MY SCHOLARSHIP –
One Act play
By
Chinyere Okafor
Stage
Bare stage. All stage properties
are brought in by the actors.
Characters:
Narrator: She is the only woman in
the play and can be of any age. It is her story and she makes the audience
aware of it. She plays two parts. Her
dressing is contemporary American.
Clinton: From teenager to thirty.
Any height and any weight. Bright. Likeable. Hard working. Serious. Always with
books, and uses big words. Originally from a poor home in Nigeria, but determined
to make good in America. His father sold part of their family land and his
mother sold the jewelry passed on to her from her mother, in order to raise
money and send him to school in America. Clinton is determined to buy back his
family’s land and his mother’s jewelry.
Tijani: Can be of any height but
must have big attitude. He likes to laugh. From a wealthy family, he thinks
that life is easy and that people are poor because they are lazy and can’t mix
with the right people in power. He dresses in expensive American and African
suits.
Wabara: Sponsored by oil rich
Rivers State of Nigeria. He is hard-working and is looking forward to finishing
his studies and going back to work for his sponsor. He is cheerful and caring.
Action
Narrator: (Singing or whistling as she comes from the audience area). My story
is about to begin. Do you all want to hear a story?
All: (From different audience areas) Yes. Yeah.
Narrator: I am the friendly spider. My real name is
Wazobia and I am a storyteller. You know the spider? It snoops around in places
and sees a lot of things. I collect play scenarios and leave you to watch how
the characters act them out. This is about the dream of a young man; no, the
dream of his parents. The first scene takes place at Wichita High School. Here
comes the character. I’ll be back (leaves).
Clinton: (Comes
from the audience area with books. Some letters fall as he enters the stage. He
picks them up).
Tijani: (Comes from the audience area, As Clinton picks up the letters). Hi
Clinton.
What’s up? Are you going to the
library?
Clinton: Of course.
Tijani: I guessed as much. Always
carrying books and always going to the library, and always speaking big words.
Clinton: So?
Tijani: You always get As. That’s
the only thing about you. Just As. Why can’t you be normal … like ordinary
folks?
Clinton: I’m normal.
Tijani: I’ve never seen you with a
girl. You are ... r-r… not bad-looking (gesturing
with a hand). With a designer shirt and good attitude, you can even pass
for good-looking… or maybe handsome.
Clinton: That’s not my prerogative
at this time.
Tijani: You and your big words.
Clinton: That’s not what I’m in
America for.
Tijani: You don’t want girls to
like you?
Clinton: I want to read my books,
do everything properly, go for further studies in a good college, and go back
to Nigeria to pay off the bills.
Tijani: (Laughs) You’re funny. What bills?
Clinton: My father sold part of
our ancestral land…
Tijani: Abomination!
Clinton: That’s not all. My mother
sold her grandmother’s gold beads and corals passed on to her by her mother.
Tijani: Weird family.
Clinton: You may think us strange
or whatever you like, but they did it for a good course. They used it to raise
money for somebody to raise the family to a higher level. That responsibility fell on me because God
endowed me with excellent brains. I’m not boasting, just stating facts. I am
determined to carry out my responsibility. I’ll succeed, go back to redeem our
ancestral land and family jewelry. It is a task that I must accomplish.
Tijani: Sit down. Leave your books
for a while. Yes, keep them. Let me tell you something.
Clinton: What advice can you give
me? Your parents are wealthy. They send you a lot of money, so you can afford
to buy fancy designer clothes and worry about girls. Those are luxuries that I
cannot afford right now. As for me, I am gong to the library modify these
application letter that I wrote last night. I must make it this time.
Tijani: Application for what?
Clinton: For scholarship. I am applying
for scholarship to go to Harvard.
Tijani: (Laughs). You? Havard? (Laughs
again).
Clinton: You can laugh all you
want. I’m going to the library (Leaves).
Tijani: (Laughing and following him).
Narrator: (Enters from the audience area).
The question is, “Did Clinton make it to Harvard?”
The answer is, “Big No”. Ten years
later. He is now an old man, in his late twenties (cups her mouth to whisper). He even has beards! He has strands of
grey hairs, maybe as a result of his harsh conditions, but he shaves them (laughs). He likes to look young.
Clinton: (Brings a chair. Keeps it at the rear of the stage for the narrator).
Clinton: Seat for you Maam.
Coffee?
Wazo (Sits): That’s why I’m here (Clinton
leaves).
Wazo (To the audience): He is lucky to find a job in this coffee-shop
Clinton: (Brings coffee for Narrator. Goes to bring a chair for another customer
who is walking in).
Tijani: Quick service. I’m in a
rush.
Clinton: Yes sir. (Brings a chair). Hey my home boy? (Checks himself). Sir. I know you, Sir.
Tijani: You? Know me?
Clinton: Wichita High School.
Tijani: (Looks closely) Year man! (Clinton
extends his hand for a handshake). Of course, I remember you (Hugs him. Puts one leg on the chair).
