Title of the work: ¿Can you give me some?
Author: Ángeles Spinoza
3 Characters:
- Marcela
- Esteban
- Rogelio
Part one
Marcela enters looking for something. A few minutes pass and then she starts to feel hungry. She looks for food in the cupboard; she finds nothing.
Marcela: Again! (shouting) Esteban! Esteban!
Marcela goes out and almost immediately comes back in, followed by Esteban.
Marcela: Look.
Esteban: What?
Marcela: What do you see?
Esteban: Nothing.
Marcela: Exactly! Nothing, there’s nothing
Esteban: And for that magnificent discovery you’re interrupting me?
Marcela: He has to go, he can’t be here anymore.
Esteban: Who?
Marcela: Rogelio!
Esteban: I imagined you were talking about him, but I’m not sure I understand why you’re bringing him up now.
Marcela: He’s running out of everything; he’s taking everything; he’s grabbing everything.
Esteban: Well, tell him something, you invited him to live here.
Marcela: Now it’s my fault.
Esteban: I didn’t say that; I’m just saying that you were the one who told him he could stay here while he found another place to live.
Marcela: (sighs) Yes I know… it’s just that I can’t tell him anything.
Esteban: Why not?
Marcela: Because it would be a conflict and you know I don’t like conflicts.
Esteban: It’s not like you’re going to run him off, just tell him that he can’t be running out of everyone’s food.
Marcela: Neither the shampoo, nor the detergent, nor the anti-freeze, nor the chewing gum: the chewing gum, the blessed chewing gum, he eats it!
Esteban: (laughs) Just tell him to eat his things and that’s it.
Marcela: I can’t.
Esteban: Why not, if you tell him nicely he doesn’t have to get mad or anything.
Marcela: No, it’s not because he’s going to get angry, it’s because he’s my cousin.
Esteban: And doesn’t that make him more trustworthy?
Marcela: If I tell him something, he will surely tell my aunt, and my aunt will tell my mom, and my mom will complain to me.
Esteban: So I tell him….
Marcela: (interrupting him) No!
Esteban: Why?
Marcela: Because she hasn’t done anything to you, she only takes my things; I think she thinks that since I’m her cousin everything stays in the family… I don’t want to interfere with you, I don’t want her to take it out on you for anything.
Esteban: So what are you going to do? Get angry and put up with it?
Marcela: No, I’m going to get paid the same way, so he can see what it feels like. That way he’ll understand and stop doing it.
Esteban: That could complicate things, don’t you think? I think you should tell him that it’s better if everyone consumes what belongs to each one, and that’s it.
Marcela: No, I already told you that is more complicated. For now I’m going to eat his gummies….
Part two
Rogelio is in the same room looking in the cupboard. Visibly annoyed, he picks up the phone
Rogelio: (calling on the phone) Hello… So? what happened? do you have room? … Nothing! until when?… (continues looking for things) I just can’t stand it anymore, I need my space, I need to move now… well, the usual, my cousin’s husband is using up all my reserves… yes, yes, yes, yes everything, he leaves nothing: my sweets, my milk, my soap… how am I going to tell him anything! I’m sure I’ll get in trouble with my cousin, who will surely tell my aunt and she’ll tell my mother and then zap! Message after message demanding me to fill their cupboard or make them a flan… how?… yes, of course I’m sure it’s him; she’s my cousin, she wouldn’t bother me so much… no, look, leave it, I’ll see what I can do while I get another apartment. In the meantime, let me know if you hear anything… yes… yes, okay… See you.
Rogelio leaves
Part three
Marcela is lying visibly ill. Rogelio and Esteban are with her
Rogelio: I just don’t understand, why didn’t you tell me anything?
Marcela: I told you I didn’t want to fight.
Rogelio: But why did you eat all my things?
Marcela: For the same reason you put laxative in the jelly: to get back at me.
Rogelio: Yes, but I thought it was Esteban who was embezzling from me.
Esteban: (indignant) Me?
Rogelio: (to Esteban) Of course! How could I think badly of my cousin? he’s family.
Estaban: And didn’t it occur to you that, in fact, it was revenge because you were embezzling from us?
Rogelio: Oh, I was just grabbing a little bit…
Marcela: Just a little bit! You even finished your chewing gum… ouch! (complains of cramps)
Rogelio: Well, but I was thinking of replenishing it.
Esteban: And everything else too, I guess.
Rogelio: What else?
Esteban: The shampoo, and the antifreeze, and all my protein shake…
Rogelio: No, uh, not the shake because that was after your revenge strategy (pointing to Marcela).
Marcela: What about yours! Are you going to replace my intestine?
Rogelio: It will wear off, and then it’s a matter of rehydrating you.
Marcela and Esteban: You ran out of water too!
Dark end.