Dancers by Alberto Florentino

The front yard of a poor family's dwelling on the out-skirts of the city.
The backdrop shows the front of a house: a doorway, a wide low window, and three steps of adobe stones.
Two long wooden benches, one on each side. Downstage, an old rattan chair probably salvaged from a nearby dump.
The street is to the left. The sound of children playing can be heard.
JUANITO, a thin gangling boy of 12, still in shorts, sits on the rattan chair, balled up tightly like a bomb, looking despondently at the children playing in the street.
NENITA, a growing girl of 17, sits on the long wooden bench at right, her unshod feet resting on it. She is reading a copy of "Pilipino Komiks."
TONY, about 21, in denim pants and t-shirt, enters from the street. He throws his cap through the window.
TONY: (to Juanito) Why aren't you playing with your friends.
JUANITO: (no answer)
TONY: Hey, what's the matter with you? (he nudges him)
TONY: (he flaunts the wad of paper money before him) Aren't you going to ask for money today?
JUANITO: No!
TONY: (he raps him on the head) All right, but don't shout at me.
JUANITO: (another grunt)
TONY: (he crossed to the bench where Nenita sits reading) Nenita!
NENITA: (she looks up from the comics) Yes, Kuya?
TONY: Look at the way you sit! No wonder those boys at the corner were all looking this way!
NENITA: (she sits properly) Oh, I can't even sit comfortably when I want to.
TONY: (he sits down and counts his earnings for the day) What's wrong with Juanito?
NENITA: (she glances briefly to Juanito) I don't know. He has been sitting ther all day. . . without saying a word to anybody.
TONY: Is he sick?
NENITA: No he's not. (she dismissed the subject) Did you earn much today?
TONY: Not so much... but I spare you this. (he hands her a coin.)
NENITA: Fifty centavos! You're giving all of this to me?
TONY: Yes, Nenita.
NENITA: Thank you, Kuya. At last I can buy a new copy. I've read this one so many times. (she throws the comics to the bench and goes over to Juanito) Come on, Juanito, let's buy a new one!
JUANITO: (grunt)
NENITA: (she tries to pull him up) Come on!
JUANITO: (he brushes her aside) Let me alone!
NENITA: (arms akimbo) All right! If you don't want to come with me, I'll go alone. I'll read it somewhere else. I won't even let you have a peep. Not a peep, remember, not a peep! (she runs down the street)
Tony glares at Juanito, then scoops water from the drum and douses his face. He pulls a towel from the clothes-line and wipes his face and arms dry.
FATHER: (he comes out of the house and stands at the doorway picking his teeth and making sounds with his tongue) Oh, what brings you home early?
TONY: A friend asked me for the jeep and I let him have it.
FATHER: You did? Today is Friday-churchday in Quiapo - isn't it? You could have earned an extra four or five pesos if -
TONY: Mother wants me stop at eight o'clock.
FATHER: But why pay any attention to her? You can drive up to midnight if you want to, and she can't do a thing about it.
TONY: But I don't want to. I don't want her to stay up the whole night waiting for me. Besides, I also want to rest. It was so hot the whole day.
FATHER: Was it? I didn't notice.
TONY: (sarcastic) Oh yes, you wouldn't notice. You were in the shade the whole day. (he throws the towel back to the clothesline)
FATHER: (he sits on the bench and cleans his toe nails with his toothpick) How much did you make today?
TONY: (he frowns: he doesn't like the trend of the conversation) Five pesos.
FATHER: Only?
TONY: I had flat tire at two o'clock.
FATHER: (pause) Well, five pesos with one flat - that's not so bad. How about - ?
TONY: I'm giving all of it to Mother.
FATHER: (rising) All of it?
TONY: All of it, as I promised her. She said she'd pay off some debts.
FATHER: Debts! There's no end to her debts! She has been trying to pay them as far back as I can remember. (pause) Why don't you just give her three pesos and tell her you had two flats. Then you can keep one peso for yourself - for a movie or a glass of beer.
TONY: And the other peso - where does it go?
FATHER: (he goes to him) Tony, I know you haven't forgotten -
TONY: Forgotten what?
FATHER: That I used to keep money from Mother for your movie fare.
TONY: That was before the war. Since then you never gave another centavo.
FATHER: How could I? I never had a chance to work again!
