'Savages'

‘Savages’

Scene 1

(Brazil was boiling hot, Rio de Janeiro was buzzing . The sun blazed down on the villages. The market place was alive, old men and women scrambled around harassing villagers and tourists for a bargain. Everybody was seeking a profitable deal. Everybody wanted to make money. Jaun smiled at the action and continued to look at the newspaper. The date read 1976, on the front page there was an image of a man with black hair. He smiled into the camera. His smile looked sly, even though he was happy the smile resonated evil. Under the picture was the name Pablo Escobar. He put the newspaper to the side and walked down the porch. He watched the local children playing football with a tennis ball. Other children that were not playing cheered loudly. Everybody seemed to be happy and excited. Carnival had just finished but the atmosphere was still joyful. Jaun climbed up the steps and sat on the rooftops admiring the view. He looked across to the west and saw the river stream. The water ebbed and flowed down the stream. It passed over the leaves and rocks. The water hits the big rock and continues to move forward. Once it goes down it made its way back up. The river repeated the same cycle it never changed. This amazed Juan, he was always in awe. The sun was beginning to set. He knew he had to get inside the house before he got in trouble. He shuffled backwards and ran to the stairs. He jogged down to the bottom and picked up the newspaper. As he turned to enter the house his mother stood in front of him. She had her hands on her hips and she glared at him. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole at that very moment.)

Juan: Mother I was just relaxing. I was reading the newspaper. 

(He raises the newspaper and shakes it in her face. He cracks a fake smile. She slaps the paper out of his hands.)

Mother: Don’t insult me! You cannot read you silly boy! I told you to stay in and tidy the house.

Juan: I did but I needed some fresh air.

Mother: Oh, you think you can tell me what you need? Just follow instructions. I don’t want to have to repeat this to you again.

Juan: Sorry mother.

Mother: Get inside.

(Juan slowly walks into the house. His face showed disdain. He looks up at the table and catches eye contact with his younger brother Mario. They both smile and laugh.)

Mario: Juan!

Jaun: You get so much homework! You take in so much information. It explains why your head is so huge! 

Haha! It’s bigger than the moon!

(They both roll around laughing.)

Mario: It’s this new teacher. All she does is give us homework its like she is punishing us.

Jaun: But you always get good grades!

(Mother suddenly appears from around the corner with hot cocoa and bread. The kettle is whistling in the back ground. She plants it on the table next to Mario.)

Mario: Thank you mama!

(He plants a kiss on her cheek)

Mother: My number one boy! El Jefe! That is what they will call you. Is that Maths your doing?

Mario: Yes Mama. It’s so boring.

Mother: Don’t say that my love. Only a few boys in this district get any education. Be happy that you have the chance, your doing so well you make me so proud.

(Mario sighs and takes a sip of the hot cocoa. There was only enough for Mario, Jaun was parched so he went to pour water from the tap. He went to the corner of the room and sat on the floor. He stamped on a cockroach scrambling along the floor. He pulled out a sheet of paper from under the chair and a pencil. His eyes squinted as he began to focus on drawing. His hand moved effortlessly across the page. After a while he stopped and frowned at the page. He picked up the pencil and started to sketch again. He picked up the paper and placed it on the table.)

Mario: Let me see! What did you draw now?

Juan: It’s nothing.

Mario: Wow! Is that from up there?

Juan: Yeah it’s the district from the roof top. I just have to look and I can remember.

Mario: Wow so accurate!

Juan: What does that mean?

Mario: It’s a word the rich folk use for perfect. We learn’t that in school.

Juan: Life is hard enough, why use these words to make things harder?

Mario: I know, these people are crazy. They said we have to learn in case we get a job in Europe. But why would any of us go to that place when we have beauty like this. (Points at picture)

(Mother re enters the room.)

Mother: Boys it’s time to go up to bed. What are you still doing?

(She walks over to them looking at the picture.)

Mother: What is this rubbish? This is useless I told you already! Pictures are useless. If you want to do art or anything like that join the circus!

