Reconciliation

aact i

[iris and her sister, annie are walking into the living room.]

iris: oh! what a boring day! annie, whenˇs dad coming home?

annie: donˇt worry; heˇll be back soon. dad has been working

hard these days. donˇt you dare bother him.

iris: butdonˇt you think that he doesnˇt care about us?

mother has been dead for two years. but dad seldom spends time

with us. he only cares about his job.

annie: speak for yourself! do you know how hard dad has been

working? he works like an ox. weˇve got to have understanding

for his situation.

iris: hun! i donˇt care! i think he ought to find some time

to be with us.

[just then the doorbell rings]

iris: ha! look who is here! it must be dad! iˇll go get the door.

[he goes to open the door]

iris: hello! dadwhoa! how come you guys are here?

bad kid#1: hello! whatˇs up, man! want to go out and play with

us?

bad kid#2: oh! yeah! i heard there is a new movie on

called ˉˉstinks and pinksˇˇ. want to check it out with us?

bad kid#3: or how about going to an internet café?

iris: no, thanks. maybe some other time. i am waiting for my

dad to come home.

bad kid#1: oh! little boy is waiting for his dad to come home.

i thought your dad doesnˇt care about you. oh! come on! how

touching!

bad kid#2: yeah! ˉˉi am waiting for my dad to come home.ˇˇ

[mimic, make fun of him] ha! ha! ha!

iris: whatˇs wrong with waiting for my dad to come home!

although he doesnˇt spend a lot of time with me, i am sure he

loves me!

bad kid#3: all right! if thatˇs what you want. come on, guys.

letˇs go!

bad kid#2: if you ever change your mind, call us! we are just

hanging around in the neighborhood.

iris: i donˇt think i will call you guys. bye! [she closes

the door]

annie: youˇd better watch out. donˇt get too close to them.

they are three bad teenagers if you ask me.

iris: hah! i will deal with my relationship with them, and you

deal with yours, ok? at least they are pretty nice to me at school.

annie: ok! ok! you donˇt have to yell that loud, you know! i am

just trying to tell you that hanging out with them is bad, thatˇs

all. someday you will suffer from any bad decision you might make

now.

[the doorbell rings again]

annie: oh! dad is finally back. [she goes to open the door.]

iris: dad, you are back!

dad: ha~~~~[he yawns] what a tiring day!

iris: dad, letˇs go out and have dinner. we havenˇt eaten

together for a long time!

dad: oh! iris, go do your homework. i am really tired. i promise

to eat out with you tomorrow.

iris: uh! then, letˇs go for a walk in the park! it will be

relaxing.

dad: have you had enough of your foolishness? canˇt you see

that i am really tired?

iris: but we havenˇt been together for days!

dad: every day i go to work in the morning, trying to make a

living. canˇt you just leave me alone for a while?

iris: yeah! but you canˇt just pretend we are not in your life!

[iris runs back to her room.]

dad: uh! my head hurts[the bell rings and he answers the door. .]

teacher: good evening. is mr. smith at home?

dad: i am mr. smith. and you are?

teacher: hi! i am irisˇ teacher. my name is nancy black. i hate to

tell you this, but i believe that your daughter has been cheating

at school lately.

dad: what?

teacher: i hope you can talk to your daughter about this. i am

very sorry to tell you this. itˇs very late. iˇve got to go. bye!

dad: thanks for telling me about this. i will talk to her about

this . goodbye.[father closes the door] irisiriscome out right

away.

iris: whatˇs up, dad

dad: you. you[he slaps iris on the face] your teacher just

came. she said that you cheated at school. how can you do this

to me? you should feel ashamed of yourself!

annie: dad, stop it! [she grabs his fatherˇs hand]

iris: huh! do you want to know why i cheated at school? it

is because of you! i did this because i want to get your

attention! why did you slap my face?

dad: [shocked] what have i done? i didnˇt mean to do

that you know? i was...was too angry. you donˇt have to

cheat to draw my attention you know!

iris: huh! i knew it from the beginning. you donˇt

love me. thatˇs it! i am living home once and for all.

i am going to stay with my friends.

annie: donˇt do this! iris! no! dad didnˇt do it on

purpose, he didnˇt mean it! donˇt do this!

iris: huh! whose side are you on? donˇt speak for dad!