Where are you now?
Clinton: I’m here.
Tijani: (Laughs). You are always funny. What do you mean, I’m here. I am
also here. We are both here.
Clinton: I work in this shop.
Tijani: You? Work here? (Looks around). As what? You own the
place? Even owning this place is below your level.
Clinton: I don’t own it. I’m the
waiter. I serve coffee.
Tijani (Laughs): Are you serious? (Clinton nods). What about Harvard? You
big dreams?
Clinton: I didn’t get the
scholarship.
Tijani: You should have applied to
go to other colleges.
Clinton: All the schools said the
same thing. It was like they had a meeting and wrote the same reply in all my
letters.
Tijani: What?
Clinton: Scholarships are for US
citizens only. But some put it politely, “Due to decrease in subvention, we are
unable to bla bla bla…”
Tijani: (Laughs) Sound funny.
Clinton: But it doesn’t feel
funny, if you are in my shoes.
Tijani: I can’t believe that a
brilliant boy like you will end up in a place like this. How much do they pay
you?
Clinton: Four dollars an hour. I
work six hours a day.
Tijani: That’s below minimum wage.
Clinton: Please don’t say it
aloud. I am lucky to find this job. It is hard when you don’t have the correct
papers. So I can’t complain. I’m still determined to make it. I intend to take
college credits one at a time. What about you?
Tijani: I graduated from Wichita
State University and now work at Boeing as an Engineering Director.
Clinton: Sounds awesome. Maybe you
can help me.
Tijani: These days, you need minimum qualification for any normal job. You
have to go to college. You need to work hard and get out of your cycle of
poverty.
Clinton: Me? You know that I work
very hard, so don’t insult me. (Becomes
official). What can I offer you sir? We have any kind of coffee that you
need. French, Kenyan …
Tijani: Cut that out, my friend. I
know you work hard at books, maybe too hard. That’s not what I mean. All work
and no play makes is not what I mean. You have to develop social skills. You
don’t get them from books.
Clinton: Before I came here, my
father told me this (mimics). “My
child, you must adopt the wisdom of the chameleon in order to succeed in life.”
Tijani: Meaning?
Clinton: The chameleon is a clever
animal that blends with its surroundings.
Tijani: But it is slow.
Clinton: You don’t have to be
slow. You have to take the positive side of things. That’s what my father said.
My mother said, “My child, do not forget the land that gave birth to you.”
Tijani: That’s okay, but where has
all that got you?
Clinton: That’s okay, but where
have they got me? I took my father’s advice and acted like the chameleon.
Tijani: Yes?
Clinton: The first thing I did was
change my name to Clinton in order to blend with America.
Tijani: (Laughs)
Narrator: (Laughs).
Clinton: Bill Clinton was number
one man in America, so I took that name, and it has been good because everybody
can pronounces it. No one laughed at my name.
Tijani: (Laughing). You didn’t change your name to Bush when George Bush was
there. And now, will you change your name to Barack now that Barack Obama is
number one? And change it again after Obama? My friend. America doesn’t care
what name you take. You can be Oladimeji, Tijani, Musa, Mountain or
Kilimanjero, they don’t care. You can be Subshine, River or Forest, they don’t
give a damn. They just want you to be a global person. Be in tune with
diversity and political correctness. But you!
You act as if you are still in your village where people notice your
worth and rally round to help you. This is the global world, man! Wake up! You
have to sell yourself. They have a nice name for it. Networking.
Clinton: Yes. In Nigeria, they
call it IM, Ima-mmadu.
Tijani: Imma-mmadu. You know what
I mean. Socialize and meet the right
guys. If the schools don’t have money for scholarship, so what? You try other organizations.
Do volunteer work. Meet people outside your circle. You can’t just end up in a
coffee shop.
Clinton: Please help me.
(Wazobia/Narrator coughs. They look at her).
Wazobia: Have you talked to
charitable organizations like churches?
Clinton: No.
Tijani: You see the problem. You
are your own problem. How can you be in Wichita and not be part of your
immediate cultural community?
Wazobia: Every street in Wichita
has a church.
Clinton: I don’t belong-.
Wazobia: It doesn’t matter. Just
try. No harm in trying.
Tijani: Are you a member of
African Association. I joined them when I was a student at the university.
Clinton: No.
Tijani: Let’s leave this place,
man. You have a lot to learn.
Clinton: I can’t leave the shop
now.
Tijani. Suit yourself. I’m off.
Here is my card. Phone me and I’ll hook you up with the Association.
Clinton: (Takes the card from narrator). Let me get coffee for you.
Tijani: I was in a hurry, remember. I’m off (Leaves).
(Clinton leaves the stage).
Narrator: Wow! That was
tough. Do you think that Clinton will
get help? Well, he got some help. The Association helped him. And he is now
taking some classes at college (Clinton
walks in with books, dumps them and begins to sleep). Working hard, as
usual.
Narrator: Clinton is now in the
library (she gestures at him),
sleeping (leaves).
