Introduction

by
Subramani

In October 1988 Suva was coming to life again. People were beginning
to come out of their homes into the city's pleasant evenings, without the
fear of curfew. The cinema houses, nigh t cl u bs and restaurants were filling
up again. Larry Thomas' play Just Another Day, which opened in the
same month at the Playhouse, found a responsive audience. The eight
hundred people who saw the play were overjoyed not only because the play
gave them a window into a familiar world (they obviously enjoyed the
documentary-like representation of ordinary life in an overcrowed housing
estate), but also because it gave them comfort that inspite of all our troubles
in the country. life still went on.
The character/i, so familiar and subtly drawn by Thomas' language,
gossiped, quarreled, drank beer, and talked about San Francisco. The
audience knew the types so well. There wasn't anything specially
attractive, let alone heroic, about them; yet, suddenly they were before us as
if it was important that we hear them, follow their actions, experience their
situation.
It was Thomas' language which gave the greatest pleasure. The verbal
exchanges delighted us. The characters were speaking in a second
language that was alien at onetime, a migrant language, now it was
becoming their language. Thomas captured the idiom and inflection
accurately. It carried a flavour that was intrinsically Fijian. In Thomas'
language the audience heard their own voices; the playwright had stolen
lines from their own speech. When Margaret came out with her monologue
towards the end of act 2 scene), "J, just don't know you people. Look at all
of you. Every time you are always arguing about the same thing. You
should see yourselves. Don't you people stop for one moment and just
think about your future, what it is going to be like? I don't know wnat's
going to happen to you all. Just as well. Don't you all want to try and
achieve something in life?',', we recognised it as our own inner dialogue.

Just AnotherDay is a director's play. Thomas has already gained praise

for his production of Vilisoni Hereniko's two play~, A Child for Iva and
Sera's Choice. His interest in the theatre however goes beyond directing the
plays of other writers. After directing Hereniko's plays, he was ready for
 innocent. Each is a cunning survi vor. Like all migrants. Their main goal is
producing his own play and trying something new: a living presentation to carryon, and somehow pass away the time. Their innocence is in their
in front of an audience. Hereniko's plays gave him the opportunity to work lack of awareness of the absurdity they have created for th~mse!".es.
with ideas, important conflicts, the design and structure of well-made, Thomas has used simple characters and events but he has SImplIfIed
three act plays; here in his own play he is appealing not to the intellect but
to the ear and emotions. He uses basic, simple situations that require his nothing. " .
And again we are led to as.\<, after Margare~ s speech, W~1(rt If MIller
direction to give the material immediacy. Just Another Day is a director's should die? Thomas is aware of the great potentIal for drama 10 that evex;t.
play that doesn't reveal all its vitality on the written page. It depends on the He is content however to end his play with Valerie's news that the gul
accuracy of direction to bring out its effects. And Thomas knows exactly Maika was going around with is pregnant, and Maika has run away to the
how to get his scenes into motion. Of course there are murmurs from those
village. .
who understand plays about over-explicitness, plotlessness, the set pieces What will Thomas do next? He has already proved that he IS a compet<:nt
simply not adding up to anything. Even these critics acknowledge that director and a playwright of considerable merit. Will he be distracted, lIke
Thomas has indeed created drama (interesting moments of tension and other Pacific writers? Will he write more plays? He has already announced
comedy) with material that, on the surface, has nothing intrinsically a second play, set in a squatter colony, entitled Outcasts This doesn't
interesting about it. surprise us. Thomas has charted out his landscape in the no-man's-land;
Although the play's concern is not with the intellect, (unlike Hereniko, he will continue to explore it.
Thomas doesn't argue), it does raise important questions. In a most
immediate way: what if James Miller, the only working man in the housf',
should fail to return to his flat one evening? Already a sick man, suppose he
dies in the middle of a talanoa at the neighbour's flat? Naturally the
transients will move on; the Millers will also become semi-migrants. There
are, however, more disturbing issues. After all Thomas' play is about
rootless people. The recent events in the country have left more than half Subramani is Professor of Literature, at
the population feeling stateless, without a permanent home. Thomas' play the University of the South Pacific
shows more rootlesl', placeless people living in dislocated no-man's-land.