TONY: You mean, because you never wanted to work again. You had so many chances.
FATHER: All right. If another chance comes along. I'll see if I'm strong enough to work again. In the meantime I'll be glad to have that one peso we were talking about.
TONY: (pause) Oh, all right, here it is. (hands him a peso bill)
FATHER: (grabs the bill as if afraid Tony would change his mind) Thank you, son.
TONY: Don't spend it on liquor, Father.
FATHER: Oh no! (he see Mother coming from the street) Oh oh, here comes your mother! (he quickly hides the money and walks to the side)
TONY: Mother (he goes to her and helps with her load)
MOTHER: (exhausted) Oh God, I'm so tired. (she fans herself) I can feel my heart getting weaker and weaker every day. I can feel it.
TONY: Mother, why don't you stop going to the market? You're working yourself to death for the little that you earn for a whole day's work.
MOTHER: How can I stop? We have so many debts.
TONY: What Ate and I are earning would be enough for us, Mother.
MOTHER: (very certain) No, it's not - not with the prices of goods nowadays.
TONY: (not too hard to convince on this point) If you'd only let me drive up to eleven or twelve I'd earn enough for you to stop -
MOTHER: No. Tony, I won't let you drive yourself to death. You have to stop at eight, or you don't drive that jeep at all.
TONY: Look, Mother, I have only four pesos here. I can double this every day if you'd only let me -
MOTHER: No, no, no I won't let you. (she counts the money) You're giving all of this to me? Don't you want to keep a peso for yourself?
TONY: It's all right, Mother, I won't go out tonight anyway.
MOTHER: Thank you, son. (she hides the money; notices Father) Oh, so there you are. Where were you this afternoon?
FATHER: (caught by surprise; comes forward) What-why?
MOTHER: I was looking for you everywhere. I wanted you to carry a basket of melons to market.
FATHER: You know very well that my back isn't as strong as it used to be.
MOTHER: And do you think my back is any stronger than it used to be? I had to carry the basket all the way to the market.
TONY: At that moment, Mother, he was in the bar near the moviehouse.
FATHER: How did you know?
TONY: How did I know? I saw you.
FATHER: (to Mother) That's not true. Don't you believe him.
TONY: Don't lie Father, I did see you there. And everytime I see you there or in any other drinking place, I'll always tell Mother.
MOTHER: What were you doing there?
TONY: What else would he be doing in a bar except drinking!
FATHER: (to Mother) Oh, no! Yes, I was there all right. But I didn't touch a drop of liquor. Not a drop.
TONY: Who in the world would believe you were inside the bar and didn't touch a drop of liquor? Unless it was not only a drop but a whole big bottle -
FATHER: But I did not! Honest! How could I? I didn't have any money.
TONY: Then, what were you doing there?
FATHER: I was talking with the manager of the bar.
TONY: (sarcastic) Why? Did you want to buy his business from him?
FATHER: I was trying to see if he can take Nenita in-to work for him.
MOTHER: What-?
TONY: Nenita? To work in the bar? Have you gone crazy?
FATHER: Have I gone crazy! If she works there, she'd be earning sixty pesos a month for tips alone. Tell me what's so crazy about that?
TONY: Do you know what that place really is?
FATHER: I know. I have been there once or twice.
TONY: What did you do there?
FATHER: I drank. And of course I flirted with the girls too. (He glances shyly at Mother)
TONY: And that is all? Drink and flirt a little?
FATHER: (excited) Why, Tony, is there anything else you can do there? Is there? What do you know, Tony? Tell me!
TONY: (with an air of mystery) I know plenty about what you can do there and what happens there, but all I'll tell is that... that is no place for Nenita or any decent girl.
MOTHER: (breathless with excitement) Why, Tony, why? Is that place. . . is that a bad place?
TONY: Yes, Mother, as bad as any place can ever be. (pause) I'm hungry. I hope there's something left to eat. (he glances meaningfully at Father and enters the house.)
MOTHER: (to Father) See what you're trying to do? Trying to bring our daughter into a house of sin?
FATHER: But I didn't know (pause) don't worry. I'll try some other place. Maybe a department store or a restaurant.
MOTHER: Department store? Restaurant?
FATHER: Yes. Any place where Nenita might work.
