Call Me Flory

CALL ME FLORY STAGING: When the curtain rises, we see Florencia and Matilde, seated on the sofa, in Matilde’s sala, talking. FLOR: Yes Matilde! I came right away when you called me up by phone to come and see you. MATIL: That’s nice of you Mrs. De los Reyes. FLOR: I hope you don’t mind but my last name is Caracoles. My full name really is Florencia Aragon de Caracoles. But just call me Florencia. It’s quite an honor to know you, Matilde. I’ve heard you are one of the best known society women in Manila. MATIL: Oh don’t mention it. It isn’t true, not true at all. FLOR: You’re so modest Matilde. MATIL: I was told by Marilu to get in touch with you. She said you’d surely help. FLOR: Did you say Marilu called you up? Marilu de Legazpi? Whom husband is the owner of that big department store at Buendia? MATIL: Yes, But the reason that I called you up was…. FLOR: Oh well my husband bought the Legazpi’s rice fields in Pangasinan that cost us P100,000 but it was worth it. MATIL: That’s nice. FLOR: Well now, just how did you want me to collaborate—er—help? MATIL: It’s a benefit show we are holding to collect funds for the Sapang Palay people. You know the place? FLOR: (With a gesture of disgust). Uff, yes. Those squatters who were formerly in Intramuros. Thank God they are evicted. Can you imagine? I used to hear mass everyday at the Cathedral and Whenever we passed in our Mercedes benz 600 by those streets, I felt my self suffocating with the smells and sights of those horrible people. Uff ,such disgusting squatters people. I couldn’t hear the mass properly and I couldn’t pray because of them. MATIL: It is not their fault, really. After the war thousands came from the provinces and didn’t know where to settle. FLOR: Uff, don’t talk to me about them. Afterall I’ve transferred to the Santuario de san Antonio in Forbes Park. Oh the beauty and the peacefulness of the place. Where you can see decent , respectable people. Like the Matias, the Legazpis, the Urdanetas, the Zarates. Oh You know Mrs. Consuelo Cartinage who is related to the Count Cartinage, sat beside me the other day. And I think I saw her nod and smile at me. MATIL: That’s nice. FLOR: Ah yes, it’s so nice meeting decent people. People who have money and prestige and class. Now, I think you were saying something, Matilde? MATIL: Yes, we are raising money for the Sapang Palay people. And we are calling it the Sapang Palay Drive. FLOR: Much as I find those horrible people distasteful, I should like to help. How do you want me to collabo –er—cooperate? MATIL: We are showing a movie with Elizabeth Taylor – it’s not yet released to the public – and we are selling tickets. FLOR: Who are the committee? MATIL: Mrs. Consuelo de Cartinage is the Chairman. And there’s Mrs. Urdaneta. And of course the First Lady is overall Chairman.

FLOR: Ah Really? How much are the tickets? MATIL: At P100.00 FLOR: Oh that’s nothing. Here give me one. MATIL: Actually, were thinking of making you a member of the committee. FLOR: I shall be delighted to serve such a noble cause. Those poor people of Sapang Palay deserve all the help they can get. As our Lord said, those of us who have much must share with the lesser ones----or something like that anyhow. MATIL: Members of committees are supposed to dispose of at least five tickets. FLOR: Ay, this is my chance to get acquainted with the Urdanetas of Forbes Park. MATIL: If you wish I could tell the First Lady to give you a ring. FLOR: (Excitedly) Oh will you? I shall give you my private number. Uhmm wait.. ( getting her number in her bag) Here (giving it to Matilde) Just call me using that number. Uhmm alright , who else is in the committee? MATIL: Maria Cruz De La Dolorosa. FLOR: Uff, that woman. MATIL: You know her? FLOR: (Hesitating briefly) Well, slightly. She used to be in the buy and sell after Liberation. Now she’s very rich. She puts on such airs—she has only two cars. MATIL: That is usually one too many. FLOR: Oh no! We have five, not including the two jeeps and the station wagon which are used to take my husband to Capipisa. MATIL: That barrio in Cavite? FLOR: (Embarrassed) Err—no, Matilde, not that barrio exactly --- but another barrio nearby where my husband goes hunting. MATIL: And he uses two jeeps and a station wagon to go hunting ? My husband also goes hunting in Batangas, but he takes only our car. FLOR: Er—no, not all the jeeps at the same time. But you know how men are. But were talking about cars. Yes we have five, two Mercedes Benz, one Buick, one Impala, and one Continental. MATIL: We have only a 1960 Chevy. FLOR: And I’ve heard Mrs. De La Dolorosa actually goes to Tagalog films. Such a plebeian woman. MATIL: I go to Tagalog movies myself, when the film is interesting. Have you ever seen a Tagalog movie? FLOR: Me? Oh, never in my life. Besides my Tagalog is poor.. I am from Pangasinan, you know? MATIL: Now, back to the drive.. FLOR: Who else is in the committee? MATILDE: Ding Tabayong from Bacolod.

