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MY QUEEN BEE
BY JAZMIN G.
CHARACTERS: Bizzy the Bumblebee: Female, 11 years in bee years; 18 human years Reyna the Queen Bee: Female, 23 bee years; 30 human years
SETTING: An old family bee hive at the highest branch of the large Willow Tree in a meadow in California. It’s the end of spring, there’s bright sky and warm sun, and the leaves are still wet from last night rain.
TIME: Early morning around 9:45am, in the warm month of May
AT RISE: Bizzy is barely waking up, flying around looking for her mother. She finds her in the honey room, making plans for Bizzy’s birthday, which is tomorrow. Reyna is in the honey room having a meeting with the other bee’s when Bizzy walks in unannounced.
REYNA Don’t forget to order all the pollen, I want cups and cups of oak tree sap! No, not willow tree sap it’s too bitter, and don’t forget to –
BIZZY Moomm!
REYNA Oh, Hi sweetie, I’m in the middle of your birthday plans. You know tomorrow is the big day. 12 years old and ready to take the crown as Queen Bee.
BIZZY I know, but, can I talk to you for a bit.
REYNA Oh, Bizzy, cant it wait?
BIZZY No. It’s important.
REYNA (Sighs) Okay.
(Orders other bees out the room)
Out! Everybody out! Now! What is it Bizzy? Whats the matter?
BIZZY Mom, you know how I feel about becoming Queen…
REYNA What? You know the rules, your cousin Beetrice is in line for crown too. As of tradition in Bee Culture, to become Queen Bee, you fight for your crown. Till Death!
BIZZY Yeah, yeah I know all that, I have no problem fighting her, the whole hive, even the whole Willow Tree know I’ll win.
REYNA Of course, so, whats the problem?
BIZZY I want to move out into my own hive. C’mon mom, why –
REYNA No! It’s tradition! This crown and the hive has been in our family for year! Why would you ruin it?
BIZZY Because mom, look around you! Look at all the busy bee’s. Some are dying or their wings are too weak to even fly around!
REYNA So? Its work! That’s life. Who cares about them anyway?
BIZZY I do mother!
REYNA Oh, Bizzy, your so cute. Look, whats wrong with our hive? Why move out?
BIZZY Mom look at it, its old!
REYNA No its not, bee hives can last forever if you take care of it.
BIZZY The bee’s don’t like it here!
REYNA Nonsense, if they don’t like it, then why do they still come?
BIZZY It’s their job mother, they live off all the honey we make.
REYNA These bee’s only get not even a full drop of honey a day!
BIZZY Mother!
REYNA Listne, Bizzy sweetie, you don’t know the Willow Tree like I do, your father n I –
BIZZY Dads gone, times change and bee’s do too!
REYNA No, that’s my answer. You will fight tomorrow and take the crown!
BIZZY No mom, listen to me! I don’t want to be Queen of this hive. I want to be Queen of my own hive. You know, provide better working conditions, pay more honey, keep them happy and healthy. And be nice, Mom you act like your sting is all dull!
REYNA Bizzy!
BIZZY Well you do! Do you hear the buzz on you in the hive?
REYNA What
BIZZY That you’re a Bee’s Bee!
REYNA (Gasps)
BIZZY Yup. Mom, that’s just not fair how you treat them. I can’t live in the hive with you acting like that anymore.
REYNA Bizzy stop it, you’ll be Queen, you can make your own rules.
BIZZY But you’re my mother! I can’t live with you, you make my wings shutter!
REYNA And you don’t understand. Stop bein so naïve. You never spent the night outside the hive Bizzy Baby. Your not ready! You ever met a grasshopper? Or been around them nasty mosquitoes? They aint nice bugs Bizzy and there’s a whole lot of them, right down the branch.
BIZZY So I’ll pick my hive on a different branch next to ladybugs and butterflys. The Willow Tree has changed since your time –
REYNA And it’s worse!
BIZZY But you raised me to be smart. I’ve prepared myself for fights already mom. And YOUR the one who helped. So help me be my own Queen. Start a new chapter and be the Bee you want me to be.
REYNA That sounds all very nice Bizzy. But I really don’t think you understand –
BIZZY Mom, when you and dad were out there, sleeping in roses and tulips, or even on the dirt in the grass, you risked your life so many times, you fell in love with a hornet like me –
REYNA That has nothing to do with the situation at hand, leave your father out of this.
BIZZY It has everything to do with it. You’ve done just everything I’ve done. If anything, you made me a stronger bee, I’m proud to wear these black and yellow stripes. I know you are.
REYNA Sure did earn ‘em. (Smiles)
BIZZY And all the honey you have.
REYNA What about it?
BIZZY Maybe, you should use it to make a new hive, for you. Just for you. I’ll make me a new hive to start my new kingdom. I’ll take care of myself. I promise.
REYNA And what about those friends of yours? Killer Bee’s, well, you know the story. They killed your father. Kuz of jealousy. Dad had all kinds of honey. That’s the thing about them killer bee’s, they have jealousy running through them to the tip of their sting.
BIZZY Don’t mind them mom, they’re easy to be handled. But, I’ve always wondered…
REYNA What
BIZZY Did dad ever leave us any honey?