[she runs away from home]

annie: iris! iris! no! what a mess!

dad: uh! it is all my fault. i shouldnˇt have slapped

her on the face. i admit i am not a good father. working

every day, i forget to spend time playing with her. i wonder

what will happen to her? [he faints]

annie: are you all right, dad?

dad: i am fine. go find him right away!

annie: donˇt worry, dad. sheˇll take care of herself!

she knows what is right and wrong. here! let me take you to bed.

dad: ok! letˇs hope nothing goes wrong again! may god

bless you, iris!

act ii

[passerby#1 walks onto the stage]

bad kid#1: ha-ha-ha. look at what that nerd is wearing.

bad kid#2: it looks like he got that suit from out of

the garbage cans. whatˇs the matter? canˇt find a better

one to wear?

bad kid#3: and look at his stylish hair. is this the nineteen

fifties? ha-ha-ha!

passerby#1: [glances at the boys] what are you boys doing here?

it is impolite to insult someone. i wonder who taught you boysˇ

manners?

bad kid#3: what? do you want a fight? huh! it is none of your

business.

[passerby#2 walks onto the stage]

bad kid#2: wo-wo-wo would you look at that girl? not bad

looking, hun?

bad kid#1: hello- my lady. want to go for a ride?

passerby#2: huh! what are you boys wondering around here

for? go home and do your homework. you boys make me sick to my

stomach.

bad kid#3: you donˇt have the right to teach us what to do,

lady.

passerby#2: i may not have the right, but you boys shouldnˇt

wonder around here. [turns around and walk down the stage].

bad kid#1:hum! why so upset? do we have to do everything that

you agree on, huh?

bad kid#2: hah! iris, why are you so quite? cat got your tongue?

david: ii

bad kid#1: what is the matter with you? if you have any problems,

we will take care of it for you.

iris: i was just thinking. it has been three days since i ran

away from home. i wonder if my family is worried about me or not.

bad kid#3: i thought you hated your father. i heard he slapped

you on the face.

bad kid#1: wow! that got to hurt. if i were you, i would never

have anything to do with him again.

iris: this is a different issue. i started the argument first.

i did something bad in the first place.

bad kid#2: why do you still care about your father anyway?

look who is here? itˇs your dad.

iris: really? dad~

bad kid#3: wait! let me revenge for you!

[dad and annie come onto the stage.]

bad kid#2: yo! mr. smith. i heard you slapped my buddyˇs face.

is that true or what?

bad kid#3: i am going to show you that beating up kids isnˇt

right.

annie: huh! little rats running around streets. go away at once.

this is our business to take care of.

bad kid#1: who do you think you are? the president of the

united states? what gives you the right to command us?

annie: i am her sister if you want to know. go away! you

boys will only make things worse.

dad: david, i am really sorry. it was my fault. please forgive me.

iris: iidad.

bad kid#2: forget it. he will never come with you!

dad: be quite! you havenˇt been to school for days, iris.

donˇt hang around with these kids anymore. they will turn you

into a worse kid.

bad kid#1: oh, oh, oh. you mean she is bad in the first place.

ha! that is what you just said.

iris: [startled] dad! why did you say that? i am not a bad kid.

they are my friends. why did you say that i have turned into

a bad kid? i know! you still cannot forgive me!

annie: stop it! iris, donˇt believe their words. their words

poison your mind. i have told you they are not worth being with!

dad: iris, i didnˇt mean this! listen to me!

iris: no! no!

bad kid#3: see! old man. she does not welcome you. you might as

well forget about her.

annie: you, be quite! [prepare to have a fight].

dad: [stops annie] hah! forget it! letˇs go home. iris, i just

want you to know i didnˇt mean what i just said and i hope you

can forgive me for what i did last time. you keep cool and think

about it.

annie: be careful with these kids. they are bad.

