Title: “Different education, different result”.
Author: Clara Pérez
4 Characters:
- Mother: spoiled and with a marked favoritism for her youngest son.
- Father: Mediator between the family disputes.
- Juan José: Younger son who takes advantage of the whole family.
- Enrique: Eldest son who bears the consequences of his mother’s favoritism.
ACT I
Setting: Living room of the house, where there is a sofa next to it, on the floor there are several dirty glasses, cups and plates piled up.
Introduction: Juan José is lying on the sofa, next to all the dirty utensils while he eats, unconcerned.
Enrique (entering the living room): Juan José is again eating on the sofa and leaving everything lying around, pick it all up and take it to the kitchen, mom and dad are coming.
Juan José (making fun of his brother): Me? if it bothers you pick everything up, I’m not moving from here, and hurry up, if mom comes and gets all this mess you’ll be in trouble.
Enrique (annoyed): And why me? The mess is yours.
Juan José (still mocking): You know she doesn’t care, if the mess is there, you are always responsible, I’m going to my room, hurry up with that, it won’t be long before they arrive.
Juan José leaves the living room and Enrique stares at the mess, deciding to go to the kitchen without picking up anything, at that moment his parents enter.
Mom (cheerfully speaking loudly for her children to hear): Boys, we’re here!
Dad (walking slowly with his hands in his pockets): They don’t seem to be here.
Mom (impressed): Enrique! My God, what is this? What’s all this mess? Enrique!
Enrique (entering the room): What’s wrong mom?
Mom (irritable and still speaking in a loud tone): Do you want to explain to me what is all this?
Enrique (unconcerned): I don’t know, ask Juan José, when I arrived all this was like that.
Mom (still hysterical): Are you going to blame Juan José? If he left it there it’s because he didn’t have time to pick it up, couldn’t you do it?
Dad (intrigued): Him? If Juan José made the mess he should pick it up.
Mom (annoyed and looking at the father): Don’t justify Enrique’s lack of collaboration, if the boy couldn’t pick it up, his brother should help him, that’s why they are brothers, right?
Enrique (feeling helpless): I am sorry mom, but this time I am not going to please you, it is always the same, you justify the things Juan José does and I end up paying the consequences, I am not going to pick up anything, I am going to my room and you call him and ask him to pick up everything.
Enrique leaves the room and the surprised mother starts talking to herself but trying to torment the father.
Mom: It is not possible for Enrique to be like that, always the same, fighting because he doesn’t want to do anything, I don’t know why he doesn’t learn from his brother.
Dad (in a disapproving tone): You are wrong, you don’t give Juan José responsibilities and you justify him for everything, we have a very confident, competent son and Juan José who doesn’t know how to do anything, you are damaging him with this favoritism.
Mom (annoyed): I have no favoritism for my children, for me they are both equal.
ACT II
Ambience: Couch in the house, all clean and organized.
Mom (entering the living room while complaining): Ay, Ay, Ay!
Juan José (Surprised and approaching his mother to help her): What’s wrong, Mom?
Mom (walking bent over and still moaning): Help me son, it hurts me a lot, where is your father and brother?
Juan José (helping his mother to sit up): They left on a trip very early mom Don’t you remember? They won’t be back until tomorrow.
Mom (leaning back on the couch): That’s right, I didn’t remember, well son we’ll see how we both manage, make me some tea to see if this pain goes away please.
Juan José (starting to worry): Mom I have never made tea, you are going to have to call dad, I can’t take care of you, I won’t take care of the house and you until they come.
Mom (feeling disappointed): Juan José, your father can’t come back, you have to help me son.
Juan José (annoyed): No mom, I’m sorry, the slaves here are dad and Enrique, if you are not going to call them, do whatever you can.
Juan José leaves the room and the mother is left alone, talking out loud…- my husband and Enrique were right, I did not teach Juan José to collaborate, nor to think of others and now I was a victim of my own mistake.
THE END