MOTHER: Tomas! Why don't you stop looking for a job for her? You do nothing the whole day but hang around and get drunk. Why not get a job for yourself?
FATHER: You know very well I'm now too old and weak.
MOTHER: You only think you are. Why, you're only forty and still strong and healthy. I'm even one year older and I'm still working. I started when I married you and have never stopped since then.
FATHER: Look. I spent thirty years of my life driving a calesa. I'm entitled to a little rest at the end of my days. You don't want me to enter heaven panting like a tired dog, do you?
MOTHER: All right. If you don't want to work, don't. But stop driving Nenita to work.
FATHER: But what's wrong with that? Sooner or later everybody has to work for a living. It's about time she did.
MOTHER: Nenita is only sixteen. She's still a baby.
FATHER: She's seventeen-going on eighteen.
MOTHER: Sixteen or seventeen or eighteen, she's still a baby.
FATHER: (mimicking her) She's still a baby, she's still a baby. I'm telling you, she's old enough to have a baby.
MOTHER: Tomas, how dare you talk of your own daughter as if she were a woman of the streets!
FATHER: (appeasing her) All right. I only wanted to say she's old enough to be earning a living. We're getting old and it's about time our children start taking over.
MOTHER: Yes, but Nenita is so young.
FATHER: There are so many girls working who are as young as Nenita, even younger. Look at Rita, her own sister. She started when she was barely sixteen.
MOTHER: She did, and it was all your fault.
FATHER: My fault!
MOTHER: You pushed her into dancing in the cabaret when I was sick and couldn't stop you. And she was only a baby then.
FATHER: She had to dance to earn money for your medicines. You must remember it was her dancing that saved your life.
MOTHER: You could have worked instead, but you were so lazy and useless, you'd rather let your own daughter stay up the whole night dancing.
FATHER: But what's wrong with dancing?
MOTHER: You always find nothing wrong with anything. Don't you ever worry that she's all alone in the night with the canto boys and drunkards and strangers-
FATHER: Isn't Juanito always with her?
MOTHER: But what can a little boy like Juanito do?
FATHER: But what can happen to her? She's big enough to take care of herself. She has danced for ten years now and no harm has come to her.
MOTHER: If no harm has come to her, it's because I keep praying to God that-oh, that reminds me-I have to go to church for a short while.
FATHER: Again? You went there only this morning.
MOTHER: I won't be long.
FATHER: You're always going to church. Morning, afternoon, evening.
MOTHER: If I never went to church, I can't imagine what could have happened to us.
FATHER: All I know is that, if all the time you waste in church you spend in the market; you'd be bringing home more money -
MOTHER: Oh, Tomas, stop saying those blasphemous words! (she looks briefly to the sky) Oh God, do forgive my lazy, sinful and blaspheming husband. (to Father) Please put these things inside. I'll be right back. (she rushes down the street)
FATHER: Look at the woman! She runs off to church and leaves me this work to do. (he notices Juanito) Juanito!
JUANITO: (a grunt)
FATHER: Get up from there and put these things inside. Hurry up before your mother returns.
JUANITO: (protesting) But, Father -
FATHER: What's a young tyke like you doing there-sitting all day long? Rest is only for tired, old people like me. Get up and do as I tell you.
JUANITO: I heard Mother say you bring them in.
FATHER: Well, this time you hear me say you bring them in.
JUANITO: I won't do it.
FATHER: (poised to remove his belt) If you don't, I'll give you a lashing you'll never forget! Remember - your mother is not around to stop me!
JUANITO: (obey reluctantly) I'll tell Mother you made me do your work again.
Father walks downstage and sees Elena coming in from the street.
FATHER: Elena -
ELENA: (she is around 23, gaudily dressed, in a bright colored, tight, short skirt. She wears heavy make-up and a shawl around her shoulders) Good evening, Mang Tomas. Is Rita ready to go?
FATHER: She's not home. (he goes around her, looking her over, obviously infatuated with her)
ELENA: (conscious of his infatuation, she always steers away from him) Where is she?
FATHER: She went downtown.
ELENA: What for?
FATHER: I don't know. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How pretty you are tonight, Elena. And what a nice dress! Can you walk in that?
ELENA: Of course, Mang Tomas! How could I have arrived here?
