Juan Tamban

Translation by Malou Leviste Jacob INTRODUCTION

Juan Tamban centers on Marina, a social worker whose masteral thesis revolves around the street urchin Juan, probably the most exciting subject any graduate student can find. He is in and out of children’s centers, eats cockroaches and lizards to attract attention and yet always seems to be withdrawn. To Marina, Juan Tamban becomes more than just a case study. She becomes genuinely concerned with the child, and this leads to the realization of the disparity between her comfortable middle-class life and the world of children like Juan. Relationships with the people around her – her father, her professor, and even her boyfriend – become strained. She even becomes involved with the problems of the urban community that Juan’s family is part of. In the end, Marina walks out of a convention of social workers who are not interested in her report, even as the urban poor community begins rebuilding their demolished shanties. The germ of Juan Tamban was provided by PETA’s Lutgardo Labad, who had read an article on a child who ate cockroaches because he was hungry and wanted attention. The article was Lita Consignado’s “Meet Estong, a Child of Slums,” published in the Philippine Panorama of July 16, 1978. Since 1979 was the International Year of the Child, Labad brought up the idea of a play based on Estong during a PETA meeting and asked Jacob if she wanted to write the play. Hesitant at first, Jacob later agreed to do the play. Two weeks after the publication of the article, PETA invited resource persons to speak on Estong, the boy who inspired the character of Juan Tamban. Dr. Reynaldo Lasaca Jr., the child’s doctor, who at that time was with the Neuro-Psychiatry Department of the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center (UERM-MC) and the Health Alliance of Democracy (HEAD), spoke on Estong himself, while Prof. Karina Constantino-David of the Institute of Social Work and Development, University of the Philippines, Diliman, discussed the life and culture of the urban poor. Among those who listened to the talks were: MalouJacob, playwright; Joel Lamangan,who was assigned to direct the play; Cecilia Bulaong-Garrucho, who later played Marina in the first staging of the play; and Brenda Fajardo, the play’s production designer. Jacob had initial apprehensions about writing the play. She did not particularly want to write about children or childhood, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to do so. But the challenges overwhelmed her. In no time she was off to do her research.

After reading the Panorama article, Jacob searched for Estong herself. She went to his neighborhood in Sta. Ana but was told he was at the Hospicio de San Jose. Upon searching the hospital, she found out that he had just escaped. Her search finally ended at the house of Estong’s aunt, who told her that Estong is an orphan. After Jacob explained the purpose of her visit to the aunt, the latter sent one of Estong’s cousins to fetch him from the market. Jacob describes her meeting with Estong: He is small…and dirty. You can talk to him but he’s a little retarded. You can’t really have a conversation [with him]. He speaks in sporadic sentences. He also has the habit of getting lost as he speaks. You can see that nobody really takes care of him. That was why he decided to go back to Hospicio. I brought him there. When we arrived, he changed character. He cursed the security guard. But the other kids greeted him. The nuns apparently are also fond of him. Yet he was a loner. Jacob’s encounter with Estong was followed by a meeting with his psychiatrist, Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca Jr. At this meeting, Jacob decided that the lead character, Marina, should be a social worker, because making her a doctor, as she had planned, might mean using more clinical terms which the audience might not relate to. After deciding on Marina’s character, Jacob turned her attention to Juan Tamban’s world – his parents, his brother, the community he lives in. More research followed. Jacob interviewed the other children of the Hospicio. Juan she found out was popular with the children, especially the younger ones. They all agreed that he was a good magician and he did magic to attract attention. From the data and materials gathered, Jacob proceeded to expand the story by providing the fictional elements. To Jacob’s initial draft, Director Lamangan offered several suggestions. First, Lamangan found the first version too long and suggested editing out some scenes and combining others. Thus the two trial scenes in the original play were compressed into one, while the scenes of Juan with two or three friends, daydreaming about being rich while eating under the bridge on a rainy day, were edited out. Second, Lamangan asked Jacob to write two additional scenes: one with Marina talking with her father; the other, with Marina talking to her boyfriend. Jacob agreed because these scenes would flesh out the relationship of Marina with her father, and with her boyfriend. Third, the ending was changed. The original script ended with Marina presenting Juan Tamban’s case at a convention. Disgusted with the hypocrisy of the participants who are there but are not really listening to her, she decides to walk out of the convention. It was suggested that the play end

with a song instead, with the urban poor played by the koro (chorus) rebuilding their shanties. That way, the play would end on an upswing. Never before used in a realistic play, the koro succeeded in making the audience think, so that they would not get carried away by emotion. Present all throughout, the members of the koro Recited lines and sang songs, played the bit roles in the play, and provided smooth transitions between “scenes, ideas, and time”. Aside from this, the koro also became the conscience of the lead characters. Positioned against a slum backdrop, the koro represented in turns the consciousness and the ideals of the urban poor, particularly the slum dwellers. Another device used in the play may be called surreal, namely, the use of huge papier mache insects for the nightmare scenes. The giant insects attached to bamboo poles were carried around by Mr. de Leon, the policemen, the Woman, and the Judge under an eerie light. Recall was also an essential innovation in the production. Several characters would talk about an incident from the past, which would then be reenacted as the character recalling the story watches the scene. Comments or explanations may even be interjected into the scene being reenacted. These innovations in production style are supported by a very flexible set. The center stage and thrust of the Rajah Sulayman Theater was utilized by the director to differentiate the level of reality and non-reality. The concept of a neutral space was also introduced, a central area which may represent any of the settings of the play; Quiapo, a hospital, a squatter’s area, a huge house, the court, a detention center. Likewise, neutral modules served as movable sets. A module can serve as a table in one scene and be combined with another to become a hospital bed in another. The actors themselves fix the modules during the play. Artist Brenda Fajardo describes her production design concept for the play: For this particular play, the objective was to capture the lines, color, texture, spatial environment and the essence of life in the slums. The basic color scheme is earth-brown and reds – (the natural color of rotting wood; different degrees in attrition seen in G.I. sheets; thin layers of plywood sheets, the red brick wall of the theater, the moss-covered concrete ruins) – providing a color foundation which is similar to a “wash” or sepia print. The color of life will be provided by objects-props so chosen as to reflect the color of life in the slums; canned goods and toys in sari-sari stores; washed clothes that are hung to dry; plastic pails used for saving water; green plants in tarnished cans; colorful comic books for rent – all these and more provide a visual rhythm that explains a lot about life.

Dyed earth-colored shirts and maong pants served as basic costumes for the koro. To delineate a specific character, the cast simply put on a piece of costume that would suggest a change in character, e.g. a cap for a policeman, or a white coat for an intern. The explorations of the play in terms of script, production design, and direction got favorable audience response. Audiences coming from various sectors, such as students, professionals, workers and out-of school youth, lined up to watch the play. Many would turn down as the PETA actors played to full houses every night. The play’s income provided the budget for the succeeding 12th major season of the company. The success of the play in Manila prompted other groups in the regions to translate the play and perform it in other Philippine languages. Juan Tamban has been staged in the Ilocos, in Cebu, Davao, and Butuan – also to popular acclaim. Jacob explains this reaction to her play: The play capsulizes the state of the country. You have a helpless child who needs the help of everyone – especially people in authority, and they don’t lend a hand. He needs all kinds of support. In a way, he is making a statement on inhumanity. In Philippine modern theater, Juan Tamban is a landmark play, not only for its well-researched and earthly portrayal of the urban poor, but also for its innovative combination of realism and non-realistic styles, which allowed the play to stir emotions and analyze social problems and contradictions. CAST MARINA: Cecilia B. Garrucho JUAN TAMBAN: Roberto “Toffy” Padua MANG TINO: Ed Pagayon MR. DE LEON: Edgar Instrella MR. TORRES: Spanky Manikan MRS. TORRES/ALE: Tessie Padua MANG JOHNNY/HUWES: Dante Balois ALING LUCIA: Estrella Antonio FATIMA: Arlene Abuid GREG STA. INES: Koro/doctor/abogado 1 ALAN GLINOGA: Koro/pulis/M. Vasquez/Pat. 1 EVELYN VARGAS: Koro/Marta/interno 3/interno 1 ED ZABALA: Koro/Mang Nando/klerk FRED CONCEPCION: Koro/abogado 2 REGGIE LIWANAG: Koro/Tonyo/bata 1

IRMA ZARAGOSA: Koro/Gina/interno 3 MARIBEL LEGARDA: Koro/interno2/attendant LUCIEN LETABA: koro/bata 2/Lito TOTI MARTIN: Koro/Jaime/interno 1 SCENE 1 The stage brightens and we are in the middle of Quiapo, Manila on a Friday afternoon when Black Nazarene devotees attract an equal number of merchants at Plaza Miranda fronting the church. Members of the CHORUS become churchgoers, strollers, or buyers. There is a montage of street sounds and noises: a bus conductor announcing his destination, a cigarette vendor, a candle seller, a disabled sweepstakes vendor on a makeshift cart on wheels. We also hear the drone of mechanical voices of several fortunetellers who line the side gate of the church and some singing emanating from the Catholic Church itself. Amid this carnival atmosphere, we hear a child’s voice. He has wrapped his body with leaves and his head with some flowers. He carries an empty milk can which he beats rhythmically. CHILD:

(Romps around the stage with boundless energy.) Come one! Come all! Watch the greatest magician of Sta. Ana! The successor to Houdini. Come one! Come all! Don’t hurry, stay, you won’t be sorry. Come one! Come all! Be witness to the greatest magician of Santa Ana in action! See Juan Tamban in his first first public appearance! This is your only chance! So, don’t hurry, stay, you won’t be sorry. The next few minutes will be the most thrilling moments in your life. Here he is, here he is, the one you have been waiting for – Juan Tamban! The famous, greatest magician from Sta. Ana! Yeeeee! (Strikes his empty can rapidly.) A curious crowd gathers. They clap. The CHILDREN cheer: “yeeeeeee!” Some TOURISTS stop and take pictures. JUAN makes his grand entrance. He is in tattered clothes with decorative leaves and flowers, a towel pinned to his t-shirt like a decorative cape, and a magician’s hat. He is carrying a shoebox. Pompously, he bows to his audience to the left and to the right, and then ceremoniously puts down his box on the ground. There is a hush as JUAN opens the lid of the box. The CHILD makes a rolling sound with his stick and empty can. JUAN brings out a lizard. He waves it around and then proceeds to swallow it. He exhibits his empty hands and mouth. Some curious onlookers leave. JUAN goes to a CHILD VENDOR, put his hand near the vendor’s ear and out

comes the lizard. The CHILDREN are impressed. They become excited and whisper: “Magic!” CHILD:

(Prances around, rapping his can.) Yeeeeeee! Juan is great! Juan is the greatest! Yeeeeeee! CHILD gets coins from his pocket and puts them inside the empty can. He shakes the can infront of the audience, urging them to contribute. JUAN puts the lizard back into his shoebox, and brings out a rat. He waves it around while his assistant makes rolling sound with his can and stick. Then, JUAN proceeds to put the rat into his mouth. Many onlookers become nauseous. Others leave hurriedly.

CROWD: Jesus, Mary, Joseph! (Makes a sign of the cross.) This child is sick! Don’t get near him, he might be crazy! No one will give coins to the CHILD. Somebody pushes JUAN. “Go home!” The CHILDREN tease him: “Go home! Go home!” “You’re crazy! Crazy!” JUAN runs after them. The CHILDREN become frightened. JUAN opens his shoebox and brings out a cockroach. He slowly puts it in his mouth, basking in their attention. CHILDREN:

Juan, Juan Tamban, your tummy stinks! Beeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Make faces.) Juan, Juan Tamban, your tummy stinks! Beeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Make faces.)

Two POLICEMEN arrive. POLICEMEN: You son of a bitch! (Grab JUAN.) What’s the matter with you?! Are you crazy? What will the tourists think – that we Filipinos eat these?! (Kick shoebox.) You should be ashamed of yourself! JUAN tries to get away. POLICEMEN: You’re coming with us to the hospital! You’re sick! JUAN:

(Struggles.) Leave me alone! I haven’t done wrong! Let me go! ‘Am just trying to make a living! Motherfucker! Let me goooo!!!

A tableau: JUAN is being held by the policemen. Others are fleeing, including the CHILD, as song is completed. CHORUS:

Juan Tamban Why have you done this to yourself? Your father and mother, Where are they? Your country, Can you count on her? What have you gotten yourself into? Where are you headed? What civilization are you from, Which gives you rats, lizards and cockroaches to survive on? Each day you’re nearer your grave. Why did they ever give you life? Why did they ever give you life?

MARINA: Juan Tamban, what can we do for you? Can we find time for you… Why do you grow in number everyday? SCENE 2 The POLICEMEN lay JUAN down on the bench. Everyone returns to his place in the Chorus. JUAN is in great pain: perspiring and then chilling. MARINA approaches. MARINA: Juan, Juan. How are ou, Juan? JUAN moans. MARINA: What do you feel? JUAN moans. MARINA: Juan, I’m your friend. I just want to talk to you. JUAN: (Writhing in pain.) I don’t want to talk. I’m tired. MARINA: Where does it hurt? Here? JUAN:

Ah! (Stomps his feet.)

