By Jameel
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CHARACTERS:
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MUSCLE the gorilla and his father STRENGTH the gorilla
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| Place: |
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| AT RISE: |
It is early in the morning. Muscle wakes up extra early to ask his father the most important question of his life
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MUSCLE
(yawns to start off his day) Man, today’s the day. The day my life can turn out better than it is or turn out worse. Hopefully, my day turns out good.
(Muscle walks in a small circle in his room thinking about his day)
Alright, now I know my father’s very busy throughout his day, but I feel that he should still make time for me. He gets up in the morning and get food for the family, and yes, I know, he’s very tired when he gets home. But when he wakes up, he finds enough time to give to the rest of the family but somehow leave me out. That’s why I came up with the idea of asking him to help me build a treehouse. So I know that he still loves me to make enough time in his day to help me, an when we are done, he doesn’t have to divide the time with me an my little brother Fur. We all could just have fun in the tree house together.
(Muscle hears his father getting up.)
MUSCLE
Alright, now’s the time to ask my father my question, and I hope his answer is yes.
(Muscle walks into his father’s bedroom nervously)
STRENGTH
Good morning, Muscle, why are you up so early.
(Strength starts to get ready for his morning routine.)
MUSCLE
I just came to talk to you for a quick minute.
STRENGTH
Sorry Muscle but I just don’t have the time.
MUSCLE
Pops, can you please just stop an listen to what I have to say. All I’m askin’ for is a minute of your time.
STRENGTH
Muscle, you know I don’t have time to waste. You know I have to swing through the trees really far to get food for this family, an you. You know that I have to get to the banana tree before every other animal in the forest, because if I show up last or even third to that tree, your mother, brother, sister, an you aren’t going to eat today. Do you want that to happen, son?
MUSCLE
(Muscle says in a sad mood) No pops.
STRENGTH
Then let me hurry up an get out of here so I could feed this family.
MUSCLE
Ok, Pops. (Strength goes to leave) Do you truly love me Pops?
(Strength turns around. He has an ashamed look on his face)
STRENGTH
Muscle, (Pause) why would you ask me that, you know I do.
MUSCLE
Well sometimes can’t you act like it.
STRENGTH
Muscle, I’m running late.
MUSCLE
Why do you treat Fur like he’s your only son?
STRENGTH
Muscle, what are you talking about?
MUSCLE
Why do you treat me and fur differently?
STRENGTH
Muscle, I treat both you two the same.
MUSCLE
(a long pause) You remember when I was about 10 years old, I asked you to teach me how to catch an throw a rock.
STRENGTH
Yeah, I remember.
MUSCLE
Do you also remember when Fur came outside an asked you to play with him. You told me to keep practicing an you left. You know how that made me feel?
STRENGTH
(pauses before answering Muscle) No Muscle, I don’t
MUSCLE
That made me feel abandoned to know that my father would leave me if my little brother called him.
STRENGTH
Muscle, that was just that one time.
MUSCLE
Pops you left me more times than one for Fur.
STRENGTH
Son, (pause) I didn’t kn…
MUSCLE
Every time you just up an left like that, every time you made me feel alone, like you just didn’t care about me.
STRENGTH
Muscle, why haven’t you told me this before?
MUSCLE
Because every time I tried you had somewhere to be or something to do. You never have the time for me anymore. Before Fur was born, you had all the time in the world to be with me. Now that Fur’s here, you’ve changed.
STRENGTH
Muscle did you forget that we had to move because of the fire.
MUSCLE
No
STRENGTH
Before Fur was born, we lived in a nice an peaceful place. A place where kids could go outside an be alright. But we had to move to this harsh and dangerous world, a world where you canÕt even step out the door without risking your life. There’s a lot of danger in our new environment an I need to teach Fur how to survive in this world he was born in. I’ve been tellin’ you ever since we got here to stay in the house, but you go outside anyways. I’ve told you don’t go deep in the forest, but you do anyways, just to have fun with your friends. Every time you’re with your friends, I think about you. The reason I spend so much time with Fur is because he’s young, and when he gets old enough, he’s going to want to be just like his big brother an explore where he lives with his friends. That’s why I’m trying to teach him all that I can, as fast as I can, because I don’t know when that day will come.
MUSCLE
Okay, I understand why you spend so much time with him. But why leave me out the picture.
STRENGTH
I never meant to make you feel unwanted. That’s the last feeling I ever want to cross your mind. It makes me feel devastated to know I ever made you feel unloved.
MUSCLE
I understand, but please don’t divide the little time you have to spend with us separate. If anything, we all should have fun together. (Pause) Pops, I was just thinking, how about we do a father an son activity an build a tree house. We can make it for just the three of us. An that way you don’t have to divide your time with me an fur. We can all have fun an play in the tree house together.
STRENGTH
OK, Muscle, that sounds great.
MUSCLE
An Dad…
STRENGTH
Yeah.
MUSCLE
Just to let you know, I love you.
(Strength pause)
STRENGTH
I love you too, son.
THE END