FATHER: Come on, try to walk a little. I just want to see for myself.
ELENA: (flustered) Oh Mang Tomas -
FATHER: You promised me you'd teach me how to dance.
ELENA: Did I?
FATHER: Come on, teach me now.
ELENA: But I can't, not here. There's no music. If you go to the salon at about seven or eight o'clock, I'll teach you there.
FATHER: At the salon? No, I want it here, now. Come on. (he takes her hand)
ELENA: (pulling away) No, I can't.
FATHER: O, come on, let's try.
ELENA: (struggling) But there's no music! We will look funny dancing.
FATHER: (holding her hand tightly) Shhh. . . listen. . . do you her that music? (faint music from a distant jukebox) That's good enough for me.
ELENA: (struggling anew) But not for me, Mang Tomas! What will people say if they see us?
FATHER: It's none of their business. Come on. (he presses her body to him and tries a few funny steps, humming all the time)
ELENA: (struggling) Mang Tomas! Let me go! My shoes! My dress! I can't breathe!
RITA: (she enters from the street; the eldest child, about 26 very mature-looking) Father! What are you trying to do?
FATHER: (he quickly disentangles himself from Elena; embarrassed) I. . . she. . . she was teaching me. . . how to dance.
ELENA: (about to cry) Oh, look at my shoes! And I even cleaned them very well this morning!
RITA: Father, see what you've done! (she smoothen Elena's dress)
FATHER: I'm sorry, Elena.
RITA: (to Elena) He's not really sorry, but forgive him Elena. I'll be out in a minute. (to Father) Keep away from her, Father. You haven't taken a bath in five months.
FATHER: That's a lie. Why, I took my bath only last month -
Elena suddenly breaks into a laugh. Rita joins her.
FATHER: (embarrassed) All right. Laugh, laugh, laugh. An old man like me can't take a bath as often as young people. (he enters the house.)
RITA: (she notices Juanito) Juanito, get ready, it's getting late. (she also enters the house.)
ELENA: (she goes over to Juanito) You heard what your Ate said, Juanito. Get ready now.
Juanito doesn't answer or move.
ELENA: (she kneels down to him) Aren't you coming with us tonight, Juanito?
JUANITO: No!
ELENA: Why not?
JUANITO: I don't want to.
ELENA: Why? Are you sick or something? You look sick. (she tries to feel his forehead)
JUANITO: (brushing her hand away) I'm not sick! Don't bother me!
ELENA: Then why don't you want to go with your Ate?
JUANITO: Why do I have to go with her?
ELENA: (rising) Because your Mother wants you to. If you are with Rita, your mother doesn't worry much about her. She knows she'll be all right.
JUANITO: I've been going with Ate since I was old enough to walk. I'm tired of it.
ELENA: It must be because of something else. Now let me see. What could it be? (pause) Is it because of Norma?
JUANITO: (sensitive about her) No!
ELENA: She's young and pretty. Just the girl for you. You know I always watch you when you're with her. Suddenly you'd be very quiet. Sometimes I think I see you tremble when you're near her. You're courting her, aren't you?
JUANITO: No!
ELENA: But just the same you're in love with her, aren't you?
JUANITO: No!
ELENA: And you won't come with us now because. . . because you don't want to see her dancing with the young man. You're jealous.
JUANITO: That's not true.
ELENA: If it's not true, why don't you come with us to prove you're not?
JUANITO: You're trying to trick me! But I won't go. You can't make me go!
ELENA: (harassing him) Then it must be true! You're in love with Norma and you're courting her and you're jealous of the young men who dance with her -
JUANITO: That's not true!
ELENA: It's true! See? You're blushing!
JUANITO: Stop it, Elena, stop it!
ELENA: - and you're jealous -
JUANITO: (in a violent outburst) Stop it! Stop it! You harlot!
ELENA: (shocked, speechless for a time, then) Oh! You're. . . you're horrible! I hate you! I hate you!
RITA: (she appears at the doorway and sees Elena trembling and on the verge of tears. She rushes to her) Elena -
ELENA: Rita I. . . I'll go ahead. . . (she turns to go)
RITA: (holding her back) Wait, Elena. What happened?
ELENA: (holding back her tears) It's Juanito. . . He. . . he - (she breaks into sobs)
RITA: What did he do to you? Tell me!