MARINA: What do you want me to do?

JUAN:

I said I don’t want to talk! I don’t want to talk to anyone. I’m sick and tired of all your questions!

MARINA: I want to be your friend. JUAN:

I don’t want!

MARINA: Why, you have many friends? JUAN:

I don’t have friends! I don’t want friends! Leave me alone! JUAN runs around terribly agitated, like a caged animal.

JUAN:

(Writhing in pain.) Oh, oh, my head feels like bursting… Oh, oh, my tummy’s eating me up… Oh, oh, I feel like dying… (Contorts into a fetal position.) SCENE 3 JUAN’s Nightmare: Lights turn to blue. Sound effects of lizards and rats from the CHORUS. The POLICEMEN slowly approaches JUAN. He is holding a bamboo pole with an oversized papier-mache figure of rat. STINGER MUSIC as POLICEMAN mimes an attack on JUAN, who is writhing in pain. MARINA, alarmed at JUAN’s condition, runs out crying: “Doctor!” as lights revert to original and POLICEMAN leaves. DOCTORS and ATTENDANTS from the CHORUS go center stage. They surround JUAN.

CHORUS:

Juan Tamban. 12 years old. Son of Justino Tamban and Lucia Bernabe of Kapalaran Street, Sta. Ana, Manila.

DOCTOR: What’s wrong with the patient? INTERN 1: Tests show that the patient has anemia. INTERN 2: Malaria. INTERN 3: Parasites. INTERN 4: And possibly epilepsy. INTERN 1: I’ll take care of his anemia. INTERN 2: I’ll take care of his malaria.

INTERN 3: I’ll take care of his parasites. INTERN 4: And I, his epilepsy. DOCTOR: The patient suffers from several diseases. Why? INTERN 1: Well, the patient is malnourished. INTERN 2: … neglected. INTERN 3: … unloved. INTERN 4: As you can see the causes of the patient’s unfortunate condition – are beyond the realm of our specialization. The members of the CHORUS argue with one another. CHORUS: (To JUAN.)The entire hospital is in crisis. They don’t seem to know what to make of you with their jaundiced eyes. SCENE 4 MARINA walks to MR. DE LEON’S office. MARINA: (Puts folders in front of MR. DE LEON.) My, this case is tough. DE LEON: If it were easy, I’d have given it to somebody else. MARINA: Everything is wrong with Juan… DE LEON: Yes. You name it and he’s got it – physical, psychological, emotional and… spiritual. MARINA: What’s left on him? DE LEON: Almost … nothing. MARINA: (Shakes head, smiling.) It’s hard to believe that a child who has… almost nothing holds the key to my career. DE LEON: Your master’s degree. MARINA nods.

DE LEON: Yes, it can be jolting isn’t it? But come to think of it – everything has its own value. Even monkeys and rats are important – to the scientists who are experimenting with them. And when the going gets rough, the fight becomes more engaging, right? MARINA: But if you still have other cases to handle for your thesis, you can’t take your time. DE LEON: Make a timetable and stick to it. The most important thing though is – you crack the case. You solve your first case and you’ll solve them all! You can do it. I don’t think I made a mistake by assigning this case to you. MARINA: I haven’t given up. DE LEON: Don’t you ever give up on your case. You have a very interesting case, very challenging. Very intriguing! You remember our discussion during our Consultation class last month? Didn’t we talk about the impoverished children in the world? What did we say? How many are they? 156 million! In fifteen years, there’ll be 700 million of them. That’s going to be a big problem. The outcome of your investigation may give a new direction, some suggestions into what should be done to tackle this problem. (Paces.) When a child goes hungry… and becomes hungrier and hungrier, is forced to cockroaches, rats, lizards? If the answer is no, why Juan? What is the difference between Juan and other children like him? If the answer is yes, then we should act immediately! Otherwise, we might have 156 million dead children in our conscience. But… we’ll get to that. As for now, the fact is – I gave the most difficult case to my best student. You think you deserve an A? Prove it. Work at it! MARINA takes a deep breath. Looks at the direction of JUAN. The INTERNS are leaving him. He just had a seizure. The ATTENDANT unties him and takes out the instrument from his mouth. JUAN is at peace, sleeping. SCENE 5 MARINA approaches JUAN. CHORUS:

This is it, Marina. You can’t turn back now. You have to take him on. Who of you will come out wounded? O, what is this mystery

that shrouds Juan? MARINA: I will solve you, Juan. I will unravel you, I know. I will crack open your sword. Shred your heart. Decode your mind. Your total being will surrender to me. SCENE 6 Bright lights go up as we hear the laughter of MRS. TORRES, MR. TORRES, GINA, MARGIE, MIKE, JUAN, and REY. Mozart is being played softly in the background. Drinks and canapés are served. There is a commotion as the friends of MARINA run for cover! “She’s coming! She’s coming! Hurry, let’s hide!” MARINA enters. Her parents greet her. Her friends surprise her and they all sing “Happy Birthday”. MIKE embraces her. Much laughter and joy. MIKE:

We have been waiting for you.

GINA:

Yeah. That de Leon is really a slave driver!

MARGIE: He’s always keeping you. Aren’t you jealous, Mike? REY:

Better watch out, Mike.

JUN:

The best solution is to get married.

MIKE:

We are. Show your ring, Marina.

GINA:

MARINA raises her hand. They all fuss. Wow, an engagement ring! How many K?

MARGIE: This is for real! When? When is the big day? MIKE:

After Marina finishes her MA.

GINA:

Oh, no…

GINA:

Others protest as well. You’re in a long wait, Mike. If I know him, de Leon is going to make Marina a pass through the eye of a needle. That guy is a sadist! He started with me this morning. You know what he asked me? (Imitates DE LEON.) “Would you like to go to Benguet for a few months?” (Goes back to natural voice.) “Why, sir?” He said: (Imitates DE LEON.) “Well, there is a very interesting case there,

very intriguing, as a matter of fact. There is this teenager who stabbed his carabao because he wanted to know if the carabao’s skin is really tough.” (Goes back to natural voice.) I said to him: “Hmm… Interesting, very interesting.” I said to myself: “Me, go to Benguet? No way. What will happen to my social life?” They all laugh. GINA:

The guy wants to get rid of me! So be careful, Mike, he just might send Marina ti Mindanao. More laughter.

MIKE:

No, he won’t. He’s my cord sponsor.

REY:

Brilliant! Brilliant strategy.

JUN:

Mike’s really good in psywar. More laughter.

MIKE:

So after the M.A., the wedding. That’ll give us enough time to save and prepare.

MR. TORRES: That’s not going to be a big problem. I’ll give you a tip. If you want a fast buck – go to construction. MIKE:

Nothing happens when one remains an employee.

JUN:

Where in construction?

MR. TORRES: Any. Sand and gravel, trucks, steel, cement. I have a compadre, just a few years trucking – now he has a house worth a million. REY:

Really? Wow! Let’s go to construction. Then, we can all get married. Laughter from the three bachelors.

MR. TORRES: Well, the economy is conducive to business. The market is predictable. Foreign investment is pouring in. there is progress in the entire country. We should not be left behind. We should seize the business opportunities. MRS. TORRES: Oh, no. We’re talking business again. We’re still going out for dinner…

MR. TORRES: Okay. Okay. Let’s go. Iha, dinner is on me. MARINA: Where, Pa? MR. TORRES: Where else? The Manila Hotel! More laughter as they all exit. SCENE 7 MANG TINO enters. He is pushing his makeshift cart of recycled plywood and old tires. He approaches a garbage dump, expertly rummages through it to see what he can retrieve: bottles, pieces of metal, and other junk. Then he moves on to the next dump. CHORUS: (Singing, as MANG TINO approaches dump.) Dizzy with hunger, I approach you My heartbeat runs amuck You hold the answer to the question: Will my family have its fill today? MANG TINO pushes his cart again towards the next dump. From the CHORUS at stage left, MANG JOHNNY, a middleman stands up and starts working. From the CHORUS at right, MR. VELASQUEZ, junk dealer, stands up and follow suit. Other WORKERS from the CHORUS at left join them. MR. VELASQUEZ lights a tobacco, takes off his jacket, and folds the sleeves of his shirt. MR. VELASQUEZ: (Lifts the phone and dials.) O, pare! What’s happening? I still have ten trucks of scrap iron and paper here. Are you going to get it or not? I told you my asking price. Don’t delay or Mr. Lam might beat you to it. Kraft board? No, I’m not selling – yet. I’m waiting for a good price. So, call me, okay? I want to get rid of these ten truckloads, because I’m expecting more. Okay? (Puts down phone, dials again.) O, pare? What are you waiting for? My ten trucks of iron and paper won’t wait forever. Are you going to get them or not? MANG TINO stops his cart in front of MANG JOHNNY. MANG JOHNNY: Mang Tino, what have we got today? MANG TINO: The same. (Brings out his garbage.) MANG JOHNNY: (Looks them over.) Seven centavos per kilo.

MANG TINO: As usual. MANG JOHNNY: (Hands them to MR. VELASQUEZ.) Ten centavos. MR. VELASQUEZ: (Hands them over to his worker.) Sell this for twenty. MANG TINO gives more of his garbage to MANG JOHNNY. MANG TINO: Thirty. MANG JOHNNY: (To MR. VELASQUEZ.) Forty-eight centavos. MR. VELASQUEZ: (To his worker.) Sell for fifty-five. MANG TINO: (Gives something else to MANG JOHNNY.) Fifteen. MANG JOHNNY: (To MR. VELASQUEZ.) Sixteen. MR. VELASQUEZ: (To his WORKER.) Sell for twenty-five. MANG JOHNNY gets money for MNG TINO. MANG JOHNNY: Four pesos. MANG TINO: (Opens palm.) The same as usual. MANG TINO hangs around. MR. VELASQUEZ: (Sits and computes.) Hmm. Three thousand gross for today. Not bad. (Calls his WORKER.) Ten pesos to each of them. (Gives money.) Remind them to come early tomorrow. (Stands and puts on his jacket.) Hold the scrap iron. WORKER: Yes, boss. MR. VELASQUEZ goes back to the CHORUS at the right. The WORKERS go back to the CHORUS at the left. MANG TINO is fidgety. MANG JOHNNY: Any thing else Mang Tino? MANG TINO: (Embarrassed.) Mang Johnny, can I borrow some money? MANG JOHNNY: Again? MANG TINO: The cockpit… where I work Sundays has closed. The work I do for a construction job is not regular…

MANG JOHNNY: Yeah, life is hard. MANG TINO: Mang Johnny, scavenging is my only source of income now. MANG JOHNNY: You should learn to wait for a good price. MANG TINO: If I wait, my family won’t eat. Besides the price of used bottles and newspapers are always th same for us. MANG JOHNNY: Oh, alright. Here’s two pesos. MANG TINO: Can you please make it… MANG JOHNNY: I have no money… MANG TINO: Just add to it. I’ll pay you as soon as I can. MANG JOHNNY: Whether you pay me or not – that’s all I can give you. (Pause.) You don’t even have to pay me; I’m just giving the two pesos to you. (MANG TINO does not answer.) I have to go. (Exits.) MANG TINO pushes his cart towards CHORUS at left. It is empty but it seems very heavy. SONG OF CHORUS:

What’s in store for me tomorrow? I work to pass the time way. I work to pass my life away. What’s in the store for me tomorrow?

SCENE 8 JUAN, whose back is turned towards the audience, is being examined by the DOCTOR. DOCTOR: There, you’re much better now. Just don’t eat those insects again. DOCTOR rolls down his t-shirt. DOCTOR: Here’s a face towel. You’ll be perspiring a lot the next few days. DOCTOR leaves. MARINA enters with a hang-over, tries to be energetic.

MARINA: Hi! JUAN ignores her, so she goes in front of him. MARINA: Oh, you’ve got bubblegum. Who gave it to you? JUAN does not answer. MARINA: I’m Marina. You must be Juan? JUAN turns his back on her and faces the audience, still chewing gum. MARINA: Yes, I’m certain you’re Juan. The nurses and attendants are very impressed with you, Juan. They say you have been a very good boy. JUAN makes a very big bubble and pops it, making a big noise. Then, JUAN brings out a long chain of rubberbands and squats on the floor. JUAN:

(Sings to self while untying and playing with his rubberbands.) Something has just been born, without a father, without a mother…

MARINA: Hey, I didn’t know you could sing. I like that song! Why don’t you teach it to me? Do you go to school? Your favorite subject is music, right? JUAN does not answer, merely shakes his head at MARINA’s inquisitiveness. MARINA: Where do you live? Why don’t we go visit your home? Do you like adobo? My mother cooks very good adobo. Do you want to come to my house? Do you still have parents? JUAN chews his gum faster and noisily. MARINA: Oh, I have something for you. (Opens her handbag and gets a chocolate bar.) JUAN momentarily stops chewing gum, then, resumes again. He rocks himself back and forth. MARINA: (Hands the bar to JUAN.) Take it. It’s Nestle. My boyfriend, Mike, gave it to me. JUAN rocks himself while chewing, seemingly lost in thought.

