| Kalu: |
|
(Surprised)
What, what are you doing home?
|
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
I have some
time off work, what are you doing home!
|
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
I'm…umm…it's
lunchtime. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
I'm paying
for you to eat lunch at school, so why are you here!
Are you cutting school again?
|
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
No!
I mean…I don't know.
|
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
Speak
clearly to me. You're already caught. I know about you
not going to school. I got the message from your
principal. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
I
am speaking clearly. (Curiously)…so
what did he say? |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
He told
me how you haven't been going to school at all. What's
wrong? Is there something going on that I should know
about?
|
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
No!
I just can't go to school. I don't like it. It's boring
and it's not for me. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
Well,
you can't go through life demanding things the way you
want them. And if you don't have it like you want
it, you can't just give up and quit. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
I
know, but it'll be different in real life. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
This
is real life! Don't you understand? This is preparing
you for the future. I really need you to succeed. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
I
understand this, but it might be too late because of all
the school I've missed. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
It's
not too late. The principal said if you miss one more
day of school then you'll get kicked out. Then you won't
graduate! |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
Can't
I just go to summer school or go back next year? |
|
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
Look!
You're selling yourself short! I don't want you to fail!
Don't you understand? I don't want you to end up
like your father. I won't let you become a loser, getting
into crime and selling drugs. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
That
won't happen to me. I'm smarter than that. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
(Aside)
How can I make him understand? I wake up every morning
to prepare him food. I go to work as a housemaid for the
dirtiest and most ungrateful beasts there is. I push away
the feelings of grief, regret, exhaustion, and now failure
everyday. One of these days I'm gonna go crazy if
things keep up like this. Every time I look at our
cave I'm reminded of the night my husband was murdered
over money. I put up with this loneliness and it
hurts so much. I just don't want Kalu to deal wit the
consequences that lie ahead. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
You
know about your father. He's had to deal with the ultimate
consequence, death. Now we're here felling the effects
of his consequence. I don't want you to get anywhere near
his path. I'm trying to accomplish something here, raising
you right. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
You have
raised me right. Don't just look at the negatives
when you look at me. Look at all the good things
you have done to me. I care enough to try to make
you happy. I haven't been going to school because
I was afraid of failing. I didn't want to let
you down. But I guess I still have.
|
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
It's not
that, I'm just disappointed. Your sister works
and she's younger than you. I struggle everyday
for you guys because your father failed. He wasn't
stupid, he made bad choices. And that's what I'm
trying to keep you from doing.
|
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
Wow. I never
looked at things like that before. I didn't realize
how much I am a part of your life and how hard things
are for you.
(Aside) I can't believe how selfish I've
been. She really does struggle everyday going to and
from work. Even worse, she needs to put up with
that ungrateful bear family that she cooks and cleans
for everyday. Then she comes home and puts up with me.
All she wants is for us to do good by going to school
and succeeding. I feel miserable and demoralized for
everything I put on her. I didn't want to let her down
by failing in school, so I hurt her by giving up before
I tried. What was I thinking?
I'm sorry about not going to school. I didn't
mean to hurt you. I'll start going to school from now
on.
|
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
How
can I trust you? You've told me this before. If you say
something like this in a serious situation you need to
mean it. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
I
do mean it. You'll see. I'm not just talking to
be talking. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
If
you don't graduate school and get a good job, then we're
going to lose the cave. I'm not doing too good financially.
(Jenny, Kalu's sister storms into the house and
shouts) |
| |
|
|
| Jenny: |
|
I
was laid off work!
(Then goes off to her room and slams the door
behind her.) |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
Things
are getting worse as you can see. If you don't graduate
this spring and get a job, then I can't pay for your school
next year. |
| |
|
|
| Kalu: |
|
If
I can't say anything to make you believe me, then do the
only thing you can do, watch me. |
| |
|
|
| Cindy: |
|
Kalu…
the fate of our family is in your hands… I
trust you. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
The
End. |