Wh.at is this place where so many are without a sense of home? And who is
truly at home?
The house motif dominates the play. The living room is before us
throughout the play. The stage direction says the room exudes warmth, the
warmth that comes from temporary encounters, when characters get
together for food and shelter. Qualities which are associated with home
-comfort, intimacy, privacy, domestic well-being - are conspicuously
missing. There's competition for space. The. house harbours idlers,
transients. Miller's first reflection in the morning is "There's so many
people in this house .... " And Margaret says in her main speech, "Just
looking at you people I can already picture what your future is going to be
like. You won't have enough money to live on. And when you get married
you won't have enough money to have a house of your own, you'll always
live with other people in overcrowded homes, like this one!" Although
Margaret appears to be the chief sufferer, in reality she is not; she is the Big
Queen who needs these transients {or her self-importance. Nor are the
others innocent victims of circumstance. They're innocent and not
 Just A nother Day was first performed at the Playhouse, Selbourne Street, CHARACTERS
Suva, in October 1988. The play was directed by Larry Thomas. The cast
were as follows: MR JAMES MILLER
MRS MILLER (MARGARET)
SAM
CLARE
RAYMOND THEIR CHILDREN
Seini Gina Balawanilotu JOSEPH
James Aca Thomas
Margaret Eileen Tuimaleali'ifano MEREONI SAM'S WIFE
Sam Chris Solomona TOM A RELATIVE
Joseph Edward Smith
MILLIE
Raymond JQlln Tuimaleali'ifano FRIENDS OF CLARE
SEINI
Tom Billy Baleikasavu
Mereoni Suzie filiPQ __ MRS JOHNS
Clare Lavenia Gonerogo VALERIE
Valarie Klodagh Me Goon MARICA
Millie Mereseini Tamani SITERI NEIGHBOURS
Marica Sera Salato SALOTE
Mere Vasiti Tuituivalu ALIPATE
Manasa Peter Lei Lee
A girl Elenoa Seru 2 BOYS
Salote Marica Tamani MERE FRIENDS OF TOM
Alipate Viliame Tamani GIRL
Mrs Johns Akanisi Lewaravu
Siteri Pauline Fi~}J?o
THE SETTING
[A small flat. The flat is quite old and very plainly decorated. However, it
excudes warmth. The colours of the curtains and covers of the chair blend
with the paint.
There are stairs upstage right leading to the bedrooms on the second level.
The bedrooms remain unseen. Upstage centre is thefront door. A window
is on the left. Against the wall, beneath the window is a foodsafe. On the
si.d~ downstag: centre is a door leading to the kitchen. Downstage left is a
dmmg table WIth four chairs. On the right is a settee and two chairs with a
c?ffe table in thecentr~. Stage rightisa window, and beneath it isa very old
SIdeboard. On the sideboard is a radio].
Act 1 Scene 1.
[It is 6.30 in the morning. The house is untidy and the vase on the coffee
table contains dead flowers. A baby's cry is heard offstage. This is followed
by the noise of a car engine starting up. Seini a young Fijian girl is asleep
on the divan. The crying continues for a little while longer. She wakes, and
sits up still half-asleep, scratching her head she lies down again and goes
back to sleep]
[James Miller, a man in his late forties, enters from the bedroom. His face
has a look of tiredness on it. He comes and stands above the divan looking
at Seini. He shakes his head and then exits to the kitchen. The baby stops
crying]

JAMES [From the kitchen, outside]

Margaret, any more kerosene?
MARGARET [Shouting from the bedroom]
I don't know, just check.
JAMES [Pause] There's none
MARGARET Ye just look properly. [Pause] Found it?
JAMES [Offstage] Yeah. [As he enters from the kitchen,
Margaret Miller, a woman of about forty, enters from
the bedroom. She goes about setting the table for
breakfast].
