means of their owners - in a remote corner of such a villageforgotte~ wh!le some newly rich estate owner has not yet though;of erecting his ~ream house on it, some of the unendowed daringhave-nots of this day have had the temerity to put up barongbarong shelters that cower in the shadow of the beautiful man-sions of the rich. These are the typical eyesore structures of theimpermanent, the hounded, the often dispossessed. TiD hammeredto flatness, leftovers from some cruel fire, shakily ereCted, intendedto be as quickly torn down as they have been so. quickly put up.T~ese then are the houses of the people - are they people? _ inthis play.

LIGHTS OUT

It is open st'ason lor politics in the country again, and dema-'gogues en/er the world of the lamished, make capital 01 their'chronic hunger, and enable uS to witness the latter's despair.

Characters:

CLARO: an indigent young man who looks old at the ageof 30

LUMEN: his wife, a thin, famished-looking woman whos~'gaunt frame belies her 25 years

MRS. HASPLENTY: a wealthy matron

MRS. TAMALAMANG: another matron but of much moremodest means

COCKCROW on high note - Crow 1: BLUE Light

Crow 2: RED Light

COUGHING, prolonged fit of coughing from man on ;~"ftin CENTER of stage draped in red but looking Jlkc •coHin bier.

BOY: a child of about 8

ENING: younger sister to Boy

. FIRST NEIGHBOR: a hungry-looking man of about 35

SECOND NEIGHBOR: a woman, again-looking older thanher years ..'~:

LUMEN

Ening " Boy .

(Enter ESCO, with cock in arms. He sits on tree stump.fondles rooster, flies it in air several times to test its wings.Walks around dais, off to another side, calls to man lyingon raised bed.) .

THIRD NEIGHBOR: a pregnant woman who carries asloall child, about a year and a half, on her hip '.

OTHER NEIGHBORS: mostly raggedy, including the littlechildren, mostly half-dressed and mostly in tatters, withunwashed faces

•Pareng Claro. Claro! The sun is high. Wake ~p! Tanghali na,Pare.

Cising na ang Kristiano.One of the modern, very prosperous subdivisions in the suburbs,

where the land has been subdivided by the well-to-do into fencedlots, grown with well-tended, well-manicured Bermuda grass andlushly £lowering bougainvillaeas and fragrant roses. Among thesebeautiful houses, fairly shouting their prosperity and the status and

(Enter STREETWALKER. Slightly drunk, as seen by theway she walks. And tired, with her night wor~, wearied

with the coming of the bright day. Sits on the same treestump ESCO sat on. CLARO coughs.)

~'Psst. Hey, Rosie! Why are you running away? Are you afraid?

. Afraid? Afraid of what? (Pausing, looks back. Hesitates. Thengoes slowly away.) It is none of your business.

ESCO

Wasn't he your querido for a long time?

ROSIE

Oh, shut up! So what? That was a long time ago.;..

Nangangamoy kandila na yang bata mo, Rosie. Tuluftgan monaman..

ROSIE

Ako? Why should I? After all, he has his wife and .. , chil~dren ...

ESCO

Hey.' Walang t.b. ito.' Materiales fuertes, blue seal, Choy!

ROSIE

Bastos.' Walong hiya.' Manok mo na lang ang pagtiagaan monghimasin! ...MUSIC

(Enter LUMEN.)

LUMEN

(Calls to children off scene): Boy... Ening ...

CHIIDREN

LUMEN

Oaro. Mahol. Wake up. It is morning.

(Looks up at the day, the listless tired look.of the sleeperwho has found no rest in his slumber, tortured through.the night by his coughing, and fearful now of the traits'that the relentless day brings.) ..

LUMEN

It is Sunday. What do you want for breakfast?

(She has been busy with the small things a wife finds to dparound a sick spouse. The pillows to flu££; The blankets·to smooth out. She walks around to the other side of himso she can change his clothes. She is never still. Whilethe conversation here takes place, there are motions for herto go through, all of them connected with the duties of ahousekeeper with a helpless husband.)

,We haven't any money. What breakfast can you get without",acent? 'ii\:l,.d

,':

LUMEN\ '.. .. ··1God is always kind. Maybe I can still borrow something from

Aling Bibang.

(LUMEN proceeds to change the shirt CLARO has sIep,tddfor a ~ean one. The process is often interrupted ~byCLARO'S coughing, and LUMEN massages 'his baeJt ashe

struggles with his phlegm. She wipes his back with theshirt she has taken off him, wipes his agonized face withit. Then she lays it aside as he rests his head on herbosom. She reaches for a T-shirt and puts it on him ashe submits to her attentions with the limp docility of ababy. As this goes on, there's business off-stage of a groupof men fighting their cocks. Shouts and calls typical of acock-fight crowd.)

