Family Matters
By Deandre G. (2018)
Characters:
Prevail the Pitbull, Male, Age 16
Smiley the Pit Bull, Male, Age 14
Setting:
The visiting room at the SF Pound. Steel cages, human toys, human bowls & the shedding of humans are everywhere. The visiting room smells of humans and you can hear the humans walking the weird way they walk “on two legs.”
Time:
The future 2035 May 8th 12:00pm.
At Rise:
The humans are escorting Prevail to the visiting room while Smiley is sitting down waiting on Prevail’s arrival.
PREVAIL
(Prevail says it to hisself while walking to the visiting room.)
Damn I’m really in this situation again. I wish I was never in the streets that night. I should’ve been at home with my family. Now I’m in this cage trying to get back to them. If they let me go home I swear I’m going to change my ways! I’m going to go to Pitbull College and study Barking & Engineering. And I’m going to finish parole by doing what I have to do so I can show Vicious there is not only bad things in life but good things too!
SMILEY
(Smiley looks at the clock)
It sure is taking them a long time to bring Prevail in here.
(At that moment Prevail is escorted in.)
SMILEY
WSP brother how you doing?
PREVAIL
(Gives Smiley the evil eye.)
SMILEY
What man! What did I do to make you upset?
PREVAIL
To make me upset! Why the buck am I still in this jumpsuit (he reads the brand) Property of SF County Pound.
SMILEY
Come sit down and let’s talk about this!
PREVAIL
(walks to the table and sits down)
I’m here so talk!
SMILEY
Look bro everybody misses you at home, Mom does, Vicious does and I do. And all we want is for you to come home but I’m running low on doggie treats and mom uses all her doggie treats feeding Vicious hungry ash. The thing is I know you will pay me back but I don’t want you doing anything crazy to make yourself end up back in the pound for trying to pay me back.
PREVAIL
You know I miss everybody too! And I know mom’s stressing right now that’s why she never comes to visit me. But to let you know I’ma changed dog now, I hate that people blame me for my past or what’s on a sheet of paper they don’t know the real me or if I have dreams or not, all they do is label me because of a couple of mistakes I made in the past, they never even tried to help me they sent me to a dog home down south & I had to protect myself because the dogs down there didn’t like me because of the color of my fur and now they talking ‘bout sending me to SPCA with a minimum of 2 years.
SMILEY
I hear you bro this system is all bucked up. They taking you away from your family while there’s biters out there, out there biting people and having mothers losing their puppies.
PREVAIL
To be real bro, I would be happy going back to dog cabin ranch it’s only a six month program! But I can’t do that because I have plans…
(Smiley interjects)
SMILEY
What plans do you have Prevail?
PREVAIL
I never told you or anybody this but ever since I was a puppy I been dreaming of going to dog college and study Barking and Engineering.
SMILEY
Really bro that’s amazing. Why don’t you go when you get out of here?
PREVAIL
Because there’s a deadline for applications next week and I can’t do that if I’m locked up in a pound.
SMILEY
Wow this is serious bro why haven’t you told me sooner?
PREVAIL
I haven’t told anybody because I didn’t know how everyone would react, I thought y’all would judge me for wanting to go to school and study Barking and Engineering you know because coming from where we grew up.
SMILEY
We wouldn’t have judged you for wanting to get out of the trenches, I wish we had a different life! Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we had a big doggie house and a lot of doggie treats? We probably wouldn’t even be in this room right now.
PREVAIL
Yea I dreamed of having a lot of doggie treats (sigh). But we didn’t have that and we grew up in them trenches so I really be trying not to think about that
(sniffs).
SMILEY
My bad bro I didn’t mean to cause you to get emotional. Anyways, OH YEAH! I almost forgot to tell you the reason why I’m contemplating about bailing you out is because I have a chance to start my own bone business I have just enough doggie treats to buy the shop and the inventory for three months and that’s how much your bail cost. So that’s why I haven’t gotten you outta here yet. Not because I don’t believe in you but this my chance to move us out of the trenches.
PREVAIL
Hmm. Bro you know what don’t even worry about me I /
SMILEY
/ Oh and the place is very popular so you know everybody and they mama is finna go try and buy that shop so that’s why you really ain’t out yet and that’s why I wanted to come talk to you.
