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= A Good Deed, Not So Good = Science & Social Studies Mrs. Ferhani & Mr. Batt

SETTING:

The streetlights in the city Juarez, Mexico have just come on. It’s a cool summer day in August the 24th to be exact. The air is thick and you can hear cop cars in the distance. You can hear the whispers from the small group and talking.

CHARACTERS: MIGUEL ANGEL RODRIGUEZ- Main Character MARIA RODRIGUEZ- Mother of Miguel ROSALINDA RODRIGUEZ- Miguel’s older sister ANTONIO- One of Miguel’s clients SANTIAGO- another clients JOSE MARTINEZ- Miguel’s best friend that lives two blocks away BELTRAN LEYVA- The “drug lord”. Head of the Beltran Leyva Cartel


 * __Scene 1__**

( // There is a young 11year old boy standing at the far end of the lot where his family lived. Fishing in his pocket to retrieve something. The two other men are looking at him impatiently. Finally he pulls something out but this is not what he’s looking for. Now the two other men are getting really impatient. They look at each other and back at the boy. Then one of the men slowly starts to pull something out his pocket and then the boy looks up. The other guy taps his friend and puts the object back in his pocket. // )

ANTONIO: ( // intimidated // ) Listen kid, if you don’t have the stuff then we have problem. (Moves in closer, face to face) We didn’t come all the way down here for nothing.

SANTIAGO:( // tapping his pocket // ) don’t tell us that we came all the way down here for nothing?

MIGUEL:( // stutters // ) No, I have it here you see. ( // MIGUEL pulled out a bunch of small packets with white substance // ) Here you go.

SANTIAGO:( // grabs the packets // ) you’re lucky that we got what we wanted and when we wanted it. You would have thought that this kid would learned a thing or to from his father ( // start to walk off stage // )

MIGUEL:( // mad // ) don’t bring my dad into this. ( // Yells // ) Hey what about the money?

( // The two men turn around and walk back to the boy, a hand reach out in front of him. When he realizes what’s being handed to him he starts to relax. // )

MIGUEL: Thanks man. This will really help me. ( // Sarcastic // ) Ever since you guys shot my father it’s been tough for my family and me.

ANTONIO: He was with the Sinaloa Cartel, and anyone who is with Sinaloa has beef with us. Anyway a word of advice, next time you sell someone drugs, come prepared and not to keep the person waiting. And watch it with the attitude, kid.

MIGUEL: I don’t got no attitude.

SANTIAGO: ( // stands next to ANTONIO // ) Just listen to him, he knows what he’s talking about.

ANTONIO: Yeah I know what I’m talking about. We run this whole city cops and residents fear us, we have the power .We are the government. We will see you here at the same time next week?

MIGUEL: Yeah ( // MIGUEL walks away. Starts talking to himself. // ) Once your in there's no going out. Something Papa always told me. What if mama finds out what is she going to think of me. She will be happy and thankful that she had a son to help her. Since Dad died. Or she would be ashamed of me. ( // Pauses then sighs, looks at watch // ) It’s 5am; I have two hours before mama wakes up to go to the market for the “essentials”. ( // He walked to the far end of the lot, to their hut, walked in went to bed // )


 * __Scene 2__**

MARIA: Rosalinda, mi amor, ven ayudarme, es casi tiempo de ir al mercado.

( // MIGUEL enters rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and stretching // ) Miguel donde esta su hermana? ( // hurried back inside to get ready to go to the market not even listening to his Mother. // ) Hay dios mio que voy a ser con esos ninos?

MIGUEL: ( // enters the hut there is very little light. MIGUEL reaches over his sister to grab his clothes. Then shakes her awake. // ) Rosa, mama esta afuera, she’s looking for you.

ROSALINDA: ( // annoyed // ) What does she want from me, I didn’t do nothing?

MIGUEL: // (annoyed // ) I don’t know what she wants but what ever it is, you should get up and help her cause she had her "hurry up" look.

