Title of the work: “Andy and his thoughts”.
Author: Yanett Mora.
5 Characters:
- Andy (9 year old boy).
- Frederick (10 year old boy).
- Thomas (9 year old boy).
- Freckles (Dog, represented by a child).
- Friends (Several children between 9 and 10 years old).
Act I:
Setting: Andy’s room.
Introduction: Andy was a boy who didn’t like to go out to play with his neighbors, but every afternoon, he would lean out of his window to watch the kids on the block play. Frederick, his closest neighbor, always noticed how Andy watched them.
Frederick (shouting and looking out the window): Andy, come out and play!
Andy quickly pulled back the curtain and pretended not to have seen anything.
Act II:
Setting: Block of Andy’s house.
Introduction: One afternoon, Andy walks his dog Freckles around the block. After walking Freckles for a few hours, he walks by the baseball game that, like every afternoon, all the kids on the block gather to practice. Andy stood watching from afar. The boys invited him to play but he never approached, always watching from afar. What Andy doesn’t realize is that Frederick was watching him. When it was his turn to throw the ball, he intentionally threw it towards Andy.
Frederick: Hi Andy! Hi Freckles! How are you today?
Freckles barks happily and Andy is silent looking at the floor.
Frederick: Why do you always avoid us, Andy, why don’t you ever want to play with us?
Andy kept looking down at the floor, his face showing that he refused to answer. Freckles was still barking happily.
Frederick: What’s wrong with you, Andy?
Andy, angry and impotent, takes his two hands out of his sweater pocket (which he always kept in his pocket and never let them be seen).
Frederick is surprised.
Andy: You see, Frederick, my right hand is not the same as my left hand. It never developed the same as the other one when I was a baby, or the same as your hands or everyone else’s! So I could never play well and no one would ever pick me to be on their team, they’d even be afraid to be around me!
Frederick: Andy, I’ve always known that. Remember your mom and my mom have been neighbors since they were little girls about our age. I just want you to know that your hand, it doesn’t define you. What does is the way you face your challenges. Your hand just pushes you to fill yourself with courage and strength and believe in yourself as a human being.
Andy: All the guys are going to look down on me for being different from them.
Frederick: You’re wrong, Andy. The only one who feels contempt towards you, is yourself and that’s why you are always sad and think that the rest of us wouldn’t want to play with you.
Tears start to fall from Andy’s eyes. Freckles goes over to him and starts licking him. Andy sits up, Freckles lies on top of him.
Frederick (turns and goes to his friends): Guys, you guys go ahead, I have to do something, take the ball!
Let’s go get some ice cream, Andy.
Act III
Setting: Ice cream shop down the block.
Introduction: Andy and Frederick buy some ice cream and sit on the sidewalk outside the ice cream shop. Freckles couldn’t take his eyes off his delicious ice cream.
Frederick: I always noticed that you never took your hands out of your sweater.
Andy: Ever since I was little, I hide my hand inside my sweater so no one can see it.
Frederick looks at Andy’s hand.
Andy: My mom has always told me that being different is not a bad thing, on the contrary, it makes you special and different from others.
Frederick: I think your mom is absolutely right. In the end we are all different in some way, some kids are tall, some are short, some are skinny and some are not so skinny, there are boys and there are girls.
Andy: Every time I look in the mirror, I imagine all the kids making fun of me. That’s why I never agree to play with you.
Frederick: But you can’t spend the rest of your life feeling that way.
Andy: I know.
Frederick: Andy, agree to play with us today, and if you feel uncomfortable or someone makes fun of you, you can stop talking to me for the rest of your life.
Andy (Laughing): I don’t know if I want to stop talking to you for the rest of my life, Frederick, but I’ll accept the invitation. I know that someday you’ll get tired of inviting me and won’t do it again afterwards.
Frederick: That’s good news! Let’s eat these ice creams fast and go play with the other boys.
Frederick and Andy eat the ice cream fast and Freckles kept looking at them.
Act IV
Setting: Block of Andy’s house.
Introduction: Andy and Frederick arrive together with Pecas after eating the ice cream.
Frederick: Guys, guys, attention! Today we have a very special guest joining our game today.
Thomas: Hi Andy, we’ve been waiting for you!
All the boys form a hullabaloo and begin to designate their new positions. Freckles sits to the side watching the game.
Frederick: Andy, what position would you like?
Andy: I’d like to be the ball thrower!
Thomas: Great! Attention guys, Andy will be the pitcher.
Andy settles on the mound. He prepares to pitch and takes the ball in his right hand. Although it’s very heavy, he makes every effort and throws it, but it doesn’t get very far.
Thomas : Never mind Andy, try again.
Andy takes the ball again and throws it. He gets the same result as before.
Frederick: Come on Andy, you can do it!
Andy (looking with determination at his left hand): Guys, you know what, I’ve never tried it with my left hand.
Thomas: Then it’s time for you to try it, Andy.
Andy gets ready, takes a deep breath and throws the ball.
Thomas, the batter, manages to hit the ball and then runs hard, but Frederick was faster, caught the ball and made an out.
Thomas: Oh noooo, I’m out!
Frederick: Excellent pitch, Andy.
Thomas: Even though I was out of the game, I must admit that for your first time pitching left-handed, you’re doing very well, Andy.
Andy was happy. At the end of the game, which was tied, all the boys celebrate and congratulate Andy. Freckles excitedly comes over to celebrate with the boys.
Thomas: Andy, I would love to make you a proposal.
Andy: Tell me, Thomas .
Thomas: Would you like to come and practice with us every day? By practicing you’ll be able to pitch better and better and we need a pitcher for the team.
Andy: Of course I would, Thomas, I’ll come every day starting tomorrow. I’m really sorry I thought you guys would make fun of me.
Frederick: Our thoughts are what stop us from doing things. Many times we think more than we should and we put aside positive thoughts for negative ones, allowing them to consume us and making us believe that everything we want to do can go wrong and that everyone around us will make fun of us and won’t respect us.
Thomas (putting his hand on Frederick’s shoulder): Our biggest dream is to be professional baseball players, and for us it is very important to believe in ourselves. If we don’t, nobody else will.
Andy: That’s exactly what’s happening to me, maybe if I start believing in myself more and having confidence I’ll be able to get rid of the pain that makes me not want to make friends!
Thomas: That’s right, we can help each other every day by supporting each other.
Andy: I’ll remember this day forever guys, thanks for insisting on making me play with you!
Frederick, Thomas and Andy laughed. Freckles came over and started jumping up and down and licking Andy’s hand.
THE END.