If you were in my shoes

 

CHARACTERS

 

VANESSA From Brooklyn

TERESA Suburban Rich girl

JULIO Father of Teresa

SOPHIA Vanessa’s Mother

STRANGER stereotype

 

SETTING

Small two room apartment with bars around the windows. The lights begin to flicker.

 

(Curtain opens and Sophia is just coming back from her late shift while Vanessa is watching Rosalinda lying down on her sofa in the living room right next to the kitchen. Her mother is exhausted while she begins to make dinner and tries to relax herself by putting some Alejandro Sanz a famous Spanish artist.)

 

SOPHIA: Mi hija come help me set up the table for dinner

 

VANESSA: what’s it today? (With an annoyed face) Frijoles…or platanos?

 

SOPHIA: Sorry I’m not no five star chef…(turns her face away and drops the plate of what looks like overcooked canned vegetables) if you don wan it no te lo comes [don’t eat it then].I remember when I was your age and how even when my mother made the most disgusting overcooked food I would still eat it…you kids nowadays are so ungrateful, you think this is the hard life?…[pause] try living by yourself with no where to go and only one pair of clothes…

VANESSA: (interrupt) here we go again…I don’t need your lecture lets just eat

 

SOPHIA: I only want what’s best for you niña, I push you so hard to do good in school so that you can make a better life than what I gave you, you deserve so much better that’s all [looks down at her food]

 

VANESSA: [stands up to put her dishes in the sink while speaking to her mother] I know it was hard for you ma but I’m trying. I jus wanna… (Gunshot Sophia is lying on the floor)… make you proud (Vanessa notices a long silence and turns and see’s blood on the back of her shirt) Mama you okay? Why aren’t you sayin anythin? Can you hear me?! MA! MAMI! I’m sorry…I’m so sorry (kneels next to her mother and cries for what seems endless)

 

Scene 1

 

Setting: Vanessa waits in front of a huge glass door looking up at what seems to be a balcony.  Her palms are sweaty and she stands still next as the police officer rings the doorbell.

 

JULIO: You’re finally here! (Excited) we’ve been waiting all day for you… (Calls out for his daughter)Teresa stop being rude and come say hi to our guest.

 

TERESA: (walks on stage and stands next to JULIO and looks annoyed) hi…you must be the girl from the ghetto, so do shootings always happen where you live? (VANESSA looks away in disbelief)

 

JULIO: Teresa that’s enough from you (Takes Vanessa bags) come; let me show you where you’re going to stay (VANESSA follows JULIO while TERESA stares at her) my wife will be back later to show you around the house (looks at his watch) I got a meeting to go to but make yourself at home and if you need anything you can ask the Rosa the maid to assist you

 

Scene 2

 

(VANESSA walks in looking back while holding some books. She’s wearing a pair of baggy pants with hoop earrings and her long brown curly hair is up in a tight pony tail. She takes a seat. TERESA walks a couple seconds after her and waves at another girl (STRANGER) standing by another desk. She walks towards VANESSA but quickly turns and goes to sit on the opposite side next to her friend who seems to be Caucasian with blonde hair.)

 

VANESSA: (While sitting leans her head on her hand with her elbow on the desk. Speaks low to herself) Damn people be havin some starin problems or sumtin. They act like they neva seen no Spanish girl before. Can’t wait till I leave.

 

STRANGER: Hey Teresa. How’s everything going with your friend over there?

 

TERESA: Oh my God. Don’t even ask. She’s been driving me crazy with her little Spanish and gangster music.

 

STRANGER: Hey what can you do she’s one of them. Hey where is she from anyways? The Bronx or something? (Pause and ponders) Wait, aren’t you Spanish?

 

TERESA: She’s from Brooklyn (starts to fidget and looks down at the desk) I’m only like a forth. That’s nothing.

 

STRANGER: Figures (pause) I feel bad for you. I’ve been hearing a lot of things about her. I wouldn’t be in public with someone like that. (Gets distracted by a lighter on the floor next to her and gets up and goes over to Vanessa while TERESA observes) Umm here I think you dropped this. (Hands over a lighter)

 

VANESSA: (looks at the STRANGERS hand) what makes u think that’s mine?

 

STRANGER: Oh (looks her up and down) I just thought that (gets cut off)

 

VANESSA: (with attitude) well you thought wrong. It’s not mine.