MARINA: I’m going to open it, okay? Let’s share it. (Unwraps the bar and breaks it into two equal parts. Starts eating her share while handing the other part to JUAN.) You don’t want it? This is “stateside” and expensive. You don’t eat chocolates? (Finishes her share.) Sure you don’t want it? Okay, then I’ll eat it. (Finishes the chocolate.) Hmmm… That was good! JUAN continues to rock self. MARINA: You know, this is the very first time in my life that I’ve been snubbed. A lot of people want to meet me, to talk to me, but I have snubbed them all. I thought I was the greatest snob – ‘til I met you. MARINA pauses to watch JUAN’s reaction but he just continues to chew and rock. MARINA: What’s the matter with you, anyway? Don’t you like me? You don’t want to be friends, you don’t want to talk, you don’t want to accept what I give you. What do you want? (Pause.) Wow, pare, you’re a tough one! (Pause. Changes tone.) Why, you’re scared of me? (Brings her face closer to JUAN.) Are you scared of me? (Dilates eyes and makes faces.) Huh? Do I look a witch? Huh? (Contorts face.) Ahhh! JUAN moves to another bench. MARINA: (Sighs.) Juan, I’m getting tired. I’m not kidding anymore. In fact, my patience is wearing out. (Pause. Then stands up and goes and sit beside JUAN.) They are both facing the audience. MARINA thinks of a new approach, sees JUAN’s plastic bag in his pocket. MARINA: What’s that? JUAN still refuses to answer. MARINA:

(Pulls out plastic from rubberbands! Let’s play!

JUAN’S

pocket.)

Oh,

marbles

and

JUAN grabs at his plastic bag fiercely. MARINA is taken aback. MARINA: You’re selfish! Why are you so uptight? I’m not going to steal your marbles and rubberbands. Relax. (Feigns annoyance.) Who do you think you are? Why do you feel so important? Acting like a hotshot, even if you’re not.

JUAN hits MARINA’s foot with a rubber band. MARINA: Ouch! JUAN stands to leave. MARINA: You want to leave? Go! Nobody’s stopping you. (Stands up, too.) You don’t want to be friends? I don’t care. I have many friends. You don’t want to talk? Don’t! (JUAN makes a move.) If you utter a word, I’m going to cut off your tongue! JUAN turns to her with the biggest bubble and bursts as it at her face before running out. MARINA: Oh, shit! (Walks towards DE LEON.) This imp is such a pain in the neck! SCENE 9 MARINA: Haay, Mr. De Leon, (Dumps her books on her desk.) That kid is stubborn! He has surrounded himself with a wall, I try to look for a crevice to get a glimpse of him – and I can’t find any. I wonder what he has been through. He’s so strongwilled. I’m having second thoughts now. At the rate I’m going, second semester might find me still working on the same case. DE LEON: Marina, you’ve barely started. Ah, women! (Raises hands in resignation.) You and Gina – both of you don’t know what you want. (Shakes hand.) You have to be steadfast! Remember you’re face to face with toughie. This is not “Ma’am, yes, ma’m” kid. You have to earn his trust and respect. Be patient and persevere. MARINA: You should have seen us earlier. That kid is stretching my patience to its limit. DE LEON: Is it ready snap? MARINA: Not just yet. DE LEON: Well then. Give it all you’ve got! Forget that you can switch cases. Tell yourself – this is it – whatever happens. MARINA: It’s just that… sometimes, I feel it’s all a waste of time. DE LEON: You are up against an illiterate twelve year-old slum kid – you’re an M.A. student who will probably go on to a Ph. D. – you don’t know how to relate to him? You are at loss?

MARINA: I know, But if he doesn’t want my help, I should not force it on him. DE LEON: Are you sure he doesn’t want it? Have you applied everything you have learned from me – everything you’ve read? It’s a pity to have read all these books and not be able to apply the information you got from them. Enough of your theories? Here is a practical situation. (Pause.)Have you visited the patient’s family? MARINA: I’m going today. DE LEON: You should. I’m sure you’ll get more information about the patient. Marina, you haven’t even scratched the surface of your investigation! MARINA: I know that! But my question is – is it worth it? All my time and effort on this case? DE LEON: You’re the only person who can answer that question. MARINA: Do you know that I spent my whole morning with that kid and got nowhere? All he did was turn his back to me. DE LEON: And you’re not used to that. MARINA: No. DE LEON: You got hurt? MARINA: Pissed. Real pissed. Silence DE LEON: (Takes a deep breath.) Well. (Gets a folder.) You might like this case. (Opens the folder.) MARINA starts to leave. DE LEON: Where are you going? MARINA: Juan’s family at Sta. Ana. DE LEON: That’s a squatter’s area… MARINA: (Exits.) I never expected it to be a village. SCENE 10 MARINA is walking towards the slums. SONG: The street is the showcase of our society!

The CHORUS at Left become CHILDREN playing, WOMENFOLK gossiping in front of a sari-sari store, MEN playing the guitar in front of a beerhouse, a COUPLE in a domestic quarrel. Improvization punctuates the song. SONG:

Streets turn into playground. Streets turn into marketplace. Streets. Turn into people. Streets turn into homes. That is the world of Juan.

NARRATION: It’s menacing. It’s dangerous. It’s dark. How did I get here? MARINA: Good Afternoon! Hello! Mang Justino? MANG JUSTINO: O?! You’re here everyday! I said we’re not leaving! (Eats with his hand from a pot.) You can have your Sapang Palay and Carmona! You think you can throw us anywhere. I’m staying right here! MARINA: Mang Justino, I don’t know what you’re talking about… MANG TINO: (Stops eating.) You’re not from the demolition team? MARINA: I came to visit you because… MANG TINO: (Stands.) Why, come in, come in! We seldom have visitors… Please sit down. Fatima! Bring out the dried fish. (To MARINA.) You’re lucky we still have a piece. (To FATIMA.) We have a visitor! Marina: No, no, please don’t bother, Mang Justino. I have taken my lunch. MANG TINO: Just call me Mang Tino. MARINA: I’m Marina Torres. MANG NANDO: (Runs from CHORUS at Left.) Tino! Tino! MANG TINO: Nando! What’s up, pare?

MANG NANDO: It’s tonight. We have a meeting at the sarisari store. MANG TINO: What’s about? MANG NANDO: The demolition. MANG TINO: What is there to talk about? MANG NANDO: Why, are you ready to leave? MANG TINO: Over my dead body. MANG NANDO: IN that case, we should talk so we can stay. MANG TINO: I’ll be at work. MANG NANDO: Drop by. Just drop by. MANG TINO: …I’ll be there. MANG NANDO: We’re counting on you. MANG TINO: Yes. FATIMA enters with a saucer containing dried fish. MANG TINO: This is Fatima, my daughter. Please excuse our humble meal. Rice? (Hands the pot. MARINA hesitates.) Come on, don’t be shy. MARINA gets a little rice from the pot to her saucer with her hands. FATIMA: I’m leaving, Father. (To MARINA) I have a job interview. Bye. FATIMA leaves and goes back to CHORUS at Left. MARINA: Are you being asked to leave? MANG TINO: We are being evicted@ After eight years…(Shakes head.) MARINA: Just like that? Why? MANG TINO: Don’t you read the papers? We are not pleasant to look at. The tourists might get sore eyes. Those tourists can go to hell! (Pause. Eats.) They are going to build a supermarket here. A supermarket is more important than us! (Shakes head. Eats fasters.) O, I forgot to ask you why you’re here. MARINA: A… oh, yes. I’m a Social Work student at PGH. I have a news about your son, Juan.

MANG TINO: How is Juan? (Stands.) Why didn’t you say so earlier? MARINA: A… you were still eating and… MANG TINO: How is Juan? What’s he doing in PGH? Is he sick? MARINA: He is better. MANG TINO: What is he sick of? MARINA: A…Well, he had a fever, chills, and convulsions. MANG TINO: Fever… chills… MARINA: There are many things wrong with Juan. He had to be hospitalized because… a…he ate cockroaches, rats…and…a…lizards. Shocked, MANG TINO sits slowly. He lights a half-finished cigarette with a match while in deep thought. He leaves his cigarette in his mouth while he absent-mindedly takes a piece of wood that has loosened from the bench he is sitting on. He inspects the bench and then beats on its edge. MARINA is on guard, afraid that MANG TINO might hurt her. She clutches her bag. But MANG TINO is only killing bugs while deep in thought. Silence. MARINA: I’m sorry. MANG TINO: I don’t know who to blame…Juan…Lucia…or me. I have warned his mother several times. I said to her: “Lucia, you’re not bringing him up right. “But she won’t listen. (Deep sigh.) When she died, Juan ran away…Juan! JUAN enters running. TABLEAU as light changes. Start of first flashback. MARINA watches them. MANG TINO: Juan, now that you’re mother is gone, you’ll come with me. JUAN: Yes, Father. MANG TINO: Come here. Hold the cart on that end and push. They push the cart and then stop. MANG TINO: (To JUAN.) We’re in bad luck. We only have four pesos. I should have borrowed from Mang Johnny but I didn’t know how. We already got a loan from him for your mother’s funeral. Now, what do we do

with four pesos which can buy us nothing. (Becomes irritated.) It’s all your fault – you’re always so glum! Your heart is not on the job. It’s not as much of a job but at least you can pretend you like it. Your peression is rubbing off on me. Show more life! You’re goog for nothing. (To MARINA.) He really missed his mother. But I was in a very hostile mood. I brought him to the market. (To JUAN.) Juan, go get some food. JUAN: But Father… MANG TINO: Go. The market is full of people, the vendors won’t notice you. JUAN does not move. MANG TINO: What’s the matter with you? I thought you had a fast hand. You even enetertain our neighbors with your magic tricks. Now, apply your magic to the fishes, vegetables, and rice in the market. Go. I’ll wait for you here. JUAN leaves reluctatntly. MARINA: You teach your own son to steal? MANG TINO: What’s wrong with that? MARINA: It’s wrong. MANG TINO: For you who have the money. MARINA: You can wait until you have the money. MANG TINO: In the meantime, we die of hunger? At the market, VENDORS come from the CHORUS at Left. The remaining members of the CHORUS produce the sound effects of a marketplace. BUYERS come from the members of CHORUS at Right. There will be some haggling about the price of fish, vegetable, and meat. JUAN attempts several times to steal but loses courage. He goes back empty-handed.

MANG TINO: Well? JUAN: Father, why don’t we just pay for it? MANG TINO: Idiot! And where will I get money? (Unties his belt, holds JUAN by the arm and gives him a beating.) You think you’re rich? Ha? Ha? Stupid, stupid, fool! JUAN: (Cries and tries to shield self.) Ouch! Ouch! Mother told me never to steal. Ouch! Ouch!

MANG TINO: Your mother and her bright ideas! Look what happened to you. You’re such a weakling and crybaby! How will you survive in this world?! JUAN: (Crying.) Ouch! It hurts, Father. You’re always beating me! I hate you! I’m going to run away! You’ll never see me again! (Runs out.) Mother and I are right! You’ll see that we’re right! I hate you! Silence as MANG TINO sits. End of first flashback. MANG TINO: The way he talks, he thinks he’s rich. (Pause. Then quietly.) How is he? I have been looking for him but he hides from me. I hope he doesn’t think that I’m too much a devil… MARINA: I have seen him twice but he doesn’t want to talk. MANG TINO: (To self.) … ate lizards, cockroaches, and rats (Swallows hard.) … instead of stealing. (Shakes head.) Is that…right? CHORUS at Left: (Narrates.) The world of Juan is filled with poor people. SONG:

The poor have feelings. The poor can feel hurt and happiness. The Poor have their innate goodness. The poor have their needs and rights. The poor are people. Dried fish on their table, They’ll gladly share with you.

SCENE 11 JUAN is forming a chain out of his rubber bands. MARINA enters and sits in front of JUAN. She smiles at JUAN who ignores her again. MARINA: I met your father. JUAN gives an involuntary start. Stops what he is doing. MARINA enjoys JUAN’s reaction. MARINA: You’re from Kapalaran, Sta. Ana, right? JUAN abruptly turns to MARINA and looks at her sharply. MARINA basks in JUAN’s attention.