VOICES

Sa pula! Sa puti! Sa pula! Sa puti! Tumakbo! Naka! Tumakboang manok! 'Duwag! Iluto na lang natin 'yan!Ang 1010 mo ang duwag! Sa pula! Sa puti! Sa pula! Sa puti!

(Sounds of cocks in furious wing beat and tattoo of cock-fight. Yells and shouts of excited onlookers.)

LUMENIn fact, Aling Bibang said she would bring a Mrs. Hasplenty withher. From the S. W. A.l You know the S. W. A.

(OFF STAGE: SOUNDS)

VOICE #1Mang Esco, subukan natin 'yang manok mo.

NEIGHBOR

Siyanga naman, Mang Esco.Naku! Ang ganda! Blue seal!MUSIC, strains of a march.

ESCOAba, huwag. Isasabung ko ito sa Linggo.

CHILDREN'S VOICES ' ,

Si Aling Bibang, pala. Si Aling Bibang. Mga kapil·bahay, ito ';~ "si AJing Bibang.

NEIGHBORS

Magandang umaga po, Aling Bibang.

(Enters ALING BlBANG on scene, followed by crowd, andarm·in-arm with MRS. HASPLENTY, who III dreslIed Instylish kimona and patadyong and retinued by a uniformedchauffeur bringing big boxes under each arm; a photograph'erwith his camera and flash at ready, and several re~rter.with bored looks, pencils ready to take notes on small note.books. March music. Cheers.) ~

ESCOHuwag, sabi. Bakit matataleoO Ha!

ESCOMagsisi ka, 'pare. Hindi takot ita.

1S.W.A.: SocIal Welfare Administration, a relief agency of thegovernment.

(Waves her hand flutteringly at people to make them quietdown so they can hear her.)

!~I".~clif.1'~~.

"\,':1'·

',:'J,'","'1!')

Good morning, mga people. Mga kapitbahay, I brought witll memy boss from the S.W.A., our beloved Manang Eniang. Our goodManang Eniang. She wants to see all of you.

(Crowd cheers. Photographer takes one picture ilS. the crowdcome up to MRS. HASPLENTY and shake her hand. Shedoes it very gracefully, with the sincerity and devotion ~fa really sincere person. She has an'arm around each w~man sshoulders very briefly, presses the arm of each man JUst'asbriefly. Her smile brilliantly includes them all, and all hergestures are charming, including the fingers she gracefullyraises to her head to pat her coiffure in place and the handthat she places on the head of each child in loving solicita-tion. She has candies she takes out of her handbag thatshe passes on to them,)

(Music of her march plays on,)

MRS. HASPLENTY

My very dear people of this looban. Ako', ,tagaga/ak na ,?,akitakayong lahat na maligaya. I want you to know .that ! thi~ ofyou all the time. Kaawa-awa naman kayo. Altng Blbang toldme about you, and I want (holds her graceful hands to bre~st),oh, I want so much to help you. '

(Music on a more triumphant note. People clap their handsat her charming words and gesture.)

(Motions to the chauffeur, who deposits th~ boxes at MRS.HASPLENTY'Sfeet. She looks around at the crowd andbends to take other things' from the big:boxes. .Handsout a few dresses to some women, moving around in thesame graceful manner. All the while the crowd try to gettheir share, but MRS. HASPLENTY sweetly shakes herhead and moves back again to where LuMEN watches 1111this show with dumb reality. CLARO has looked up oncoto watch the commotion and then, like one already sepll'rated from the affairs of the world, turns' his eyes away.In the meantime, MRS. TAMALAMANG has been eEfl·dendy, although superfluously-for this i. all routine toManang Eniang's retinue-stage-managing the proceeding.,pulling some neighbors to receive Manang Enlang'. dole,and nudging the photographer to take tho shots he doe.'with the boredom of one who has been doing nothing butthe expected.)

MRS. HASPLENTY

My dearest friends. Mga kapatid. Mahal ko kayong lahat. Buttoday, through the information given to me by your good AlingBibang, my friend, I came to help Lumen and Claro. So todayI must give rice and things to Lumen. It is SUnday, and th~S.W.A. is closed. But tomorrow I will come back, and I'll bringyou all, the things I know you need. (Turning to ALINGBIBANG) : Magpasalamat kayo that you have here among yousuch a woman as Aling Bibang.

