A Play by Uluao

CHARACTERS: LELE, the Lion, male, 15 years old                                  
FEFE, the Hyena, male, 15 years old

 

SETTING:

In the jungle under the scorching sun with vicious animals. Tall grass and trees, smell of the wild. Rocky ground. LELE feels that the environment is strange, because he’s been gone a long, long time and nothing feels the same.

TIME:

Afternoon, 4 pm. Summertime.

AT RISE:

LELE just got out from the hunters’ cage and is trying to find his way back home, but in the process he spots FEFE looking suspicious. LELE is creeping up on FEFE to rattle his tail a little.


FEFE

(screams)
What the hehe?!

LELE

(laughs hard)
How you doin’, Fefe?
(stops laughing)
What you been up to, homie?

FEFE

(getting himself together)

What the—

(surprised)

FEFE
(Cont’d)Lele, is that you?

LELE

What, don’t you recognize nobody no more? Man, I’ve been gone for a while but I didn’t know I been gone to where my loved ones don’t recognize me. Especially you.

FEFE

My, my, my, it really is you, you over grown beast. But yea I’ve been koo tryin’ to stay on my four paws as usual and taking care of the family.

LELE

(looking sad)

Yea, that’s koo—

FEFE

Man, you know I could never stop thinking about the time you got caught and got taken away and I got away. You know that just didn’t feel right.

LELE

Don’t worry about none of that, aiet. I guess it was for the better for the both of us, ya know. It’s like a sign or something.

FEFE

A sign? Don’t tell me they brainwash you too.

LELE

Man, they didn’t. But on the more serious side of things, I think the sign was meant for us to change because we can’t be doin’ this forever.

FEFE

(curious)
Change? Please don’t tell me you were just talkin’ ‘bout change? You remember the time we was running wild together and you said in your own words that you’ll never change and that you love this life. You remember that?
(irritated)

And now you come roarin’ along talkin’ ‘bout change!!
LELE

(deep sigh and shakin’ his fur)
You know when I was in that cage all I did was eat, use the bathroom, and sleep. But the most important thing I did was think. Man, you know thinkin’ is a trip because it made me feel like a whole new animal.

FEFE

(sarcasm)
Can you tell me where all this came from? All this non-sense you’re talking ‘bout.

LELE

I thought you was my homie, Fefe. But you know what, Imma just blow off what you just said – but you remember my pops, right?

FEFE
Yea, I remember. Who wouldn’t.

LELE
Well, when my old man came up to visit me at the cage he didn’t seem the same.
(deep sigh)
And when I looked into his eyes it felt like they were tryin’ to tell me something like “Hurry up and come home before I go.”

FEFE
Fo’ real? I didn’t know it went that deep.

LELE
That’s why I promised myself to change to stay out of the cage and be with my folks.

FEFE
Damn yo…yo mindset done change and I really could dig it but I got to ask a favor.

LELE
Aiet. Shoot.

FEFE
Well, I need help takin’ over a territory.

LELE
My help? Nothing changed one bit with yourself. Still up to no good, huh? Did you hear what I just said?

FEFE
Man, I heard everything you said. But you know this time, this time is for one good reason.

LELE
And what reason is that?

FEFE
For my family! That’s who! When you was in that cage,  I was out here still witnessing other animals gettin’ killed and chased by those hunters right in front my family’s face.

LELE
Aiet, if this is for your family and this is for mine, I need your help to find my way back home because the hunters tranquilized me and threw me in the cage so I don’t remember nothing.

FEFE
Okay, that sound ‘bout right. But I need your help first. Okay, so this is how it’s gonna go down: you just run up and do your lion thing and I—

LELE
Hold up! That’s not gonna happen that way because I need your help to find my destination. Man, I already told you this. Remember, you’re the one that got away!
(roars)

FEFE
What is all the yellin’ for? I just ask for your undivided attention for this one and this is how you gonna do me?

LELE
No! This is how you gonna do me! After all the things we been through! Huh! We had each other’s back through thick and thin. Damn, Fe, I can’t believe you.

FEFE
Look, check it out real quick, homie. There’s something I just don’t want to talk about right now. But when night falls, I’m gonna tell you what’s real. But as of right now could you assist me? Cause it looks like the sun is about to set.

LELE
Damn yo, you asking me to go back to my old ways and I’m not planning on doing so, because I got a priority to take care of and I got loved ones I care about and you do too. So why don’t you just stop while you’re ahead before anything bad happens because if you don’t I am not gonna forgive myself if something do happen. Sound fair?

FEFE
Yeah, it sounds fair but it’s not all that fair as it seems. So it’s either you’re with me or not cause I don’t got all day and there’s nothing or anybody that can change a hyena’s mind.

LELE
You know what, forget everything! I’m gone!

(LELE turns around and walks but then FEFE is quick to jump and hang from his tail.)

LELE
What the heck!
(roars)
What is wrong with you?! Get the roar off me, you little creep.

(LELE swings his behind violently. FEFE comes flying off.)

FEFE
You know what, you’re not the true friend you said you were. I thought being homies meant never giving up on one another, to trust and have loyalty no matter what the income is! No matter what.

LELE
But peep game yo – being homies do mean all those things and it also means to have an open heart ‘bout ones problems and what they are goin’ through and to accept the decision that they make in life no matter what.

FEFE
No matter what, huh? No matter if I’m dying, right?

LELE
Stop playing. Dying? What do you mean dying?

FEFE
I mean dying as in see ya when I see ya-dying. You know, when you was gone I was very ill from who knows what.

LELE
So what does nightfall mean?

FEFE
Means I’m dying. So that’s why I need to do what I gotta do for my family.

LELE
(upset, roars)
Why you? Man, it’s just not fair, ya know,

FEFE
Yea, I could dig it.

LELE
But you know, if you gotta do what you need to do, I need to do the same. I got an offer that you can’t refuse.

FEFE
Go ahead. I’m all ears.

LELE
Since we both need to get on before nightfall, I want your help to get home. Then, once we’re there I will take care of your family after your death. So we both won’t lose. And that’s what homies is for…never to give up and to trust and to have loyalty.

FEFE
Ummm? Sounds great. Thanks for being the homie that you are. That’s why I love ya.

LELE
That’s why our friendship is strong, because of love, trust and never giving up. Love ya too.

(They walk away singing).

ROAR.

THE END.



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