The Sales of Life

Posted by Ronald Jackson in World History - Block on

Characters
Sweetna
Chan (Sweetna's brother)
Bintu (Sweetna’s mother)
Jon (rapist)
Earl (Jon’s friend)
Lucy (Bintu’s friend)

  • Act #1- Scene 1:

(In the background, a radio says “Good Morning Afghanistan! It’s going to be a good one today.” Sweetna begins writing in her diary while laying in bed.)

Voice in Sweetna’s head as she writes

Dear Diary,

(The sun shines through the window and onto her face.)

While in bed, he asked me if I had a good sleep last night. I, Sweetna, had to answer his question in a polite manner. I didn’t want to get hurt. I told him that I did have a good sleep. Yet, my crotch burned from the previous hard usage. I knew that he was going to ask me for something to eat. I really didn’t want to feed him.
(She turned over and looked at him lying there for a few seconds. Then, she continues writing.)
After all, I “fed” him a lot of food last night.

Sweetna


“Hello Jon dear, would you like some eggs,” she said.

Jon


“Yes whore, get to it!”

(She got up and walked to the refrigerator. A plane passed by overhead. She cracked the eggs over a pan, turned the stove on, and began to cook them. She finished and handed Jon the eggs on a plate. He immediately left, slamming the door shut behind him. She walked back to her diary and continued writing. The voice inside her can be heard.)

Voice in Sweetna’s head as she writes


I had to relax a bit longer. A ten year old like myself needs plenty of sleep in order to grow. I asked him if I could sleep a bit longer. His response was not pleasant. So, I assured him that a sandwich would be made. The tears wanted to roll down my eyes.

(She gave a little twitch.)

But, I wouldn’t let them. I had to stay strong because he was the best caretaker I’d ever had. I got out of bed and walked over to the kitchen slowly, trying not to flex my genitals. It still really hurt. It felt like a cactus limb was stuck inside of me. Each step felt like an attempt to pull it out to no avail. I found it hard to believe what my mom told me when she gave me to him. She said me that my life would be better than ever. Maybe she meant that I would feel better in the future. Needless to say, I still believed her because she had my best interest at heart as any mother would.

(The scene ends with her closing the diary.)


  • Act #1- Scene 2:

(Jon the rapist is talking to his friend Earl while walking down an old road to work.)

Jon


“This girl is making me sick to my stomach! But, I have to settle for her. She’s the only “belly-warmer” that I’ve got. Not to mention, she was pretty good last night.”

(He gave a little smirk.)

“I still feel warm and happy. I can’t wait until tonight to go even faster. I like to hear her scream. Yes, I “love” my wife. That’s funny. To be honest, this “toy” is doing a fine job of pleasing me.”


Earl


(Earl chuckles.)

“Hey man, that’s a little harsh. I mean, that little girl is still a person.”

Jon


“Not really! If only she would clean up after my great performances. All that she does is sleep. I guess she’s trying to make me think that I take a lot out of her during the night. But, since I pay her with her life, she should at least do the chores for me.”

(He balls his hand in a fist and frowns.)

“Okay, if she wants to be lazy, I will just stop feeding her.”

Earl


“Whoa, you’re going too far man.”

Jon


“Whatever. But, I can’t let her die of hunger. I need the happiness and relaxation. This world is hard on a man. I need something to look forward to when I come in from work. Or maybe I can kill her and find another “toy”.

(He scratches his chin for a few seconds.)

Yeah, an even better toy that will actually take care of the house without me asking. I’m just as tired of punishing this whore for not doing her chores as she is from taking it. A hand itself needs a break from slapping. Oh well, I’ll give her another chance. As long as “it’s” satisfied, I’m satisfied.”

(The scene ends with Earl nodding his head and continuing walking with his friend to work. A look of regret is on his face.)


  • Act #1- Scene 3:

(Sweetna’s mother Bintu tells of her feelings towards her decision to give Sweetna away to her friend Lucy while sitting at home at the dinner table.)

(Sweetna’s half-brother Chan runs by. She watches until he is out of sight but says nothing to him.)

Bintu


“I really do miss little Sweetna,” she said. “Since my husband left us poor,

(She grasps her hand.)
I couldn’t afford to feed both her and her brother anymore.”

Lucy


“I understand.”

Bintu


“Why did he go? Why?”

(She began whimpering.)

Lucy


(Lucy nodded her head.)

“Let it all out dear.”

Bintu


“He took the easy way out and went to give himself a new life after learning that I was pregnant. That was such a rotten thing to do! I can’t believe that I was nice enough to send him pictures of his growing daughter. But, that will stop here!”