(The praise so overwhelms ALING BIBANG, she takesMRS. HASPLENTY'S hand and quickly kisses it.)

(Music stronger, but not enough to drown her voice, whichtakes on a platform tone.

ALING BIBANG directs her, however, to formally hand overthe rice and the canned goods that are intended for CLAROand LUMEN. .

But even as MANANG ENIANG turns over the boxes toLUMEN with the same implacable cool sweetness, she

Mga people, visitahan na natin si Claro. (In gen~ral aside topeople around): Pumarito si Manang Eniaag dahsl kay Claro..(Sees LUMEN.) Alam mo, Eniang, kawawa itong si Lumen at StClaro _ wala sila'ng matirahan, kaya dito na ho sila pinatira., Ab,heto pala si Lumen.

MRS, HASPLENTY

(Embraces LUMEN briefly, who partly draws back in abasement.)Kumusta si Claro, Lumen? Kumusta ang asawa mol Alagaanmong mabuti si Claro, hal Malapit na ang eleksiyon, kailangangmakaboto siya.

Mga kapitbahay, handa siyang tumulong. But she canmore if she were ~ senator. Let us make her a senator.

• ~ .10-

(The crowd raises their hands to her in enthusiastic endorse-:~':;4"m~t of this wonderful plan. ~S .• TAMALAMAN~'~7~raIses MANANG ENIANG'S hand In tnumphant sign ana ....•..'n'·,she screams hysterically at the crowd!); ':~~

.:'1~;~:r;,.;

:Ii

ESTRELLA D. ALFON

MRS. HASPLENTY

Food. .. I shall bring you food.(Cheers. )

For when you hunger, I hunger too. Oh, I want to really giveyou what I can.

,doesn't abandon her stance: head held back and.' lovelythroat lengthened the better to deliver the lines she cansay so well. The photographer is at the ready. ALINGBIBANG has inserted her own person into the tableau sothat when the picture is taken, she will be right there withMANANG ENIANG.)

MRS. HASPLENTY

Babalik aka nang talagang matutulungan kayo. For my peart al-ways weeps for you.

(The people cheer.)

I will bring you clothes. Aling Bibang will distribute them to you.(Cheers from the crowd.)

Trabaho, Manang Eniang. Trabaho ang kailangan namin!

(Rest of crowd murmur their loud assent.)

If we could work ...We could earn ... '

And we could buy ...RICE: YES, RICE.Opo, Manang, bigas po! Rice, Manang!

It is better if you distribute these yourself, Manang Eniang. Itasi Nena.

RICE, YES, RICE!

(The crowd takes it up like a cry.)

(MRS. HASPLENTY nods her head in solemn agreement,like a beautiful doll.)

Abaw! Katahum guid. Madamo guM na salamat. Baw! H~stonghusto pa sa aleon. .. ay!

110 naman si Fidel; wa/a aleong para sa iyo, pero ilo, para saalawa mo.

I am. That houseboy of mine has snitched some of the rice andcanned stuff I told him to put in this box. He's a thief that'sall. I'll dismiss him. '

Mabuhay si Senadora Eniang!

(The crowd shouts its riotous answer. MRS. HASPLENTY"puts her free arm about LUMEN, who looks up in adora-tion at the beautiful would-he-senator.. The photographertakes the picture. It includes, besides the crowd, the miser-,able CLARO curled lfP on his miserable pallet.) .

MRS. HASPLENTY

(To LUMEN): This is really very little. Just a few gantas 6£rice and several tins of sardines. There's some corned beef, too.,

(Peers into the box, takes out several tins so as to rapidly,inventory what else there are. To herself):

Salva;e that boy of mine. I told him five gantas and this lookslike a mere three gantas. And I said 5 tins of sardines, and 5 tinsof corned beef. Comorte na naman.

LUMEN

No, please, po, he may be another poor one like us. Anyway,there is enough here.

(Gladness finally overcomes her timidity. She kneels down .and thrusts her hand into the little sack of rice and clench~,her fists on the precious grain.)

Rice. Rice. (Looks up atMRS. HASPLENTY)~ Thank you,oh so many times.. _. ::- \"

(The neighbors reach the group, exclaim am~~g themselves"about the box of foodstuffs. LUMEN'S children even de-tach ~emselves .from th~ mother's skirt and shyly, wiusedto havmg anyth4tg to display, hold out the tins of sardinesan~ corned beef to the neighbors so they can see, untilthe.tr mother motions them to desist.)MRS. TAMALAMANG

(Bends down to help EUGENIA inventory the box's con·tents. Appeasingly):

Never mind, really, Eugenia. Lumen will be glad enough aboutwhat il here.

