The Waiting

The Waiting By Ron Darvin Written as a springboard for discussion of how long-term separation impacts the lives of migrant families, this short play was first performed at the University of British Columbia in ancouver, Canada in !ovember "#$%,&' !o set is re(uired to stage thisplay' The two characters-)sabel, a *ilipino woman in her early &#s, and +iguel, her  %-year old son-face s on-face the audience as they recite their monologues' )sabel )sabel +abuhay. +abuhay. +y name is )sabel and )$m from the archipelago archipelago of /,%#/ islands, high tide- /%#0 low tide-the 1hilippines. )$m 2%' )3m 4ust 5idding. )$m &%' ) 4ust wanted wanted to see if you$ll you$ll believe believe me' Because you 5now, 5now, my friends, friends, they as5 me 6)sabel, 6)sabel, what$s what$s your secret for loo5ing loo5ing so young76 young76 8nd ) tell them, 69ay na5u, lnday, t$s all about moisturi:ing. That$s why ) use Dove' ;ou 5now7 $Because you$re more beautiful than you thin5.6$ There are many Doves, but my favorite is Dove 1omegranate' 8y, 8y, it smells so good. ;ou ;ou 5now in +anila ) didn$t even 5now what a pomegranate was' The first time ) saw one here in Canada ) said, o ) got a 4ob here at Tim 9orton$s near the train station''' on Broadway.  8fter another two years, ) got my permanent residence, and of course ) tr  ied to get my family here right away' But that too5 another two years' =o much paper wor5. 8nd plane tic5ets aren$t aren $t cheap you 5now' 5no w' ) haven$t gone home to +anila for si? years '''  8y but who cares about that city7 They don$t film movies there li5e *ifty = hades of @rey-unless you$re tal5ing about pollution.  8nyway, last yea&, my son +iguel'''+iguel +iguel'''+iguel moved here to be with me' 9e$s % now' 9e was barely seven when ) left +anila but now he$s here' +y son is here' 8nd after all these years of waiting,  this, this is all that matters'' +iguel 9ey' =up' +iguel here' Been in ancouver for over a year' W hat$s that7