COMEDY: Broken Men and Women -- Part 1

This is a hilarious comic series about the exploits of a young man, known as Young, who was sacked by his immediate boss at the factory where he works for sleeping on duty. And now, he wants to be rich by any means.

His ambition, without a requisite educational degree, usually puts him at cross purposes with his neighbours, employers and every other person he tries to get a contract from even as he tries his hands on all kinds of businesses, just to achieve his ambition.

How far will Young go to achieve his ambitious ambition?

The hilarious exploits begin…

SCENE OPENS TO YOUNG'S SINGLE ROOM APARTMENT - NIGHT

Young, a witty and ambitious university dropout in his late 20s, enters the room angrily, carrying a small bag.

YOUNG:
(muttering) You sack me for ordinary sleeping on duty? That Mr. Okon ehn, him head don nack ground before. Oboy, wetin man go do now? This life no balance at all!

Voice Over Narration:
Young's dreams shattered, he returns home to face the harsh reality of unemployment.

SCENE SHOWS YOUNG'S SINGLE ROOM APARTMENT - DAY

Lamba, Young's old friend and a fresh university graduate in his late 20s, knocks on the door and enters.

LAMBA:
Bros I hail o! I don show like pregnancy. How far na?

YOUNG:
Lamba, my guy! Welcome, welcome. Oboy, your guy dey o. Man don suffer for this Lagos no be small. Good job no easy to find at all!

LAMBA:
That one no be lie. My uncle for area don tell me say things hard for Lagos true true. But I will rough it until I find a job... Ehn ehn, I see one man when I dey come inside, him face strong one kin. Oboy, the man talk say na him be the Oga Landlord for this your compound. I hope say e no dey disturb una sha?

Voice Over Narration:
And so, Lamba becomes Young's roommate in Oga Landlord's house, where their journey of struggles and laughter begins.

SCENE SHOWS YOUNG'S SINGLE ROOM APARTMENT - NIGHT

Young and Lamba are sitting on the bed, browsing through job listings on their phones.

YOUNG:
Lamba, see this one. Dem wan employ people wey get Ph.D. just to dey drive one mumu cement truck. Abi this people dey craze!

LAMBA:
That is Naija for you o... See dis one, dem talk say dem need five years' experience to get job as a sales boy. How man wan take survive like this?

Voice Over Narration:
Young and Lamba face the absurdity of job requirements and their shared frustration brings them closer together.

FADE OUT.


SCENE SHOWS IYA CHUKWUDI'S STALL - DAYTIME

Iya Chukwudi, a divorcee in her early 50s, stands behind her small stall selling Eggs, Noodles and Bread. Young and Lamba approach her.

IYA CHUKWUDI:
How una dey, Young and him friend Lamba. I hope say una go pay my money today?

YOUNG:
Iya mi, abeg no loud am. You know say we go pay you. Just give us small time because street never smile on you people for now.

LAMBA:
Abeg Iya Chukwudi, give us one more week. We go pay everything, I swear.

Voice Over Narration:
Young and Lamba frequently struggle to pay their debts to Iya Chukwudi, leading to humorous quarrels and settlements.

SCENE SHOWS YOUNG'S SINGLE ROOM APARTMENT - NIGHT

Young and Lamba are brainstorming ideas to make money, before the little cash left with them is spent on feeding.

YOUNG:
I agree with you, my guy. We need to do something sharp-sharp. But first we need to check out wetin people dey like for this our area that can bring in money daily.

LAMBA:
Hmm... that's a fact. Iya Chukwudi dey sell raw Egg, Noodles, Bread and other things. I see say people dey always buy her market. So, I believe that we will make good sales if we open a small joint for selling cooked Noodles with Fried Egg and Bread. Abi how you see am, bros?

YOUNG:
I talk am, Lamba. Na you be the authentic lamba master. As e be so ehn, me I get some woods for backyard... so, we can just construct a small stall, put chairs and tables and get the raw food from Iya mi, Iya Chukwudi on credit. We go dey pay her after sales every evening.