FLOR: The millionaire Tabayongs? MATIL: At a party, I smiled at her and—well she might be shortsighted or something.. MATIL: Could we gather at your place next week? FLOR: Of course. My house is on Dewey Boulevard. It belonged formerly to the Delascampas family who were murdered During Liberation. I have a large living room or perhaps we can gather near the swimming pool. MATIL: That would be perfect for a meeting. FLOR: Please make sure that the First Lady would come. I’ll buy as many tickets as she wants if she comes to my house. After all, my heart bleeds for those displaced people in Sapang Palay. I shall visit them with my photographer so I can send the picture to the papers. But I will not reveal my name, I shall wear a black veil covering my face and Bring them tuyo and tapa and dilis. I could buy some stale bread from the bakeries and bring them too. MATIL: Don’t you think they will welcome something more substantial than dilis and tuyo? Aterall they eat that everyday And stale bread is not exactly appetizing. FLOR: What can these people expect, good-for-nothing, lazy, dirty and uncivilized. I think they should be grateful I come To visit them. MATIL: I am sorry to contradict you, Flory, but I’m afraid they might resent it. Poor people are sometimes proud, you know. FLOR: That’s the trouble with the poor people nowadays. They have no sense of gratitude. MATIL: Do you always expect gratitude from them? Times have changed. The poor need not to be meek. FLOR: Why not? After all , we have no duty to help them. Oh , well, let’s not talk about them. It makes me feel uncomfortable. (Osang Enters) MATIL: Come in, Osang. Did you bring the towels? OSANG: Yes, Seniora. I finished embroidering them yesterday. MATIL: Let me see. (Looking at them). How beautiful they turned out to be. ( Flory stares at Osang fascinated) OSANG: (Scanning Flory’s face). I may be mistaken – but are Enchang. MATIL: You are mistaken, Osang. This is Mrs. Aragon de Caracoles. OSANG: (Looking more carefully). I am not mistaken, senyora. Enchang! (Flory pretends not to here). I am Osang. MATIL: No Osang. This is Mrs. Florencia Caracoles. OSANG: Of course! Florencia Caracoles, but we used to call her Enchang. We were neighbors in Intramuros. FLOR: (Raising her face haughtily). I beg your pardon. OSANG: Naku, beg your pardon pa raw. You used to live near the Cathedral, remember? You came there soon after Liberation and borrowed some of my cardboard to cover your windows. Then you married that Caracoles who made money with the Japs. He sold iron, remember? They used to call him Juan Demonio. FLOR: I don’t remember any of that silly nonsense. OSANG: Of course after you married, you moved away and the last I heard was that you were living on Dewey Boulevard.

MATIL: Don’t you think you’ve mistaking her for another person who only looks like her? OSANG: No, senyora, I am sure. If Enchang does not wish to recognize me , I am sorry. FLOR: Matilde, I must run along. I have an appointment with the beauty parlor. Send me any number of tickets and I shall snd you a check. Goodbye. (She exits. Matilde stares at Osang) MATIL: Is it true, Osang? Are you not inventing all of this? OSANG: Why should I, senyora? I was telling the truth. MATIL: Did you say her husband collaborated with the Japs? OSANG: I don’t know if you can call it collaboration, but he sold iron from which he used to gather from the camps That was burned by the Americans. MATIL: No wonder, she used the word collaboration so often---And you say she used to live in Intramuros? OSANG: Yes, just beside the Cathedral. She stayed there for six months then she married Juan Demonio, I mean Mr. Caracoles. MATIL: By the way, I have some bedsheets. I want you to embroider them too. OSANG: You want them finished in one week? MATIL: No hurry, Osang. Here’s the money for the towels. (She gives her the money) Osang: Thank you, senyora. I am sorry – I hope I was not rude. You see, I thought Enchang would recognize me. MATIL: (Laughing briefly). It’s alright jus don’t mention this to anyone. OSANG: (Giggling) I wont. (She exits. Matilde goes to the phone and dials.) MATIL: Marilu? Florencia Aragon de Caracoles was here a while ago. Marilu: Ah really , Did you convince her? MATIL: Yes. And I am going to sell her fifty tickets—hear it well—fifty tickets… MARILU: Why? MATIL: Well, I can’t tell you over the phone, but shall we call it a mild form of blackmail. MARILU: What? A blackmail? MATIL: Yes a blackmail. If she refuses,all I have to do is whisper the name Demonio to her , and I’m sure she wont be able to say no. I know it is sneaky and all that , but she had it coming to her, for being so pretentious. MARILU: Oh well, I really don’t understand but just tell me when we meet. Alright? MATIL: Alright. I’ll hang up now. (She hangs up,smiling).