Elena whispers to Rita, burst into tears again, and runs down the street.
RITA: (running from her) Wait, Elena, wait! (but Elena has gone. She turns to Juanito) Why did you call her that Juanito?
JUANITO: I didn't call her anything.
RITA: Don't lie to me! She told me. Why did you call her that (he does not answer) Answer me!
JUANITO: (scared, about to cry) Because. . . because she wouldn't let me alone.
RITA: But why call her that? Why?
JUANITO: (crying) Because it's true! Because that's what she is!
RITA: (enraged, she shakes him) How do you know?
JUANITO: (crying) Because I hear the young men talk about her. They always talk about her.
RITA: (she shakes him violently, her nails digging into his shoulders) You're a liar!
JUANITO: (struggling in pain) I'm not. Ate, you're hurting me! Let me go! (screams) Let me go or I tell on you too!
RITA: What? (she grips his shoulders until he squirms in pain) You think you can treat me as if I were Elena, ha?
JUANITO: (in pain) Let me go or I'll tell about the Chinese!
RITA: (stung) What Chinese are talking about? (shakes him in fury)
JUANITO: (screams) ARAY! YOU WENT WITH HIM LAST NIGHT! I FOLLOWED YOU! INTO A ROOM! YOU WERE GONE IN A LONG TIME!
RITA: (crumpling his mouth to silence him) Liar! Liar! Liar!
At the height of her anger she slaps him several times on the face and pushes him to the ground. She is about to kick him - were it not for Tony who, with his Father, had watched the whole scene in silence from the window. He steps forward and stops her in time. Juanito picks himself up and rushes down the street crying.
TONY: What do you want to do - kill him?
RITA: (fuming mad, avoiding his eyes) You heard what he said, didn't you. Oh, that little devil! If I get my hands on him again, I'll twist his little neck - (she catches him looking at her) Why do you look at me that way?
TONY: (no answer)
RITA: (screams) Why do you look at me that way?
TONY: (calm) What's wrong with the way I look at you?
RITA: (a bit calmed). You were looking at me as if -
TONY: As if what?
RITA: (loud) As if you believe everything that liar said!
TONY: (silence)
RITA: You believe him don't you? Don't you?
TONY: (silence)
RITA: All right. If you want to, believe him. I don't care a bit if you do. It's not true. (she turns to go)
TONY: Where are you going?
RITA: Where do you think - to a party?
TONY: You're still going there - to the Salon? After all this -
RITA: After all what?
TONY: Don't play dumb. You know what I mean.
RITA: I don't! What do you mean?
TONY: (clearly) After all these things that were said here only a minute ago!
RITA: (hysterical) See? You believe him!
TONY: Any reason why I should not?
RITA: You know very well he's lying!
TONY: Why should he lie against his own sister? He was so fond of you before, wasn't he?
RITA: (silence)
TONY: (pleading) Ate, let's stop this now. Let's forget all that happened and was said here. Let's -
RITA: (suddenly screams) I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! (she rushes into the house)
FATHER: (he comes forward and tries to catch her at the doorway) Rita. . .
RITA: (screams as she rushes past him) LET ME GO!
TONY: Father, stop her from going.
FATHER: Don't be foolish.
TONY: (surprised) Didn't you hear what Juanito said?
FATHER: I did.
TONY: And you'd still let her continue going to the salon?
FATHER: Oh, you shouldn't mind what the boy says. He doesn't know what he's saying. He's only making up a story. You know he has such a wild imagination.
TONY: "Imagination"! You call all that imagination?
Rita comes out the house carrying her bag and shawl. She hurriedly walks past them.
FATHER: (catches her arm) Rita, wait -
RITA: (struggling) Don't try to stop me, Father!
FATHER: I'm not stopping you. It's only that. . . you can't go alone. Your mother - she won't let anybody sleep a wink tonight if you go alone.
RITA: If you think I'll have the little devil go with me -
FATHER: But you can't go alone. (he sees Nenita coming down) Wait, here comes Nenita. She will go with you.
TONY: Father, what are you trying to do?
FATHER: (ignoring Tony) Come here, Nenita.
NENITA: (running forward) Yes, Father?
FATHER: Get dressed and -
TONY: (interrupting) Father -
NENITA: Why Father? Where am I going?
