Broken Family: Eko's abduction
As a young boy in Nigeria,
Eko and his brother are playing soccer one day when some rebels arrive,
terrifying the children. One of the men grabs an older man, forces him to his
knees, and orders Eko's younger brother to shoot him. The child hesitates, and
Eko steps forward, takes the gun from his brother's hands, and shoots the old
man to protect his brother. Pleased with this, the rebels tear Eko's crucifix
from his neck, telling him that he no longer needs it, and lead him to their
truck. Eko's younger brother picks the cross from the dirt, and watches as Eko
drives away.
- The 23rd Psalm
Brother Issues: Eko and
Yemi
Having grown up apart, Eko and Yemi have taken
two very different paths in their lives. Eko has turned into a violent warlord,
and Yemi has become a priest.
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YEMI [appearing]: What are you doing here?
EKO: I have
come to give my confession.
YEMI [smiling]: Hello, Eko.
EKO
[smiling]: Hello, brother.
[Inside the church.]
EKO: So I come
to visit you for the first time in 3 years and you won't hear my confession? You
know, Monsignor would have said he failed to raise a proper Catholic boy.
YEMI: Well, why waste your time confessing. It won't help you.
EKO: It won't?
YEMI: No, for confession to mean something you
must have a penitent heart.
EKO: You and your guilt, Yemi. I've only
done what I needed to do to survive. How is that a sin?
YEMI: You may
live far from here, but that doesn't mean I haven't heard of who you are and
what you have done.
[Eko reaches in Yemi's priest's shirt and pulls out
the cross (the one that Eko wore as a boy).]
EKO: Have you forgotten how
you got that cross, brother -- the day they took me? Is what I did that day a
sin? Or is it forgiven because it was you that was saved?
YEMI: Why are
you here, Eko?
EKO: I have come to help you. I have some merchandise
that I need to get out of the country. I would like to use one of your church
relief flights to transport it.
YEMI: Merchandise? You mean drugs.
EKO: It is not my normal business, Yemi. We are moving the drugs out of
Nigeria so that they cannot be used by our people. And the money -- you'll have
all the money to buy your vaccine. God has given us this opportunity; we should
not turn our back on it.
YEMI: God did not bring you here, Eko. You're
own greed did. I will always love you, but I will not help you. It's good to see
you again, brother. [He exits leaving Eko sitting in the
church.]
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Though Eko
threatens to burn down his church if Yemi does not help him with the drug run,
Yemi still attempts to save Eko. He comes to the tarmac as Eko and his men are
loading the plane, and tries to convince him to come with him, only to be shot
and killed:
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EKO: What are you doing here, Yemi?
YEMI: I came to stop
you.
EKO: Go back to your church.
YEMI: Do not get on that
plane, Eko. You saved my life once and now I'm here to save yours.
EKO:
Save my life?
YEMI: Look, if you get on that plane -- if you do this...
EKO: Do what, Yemi? Are you a prophet now?
YEMI: Please, Eko.
Let me take your confession. Anything I can do, I will do. But please, don't go.
[Suddenly a truck with soldiers comes speeding up.]
GOLDIE: He
called the military.
EKO [to Yemi]: You did this?
YEMI: I did
not tell them who was involved. Just leave the drugs and come back with me.
[Goldie and Olu start shooting at the military truck. The truck crashes
to a stop and the soldiers start shooting back, killing Olu. Yemi runs in
front.]
YEMI [yelling at the soldiers]: No! Stop! No more. No more.
[Yemi gets shot and Eko runs to him.]
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Adoption Issues: Eko and
Yemi
It is suggested that Eko and Yemi are orphans
being raised in a Catholic orphanage at the time of Eko's abduction:
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EKO: So I come to visit you for the first time in 3 years and
you won't hear my confession? You know, Monsignor would have said he failed to raise a proper
Catholic boy.
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Additionally, at one point in their childhood, Eko stole food from a pantry to feed a hungry Yemi. A nun chastised Eko, and forced him to confess to the priest.
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