PETals

LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND

[written by Lam Ghooi-Ket]
2 Scenes for 4 actors.

[Enter Mangai with a cup of coffee for her husband, Radha. She sits, and begins to mop her sweat. Radha enters with a newspaper, whistling the song “Khaadalan Roja”. He does not see Mangai. He sits next to her and she lets out a sigh. He brings his newspaper down, sees her, smiles, and notices the cup of coffee. He sings the song to Mangai… then he breaks off to tell the audience…]

Radha: It’s love that makes the world go round. Some people think it is money that spins it but really, it’s love that makes the world go round. You fall in love with a girl, then you have to buy her things to show that you love her. Then if she accepts your gifts, you have to marry her, then your parents, your brothers and sisters, your uncles and aunties, your grandfathers and grandmothers have to get in on the shopping spree to get the wedding going….

Mangai: Then you have to buy a car, buy a house, buy furniture, buy more clothes, buy more food, have babies, buy baby food, buy pampers, buy Johnson and Johnson baby products, buy, buy, buy… and goodbye to your peace of mind… and your world is going round and round, and your head is spinning round and round and round…. Phew! Until you meet Swamiji….. ah then you begin to get another type of love, another kind of peace of mind…. And then, and then, your head begins to spin and spin and spin… there’s no running away, it’s love that makes the world go round…

Radha: Mangai my sweet, isn’t it wonderful that Manju is finally getting married? She has grown into a beautiful young woman…(sob sob sob)

Mangai: Yes Radha, and Hari is a good boy. It’s a good match. O Radha, I know you are crying because you are happy…

Radha: Yes, I am so happy because at last I don’t have to fight with her over watching Vaanavil or One Tree Hill…

Mangai: Yes, and she’ll get to decorate her own home and her own house, and I will get to redecorate our house my way, and cook the dishes I like…

Radha: Mangai, all of a sudden, when I look at you, I remember how we used to be…

Mangai: Yes, Radha, me, too… you were so young, so suave, so handsome…

Radha: You were so sweet, so beautiful, so….strong. You reminded me of Zhu Yingtai…

Mangai: And you were like Liang Shanbo…

Radha: You were like Shakuntala…

Mangai: And you, Dushyanta…

[Radha sings "Khaadalan roja" and chases Mangai… exeunt]


ENTER MANJU AND HARI

Hari: Ah, the full moon is up… just right for a scene from Romeo and Juliet. [handphone rings… he answers.]

Manju [on the handphone]: are you ready?

Hari: Yes, Manju… [she poses a la Juliet, and Hari comes out from a tree, sees her, the moon shines on her]

Hari: But soft, what light through yonder window breaks
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun… no… and Manju is the sun
Arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon
For she is sick and pale with grief
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she
Be not her maid
For you are my bright angel… she speaks!

Manju: O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
O Hari, Hari, wherefore art thou, Hari?
Don’t stay so long at your squash game…
Give up your doctoring and hurry back to me
You swore you would love me
And you would go to the ends of the world for me

Hari: Shall I hear more or shall I run away now?

Manju: What’s so great about Perth? Klang is better!
Australian or Malaysian, you will always be my Hari
And I will always be your Manju
What’s in a place? That which you call a home by any other
Name – Perth or Klang – will always be a home with me around
O Hari, forget about Perth, and if you love me, as you say you do
Make your home with me, and since I am the woman
I choose Klang, and for that, I will give you all of myself

Hari: I take thee at thy word!
Actually, can I think about it?

Manju: What man art thou that stumbles upon my own conversation
In the middle of the night? Are you Romeo, and a Montague”

Hari: No!

Manju: How camest thou hither, tell me and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb
And the place is death if my parents know you are here…

Hari: I drove… I am not Romeo… I just walked in the door
Your parents begged me to marry you

Manju: Ah! Now I know my Romeo loves me not
Thank god it is night for a maiden blush doth paint my cheek
Dost thou now prove false, O Romeo
To one who has given her heart and soul to thee?

Hari: Look thou but sweet, my darling, I will be reminded
Thou art my Mumtaz and I your Shah Jehan

Manju: O pronounce those words faithfully, Hari
In truth I am too fond, and am at a loss for words
Thinking of all the things we will buy after our wedding here
And the honeymoon we will have in Paris
And the two sports cars you will give me – one for the weekday
For going to the office and one for the weekend
For our picnics in lake gardens -
You agree we will live in Klang, not Perth
Though for Christmas, we can stay a week in Perth -
O I am at a loss for words
We can just shop and shop and shop till we drop [sigh]
What bliss awaits us…

Hari: I swear by the moon that…

Manju: O swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon
Lest your love prove likewise

Hari: I think I have to get her out of this mood
I think I will have to talk to Swamiji about this
I think I better say goodnight – goodnight, Manju

Manju: O sweet goodnight! I know you will have to rush to the airport
But it is only twenty minutes from here… your flight is at 11:30
It is now 9:45… you will make it
O gentle Romeo, gentle Hari, parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say goodnight till it be tomorrow

Hari: I got to go!

Manju: Go, my love, take my love with you
And hurry back, my love, a minute without you is like a day
And a day without you is a year
You gone from me, it will be like a thousand years
Before you come… and I will be too old to be married

Hari: I got to go, darling

Manju; Yes, go my love, but hurry back
Hurry hurry hurry home love hurry back to Manju –a
To crazy Klang in Malaysia
Hurry home to me
I know I know you have to go
Please hurry back home love
Hurry home to me

Hari: yes, darling! Bye!

Manju: don’t forget to bring me my things from my apartment
There are so many things I need, please darling
Things I need for our wedding, tomorrow…
Did you hear me, Hari?

Hari [offstage]: yes!


[This was first presented with additions and amendments on Jan 18th, 2007 at the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields on the occasion of a wedding dinner. It was subsequently presented again at the Temple of Fine Arts on Feb 3rd, 2007 to a highly appreciative audience.]

Labels: script

posted by ketO9lives @ 11:34 AM