(To LUMEN): Ano, Lumen, isn't this better than nothing?

LUMEN

(Holding her skirts tighter around her as the children threatento unskirt her with their clinging.)

Naku, pol (Almost in tears) : Naku, po, I don't even knowwhat to lay.

MRS. HASPLENTY

(Looks around at the neighbors gathered and smiles at them.But she wants to escape, and she nodS to LUMEN):

Do not thank me yet. You want me to come back, don't you?

(Surreptitiously places some bills in LUMEN'S· hand on thepretext of making LUMEN stand up from her kneeling.Whispering. )

And here's something to buy a few things with.

(Turns away. Takes MRS. TAMALAMANG with her.)I really must go. I have to see Inday Lilang yet. But Bibanghere must tell me if you, Lumen, should Aeed anything in anemergency. I can always help, in a small way. .. 'Thank you, oh thank you ...

MRS. HASPLENTY MRS. TAMALAMANG

They have really no one else to go to but me, and I know no.J:l1lewho can help you.

No, no, don't thank me. I should have been here sooner ifBibang here had told me earlier. But you don't know how angry

ESTRELLA D. ALFON

LUMEN(Turns to LUMEN):

Lumen, dahan-dahanin mo no 'yan, ha! If Claro still does notget well, come to see me, hane. Or if he gets well, let me knowthat also. He will ask Manang Eniang to give him a job.

A friend of our landlady's, Mrs. Tamalamang. It seems her nameis Mrs. Hasplenty. Did you see her? Did you see her jewel.?And her dress? You should have smelled her. She smelled .0nice.

MRS. HASPLENTY

Paa/am na sa inyong lahat. Thank you. Do not forget me for. Senator. But why should she be so good to us?

LUMEN

Who knows, maha/? She brought rice and tinned viands. Sheeven put some money in my hand.

(Opens her hand clenched about the money.)

CLARO

How much is there, maha/? You could buy yourseH a dress.(Fondles LUMEN'S rags. His eyes are eloquent with despair.)

Mabuhay s; Manang Eniang! Mabuhay s; Senadora Eniang! 0/':1:

(Exit MRS. HASPLENTY, MRS. TAMALAMANG.)

(Lumen dumbly nods her head and watches as the two go oHstage. The neighbors surge to her. One or two men helpLUMEN lift the box just inside the barong·barong, on tothe plank and beside CLARO.)

(The children speak to their father.)

ENING

Ifay, did you see? A lady all dressed up came and gave us food.

Are you crazy?(Feels under the pillows CLARO lies on. Pulls out a slip

of paper. Shows it to CLARO, then folds it and gets up,hands futilely trying to pull her rags into some semblanceof neatness.)

I can buy the medicine in the doctor's prescription, Caro. Youknow that? (Scornfully.) A dress indeed!

CLARO

And money, Itay. I saw her put some in the hands of [nay.I saw it.

(His voice half a whisper and a rasp):

Who was she? Can your mother, call her.

(LUMEN comes back to the barong.barong. The neighborshave made their goodbyes, but lingeringly; LUMEN takes'out the tinned stuff, arranges them at the foot of the papagfloor. She smiles tremulously at the sick man.)

Who were they, mahal? Who were those good people?

LUMEN•(Counts the money.) Why, there's all of ten pesos here, maha/,.

CLARO

(Wistfully.) Perhaps you'll have something left over. When didwe see ten pesos last, dear heart?

LUMEN

Ten pesos. For want of it, we were driven out of the ~oom werented in Paco. And Mrs. Tamalamang, for whom I washed toldus to make use of this little space. And it is from lying on 'theseboards so close to the ground that you have this fever in yourbones, Claro. I should havep'lked that dressed-up lady to give us

,,~ a place to live, too. But I co, ld not open my mouth.I .

stuff, he reaches for other things placed on makeshift nailsand flanges on tin on the walls: a small mUk-can formeasuring rice, a pencil stub, some wrapping paper heflattens out to write on. He coughs in weakness and fatigUewith even these exertions. He reaches for so~e other pape~and smooths it out on the planking, and on this improvisedmat, he ekes out the rice in measures with the tin cat),piling it in small equal piles. and to each he juxt~poses Ican of viand. The mat of paper is filled with these littlepiles of rice, and he counts them and makes calculations oftheir number on his little piece of writing pad and his smallstub of a pencil. His frenzy with this work,' his preoccupa-'tion with it even, makes him forget his cough' or his lnalaise. 'Yet his labored breathing is definitely observable so thatit is the observer who feels anxious for his state of health.)