MARINA: I even had lunch at your place. JUAN is seething. Throws dagger look at MARINA. MARINA: Your father is very nice… and your sister Fatima, too. (Pauses for her bombshell.) I told him you’re here. JUAN: (Throws his chain of rubber bands and in the process his colorful marbles from the plastic bag in his pocket spill over and scatter on stage.) Why did you tell him? MARINA: He wants to know how you are. JUAN walks around in distress, picking up his marbles and rubber bands. MARINA: He is concerned about you. He says you have been hiding from him. JUAN: (Goes into a tantrum.) Why did you tell him, why did you tell him, why did you tell him!!! (Throws MARINA’s books and things and kicks them around.) MARINA: (Gets frightened but tries to control situation.) Juan, what’s the matter with you? When you’re not too quiet, you’re too noisy? That’s enough. (Picks up her books.) I said enough! JUAN: Why did you tell him?! (Throws the books that MARINA has gathered.) I ran away from home, I ran away from home. I hid from my father, I hid from my Father. And now, (Teary.) you tell him where I am. (Throws a notebook at MARINA.) MARINA: Ouch! Juan, you’re too much! JUAN: Why did you tell him?! You said, you said, we’re friends. Why did you tell him?! MARINA: Your father is worried about you! JUAN: He is not worried! MARINA: He is looking for you! JUAN: He is not looking for me! MARINA: He loves you!

JUAN: He does not love me! MARINA: He loves you! JUAN: He does not love me! He always punishes me. He always forces me to steal at the market, and he is always angry at my mother, and now, you tell him where I am. MARINA: (Firmly.) Your father loves you, Juan. JUAN: He does not love meeeeeeeee!!!!!!! JUAN sits exhausted, catching his breath. JUAN: (Hoarse.) Nobody loves me. Nobody worries about me. Only my mother. Only my mother. Start of second flashback. Light changes with sound effects. ALING LUCIA enters and calls JUAN. Tableau. Then, action continues as MARINA sits and watches them. ALING LUCIA: Juan… JUAN: Mother, mother! JUAN meets his mother. She puts down her basket and brings out used plastic plates and forks. JUAN: (Kisses his mother’s hand.) What do you have for me? ALING LUCIA: (Hands him a bag.) I didn’t forget your rice cake. JUAN jumps with joy. Then, he rummages through his mother’s basket, curious at its contents. ALING LUCIA exits to wash the plates and forks. ALING LUCIA: This drum is almost empty. Where is your brother? I told him to fetch water before I left this morning. Jaime! You, lazy bone! Go and fetch water! You’re always sleeping. Wake up! Half asleep, JAIME enters noisily with his pail. He puts down the pail and stretches. He notices JUAN eating. JAIME: What’s that? JUAN: (Whit his mouth full.) Rice cake.

JAIME: Are you my little brother or not? JUAN: You said you’ll take care of Kardo. JAIME: Why – did he make you cry again? (Gets a piece and eats.) JUAN: He orders me and my playmates around. He thinks he is king. JAIME: (Brings out a fan knife from his hip pocket.) Here. The next time Kardo orders you around, show him this. Do this. (Opens it like an expert. JUAN is fascinated. Closes it as fast.) Oy! Oy! Oy! He won’t bother you again. Here keep it. And don’t show it to mother. (Grabs the pail and leaves.) JUAN examines the fan knife. He keeps it as soon as ALING LUCIA enters. ALING LUCIA: Was that your good for nothing brother talking to you? JUAN: (Cautious.) Yes. ALING LUCIA: What did he tell you? JUAN: Nothing. ALING LUCIA; Don’t you believe him. JUAN: He’s good to me. ALING LUCIA: Yes, but don’t you believe him. He goes around with a bunch if gangsters. JUAN quietly finishes his rice cake. ALING LUCIA: (Kisses JUAN.) Oh my! You stink to high heavens. Have you been playing under the sun the whole morning? (Gets a hand towel and wipes the neck and back of JUAN.) What I mean is, I don’t want my youngest son to end up an idler like his brother. (Takes off JUAN’s tshirt and wipes his armpits. JUAN is tickled.) ALING LUCIA tickles JUAN and then kisses him all over like a baby. JUAN rolls with laughter. JUAN: No, no, no… Mother… stop… no… no… (More laughter.) ALING LUCIA: Mother loves who?

JUAN: Juan, Juan, Juan… ALING LUCIA: Juan… loves… JUAN: Mother… mother, mother… MANG TINO arrives. ALING LUCIA: Who will other send to school? JUAN: Juaaaan… ALING LUCIA: Who will buy Juan’s beautiful clothes and cook delicious food? JUAN: Motheeeeeeer… ALING LUCIA: Who will be the doctor of Mother? JUAN: Juaaaaaan…. ALING LUCIA showers JUAN with kisses. ALING LUCIA: My son. My joy, my hope. My loving son. ALING LUCIA makes JUAN lie down on her lap. CHORUS at Left sings a lullaby: “Sleep my darling baby…” as JUAN falls asleep. MANG TINO: There you go again. When will you ever stop this nonsense, Lucia? (Takes off t-shirt.) JUAN: (Goes to Father and jumps around.) Father! Father! I’m going to school! I’m to school! MANG TINO: Going to school? You’ll go to work first. JUAN runs to ALING LUCIA. ALING LUCIA: No. You’ll go to school and then go to work. My son is going to be a doctor. MANG TINO: (Wiping his perspiration with his t-shirt.) Lucia, doesn’t you hair stand on end when you hear yourself?

ALING LUCIA: I’ll start saving for JUAN’s education Then, when you become a junk dealer… MANG TINO: Junk dealer?! My ass! I’m just a poor scavenger with one and only pushcart confiscated. (Yells towards the streets.) Get everything from me! Including my cart! It’s all yours! (Throws his t-shirt.) ALING LUCIA: Sshh! Tino! (Whispers.) The police might hear you. Does Mang Johnny know? Why did you allow yourself to get caught? Did you not give your “donation”? MANG TINO: That’s makes me wonder. I give grease money regularly. Still I get caught. (Walks around in distress.) It’s Pare Matias’ fault. I told him we should not enter the subdivision, but he was insistent. “The rich have expensive garbage,” he says. Yes, it even cost us our pushcarts! What luck! ALING LUCIA: God is merciful…

MANG TINO: God is not merciful! This is not the time to talk about God! You pray and pray to Him, has He improved our lot? (To JUAN.) You! What are you hanging around here for? Go to the market and be useful! I’m hungry. ALING LUCIA: You want Juan to end up like Jaime? MANG TINO: Ha! Jaime is looked up to in this community. ALING LUCIA: Because he came from prison? MANG TINO: … for his friends. These big shots owe Jaime a lot. Time will come when he’ll be a big help to us. (To JUAN.) You’re still here? Move your ass! ALING LUCIA: Juan, wait for me outside. JUAN leaves but peeps at his parents from time to time. ALING LUCIA: You’re always angry at Juan. (Goes near MANG TINO and rubs his back.) Why do you take it out on the child? MANG TINO: (Relaxes.) Ahhh… that feels good. Scratch my back. There More to the side. There… Ahhh. (Stands.) I’m hungry. ALING LUCIA: You said you were going to bring something for me to cook?

MANG TINO: They confiscated my pushcart… ALING LUCIA: We still have rice… and salt. MANG TINO: Again? What a life! ALING LUCIA: You should be used to it by now. MANG TINO: Can’t I even complain? ALING LUCIA: Everyday? MANG TINO: Alright, alright… I must just as well feast on you. ALING LUCIA: A, A, Tino, a. (moves away.) MANG TINO: (Advances.) You’re only three months on the… ALING LUCIA: (Retreats.)Already three months… MANG TINO: Come on… (Advances again.) ALING LUCIA: Tino, I said no. What’s with you? It’s high noon… MANG TINO: I’m out nights. ALING LUCIA: I still have to peddle. I must go. ALING LUCIA disentangles self from MANG TINO, then reaches out for basket. ALING LUCIA: (On her way out.) Stay in the house, Juan. Don’t go out. MANG TINO: What a life! Everyday is a day of abstinence. And it’s not even Lent yet! (On his way out. Sees JUAN.) Hey, you… Oh just go to sleep. End of second flashback. Lights change with sound effect. JUAN: My Mother. Only my mother attends to me. My mother. Only my mother loves me. My mother. Only my mother.

SCENE 12 MARINA tries to console JUAN.

MARINA: Shhhh… shhhh… (Pause.) Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you. (Opens her bag and produces a bar.) A chocolate bar! JUAN: Oh, thank you, thank you, welcome. It looks good. How much is it? MARINA: Why do you ask? (Unwraps the candy.) JUAN: You should have bought just a cheap one for five, ten, or fifteen centavos. MARINA: Why do you want a cheap one? JUAN: So you don’t run out of money. MARINA: Don’t you worry about that. Here take a bite. JUAN: You take a bite first. MARINA: Why? JUAN: You might think I’m greedy. MARINA: (Laughs.) Of course not! Here take a bite. JUAN: (Takes a bite.) Hmmm… It’s delicious, it’s tasty! I better keep it now. (Gets the chocolate and puts it in his pocket.) MARINA: Why did you keep it? Finish it. JUAN: MARINA:

I’ll Don’t

finish they

feed

it you

tonight. around

here?

JUAN: No, they don’t. They haven’t fed me for three days. And when they feed me, they give me left-overs, it’s so bad even a pig won’t touch it. MARINA:

You’re

lying,

Juan.

JUAN: No, I’m not. And you know what, every morning a man with a needle looks for me and pricks my arm. (Shows arm.) Look, there are manholes in my arm, it hurts. MARINA: You mean an injection.

JUAN: Yes, that’s it. MARINA: What about the other children here? Are they your friends? JUAN: I talk to them but they don’t want to talk to me. They also don’t want me to sleep with them. MARINA: Where do you sleep? JUAN: Here. On this bench, or on the floor. It’s cold. And you know everything here is a no, no. MARINA: And what do you want to do that’s no, no? JUAN: (Smiles. Pauses.) Hey, do you have a car? MARINA: Yes, why? JUAN: Don’t just park it anywhere ‘cause somebody might steal your… a… MARINA: JUAN:

What? The

one

that’s

attached

to

your

tires.

MARINA: Oh,hubcaps. JUAN: Yes, hubcaps! How did you know? You see, those… hubcaps can easily be sold… so better watch out where you park your car. MARINA:I’ll be careful. JUAN: You promise? (Pause.) Do you know how to get to Quiapo? MARINA: That’s easy. You go out of the gate, then go straight ‘til you reach the bridge, you go down the bridge and that’s Quiapo. JUAN: Why don’t you bring me to your house? Come on. If you don’t want to, you can just leave me at Quiapo, I can take care of myself.

MARINA: And why will I drop you at Quiapo? If the doctors look for you, what will they tell me? “You, Marina Torres, you’re in cahoots with Juan.” JUAN:

No,

I

just

want

to

go

somewhere.

MARINA: Where? JUAN: To Cagayan! MARINA: (Laughs.) Do you know where Cagayan is? JUAN: I know. It’s a very far away place. That’s where my mother and father come from. They told me it’s a beautiful place, with mountains and the sea. The children are good there and I’ll have many friends! I’ll never go hungry for I’ll eat three times a day… Hey, why don’t you just adopt me? (MARINA smiles.) Well, it doesn’t have to be you, anybody – anybody rich. MARINA:

(Amused.)

Why

do

you

want

somebody

rich?

JUAN: If somebody poor will adopt me, I’ll go hungry, anyway. Hey, why don’t you come here every Saturday? Not Monday, not Tuesday or Wednesday, but Saturday. MARINA:

Why

what’s

so

special

about

Saturday?

JUAN: Nothing. MARINA: Oh, I know, I know. JUAN: Have you been to the Manila Zoo? MARINA: I thought so. You want me to come here on Saturdays so we can see places. JUAN:

Then,

you’ll

take

pictures…

MARINA:

A

camera,

I’ll

bring

a

camera.

JUAN: Yes, a camera, then, you’ll let me keep the pictures… Oh, no, the attengang! He’s here again! (Hides.) MARINA:

What

ateengang?

JUAN: MARINA: JUAN:

What The

attengang? man

I

who

don’t gives

understand us

you.

medicine.

MARINA: Oh, you mean an attendant! Attengang, here’s Juan, he’s hiding from you. Come and get him. He stinks and needs a bath. JUAN runs. MARINA:

Don’t

leave.

I’m

just

kidding.

JUAN: (On his way out.) Come back on Saturday. And don’t forget your cam… era! MARINA is jubilant at having won JUAN over. SCENE 13 GINA and MARGIE enter with a newspaper. GINA: Marina! Juan is a celebrity, a celebrity! MARGIE: Yes, Marina, he’s a VIP! MARINA reads the newspaper. Varied reactions come from CHORUS. GINA: This is sensational! Believe it or not! MAN 1: (From CHORUS at Right. With a newspaper.) My, how disgusting WOMAN 1: (From CHORUS at Right. With newspaper.) Please don’t go into details! Not during brunch!