There's so many people in this house and not one of
them can get up in the morning to put the kettle on.
[He goes into the bedroom].
MARGARET They must've had a late night last night.
[Calling into the bedroom]
Sam! Get up and go to the shop and buy some bread.
[No response. Shouts]
Sam! James just wake that boy up so that he can go to
the shop, otherwise you won't have any bread.
JAMES [Offstage]
Sam? Get up, come on, Saml
[Sam a boy of twenty enters from the bedroom. He is
still quite sleepy].
SAM What you want from the shop Ma?
MARGARET Bottle'f milk, two loaves of bread and half pound of JAMES I left some money in the drawer.
butter. MARGARET What to cook?
{Sam goes to the food safe and gets an empty milk
bottle} JAMES Anything that's eatable.
Oh, and a packet of Benson 20. {He exits}
{Sam exits through the front door. James enters from MARGARET Swine!
the bedroom, dressed for work} {Sam has put the things on the table and sits on the
JAMES I'm getting late for work. I'll just have a cuppa tea. chair that was occupied by James Miller. He starts to
have his breakfast}
{He sits down at the right of the table. Magaret sits
opposite him and pours tea for both of them}. SAM I don't know wh y you have to wake me up so early to
go to the shop. Why didn't you wake Tom or one of
Every morning it's the same. These people don't the girls?
realise I'm the only one working in this house, at MARGARET Oh stop complaining.
least one of them can get up and make breakfast or go {She gets up and goes to the sideboard, opens a
to the shop. Thosegirls have been living here for drawer and pulls out a comic. She goes back to her
almost three months, paying nothing and not doing
seat}.
any work. What they think, this is their father's house
Seini get up.
or what?
SEINI {Stirring a little} Yeah.
MARGARET Oi lei, just drink your tea and go.
MARGARET Go out some more, that's all you girls are good for.
JAMES What you mean go? I'm sick and tired of all this. You go out all night and sleep in the day, you're
MARGARET Well you talk to Clare they're her friends, she brough t worse than Dracula. Come on Seinj, get up.
them here. You never said anything when they first {Shouting}
came, so why you complaining now? Seini!
JAMES I've the right to complain, this 's my house. {Seini mumbles something. Sam gets up, goes to the
{Sips his tea} divan pulls the pillow from the below Seini's head
I want you to tell those girls to start looking for and whacks her head with it. She cires out}.
somewhere else to stay. SAM Get up saqamua.
MARGARET But where're they going to go to? SEINI {She sits up}. Oh heck you. Why you do that for?
JAMES Go to? Where else? Back to their own homes. Just leave me alone.
{Margaret gets up and goes to the foodsafe to fetch her SAM When you're told to get up, get up, not lie down and
cigarettes.James slow ly sips his tea. Margaret returns, sleep. What you think this your father's house?
sits down, and lights the cigarette. She takes a puff Where you went to last night?
and gives it to James}. SEINI None of your business where I went last night.
Well, I'm going. {She picks up her blanket and goes to the bedroom}.
(He gulps down the rest of the tea. Sam returns from MARGARET {Calling} Jo? Jo? You're getting late for school. Get
the shop). upl
MARGARET Where's the money for the food? JOSEPH {Offstage} I don't wanna go to school.

4 5
MARGARET That's the worse of staying up late at night. RAYMOND Well our teacher gives us a lot of work. Man, in
Raymond have you finished dressing? secondary school it's not like primary you know.
RAYMOND [Offstage] Yes. MARGARET The way you talk like you in form six or whaJ, you
dope.
MARGARET Raymond get Jo out of bed.
RAYMOND [Getting up from the table]
JOSEPH [Offstage] Ow, Ma look at Raymond.
Okay, I'm going, give my money.
RAYMOND [Offstage] Get up big baby. [Margaret takes the change and gives Raymond s·ome
JOSEPH [Offstage] Shut upl money].
RAYMOND [Offstage] You shut up. [Shouting] Get out of bed, RAYMOND Only this much? What about my book?
