 |
 |
 |
 |
| GLENN SEVILLA MAS |
| Games People Play |
| THIS IS PART OF THE LITERATURA READING SERIES | CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO LITERATURA |
| THE AUTHOR HOLDS THE COPYRIGHT TO THIS PLAY. THIS IS POSTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR. FOR INQUIRIES ON HOW TO SECURE THE PLAYWRIGHT'S PERMISSION TO STAGE THIS PLAY, PLEASE E-MAIL HIM AT THIS ADDRESS. |
| An Excerpt From the Full-Length Play Scene Nine Scene Title: “Waiting for … ” Time: The past. Luna is still eleven years old or thereabouts. Light shines on Luna’s space. She is silently, and meticulously, combing her hair. In a while, light shines on Diego and Julio, who once again reprise their roles as Luna’s dysfunctional parents. They speak in hushed and comically heightened tones. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) What? You again did what, Renato? DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) But it wasn’t really me, Consuelo. Believe me, it wasn’t really me! Julio sneers at Diego. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) It was the … the liquor that made me do it, Consuelo! It loosened my tongue and … it made me talk to Padre Manuel about … JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Overlapping) Ay nga linti, the liquor? Now it’s the liquor that I’m supposed to blame, Renato, for the embarrassing fact that Padre Manuel knows more than he should about the goings-on in this house? DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) (Genuinely sorry) Consuelo. Diego wants to say more, but doesn’t. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) What? Consuelo what, Renato, Consuelo what? Julio glares at Diego, who is now obviously embarrassed about something. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Don’t tell me you … Diego looks away. Julio gasps. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) You told him about last night, didn’t you, Renato, didn’t you? Luna stops combing her hair, and starts listening to her parents’ heated, but whispered, argument. Julio stares at Diego with exaggerated disbelief. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) You did! You told him about … Julio gasps yet again. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) But how could you, Renato, how could you? I mean … I still have plans of attending mass this Sunday, Renato, so how could you! DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) (Softly) But, Consuelo, he’s a … JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Overlapping) A priest! Exactly, Renato, he’s a priest! Ay, the shame, the shame! Why did you have to tell him about last night, Renato, how could you? Luna, now very curious, listens to the argument more attentively. In his space, Julio induces himself to hyperventilate. A very concerned Diego reaches out, but Julio dramatically draws back. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Ay, don’t touch me! Don’t touch me with your sinful hands, Renato, don’t touch me! Luna stares curiously at her own hands. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) It’s when you touch me that things start going wrong for me, Renato. Me! Who goes to church every Sunday and prays the novena every night, Renato, me! It’s when your sinful hands touch me, feel me, caress me that I shamefully forget myself and dishonorably allow you to turn me over and raise my right leg and … Julio lets out a horrified, but controlled, shriek. In her space, Luna fixes her eyes on her right leg. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Ay, the shame, Renato, the shame! DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) (Genuinely repentant) Consuelo. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Very distraught) I mean, how can I look at Padre Manuel in the eye now, Renato? How can I still fall in line and slowly inch my way to the altar to receive communion from him knowing that he knows that twice a year for the past twelve years, I allow you to turn me over and raise my right leg and … Julio again lets out a controlled shriek. Luna touches her right leg tentatively. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) But he understands, Consuelo, he does! Julio gasps, and stares at Diego with more disbelief. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) He really does! And he doesn’t judge, Consuelo, he doesn’t! I mean, he just looks at me with those understanding eyes of his and … and he listens very attentively and … I know. I just know, Consuelo, I do. That in his silence, he understands. He really understands! That’s why I am not at all embarrassed to tell him anything. Julio is quiet. He just continues to stare at Diego. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) Not a single thing, Consuelo. Because he is someone we can trust. (A beat) And if you want, you can also tell him things. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) What? DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) I assure you he won’t mind, Consuelo. (A beat) I won’t. Julio gasps yet again … JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Genuinely shocked) Sus, Ginuo ko! … and turns away. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Softly, tearfully thankful) It’s a good thing Luna takes after me, Diyos ko. That girl may be stupid, Renato, but she’s still a lucky girl, it turns out. Julio dramatically falls on his knees, takes out his rosary and starts praying fervently. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Amay namon nga yara Ka sa mga langit Pagdayawon ang Imo ngalan Umabot sa amon ang Imo ginharian Matuman ang Imong buot diri Sa duta siling sang sa langit … (Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be Thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven …) Upon hearing the prayer, Luna stops touching her legs. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) (Genuinely remorseful) Consuelo. Julio shuts out Diego by becoming even more engrossed in his prayer. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Hatagan Mo kami niyan sang kan-on namon sa matag-adlaw Kag patawaron Mo kami sa mga sala namon Siling nga ginapatawad namon ang mga nakasala sa amon … (Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us …) Diego tries to stop Julio from becoming even more immersed in his prayer by reaching out to him and caressing him gently. Julio becomes quiet, but it is obvious that he is still praying. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) (Genuinely remorseful) Consuelo. (A beat) Consuelo, you’re worrying over nothing again. Trust me, this is nothing, Consuelo, nothing! I tell you, there is no need for you to be so worried or ashamed about anything, Consuelo. And you can, of course, attend mass this Sunday or any other Sunday if you want. You fall in that line, Consuelo, and receive that ostyas (communion wafer) from Padre Manuel and I tell you, when you look him in the eye--and you will!--, you will see, Consuelo, you will see. That he really is a friend! And he is a very understanding friend who doesn’t judge others and who never will, and you have to trust me when I say that because he is my friend and I’m your husband and I know what is best for … JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Overlapping) Ay shut up, Renato, can’t you hear can’t you see what I’m doing? I’m having a quiet and trusted conversation with my equally quiet and trusted santo friends who do not talk back and ask embarrassing questions about my personal life! So shut up! Diego shuts up, and then just stares at Julio. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Kag dili Mo kami ipadaog sa mga panulay O Ginuo, luwason Mo kami sa kalaot. Amen. (And do not lead us into temptation But deliver us from evil. Amen.) Julio repeats the prayer, this time softer but even more fervently. Lights out on both Diego and Julio. In her space, Luna is quiet, obviously curious about the exchange that she has just heard. In a while, she tentatively gets down on all fours, and slowly raises her right leg. She stays in this position for a moment, obviously waiting for some semblance of understanding about its merits. She doesn’t get any. In a while, she sadly gives up, and returns to just combing her hair. She is very disappointed. Lights out. Scene Ten Scene Title: “End Game” Time: The past. The characters are still eleven years old or thereabouts. Individual lights shine on the three characters who all keep to themselves. In her space, Luna patiently waits for something but seems nervous about it. In a while, lights fade out on both Diego and Julio. (In the dark, Diego transfers to Julio’s space.) Luna gets up and carefully tiptoes toward Julio’s space. In this scene, Diego and Julio once again assume the roles of Luna’s dysfunctional parents. Luna stops a short distance away and assumes a Peeping Jane pose. Then, she watches wide-eyed as light shines and reveals Diego and Julio--as her parents--once again go through their “Let’s-have-sex-No-let-us-not” routine. At first, Julio absolutely refuses to give in to Diego’s advances. In a while, however, he relents and allows Diego to turn him over, albeit a bit roughly. Diego then raises Julio’s right leg, places it on his right shoulder, and starts humping him like a sex-starved stray dog. Luna, shocked at what she sees, unconsciously lets out an audible sigh. Julio hears it … JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) What is … … and with Diego still humping him, hurriedly inches his way to where the sound came from. He is shocked to find an equally shocked Luna staring wide-eyed at him and Diego. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Ay! Susmaryosep! Luna! Diego finally stops humping Julio but continues holding the latter’s right leg. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) Luna? The poor girl, terribly upset and very, very embarrassed, cannot think of anything to say. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) (Very angry) You are. A very. Very bad. Bad girl. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) Yes. Bad girl. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) To the kumbento. Stupid girl. With the madre. You will go. DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) Yes. To the kumbento. JULIO (As Luna’s neurotically religious mother) Immediately! DIEGO (As Luna’s drunk father) Immediately! Luna just looks down as she is too embarrassed to look at Julio and Diego in the eye. Then, lights out on Julio’s space as he and Diego finally disentangle and inch their way to their personal spaces. LUNA (Still looking down) The kumbento. Yes, the kumbento. There, I will surely be saved. And she slowly returns to her space where she immediately kneels and prays. Lights out on Luna’s space as light shines on Julio’s. There, the troubled young man stares at the black chair used earlier in Scene Eight, silently holding a bag of marbles. In a while, a very uneasy Diego arrives. No words are exchanged but the two boys know what they are there for. Julio turns over his marbles to Diego, who symbolically drops them on the floor. As the marbles once again roll off the stage, Diego and Julio exchange places and re-create their final pose in Scene Eight. As Julio pulls down Diego’s pants, Luna, as Manang Citas, arrives holding more orange-flavored candies for her favorite boys. She smilingly enters Julio’s space but her smile immediately disappears when she realizes what they are doing. LUNA (As Manang Citas) Ay! Susmaryosep, what is that what are you … Ay! (As Manang Citas) Susmaryosep, really! DIEGO Manang Citas? A very embarrassed Julio immediately tries to cover Diego’s private parts with his hands but Diego, who is just as embarrassed as he is, instinctively pushes him away. LUNA (As Manang Citas) You are very bad! Diego, very, very bad! And to think I brought you candies, Julio! And your favorite, too! Your parents will know of this, Diego! Ay, susmaryosep, Julio, they will know of this! They will! And Luna, still shaken and very angry, leaves. In a while, Diego pulls his pants up and without saying anything, returns to his space. Julio slowly sits on the black chair. JULIO (Softly) Ay, the shame, ‘Nay, the shame! In his space, Diego angrily lies down. DIEGO But it’s … It’s not really her … What has she … And then he screams, silently. In a while, confused and still angry, Diego slowly, and defiantly, starts touching himself. Lights fade out. This full-length play won Second Prize in the 2007 Don Carlos Palanca Awards |