MAN 2: (From CHORUS at Left. With a newspaper.) Pare, isn’t this Juan, the son of Tino? MAN 2: WOMAN 2, 3, 4, crowd around MAN 2 to take a look. MAN 3: (From CHORUS at Left.) Yeah… That son of a bitch, he made it to the newspapers. WOMAN 2: (From CHORUS at Left.) But isn’t this a shame? WOMAN 3: (From CHORUS at Left.) Does Mang Tino know about this? WOMAN 4: (From CHORUS at Left.) I don’t think so. He will not allow this. MAN 2: Who is Mang Tino to decide for the newspapers? We don’t even have a say right here in our homes. MANG NANDO: If we band together we have. MAN 2: Well, that’s another story. Mang Tino arrives, pushing his cart. MAN 3: Mang Tino! Come over! You’re the news of the town! Mang Tino goes to them. They hand him the newspaper. MAN 1: (From CHORUS at Right.) These people! (Shakes head.) who have read the papers. (Pause.) Earlier, a policeman was looking for you. Alarmed, JUAN drops the newspaper and hides under a table. MARINA: I told the police that you’re sick, and that I’m taking care of you, and that they cannot take you away from me. JUAN refuses to come out of his hiding place. MARINA: But when you get well, you have to face them. So, you better tell me the truth. (Sits on the floor.) Come on, Juan, you can tell me. I know you don’t lie. Juan, hey. Come on out. The policeman said you’re a snatcher. I know that’s not true. JUAN: You bet! MARINA: In that case why don’t you come out of there? Come out with the truth. (Waits.) Hey, I thought we were friends. Why can’t you face me now? Did you lie to me? Maybe you did. You made me believe that

you’re good when you’re really a bad boy. Oh, Im such a fool. “You’re really goofed, Marina. Juan put one over you.” Silence. JUAN does not budge. MARINA: Juan, this is your last chance. Come out and let’s talk. I’m the only friend you have… who still believes in you. When I leave now you’ll be all alone. Ill have nothing to do with you anymore. (Pause.) Well, that’s it, goodbye! MARINA is about to leave when she hears a shuffling of feet. JUAN comes out. JUAN: It’s not my fault, it’s not my fault. But they want me to admit it admit it. I’m not a snatcher. MARINA: Why don’t you start from the beginning? What really happened? JUAN: Remember I ran away from home? MARINA: Yes… JUAN: To be able to eat, I begged, then, I became a watch-your-car boy. Start of third flashback. Juan mimes his activities as a beggar as CHORUS at Left sings. CHORUS at RIGHT become pedestrians and owners of cars. CHORUS: (Sings.)

Why do you look through me? I’m right here! In front of you. Do you have five centavos? Can you spare me ten? Don’t hesitate. I truly need your help. I don’t belong to a syndicate. “It’s a crime, it’s a crime. It’s a crime to beg. You’ll get arrested, You’ll get arrested for vagrancy.” There’s a thousand peso fine. Yes, a thousand,

I haven’t seen. JUAN mimes his activity as a watch-your-car boy. CHORUS: (Sings.) Sir, I’ll watch your car. sir. Sir, I’ll shine your car, sir. Sir, my rags won’t scratch your car, sir. Sir, I won’t turn away with your accessories, sir. Sir, I won’t scrape your paint, sir. I just want to watch your car. So, you’ll give me a tip, Sir! JUAN: (TO MARINA.) I get very tired, yet I earn so little. After a few months, I still had no money so, sometimes instead of begging or saying “Watch your car, sir!” Adopt me sir, adopt me ma’am.” They still don’t seem to see or hear me. One day, I saw a fat woman… A MATRON from the CHORUS at Right stands. She has a handbag and she walks in front of JUAN. JUAN: She looked nice and rich… so I went to her… (goes to MATRON.) Ale… Ale… MATRON turns her back to JUAN. JUAN: (Tugging at her skirt.) Ale, ale, adopt me. Ale, ale, be my mother. MATRON turns her back again. JUAN: Ale, ale, adopt me, please, be my mother. (Tugs persistently.) Love me. MATRON: (Faces JUAN.) Stop it! JUAN is taken aback at the MATRON’s viciousness. Two STREET URCHINS come from the CHORUS at Left and watch them. JUAN: (Resumes to tug at MATRON more persistently, this time to annoy her.) Ale, ale, adopt me, be my mother please. Ale, ale. As MATRON avoids, JUAN, the two STREET URCHINS bump into her intentionally, grab her bag, and stumble out. MATRON: (Loses her balance, regains it, then runs after the two STREET URCHINS.) Ay, ay thieves! Thieves! (Fails to locate them, comes back

and grabs Juan’s arm.) Police! Police! Thieves! (A POLICEMAN arrives.) They run away with my bag! His companions! POLICEMAN: Who are your companions? Where are they? Juan shakes his head, confused. MATRON: They are his companions! JUAN: I don’t know them! POLICEMAN: Come, let’s look for them. You point them out to me or you’ll go to jail! JUAN: I don’t know them! Why don’t you believe me? End of third flashback. JUAN: They don’t want to believe me. MARINA: Who were those kids? JUAN: I’ve never met them. MARINA: How can’t that be? Juan, come on. Tell me the truth so I can help you. If you continue lying to me, nothinmg will come out of your hearing. You’ll end up in the Detention Center. JUAN: (Terrified.) No! I don’t want to go back to the center! I don’t want to go back to the center! MARINA: (Calms him down.) Alright…alright… You won’t go back to the center. Just tell me who those kids were. JUAN is silent. MARINA: Juan, this is a very serious matter. Are they your friends? JUAN: They are my friends. MARINA: Jesus Christ! Why did you not say so earlier? (Exasperated.) O, Juan. (Sighs.) What are their names? JUAN: Pity them.

MARINA: Pity them? Pity yourself. You’re the one who’s in big trouble. You need help, they don’t. Nothing must be left of the loot by now. Nothing for Juan. You were in cahoots with them, weren’t you? JUAN: (Emphatic.) No! I was as surprised as the fat woman, nut I could not speak, I could not move. MARINA: How in the world are we going to prove that? That they are your friends but that you were not part of their plan? (Pause.) If they are your true friends, they should not have put you in hot waters. Where are they now that you need them?... Besides, what they did was wrong. Why do you cover for them? A wrong is a wrong even among friends. If you cover for them, you become an accomplice. You know what that means? That means you’re as guilty as they are. (Pause.) What are their names? (JUAN does not answer.) What are their names? JUAN: (Low.) Tonyo and Lito. MARINA: Their family names? JUAN: None. MARINA: (Throws a probing look at JUAN.) Are you telling me the truth? JUAN: Yes. MARINA: Why do they have to be your friends? JUAN: They are good to me! They don’t make fun of me, unlike the other kids. They are good. Tonyo and Lito. Starts at fourth flashback. From CHORUS at Left, TONYO and LITO go center stage. TONYO is holding a can. They greet JUAN. Then a tableau as lights changes with sound effect. TONYO & LITO: Juan! Let’s be happy! JUAN: (Meets them.) What’s that? What’s that? TONYO: This is happiness! (Gives JUAN the can.) Here. JUAN: (Smells it.) Hmp. It stinks! LITO: Fool! That’s rugby!

TONYO: Inhale it. At first, it stinks, then you’ll feel good and real haaaaaaaaaay…. LITO: Sniff, baby. JUAN sniffs on it and stars coughing. JUAN: Hmp. It stinks! It stinks! TONYO: You’ll get used to it. Then, you’ll be liking it. (Sniffs.) Wow…I’m in heaven… The THREE will move around the stage while high on rugby, until TONYO and LITO rejoin the CHORUS at Left. JUAN is left at center stage with MARINA. End of fourth flashback. MARINA: They are such delinquents, Juan. JUAN: No. They just have spiders in here. (Points at his head and smiles.) MARINA: And you were always together? JUAN: Yes. But since that day the police got me, I never saw them again. MARINA: When you were brought to the detention center? JUAN: Yes, I was there a long time. I waited and waited. I was afraid, they’d put me in prison. MARINA: Was that why you escaped? JUAN: No… MARINA: You didn’t escape from the center? JUAN: Yes, but not because I was afraid of the prison. I escaped because they were always teasing me. The other children, the bigger ones… hurt me. (Teary.) They were cruel to me. Start of fifth flashback. A POLICEMAN comes from CHORUS at Right. CHILDREN and TEENAGERS come from CHORUS at Left. The POLICEMAN gets hold of JUAN and throws him in the middle of the other CHILDREN and TEENAGERS.

POLICEMAN: Take care of him! (Goes back to CHORUS.) BOY 1: We’ll take care of him, Boss. Hey, neophyte! Come here. What are you doing here? BOY 2: What is your crime? JUAN: Snatching…that’s what they say. BOY 2: Solo fight? JUAN: I was just tugging the woman’s skirt when two other boys pushed her and ran with her bag. BOY 2: Oh, the tap. JUAN: No, no. You don’t understand. I did not do it. BOY 1: You did not do it? JUAN: No! BOY 2: Then, what are you doing her? JUAN: They made a mistake. They don’t want to believe me. I tell them, I tell them—it’s not my fault, it’s not my fault, I don’t know those kids, I’m not a snatcher. They tell me, they tell me, it’s my fault, its my fault, I know those kids and Im a snatcher. BOY 1: Ohhhh, so it’s not the fault of…what’s your name? JUAN: Juan. BOY 1: Juannnnnn… BOY 2: (Imitates JUAN.) I tell them,. I tell them, its not my fault, its not my fault. They tell me, they tell me, it’s my fault, its my fault. The CHILDREN laugh. BOY 1: So, what do we do with Juan? Is he at fault or is he not at fault? Is he one of us or not? Should he be inside or outside? CHILDREN: (To JUAN) Well, Juan? What do we do with you now?

JUAN: Nothing. BOY 1: No, that cannot be. You can’t be neither here nor there. BOY 2: You have to be either here or there. The CHILDREN form themselves into two groups. One group is led by BOY 1, the other by BOY 2. JUAN is left alone in the middle. BOY 1: You can have Juan! BOY 2: No, he’s all yours! BOY 1: Whose side are you on, Juan? JUAN: None. I can’t stay right here. (Stays put in the middle.) BOY 2: That can’t be. You need protection. BOY 1: You have to take sides. BOY 2: You have to decide. CHILDREN: (Chanting while encircling JUAN.) You can’t be neither here or there, You have to be either here or there. You can’t be neither here nor there, You have to be either here or there. JUAN: My mother said,my mother said not to get into trouble. CHILDREN: Huhuhu, my mother said, my mother said, not o get into trouble. Huhuhu, my mother said, my mother said, be a good boy. Huhuhuhuhu. (they notice the plastic bag bulging inside the pocket of Juan.) Hey, what have you got there, ha? What have you got, what have u got? JUAN: It’s mine, it’s mine, it’s mine! The CHILDREN grab the bag from JUAN’s pocket. They bring out the marbles and the rubber bands. They make fun of JUAN by putting marbles in his ears and nostrils. They hold JUAN who struggles. They hang rubber bands around his ear lobes. Then, the TEENAGERS turn JUAN upside down. Coins from his pocket scatter on the floor.

CHILDREN: Look, Juan has money! (Run after the coins.) There’s five centavos, ten, ten! That’s twenty-five, hurry, get it! BOY 1: The coins of Juan will be deposited with us. BOY 2: No, with us! Juan is ours! BOY 1: No, Juan is ours! CHILDREN & BOY 2: (Chanting.) Juan is ours! Juan is ours! CHILDREN & BOY 1: (Chanting.) Juan is ours! Juan is ours! Each group tries to pull to her side. JUAN: (Runs to the ramp and up the wall.) No! I don’t want to be with any of you! You are devils! Stay away from me! Stay away from me! JUAN jumps and the hangs on a protruding iron pipe from the back wall. He swings back and forth as the first group of CHILDREN go up the ramp and on the top of the wall. They try to reach down to JUAN. The second group of CHILDREN below try to reach up to his feet and pull him down. There is a seemingly visual tug-of war between the two groups. CHILDREN on TOP: Juan is ours, Juan is ours, Juan is ours! CHILDREN DOWN: Juan is ours, Juan is ours, Juan is ours! JUAN tries to avoid to avoid the two groups, loses his balance and drops. CHILDREN DOWN: (Cheering, they catch JUAN.) Juan is ours, Juan is ours, Juan is ours! Yeeeeeee! The CHILDREN on Top run down. CHILDREN: The initiation, the initiation, the initiation! Is Juan deserving? Lat’s find out through the initiation! BOY 1 gets a used milk can. The CHILDREN surround JUAN. The audience don’t see him. CHILDREN: First, the lizard, the lizard, the lizard!