Juan: But Mama…

Mother: Ssshh! Why do you concentrate on this? Focus on your maths and English. If you don’t have those things you are nothing in this world!

Mario: Mama he is really good.

Mother: Good or not good nobody cares. If you can’t count to ten you are as good as dead. Get that picture out of my sight. The next picture I see I will burn it.

(Juan runs upstairs and weeps himself to sleep.)

End Scene

Scene 2

Mario: Are you picking me up after school today big brother?

Juan: Yeah, today is Wednesday. The same as every week.

Mario: I will be playing football in the park after school don’t tell Mama. It’s across the street from my 

school.

Juan: Yeah we should be home by 4.30 latest.

Mario: Mama arrives at 6.00 so it’s good.

Juan: You mean accurate.

Mario: Haha! Your learning.

(Jaun sighs.)

Mario: Listen don’t worry about mama. God gave us different talents and we use them in different ways. Maths isn't always important. You can use your art somehow you will figure it out.

(They both leave the house. They get on the same bus. Mario jumps out before him, before he gets off they shake hands. Jaun sits on the smallest seat next to the window. He loved looking at different views and scenery. School went over his head, he was in love with images, statues and building structures. He was deep in thought about what his mother said. ‘You can’t feed a family with art’. Then an idea came into his head immediately. He hopped out his seat and jumped off the bus. He saw his old art teacher plodding down the street with his walking stick. His face looked grim. Wrinkles lined his whole face, his hair was grey and he had a large mole above his top lip. The mole seemed to be sprouting grey hairs.)

Juan: Mr Lopez!

Mr Lopez: Yes boy! Glad to see you! I heard you've been taking extra maths lessons. Keep it up, maths is important. Unfortunately they have blocked the funding for art and music lessons in the school.

Juan: I don’t care about maths, or English or anything its all stupid!

Mr Lopez: Juan in a perfect world maths wouldn't matter but you have to do it.

Juan: What about you, you studied art and became an art teacher.

Mr Lopez: But now I have no job and no money.

Juan: You will be fine, trust me. I need some help.

Mr Lopez: What?

Juan: Have you got any pencils, paint and paper?

Mr Lopez: Yes, I have a lot left over, or whatever is left of it. But Jaun you should be in school I won’t be held accountable for you skipping class.

Juan: I don’t care about school. Just listen to my idea!

End Scene

Scene 3

(The next few weeks passed Juan barely attended school. He set up a stall in the centre of the market place with Mr. Lopez. They drew portraits of people and sold them for money. Juan perfected drawing city landscapes. Instead of going to school he travelled the city looking for picturesque locations. He drew them immaculately. The paintings were very detailed. They used the profit they made to buy new materials and paper. The business was booming. It was a Wednesday so the market place was particularly busy.)

Mr. Lopez: Incredible! How do you remember these sites?

Juan: I don’t know. (Shrugs)

Mr. Lopez: We have made a lot of money this week, more than usual. What will you use your money for?

Juan: I use the money to give to mama so she can buy food for us.

Mr. Lopez: Where does she think your getting the money from?

Juan: She thinks I’m helping sort out the mail in the east district.

Mr. Lopez: This is your talent you shouldn’t be ashamed of it. Your making an honest living. This city is full of con artists, prostitutes and the drug dealers smuggling the cocaina. She should be proud of you.

Juan: Mario is the star in the house, he has been forever. That will never change. Wait?! Mario! Mario!

Mr. Lopez: Why are you shouting?

Juan: What day is it today?

Mr. Lopez: Wednesday.

Juan: Mario has football I need to get him! I’m late mama will kill me! I will see you tomorrow Mr. Lopez!

(Instead of waiting for the bus Juan runs down the street. He arrives at the park quickly but he is already an hour late. He begins to sweat as there is no sign of Mario. His stomach does back flips. He doubles backwards to see if there is any trace of him. To his horror he sees his football. He picks it up, the ball had his name written on it ‘Mario Sanchez’. Rain begins to fall heavily. Jaun starts crying. The one responsibility his mother had given him was now in disarray. If he was hurt he would never forgive himself. The thugs from the southern villages had started to infiltrate their district and were renowned for robbing and raping. From the corner of his eye he saw the football coach walking to his car. Jaun screamed out his name in the street.)