[There is a loud thud from the bedroom] MARGARET I don't believe you. Just take that and go.
JOSEPH [Offstage] Ow, heck youl RAYMOND I don't wanna go to school gao
[Raymond laughs. Joseph comes down the stairs
from the bedroom. He is a boy about 12. He is about MARGARET Look what the bloody hell do you think? You just
to cry] bloody well take that and go, sa.

MARGARET Don't try and cry. That's what you want huh, good [Grumbling]Oh all the kids in school will have the
RAYMOND
luck. Sit down and have your tea. money for their books, only me I won't have any.
[Raymond enters from the bedroom. He is carrying MARGARET Look, I can't give you money for your books every
his school bag. He is about fifteen years old] week, what your teacher thinks? Use one of your
other books.
SAM [Getting up from the table] Ma, I need a dollar.
[Joseph and Raymond sit down to have their break­RAYMOND I can't, Just give the money and I'll go.
fast] MARGARET Look I haven't got enough money, just gQ, yeo
MARGARET What for? RAYMOND No.
SAM I'm joining the hockey club, I need the money to pay MARGARET GO! [She picks up the knife from the table and is
for my sub. about to hit Raymond with it, but he is much
MARGARET Well I'll see if I have enough. quicker; he's already at the door and out. He looks in
[Shouting towards the bedroom] through the window and makes a face at her].
Hey you girls get up. Seini, Millie, Clare, get upl MARGARET See, I knew you were lying you little deviL
[To the boys] JOSEPH [Entering from the bedroom ]M~, just comb my hair.
Hurry up you two. Hurry or you'll both be late. [He gives Margaret the comb, and she combs his hair]
[Joseph gets up and goes to the bedroom]
Hey you, you haven't finished your tea yet. MARGARET [After a short while] There you are. Got everything?
[Joseph doesn't reply. Sam also goes into the bed­ . [She opens her purse and gives him some money. He
room] looks at the money then at Margaret].
Don't complain. That's all you're getting today.
RAYMOND Ma, you have to give me fifty cents for my maths Now go.
book. JOSEPH [He slowly walks backiJ,lards to the door, then .... ]
MARGARET Jeepers, I just gave you fifty cents last week for your You just wanna keep the money for your smoke.
exercise book, how come it gets filled up so quickly [He quickly exists]

6 7
MARAGRET You swine! [Pause. Calling] Hey you girls get up,
come on.
CLARE [Offstage] 0 just leave us a]Onj=, we wanna sleep.
MARGARET Sleep your head, come on get up.
[Tom enters from the bedroom. He is about twenty
two, tall and lean. He goes to the table to have his
breakfast. Margaret gets up from the tab Ie and goes to
the divan and continues reading her comic]
MARGARET Where did you go last night?
TOM M~, John and Willie went to the show. Boy, thing
was really fit.
MARGARET Where did you get your money from?
TOM Ab, we just choke gao
MARGARET [Sarcastically] I wish you'd choke for your food.
[Mereoni, enters from the bedroom laughing. She is
about seventeen years old, and always has a tendency
to laugh at anything. She also goes to the table to
have her breakfast}.
MEREONI Isa my sister is almost giving birth in Nadj, I wonder
what she'll get, boy or girl?
TOM Half and half. Half boy half girl.
MEREONI [Laughing] Man youl Margaret, did you hear about
Samu and Luisa?
[Baby begins to cry).
MARGARET No.
SAM [Offstage] Mereoni come and see the baby.
MEREONI Oh just wait. Well last night Samu went to Luisa's
house, when they were asleep. Instead of knocking,
he just stood on the road and started throwing stones
on the roof. And then Luisa's mother got up and saw
him. She started telling him 0(£, saying that he had
no respect and that he was behaving like an animal.
She swore at him and chased him away.
TOM And knowing him. I bet he swore back.
MEREONI Yeah he did.
8 9
SAM [Offstage] Mereoni just come here right now and see
your baby.
MEREONI Oh, just see him yourself. The way you talk like its
not yours too.
[Sam runs down from the bedroom towards Mereoni.