PREVAIL
Ahh I see. But as I was about to say, don’t worry about me bro I understand. I know you believe in me but even when I go to school it’s gonna be at least four years before I’ll be able to move us into a different neighborhood. While you can move us into a new home in just about 6 months.
SMILEY
You sure bro? I mean the shop can wait! You know it’s family over everything that’s why I didn’t know what to do because both situations involves family.
PREVAIL
Like I said do what you have to do Smiley forget about me. The faster we can get Vicious away from all this biting the better, maybe he’s not already too traumatized.
SMILEY
Too traumatized! Dog the puppy seen more bitings than you and I put together! The biting rate grew by 70% since you and I were puppies growing up over here in the trenches! Dog all of this biting and house invasion stuff is getting too out of control. Dog at home when I be looking out the door you know what I see?
PREVAIL
What? What do you see?
SMILEY
Nothing! I see nothing! Dogs ain’t even letting their puppies go outside and play! It’s getting heavy out there in the trenches bro.
PREVAIL
Damn bro. It’s like that? At least when were were puppies we could go outside and play but now it seem like… (gets misty-eyed).
SMILEY
I know bro. We gotta get Vicious out of there we don’t want nothing to happen to him.
PREVAIL
I just want him to have a good life! I don’t want him growin’ up like we had to! Running from Catchers! Running from biters, it’s too much! I can’t take it no more! (Slams fist on the table).
SMILEY
It’s okay bro we’re doing everything we can do you just gotta be patient. You know what moms always tells us
PREVAIL & SMILEY (simultaneously)
“Stay down for the come up”
SMILEY
That’s all you have to do bro I know you stressing dog but we gone get through this I promise. (Guard yells time’s up)
PREVAIL
I love you bro.
SMILEY
I love you more.
PREVAIL
(Prevail walks to his cage thinking about what he do that was so wrong that Ballah would take him away from his family. I wish I can just magically get released from this dirty, stinky, run down ‘ol place. As he gets done thinking his intercom goes off saying that he has to be in the court room in ten minutes. He walks down the hallway leading to the court room when he sees his nephew Vicious waiting with Smiley.)
Damn, why did he have to bring Vicious here I don’t want him to see me like this.
(says to hisself)
I can’t believe they talking about me like I’m not even here! I’m not a beast to society! I have no home training? What! Man this is some bull! We don’t think it’s best for the Pitbull to return home! Dog they straight up playing me! Whew! I’m glad they don’t think SPCA is a good place meant for me. I thank Ballah for letting me go to another dog home. Lord knows I probably would’ve never made it home if I went to SPCA with them crazy animals.
(Court is over and Smiley walks over to talk to Prevail before he leaves for his dog home).
SMILEY
WSP bro is that what you wanted to happen?
PREVAIL
No! I wanted to come home but I would take going to another dog home over
SPCA
any day!
SMILEY
Yea I would too!
PREVAIL
So did you get the shop?
SMILEY
Yea I got it! It’s already been set up and every…
(Smiley’s phone goes off)
PREVAIL
What! What is it?
SMILEY
You’re never going to believe this bro!
PREVAIL
Believe what!?
SMILEY
Some rich dog wants to buy my shop!
PREVAIL
Really for how much?
SMILEY
1,000,000 blue dog treats
PREVAIL
That’s the most valuable doggie treats there is!
SMILEY
I know dog we’re finna be rich!
PREVAIL
Wow imagine everything we can do with all them doggie treats!
SMILEY
We? We? What we are you talking about?
PREVAIL
Us! The whole family dog! You can’t put on for the fam no more?
SMILEY
Hell nah y’all can’t get jack from me! I got it out the mud that’s what y’all better do to!
PREVAIL
What! You serious?
SMILEY
Nah I ain’t serious punk. Haha you thought I was though. You know it’s family over everything.
PREVAIL
You cold for playing like that, but you did get me.
SMILEY
I know, but look you know we can move Vicious away from here and all this biting. We can send him to that private dog school now!
PREVAIL
Yes we could bro! Yes we could!
(dog home staff says Prevail has to leave)
SMILEY
Sorry I couldn’t get you home brother. I really wish I could’ve.
PREVAIL
It’s okay bro I think this time will help me stay a changed dog.
SMILEY
I love you bro!
PREVAIL
I love you more and tell Vicious I love him too!
SMILEY
I will bro see you soon.
PREVAIL
See you soon.
(They hug and Prevail and Smiley goes different ways.)
– The End –