Jaun: Senior Pedro! Senior Pedro! Have you seen Mario? Please I have lost him!

Senior Pedro: Don’t worry child. He searched for you after football practice. He didn’t see you so the older kids took him home, I saw them take him to his door step. 

Juan: Gracias!

(Juan ran to his house, as he approached the house he could see Mario through the window. He was studying as usual.  Relief filled him instantly, however he could not see any sign of his mother. He walked into the house slowly. He turned to the front room, as he turned his face he was greeted by a harsh slap across the face. Before he could register what happened he was slapped once more, then again and again.)

Mother: You stupid, useless, idiot, fool, crazy boy!

Mario: Mama! Stop!

Juan: I’m sorry mama! Please!

Mario: I got home ok. I told you the older children from the parish took us all home safely.

Mother: I don’t care, I asked this worm to do one thing and he couldn't do it! What if something happened to your brother?

Juan: It was a mistake. I didn't mean it. I came quickly!

Mother: All I hear from you is excuses. Your like your father! All he did was make excuses till he ran away with that whore! If you keep making excuses you can leave through that door as well.

Juan: But Mama I try to help in the house.

Mother: Why can’t you be like Mario. He will be a doctor or lawyer one day. Maybe in Europe, what will you be?

(A tear trickles down Mario’s face.)

End Scene

Scene 4

(Months passed, Mr. Lopez and Juan continued to build their business. It was bigger than ever, Juan did not attend school at all, he was focused on making money and proving to his mother that he could be a success. He only attended the extra maths classes on the advice of Mr. Lopez. He said it was important he knew how to manage money and their business correctly. He was far more efficient at handling numbers. The district was busy as usual but a bit tense. People were protesting holding banners with Pablo Escobar’s face. Juan could not tell whether they were supporting him or against him. He didn't know much about politics, all he knew was that he was a powerful drug lord somewhere in South America. Mr. Lopez said he was a bad man and that bad man unfortunately often prospered in life.)

Prostitute: El Jefe! Your hands must be tired. You want a massage, maybe more?

Juan: I told you last week I wasn't interested, I told you yesterday as well I’m not interested. The money is 

for my mama.

Prostitute: Your 16 and you still give a damn what your mama has to say?

Juan: Your 17 and your on the street doing that? I think I’m doing better than you.

Prostitute: Ok, so you think your better than me because I’m on these streets? I’m doing this to feed my younger siblings and my mother is ill. She thinks I’m working at the stalls up town.

(Juan was taken aback because he was also lying to his mother about his activities.)

Prostitute: You think I do this because I like this? You think I think this is fun? I do it because right now I have people to feed.

Juan: I’m sorry. Here take this money.

Prostitute: You think having money makes you a man? Situations make a man, when your backed in a corner with limited choices that is when you know what you are really made of.

(She swivels her hips and walks into the back streets.)

Mr. Lopez: Is she trying again? She likes you a lot. But then again your one of many.

Juan: I feel sorry for her. Its 4 o clock, lets finish early today I'm tired, I have a headache as well. I will go home and set up for tomorrow.

(He walks down the street and sees a man driving car. He has his children in the back with his wife at the front. Juan laughed as he promised himself to buy a car first. He would be able to drive his mother to work instead of her taking three buses daily. He turned onto his road and saw Mario running towards him. He thought he wanted to have a race around the streets so he got ready to turn on his heel to get a head start.)

Juan: I will leave you brother! Haha!

(As he got closer he could see the expression of horror on Mario’s face.)

Mario: Juan! Mama, I told her to stop but she wouldn't listen. Quick back to the house.

(They both ran to the house, Juan could smell smoke and burning. Panic spread through his body. Mario pointed to the back of the house. His mother had all of Juan’s work burning in a box, she torched every single piece of his work.)