TONY: You can't do this -
FATHER: (to Tony) Shut up. (to Nenita) You'll go with your Ate tonight.
NENITA: Where's Juanito?
FATHER: He's not well.
TONY: Father, you can't -
FATHER: Go on, Nenita, get ready. It's getting late.
TONY: Don't go Nenita.
NENITA: But Kuya - Father - oh God, whom shall I obey?
FATHER: I am your Father, not he. So obey me.
NENITA: Kuya -
FATHER: I said, don't mind him. (he slaps her bottom) Come on, get dresses. (he shoves her into the house)
RITA: Come on, Nenita, I'll help you dress up. (she glares triumphantly at Tony and follows Nenita inside.)
TONY: Father do you know what you're doing?
FATHER: I know what I'm doing.
TONY: Instead of pulling out Ate from the salon, you're making Nenita join her!
FATHER: She'll only accompany Rita. Only for tonight.
TONY: Only for tonight! As if I didn't know you! Tomorrow night you'll make her go again and again you'll say. "Only for tonight." Then the next night and the next - until she'll be going there every night with Ate - until she too will be dancing like Ate.
FATHER: If dancing is good enough for your Ate, it's good enough for Nenita.
TONY: (enraged) You have always wanted Nenita to go with Ate, and you jumped at this chance -
FATHER: I'm the father around here and I decide what to do with my own daughters.
TONY: I know! I knoe you will decide things! And what kind of father are you! If a man came here with money and asked for your daughters you'd give them to him. Just as long as he gives you the money. Money! You'll set your own daughters for money! You'll do anything for money!
Father suddenly hits him hard on the face with the back of his hand. Tony falls top the ground. He quickly stands up dazed. There is blood on his lips.
FATHER: Get out of my sight, get out!
Tony moves forward as if to fight back. He stops, wipes the blood off his lips, then turns around and runs down the street.
MOTHER: (she enters from the street and sees Tony running with blood on his lips. She tries to hold him back but she shakes off and vanishes down the street) Tony, come back! Where are you going? Tony! (she turns around and run to Father) What happened Tomas? What happened? Why was there blood on his face? Did you hit him again? Tomas, what have you done to him?
FATHER: (calm) Nothing.
MOTHER: Tomas, I have always told you never to hit him again. If you don't stop it, one of these days he'll run down that street and never come back.
FATHER: Be quiet, Mother.
Nenita and Rita come out of the house.
MOTHER: Nenita, why are you dressed up? Where are you going?
FATHER: Juanito is not well, so Nenita will go with her Ate.
MOTHER: Juanito is sick? Where is he? (calls) Juanito! Juanito!
FATHER: Come on, you two. I'll walk with you to the jeepney.
MOTHER: No wait, Nenita, stay here. I'll go with your Ate.
FATHER: No, you're tired. You stay home and rest.
MOTHER: But you can't let Nenita go with her.
FATHER: She will only keep her Ate accompany. Only for tonight.
RITA: Yes Mother, only for tonight.
MOTHER: But you can't. No -
NENITA: It's alright, Mother. I'll take care of myself.
FATHER: Yes, yes, they will take care of each other.
Mother starts to cry.
NENITA: Why are crying Mother?
RITA: Father, it's getting late.
MOTHER: No, not my baby -
FATHER: (he makes her sit down on the bench.) Don't worry, Mother. (to the girls) Let's go. (he takes them by the waist and leads them away in a hurry)
MOTHER: (she run after them) No Tomas! (she vanishes down the street and returns whimpering. She sits down on the chair) My little baby's gone. I won't have her by my side tonight. O but then it will only be tonight because Juanito - where's Juanito? (walks around calling). Juanito! Juanito! Where are you? (enters the house calling and comes out calling; sits down on the chair and looks around helplessly. Juanito comes running from the street. He rushes to her, fall on his knees, buries his face into her lap, and cries).
MOTHER: Why are you crying, Juanito? What happened? Are you sick? (caresses him) Stop crying, my dear. You're feverish and trembling. Why do you have scratches all over you? What happened? Who hurt you! Tell me, Juanito? Did anybody hurt you? Speak to me, Juanito! (he just cries on and on) Oh God, what's happening? What's happening to all of us? (she looks up at the sky) Oh God, oh God, oh God!