Rain

Indah Zumrotun

RAIN

PLAYERS

AMANDA, 23, a photographer, pretty woman, blond short hair, British

A BOY, 9, Indonesian, fourth grader, brown skin, black hair

AN OLD MAN, 50, Indonesian, brown skin, grey hair, thin, tall, a parker

THE WAITRESS, 30, British, brown hair, fat

NOTE. The action of the play takes place in London in the present and recalls to three months ago in Kota Lama, Semarang.

SCENE 1. TAP Coffee in London. Present. London is raining all day and rather quiet. It is in the twilight of day when AMANDA, a young woman in red sweater, is sitting alone in the edge of the window of the TAP Coffee’s corner, looking at the people outside who many of them are running from the rain. A cup of hot coffee in her table has been served since a few minutes ago but Amanda still has no intention to drink it immediately. She is busy with her mind and the rain which reminds her of her experience when visiting Indonesia three months ago. Then, the waitress in black uniform of the café comes to her.

THE WAITRESS. Do you want your coffee heated?

AMANDA (a bit surprised and then smiling to the waitress). Oh no, thank you.

THE WAITRESS (joking). I’m sorry for disturbing your daydream, Mam.

AMANDA (smiling again). Well, it’s okay, but I’m not in a daydream actually.

(Both of them laugh. The waitress goes inside living AMANDA back to be busy with her memories again.)

SCENE 2. Kota Lama Semarang. Three months ago on Thursday. Semarang is one of AMANDA’s destination cities due to her tour in Asean’s country for hunting photos. Now, AMANDA in blue skinny jeans and white T-shirt with a camera lay on her neck is in Kota Lama, one of famous tourist area of Semarang. The day is raining and she is standing in front of one of the historical building near a mosque, when she sees A BOY in white-red uniform is walking along the street and offering an umbrella to the Kota Lama visitors (lately AMANDA knew from his Indonesian friend that the offering-umbrella act is called ojek payung). For AMANDA, who has never seen that scene in London, it is an interesting object for her photograph so she immediately took the pictures of those scenes.

AMANDA (busy taking photos of A BOY who is offering umbrella)

A BOY (after offering umbrella, A BOY is motioning to where AMANDA is staying to take a rest and accosting AMANDA). Good afternoon Miss.

AMANDA (little surprised). Can you speak English?

A BOY (smiling). Little-little…

AMANDA (smiling). Why are you doing this? (pointing to the umbrella in A BOY’s hand and ask with curiosity) You just a boy and look at them (look at the others offering-umbrella doer). All your friend who are doing this job are adult or at least teenagers.

A BOY (silent for a second and finally answer in a low voice). I need money for my father.

AMANDA. Is your father sick or something?

A BOY (taking a bow). I need to earn money as much as possible so my father doesn’t need to work really hard so he can have a time for God.

AMANDA (wrinkling her eyebrow). How come?

A BOY. One night, I heard my father told my mother that he couldn’t do his duty toward God because God has given him so many problems in his life. He is too busy to deal with the problem so that he doesn’t have time for God. He need to earn money as much as possible so he can make me become a success person and he also want to provide the best treatment for my sister.

AMANDA (silent, confused, and almost crying)

SCENE 3. AMANDA’s hotel. Three months ago. Thursday night. Amanda couldn’t sleep at all. Her mind kept thinking about the boy she saw in Kota Lama.

AMANDA (walking up and down and saying to the audiences). How could there be a father like that? How could someone doesn’t have time to his God? Does it mean that he does not trust his God? If someone is not doing his duty to God, of course he's sinned and unfaithful, isn’t he? That boy and his family is a Muslim and I am a Christian. I don’t too understand about Muslim and the religion. Over my life, I always think that the differences between religions are only in the name of the religion and I believe that all religions teach the same thing that is to be faithful to God. So, how could that be?

SCENE 4. Kota Lama Semarang. Three months ago on Friday. AMANDA wants to meet with A BOY again and she plans to meet his father too. She goes to the place when she meets the boy. It is at 12.30 pm. She is standing at the same place with the day before, in one of the historical building near a mosque. There are so many men in the mosque so she moves a little farther from there. She knew that there is a special time to pray for men who is Muslim in Friday. While AMANDA is waiting for A BOY, there is AN OLD MAN comes to her.

AN OLD MAN (motioning to AMANDA in a friendly face). Is there anything I can help Miss?

AMANDA (little surprised but smiling). Oh no, I’m just waiting for my friend.

(AN OLD MAN is not going to the mosque so AMANDA thinks that he may not a Muslim. A curious AMANDA cannot refrain herself not to ask about what she has thought last night to get another point of view of A BOY’s problem.)

AMANDA. Ehmm, I’m sorry sir. But I want to ask you something, may I?”

AN OLD MAN. What is it?

AMANDA (asking carefully). A friend of mine knows a poor Indonesian man who doesn’t do his duty toward God because he’s too busy dealing his problem which is given to him like a rain by the God itself. What do you think about that as an Indonesian?”

AN OLD MAN (smiling). When you work and your boss gives you a lot of works, will you dare to meet him if your works has not done yet?

AMANDA. Of course I wouldn’t dare.

AN OLD MAN. Perhaps, someone you’re talking about thinks the same.

AMANDA (silent)

AN OLD MAN. If he doesn’t do his duty, it doesn’t mean that the man you’re talking about do not believe in God. He may think that he can serve his God with another way.

(Suddenly AN OLD MAN shouts and points to the mosque where the Muslims has done with their pray.)

A BOY (motioning to AN OLD MAN and AMANDA)

AN OLD MAN (embracing A BOY’s shoulder). Ah, here is my son.

A BOY (smiling to AMANDA). Hello again Miss.

SCENE 5. TAP Coffee in London. Present. AMANDA is still staying at her seat and then drinking up the last gulp of her coffee. She is winding up his daydream about A BOY in Semarang 3 months ago and till now, she has not found the answer about it yet. She is clearing her stuff and preparing to leave the cafe. Before leaving she calls THE WAITRESS.

THE WAITRESS. Have you done?

AMANDA. Yes, I have. (taking a step but then turning back to THE WAITRESS who is still cleaning the table)

THE WAITRESS (turning her head to AMANDA). Are you leaving your things?

AMANDA. No, I’m not. I just… (thinking for a second). Do you think that all questions must have its answer? Because I haven’t found one of mine yet.

THE WAITRESS (smiling). Sometimes, knowing the answer will make it uninteresting.

AMANDA (making a confused face). Why?

THE WAITRESS. Why not?

(Both of them then smiling to each other)

THE END