Uncle Simon

Philippine Games

Written by N.P.S Toribio

Staff:

UNCLE SIMON - a middle-aged person with one leg and

there are beliefs in life that his religious sister-in-law does not understand

MOTHER - Boy's mother

BOY - nephew of Uncle Simon, seven years old

Time: morning, the sun has not yet risen

Scene: Inside Boy's room. You can see a dresser on top of

oils and ointments on hair, tonics, combs, and other repairs. Above

dresser, glued to the wall a large picture of the Virgin with the heart out

it has a sharp dagger. Next to the open window on the right is the bed

child bed.

On the whole, the room is a picture of luxury.

As the curtain rises, Boy can be seen dressed by his mother. Traces on the face

the child is impatient while combing his hair.

(Suddenly the woman stretches out, glances at the child's posture, then smiles.)

MOTHER: Oh, there, you do not look human. He, you are there first and I will dress.

BOY :( Dadabog) I said, I don't want to go to church, eh!

MOTHER: Don't go to church! I can't ... You'll make me angry again! And what

will you do it here at home this morning of the day?

BOY: I will be left here at home, with ... Uncle Simon ...

MOTHER: (Surprised) Ah, that Atheist. The ... God forgive me.

BOY: Just. I will be left behind ... (Footsteps) I'll just talk

to Uncle Simon ...

MOTHER: (In a loud voice) Will you talk? And what story? About

blasphemy against the holy name of the Lord?

BOY: No, Mama, Uncle Simon is telling me a good story ...

MOTHER: Ah, you're right ... That's right, before I get really angry and face the Lord

today with dirt in the will.

BOY: But ...

MOTHER: That's right, eh!

(Boy stops answering. They can hear footsteps unevenly, approaching

closed room door. The footsteps will stop for a moment; then they will hear

weak knock on the door.)

MOTHER: (Moaning) Uh ... who is that?

UNCLE SIMON: (Slow voice) Me, sister-in-law, I ...

Uncle Simon, it 's smiling.)

UNCLE SIMON: Can I come in? I heard Boy seem to be objecting ...

BOY: (Approaching) I don't want to go to church, Uncle Simon. I will leave you here. Not me

sasama kay Mama.

MOTHER: (Paismid) That's what your nephew objected to, Kuya, He said he would not join

church.

(Uncle Simon shakes, smiles and walks inside. Holds on his shoulder

Boy.)

UNCLE SIMON: You have to go to church again, Boy. If you want ...

if you want to take me with you, wait and I will get dressed ... We will go to church.

Boy could look away from his Uncle Simon, but could not

mother was also amazed. Uncle Simon will turn around and come out. The

two, when the mother turns to Boy.)

MOTHER: Amazing! What did your uncle eat that and thought of going with today

to us? Only now can I see him approach God ...

BOY: If Uncle comes, I will come too ...

MOTHER: Come on! So the only thing that will come is if your uncle will come. And if not, eh, no

you will also come. But, that's also good ... Good, because I'm not the only one I can lead

on the right path but that brother of your father who is also ...

(The woman bows down, wipes the tears from her eyes. She will just look

Boy.)

MOTHER: (Weak and self-centered.) She died without even being able to

Jesus. Because he was determined to leave the church. They are the same

brothers, they are your uncle. I hope he turns to God so he can help

to save the soul of his brother who passed away ...

(Boy will just keep watching. After shaking they heard unevenly

footsteps, and after a while Uncle Simon's face peeked out the door. Suddenly

the woman wipes her face, makes her happy, and then goes to the door.)

MOTHER: Of course. I will get dressed too. I forgot, because. . . Boy and you are there first,

Kuya. . .

(The woman comes out and Uncle Simon enters the room. He immediately goes to a soup

there, sighing sitting down. Immediately, Boy will approach him and the child will

stand in front of him.)

UNCLE SIMON: (Yawns) someone else is really getting older. Easy to sing, weak

body and. . . (suddenly stops sharply what the child is looking at is his
disabled foot. Laughter.)

BOY: Why are you lame, Uncle Simon? Is it true that Mama said that was the punishment of

God?

UNCLE SIMON: (Laughs) Did your Mom say that?

BOY: Yes, you don't go to church. You do not believe in God.

Not because. . .

UNCLE SIMON: (Sighs) Not true, Boy, that I do not believe in

God.

BOY: But that’s what Mom said, Uncle Simon. It is said that you do not celebrate the day

of abstinence. Why don't you keep up, Uncle Simon?

UNCLE SIMON: There are things, Boy that cannot be explained. There are things that are not

can be communicated to others through words. These things will only be known in

own experience, self-awareness ... but whatever these things are,

Boy, one thing is for sure: I have great faith in Bathala.

BOY: Can you come with us today, Uncle Simon?

UNCLE SIMON: Yes, Boy, to me, the church is not a bad thing. So do not

you will refuse to be with your Mama. It will not benefit you

rejection, loss of confidence. That has happened to me and I have not been

happy.

(Uncle Simon stops talking as if suddenly saddened by memories. From

far away will suddenly reach the rumors of the ringing bell. It will take some time

the gong stops playing for a while. Uncle Simon will sigh,

look at his disabled foot, laugh softly and then look at Boy.)

UNCLE SIMON: Because of this disability of my foot, Boy, I learned to turn away,

not only in the church, but in God. I read The Human Bondage's

Maugham and I believe in the Philosophy that his staff trusts there, but

I'm not happy, Boy, I don't feel happy.

BOY: What happened, Uncle Simon?

UNCLE SIMON: I became more irritable, irritable. Because of that, no one was happy

to me, I lost friends, until I was alone ... until one day

a tragedy befell me.

BOY: What is that, Uncle Simon. . .?

(Uncle Simon sits up and pulls out his purse).

Release something that will be identified as a broken little doll.)

UNCLE SIMON: This is a child who was run over by a truck. He crossed then and his

running he dropped it. He returned but he passed a truck and he

nasagasaan. . .. He was run over crushed one leg, the child died. . .

died. . . I saw, with two eyes, that I was walking nearby. . . And my
approached, I was the first to come so I got this doll and then stupid

strict of the dead child, who does not seem to want to let go even in death ...

BOY: (Surprised) What else happened, Uncle Simon?

UNCLE SIMON: I took the doll, Boy. And then the change took place in my

myself ... Because when I bent down to pick up the doll I saw a

quiet and confident smile on the dead child's mouth despite his crushing

bone. . .smiling seems to believe that he is immortal ...

(Uncle Simon sighs while Boy just keeps listening.

The sound of the gong can be heard again in the distance. More powerful and often, stays

a longer time to sound, then stop. Sigh again

Uncle Simon.)

UNCLE SIMON: Since then, I've been thinking, Boy. I will never forget

that event. I took the doll home and kept it, not separated from my body,

as a constant reminder to me of the strong and high faith of a child

until the time of death was still smiling. And I keep in mind: need a

man the faith, anything, faith, when in anything, preferably faith

to Bathala, if he has a source in the moments of sorrow, of calamity, of

misfortune ... so that he can cling to something when he is crushed by the resentments of life.

(Long silence will reign. Then the swift footsteps will be heard

approaching. Boy's mother's face glazed over at the door.)

MOTHER: Let's go, we may not have mass yet. I was still looking for my prayer

so I took a while. Let's go, Boy ... Brother.

BOY: (jumps to the door) Let's go, Uncle Simon, we might get caught, let's

na!

(The bell rang again in the distance. Boy hurried out

door. The more often the bell rings, the louder it becomes,

as the curtain goes down.)