He grabs hold of her hair, pulls her up and drags her.
She screams]
SAM Next time I tell you to com~, you just listen okay.
[As they exit to. the bedroom Clare mtres. She is about
six teen years old. We can hear them arguing offstage]
CLARE Goodluc}t, have some more babies.
MARGARET You just shut up, you.
[C lare goes to the tab le and clears away a few dishes.
She goes outside to rinse out a few tea mugs. While
she is doing this the argument from the bedroom
between.Sam and Mereoni gets louder]
MEREONI [Offstage] Every time you always pick on me. I never
do anything to you. The way you came and pulled
my hair like something big was wrong with the baby.
You could have changed the napkin yourself. You
just jealous.
SAM [Offstage] Just shut up, you talk to much. And why
should I be jealous of you. You look so ugly!
MARGARET Hey you two, stop arguing in there.
MEREONI [0 ffstage] Just look at Sam, he won't let me come and
finish my breakfast.
SAM [Offstage] When you go, take the baby with you.
MEREONI [Offstage] How I'm going toeat then? Just look after
him, I won't be long.
SAM [Offstage] Okay, go, go quickly.
CLARE [Having her breakfast]Those two are always fighting
TOM They in love.
[Tom and Clare laugh. Mereoni enters from the
bedroom and goes to finish her breakfast. Valerie
knocks and enters. She is about eighteen years old]
VALERIE Good morning.
MARGARET Morning [ Offstage] Mereoni?
.~~~-=f':';.:"'~"<5"'7·:'·-·

CLARE Hi MEREONI ~
VALERIE I've come to ask to some tea. When I get some I'll pay SAM [Offstage] Come here.
you back. VALERIE Hey I better be going. I was suppose to come and get
MARGARET [Getting uP] Don't be silly. some tell, not talanoa. They'll be waiting at home for
[Margaret goes to the kitchen and gets out the bottle the tea.
of tea. She gets a cup and pours some tea into it. She [She exitsJ.
then hands it to Valerie. The conver$ation carries ~-{Ql1E!!:JJ!' shouting] Mereoni~_I said to c~me here. ___
on].
MEREONI [Getting up] Oh shitl
VALERIE Hey, have you people heard about James? He's living [She goes to the bedroom]
with one girl now.
CLARE Those two're really cunning. This, they've already
MARGARET [Incredulous] AH! planned it. Mereoni must've told Sam to call her, so
CLARE Oh notchil that she won't have to clean up.
VALERIE He brought her into the house two days ago, and now MARGARET How do you know?
she doesn't want to go back to her house. I saw CLARE I just know it, yeo
James's mother and she told me all about it. [Tom gets up and starts clearing the table. M iUie and
MARGARET [Sarcastically] And knowing James's mother she just Seini, enter from the bedroom. Millie is about
can't talk. seventeen years old]
CLARE Can. MILLIE Man those two are always arguing.
[Margaret has gone back to sit on the divan. Valerie SEINI Yeah, we just can't sleep properly
also sits on the divan]
TOM Goodluck, ha.
And what did that old lady tell you?
MARGARET You girls hurry up and have your tea, there's alot of
VALERIE Well she just said that he brought this girl home, and
that he just can't leave her alone. She said that the girl work to do today. Seini pass me the smoke.
is ugly and that they not allowed to growl at her. [Seini throws a packet of cigarettes and the matches
James mother told me also that if anyone in the house to Margaret, who then lights a cigarette. The two
growls at Yasmin, that's the girl's name, James will girls go to the table to have their breakfast. Tom has
pack his things and leave with Yasmin. already cleared the bread, tea pot and the butter]
MARGARET So they've got to be really careful. If he goes who's MILLIE Hey man where's the bread and the tea?
going to support them? He's the only one working. TOM There's no more.
MEREONI True. And James's sister is doing nothing, but going MILLIE Oh you mad or what, just bring it here.
around with a man who is older than her, using all
TOM Go sleep some more. What you think? This your
his money.
father's house? When you're told to get up, just get
TOM You just can't believe it eh? James is always so quite, up. No one told you to go out last night.
and he's always on his own.