Mother: I told you if I see any of this stuff I will burn it! You skipped school to draw this crap! You thought I wouldn’t find out! Mr. Lopez’s wife followed him into town and saw you on your stupid stall! I thought he would know better because he is a teacher but even the school realised the fool was useless! You are exactly like your father I want you out of this house now!

(Juan dropped to his knees, his heart sank and tears rolled down his face. All his work burned in his face. All the joy and love he had for art was now dead. The shock of his mother’s actions left him immobilised and speechless. Mario wept, he held onto Juan’s leg as he began to walk away from the house. Juan had tried everything to help the family but he knew then there was nothing he could do to prove to his mother that he was of any value. He hugged Mario and walked back onto the street and called a taxi.)

Scene 5

(8 years later…)

Don Juan: Gracias!

Pepe: How many keys?

Don Juan: Exactly 100 keys

Pepe: Your maths is good! You just look at it and know how much it is?

Don Juan: When you've been in the business this long, you know when things are accurate.

Pepe: Next month you think you can get 200 keys? I mean that’s a lot of cocaina.

Don Juan: I have my team on the job. There are other cartels coming up but we aren't worried about them, business will go well as usual.

(He shakes hands with Pepe and escorts him to the door. Once he shuts the door he returns to the table, he picks up a picture of him, Mario and his mother. She was young and beautiful. He and Mario had the exact same eyes, same long hair. He scratched his now bald head and laughed. He turned the picture around and smiled at the little sketch at the back. He had tried to replicate the photo. He stood up and puffed on his Cuban cigar. He looked down at the people from his mansion. The city looked beautiful, he squinted eyes so he could see into the distance. He could see the river, he stared in awe as the water moved magically.)

Lisa: Mr. Sanchez!

Don Juan: Yes Lisa?

Lisa: The men are asking where they should put the cocaina. They say they don’t know where to put it. Their math is not good so they can’t organise it.

Don Juan: Perhaps I should arrange for them to have some maths classes

(Lisa stood still unsure whether to laugh at his sarcasm. Juan took another puff on his cigar.)

Lisa: I will tell the men to wait for your command Sir.

Don Juan: Gracias!

Lisa: Your brother is downstairs waiting for you.

Don Juan: I will be down shortly.

(Juan walks down the spiral staircase, Mario is wearing a navy blue suit. They both chuckle when they catch eye contact.)

Mario: How many all white suits do you have?

Don Juan: It’s a bright city, you have to colour co ordinate! Haha!

Mario: Your learning all the big words now!

Don Juan: I miss you brother!

Mario: Come home! Please, leave this life style, you don’t need to be in the streets, you can still draw and make money from that. Mama will forgive you, she will never admit that she lead you to live this lifestyle, but deep down she knows she did.

Don Juan: A man has to eat, by any means. It’s perfectly safe, I just handle distribution in the city.

Mario: But the coke is killing the people. Your not a killer.

Don Juan: I’ve never killed anybody in my life.

Mario: Please don’t get technical.

Don Juan: We have been different from the beginning, mother made it clear that we are two different people. It was written in the stars. You come here once a month to lecture me on how I’m living but I have no choice. This is it, the people need me, I feel value here, I can’t go back over there, I have no value or credibility there. Maybe you should join me here, a lot of money!

Mario: I’m training to be a doctor and cure people of their addiction not add to it!

(Juan shuffles at Mario’s raised voice. The whole building goes silent.)

Mario: Listen I need to head back to the school, Mama is in the car waiting for me.

(Juan escorts him out of the mansion. His mother is stern faced sitting in the passenger seat of the car. The car is old and battered, Juan offered them one of his many jeeps but she rejected it. Juan shook hands with Mario and kissed him on the cheek. Though they were living different lives he loved them dearly. As Mario turned to cross the road two cars pulled up beside him and rolled the windows down and shoot at him. 5 shots in the head and 2 in the belly. Everything went into slow motion. Juan dropped on his knees and his jaw dropped. His mother ran from the car to Mario and held him in his arms. She looked to the sky and cried out. The two cars sped off.)

Mother: My son! My Son!

End Scene