Wabara: Hey. That’s my brother from Nigeria. (Goes to Clinton and wakes him up). Wake up.
Do you have flu?
Clinton: (Yawns). Oh. Wabara. How’re you doing man?
Wabara: Do you have flu?
Clinton: No
Wabara: Why are you sleeping in
the library?
Clinton: Because I work.
Wabara:. We all work. Stand up!
You are still dozing.
Clinton: You don’t understand.
Wabara: Explain it to me.
Clinton: (Sighs) It’s like-.
Wabara: Like what? Let me tell you
something about scholarships. I have the Rivers State Scholarship, so I know
what I am talking about. They expect you to do very well. They have to see my
transcript every semester, to make sure that I am still worth their investment.
And because I’m getting good grades, they have offered me a job, so I don’t
have anxiety about job. But I still have to work very hard. If I don’t, I’ll
lose everything.
Clinton: You still don’t
understand. My situation is different. Rivers State of Nigeria is an oil rich
state. They give you enough money for everything including allowance for winter
clothes and feeding. I get partial tuition only as scholarship money, and I am
very grateful and happy, but I have to pay rent and feeding and other things. I
do two jobs and go to school full time to maintain my work visa.
Wabara: That’s too much. How do
you manage to be sane?
Clinton: Good question. I don’t
know how I haven’t cracked up.
Wabara: You need support.
Clinton: I do. And that’s why I am
happy to have two jobs and the partial tuition money.
Wabara: Have you talked to the
women?
Clinton: What women?
Wabara: Women Associations in
Wichita can help you – o. At least, some of them can help you with food.
Clinton: I’m not a woman.
Wabara: You’re a woman’s son. You need to move out of
this box of books that you have made for yourself, and see the real world of
people. One thing that I’m sure you’ll get from women is food. In addition,
they may consider you for some scholarship.
Clinton: They award scholarships?
And they give food?
Wabara: Just try them and see what you get. You don’t
have your family and friends here to help you and you don’t have network. As
new immigrants, we need to network. Create our own families here in Wichita.
You contribute to your problem by your attitude.
Clinton: People always think that
I have a problem, that it is my fault that I am poor and struggle so hard.
Wabara: I don’t think so. I am
from a poor family too, so I know that we have to work harder. We also have to
work harder at social skills. The rich don’t need these skills as much as we
do, because they are already in the network of the rich and powerful.
Clinton: With such a rich
scholarship, you cannot call yourself poor.
Wabara: Listen. I still know where
I’m from. I’m from the rich area with a lot of oil, but oil spillage has
destroyed everything. The water is polluted and the fish died. The farms also
died from polluted soil. The people also died.
Clinton: That’s so horrible.
Wabara: It is horrible. The militia
group that fight for the clean-up of our deserted land.
Clinton: Yes. I read a lot about
them. They kidnap people.
Wabara: They are looking for
attention. I should have been with them, but they set me free to go and get
education, come back and join the fight.
Clinton: You mean that you will go
back and join a terrorist group?
Wabara: There are many ways of
fighting. I’m training to become a lawyer. I tell you something. I take all
kinds of courses that will help me in fighting for my deserted village. I take
courses in Globalization, Mineral Exploitation, women’s Studies-.
Clinton: You? A man? Studying
about women?
Wabara: At first, I thought that
they would hate me, but I still wanted to know about women and maybe get a
girlfriend, so I registered for one course. From one course, I got hooked. I
like the courses.
Clinton: What do you like in them?
Wabara: Knowledge, critical
thinking, social skills and a lot more.
Clinton: Really
Wabara: I learn how to understand issues from women’s
point of view. As a man, I already understand our point of view. With my new perspective from Women’s Studies,
I’m in a better position to discuss with any gender. I always have a lot to say to women about
issues and women like it when they know that I understand the women’s angle.
Another thing is that women easily understand issues of people who don’t belong
to the mainstream. So they understand problems of how the rich exploit the oil
from my area and don’t care that my people suffer and die. And we share ideas
about my mission.
Clinton: (Brightens up) I can’t believe that you get all these from Women’s
Studies’ department. I didn’t even know
that men can go there. Do they give scholarships?
Wabara: Yes, they do, but I don’t
know how it works.
Clinton: I will take their
courses.
Wabara: Come on. Let’s leave this
place (Clinton gathers his book. They
leave).
Narrator: Clinton never a full
scholarship as he wished. He still worked two jobs, but he finally graduated,
not only in learning but also in character. He does not lack social skills. He
is very good at navigating the system.
Clinton: (Entering the stage without books) I formed the first African Youths
of Wichita Association with my friends (he
bows).
Wabara & Tijani: (Enter and bows).
Narrator: That’s the end of my
story (bows).
Page
title: My Scholarship - play Last update: January 4, 2011 |
Copyrights Web page by C. G. Okafor |
Copywright
©
Chinyere G. Okafor Contact: chinyere.okafor@wichita.edu |