A Reading from NENE, a feature-length play. Haybarn Theater, Goddard College, 2016.

Lights flicker to mimic street lamps. 

Bronx, New York. 2007.

57-year-old VINCENT and 18-year-old DANIEL sit outdoors, on a house porch.
They wear winter coats and sip coffee from Styrofoam cups while playing chess.

DANIEL—Did you and Mom fight a lot?

Vincent nearly spills his drink.

VINCENT—We disagreed at times.

DANIEL—What about?

VINCENT—When things don’t get done. But everything’s negotiable. Everything. (Pause) Your move.

DANIEL—Yeah, she’s on me. It gets intense. She doesn’t like when I play video games, but it’s so much fun!

VINCENT—Mario Brothers!

Daniel makes a move.

DANIEL—Well…  (amused) There have been some updates.

VINCENT—She used to catch your Ate and I. We’d be up til the wee hours on a school night.

DANIEL—Ohhhhh, my sister too? I didn’t know that about my super responsible Ate.

VINCENT—My thumbs hurt.

DANIEL—I’m ranked.

Vincent makes a move.

VINCENT—Ranked?

DANIEL—Tournaments, on the Internet, it’s a thing. Just like playing chess. You get to be a master.

VINCENT—And you don’t get into trouble with Mom?

DANIEL—She doesn’t know. Moving this, there!

VINCENT—(laughs softly) Best not to, sometimes. She’s a stickler. Super smart, I wasn’t. Not enough to pass those entrance exams to her high school. Kicked my butt.

Daniel stares at him. Vincent picks up on it.

VINCENT (cont’d)—A nerd at heart. We visited her high school on a basketball challenge once, just for the fun of it. There were books piled yay high on desks.

DANIEL—Did you win?

Vincent makes a move. Then bragging motions with his hands.

VINCENT—Ran circles!

DANIEL—Nice. Mom played ball, too. You didn’t bump into her?

VINCENT—I might have— but we did shoot hoops in Queens on weekends. She nailed those shots. Your move.

Daniel’s enjoying this.

VINCENT (cont’d)—Basta may bola! If there’s a ball, man, we played! Filipinos! We sing. We love to dance. Your Mom was the disco queen.

DANIEL—Craaaazy! I knew Ate got her dance skills from somewhere! Did you take Mom dancing?

Daniel makes a move.

VINCENT—Whoa!

DANIEL—You didn’t take your wife dancing?

VINCENT—I did take your—mother— But I’d rock to the Stones, not Donna Summers.

DANIEL—Who? Not my thing either. What about the Stones?

VINCENT—Dance, like art. Poetry. Fun, but won’t bring home the bacon, you know what I mean? Now Keith, he’s the rock god. You play the Stones? You better watch your rook, big guy.

DANIEL—Got my eye on it. I compose my own, don’t do covers anymore.

VINCENT—What do you listen to?

DANIEL—Shins, Arcade Fire. Indie stuff.

VINCENT—Hmmmm, tricky tricky son. I should move with the times.

Vincent makes a move.

DANIEL—Interesting. Are you sure?—I’m confused. I’m easily confused anyway— I’m going… there! (makes a move)— Mom doesn’t really encourage me to consider going to the Philippines yet sometimes I think she’d want to go back.

VINCENT—You would be in for the biggest surprise of your life, once you get there.

DANIEL—How’s that?

VINCENT—It’s nothing you would have experienced ever before, I guarantee it!

Daniel stares at him. Vincent laughs.

VINCENT (cont’d)—As soon as you step off the plane, you will see brown bodies. Shiny black hair. You’ll look like everybody else! Not too tall.

Daniel laughs.

DANIEL—You felt right at home then.

Vincent laughs.

VINCENT—What else does it all come down to? Success in America? I’m giving Wall Street another shot. Went for an interview. (looks at Daniel) I don’t give up easily.

DANIEL—You’re really feeling it, the numbers game.

VINCENT—Those guys— They’re so young! I must have been away for so long! But, they’re keen on experience. Fair enough, so I said to them, (a formal voice) Gentlemen, I’ve been out of the country for a few years. Engaged in some business there, but now I’m back in New York. (back to normal voice) And this dude— I swear he looked like he was right out of prep school— He grinned and said, So no recent experience here then? I said, no, nothing recent. Oh, he said. So you’re a wannabe. Wannabe! They all chimed in. They think I’m a wannabe? What fuckers.

DANIEL—Fuckers. They probably graduated from my prep school.

VINCENT—Ha! You might have better luck!

DANIEL—Man, there must be another way, not to sell your soul.

VINCENT—Whoa! (pause) What else is there to strive for, in the biggest city in the world?

DANIEL—Space? Too many people, too many things going on at the same time. I walk avenues just to avoid Times Square! I can’t stand all the lights. I need some quiet to create music. And a place to make noise. (laughs) It’ll be expensive to sound proof the house. What do you think?

VINCENT—Good move!

DANIEL—Did you consider raising us in the country?

VINCENT—Oh. Well, the schools, the good schools are in the city. Our house was by the university because your Grandpa taught there. (pause) But (looks around) there are trees here, too, like where we lived downtown back in the day, around Washington Square.

DANIEL—Hip, great hangout!

VINCENT—For outdoor chess. (smiles) To walk Booboo, before the leash law, that was moronic. How would you want to defecate with a collar tugging you?

DANIEL—That’s so sick!