REYNA (Looking nervous and shocked) Uh…um, ummm uh, y-y-uh, yeeaa…
BIZZY Yes?! Really mom? Like that? You didn’t even tell me!
REYNA I know, I know, I-I-I-I can explain.
BIZZY Explain what? Was it for me, or you or both of us?
REYNA On his leaf, when he died, he said for all the honey to go to you on your 12th birthday.
BIZZY (Still. Shooked in silence.)
REYNA I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you. I knew what you would do with it. But, Bizzy, don’t forget tradition –
BIZZY Oh, forget tradition mother, I’d sting tradition if I could. Its 2011 mom, not every bug follows tradition anymore. I cant believe you kept it from me though mom. W-What other secrets do you have?
REYNA Oh don’t get your wings tied up in a knot. Listen, you still need to fight tomorrow in order to win the crown to become Queen. Whether if it’s of this hive or your new one. You’ll still need MY crown.
BIZZY And that fight tomorrow is what I’ve been waiting for since I was born in this hive. Go ahead, tell Beetrice to show up early if she wants to!
REYNA Bizzy, Bizzy, Bizzy, Bizzy, It’s tomorrow! It’ll be big. Prepare yourself.
BIZZY And I’m ready. With dads honey, I’ll be able to start my own hive and still have more honey left over for the bees. And you can use your honey to make yourself a new one too.
REYNA HAHA, I’m starting to like this plan. Well, now I look up, I’m seeing little holes and cracks in the walls. Air’s gunna get in and make it too cold. Rain will get in and ruin the honey and pollen.
BIZZY See. I told you.
(Reyna and Bizzy sit there, making plans for the birthday tomorrow when one of the busy bees fly in with presents for Bizzy to open.)
BIZZY Tell Auntie Brenda I said thank you for the gifts. Why are we opening presents early mother?
REYNA Oh, just hurry up and open mine.
BIZZY Kay
(Bizzy opens her gift and a huge smile comes across her face.)
BIZZY Dad’s honey! Thank you mom!
REYNA Your welcome. Happy Bee-day, sweetie. But I do have one more secret to reveal.
BIZZY What
(Scene pauses: Before revealing her secret, Reyna’s mind is racing with thoughts and questions.)
REYNA What will she think? I guess it’s my fault for not telling her. I can feel the energy of pollen rushing through my veins, my wings shakng, and my ‘Buzz’ is a lil louder than usual. Nervous and anxious, what will she think? Can she read my mind right now? Does she even know? Maybe she know. No, no, no she doesn’t know! I gotta tell her. I hope she still takes the crown. I hope she still goes along with it. Or will she not? Maybe she wont do it, maybe she’ll fly away! Will she be mad, sad: what if she’s happy? Maybe she’ll stay! She won’t move! Or, I dunno. Well, by now, all I can do is give her my confession…
When you win tomorrow, and you get the crown. Part of Bee’s law, I must give up my crown and die.
(Scene pauses: Shocked, Bizzy is speechless. But her mind is cramped with mixed feelings of emotion. Her mind is at that thin line between love and hate.)
BIZZY No. No No No No No No No! Why? What kind of rule is that? Who made that part of Bee’s law I’ve never heard of that! But most of all, why didn’t she tell me! So typical, so selfish! I bet it’s this whole tradition thing. Yup that’s it. She follows it. No matter what, and her dumbsting would just follow it. But, what am I gunna do about it? What am I gunna do without my mother. What am I gunna do without her here. Of coarse I still want to be Queen, but I don’t know especially if its gunna take her away. The thought is foggy, my decision is unsettled, my mind’s perplexed, my little bee heart is torn in 2 parts: one half is crushed, the other stunned. But that little buzz in the back of my mind feels afraid. Tomorrow’s my birthday and today is full of planning and preparation. And by the time I get to think, I’d be fast asleep. So what do I do? Or what should I do? What would mom want me to do? Or dad? What would he think? All these thoughts…and now I’ve made my decision.
BIZZY Mom. Why?
REYNA I didn’t know what your answer would be.
BIZZY But, my feelings. Don’t you care about my feelings? Why’d you tell me last minute? The day before my birthday!
REYNA Bizzy, I know. Don’t worry about me though sweetie. I’ve prepared myself. I still want you to take the crown.
BIZZY Worry about you? What about me!? Mom, your from the Willow Tree! You’ve seen and done worse things I’ve done. N now your Queen, all the bee’s changed their thoughts on you!
REYNA How?
BIZZY Your rude, bossy, mom you’re the one who’s naïve. What bee has a firefly as a friend?
REYNA Bizzy –
BIZZY No! Why change mother? Puttng a crown on top of your head shouldn’t change who you are. Be a bee, a bee from the Willow Tree. Yea, you have better things than before, but honey doesn’t buy happiness. Honey doesn’t make peace it creates problems. Royalty is a label not a personality. Tell me where you from mom!
REYNA The Willow Tree.
BIZZY And you can take a bee out the willow tree, but you cant take the willow tree out the bee.
(And Bizzy Flys away. BEE END) |