Through mime, The CHILDREN force JUAN to eat the lizard. JUAN struggles. MARINA moves away. CHILDREN: the cockroach, the cockroach, the cockroach! They force JUAN to eat the cockroach. Then they leave JUAN sprawled on the floor, clutching his stomach, nauseous, crying. CHILDREN: (Among themselves while going back to the CHORUS.) Juan is brave. He has ability. He has endurance. He is one of us. End of fifth flashback. MARINA: That’s when you first ate… JUAN nods. MARINA: You continued? JUAN: I escaped! I begged, I roamed the streets. And there were the times I was very hungry, I couldn’t sleep—I started catching insects. Then, I thought, why don’t I become a magician—like the man who eats fire! I don’t have to beg and I’ll have plenty of money—I’ll never go hungry again!...But, nothing Happened. I ended up in the hospital. MARINA goes to JUAN, brings his head to her breast. CHORUS sings while MARINA storkes JUAN’s head. CHORUS:

A child needs watching over He is innocent Against exploitative forces of society He is defenseless.

SCENE 15 MIKE: Hi! Long time no see. MARINA: Mike! (ENBRACES MIKE.) I miss you! MIKE: Really? I thought you had forgotten me. You look tired. MARINA: I came from Juan’s at Sta. Ana.

MIKE: Alone? You should have told me. I’d have accompanied you. MARINA: They’re okay. MIKE: Yeah, but I don’t want you to be walking around by yourself. Besides, you should have informed me first. What is something happened to you? MARINA: What could happen to me? They didn’t even mind me. Do you know Mike that they are going to be evicted? Everyday, they worry about the demolition. MIKE: Well, they are squatters. MARINA: I should have brought you with me. You know, their house is this small (Demonstartes it.) That’s the kitchen, dinning, bedroom, sala, everything. Will you still have the heart to getthis from them? MIKE: It’s not theirs (Pause.) They are going to be relocated. MARINA: …to God knows where, where they can’t even earn a living! MIKE: Relax. Why do you keep defending them? Bsides, why are we spending our time talking about them, There are other pleasant things to talk about. MARINA: Mike, what if we were poor? MIKE: We are not. So, you question is moot not academic, Hey, what’s with you? Are you feeling guilty at the poverty around you? That’s not our fault. It’s is also nopt our fault that we are better off. We are not filthy rich, we’re just…well, better off. MARINA: Have you ever been in contact with them? MIKE: Marina, I only have an hour lunch break. Let’s not spend time talking about squatters. Okay? MARINA: Oh, I’m sorry. Silence. MIKE: We’re going to vigan for our honeymoon, right? MARINA: Yes. You said it’s a beautiful place.

MIKE reaches out for MARINA’s Hand. They sit and listen to the stillness around them. Sound effects of birds chirping. MIKE: I wish we could be tranquil forever. (Put his haed on MARINA’s Lap and closes his eyes.) I wish I didn’t have to go back to the office. Why does one have to go to work? I wiush I new had a flying carpet underneath us that will carry us to far away places for a very long time. I want to go to sleep for a lifetime. MARINA suppresses a smile as she strokes the hair of MIKA. MIKE falls asleep, a few seconds. Then, an ATTENDANT rushes in. ATTENDANT: Miss torres! Miss Torres! Juan has a relapse! MARINA: What?! How did that happen? ATTENDANT: I don’t know. Earlier today, I passed by his ward and I heard his angry voice. I thought he was scolding somebody, then I saw that he was just aiming at some lizards and cockroaches on the wall with his rubber band and folded pieces of paper. So, I went straight to our station. It didn’t occur to me that he planned to eat them. MARINA: Have you informed his doctor? ATTENDANT: Yes, I have. I’ll take a look if he’s there now. MARINA: Mike, please give me a minute. MIKE: Go ahead, I still have fifteen minutes. JUAN’s nightmare: light’s turn to blue with sound effect. Sound effect of cockroaches and the rats from CHORUS, as POLICEMAN, holding a bamboo pole with an attached oversized papier mache figure of a rat; and MR. DE LEON, holding a bamboo pole with an attached oversized papier-mache figure of cockroach, approached and attacked JUAN who is writhing in pain. This is done in mime. Stinger music intensifes, then subsides. MARINA goes back to MIKE. MARINA: Mike! MIKE: (Irked.) O?

MARINA: I have to go back immediately, Juan is in bad shape. I also have to finish my report to MR. De Leon and the committee of doctors and interns. MIKE: (Feels bad.) Okey, I’ll see you later. MARINA: I might have to work whole night to finalize my report. MIKE: After the party. MARINA: Party? MIKE: The party for Gina. She’s leaving for benguet, remember? MARINA: Oh yes! (Pause.) Never Mind, she’ll be back in a few months anyway. MIKE: you need to unwind. MARINA: Yes, but they’ll surely ask for my report tomorrow after what just happened. Also, I’d like to conserve my energy for this case. So, if it’s alright with you, why don’t you go and do the explaining for me? MIKE: No, it’s not alright with me. MARINA: Mike, please. MIKE: I’m not kidding. We are going to the party. MARINA: Mike, what’s happening with you? MIKE: (Incredulous.) What’s happening with me? MARINA: Why are you like this? MIKE: Like what? MARINA: You’re tense. MIKE: I’m not tense. I’m very relaxed. MARINA: Sorry then. I’m just tired. (Turns to go.) MIKE: Bullshit! MARINA: (FacesMIKE.) Did you say “bullshit” to me?

MIKE: I don’t see anybody else around. MARINA is about to leave in a huff. MIKE stops her. MIKE: What’s wrong? MARINA: What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you! MIKE: You turned your back to me! MARINA: You said “bullshit” to me. MIKE: I said “bullshit” because you turned your back to me! MARINA: Mike, what are we quarelling about? It’s so petty and in the moment of pettiness, there are people who… MIKE: I have nothing to do with them. You’re so fond of sermonizing. Who do you think you are? Silence MARINA: I wish we didn’t bicker so much. I feel so heavy. Juan had a relapse. You’re angry. I still have to finish my report. I wih you’d give me some moral support and encouragement. Do you know that my whole life is at stake at this case? It’s as if everything that mattered to me is losing it’s meaning : my belief, my belief, my experiences, my degree, my greades. ( Pause.) Do you remember the violin concert that we saw lately? While I was watching and listening to the violist at the CCP, suddenly the images of Juan, Mang Tino, and slums started started flashing in my mind. Then, I looked around me and asked myself what I was doing at the theater. Mike, I’m holding on the Juan. He’s the only one that gives snse to what I do now. MIKE: The next thing you’ll do is cry on my shoulder. If you’re rally sensitive, why do you take me for granted? MARINA: I don’t take you for granted. Iwas just hopingthat you’d understand my priorities. After I help Juan. MIKE: Juan, Juan, Juan! I’m sick and tired of that child. MARINA: Are you jealous?

MIKE: Jealous? Me? I just find it incredible that you’re spending all your time with Juan. MARINA: He really needs me these days. MIKE: What about me? MARINA: We don’t have a problem. MIKE: Aren’t we having one now? MARINA: You call this a problem? MIKE: It’s too petty; it’s getting to be boring? MARINA: Yes, it’s too petty, it’s boring. MIKE: Well, whether it’s petty or boring, I don’t care! There’s going to ba a party tonight and we are going or else— MARINA: Or else? MIKE: Or else we call it quits! (Walks out.)

SCENE 16 The DOCTOR comes from CHORUS at Right. DOCTOR examines JUAN as DE LEON enters and INTERNS come from CHORUS at Right. INTERN 1: The patient was well, ready for realease. What happened? INTERN 2: Is there a psychological explanation for this? INTERN 3: Can Social Services shed light on this mysterious development? DE LEON: I have talked ti Miss Torres. Her theory is that the patient is afraid to leave the hospital. H eknows that he would be brought back to tha Detention Center. DOCTOR: (Finishes with his Examinationy.) But a Patient, who is well, cannot stay in the hospital indefinitely. There are patients waiting to take the palce of Juan, who needs his bed, his clothes. We have to a duty to these incoming patients. We have cured Juan, he has to leave the

hospital. Just think of the consequences, if every patient refuses to leave when they have to. The INTERNS smile and then talk among themselves. DOCTOR: We should think of the welfare of the many. Attendant! (ATTENDANT comes from CHORUS at Left.) Watch every move of Juan. He should get well soon as possible. ATTENDANT: Yes, doctor. SCENE 17 The slum area is being demolished. CHORUS at Right give sound effects of Demolition: a shanty is in the process of being dismembered of its roof, walls, and flooring. Hammer, ax, and saw in action. A from of a bulldozer nearby, police whistles, and a voice coming from a portable loudspeaker: “Give way! Give way!” More shanties fall, CHORUS at Right spread to the empty spaces. CHORUS at Left: Oh, oh, my head feels like bursting. Oh, oh, my tummy’s eating me up. Oh, oh, I feel like drying. MANG NANDO: Don’t lose hope! The people of Tondo, of Tatalon, and our other friends will help us. Out of this chaos, MANG TINO and FATIMA emerge, pushing their cart. MANG NANDO: (Holds TINO’s shoulder.) Tough Luck! Why did it have to start in you street… MANG TINO stops their cart. They sit on it while watching the activity. A group of people arrive. MANG NANDO meets them. MANG NANDO: You’re here! Where’s the lawyer? Let’s go and talk to them. MANG NANDO and the group go to the CHORUS at Left. MARINA enters. She is holding an umbrella, some books, and a handkerchief. CHORUS at Left: They have made themselves homeless! Push! Send them back to where they came from!

CHORUS at Right: This is ours! Get out! Get out! CHORUS at Left: We’re staying! We have nowhere to go! (Stays put) We’re staying! CHORUS at Left, who are more in numbers, overrun CHORUS at Right. The demolition team retreats and exits. There is a wild cheer among the squatters. MARINA: Your house is gone, Mang Tino… MANG TINO: (Points with his upper lip at the iron sheets, pieces of cardboard and wood in his cart.) There. It’s all there. I haven’t decided yet if I should bring it to Mang Johnny or reconstruct my home… MANG NANDO: Tino! Let’s go! We’re rebuilding your homes! (Others follow him.) FATIMA and MANG TINO stand and start to move. MARINA: Mang Tino, you haven’t visited Juan. MANG TINO: I’m still angry at Juan and angrier at you. It would be best if I see him after a while, when my anger has subsided. MANG TINO pushes his cart. MARINA: You read it, too? MANG TINO: Read it? The whole of Sta. Ana read it? It was the talk of the town! For three days, I was hiding. I was known as Mang TINO— the father of Juan who eats lizards, cockroaches, rats. Fatima here cried when she read it. MARINA: It was a mistake…having it published. MANG TINO: Why is such a mistake allowed to happen? Son of a bitch! So, that was why you were asking so many questions. I was really surprised how come you were so nice...(Shakes head.) You needed something from me…you needed information. MARINA: I have nothing to do with that article. Everyone in the hospital was taken by surprise. I was going to file a complaint… MANG TINO: Now? What for?

MARINA: You can sue the paper… MANG TINO: What will I pay the lawyer? MARINA: When you win, the paper will pay damages and… MANG TINO: Win, lose, it’s all the same. We’re human beings, too. MARINA: (Pause.) I understand, Mang Tino. I know exactly how you feel. MANG TINO: Do you Know? Hu! (Smirks.) MARINA is chastised. MANG TINO lights a cigarette. MANG TINO: Why aren’t you finished him yet? MARINA: He’s not quit well yet. MANG TINO: He’ll not be better because of you people. You’ll be better because of him. MARINA does not answer. Sounds of reconstruction. MANG NANDO: Tino! Over her! Bring your cart! Your shanty’s next! MANG TINO moves away, pushing his cart. MARINA: Mang Tino, Juan needs you. You better go to the hospital soon. More construction sounds as MARINA exits. SCENE 18 ATTENDANT: Mr. Justino Tamban is here. MARINA: Mang Tino, it’s good of you to come. MANG TINO: I’m fetching my son. MARINA: Mang Tino, Jaun had a relapse. That’s what I wanted to tell you. MANG TINO: How did it happen? MARINA: He…again ate those…

MANG TINO: Son of a bitch! Don’t you feed him here? MARINA: We do, Mang Tino, we do. But he wanted to stay sick so he doesn’t have to leave here and go to the Detention Center. MANG TINO: Dentention center? MARINA: He was accused of being a snatcher. MANG TINO: A Snatcher! Juan? That’s will be the day. MARINA: I don’t believe it myself but Juan needs us to prove it in court. MANG TINO: Where is he? MARINA brings MANG TINO to JUAN who is lying down on a bench. MANG TINO slowly approaches the pathetic figure of his son; he breaks down. CHORUS:

Lucia, let him be. I’m 47. My son’s 12. Wasted years divide us. Stay awhile, Juan. I only noticed you now. SCENE 19

