You & I

Act 1 Scene 9

(The girls' room)

Bella: So, what's the problem? What is it that you couldn't say in the living room?
Vida: I heard aunt Saffron and mother talking in the kitchen when I went to get water and I saw mother crying.
Bella: Crying? Why was mother crying?
Vida: I don't know but she said something that made me confused.
Bella: What did she say?
Vida: She said she regrets trusting him blindly.
Bella: Him? Who's him?
Vida: I'm not sure but before mother started to cry, aunt Saffron said something about a past that happened eight years ago and she told mother to leave him, who is in the hospital now, then she asked mother if she regretted loving him.
Bella: So.. 'him' is in the hospital and mother loves him?
Vida: (nods a yes)
Bella: This same 'him' is someone mother regrets trusting?
Vida: (nods a yes)
Bella: The person aunt Saffron wants mother to leave is also this same him?
Vida: Can you please tell me what you're thinking and stop repeating everything I just said?
Bella: Well, the only person I can think of who is in the hospital that mother loves is...
Bella & Vida: (in unison) Father.
Bella: But if they're taking about father, then why does aunt Saffron want mother to leave him and why did mother say she regrets trusting him blindly?
Vida: That's what confused me and what's even more confusing is that word blindly. Why did she say she regrets trusting him blindly? Was mother blind before?
Bella: How would I know? We were born the same time.
Vida: (in a low tone) Well, not really.
Bella: What did you say?
Vida: I said we weren't born the same time.
Bella: Two minutes don't make a difference.
Vida: They do.
Bella: If they did then it means I should be the one asking you if mother was blind since you came to this world two minutes earlier, right, elder sister?
Vida: I was a baby. Even if she was, how would I know?
Bella: So you see that it doesn't matter what time we were born because it's still the same.
Vida: Well, I don't think mother was blind.
Bella: We can't say. (Thinks for a while) Why don't we ask teacher?
Vida: And how?
Bella: Leave it to me.
(Macy suddenly enters leaving the two startled)
Macy: What are you going to ask you teacher?
Bella & Vida: (quiet)
Macy: What? Why do you both look surprised? Is there something going on?
Bella: No.
Vida: No.
Macy: Then why does it look like you were discussing something I wasn't supposed to hear? Spill it.
Bella: There's really nothing. We were just surprised because we didn't know you were coming.
Macy: Well, it's already past your bedtime and I saw that the lights were still on, so I just came to take a look.
Vida: We were just about to go to bed.
Macy: Is that so? Then why didn't you go to bed? What kept you up? What were you discussing that didn't let you go to sleep?
Bella & Vida: (look at each other, reluctant to talk)
Macy: Am listening.
Vida: We.. were... talking about...
Bella: We.. were..talking about... about... Janice! (Looks at Vida)
Vida: Right, Janice.
Macy: Janice. What were you saying about Janice?
Vida: (looking at Bella) What were we saying about Janice?
Bella: We... We were just talking about her living with us.
Macy: (looks at Vida)
Vida: (smiles and nods a yes)
Macy: What about it?
Bella: Well, we've never seen her before and now she's going to live with us.
Macy: (looks at Vida)
Vida: (nods a yes)
Macy: That better be it because I don't like you keeping secrets from me and also you better be saying good things about her and not talking about how to cause trouble because I wouldn't want that.
Bella: We're not keeping secrets.
Vida: Truly.
Bella: And we won't cause trouble.
(Macy raises her eyebrows as she stares at Bella with Vida also staring at Bella)
Bella: (sighs lightly) I won't cause trouble.
Macy: That's good to hear. So what were you planning to ask your teacher?
Bella: Nothing, really. Just a normal question.
Macy: Normal question, huh? Well since it's a normal question, why don't you ask me, maybe I can be of help?
Bella: Um... Vida, what was the question again?
Vida: (looks at her) (in her mind while looking at Bella) Seriously? You're pushing it to me?
Bella: (in her mind while looking at Vida) I already said something, it's your turn.
Vida: (in her mind) What should I say?
Macy: What's wrong? Can't remember?
Vida: Um... the question is... Janice!
Macy: Janice?
Bella: (looks at Vida) (sarcastically in her mind while looking at Vida) Great.
(To Vida) Janice?
Vida: Yes, Janice. Don't you remember? We wanted to know what her name meant.
Bella: (in her mind) Huh?
Vida: (Using her facial expressions to tell Bella to play along)
Bella: Oh, right. I remember now. That is the question.
Macy: Hmm... Why do you want to know the meaning of her name?
Vida: Just a normal question.
Macy: Mm... Normal question. Alright, I'll tell you the meaning of her name.
It means God's gift.
Vida & Bella: (in unison) Oh....
Vida: Why was she given the name Janice?
Macy: You're gonna have to ask your aunt that question because I don't know.
Bella: Mother, how old is she?
Macy: Mm... she should be around 5years old now.
Bella: Well, if she's 5yrs old then that means we're 2years older.
Macy: Yes.
Bella: (smiles) Nice.
Macy: What's that smile about? Don't even think about causing trouble, Bella.
Vida: Mother, why do they have to live with us?
Macy: Well, their family's having a little problem right now.
Bella: Little, if it's little then why do they have to live with us? Did aunt Saffron and Janice's father separate?
Macy: No, like I said, it's just a little problem. That's enough questions for tonight. You two, bed, now. (The girls lie on the bed) Good night.
Bella & Vida: (in unison) Good night mother.
(Macy turns the light off and they go to bed) (As Macy walks to her room, she stops by the room where Saffron, Melinda and Janice are sleeping. She opens the door quietly and watches them sleep for a while as she remembers what Saffron said to her in the kitchen, she closes the door quietly and walks back to her room lost in thoughts as Saffron's words ring in her head)
(On getting to her room, she closes the door behind her and slowly walks to the mirror and sits in front of it staring at her reflection lost in thoughts and devastated) (As she sits the words of Saffron keep ringing in her head)
(Macy's mind)
Saffron: Don't you regret loving him? Don't you? You lost everything because of one man and almost lost your life! Don't you regret it? Don't you regret loving him? Don't you!
(As the words of Saffron ring in her head, tears flow from her eyes down her cheek and she slowly closes her eyes)