ROSALINDA: ( // not willing to get up or move // ) Pues ve a preguntarlo and be quick about it.

MIGUEL: ( // looking at his sister like she’s stupid // ) No you know mom will come in this hut and yell at us both because we are being disrespectful for asking what do you want from me.

ROSALINDA: ( // sitting up annoyed and tired // ) Whatever, will you shut up.

MIGUEL: Besides we’re going to the market remember, so you’ll be doing all of us a favor.

MARIA: ( // getting very impatient and mad // ) Apurate chicos.

ROSALINDA: ( // sweetly answering her mother // ) ya viene mama. ( // Turns to MIGUEL // ) hurry up.

MIGUEL: ( // rushes out and forgets the money, he turns back to get it // ) Okay, vamos al Mercado.

MARIA: Tranquila sientate y comen.

ROSALINDA: Yeah just sit and eat your food, you act like the cops are after you.

MIGUEL: Why would the cops be after me?

ROSALINDA: Calm down it was just a joke. Now sit down and eat breakfast were having migas.

MIGUEL: Gracias mama, this is mi favorito.

( // MIGUEL sits next to ROSALINDA. JOSE runs on out of breath // )

MIGUEL: ( // surprised // ) What are you doing here why aren’t you at the market yet?

JOSE: ( // panting // ) Well I was walking with mi mama to the market and the road was blocked off so mama went up to one of the cops. They said that there was a shoot out and one of Mexico’s’ best cops got shot 9 times. There is one positive thing about this and that is the fact that this shot out takes the cop one step closer to the drug lord.

MIGUEL: ( // curious // ) Which gang is the Beltran Leyva Organisation (BLO) or the Sinaloa Cartel?

JOSE: It was the BLO which is also good for us cause he owns this territory.

ROSALINDA: It sucks it's like all of Juarez, Mexico is like Beltran's institution.

JOSE: Woe, we didn't learn about institutions and stuff like that in History.

ROSALINDA: I didn't learn that at school, but when mama and me went out to El Paso they had little TV in the laundry mat and one of the news guys said that. He also said something about his gangs. Then started talking about the difference between Juarez and El Paso.

MIGUEL: They're controlling the whole city with fear. The cops are afraid and everyone’s afraid. No one really hangs out at night, we have soldiers patrolling the streets and even with them there is still so much violence. What’s the big secret? ( // pauses // ) The routes, the marketing routes once it gets out then there are no drug cartels no more gangs, it's what everyone wants for all his drama to go back to Columbia where it all started. They bully us.


 * __Scene 3__**

Four weeks later. It is dark and mucky outside there are puddles on the ground because the before it had rained. In the distance you can hear people talking and cop cars. The pitter-patter sound of rain dripping off the branches of the trees and on to the metal roof of the hut that MIGUEL had built with JOSE and ROSALINDA.

( // MIGUEL is waiting for ANTONIO and SANTIAGO // )

SANTIAGO: ( // approaches MIGUEL with ANTONIO and a friend // ) hey man this is my cousin, Beltran!

BELTRAN LEYVA: but you can call me Mr. Leyva.

MIGUEL: ( // murmurs // ) I don’t want anything to do with this guy, heck I don’t want to be doing this any more. Easy I’ll just tell them I cant do service with them.

LEYVA: What did you say son?

MIGUEL: Well it’s really nice to meet you but I was going to tell these two guys that I can’t work with them with them anymore.

LEYVA: ( // surprised // ) Don’t let me being here, scare you.

MIGUEL: I'm not scared it’s just that I don’t feel so good about this.

ANTONIO:( // intimidating // ) Well to bad your on our turf, and once your in there’s no going back.

SANTIAGO: ( // suspicious // ) The last person who tried to back out was a rat, are you a rat.

ANTONIO: No man I don't think this kids' with the cops ( // pauses // ) It's worse he with the Sinaloa gang, you can se it all over his face.