 

STRANGER: Listen I was just trying to give back something I thought was yours. You know at least I have some manners unlike some people. I mean who else would it be.

 

VANESSA: (gives a dirty look) Don get me started I been havin enough issues wit people in this damn school criticizing me n shyt.

 

STRANGER: You know I bet most of the things I’ve heard are probably true. I don’t even know why the hell you’re here. You don’t do shyt anywayz. All you people do is hang around the street and do nothing. No wonder you get nowhere.

 

VANESSA: (stands up and raises voice gets face to face with STRANGER) I can’t believe that a lil spoiled piece of shyt like you is tellin me that I don do nothin when you tha one that lays around scared of getting your pretty nails broken thinkin you to high class or sumthin. Since u got money comin outta ur ass. Unlike some of you people I got a job. You see tha clothes I got on? I paid for this. I don need to be askin nobody for nuthin! If you wuz in my shoes you wouldn’t be sayin shyt.

 

STRANGER: (starts yellin back and pushes VANESSA a little)Don’t hate on the fact that I don’t need to be working right now. If my parents pay for everything I’m set. At least I’m not embarrassed to say that my mom doesn’t clean houses for a living like yours! (Grins)

 

VANESSA: WHAT!(out of nowhere pushes STRANGER back to the point where STRANGER falls into desk behind her)

 

STRANGER: (grabs on to VANESSA’S hair) Get off!

 

VANESSA: (both are now on the floor VANESSA is now over STRANGER)You fuckin bytch! (Swings her fist and ends up punching STRANGER in the face)

 

TERESA: (looking a bit shocked but still standing there) Vanessa STOP!

 

VANESSA: (now pulling STRANGER up from the hair and pushing her head towards the desk) who the…? (Talking towards TERESA) Que diablos se piensa??

TERESA: (reaching arms out as to calm her down) Calm down (pause)I don’t know who she thinks she is,(goes from soft to loud) but if you keep doing that she WON”T BE ABLE TO THINK AT ALL! Please just calm down (pause) chill. What are people going to think of you acting like this?

VANESSA: Chill? (Pause) You tellin me to chill when she jus insulted my mom? (lets go of STRANGER and stands up completely facing TERESA) Is that all you care about? What people are gonna think of you? You know some things are more important besides carin about yourself all the time. (starts to walk away)

 

  

 

Scene 3

 

(JULIO is sitting in a black leather sofa while drinking a Corona and watching the news on Telemundo, the lighting is very bright as if it was broad daylight. He falls asleep and gets woken up by a door bell. He goes to the door to find VANESSA and TERESA arguing.)

 

JULIO: Niñas what’s going on? What’s with the yelling?

 

TERESA: Dad I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life! (Pause) I don’t understand how people are so inconsiderate!

 

VANESSA: (looking astonished) so inconsiderate? (Roles her eyes in anguish) I can’t believe this wannabe white girl; she be thinking I’m inconsiderate when she the one lookin at me and judging when she don’t even know me

 

TERESA: yes you’re inconsiderate and from the looks of it you don’t even know what it means! UGH!(Giving an attitude)

 

(VANESSA turns to her and raises her hand at her face. TERESA steps back while JULIO steps in between.)

 

VANESSA: Bitch you gettin on my last nerve! (Uses hand gestures) you disrespect me one more time I’ll knock you the fuck out no joke!

 

(Teresa steps into the house and turns around while JULIO is still holding VANESSA’s arm)

 

TERESA: (looks VANESSA up and down) don’t worry your not even worth it (pause) I have better things to do then to argue with someone who’s probably going to end up in Nassau or maybe drop out to be my maid (turns around to walk upstairs and stops) who knows you might be desperate enough to work at a corner! (Walks away while laughing)

 

(JULIO and VANESSA stay at the doorway)

 

JULIO: (looks at TERESA while she’s looking away)I want you to know that you can always come to me if there’s a problem, I don’t want you to think that you’re alone in this world (pauses) it’s going to take time just be patient (JULIO walks away while talking) o and don’t forget to wake up early mañana tenemos misa at 10 in the morning and the whole family is going. (Walks back to the living room where he was sits to drink his beer and watch TV as he was before and VANESSA stands there pondering while the stage lights dim out into darkness)

 

Scene 4

 

(it’s another day at High School and TERESA and VANESSA just pull up in the circle in an escalade. The mother is driving. Students start the stare in shock. TERESA and VANESSA begin to walk to their classes when a student stops to talk to VANESSA.)