LAMBA:
Confirm! The business don set be that o.

Voice Over Narration:
The friends shake hands after hatching a good plan to come up with a small fast food joint with their limited resources. However, the space where they plan to construct the stall is controlled by a Notorious Lagos Omo-Onile gang without them knowing.

FADE OUT.

SCENE SHOWS IYA CHUKWUDI'S STALL - DAYTIME

Young and Lamba carry a cartoon of Noodles, two creates of Eggs and a dozen loaf of bread from Iya Chukwudi stall into a wheelbarrow.

YOUNG:
Iya mi, you know every na. We go settle you for evening when we dey go house, as usual.

IYA CHUKWUDI:
No wahala. Make una dey cook the food well o, so that more and more people go dey come chop una food.

LAMBA:
Na me be the Chief Chef and I dey spice the food well. Abi make we bring small for you?

IYA CHUKWUDI:
Chai, I happy for una o. The way una dey pay me complete every evening since this business start dey show say una dey make money for the business.

YOUNG and LAMBA
(Chorus) We thank God o.

SCENE SHOWS YOUNG AND LAMBA'S STALL - DAYTIME

Young and Lamba are running their stall profitably, selling Noodles, Eggs and Bread to clients.

CUSTOMER 1:
Ah, Young and Lamba! I just dey hear say una dey this side. Abeg give me one plate of Noodles and Egg, make I follow test Una food today.

CUSTOMER 2:
My people, una dey try. This noodles make sense die. I go dey come una side steady.

YOUNG:
Thanks for coming, we love you die.

LAMBA:
Abeg my brother, help us to tell your other friends about our joint ehn. We appreciate you for your coming.

Voice Over Narration:
By evening, Iya Chukwudi, impressed by the progress in their Noodles and Egg business, allows the friends to carry more raw food and take to their stall to reduce their workload the following day.

SCENE SHOWS YOUNG'S SINGLE ROOM APARTMENT - NIGHT

Young and Lamba count their profit for the day, excited about their progress.

YOUNG:
Lamba my guy, see as we don dey make am small small. Oboy this business dey move o.

LAMBA:
Na true you talk, bros. It was perseverance and hustling spirit that is helping us. Now we can feed well and still have small savings.

YOUNG:
I hope by tomorrow we can finish the three cartoons of Noodles and five creates of Eggs wey Iya Chukwudi give us this evening. E go make sense die.

LAMBA:
Yes o, you're right. Hopefully we will see more customers come in tomorrow.

FADE OUT.


SCENE SHOWS YOUNG AND LAMBA'S STALL - SUNRISE

Omo-Onile boys are destroying the portable stall constructed by Young and Lamba with all the raw food they collected from Iya Chukwudi on credit still inside.

GANG LEADER:
Hey Akute, scatter everything. Me I no send anybody papa work. I don dey tell una before, any space here na Hundred Kay. Anybody wey build nonsense for this place without paying me, make una scatter the shop… No be only Young and Lamba, na Old and Labalaba. Rubbish!

SCENE SHOWS IYA CHUKWUDI AT THE DOOR OF YOUNG'S ROOM - SUNRISE

She is screaming and throwing her hands in the air, calling the friends who were still asleep to come out.

IYA CHUKWUDI:
Young!! Lamba!! Una still dey sleep? Yay, my money o, my Noodles o, my Eggs o... Una business, una shop, everything don scatter o!… Omo-Onile people don destroy una shop o!

Voice Over Narration:
Just like a flash, the madness of Lagos happened to this two friends who had thought that they've found some respite. Young meets Iya Chukwudi at the door, trying to find out why their shop and food items were destroyed by the Omo-Onile gang. Lamba folds his arms listening to them, as tears roll down his cheeks.

FADE OUT 🎬

See other episodes of 

BROKEN MEN AND WOMEN: 

>> Part 2 Here

>> Part 3 Here

>> Part 4 Here 

Kindly Share This STORY ...