(She frowned.)

Lucy


“Yes honey, if that was me, I wouldn’t send him a thing,” said Lucy.

Bintu


“Anyway, I had to do what was best for my Chan.”

(She looked at the picture of her son that she had in front of her and smiled.)

“He is more valuable because he can work in the field and bring in more money. Yet, this could have been avoided had that man not left us. All that Sweetna could do was make more babies that we couldn’t take care of. Not to mention, selling her presented us with even more money. Yet, I still love her.”

(She rubbed her head.)

“She is my daughter. I think about her everyday. I wonder if she is being treated well in her new home. My mind says that this is not possible. It breaks my heart that this possibility could be true, especially after I promised her that her life would improve.”

Lucy


“Yes darling, but it will all get better in time, I know it.”

(She puts her hand on Binut’s are to reassure her.)

Bintu


“But, what could I do now? I don’t know where he has taken her. I can simply pray for the best and continue to raise my son.”

(The scene ends with Bintu putting her head down as Lucy nods.)


  • Act #1- Scene 4:

(Sweetna’s brother Chan writes in his journal while lying in bed.)

Voice in Chan’s head as he writes


Journal #24
I thought about my big sister Sweetna. I really do miss her.
“Why did she have to leave me?”

(He writes this phrase and then repeats it out loud.)

I thought that maybe I was the one with the problem. Was it because she didn’t like me? That hurts because I really did like her. No, I really did love her. I remember that we used to play games together. I used to love when I would win. And, even though she lost, she would always say “good job” to me. I remember her beautiful face.

(He looks up as if he was thinking of her.)

Chan


“I’ve never seen another girl with such a pretty smile,” he says out loud.

Voice in Chan’s head as he writes


I wish that I inherited her smiling muscles. Now for the cons, because she was not perfect. She did get on my nerves at times. Mommy loved her more than me and she knew it. I remember when she gave me and Sweetna the notebooks. Mine was plain and ugly, while my sister’s had many colors. She tried to act dumb, but I knew that her and mommy had a special relationship.

(A tear appeared in his eye.)

Every time that I would do something wrong, I would have to apologize, and she didn’t.

Chan


“Oh well, I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Voice in Chan’s head as he writes


With all of that said, I still love her, wherever she is.

(The scene ends with Chan closing his journal and running towards the kitchen.)


  • Act #1- Scene 5:


(Sweetna writes in her diary while sitting under a tree at night.)

Voice in Sweena’s Head as she writes


Dear Diary,

I can’t take this lifestyle anymore. This is the second day since I’ve ran away from him. I am still in search of my mother.

(A smile stuck to her face for a few seconds. She continues writing with the voice in her mind being heard.)

Maybe she misses me just as much as I miss her.

(She looks at the moon for a few seconds.)

That thought is what pushes me to continue my journey. I can’t wait to show her how much I appreciate this diary. It was the last thing that she gave me before she took me to him. Anyway, after being with that man for two years, I don’t think that I could stand another.

(The bushes rattled as if an animal was in them.)

I was tired of getting beat up night after night. I am hopeful that my mom will accept me. If she does then I can continue with my life and be reunited with my friends and family. I can’t wait to see my little brother. We have been apart for so long that I finally realized how much I loved him. I would love another day of his seven-year-old habits, like copying off of me.

(She gives a little chuckle and suddenly shows signs of fear. Something sounds like it’s moving through the grass, but she just ignores it.)

Oh, but I hope that he isn’t trying to find me.

Sweetna


“If he hurts me when I don’t do anything wrong, I can only imagine what he will do if he catches me.”

(She slams the book closed and starts to run to the nearest road. Standing in the road is Jon with a riffle. She blinks her eyes twice to check whether or not she is imagining. She is not.)

Jon


“I knew that I’d find you, get over here bitch,” he says.

(Sweetna begins running down the road, towards a human walking in the opposite direction. When closer, she notices that it is Earl. He grabs her.)

Earl


“Are you alright,” he said.

Sweetna


“No, he’s trying to get me! Oh no!”

(Jon caught up and pointed the gun, he shot Sweetna twice in the chest. She gives a spine-tingling scream and fall to the ground. Earl looked at him in amazement. A police vehicle approaches in the background. Instinctively, Jon runs in the opposite direction.)

(Earl screams to him as he runs away.)

Earl


“Why did you do this man!”

(He goes down and hugs the body Sweetna. He stares at her.)

“He killed my daughter,” he said. “Why did I let her go, why?”

(The scene ends with Earl crying over her.)

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