VINCENT—Got a few tickets, that was fine. They’ll give you a ticket for anything these days. But no one hung around in the dead of winter, unless you wanted a fix badly!

Vincent starts to make a move but changes his mind.

DANIEL—Ha! Hahaha!

Vincent makes his move.

VINCENT—Why does your Mom insist on punishing me! I’m so cold, when we could be playing in your living room!

DANIEL—Sorry, this is technically not in the house. And you’re not allowed—

Vincent motions him to carry on with the game.

DANIEL (cont’d)—My college friends would travel far to visit me. Place to be, New York City. Especially artists.

Daniel makes a counter move.

VINCENT—Oh yeah? Oh yeah! Watch this, big guy. (he makes a move) You’re pretty sharp! Tell me, how do you intend to make money with music?

DANIEL—Ahhhh. Same like anywhere else! Keep my eye on the ball and get people to come see my shows! That’s why I do it.

VINCENT—Why do you do it?

DANIEL—Because I’m good at it.

VINCENT—Of course you’re good at so many things, you went to the best prep school in the nation!

DANIEL—In the world, actually.

VINCENT—Ha! But no ivy league for you.

DANIEL—No, they wouldn’t want me, and I don’t want them, just as well.

VINCENT—Wow, what I would have given— my right arm, and a few other body parts— to get into your school. The opportunities! You must be really awesome, huh? You would have been set.

DANIEL—Set how?

VINCENT—Well, with whatever you want, man!

DANIEL—Was that what you would have wanted for me?

VINCENT—Heck yeah! You got to wear a jacket and tie.

DANIEL—You seem to know so much about it.

VINCENT—I must not have stopped talking to your Mom about it, only an unattainable fantasy during our time together. But the woman got you there. The summit! No chests of money would have gotten you accepted! The legacy you leave your own kids, consorting with the most powerful on this planet.

DANIEL—It’s the epitome all right, of how the whole educational system sucks in this country! I didn’t belong there. No time for a life, from dawn til late. Every day, and weekends too. My college was good enough for me. Love my Kokosing.

Daniel slams a move, then looks up at his father.

DANIEL (cont’d)—It’s a river, in Ohio.

VINCENT—Nice one.

DANIEL—What do you really love to do, Dad?

Beat. Vincent contemplates his next move.

VINCENT—I was on track for the PBA. (looks up) I was good enough for the Philippine NBA. But here, no matter how long I stay, I could only go so far. I had to be born into it. I was smart enough to learn all the rules, but couldn’t go anywhere. I can’t ever be president, and I can’t ever be in the NBA. I know about the Yankees and the Constitution, more than so-called Americans out there! But I can’t compete even if I wanted to, even if I was better—

Vincent contemplates a strong counter move, smiles.

VINCENT (cont’d)—With my US degree I thought I could earn enough to afford courtside seats at the PBA. (pause) But, no future there. Nothing to be confused about. I went, and I’m back.

Vincent makes a move.

DANIEL—Nice. (pause) So you didn’t go for it. Your dream took a back seat again and now you’re driving cabs in New York. Can’t be any easier. Mom never got a ticket. Did you get tickets?

Vincent gets up, paces, running fingers through his hair. Before he answers—

DANIEL (cont’d)—Oh yeah, Booboo. You got tickets because of Booboo.

VINCENT—Who else do you think taught her how to drive?

DANIEL—Right! A cab driver! (mimics his mother) Hey, hey, hey! I got precious cargo here! She’ll yell at stupid drivers. (with a French accent) Idiots! (laughs). Watch where you’re going! (Pause.) That’s why I’m never ever going to drive. I’ll run over someone, on purpose. (pause) Mom’s not scared of anything.

Beat.

DANIEL (cont’d)—Nothing.

Silence.

DANIEL (cont’d)—I was thinking I’d leave the country, if I can’t afford my student loans. I mean, right? There are other ways to live.

VINCENT—You can’t just run away, not for long, believe me—

DANIEL—You stayed there for a long time!

VINCENT—I had to.

DANIEL—Had?

VINCENT—Well, my parents needed me, and then I realized I was there, I could see for myself what it would have been like if I had stayed, if I was not forced to migrate. Already in the capital city, equipped with US college credentials, doors opened. At first I was a political speech writer. Then I opened up a restaurant. But the law works differently there, I learned the hard way. Suddenly it was down to basics again. Earnings in pesos, it’s a bad deal. Big expenses. Electricity. A phone. (pause) But the pansit was to die for! (laughs)

DANIEL—So… You stayed away from us for, pansit?

Daniel makes a move.
Vincent gets up. Rubs his cold hands together.

VINCENT—That wasn’t the intention, that wasn’t it—

Vincent paces, studies the board.

VINCENT (cont’d)—Ah wala wala wala. Nothing there, though wait— Here go you.

Vincent sits and steadies himself. He makes a move.

VINCENT (cont’d)—One thing led to another, that’s all. Time flew.

DANIEL—That’s all, and I grew up without a father.

Vincent looks up at Daniel.

VINCENT—I’m here. I’m back to start again. My future is with you.

Daniel contemplates the board.

DANIEL—Well, we have different starting points, different end games, Dad. I’m taking my chances and going for the prize.

Daniel gets up.

DANIEL (cont’d)—Not going to settle.

Daniel knocks Vincent’s queen.

DANIEL (cont’d)—Sorry, Dad.

Vincent plops back and pulls the hood over his head, shivering.

DANIEL (cont’d)—Wasn’t my intention.

Lights out.