A Play by Maurice

Performance: September, 2001
Youth Guidance Center, San Francisco



Characters:
Black the Lion; age 17
Jam the Lion, his younger twin brother; age 17
Time:
Morning, bright sunny day, with very little clouds in the sky.
Place:
C- Block Jungle in San Francisco, CA.
At Rise:
Black and Jam just finished washing up. They are on their way to hunt for breakfast for the family.



Black:

What’s up lil’ bra? You ready to go?

   
Jam:

Yeah, I been ready.

   
Black:

Go tell Dad we’ll be back in a little while with the breakfast.
(On the way hunting)

   
Jam:

(While hunting)
Hey Bra, I got this problem.

   
Black:

What’s been bothering you?

   
Jam:   Well, you know, since we been little kids you’ve gotten everything first.
   
Black:   What do you mean by that?
   
Jam:  

I guess what I’m trying to say is tomorrow one of us is gonna be chosen as king. But I already know that your gonna be the one chosen as king.

   
Black:   What made you think that?
   
Jam:   Cause you are the oldest. You always get everything first.
   
Black:   (He starts to think about what Jam has said. He starts to feel sorry for him)
Well you know that I am the oldest and I should get everything first. Just think how would you feel if you were in my shoes.
   
Jam:   (Thinks to himself for a minute)
That’s true, but I’m just tired of always coming second. I feel that I’ll make a great king of this century.
   
Black:   Well, you know the rules.
   
Jam:   What rules?
   
Black:  

The rules are that the oldest son is the first in line to become king, then so on down the line.

   
Jam:   But Dad told us last month that whoever he feels is the most responsible then that’s who will be chosen as king.
   
Black:   (Breaks conversation)
We’re out here to hunt. And there go a rabbit so be quiet before you scare him off.
   
Jam:  

Why are you trying to cut me off like that?

   
Black:  

I told you to be quiet. Now look, why did you scare off the rabbit?

   
Jam:  

Man, forget that rabbit. That’s not what I came to you for. I came because I needed to tell you about how I been feeling about the way Dad has been treating me since we were little kids.

   
Black:   Well, if that’s how you been feeling then why haven’t you went and talked to dad about it. And let him know that you don’t feel the way he hasn’t been having confidence since we were little.
   
Jam:   Cause I know that you would understand better than
Dad. And I thought maybe you would talk to Dad for me, because I know that he would listen to you before he would listen to me.
   
Black:   Well lil’ bra I can’t always do for you something you have to learn to do for yourself. Plus, I have a wish of my own and it’s about time that I get ready for my dream cause when I become king I have to make sure that everything is in place. And there’s still a big part of my wish that I don’t know if it’s going to happen.
   
Jam:   What’s this big wish you talking about and what do you mean by you don’t know if it’s going to happen?
   
Black:   Enough of this. We have to get back with some food cause we told Dad we was going hunting for everyone. So be quite cause we need to catch a deer or gazelle so we all can get full.
   
Jam:   Why do you keep trying to put this off? I think that you feel that this is not really important. And that you don’t care about how I feeling on how Dad has been treating me. Are you taking his side? Do you feel that what he has been doing is right?
   
    Scene 2
    (Black and Jam returns home with breakfast. After eating they both go to thinking about what happen on the hunt. Jam goes to the water to think and Black goes to his girl’s house to tell her what’s on his mind. Jam at the waterfall thinking to himself.)
   
Jam:   Man, what am I going to do about tomorrow? Well, Black did say that it’s time that I start to do for myself. I wonder what he meant that he had a big part of a wish that he didn’t know if it was going to happen. I think he’s starting not to care about how I feel anymore. Since we have got older he doesn’t do for me like he used to. Like when we had that talk I thought after that he would talk to Dad for me, but look what he does. He keeps trying to cut me off talking about we came out here to hunt. I’ll show him since he doesn’t want to help me. I do it myself. I show him and Dad that I am responsible and that I will make a great king.
(He starts to think of a plan)
(Black walks in the door with this look on his face and his girl asks him what’s wrong.)
   
Black:  

Well, first I just had this talk with Jam and from the looks of things it didn’t turn out very well. I think Jam thinks this stuff with me suppose to be coming the king and fulfilling my dream got him thinking that I don’t care about him like I used to. But the thing is I just don’t know how to tell him that I try to work my own problem with making my greatest wish happen with me having my own pride and going places in the jungle I never been. But it will never happen. I guess I can just help Jam become king tomorrow.

(She starts to tell him something but he rushes out the door to tell Jam and their father why he thinks that Jam should become king. He walks out the door and down the road when four black panthers come out and attack him. Then Jam comes from nowhere and helps him. Then they go home and Black tells his father what happens.)

   
Black:   Dad, I have something I need to tell you.
(Jam sits outside and listens)
I think that Jam should be chosen king for this century, because he’s very ambitious. Once he puts his heart and mind to it, then he will do anything to accomplish what ever it is he’s trying to do. I think that he has put his mind and heart out to become king this century and if you pick me as king then you will break his confidence.
(Jam starts to think about what Black says. When Black walks out Jam stops him.)
   
    I have something to tell you and it’s important, but you may not like it.
   
Black:   What is it you have to tell me that’s so important? And what do you mean that I might not like it?
   
    Well, you know about that ambush?
   
Black:   Yeah, what about it lil’ bra?
   
Jam:   I kind of set it up. So that when I come out and help you, it would look like that if it ever happened while I’m king or something, everyone would know that I could handle it.
   
Black:   What do you mean you kind of set it up? You mean to tell me that you had your own big bra ambushed to try to help yourself become king?
   
Jam:   It’s not like that big bra.
   
Black:   That’s what it sounds like to me. So that’s what was so important?
   
Jam:   No, it’s something else too.
   
Black:   Now what’s next? Do you have another devious plan to tell me?
   
Jam:   No, your girl told me something the other day when I was talking to her and she asked me if I would tell you for her.
   
Black:   And what is it she asked you too tell me that she didn’t want to tell me herself?
   
Jam:   She told me to tell you that you are going to become a father and have your own pride.
   
Black:   Why didn’t you tell me this? Why did you wait until now?
   
Jam:   Cause I was waiting until the perfect time and I thought this was it. Another thing is you told Dad about me, but I just went too far with this. You are the one that should be chosen as king tomorrow and you have something to tell everyone now.
   
Black:   What is that?
   
Jam:   You are going to be a dad.
   
Black:   Well, I guess I do. I hope you learned your lesson about going too far with things. I hope you learn to wait until it’s your time.
   
Jam:   Well, I guess we both learned something new today.
   
    (The next day. Black is chosen to be king for this century and Black announces that he will be having a pride. A few months later he has fulfilled his dream.)
 
    The End.


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