A Play byKaelyn A.
CHARACTERS:
BORIQUA the DAUGHTER BEAR, 17 years old, a Brown and Grizzly bear mix NICOYA the FATHER BEAR, 60 years old, a Brown Bear
SETTING:
Nicoya’s cave in the Grizzly Bear Mountains of San Bear-no. It is a warm and cozy cave. There are pillows made of turkey birds. In the main den is a Bear-Box, filled with squirrels and bugs for watching them fight.
TIME: 6:45 a.m. on a dark December morning
AT RISE:
NICOYA is asleep in the main den of the Cave. BORIQUA is in her part of the Cave, whispering through the cave wall to someone on the other side.
BORIQUA
I feel like crap. Goodness! When’s the throwing up going to stop? One minute I’m
laughing, next minute I’m yucking out the Cave! And now I need some special medicine for
the cub.
(NICOYA wakes up and hearing something, walks over to BORIQUA’s area, hearing her
talking.)
Yeah, but I don’t know how I’m even going to come up with enough fish for the pills! I can’t tell
my Dad the REAL reason why I need it! He’ll kick me out!
NICOYA
“Cough”. Cough”.
(BORIQUA quickly turns around.)
Who are you talking to at this time?
BORIQUA
Oh, nobody, I’m just, um, singing a song.
NICOYA
Oh really? Then why’d I see you talking to someone on the other side of the Cave wall? Do you need to talk with me about something?
BORIQUA
Well, now that you brought it up, yeah I do.
NICOYA
Oh boy, spill it out mija.
BORIQUA
I’ve been wanting to tell you this but I was scared of your reaction. Well, here it goes, I’m with cub.
NICOYA
YOUR WITH WHAT?!
BORIQUA
I’m expecting a cub. I know you’re disappointed but I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise!
NICOYA
I’m not disappointed, I’m Furious. Why the hell would you do this to me? First you go out and drink Honey, and now you’re pregnant! Como es posible?! No puede ser! Que estas diciendo?! Estas Loca!!
BORIQUA
Dad, I can’t really understand you when you go all Brown bear! Speak Grizzly!
NICOYA
YOU BETTER BE LYING!
BORIQUA
I’m sorry Dad, you can yell at me later, but right now I really need some fish to pay for my medicine! If I don’t get it, me and my cub’s life is at steak!
NICOYA
You think I care? You really think I would help you out after doing this to me?
Pack up your stuff and get out of here!
Go live with your Mom Skippy or something!
BORIQUA
Fine! I’m out of here! Ya me voy!! You’ll miss me when I’m gone.
Scene Two
(A short time later. BORIQUA and NICOYA are now on opposite sides of the mountain.)
BORIQUA
Man, how could he do this to me?! I’m his only daughter and he’s really guna just kick me out?! What is this! I thought he would understand! I thought he loved me! Dam, I messed up big time. I should have never drank that honey, because then I would have never even been in this situation. I wouldn’t be NOT living with my dad and I wouldn’t be pregnant.
NICOYA
I don’t feel bad about kicking Boriqua out because she’s guna learn to not disobey me! How could she do this to me! If she’s guna make adult decisions then she’s guna have to act like an adult. She used to need me for cottie problems and now she needs me to support her cub! I deserve more from her! I need to calm down! Where’s my Pine Cones!?
Scene Three
The Next Morning. Skippy’s Cave. Cold, dark and nothing to eat.
(BORIQUA is laying on the floor of the Cave. NICOYA approaches the Cave entrance and begins to growl.)
NICOYA
Growwwwl…Rawwwrrrrr.
BORIQUA (getting up)
What the hell? Is that my Dad?! It sure sounds like him. What the hell does he want?
NICOYA
Boriqua! Are you in there? It’s me. I am your father.
BORIQUA
What are you doing here? I though you didn’t care about me anymore!
NICOYA
Where’s your Mom?
BORIQUA
She got taken to the Circus.
NICOYA
Oh, really? Well, just wanted to know if you’re still alive. See ya!
BORIQUA
Wait!
NICOYA
What?
BORIQUA
Can we go down to the Stream and talk about things please? I don’t want us to hate each other.
NICOYA
Mija, I don’t hate you, I just can’t stand to see you ruin your life so quickly. I got to go. I don’t want to watch you ruin your life.
BORIQUA
If you would just understand me then maybe you would trust me enough to know that I know what I’m doing!
NICOYA
It’s hard to trust you. After all those times you came home on Honey after you told me you wouldn’t do it again!
BORIQUA
Dad, just understand me for once. Ever since you and Mom separated you’ve been acting so weird lately! Did you start smoking Pine Cones or something? You act like I’m still a little bear but I’m not. I’m almost a grown bear and you cant accept that. I’m guna take on new responsibilities whether you like it or not.
NICOYA
Well, I REALLY need to calm down…let’s go down to the stream and talk more about this.
Scene Four
The Big Stream. Birds are chirping and rabbits are hopping around everywhere.
(BORIQUA and NICOYA are walking down the side of the stream.)
NICOYA
Well, Boriqua, I’m just guna tell you this and let it all out. I don’t wana see you ruin your life. I’ve put so much effort into raising you and I don’t want to see it all go down the drain. I love you and I want what’s best for you. I just want you to be happy. I’m trying to stop you from getting hurt.
BORIQUA
Dad, that’s why you need to trust me on making the right decision for this. If you want me to be happy then just let me be. If I get hurt, then I get hurt. Let me learn lessons for myself. You know, I used to think kickin it with the other Bears and being in a Pack was my first priority, but not now. I have other priorities like my unborn cub and my family. If you love me then you’ll support me through all of this.
NICOYA
Well you know what? I’m guna challenge you. You see the stream over there?
BORIQUA
Oh gosh!
NICOYA
I want you to jump in there and catch some salmon for dinner. If you do that, you’ll prove to me that your strong, responsible, trustworthy and you can do a simple task.
BORIQUA
A simple task?! Are you kidding me?!
NICOYA
Take it or leave it.
BORIQUA
Ugh! Fine!
(BORIQUA walks down into the stream. The water is ice-cold and rushing towards a waterfall. Salmon are jumping through the water. They are slippery, scaly and squirming.)
Oh my gosh! Is he trying to kill me? I can’t do this! The water’s guna drag me down the waterfall.
What the!?!?!?!?!?!??!!!!!!!!!?!?………………These stupid fish keep jumping out my paw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I caught one!!!!!!! Holy Honey Bees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEE-EE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(BORIQUA climbs out the water.)
NICOYA
I’m Proud of you! Welcome back to the Cave!
BORIQUA
Thanks Dad, I really learned some useful skills that I’m guna use when my cub is born. I love you Dad.
NICOYA
I love you too my little lupie!
(NICOYA and BORIQUA happily softly growl at each other.)
THE END
