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| GLENN SEVILLA MAS |
| The Death of Memory |
| 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 Thunder and lightning. Juan falls down. Then, the flickering images of Juan’s memory are projected everywhere. These include a couple dancing, a couple quarreling, a rusty chair, and a woman with her legs spread apart. In a while, red rose petals slowly fall as Juan’s lullaby is again heard. JUAN Roses. I first gave her roses. After we met I sent her roses. After we made love I gave her roses. After we ate we walked and kissed we breathed danced quarreled ran away to a town very far away we kissed made love I gave her roses. Red red roses. In a corner of the room there were withered roses. Brown roses. And I sat on a chair. In a corner of the room I sat on a chair staring at the roses. Metallic. And rusty. Chair. The only chair in the room and it was brown roses and rusty. Chair. The faint scream is again heard. JUAN And then she screamed. She screamed like a pig getting slaughtered at night how she screamed. Metal against skin … metal scraping skin it was cold so she screamed. She was screaming my name and she was cursing my name and she screamed. I stood up ready to leave but she screamed. I wanted to leave but she screamed. Moved back to the chair my feet to the chair I was trapped in the chair because she screamed. And then … The lullaby fades out. JUAN … there was nothing. I was sitting on the chair and there was nothing. I was sitting on the chair and I was waiting for a sound and there was nothing. I was sitting on the chair and I was looking at the roses and there was nothing. So I got up. And opened. The door I got up. He was removing his gloves the doctor I got up. A tap on my shoulder the doctor gave me I got up. (A beat) And there she was. The woman I love there she was. Silent in bed there she was. Blood on her crotch there she was. Silent in bed with blood on her crotch there she was. The red rose petals are replaced by black ones. Then, the cradle descends. The Keeper is back. VESPER The Keeper. TERMINO Back. She’s still here The Keeper. Juan and The Keeper stare at each other. JUAN Silent. In bed. There she was. Silent the room the woman I love there she was. She was looking at me with blood on her crotch there she was. THE KEEPER Murderer. Your own flesh and blood you’re a murderer. JUAN And then she turned away. She wouldn’t look at me she turned away. THE KEEPER Murderer. Your own flesh and blood you’re a murderer. You are. A murderer. The rose petals stop falling. JUAN I am. A murderer and a coward yes a murderer I am. Juan stares at his hands as the lullaby is again heard, faintly. Soon, the cradle ascends. JUAN I. Am. Thunder. JUAN Yes I am. A moment of silence. TERMINO (Softly) Twelve. The beginning twelve. The beginning Itch was twelve and she was … Termino looks at Juan. TERMINO Your memory, Juan. That wasn’t all of it, wasn’t it? Juan turns away. Termino and Vesper look at each other. VESPER So we’re back to how things were? Is that it, Termino? Before Itch left? Termino doesn’t answer. JUAN Itch showed us the way. Out. So we should do as she did. To get out. Thunder and lightning. Vesper is rattled. VESPER But … (A little louder) No! No, not me. Not me, Juan, I’m just fine. Here. I’m really just fine here. After all, we’re back to how things were, right? Even without Itch? Right? JUAN Termino? TERMINO Can you? Face your memory, Juan? Face all of your memory, can you? A moment of silence. JUAN (Not very sure) I can. VESPER But thunder, Juan! Can you not hear it? And lightning! When they strike, we’re supposed to just … sit in our corners … and wait! Wait for the moment to pass. Because it always does. Pass. And things become okay again. JUAN And then? (A beat) And then what, Vesper? A moment of silence. Vesper has no answer for Juan. JUAN You said thunder. And lightning. Juan scoops up some rose petals. JUAN You also see these. Think they’re real? Juan scatters the petals that he gathered. VESPER Our memories are real, Juan. JUAN But they’re just that, Vesper. They’re just memories. TERMINO So … we summon The Keeper is that what you’re saying, Juan? Like you did. And destroy it. Like Itch did. Thunder. VESPER We’re not even sure where Itch is. JUAN She’s not here. VESPER That doesn’t mean she got out! JUAN It’s a good enough reason for me! (A beat) Termino? More thunder. Then, food packs drop from above. VESPER Now look what you’ve done, Juan. And I’m still full from the last meal! JUAN Then don’t eat, Vesper! You’re not hungry? Don’t eat! VESPER But the rules, Juan! If we don’t eat … Another set of food packs drops from above. Vesper groans. VESPER Now look what you’ve done, Juan! Look at all this mess! How can we possibly stuff all of this inside our throats when we are still full from our last meal? JUAN We won’t. Termino stares at Juan. VESPER What? JUAN We won’t. Eat that we won’t. More food packs drop from above. Vesper stares at the scene with disbelief. He rushes to get one food pack and starts gobbling down the rice cake. In a while, however, he stops. VESPER I can’t. I can’t eat all of this I can’t. I can’t eat all of this I just can’t! I just really can’t. No! Vesper breaks down. Termino and Juan just stare at each other as the rain of food packs continues. Thunder. In a while, the rain of food packs stops. JUAN And we can’t ever know where Itch is if we don’t do as she did. (To Termino) We have to do something. To get out we have to. Summon The Keeper like Itch did we have to. (To Vesper) Sacrifice something of ourselves we have to. The sacrifice will lead us out. It