[she walks away with dad]

bad kid#3: ah! what a day!

bad kid#2: see! we showed that old man something.

iris: i donˇt feel good. please do not bother me now.

bad kid#1: ha! we just helped you. at least you should say thanks.

bad kid#2: seriously speaking, it is quite boring here. letˇs

go somewhere else! how about the internet café around the corner?

bad kid#3: but we donˇt have any money!

bad kid#1: like you were just born! why donˇt we steal some!

bad kid#3: oh! yeah! what a great idea! you are the man, boss!

bad kid#2:iris, we are going to borrow some money from someone.

you just stay behind and watch.

iris: excuse me, but maybe i heard you wrong. you were about to

make a burglary? how could you?

bad kid#1: stop being a pussycat. come on! letˇs do it! what

are you afraid of?

bad kid#2: well, are you going or what?

iris: no, i wonˇt! so, my sister was right. you guys are bad!

bad kid#3: yeah, i thought you knew! well, it looks like our

friendship is over. bye! donˇt let us see you again! you are

useless to us now!

iris: you guys didnˇt care about me in the first place, did you?

now i know who you boys really are, i am out of here! [pick up a

phone and dial 911] hello? is this the police station? yes, this

is 123, neihu road, section 4. there are three guys trying to

steal something from a house. i repeat! there are three guys

trying to steal something from a house.

bad kid#1: ha~ why did you just did that ? we were just kidding.

good-bye! i am out of here! you will pay for this!

iris: who needs you! get out of here.

[the three bad boys go away]

iris: oh man! i misunderstood dad and annie. what shall i do?

good kid#1: hah! isnˇt this iris? i havenˇt seen you for days!

iris: hello! what a surprise to see you, too!

good kid#2: you havenˇt been to school lately. what happened to

you?

iris: weeellllll, donˇt mention it.

good kid#1: hah! we are good friends. tell me about it.

iris: ok! here is what happened! thisand. thenfinally...

good kid#2: oh! i see. you are in a bad situation here.

good kid#1:look at you! why did you act so childishly in the

first place?

iris: it was all my fault. i shouldnˇt have trusted them.

i am really sorry about putting my family in this situation.

good kid#2: why donˇt you say this to your father?

iris: i am afraid that if i screw up again, then he will

never care about me anymore.

good kid#1: donˇt worry. there is no father in the world

who would not love his child. look, who in the world never

has an argument with his father? come on, face it. go and

apologize. everything might turn out to be all right!

iris: my father has been working really hard. maybe that

is why he was so upset about my cheating!

good kid#2: i know! your father and mine work in the same

company. they are working on a project now. if all goes

well, then his salary will rise. you father must have

worked really hard to achieve this goal! that is why he

goes home so late every day!

iris: then i am in deep trouble now! i really misunderstood him.

good kid#1: look! your father cares about you. go now and

apologize!

iris: yes, i will. oh, right! tomorrow is his birthday!

i am going to buy a present for him.

good kid#2: ok! letˇs go together. [good kid#3 comes]

good kid#3: iris! iris! oh! iris, iˇve got some bad news.

your father just fainted. he looks awful. youˇd better go home.

iris: what? how could this happen? i must go home instantly.

good kid#2: did he really?

good kid#3: hmm. irisˇ sister called me about this and

asked me to find her.

good kid#1: ok, letˇs go and see if your father is all

right or not.

iris: all right.

act iii

annie: donˇt worry, dad! she will come home soon.

dad: i hope so.

iris: dad! dad! are you all right?

dad: hmm. i am fine.

iris: thank goodness you are all right! i am so worried

about you. one more thing i need to say to you is

dad: iris, what do you want to say?

iris: i need to apologize to you about my behavior. i

misunderstood you. you do care about me! i am very happy.

i know that you were worrying about me. and i have stopped

hanging around with those guys. they were really mean and bad.

i know i shouldnˇt have cheated. i know i was wrong. can you

please forgive me?

dad: oh! iris, i shouldnˇt have slapped you. i will make it up

for you by taking you on a trip to hawaii. i will take an annual

leave from work, and hopefully take you and your sister there

next month.

iris: really? gee, thanks, dad.

annie: great! i cannot wait to go there.

iris: oh yeah! tomorrow is your birthday, dad.

dad: all right! i almost forgot.

iris: i was going to give you a gift, but

dad: that is all right. having you back is the best birthday'

gift iˇve ever got. i see you have grown a lot from last year.

you can take care of yourself now!

annie: yes! but dad, on this special day we have got to

celebrate. how about a nice lobster dinner tomorrow night?

my treat!

iris: hurray! i love you guys.

annie and dad: we love you, too.