Sloth

Sloth
Setting: Usual Morning

Character(s):

Eman: a technical/vocational college student taking up a Computer Science – unsure of the path to take, enjoys the company of his friends, a typical easy go lucky guy

Tiffany: pregnant friend of Eman
Ryan: Tiffany’s Boyfriend

Greg: Eman’s Sales Engineer friend

Nora: Nurse – Mang Gusting’s Daughter

Narrator:
(Eman walking holding a paper bag of pandesal and eggs)
Eman is walking – doing his normal routine in an early morning buying pandesal and eggs for breakfast, he is noticeably in smiling mode, since the family will be feasting on adobo this morning, left over from last night’s party thrown by Mang Gusting whose daughter just came home from United Kingdom as a registered nurse. The morning is good and the neighbor is still in festive mood sharing the kind fortune bestowed upon the humble and kind family of Mang Gusting.

(Eman Still Walking)
Eman is making a mental run down of what he is going to do today – he is scheduled for an interview as a crew for a fastfood not to far from his school, he is still having some second thoughts since the fastfood is too near from their school – he is imagining his classmates teasing him when he gets to be in those uniforms

Eman: If only I got in that fastfood near the palengke, it would not only be convenient for me it would also save me being teased by my classmates, if father would just be more than a jeepney driver worked abroad perhaps I’ll be enjoying more of my youth. Damn… (Eman slight shaking his head)

(Eman walk across Tiffany and Ryan)

Eman: Hi Tiff – how is it going?

Tiffany: (Holding back his bulging belly) Nothing much, besides no longer going to school, you know I’ll be giving birth soon because of your bastard friend over here. Who got me pregnant.

Ryan: Nah – like you didn’t enjoyed it, see? I’ll be graduating by the end of summer, our son would be my graduation gift, my parents will be handling the expenses for now but as soon as I get a job we can make it on our own.

Tiffany: Nice plan Ryan – minimum salary, yeah our lives are really promising (sarcastic tone)

Ryan: Well it’s not the a very elaborate plan but what else do we got? This is it.

Tiffany: Enough of you already, (facing Eman) so how was your interview there in Jollibee near the palengke? If you got in maybe you can endorse this friend of yours, maybe he an grow some spine.

Eman: I blew it, those interview questions are hard and tricky – they got me with a question I wasn’t able to answer quickly

Ryan: What was it tol? (Ryan placed his arms around Tiffany)

Eman: “Where do you see yourself in five years”

Narrator: Five years… even Tiffany and Ryan paused for the question, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Uncertain – Tiffany was thinking about her baby, Ryan – thinking how to feed his would be family, Eman – just baffled.

Eman: It is not like I don’t have a plan – but (raised head wondering) maybe its just rough yet, five years is a long time.

Ryan: Tol just remember you really don’t have to be that honest for these interviews – you’ll just be flipping burgers what do they care about that.

Tiffany: Yeah genius (slightly slapped Ryan on the face) – think about five years as well, (faces again Eman) oh well Eman, I hope you get that job from the fastfood near your school, requirements can be expensive you know. Anyway we have to go now – Bye.

(Looked back to Tiffany and Ryan as if woken up from a short day dream)

Eman: Una na kayo? Bye…

(Tiffany and Ryan moved along)
( Eman Walked opposite from them)

(As Eman walk away he bumped on to Greg – Greg is wearing long sleeves and carrying a plastic case with folders and papers in it, Greg walking with head a little bowed mumbling words)

(Eman instantly checked for the eggs if none of them were broken)

Greg: Ooops Sorry Eman – I was mentally practicing for my sales pitch I didn’t noticed you sooner, your eggs ok?

(Eman faced Greg)

Eman: My eggs are ok… where are you going in that formal wear? May cotillion ba?

(Eman smiled)

Greg: No, this is included on or dress code. I got accepted as a Sales Engineer! Not much on the engineering and techie stuffs and compensation is just minimum wage – but there is a very good commission package – I just have to sell enough get on a quota and I can earn double even triple a month! Plus the products are very good, I know I’ll just have to get this straight and this would be good.

Eman: Commission? Those Engineering equipment are priced by the thousands, ten – hundred thousands even. How can you make sure that you’ll get that quota?

Greg: That’s the challenge right there! I would just have to stick to my go get attitude – and my long term plans are really my motivation. I’m not planning to be a sales man forever, I plan to have people working for me as well.

Eman: You got those kind of plans laid out? Wow.

Greg: Yeah, and this is where it will all begins.

(Smiled contently and proud for Greg)

Eman: I hope the best for you bro. “Galingan mo!”

Greg: Thanks pare…

(Greg walked away)

(Eman raises his head wondering – day dreaming again,)

Narrator: A laid out plan or a carefree attitude – Eman got him thinking “five years? where am I gonna be five years?”

“Will I still be earning minimum wage?”
“Will I get another degree?”
“Will I be taking care of a child?”

“Five years?”

He realized how such simple question baffled him.
How he wasn’t able to get the job flipping burgers just by the same

Five years…

It is more than that.
It is more than the plan you committed yourself into.
It is however short, if you decide to be lazy and never made such decisions

(Eman continued walking…)

Five years

It is short if you will allow yourself to just sloth away youth, and be regretful of the wasted time.
Or decide your action NOW, Plan, dream and chase for them
Success or Failure both of them don’t come in a day or won overnight.

Both of them are slow process, determined by the questions you answer today

(Nora’ Mang Gusting’s Daughter walk pass Eman on her nurse uniform)

As Nora – Mang Gusting’s Daughter passed Eman – Eman got to think.

I can be a winner to.
It just have to start today…

(Nora exits…)

Eman smiled… he will not just be having pandesal, sunny side ups, adobo and sinangag for breakfast.




(End.)




nah... was requested to write a play -- :)
and since i haven't decided to write anything; just opted to post this one...