MILLIE The way you talk, just like a woman. Nag, Nag, Nq.g
MEREONI He's just something else all the time

10 11
TOM Woman your father. {He runs towards her and grabs
hold of her hair and pulls it. Millie screams. He then
pushes her head]
MARGARET Tom stop itl Just leave her alone
TOM {Walking towards the front door]YeaQ, tell her not to
get too cheeky. {He exits]
MARGARET I think he put the bread in the cupboar(i, just check.
{Seini goes to the food safe and checks. She finds the
bread and the rest of the stuff in there also. She takes it
to the table and the two girls have their breakfast]
MILLIE {As if nothing had happened] Hey did you hear that
Jane Talei has gone to jail
MARGARET Goodluck! I never liked that boy, he is so cunning.
CLARE What did he do?
MILLIE Assaulted a little girl. The girl is only ten years old.
Talk about rape!
MARGARET Man why did he go and do a thing like that. What
happened?
MILLIE Well J one was in the shop when this girl came in. He
waited till the girl finished buying and then he went
to ask her for ten cents. The girl didn't want to give
the money so he started touching her. The girl started
to cry and ran home. The girl told her mother, and
they went to the police.
SEINI And just last week his mother went to bail him out of
the police station. Him and some other boys were
drinking spirit and they assulted a taxi driver and
tried to take the driver's money. But lucky the dirver
ran away, and went and report to the police.
CLARE For sure now he's going to go to Nasinu. He's only
fifteen years old! He's under age to go to Suva jail.
MILLIE For people like Jone they should send him to the
university of correction, they'll fix him up there.
MARGARET Man you get frightened now to send any kid to the
shop. You just never know what can happen.
12
{Sam enters from the bedroom with a comic and goes
to the armchair and starts to read]
SEINI All those boys got no job, they just sit at the shop and
choke money from people.
MARGARET Lazy people won't get anywhere. If they don'tgoand
try to look for a job...
SAM {Trying to be humorous] Yeah the job won't come
and look for them.
CLARE And the job won't come and look for you too.
SAM You just shut up!
CLARE Why should I shu t up? You're just the same as those
boys. You're lazy and you don't bother to go and look
forajob. You have one baby and you don't even think
about it. You depend on mummy and daddy all the
time. What happens if daddy dies eh? You, your wife
and your baby will end up in shit street.
MARGARET Hey you, why don't you just shut up, what's your
business?
SAM You don't talk, you think you pure? You go out with
this boy who thrashes you all the time. And you like it
eh? And he always like to hit your face! The more he
hit YO\l, the more you love him. And he never goes
and work ah. What's going to happen if you marry
him eh?
MARGARET They're probably end up in shit street too.
{She gets up and goes into the bedroom]
{Tom enters hurriedly from outside]
TOM Hey Sam, me John and William and some other boys
going to the tunneL
SAM To do what?
TOM You know gao
SAM {Whispering] Beer?
TOM {Shakes his head. Whispering] Come we go.
{The girls meanwhile are talking amongst them­
selves, unware of what is going on between the boys]
13
SAM No, no, unsafe man. I don't wanna go. him, she take his part. And just now she tell Tom off,
TOM What you mean unsafe? Come we go! but she can't tell her own son what to do. That's why
Sam is so malai.
MARGARET [She's been standing at the tap of the stairs listening]
So that's what you two do every Friday afternoon, MILLIE And those two always like to do it all the time!
you two go out and pun pun. {The girls all laugh. There is a knock an the front
TOM What you mean pun pun, we never do that. And how door, and Marica enters. She is about 22 years ald.
you know we do it every Friday afternoon? Marica, throughout thewhole scene is 'acting', She is
very dramatic. She is pregnant]
MARGARET I just know itl And you Tom don't try and drag Sam
to do the same thing as you. If you wan t to go and do CLARE Man you just go up?
someting, do it on your own or with your friends just MARlCA Darling, what time I get up is my own business!
leave Sam out. You know you're just good for MILLIE I know it's none of my business, but the way you are
nothing. You go out all the time and don't even try to now, you'll give birth while sleeping.
help around the house. We wash and iron your
clothes, we feed you and we give you a bed to sleep on. SEINI Not only that, the baby will come out snoring.