should. Lead us out of here it should. (A beat) And we each have to destroy The Keeper. Lightning. VESPER What? But I can’t do that. I’m sorry but I can’t do that. Juan looks at Vesper, who laughs nervously. VESPER I mean, I can’t ever face … much less destroy … that memory I just ever can’t. I can’t ever go further inside that room I just can’t. Do you understand, Juan, I just can’t! I just. Can’t! JUAN Then I’m sorry. Really, Vesper, I am. (A beat) Your memory. Thunder. JUAN Sorry. The tolling of church bells is again heard … VESPER What? But it’s not yet time, is it? JUAN I’m sorry, Vesper, but it is time. VESPER Oh my God but I can’t. I’m sorry, Juan, but I can’t I just really can’t now I’m sorry! TERMINO You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Vesper. … and then the silly children’s rhyme. VESPER I just can’t, Termino, I just really can’t. TERMINO Juan, stop it. You have no right to do this to Vesper, Juan, you have to stop it. Juan, stop it! Juan just stares at Vesper. The tolling of bells becomes louder. VESPER Not this time, Termino, no. Make it stop, Termino, make it stop please! TERMINO You can’t do this, Juan, you can’t do this to Vesper, Juan, no! Juan doesn’t say anything. The cradle descends. TERMINO No! VESPER Oh my God oh my God no. I can’t I just really can’t no. I can’t go back there now no. No please no! THE KEEPER You should. Have knocked. You should have knocked, Vesper. You should. Have knocked. VESPER But I can’t! TERMINO (Gently) You don’t have a choice now, Vesper. Just go through it again. Just … go through it. VESPER Not now I can’t. Termino, I can’t. TERMINO It’ll soon be over, Vesper, right? And you don’t have to go further if you don’t want to. Just go through it the way you always have, Vesper. Just go through it. A strong force pulls a frightened Vesper toward the cradle. VESPER No. Termino help me please Termino no! I can’t do this now Termino I can’t no! Termino stares angrily at Juan. TERMINO It doesn’t have to change, Vesper! It doesn’t have to change so just go through it! The tolling of bells stops. Then, the flickering images of Vesper’s memory are again projected everywhere. VESPER Oh God. Oh my God. TERMINO No change, Vesper, no change. VESPER Oh my God … (Tries to compose himself) … I can … I can all right. I can go through this now I can all right. TERMINO That’s right, Vesper, you can! Thunder. VESPER A … A birdcage … Then … red light … In the corner red light … And a schoolbag … A green schoolbag … Walk. I walk. On grass. Then white door. White sofa door. Vesper hesitates. VESPER I can’t. I just really can’t. TERMINO It’ll soon be over, Vesper, just go through it and it’ll soon be over! (Seething with anger, to Juan) How dare you do this to Vesper, Juan! Juan doesn’t acknowledge Termino as his full attention is focused on Vesper. JUAN But you have to, Vesper. Go further inside that room you have to. TERMINO (With disbelief) Juan! Vesper composes himself. VESPER All right. Bedroom door open. Now. And I see … black. Mama in bed black. The room. Black. The bed. Black. JUAN (Overlapping) Go on, Vesper. Go further into your memory. Go! THE KEEPER You didn’t knock. You didn’t knock, Vesper, you should have. Knocked. VESPER Who. Mama in bed with you who! Mama in bed who is please! The tolling of bells is again heard. VESPER Mama. Who. THE KEEPER Come. Sit on the bed Vesper in. Come. In. VESPER What? THE KEEPER Come sit beside me, Vesper. Come. Join me. In. VESPER What? What did you say, Mama, what? THE KEEPER I won’t hurt you, Vesper. Come. In my child come. A distraught Vesper slowly goes up the cradle. VESPER Mama? Who. Mama in bed with you who? The images of Vesper’s original memory fade out as the image of a priest standing before a huge cross is suddenly projected everywhere. Vesper bursts into tears. VESPER No. No not him Mama no. But how could he not him Mama no! The Keeper extends her arms and embraces Vesper fiercely. THE KEEPER But he is blessed my child. My beloved little child he is blessed. He’s the reason why you’re here so you’re blessed. We are blessed. VESPER No! That’s not true Mama please say it no! THE KEEPER But we are little child we are blessed. Suffer the little children we are blessed. The Keeper’s embrace becomes threatening. She starts to smother Vesper. VESPER No. Mama say it’s not true say it’s not Mama no. No! Vesper struggles to break free from The Keeper. The tolling of bells becomes louder. THE KEEPER But we are don’t you see we are blessed! We are blessed don’t you see but we are! Blessed! Suffer. Little. Blessed! Vesper struggles as The Keeper, who is now a lot stronger, continues to suffocate him. VESPER No! JUAN Fight back, Vesper! Fight back and destroy The Keeper! Fight back, Vesper! Now! Termino stares at Juan, and then at Vesper, who is now gasping for air. VESPER (Weakly) Mama? The Keeper continues to suffocate Vesper whose hands start to go limp. TERMINO Vesper, no! Soon, the tolling of bells fades out and a bright light shines on the performance area. It is so bright that it washes out the flickering images of Vesper’s new memory. TERMINO (Softly) Blinding, shining stars in the end … No! Termino hurriedly crawls toward the cradle and pulls Vesper away. The Keeper is taken aback. With Termino helping him, Vesper uses what remains of his strength and actually manages to push The Keeper away. The effort throws him off the cradle. The bright light fades out, and the cradle immediately ascends. The Keeper is furious. Juan watches the cradle go up while Termino immediately attends to Vesper. Continued.... This full-length play won First Prize in the 2006 Palanca Awards |