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| MARIA CLARISSA ESTUAR |
| Jyan Ken Pon |
| THIS IS PART OF THE LITERATURA READING SERIES | CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO LITERATURA |
| An Excerpt From the Full-Length Play Scene: A dining room in a spacious house somewhere in Malate, Manila. It is in the middle of February 1945. There is a chandelier wrapped in black cloth. Aside from the six-seater dining table, there is a couch, several arm chairs, a piano and a phonograph jostling for space in the room. It’s dark inside the house because the electricity has been cut off days ago. A group of Manileños are trapped inside the house, afraid to go out and try their luck against the Japanese soldiers and American artillery. MARGARET is seated to one side of the table, taking out photographs from silver frames. ROSALIE approaches her. ROSALIE May I help you with that? MARGARET No, I’ll manage. I should have done this a long time ago. It’s a good thing we hadn’t left yet, or I would’ve lost these photographs. Everything else can be replaced, but not these. ROSALIE I’m afraid I have no choice now but to rely on my memories for remembrances about my family. All that I had is now gone. They hear artillery bombing, louder than it has been for some time now. ROSALIE crumbles. MARGARET tries to comfort her. ROSALIE Go away! You’re suffocating me. MARGARET steps back. MARGARET I’ve moved away. ROSALIE lets herself sink to the floor, as if she has no strength to hold herself up. ROSALIE Please, let it all end. I can take no more. It’s still here. I feel it. That crushing weight bearing down on me. That pile of bodies that I hid in… the smell of the carcasses that used to be my friends and family. I wanted to vomit, but I couldn’t. A soldier was standing guard, ready to shoot anyone who was still alive. And I had to remain alive. Despite everything, I wanted to stay alive. SUZY approaches ROSALIE and crouches near her. ROSALIE hardly notices her. It’s as if she has gotten into a trance. SUZY It’s not going to happen again, Rosalie. You don’t have to be afraid. ROSALIE I don’t want to go back out there. Please, don’t make me go. I’m tired of seeing men and women with their limbs cut off. Their faces half-blown away. I am tired of seeing this apocalypse all around me, smelling the burning flesh, wondering when my time would come… I’ve gone through so much, too much. Why couldn’t she stop crying? I pleaded and pleaded with her, but she just wouldn’t stop crying. SUZY Who wouldn’t stop crying? Someone in your house? ROSALIE She was so little, but she was making so much noise. The Japanese, they were right outside our door. I had to put my hands around her neck. It was over in a moment. MARGARET steps toward ROSALIE, alarmed. MARGARET You’re talking about your baby, aren’t you, Rosalie? ROSALIE snaps out of her reverie and turns to MARGARET. ROSALIE I had to do it, Ma’am Margaret. I swear. I couldn’t have the Japanese discovering us. They would’ve thrown my baby to the bayonet. I couldn’t let them do it. AMPARO speaks to ROSALIE from behind her. AMPARO What you’ve done, Rosalie… It’s unspeakable. You killed your baby to save yourself! ROSALIE I paid for my mistake. I laid between those dead bodies for hours. Hours, Ma’am. My cheek against the rotting flesh of my landlady. And all I thought about was my baby. I knew I did the right thing. I didn’t want her to suffer needlessly, in the hands of the Japanese or out of hunger if I die before her. It’s better that she died in my hands. She was at peace in an instant. AMPARO You can’t stay in this house. We can’t have a murderer under the same roof. Go! Leave! AMPARO pushes ROSALIE away. MARGARET Amparo, please, stop… AMPARO continues to push ROSALIE. ROSALIE flails about and knocks down PIPIT who was standing near her. PIPIT falls hard on his chest. SUZY hurries to help PIPIT to her feet. ROSALIE (To AMPARO.) You may not touch me. I won’t let you hurt me. ROSALIE exits to the kitchen. JAIME goes to PIPIT. JAIME Were you hurt, little Pipit? Come, I should look at your chest and see if there’s any bruising. PIPIT No! JAMIE Don’t tell me you’re feeling shy. It’s no big deal. Pull up your shirt and let’s see. PIPIT finally runs to PEDRO. PEDRO Let her be, Sir. Let my granddaughter be. Everyone becomes quiet. PEDRO I made her dress this way so that no Japanese would take interest. You’ll do anything to protect your daughter or granddaughter. Madame Amparo did it her way. I did it my way. MARGARET Pedro, you should’ve told us. PEDRO I was not sure who I could take into my confidence. Forgive me, Madame. Everyone is quiet. PEDRO I should check on Rosalie. Pipit, would you be alright? They won’t do anything you don’t want to do, I promise. PEDRO exits. PIPIT goes to a corner by herself. MARGARET tries to diffuse the tension. MARGARET We may as well prepare for dinner. MARGARET opens the China cabinet. DAVID What are you doing? MARGARET I’ve decided that we should use our fine China for tonight. DAVID Don’t be silly. MARGARET If and when we have to leave this house, we won’t be able to bring all this with us. Let’s have one last good memory in this house. JAIME and SUZY help MARGARET set the table. JAIME This is such fine China, Mrs. Launico. Another wedding gift? MARGARET Yes, also from my parents. My mother and I chose the pattern together. I always think of her when I take these out. But most likely I will have to part with them. (Sighs.) It doesn’t matter. I have enough memories of her. I don’t need these to remind me of her. JAIME notices that SUZY is watching PIPIT who is still sniffing in one corner. JAIME (to SUZY) Go to her. We’ll be fine doing this ourselves. SUZY goes to PIPIT who’s standing away from the group. SUZY Come, Pipit. Would you like me to put a ribbon on your hair? PIPIT Lolo will be angry. SUZY I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Just this once. SUZY lets PIPIT sit on her lap until the child stops crying. Blackout. Continued This play won Second Prize for the Full-Length Play in the 2005 Palanca Awards |
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