DAY

A group of people console MAMA, who is weeping in a

wheelchair. Abel is by the corner next to his wailing mother,
quiet, uttering not a single sound. Whatever care he had left
for the world is completely gone.

EXT/INT.SHORE/BOAT- DAY

The boat drifts further from shore, Kamsi watches the land
fade, her heart heavy with unspoken fears. The captain and
first mate, standing at the helm; are caught up in their
world, filled with crude laughter and careless banter.

CAPTAIN
(laughing)
You see that mama? She dey form
strong, but i know say fear full
her belle.

FIRST MATE
(guffawing)
 23.

Eyy, you! You dey fear?

The captive nods her head in fear, saying no.

FIRST MATE (CONT'D)

Na so. All of una, dey shake like
leaf. Na we dey control things here
now. But you know what I am a very
nice man, abi am I not a nice man?

The captives ignore him. The first mate throws two random
spurts of kicks at the captives closest to him. Out of fear,
they muffle, talk, and nod in the affirmative.

The radio cackles with news report about human trafficking,

its solemn tone a star contrast to the mood at the helm. The
first mate, with a smirk, quickly turns it off.