By
Craig
Characters: BAMBINO, the COBRA Jr. aka Cage, age 17
JOY, the VIPER — Mom 39 of age
Setting: On the mountainous side of the desert. Night
has just fallen which make the summer heat
bearable by the cool mountainous breeze.
Rain has not hit the deserts? surface for
centuries. To get cold, drinkable water, you
have to go to the stream where many haven?t
made it back beause it?s so hot.
Time: 8:30pm on a warm Summer night.
At Rise: CAGE is sitting on the left side of the couch
watching t.v. JOY walks in and asks Cage a
question.
JOY
(JOY walks into the room) Cage, did you take out the
trash?
CAGE
Nah (Looking irritated) I?ll take it out later.
JOY
The garbage man is coming rite now. Can you please take
the trash out?
CAGE
Man, stop buggin? me. Why you keep askin? me. I told
you ta hold on.
JOY
Cage, I can?t keep living like this. (Almost in tears)
You don?t need to give an attitude.
CAGE
I?m not dealing with this BS. No more I?m out.
(Get up quickly and prepares to storm out of the room.)
JOY
Please don?t go hang with those hooligans. They don?t
care about you. Everytime you leave the house, it scare
me because I don?t know if it?s gonna be the last time
I see you.
CAGE
You need to stop trippin?. Anyway, those hooligans —
the CoViThons- actually care. They make me feel like I
have a place. If you really cared I would have my dad.
You don?t even let me know he is. (CAGE gets the trash
ready.)
CAGE
There you happy I?m taking out the trash!
JOY
That?s not the point. And the reason I don?t tell you
about your dad is because I don?t want the same future
he had. Even though your already following his
footsteps.
CAGE
Whatchu mean by that? (Looking as if he wants to whip
his tail through the wall.) How can I be like him and I
don?t even know him?
JOY
That the whole point. I left him because he thought he
was better than everyone and displayed the same
characteristics that you?re displaying now. I?ve tried
to raise you on my own but I can see I didn?t do a good
job. (Crying)
CAGE
Well maybe if I knew him and how he was maybe my life
would be different. Because if I knew I would?ve made
it a top priority to not be like him. But you keepin’
secrets and not telling me nunthin?. So how am I pose
to know. (Grunt) Damn!
JOY
I can?t live with this fear in my system wondering if
when you leave this house will I get that phone call
from the coroner?s office telling me your gone. I can?t
live without you.
CAGE
Whatever you say.
JOY
And by the way we are moving.
CAGE
What the hell well moving fo?? I?m telling you right
now
I ain?t going.
JOY
You have to. I already made a bid on the house. If we
don?t tell the real estate snake by 10 o?clock the
deals off.
CAGE
(Yelling) Why we gotta move? Why can?t we just stay
here?
JOY
Because it?s not safe, Cage.
CAGE
But I ain?t trying to move. This is all I know. Why
would I want to move and have no people I know. I
don?t want to leave the snomies. And if it?s in the
albino village. That makes my no to a hell freaking no!
I don?t care it it?s not safe I can handle myself.
JOY
Well I care because I don?t want you near your dad.
CAGE
(Looking curious) Whatchu mean near my dad?
JOY
Nothing. Just forget I said anything. (Looking like she
knows she slipped up).
CAGE
Nah. I?m not gonna forget about it. You said that for a
reason and I wanna know why you said it. Cuz I hate
when you always try to hi sumthin?. So just say it.
JOY
Nevermind.
CAGE
See that?s what I?m talking about. You be playing to
damn much. You always say you care about me. But if you
really cared about me you?d stop keepin? all these
SECRETS. That?s only thing that really upsets me.
JOY
(Hisses viciously) These secrets are what kept you
alive. All these years! I kept these secrets from you
because I didn?t want you to turn out like this.
CAGE
What do you mean kike dis? How am I acting?
JOY
Like a hoodlum snake from the pits. Don?t you know that
you gonna end up dead if you keep acting rambunctious.
And also you say I?m keeping secrets, I know you got a
secret, or two hidden.
CAGE
All right I?ll make a deal with you. If you tell me who
my Dad is and where I can find him. I?ll tell you my
secret.
JOY
And what secrets do you have to say anything about?
CAGE
Well the fact that I have a little snake of myself.
JOY
What do you mean?
CAGE
I have a son.
JOY
Really? Oh my gosh. I?m so happy for you. (Feeling
overwhelmed and distraught. She pauses.) And how could
you not trust me to tell me that?
CAGE
Because I didn?t know how you would take it? Whether
you would be devastated and ashamed, or joyful and
ecstatic? (Looking nervously around the room.)
JOY
Well I can tell you the feelings I feel right now are
nothing negative and I am glad and happy for you. But
now that makes me it even more of a priority that we
have because that baby is gonna need you to be there
for him.
CAGE
(Feeling insecure.) I know, but it?s just gonna be too
hard and if we move I?mma have to bring my son. So ok.
I told you my secret. So now you have to tell me
yours. Remember the deal?
JOY
Well, there?s no easy way to say this, but you know the
CoViThons you be reppin??
CAGE
Yea of course I know them. But what?s this got to do
with my dad? Got to (Looking confused)
JOY
Like I just said there?s no easy way to say this but
the King Cobra of the CoViThons is your dad.
CAGE
(Looking shocked) Are you serious? He?s been under my
nose the whole time?
JOY
Yes and that?s why I wanted to move. Because I didn?t
want you to end up like him. I?ve tried my best to help
you and raise you by myself because never waned to be
a part of your life. He technically disowned you. And
I?m sorry to tell you this but it?s true.
CAGE
I understand. I now see why you been keeping secrets
from me. (Looking depressed). But why did you keep this
from me for so long? Why couldn?t you just tell me from
the jump?
JOY
Because I didn?t want to hurt you.
CAGE
But it hurt me more because you kept it from me all
these years. Didn?t you ever think about how this would
effect me?
JOY
I did think about it but I want to protect you and…
CAGE
(Looking angry and yelling) No don?t even try to say it
was to protect me because now I have to go on living
life knowing my dad didn?t a rats behind about me!
JOY
Cage, you have to look at it from my point of view. I
was scared and didn?t know what to do. That?s why I
want to move. It?s 9 o?clock and we have an hour tell
the real esnake agent if we?re moving.
CAGE
I know. It?s just gonna be hard leaving all my friends
behind. You know now hard it was for me to fit in here
as I was growing up. Everyone knows I?m different. And
when we move, I don?t want to be the snake that?s
special. Or, the snake no one likes. (Almost in tears.)
JOY
I know sweetheart. But it?s for your safety and for
your own good. And anyway, what is there not to like
about you? (Looking sympathetic)
CAGE
Everything!
JOY
That?s not true. There?s a lot?
CAGE
Stop lying!
JOY
But I?m not, sweetie.
CAGE
Whatever.
JOY
So please will you just say yes? (Looking anxious) I?m
tired of being worried and I?m tired not knowing when
will you be home? It?s effecting my health Cage.
(Silence falls over the room.)
CAGE
Ok. We can move. But with the exception you let me come
back here to the desert once a month to see my Dad?
JOY
Ok. I can deal with that.
CAGE
Ok. Then it?s settled.
(JOY and CAGE hug.)
CAGE
Love you mom.
JOY
Love you, too, Cage.
THE END.