SANTIAGO: Yeah, man your right. Think you can follow in your father’s footsteps? If you try you might end up in the same place he is now ( // points up at the sky // )

MIGUEL: I'm not with nobody. I'm only doing this for mi mama we ain’t got no place to live and barely got any money to buy food to eat. And if the same thing that happened to my father is gonna happen to me then at least I’ll die knowing that I was doing something for the people I love and maybe even die for trying to give the people in Juarez a safe to live.

LEYVA: // (sincere // ) That was deep man, really deep. But just to make sure, you gonna meet us here in a couple of weeks same time if you don't show you earn yourself a one way ticket to the same place your father is.

MIGUEL: ( // swallows hard // ) Yes sir. ( // The men start to walk off and then LEYVA turns around and yells to MIGUEL. // )

LEYVA: By the way I am the drug lord, as if you didn’t know that. (evil cackling laugh)

( // He approaches the hut that was not to far from where he was having his meeting. Before he could walk in he noticed a silhouette in the doorframe. He was startled then ROSALINDA walks out into the light, relieved, As ROSALINDA walks closer MIGUEL is thinking how clearly you can hear from the door of their hut. Now ROSALINDA is in front of MIGUEL. // )

ROSALINDA: ( // disgust on her face. // ) So the cops are after you. Miguel how could you, what were you thinking?

MIGUEL: ( // just stares at his sister them opens his mouth but no words come out he just stutters. // ) Uuugh… Ummm…

ROSALINDA: Answer me! ( // slaps him // )

MIGUEL: ( // yelling // ) I was doing it for you and mama I didn’t mean to put your lives in danger.

ROSALINDA: If you wanted to help you could have gotten a job. Selling drugs is not a job. It’s illegal how could you be so stupid.

MIGUEL: ( // mad // ) I know what I'm doing I will go down to the guy’s condo…

ROSALINDA: ( // cutting him off // ) And what act like a damn fool. Cause guess what, if you don’t please them, who do you think is going to be next on their hit list?

MIGUEL:( // long pause // ) Please don't tell mama. She'll be heart broken if she finds out.

ROSALINDA:( // deep breath // ) What do you want me to do close my eyes and make this all better. This isn't America; we don't have cops everywhere protecting us civilians. If you mess with the wrong people you could get hurt, we all could get hurt. These cities are in the wrong hands, the hands of the drug cartels. ( // sighs // ) Don't tell me you have a way to fix it. It's what papa always said, once you’re in there no going back.

MIGUEL: But I can fix this. I've made enough money we can move out of this place. ( // sighs // ) Just don't tell mama I can make this better.

ROSALINDA: You could get hurt trying. If she knew it would be better for all of us.


 * __Scene 4__**

The sun is setting and the first star is in the sky. It's a cool night. ( // MIGUEL steps out of the hut, ROSALINDA following // )

ROSALINDA: I can't believe that we have to move out before dawn. What happens Miguel if we don't leave this area on time?

MIGUEL: They'll find us and kill us that is all I can say to you.

ROSALINDA:( // sarcastic // ) And what place do plan on taking us where they can't possibly find us Miguel, the moon. You see there is no place you could take us where they wouldn't be able to find us.

MIGUEL: Yeah, well your wrong because were going to be moving to El Paso there the community is friendly, and calm.

ROSALINDA: We'll see how calm it will be when they see all the harm you've brought to their community.

MIGUEL: It would be nice if weren't being so negative. You keep on asking what am I going to do, but when I give you answer they're not good enough.

ROSALINDA: It's like papa always said. You can't change the way things are Miguel, it's the way life is.

MIGUEL: You're right I can't change the way life is but I can change the way our life, our world is. We don't have to be a part of this.

MARIA:( // enters // ) Okay vamanos ninos.

( // The family of three is walking off the stage the curtain closes // )

THE END

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