Title: “Everything you do is returned”.
Author: Clara Pérez
4 Characters:
- Matilda: Inhabitant of the town who worries about helping people in need.
- Mariana: Matilda’s assistant in collecting help.
- Patrick: Owner of the town store.
- Francisca: Patrick’s wife.
Act I
Setting: Village store.
Introduction: Matilda and Mariana arrive very dismayed at the warehouse to ask Patrick and his wife for help.
Matilda (with a sad and worried face): Good morning Patrick, how are you?
Patrick: Very well, Mrs. How can I help you?
Mariana (taking to the floor): How are you doing? I don’t know if you heard that the river rose in the southern part and the people who lived nearby lost their houses, it took everything with it, it left nothing in its path, those people are in a very bad situation.
Francisca (worried): Yes, we hear about it, poor people, what will they do now?
Patrick (without paying much attention): Yes we heard that, God’s designs, it will be hard for them to get up, but they have to work, that’s what they have to do.
Matilda: Yes it will be very hard for them, but now they have nothing, no clothes, no food, they were given a place in the church to stay but they need everything else, we want to help them and we are taking up a collection in town to bring them the necessary things, milk, food, clothes, blankets, drinking water, medicine.
Patrick (nodding): Very well, I hope you are very lucky and manage to help those people.
Mariana (shaking her head): No Mr. Patrick, we didn’t come just to tell you, we came to ask for your help, you have a store, and you are one of the wealthiest people in town, can you give us a hand and donate something to help the people who are going through this tragedy.
Francisca (taking Patrick’s hand): Yes Patrick, let’s donate something, those people must be devastated.
Patrick (letting go of Francisca’s hand and walking away): Look, I feel sad for those people, but this is not a charity house, everything I sell costs me money, if I give things away I lose, and I can’t buy again, I congratulate them for their initiative, but I can’t help them.
Francisca (surprised): Patrick! How can you not help? people who have less are doing it.
Mariana: We don’t ask for much, anything you can donate is a great help.
Matilda: Put your hand on your heart Mr. Patrick, today it is them and tomorrow it can be us.
Patrick (convinced not to help): If God decides that at some point we will be the ones to go through that, we will see how to get ahead, I have money saved, people do not foresee.
Matilda (annoyed): Come on Mariana, it is evident that Mr. Patrick is not going to help us.
Matilda and Mariana leave the store and Francisca leaves Patrick alone in the store.
Act II
Setting: Room alone with a pile of stacked boxes, blankets, blankets and supplies.
Introduction: Matilda and Mariana organize the boxes in the living room, their faces are tragic, disheveled and dirty. Enter Patrick and his wife in the same circumstances, disheveled, their clothes dirty and torn.
Patrick (depressed): God, how did this happen to us? We lost everything, this time the river rose on this side and left us with nothing.
Matilda (worried): Are you all right? Nothing happened to you?
Francisca: Fortunately we managed to climb the mountain and saved our lives, that’s what matters.
Mariana (ironic): And what brings you here, Mr. Patrick?
Patrick (annoyed by the question): I am sightseeing, Mariana. I came to take refuge like all of us who lost our homes.
Mariana (without losing her irony): Are you going to take refuge here? Exactly 8 months ago this same thing happened to the people of the south, and you refused to help, because you have money saved and everyone had to solve their own problems. And now you are going to take refuge and use the help of those people who didn’t want to help before?
Francisca (ashamed): Mariana is right Patrick, you should find a way to solve your problems, and not take advantage of the help of the people you refused to help.
Patrick (also ashamed and realizing his selfishness): I know Francisca but we are cut off, we lost everything and I can’t get to the bank What can I do?
Matilda (in a conciliatory tone): Nothing, Mr Patrick, you are welcome here, help is for everyone because there are good people capable of helping those in need, you can stay, but I hope this will teach you a lesson. Today for you, tomorrow for me.
Patrick, approaches Matilda taking her hand and smiling in a gesture of gratitude.
THE END