0,,1

(To himself):

If we cook two cans a day for each meal, we can eat breakfast,'lunch, and supper for eight days. If we only boll rice for lWl~'and supper, this will last twelve days. Maybe by that time I~be well and strong again. Enough to work. (Rea"anging his tinsof viand and his mounds 01 rice.) But on the last days" therewouldn't be any viands to eat with the rice. Well, we've t>c;enhungry enough for so long. Salt with the rice will be good enough.

(The two children enter and approach and gaze solemnly athim. By this time CLARO is leaning against the shaky'walls. His shortness of breath alarms even himself. )

I'm sorry I'm sick, my poor one. .•. 'late to be lying down while"' you make yourself so thin with the washing you do. Oh Lumen

perhaps if r just died, it would be better. One less mouth to feed:And perhaps you could even get II. : .~w husband. A better partner.

LUMEN

Hush your mouth! You dare to talk that way today, of all days,when we have food to eat. I'll buy your medicine. You'll getwell. Things will get better, you'll see. I'll go. Here's a' stone.(Picks up a stone from outside the barong-barong.) Hit the wallswhen you need to call the children. Do not exert yourself.,

(She fixes the pillows so CLARO will be more comfortable.Settles the foodstuff to the end of the plank floor~ awayfrom Claro so he can have a bit more room.) , '

(To the children):

Boy! Ening! .Don't go too far from your father. He can notshout for you. He'll just bang the walls with a stone. (Pemon-strates.) Do not make him exert himself. Boy? Ening? .

BOY

Opo, Inay,

(LUMEN goes off-stage.)

CLARO

(He gets up from lying do'Wuto a sitting position. He incheshis way toward the foot of the planking moving on histhin buttocks to do so. As he reaches the box of tinned

CLARO

(Smiling I;Itthem wanly):

I am counting the days of our eating. Look. Here Is forto~ay. And for tomorrow this. If we eat three times a day, thl.wIll last only eight days. So breakfast, we won't eat .ny rice.

drifts into the scene. A woman. Then, from another comerof the stage, another neighbor, a pregnant 'woman with asickly-looking baby on her hip. The CHILDREN ~o.~4-lessly touch CLARO and indicate the neighbors' presence.CLARO wipes his tears away on the l~wer part of his shirtand looks up at his neighbors, his tears still in his eyes.)

CLAROIf you don't run about so much, children, you won't get so hungry.

ENING

You only lie down, Itay" but you eat too. You get hungry too.

CLAROI'm trying to get well, Ening, child. Then I can work and youcan all eat regularly again.

FIRST NEIGHBOR

(Sitting down on planking, which creaks ominously with hisweight so that he hastily jumps up.)

Claro; are' you crying?

CLARO

I hate being sick. I hate having to see my children and my wilestarve.

ENlNG

And then perhaps buy me a dress, Ita,?

BOY

Humph!' My clothes are even more tom than yours. But I don'tcare, Itay. I only want you to get well.

CLARO(Turning his face to the wall to hide his tears.) Why do I haveto be .ick anyhow? What business have the poor being .ick?

(Beats his palms against his aching joints.)

What rlBht, even, have the bones of the poor to achel '! ~

(Tries to rise and finds the effort completely beyond him.Beats at his weak knees in despair.) "

Stand, standi Oh, knees so weald Standi

(Sobs against the wall in a fit of hysterical despair. Thechildren stare at him and then te:ltatively pick It the moundsof rice, throwing some,grains into their mouths. The face.of a 'oeigh~r peeks in, looks at CLARO, waits for himto notice him, then gestures at the children to desist fromputting the raw rice in their mouths. Another neighbor

We rt'lIl1y llno 1111 III ""~llllh'l CIIlI'1l flllt Wt' .'1111 lilt. 1'1'"

PIWUNAN'I' WOMANToday, at least, you should not do any crying. You're lucky.You have these. .. (indicates the mounds of rice and viands onpaper mat.)

SECOND NEIGHBOR

And tomorrow too, and the day after.

PREGNANT WOMAN

We all give thanks when anyone of us finds some Godsend.

