Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Scene 46

Setting: jail

people:
Lucia
Francisco
Jacinta
Tinsmith
Jose

Sr. L: (offscreen) After one day of detention, the Tinsmith interrogated us nine times each separately on Tuesday the 14th, trying to bribe us, trick us, or surprise us into admitting some clerical conspiracy that he was convinced was behind it all. So, as his goals of getting us to admit either that we lied or that we were part of some conspiracy failed, and he couldn’t get us to tell the secrets, or at least contradict each other, and after a psychologist gave us the clean bill of mental health, he had one last resort.

(Lucia sits deep in thought, Francisco is in the corner praying his Rosary, Jacinta is facing the wall, crying. After about a full minute, Lucia gets up and goes to Jacinta. Lucia puts her hand on her shoulder as soon as she realizes she’s crying.)

Lucia: Jacinta, why are you crying?

(Francisco comes over.)

Jacinta: Why aren’t our parents coming? They don’t care about us any more.

Francisco: Don’t cry, Jacinta. We can offer this for sinners. (raising eyes and hands) My Jesus, I offer this for love of you and for the conversion of sinners.

Jacinta: And for the Holy Father, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Francisco: (after some time) We missed our Lady. Will she never come to see us again?

Lucia: I don’t know. I think she will.

Francisco: I miss her so much.

(The Tinsmith and Jose walk into the jail.)

Tin: So, you won’t tell me the secret, huh? Just for that, we’re going to boil you in oil. (The kids are taken aback.) Watch them, Jose! (Slams the door and leaves)

(Jacinta runs, face to the wall, and cries)

Lucia: Why are you crying, Jacinta?

Jacinta: Because we’ll never see our parents again, not even our mothers. I would at least like to see my mother.

Lucia: Don’t you want to offer this sacrifice for sinners?

Jacinta: O, I do (joins her hands) Oh, Jesus, this is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Jose: (trying to be tender) Now look, little girl, all you have to do is tell the Boss the secret, and everything will be all right.

Jacinta: I’d rather die! (starts crying again)

Lucia: Jacinta, don’t you want to offer this sacrifice for the Lord?

Jacinta: Yes, but I can’t help but cry when I think about my mom.

Lucia: Well, let’s decide when we go to our deaths to offer it for each of the intentions Our Lady gave us. One of us can offer it for sinners, one for the love of Jesus, and one to repair for sins against our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Which one do you want?

Jacinta: I choose them all. And for the Holy Father.

Lucia: OK, then

(after a brief pause, the Tinsmith barges in)

Tin: The oil is boiling! (grabs Jacinta) Now tell me the secret, if you don’t want to be burned.

Jacinta: I can’t

Tin: Oh yeah? Well I’ll make you able to. Let’s go.

(The Tinsmith takes Jacinta out so fast, there’s no time for goodbyes)

Francisco: If they kill us, we’ll be in heaven soon. How wonderful! (takes off his cap, faces the wall, and kneels) Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is...

Jose: (interrupts) Uh, what are you saying, son?

Francisco: A Hail Mary so Jacinta won’t be afraid. The Lord is with thee (continues the Hail Mary as Jose shows his disapproval with a gesture of his hand and walks away)

(After Francisco finishes, the Tinsmith comes for Francisco)

Tin: Eh? And what about you, boy? Will you tell me the secret?

Francisco: No! Never!

Tin: Let’s go! (Takes Francisco and shuts the door. After a brief pause, the Tinsmith returns)

Tin: Now you’ve seen what I’ve done to your friends. Confess that you made all this up!

Lucia: I cannot.

Tin: What, do you want to die?

Lucia: I can’t tell a lie.

Tin: Liar! The whole world calls you a liar!

Lucia: But God knows better.

Tin: (nicer) Then tell us the secret. Then you won’t have to lie.

Lucia: No, but I’d betray a trust.

Tin: Surely, your Lady would understand.

Lucia: Not if I did what she told me not to.

Tin: (nasty again) Fine! Then be boiled in oil. (grabs her and takes her out Jose leaves, as well)

Sr. L: (offscreen) There was no boiling oil.

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