 

STRANGER: Hi aren’t you the new girl from Brooklyn?

 

VANESSA: Yea that’s me. Why?

 

STRANGER: Oh I was just wondering. (Pauses) was that you getting dropped off in an Escalade? (Looking surprised)

 

VANESSA: Yea that was me. Why? Is there a problem? (Anxious)

 

STRANGER: (scared) Oh no problem. It’s just surprising (gets cut off)

 

VANESSA: (uneasy) surprisin that what? That a spic like me can be in a ride like that? Well lemme tell you sumtin, white people aren’t the only ones that got money. (Walks away in disgust while the STRANGER stands there dwelling on what she just said) I just don’t get it, why is it that if you see a white person drivin a nice car they congratulated but when a Hispanic person does it it’s “surprising?” There’s sumthin wrong wit the world today…there’s sumtin wrong…(walks off stage and leaves STRANGER behind)

 

Scene 5

 

(TERESA, JULIO, and VANESSA attend a sweet 15 of one of TERESA’s cousins. The song Baile de Balz [traditional Sweet 15 father and daughter dance] The attire is formal. The spotlight is on TERESA and JULIO.)

 

JULIO: (goes up to his daughter TERESA to ask for a dance) Mi Hija ...come on lets dance…(TERESA stands up and when they get to the middle of the dance floor the song suddenly changes to typical Hispanic music called merengue. TERESA freezes and starts to walk back to her seat when her father pulls her back) Teresa where are you going? Aren’t we going to dance?

 

TERESA: Yea later though I cant dance this type of music

 

JULIO: Como que no? [what do you mean you can’t] We always used to dance this when you were little. Did you forget already?

 

TERESA: Just leave me alone (walks away in embarrassment while leaving her father behind)

 

JULIO: (walks toward VANESSA) don’t tell me you don’t either

 

VANESSA: Of course I do I AM Hispanic (smiles and goes to dance with JULIO. TERESA sits on her seat observing. Lights fade out and the curtains close.)

 

Scene 6

 

(The next day TERESA is sitting in house on a couch filing her nails. Vanessa walks in the direction of where TERESA is.

 

VANESSA: Come n get up

 

TERESA: what are you talking about? Just leave me alone

 

VANESSA: Come on let’s put everything aside. It looks like you need to have fun. (hands over the keys to TERESA. TERESA grabs them and they leave.)

 

Scene 7

 

(The scene is Brooklyn New York. TERESA and VANESSA are against a graffiti wall overlooking a school park. They’ve been walking around for a while.)

 

TERESA: Wow this is where you use to live?

 

VANESSA: Yup. I didn’t always live here though. At least not in this little apartment.

 

TERESA: So your telling me that your life wasn’t always ghetto. You didn’t always live around these type of people?(looking around)

 

VANESSA: Don’t you remember? I always lived in Brooklyn. Just not in the same section. I use to live in a pretty nice house actually. Then times jus started to get rough and me and my mom had to move to this apartment upstairs. My dad obviously wasn’t around after.

TERESA: Oh right

 

VANESSA: I can’t believe you don remember anything

 

TERESA: What do you mean?

 

VANESSA: Damn you changed. I remember when we wuz little. We would always hang out together playin games. We would tell people we were sisters n everythin.

 

TERESA: (looking down) Well, people change what can you do?

 

VANESSA: No but I know damn well that isn’t the real you I been seein all this time. Especially at ur cuz’s party. (sarcastically) You looked like a stiff board. The Teresa I knew was the one that knew how to dance once she hit that dance floor. Not lil Miss. Goody two – shoes who “forgot” how to get her groove on. The movement is in your blood girl, you can’t deny what you are.

 

TERESA: Well I haven’t danced in a while u know, and I know what I am.

 

VANESSA: Exactly your Hispanic. All of that is part of “our” culture. It doesn’t matter if you and your friends are rich or poor. We all people. It’s all the same. There’s no need to be treatin me differently. You get what I’m sayin?(joking around)

 

TERESA: I see where your coming from.

 

VANESSA: Hey we could start ova.

 

TERESA: (sarcastically) Fine …I guess I’m going to have to get use to you “homie” (imitates VANESSA with head movement)

 

VANESSA: Arite, arite but first I think maybe we should go over some of those steps (pause) cuz honestly… you been embarrassing me with that. (smiles)         

 

 

END