DE LEON: I have had many cases in court. Whether the child is guilty or not— the device of the lawyer is always to plead guilty. To plead guilty is to migrate the crime, which means, which means a reduced crime and a lighter sentence. More often than not, the child is given to the court. But, if your plea is not guilty, that means you have to get a lawyer or if you cannot afford one., the court assigns one to you—a de officio who will be paid by…the court. (Pause.) Then, the most important question will be: who will the court believe? Juan and Mang Tino or the policeman and the rich matron? Naturally, those with position, money…have the edge. We cannot do anything about that. These are the times. (Pause.) I’m not trying to discourage you, Mang Tino—I’m only talking from experience. I’m sure you’ll lose you case and even aggravate it—because of the plea of not guilty. You son will end up at the Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

MANG TINO: Mr. De Leon, I cannot understand what you’re trying to tell me. My son has been accused of snatching. He is not guilty. But you say that he has to plead guilty of free himself . DE LEON: It works this way, Mang Tino. Juan has been accused of being a snatcher, right? MANG TINO nods. DE LEON: (Shakes head.) It will become more complicated. MARINA: It will become simpler, Mang Tino. You don’t have to get a lawyer. You yourself can appear with Juan before the judge and plead guilty. You know, when a child admits to a minor offense, the sentence is usually suspended and the child is assigned to his parents for guidance. MANG TINO: But if we say that Juan is Innocent which is truth—we will still have to get a lawyer, see to it that the judge believes Juan and not the police and the woman. If not, Juan goes back to the Detention Center and not to me. (Pause as MARINA and DE LEON nod.) we will be punished by telling the truth?! DE LEON: Well, it looks…that way. But it depends on which angle you look at the situation. It’s also your best bet to get Juan. MANG TINO: (Pause.) I don’t feel good about it. Why don’t we relate it as it happened—that Juan is innocent. That’s it. I’m sure that’s easy to do. DE LEON: The decision is yours. MANG TINO: No, it’s not entirely mine. (Pause.) I’m concerned for Juan. I don’t think he’ll agree. I have wronged him many times in the past. Now that were going to get together again, I want to start it right. (Smiles.) If Juan told Miss Torres that the accusation is false, and we believe him, shouldn’t we stand by him. DE LEON looks at MARINA.

SCENE 20

JUAN is seated on a bench. MANG TINO enters. Silence. MANG TINO: How are you Juan? JUAN does not answer, looks at his father keenly. MANG TINO: You’re looking fine! You even gained weight. JUAN does not answer, still staring and observing his father, suspicious at his seeming friendliness. MANG TINO: (Cracks Joke.) There are people who get into trouble because of staring. JUAN turns. MANG TINO: Why don’t you speak out? We haven’t seen each other for a very long time. Don’t you have anything to say to me? Silence. MANG TINO: Tell me you hurt feelings. If you continue to keep them, we’ll never be at peace. Silence. MANG TINO: (Starts to be impatient.) What did I come here for if you don’t even talk to me? JUAN: Aling Marina said it’s you who wanted to see me and talk to me. MANG TINO: IS that so? You still talk like you’re somebody, ha. Me—you don’t want to see nor talk to me? Silence. MANG TINO: you haven’t changed a bit. You’re still bullheaded. (Pause.) What did you use to brag out? “You’ll see. Mother and I are right! Mother and I right!” JUAN: I did everything. I begged, I became a watch-your-car boy, I ate... MANG TINO: That’s what I mean. Why don’t you have to resort to eating those…insects. Why, we always had food on the table. Not much and not the best, but you never went hungry. Juan, I am not sick, but for a long time I could not leave the house. What do they say

about me? “That Mang Tino, father of Juan Tamban who eats insects?... he does not know how to take care of his family.” Aren’t you ashamed about what they say about your father. JUAN: You got angry at me and made me steal. MANG TINO: Juan, in this life you have to be practical. We cannot buy everything. JUAN: Mother said never to steal. MANG TINO: See? You’re always hiding under the skirt of your mother. You’ll even eat cockroaches, rats. Is that the only way to survive? JUAN: That’s the only way I know. MANG TINO: There are many ways, Juan. Scavenging is one, a… JUAN: You used to spank me. MANG TINO: So what? I happen to be your father. And you better remember this—just because a father beats his son doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love his son. You remembered that! (JUAN does not answer.) The problem with you is—you think of yourself. Do you know what happened to our house. JUAN: What? MANG TINO: There, she’s jobless. JUAN: You still have you cart anyway. MANG TINO: Cart? It got confiscated again. You let those policemen push my cart. Do you think I want all these to happen to us? Don’t I also want your mother’s dreams to come true? For us to eat well, for you to study? Don’t you want all that for us? Just think, when you come home, you’ll come and work with me, we’ll rebuilt our house, and your Ate Fatima will probably have job again. We’ll eat well and on time. You might even start schooling. JUAN: You might start spanking me again. MANG TINO: What do you want me to do when you’re at fault? Tickle you? JUAN does not answer.

MANG TINO: Well? (Pause.) Aren’t you going to kiss your father’s hand? MANG TINO waits. Then, JUAN stands and goes to MANG TINO. JUAN gets his hand and presses it on his forehead. MANG TINO embraces him. Juan suppresses a sob, moved by the unexpected gesture of his father. SCENE 21 CHORUS at Left and Right becomes members and audience of the court: JUDGE, MATRON, POLICEMAN, GUARDS, CLERK, CHILDREN, SOCIAL WORKERS, LAWYERS. JUAN, MANG TINO, FATIMA< MR> DE LEON enter. CLERK: (Announces.) Criminal Case No. JC 19354. People of the Philippines vs. Juan Tamban. JUAN, MANG TINO, LAWYERS, MARINA, POLICEMAN, MATRON and MR. DE LEON approach. CLERK: Juan Tamban, age 12, has been accused by Mrs. Soledad Vda. de Reyes as an accomplice in the snatching of her bag in Cubao last June. JUDGE: Well, what has the accused to say regarding the alleged crime imputed to him? LAWYER 2: Not guilty, Your Honor. JUDGE: Not guilty? Are you the de officio? LAWYER 2: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE: Do you know what you’re doing? LAWYER 2: Yes, Your Honor. JUDGE: That you’re just prolonging your case and, therefore, clogging my docket? LAWYER 2: We would like to prove that the accused is not guilty. Your Honor. JUDGE: (Sighs.) Very well. (To LAWYER 3) Your witness. LAWYER 3: Mrs. Soledad Vda. de Reyes.

MRS. REYES walks to the witness stand. Clerk swears her in. CLERK: Raise your right hand: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. MRS. REYES: …”So help me, GOD.” (Sits) CLERK: Soledad Vda. de Reyes. Fifty-two year old, residing at 1960 Dasmariñas Village, Makati Metro Manila. LAWYER 3: Please relate to the court what transpired last July 4th, at Cubao. LAWYER 2: Leading, Your Honor. JUDGE: Sustained. LAWYER 3: (Irritated at LAWYER 2.) Where were you at three o’clock in the afternoon pf the fourth of June. MRS. REYES: I was in Cubao, in front of Ali Mall. LAWYER 3: What were you doing in front of Ali Mall? MRS. REYES: I was waiting for my car. LAWYER 3: What happened while you were waiting? LAWYER 2: Leading. JUDGE: Rephrase your question. LAWYER 3: Did anything happen while you were waiting? MRS. REYES: Yes. LAWYER 3: (Glances triumphantly at LAWYER 2.) You can now relate what transpired. MRS. REYES: I waited quite a while for the Mercedesd. It was Coming from the parking lot and there was a traffic snarl. Then, I noticed this kid who was hanging around, begging. He came near me, so I turned my back. But he stayed on, tugging at my skirt, and talking to me. A real pest! He was really trying my patience. I turned to him and was going to slap his hand with my fan, when suddenly, out of nowhere, two kids came running to me, pushed me, and run off with my bag. I lost my

balance and sprawled on the concrete pavement. Then, I gathered all my strength and stood up and ran after them shouting. “Police! Police!” at the top of my voice. But I couldn’t find them. And to think I had two thousand pesos in my bag. LAWYER 3: Did you see the faces of the two children who pushed you? MRS. REYES: No. LAWYER 3: What about their accomplice who tugged at you? LAWYER 2: Leading, Your Honor. LAWYER 3: (peeved but changes his line of questioning.) Did you recognize the child who tugged at you? MRS. REYES: Yes. LAWYER 3: Can you point him out to the court? MRS. REYES: That’s him. (Points JUAN.) I held him tight so he couldn’t break loose. LAWYER 3: Why, Mrs. Reyes? MRS. REYES: He was one of the snatchers. LAWYER 3: (Smiles broadly at Lawyer 2.) That is all. Your Honor. JUDGE: Cross. LAWYER 2: I have no more questions, Your Honor. (Smiles broadly at Lawyer 3) JUDGE: You have change the line of your questioning. LAWYER 2: I have no more questions, Your Honor. (Smiles broadly at LAWYER 3) JUDGE: Re-direct? LAWYER 3: None, Your Honor. LAWYER 2: No re-cross. JUDGE: (To LAWYER 3.) Do you have other witnesses?

LAWYER 3: I do, Your Honor. Patrolman Salazar. PATROLMAN SALAZAR stands up and goes to the witness stand as MRS. REYES leaves it. CLERK swears him in. CLERK: Raise your right hand: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” PATROLMAN: …so help me, God.” LAWYER 3: Do you recognize that child? SALAZAR: Yes, he is Juan Tamban. I used to know him by face. I see him around the streets of Quezon City. He is always with two other kids. LAWYER 3: Who are these two kids? SALAZAR: I don’t know their names but I know their faces. They are also street urchins. LAWTER 3: Have you seen these kid since you saw them last June 4? SALAZAR: No. LAWYER 3: What were they doing when you last saw them? SALAZAR: They were watching the cars parked near Ali Mall. Juan was also there. Later, I heard somebody scream for help. I saw Mrs. Reyes holding Juan by the arm two were gone. LAWYER 3: Was there anything else unusual that happened that day? SALAZAR: No, nothing else…except for a fan knife which I found in Juan’s pocket when I frisked him. LAWYER 3: (Gets the knife.) is this the knife? SALAZAR: Yes. LAWYER 3: Your Honor. I’d like to submit this knife as Exhibit A. Reaction from CHORUS. LAWYER 3: Patrolman Salazar, you may stand.

JUDGE: The Court had heard both sides of the case. Although, the evidence is strong against Juan Tamban, the Court has decided to suspend its sentence until the apprehension of the two children who were the masterminds of the crime. While waiting for his sentence, Juan Tamban will be put under the custody of the Detention and Rehbilitation Center. LAWYER 2: Your Honor, may we request that the accused be placed under the custody of his father? JUDGE: the streets might be detrimental to Juan. MARINA: (Stands) Your Honor, I would like to vouch for the character of Juan. Wherever you put him, he will always be a very good child. JUDGE: Out of order. LAWYER 2: You see, Your Honor, the father and son have not seen each other for a very long time. They would like to be together. JUDGE looks at JUAN and MANG TINO. JUDGE: Do you have a job…(Goes through folder.) Justino Tamban? MANG TINO: I have. LAWYER 2: …Your Honor. MANG TINO: Your Honor. JUDGE: What do you do? MANG TINO: I go around Manila and go through its garbage. (Remembering.)..Your Honor. JUDGE: I mean your real job. MANG TINO: Scavenging, Your Honor. JUDGE: (Incredulous) you mean that’s your full time job? MANG TINO: I’m a scavenger, Your Honor. JUDGE: You have no other job? MANG TINO: There is no other job for me, Your Honor.

JUDGE: (Pause.) What are your hours of work? MANG TINO: Five o’ clock in the morning to one o’ clock in the afternoon. Six o’ clock in the evening to midnight. JUDGE: Who will Take care of Juan? MANG TINO: I will bring him with me or I can leave him with his sister. JUDGE: His sister does not work? MANG TINO: she does, Your Honor. JUDGE: As what? MANG TINO: As waitress in a beerhouse in the corner, Your Honor. JUDGE: …and you want us to put the child under your custody? (Shakes head.) It will be unhealthyfor Juan to go with you in your work . He will lack sleep and have skin disease. With all the flies around him, he will loses weight and get sick. If you leave him with his sister, she in turn will leave him unless he goes with her to the..beer-house, no one can take good care of Juan in your family. (Pause.) The primary concern of the Court is the welfare of the child. It will be to the benefit of Juan if he stays at the Center. In that institution, he will have a place to sleep every night; he will eat three meals a day: and he will have an opportunity to learn a vocational or technical skill to support himself later in life. Juan will turn into a useful citizen. MARINA: It’s tantamount to punishing Juan. Do you know what happened to Juan inside the Center? Why He does not want to go back there ever?! JUDGE: Out of order! Out of order! (Pounds his gravel) In my Court, no one has a right to speak. And whoever wants to speak must ask first ask the permission of his Honorable court. You. Are you a relative?! MARINA: No, (Exaggerates.) Your Honor. I’m a social worker. JUDGE: Ah, that’s good. Go ahead, why don’t you confirm what the Court just said, that it would be best for Juan to stay at the Center? MARINA: It would be best for the father and son to have an opportunity to be together and work towards a new life. JUDGE: New life? How can that be when their situation has not changed? The father has no job…

MANG TINO: I have a job. JUDGE: A scavenger. Is that a decent job? Can you be proud of being scavenger? MANG TINO: I feed my family. JUDGE: Really? How much do you earn a day? Is it enough? You have a growing child, he needs nutritious food. Don’t you honestly think that it would be better for him at the Center? It’s good that we even have a place for him. MANG TINO: (Sarcastic.) …and I should be thankful for that? JUDGE: Do you have a home? Where do you go home to? I understand that you (Peers at folder.)…have been demolished…the slums of Sta. Ana… MANG TINO: Yes, our homes were demolished but we have rebuilt them. You’ll demolish them again…and we will…rebuild them again! JUDGE: This Court has nothing to do with the destruction of houses but it has everything to do with destruction of the lives of children. MANG TINO: I want to build the life of my son. JUDGE: How? By turning over your back on your responsibilities as a father? MANG TINO: I never turned back! JUDGE: And what do you call this deprivation, this neglect of Juan? MANG TINO: I did not neglect Juan. He ran away. JUDGE: And you did not look for him. MANG TINO: He is here and I am here, now. And we want to be together. JUDGE: Your son got involved with crime because of your negligence. MANG TINO: I did not neglect him! And I will not abandon him to you now. He is my son. I have a right over him. JUDGE: The Court takes that right from you.

