Li Yu-Yuan ¾¤¸Î¤¸
Bare Feet
The story happens in the Republic of Sierra Leone, a small country in the northwest coast of Africa. There are three characters in this play, Mr. and Mrs. Jamison, and Mahoora, the Sierra Leonean boy.
Mr. Jamison, a retired zoologist, comes from Manchester, England. He is about his late sixties, and wears a pair of thick glasses. Besides, there is a hump on his skinny back. On the contrary, Mrs. Jamison has a fat butt, and in her middle sixties. Because of her mysophobia, she always wears an apron and busies in cleaning the house. The couple fostered the pathetic African boy, who is about fifteen with a big belly but skinny limbs.
At rise, we see a living room, which is decorated with hand-made furniture, rough but full of warmth. Mr. Jamison is finding something in the bookshelf; meanwhile, Mrs. Jamison is mopping the floor.
Mr. J Mahoora has come for two weeks. Let¡¦s take a picture of him. He looks much better than the skinny boy we met. Do you remember that he was too weak to stand, and he ate a bowl of spaghetti in five minute¡K
(He keeps searching for something.)
Mrs. J (With a cold voice.) Yeah. I remember. Do not repeat it again and again. That would be lovely to take a picture of him. Where¡¦s he?
Mr. J I find it!
(He waves the camera in his hand and blows it.)
Maybe he is playing outside, he will come back soon.
(He sits on the sofa, reading newspaper.)
Mrs. J (Hysterical.) It¡¦s dirty all around the house. I can¡¦t take it any longer.
(She mops the floor even harder.)
Mr. J Uh-un.
(He keeps his head behind the newspaper and reads the report.)
The congress in¡KRepublic¡Kof cote¡Kd¡¦Ivoire¡Khas announced that¡K¡K
(Mrs. J takes away his newspaper and yells)
Mrs. J Did you listen to what I said?
Mr. J Ur¡KYou said that ¡Kurrr¡Kit¡¦s dirty. Urr¡Kam I¡Kright? After Mahoora gets accustomed to us and I finish the observation of the migration of the elephants, let¡¦s move back to Manchester. As soon as possible, I promise.
(Mahoora walks into the living room with his bare feet. He hangs the shoes on his neck. Besides, his cloth is shabby.)
(Mr. J notices that Mahoora has come in the living room. He rushes to Mahoora, helping him to dress up. But it¡¦s too late.)
Mrs. J Put your shoes on and dress up, Mahoora!
Mahoora I¡KI¡Kno¡Kshoe¡Kon¡K.
Mr. J Don¡¦t be so harsh to him. He¡¦s scared.
(Mahoora stands there, trembling.)
Mrs. J Don¡¦t you see that he is shabby? I want him to be a well-manner boy. Am I wrong? Huh?
Mr. J (To Mahoora) That¡¦s okay. Let¡¦s take a picture.
(He takes out the camera, and presses the shutter.)
(Upon seeing the flash, Mahoora screams loudly. Then he snatches the camera, and throws it on the ground. Mahoora squats down, and covers his head with his hand. His body is trembling. He murmurs some words.)
Mahoora God¡Kanger¡K¡Kkill¡KI ¡Kno no no
Mrs. J (Angrily) Are you crazy? You little bustard!
Mr. J Hey, don¡¦t scold him. There must be some reasons.
(To Mahoora) Could you tell me why you do so? I won¡¦t punish you.
Mahoora Light¡Kgod¡K¡Kangry¡Kkill¡K
(Mahoora covers his face with his hands, and keeps shaking his head.)
Mr. J Silly boy. You will be fine. That is camera, it is not lightening. The god won¡¦t punish you. You won¡¦t die.
(To Mrs. J) He just doesn¡¦t know what it is, be patient.
Mrs. J Okay, okay. (Murmuring) It¡¦s quite expensive.
Mr. J Ok. Let¡¦s get dressed.
(Mr. J takes the shoes off Mahoora¡¦s neck, and squats down to help Mahoora wear the shoes. However, Mahoora moves backward.)
Mr. J Good boy. Put on the shoes.
Mahoora No shoe¡Kno¡Kno¡Kno¡K
(Waving his hand, moving backward again)
Mr. J You don¡¦t want to put on your shoes?
(Mahoora shakes his head. His body is still trembling.)
Mrs. J What a nasty boy you are! I brought you home. I give you food and cloth. Now, you live in my house, you have to obey my rule. I want you to put the shoes on, dress up. Isn¡¦t it an easy thing? Now, do it!
(Mahoora keeps moving backward, shaking his head.)
Mahoora I¡Kno¡Kno¡K
(Mahoora is about to cry. His sound is shivering.)
Mr. J Are you unfamiliar with wearing the shoes?
Mahoora Pain¡Kno shoe¡K
(Mahoora points his feet.)
Mr. J Okay. Don¡¦t put on the shoes. (To Mrs. J) He needs time to get accustomed to the new lifestyle.
Mrs. J Two weeks are enough. It is easy. I do not know whether it is really hard to put on the shoes.
Mahoora I¡Kgood¡Kno angry¡K
(Mahoora is about to cry, and clenches his shirt.)
Mr. J You two are different! You have prejudice. How come you become a narrow-minded woman?
Mrs. J I am narrow-minded? Huh?
Mr. J Forget it! It¡¦s a meaningless quarrel. As long as Mahoora is here, you can not treat him like this.
Mrs. J Who cares!
Mr. J I care. That¡¦s all!
(Mr. J tries to stand up, but he falls on the floor. His hands hold on to the cloth on his chest. His facial expression looks painful.)
(Mahoora stands still; he is stunned by the shock.)
Mahoora Pa¡Kpa¡K
(Mrs. J rushes to her husband, kneeling down to Mr. J. She sounds hysterical.)
Mrs. J Henry, what¡¦s wrong with you? You scared me¡Kwake up¡Khey¡Kwake up.
(To Mahoora, yelling.) Go find the doctor! Hurry!
(Mahoora stands still, staring at Mr. J. Then he burst into tears.)
Mahoora God¡Kkill¡K¡Klight¡K.anger¡Kkill¡Kpapa¡Kno¡K
Mr. J Let¡Khim¡K¡Kgo¡KI¡Klove¡Khim¡Kbut...I¡Kcan¡¦t ¡Ktake¡Kcare of¡Khim¡K¡K.
(Mr. J gasps out his last words, and then he breathes his last.)
(Silence.)
Mrs. J (Yelling and crying.) How come you left me here¡Kyou can¡¦t do that¡Kwake up¡KHenry¡KI ask you wake up¡Kcome back¡K¡K
(Mrs. J suddenly stands up, rushes to the kitchen. She goes back with a knife in her hands, and walk toward Mahoora. She keeps murmuring.)
Mrs. J You murderer¡Kyou are the murderer.
(Mrs. J stabbed Mahoora.)
(Without fighting against her, Mahoora falls on the floor. The knife sticks in his chest, his eyes wide open, staring at Mr. J¡¦s dead body.)
Mahoora Pa¡Kpa¡Kno¡K¡K.shoe¡K¡K..
(Mrs. J picks up the mop, mopping the blood and murmuring.)
Mrs. J I do let him go¡Kit is dirty all around the house¡KI have to clean it up¡K...
Blackout