(Slowly, because of his weakness, yet with a feeling of haste,his claw-like fingers put the mounds of rice. together, .andwith the tin can he strives to put it all back into the little

sack. The tinned goods be also tries to put back into thebox. Then tremulously):

i

Thanks be to God indeed. Now I pray I'll be· able to get up andwork before this small plenty is gone.

FIRST NEIGHBOR

And you having this, please therefore let me borrow a little for.our own cooking. We haven't a grain in our own house today.

You know, Oaro, that's what we thought.

SECOND NEIGHBOR

Yes, that you and we-we all know what hunger is.

PREGNANT WOMAN

Most of the time we put out the very morsel we are on the vergeof swallowing, because our children must first be fed.

Claro, you remember how we all helped carry you home - thatday when the fever in your bones made you drop the water pipeyou \Werecarrying? It dropped right on your chest and we thoughtyou were dead. But we took you home and took you to bed andcalled a doctor for your troubled breath.

CLARO(Looking cornered and harassed.) These past few days, I havetried not to eat at all because there was so little and my poorwife ana children did not have enough, even for just themselves.But I grow so weak from the sickn~s and hungering.

PREGNANT WOMAN

In my house, too, it is that way. But when we hear that yourchildren are crying because they haven't got even one mouthfulat least, then we can not eat but we must send a little food hereto you.

(Thoroughly harassed, cornered and set upon. He frenziecIlytries to put away at last all of the rice and the tins.Feverishly) :

Please, please, wait for Lumen. , ,

(Shrewishly): We came to borrow some rice, a little each. Butyou sound as though you don't want to let us have any. If 'Iwere you, I would be happy to be able to have my turn at feedingmy neighbors. Anyway, it is only rice we wish to borrow.

Yes, yes, my good neighbors, I know if it hadn't been for you,all of you, yes, we would have starved, all of us, by now. Thanksbe to you indeed.

Well, if I can have a tin of sardines too, I could put some mongowith it, and we could have some hot soup. And I would bringyou some, Claro. But if you don't want to ...

I am not, please (sounding dtsperau), not 'refusing. I wish youonly, please, to wait for my wife.

FIRST NEIGHBOR

But God is always kind. Just when one thinks there isn't goingto be any of God's mercy on earth, He sends evidence of it.Look at this windfall come your way. Like a jackpot, ha, friendClaro?

Why, what will Lumen say? It is she herself who manages toalways be there when our own rice pot boils. She doesn't object,but we know her need and before she can ask, we always ladle outsome for her. Knowing you are sick. Wanting to help you.

ESTRELLA D. ALFON

BOYAnd anyway, I need it now so I can cook it for supper. (Turningaway. ) But if you want us to wait, that's just as well as sayingNo. I'll borrow the rice somewhere else. But I'll remember this,Claro.

Anu 'yon?

(Little girl comes on scene. Runs to them.), (Sadly, angrily, helplessly): Wait. Please take the rice you need.(As the neighbors eagerly approach the carton):

Take what you need. Take what you want.

(The neighbors each take their measure of rice. .FIRSTNEIGHBOR puts several tins full into his gathered-upskirt. SECOND NEIGHBOR tears off It piece of the papermat to make a cornucopia into which she puts her owndole. PREGNANT WOMAN has a capacious pocket inher skirt, and she puts down the child on her hip for alittle while as she' scoops out her own need, pouting themeasures into her pocket. When they go away, CLAROwatches them at first, then he takes the stone anq bangsaway It the tin walls with it. The boy comes to hiin.)

Help me. Itay says we should hide this. "1

(The two children tug at the box. They can only succeedin pushing it down the length of the plank flooring.)

Where can we hide this, Itay?

(Looks around. There is no place in his cramped quartersto hide anything. He looks at the pillows he has been"lying on. He drags himself back to that place on theplanking near the pillows. At the same time, he helpshis children push the box. He empties a pillow case ofits pillow and hurriedly, frenziedly, places the rice in thepillow case.)

BoyI Ening! Warn me if anyone approaches. I don't want any- .one to know where we hid this rice. Bring out the tins too.Put them among the rice. (Smooths out pillow somehow, bulgingunevenly with rice and tins.) Now, this left-over rice. Range it'here, where I will hide it with my b6dy if I He down.

(Children do as he tells them to. He lays the uncoveredpillow over the tin cans to the sIde. Now there seeml noevidence of the rice and tinned goods. Claro can be leento have become desperately exhausted by all this effort.He gestures to the children to put the carton back at hisfeet, he lies down slowly, desperately tired, on his lumpypillow and closes his eyes in exhaustion.