MANG TINO: No one takes my right over my son! I’m sick and tired of your power to abuse us. You confiscated my cart, you levelled my shanty to the ground, now, you want my son! No more! This is too much! I cannot take this! MANG TINO goes into a rage: he tries to get JUAN, the GUARDS stop him. JUDGE: (Pounds his gavel frantically.) Contempt of Court! Contempt of Court! Remove him from my Court! GUARDS bring MANG TINO out. MANG TINO struggles. He is, therefore, dragged out. JUAN runs after his father but other GUARDS stop him. JUAN: Don’t! I want my father! I want to go home! My father loves me. I love my father. I want my father! MANG TINO: (Rants while being dragged out.) This may be your day but tomorrow will be mine! Silence as tension ebbs. LAWYER 2: Your Honor, I’m sorry this happened. JUDGE: (To GUARDS.) Bring the child to the center. JUAN is brought by the GUARDS. JUDGE: Now we know where the child came from. They are a dangerous lot. We cannot allow them to roam our streets and environment. We cannot sacrifice the well-being of the many. CHORUS at Left: (Narrates.) “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of law.” (Pause.) Wait, what law is for the benefit of Juan and Mang Tino? Scene 22 MARINA is seated, books on her lap. MR. TORRES is pacing. MRS. TORRES is crocheting nervously. MR. TORRES: What’s all this nonsense? The commotion at the Court— questioning the wisdom of the Judge.. Marina, you’re no longer a child. MARINA does not answer.

MR. TORRES: I think you have done everything to create problems for yourself—in your studies, with Mike. MARINA: We’re okay with Mike. MR. TORRES: I saw him at the Automat, and I asked how you two are getting along, and he said that you’re busy at the hospital. MARINA: That’s true. MR. TORRES: Remember, you’re a woman. Don’t spend too much of your time at the hospital, spend it on Mike. He is a most eligible man, and you’re letting him get away. Look at me and your Ma, we’re still together. MRS. TORRES: Yes, iha, listen to your Pa. MARINA looks at her mother, smiles. MR. TORRES: ..and your studies. You’re spending all your time in your case and yet your studies suffer. How is that? MARINA: Whoever gave you that idea? MR. TORRES: Mr. de Leon, who else? MARINA: It was Mr. de Leon himself who gave me the case and told me to make it good. MR. TORRES: But you don’t listen to him anymore. You’re antagonizing everybody, including your friends. Now, I hear your fighting the Court. MARINA: Pa, that’s not true. We went to Court to ask for help for Juan. MR. TORRES: I don’t want to meddle with you, Marina. You know what is right and what is wrong. MARINA: Don’t worry, Pa. I know I’m right. You yourself told me that if I’m right, I should fight for it. MR. TORRES tries to recall if he said that. MR. TORRES: ..Yes..but you also have to look out for yourself. You just don’t attack and attack. You might be facing a wall. MARINA: You mean.. compromise.

MR. TORRES: Why not? How can you live these days without compromise? Men, nations—how are they able to co-exist? Compromise. Your Tita Auring and her husband—why aren’t they at each others throat? Compromise! Compromise is the key to survival nowadays. You better learn that fast. MARINA: Then everything you’ve taught me has become a farce! MR. TORRES: No! Of course not! But you must temper your idealism with reality. MARINA: The reality is—I’m trying to help Juan. MR. TORRES: Why has Juan become so important to you? MARINA does not answer. MR. TORRES: Ha? Why are you ready to throw away everything for him? You’ll throw Mike away; you’ll throw your degree away, even your own family —for Juan. Why? MARINA: I made a promise to him. MR. TORRES: A promise? (Laughs. Shakes head.) Marina, by now, I’m sure Juan has forgotten about your promise. After a few days, he’ll have forgotten not only your promise but you as well. MARINA: A child never forgets. (Pause.) A promise is a promise you have to keep. Juan will never forget my promise to him..As I have not forgotten your promises to me. MR. TORRES is silent. MRS. TORRES looks at MARINA apprehensively. MR. TORRES: (Low.) What promise? MARINA: (Looks at father.) When I was a child. When you used to go nightclubbing and were seldom home.. during my tenth birthday when you told me that we would eat out and you forgot all about it.. One Christmas when Ma was crying and crying, you said.. MR. TORRES: Enough! I have forgotten all those! MARINA: I haven’t.

MR. TORRES: Ah! So you want to take your revenge on me? You want to exact from me everything that I owe you? You have sown anger in your heart! MARINA: Pa, I just told you why Juan is important to me. I’m not trying to discredit you. MR. TORRES: And what do you think you’re doing? You’re ruining everything that I’ve worked for, everything that I have lived for! MARINA: What everything that you’ve worked for? .What everything that you’ve lived for? MR. TORRES: What!? What are you and your mother enjoying now? It certainly did not fall from heaven—the big house you live in, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the food you eat.. I spent my entire life to get all these for you. Even now, I’m constantly under stress maintaining our standard of living! MARINA: Nobody’s taking that away from you. MR. TORRES: Nobody? At the rate you’re doing, we might run into bad luck. You defied the Court; you’ll be challenging the prominent people in your national convention. You’re fighting the system! Do you know what the hell you’re doing? You’re biting the very hand that has given you a good life. You\re hurting yourself! For whom? For Juan. Damn it.. It’s too big a risk, it’s not worth it! MARINA: For Juan and many more like him! What do you want me to tell Juan? “Juan, I made a promise to you but I’m sorry, this is how far I go. You see, we might get into hot waters, we might lose our car, our big house, the business contracts of my father, my career, my..” MR. TORRES: You’re provoking me! MARINA: No, Papa! Pa, do you think it’s easy for me to say this, and talk to you this way? I’m scared but I’ve got to say it. I have learned more from my association with Juan than here in our house. For example, that Tita Auring— she’s such a hypocrite. She comes here pretending to visit and ends up criticizing everything—even the hole in our sofa. She wants to find out who has the more beautiful car. And when she drops by unexpectedly at dinner and our food is dried fish, you and Mama squirm in shame. Why? Why are your relationships like that? When she’s here, she makes so many snide remarks and when she’s gone, it’s your turn to cut her to pieces. Pa, I went to Juan’s house in Sta. Ana. Their house is a small square which is sala, kitchen, and bedroom. When I arrived they were eating dried fish. Were they

embarrassed? No! They even offered me one wholeheartedly! I learn more about life in my dealings with Juan and simple people like Mang Tino. Life is really simple. It is just made complicated by your vested interest! MR. TORRES: Damn it! What are you saying? That’s a lot of bullshit! MARINA: The problem with you Pa is—when you don’t understand it or do not want to understand it—its bullshit! What are we having this conversation for!? (Leaves.) MR. TORRES: Marinaaa! Punyeta! I’m not yet through with you! Marinaaaaaa! Silence. MR. TORRES controls self, arranges tie, fetches MRS. TORRES. They exit as calmly as possible. Scene 23 JUAN is alone in the Detention Center. He is in prison garb, seated facing the audience. MARINA enters. MARINA: You must be mad at me because I was not able to help you as promised. JUAN: I don’t want to talk to you. You fooled me. I don’t like you! I don’t want to be like you! MARINA: Juan, I did everything I could but I could not win alone. Don’t worry (tries to be animated.) I’ll ask the help of the coming convention on Social Services. They’ll listen to us. We still have hope. You have hope to realize your dreams, your father’s and your mother’s… JUAN: I will! My mother’s dreams will come true. But I will never be like you— cheaters! Liars! I’ll escape from here. I don’t like this Center. I’ll escape! I’ll be with my father! MARINA: Juan, I’ll help you. You’ll get out of this place. JUAN: I don’t believe you! JUAN moves to the other bench, his back turned towards the audience. MARINA remains seated, fronting the audience. MARINA: You know, you’re really different from the other kids I know. You have nothing, and yet, everything. You have a broad and deep experience of life.. and emotions.. (Pause.) When I was your age, I thought I was the most

unhappy child in the world. Sometimes, at night I cried.. secretly, of course. You see when my parents were younger; they used to leave me alone often. My father would go out with friends, and my mother and her friends would go out after them. And they’d forget all about me. I really pitted myself. Nut now that we’ve met, my parents’ indifference is nothing compared to everyone’s callousness to you. I feel ridiculous at having felt that way. (Laughs and then sighs.) No reaction from JUAN. MARINA: You know, I really thought that you’d just be a case to me. But you really got me! (Laughs and pause.) I really care for you, Juan. I hope that your disappointment with me will pass. I want to regain your trust. Silence. MARINA slowly stands and leaves. A teary JUAN turns but MARINA has gone. JUAN: Thank you, Aling Marina. Scene 24 Juan’s nightmare. Lights turn to blue with sound effect. The CHORUS at Left sings ALING LUCIA’s lullaby. JUAN presses his hands on his head and curbs slowly into featl position. Then POLICEMAN, MR. DE LEON, JUDGE, MATRON enter from different directions holding bamboo poles with oversized figures of a cockroach, rat and lizard. They exit and enter again with larger versions of these figures as the sound effects from CHORUS at Right become more ominous. They surround JUAN and attack him. JUAN fights back, and pushes them. JUAN: You can’t keep me here! I’ll escape, I’ll be free! (Tries to frighten the figures.) Ahhh! Ahhh! You will not eat me, I’ll eat you! I’ll kill you! You’ll disappear from the face of the earrrrrth! I’ll escape! I’ll escape!!! (Runs out.) Scene 25 Convention. Members of CHORUS at Left become laborers. They prepare the stage for the convention. They hang a huge streamer announcing the affair. CHORUS at Right become guests. Some members of CHORUS at Left become ushers and waiters. MARINA enters. MARINA: Good evening to you all. (Smiles.) It is indeed a privilege for me to have this opportunity to talk to you about a case that I have been trying to solve for the past few months. In the process of my research

and investigation, I have arrived at a very important conclusion: I cannot solve this case alone. I need your help—and your compassion. The WAITERS are busy getting orders. The GUESTS are busy giving their orders: A margarita, Alexander brandy, bloody mary, daiquiri, etc. Half attention to MARINA MARINA: According to statistics provided to us by our professor and adviser (Looks at DE LEON who crosses his leg.) there are, today, 156 million impoverished children in the world. In 15 years, the figure will jump to 700 million. This is going to be a monstrous problem that we all have to face in the future, as individuals and as groups, involved in the field of social services. WAITERS bring orders of sizzling steak. MIKE enters, surveys the event. MARINA: Juan Tamban, 12 years old. He ran away home in search of a dream for a better life. He became a beggar, a watch-your-car boy. In desperation, he tried to have himself adopted by a rich matron who accused him instead of being a snatcher. So, he ended up in a detention center for juvenile delinquents. The dream has turned into a nightmare,,, MARINA pauses. The GUESTS are enjoying their dinner. MARINA: (Falters.) This child needs us very badly now. He would like to know if wecan help him. If we have time to help him… The eating and the socializing reach a peak; somebody sips his drink, a burp is heard, a toothpick is requested, laughter. Tableau as MARINA watches them. MIKE: (Quietly.) Marina, let’s go home. Your parents are waiting for you. MARINA walks out, leaving the GUESTS and MIKE. MIKE: Marina! Tableau remains for a few seconds. Blackouts. Curtain call immediately with song: CHORUS:

Streets turn into playground Streets turn into marketplace Streets turn into homes. Streets turn into alleys that

Turn into catwalks of unity. This is the world of Juan.