BOY

(Tugs at carton. Finds it too heavy for him. CLARO triesto help, but. the effort only produces a fit of coughing.)

Where will I hide this, Itay? But I don't think I can lift thisbox, Itay, and you are no help at all.

CLARO

· '. . ,~.~~,~~

303}

CIDLDREN

Aren't We going to cook, Itay? We're hungry. We'd like to eatsome of that canned stuff.

(Her fear and frenzy have communicated to the children andthey go about their tasks obediently. LUMEN massages '"CLARO's limbs. She keeps shaking. his head to "make hiiD~:'conscious of her. But his head 10Usgroggily on the 'lumpy~:',,1110w. S~~ keeps massaging the thin limbs, the thin arms/'As she does this, NEIGHBOR peers in, watches. her !.or.·.. :I while until she notices him. She smiles a fleeting, sicklysmile at him, then goes back to her anxious, almost hys-terical ministering to her husband. NEIGHBOR goes away,but soon comes back, bringing others with him. Among'them are our previous characters. They .tand around, helpLUMEN massage CLARO's limbs. In the manner of ig-norant folk they press at his solar plexus. They cltch at hI,heels and press at this cruelly. But CLARO does not he~or return to consciousness. '

CLARO

(Faintly.) Wait for your mother. She'U be here soon. Watchfor her.

Itay! Here she comes. We'll go and meet her.(They tuni to run, bui the girl notices the ghastly look on

her father's face and she pauses. She holds her brother's'It'l:Q and he, too, looks at his father more closely.)

(Questioningly): Itay? Itay?

(CLARO does not answer. Slowly, perceptibly, his limbsstraighten out and his fitlgers unflex limply. His mouthdrops open, and the boy shakes him.)

BOY

(In the meanwhile, the children have built a fire and havea pot bolling on the fireplace on the ground, three stonesset apart to hold up a pot over flames.

(LUMEN has started to whimper with fear. The childrenblow at the fire. When the neighbors help hermass8Se. /CLARO's limbs, she goes to the children, perhaps thinking"she can hurry up the rice cooking. This sh~ tries to do,'frantically trying to make a bonfire of the cookirig. Shegoes back to CLARO, touches his forehead, and whimpers.)

His sweat is so cold.

(Wipes at CLARO's forehead with the comer of a llnipbandanna over her shoulders.)

I only went away to buy him medicines. I should have fed him 'first.

Itay, what is the matter? Itayl

(LUMEN enters. She glances quickly at CLARO and imme-diately feels his forehead and his neck. Hu;*dly, thewoman looks at the medicines she has brought, gets a glassof water, and wordlessly lifts her husband's head and triesto force him to drink the medicine. The man~s lips areclosed, and swallowing is out of the question for him in hisstate. In wordless frenzy, LUMEN once more tries to gethim to open his lips and swallow. But it is no use. Finallyshe places the little envelopes to one side, looks around forthe' rice, finds the carton empty, quickly surmises that it isall hidden under CLARO's head, and hurriedly draws ameasure to cook. She gestures to BOY.)

NEIGHBOR

(Whispering): Pahiram ng bigas. ~

LUMEN?;l

Help me.. Please help me. (Calling to her husband) Claro!Claro! What's the matter with you? . . < }

Boy, build a fire. And get your sister to wash the rice. We'llcook some broth for your father.

RICEALING ETANG

ESTRELLA D. ALFON

LUMENLet me have the rice I wish to borrow. I want to cook it for,supper. (Realizing the significance of the prayers, she puts her bowl

of gruel back near the foot of the planking where CLARO'sfeet cannot reach them. Unclasps CLARO's hands fromaround the crucifix.)

(Shouting at the kneeling neighbors.) No! No! Stop that, allof you. Stop!

(Shouts into CLARO's ears, shaking him slightly by the shoulders.)Oaro! Claro! Wake! They are thinking you're dy. .. (She cannot say the fatal word.) Wake! Wake!

(The children are eating their gruel. They are so hungrythey have forgotten anything but the pleasure of eating.The boy goes to the pot and ladles out some more gruelinto his bowl, as well as into the bowl his sister holdseagerly out to him.)

(To the children.)

Boy! Ening! Shout it into your father's ears. Tell him to wake.Tell him how good the gruel is.

(Puzzled, the children pause in their eating. The old woman'spraying interposes into the pause.)

LUMEN

His head is pillowed on the rice. Please let's not disturb him.As soon as my gruel boils and I have fed him,.I will bring theri~ to you, AIing Etang. I'll give you a tin of sardines too. Butdon't let us disturb him now.

(Other NEIGHBORS whisper among themselves. The preg-nant woman digs into the same capacious pocket, fishes outan assortment of things, including a dirty towel with ;whichshe wipes her baby's face, a length of string, a pair of oldbaby shoes, finally a rosary. She gives it to an old womanamong the neighbors, who immediately lets CLARO clasphis inert fingers around the crucifix. She kneels and ges-tures at the others to kneel, and they follow. LUMEN hasin the meanwhile gone to the pot on the boil, stirred it,and ladled out some into two bowls she gives the children.A third portion she pours in and out of two bowls to cool.Then she puts a little salt on it, stirs it, and turns to giveit to CLARO. She notices the women kneeling, and thecrucifix that CLARO's hands are' now curved around. Shealmost runs to CLARO. She kneels and shakes him whilewith the other hand she holds the bowl of gruel.)

Oaro! Claro! Are you foolish, indeedI Here is some gruel.Eat and you will feel better. Claro! Here's eating, and you'resleeping. Claro!

. (The woman who has put the crucifIx in CLARO's handspulls LUMEN away. She turns up CLARO's eyelids andshakes her head. She kneels down again and loudly praysthe prayers entrusting the departing spirit to God.)

PRAYER· LEADER

Jesus, Maria, y Josefl

Jesus Maria 'Y Josef ...

PRAYER LEADER

NEIGHBORS

(In pntiphon): Jesus, Maria 'Y Josef ...

LUMEN(Shakes CLARO more violently. Turns to the praying throng,

almost pushes at the old woman leading the prayers.)

Nol I said No! Stop that praying. Claro! Claro!

CHILDREN

(Getting up but not abandoning their eager eating. Approach-ing their mother, making their way through the' kneelingthroQg. but bowls still in their hands.) ,

Why. Ina,? [na" what is the matter?

LUMEN

Claro! '(She raises her head to watch him and see if he willanswer.)

Claro! (Half-whispering.) May bigas tayo. (She remembers aforgotten nickname. whispers it like a sibilant demand: Clarita! )(Suddenly, terribly. wails): Claro.o.o!... I

THINKING IT OVER.:j t;~)j

1. What is the function of the prologue Involving Esco and Rosie? ":I~}Would you suggest that it be made to recur at the end?' ~i~

'::.'2. Identify,the object of, the author's criticism in this play. What .(:p~is her view of the nature of hunger? of unemployment? of.,1;,:~disease? of gambling? Do you think this is the only rationa1f#'l~jview one can take on these social problems? Discuss.

3. Give the chief character traits of the following:Mrs. HasplentyMrs. TamalamangThe NeighborsLumenClaro

ENING

(Tearfully): Is Itll'J going to die?

(But even as they ask this question. they are still holding, their bowls to the4' lips, afraid to let any morsel of thesoft rice pap go to waste. LUMEN keeps shaking theprostrate man. NEIGHBORS keep up their lead and anti-phon praying. In her frenzy. LUMEN's shaking of the tiredsick man has caused _ tear in the old pillow case and therice trickles down. LUMEN finally stops. She looks atthe sick, thin frame and sits back on her haunches: As theneighbOrs keep up their praying. LUMEN tenderly placesher own thin hand against the gaunt. hollow cheeks. Shesmooths the pillow under his head. realizes the lumps thetin cans make. The rice trickles down. LUMEN watchesit. then slowly picks the grains in her hand. She whimperslike a sick dog as she looks at the rice in' her hand. thensuddenly puts a thin arm across the still bosom of theman on the planking floor. dislodging the crucifix as shedoes so.

(The NEIGHBORS. praying. touch her; she turns her headaround to look at them. She rights the ends curved thinlyaround the little crucifix. Then she lays the lit~~ handfulof rice in her hand on the now still chest..•.·Suddenly.terrifiedly, she buries her head on the thin shoulders andwails.) :

4. How does the author make use of large mUi'les of people toproduce her effects? What effects? Could she have achievedthem just as well by means of fiction? poetry? an essay?In other words. was the author's choice of her artistic mediuma happy one?

5. Can you justify the mixture of E'nglish and TI18alog in thedialog?

6. Define your feelings about the neighbors' and the children'sbehavior in the presence of food. particularly at the death,scene. Is this behavior defensible? Is it human or beastly? j.,In view of it, what seems to be the main point the author, :t,';wishes to drive home? " "