The way you carry on like you always give money. {They all laugh]
[Tam says nothing; slowly he moves towards the MARlCA Honestly eh?
front door and then disappears. CLARE Honestly? [Sarcastically] I'm glad you know it.
See? Every time I talk to him, he disappears. He's
{Margaret enters from the bedroom]
really cunning. I don't know why he can't and go and
live with his mother? Ijustdon'tknow, they're all the MARGARET Hullo darling.
same! MARlCA Hi sweetie.
[She goes into the bedroom. The baby cries from the
SEINI Marica, I heard you and your husband have just come
bedroom].
back from San Fransisco?
MEREONI [Offstage] Sam?
MARlCA Oh yes, you were not here when we went eh?
SAM What you want?
SEINI No. But what place in San Fransisco did you Slay?
MEREONI [Offstage.] Just come and see the baby: I'm doing
something. MARlCA Boston.
[Sam gets up and goes into the bedroom] MILLIE Boston my A.
MILLIE [Getting up from the dining table]. The way that CLARE Oh because!
bitch carry OQ, like she's the queen of Sheba. {They all laugh at this. They are enjoying this jake]
SEINI YeaQ, she's so bloody lazy. MARICA {Nat laughing] And may I ask because of what?
[M illie and Clare begin to clear away the things an MILLIE {Putting on an accent] Because darling, Boston is not
the table. Seini continues to sit down] in San Fransisco.
CLARE She thinks this's her house. I just hate her. And you MARlCA {Holding her head dramatically] Oh I must be
think my mother say anything? No. You know why? mixing it up with some other place. You know, I
Because Sam is her pet. You see when I was talking to must have had so much to drink last night at the

14 15
 party. That's why my head is just not right this
morning. Just give me a smoke?
MARGARET It's there on the table. [Pointing towards the table]
MARlCA [Goes to the table, takes out a cigarette and lights it] It
was a send off party for one of my husband's bosses.
He's going back to Australia.
CLARE Was San Fransisco a nice place?
MARICA [Enthusiastically] Darling you just don't know what
you are missing. That is where life is. You know, the
life there is absolutely fantastic! I just can't describe
to you in words
[Offhandedly] Oh and we also went to Hollywood.
MARGARET Really? Did you meet any film stars?
MARlCA Burt Reynolds. He wanted to take me home. And I
just told him, darling I'm married! And he said, oh,
we can arrange something. You know my heart just
missed a beat.
[Everyone laughs]
Oh and my husband's a good friend of Elisabeth
Taylor. We had lunch with Frank Sinatra, and we
paid a visit to Bette.
SEINI Bette who?
MARICA Ye, Bette Davies, you know? We just mixed around
with the right type of people. High society you
know?
MARGARET And what did you have for lunch with Frank?
MARICA Oh you mean Frank Sinatra? Well we had chicken la
£leur and curry tin fish. [All laugh]
CLARE Marica, you're are so dopy you know.
MARlCA [Innocently]Man how can you be so rude? I'm going.
I've got to go to the clinic this afternoon.
MILLIE Have a good time.
MARlCA Oh I forgot, can you give some sugar, there's no more
sugar in my house.
SEINI What you think, this the shop?
MARGARET Clare get some sugar for Marica.
[elare goes to the food safe to get the sugar]
MARGARET Marica I'll come with you. I don't want to be in the
way when these girls are cleaning up.
CLARE Ma, there's no more sugar. We finished it this
morning.
MARICA Well, I've just got to go ask somebody else.
CLARE Go and buy it, don't go and ask.
MARICA Ye, how can I go and buy when I got no money.
MILLIE [Jokingly] Sell yourself to the shopkeeper.
MARlCA Sa, what you think! I'm not that cheap thank you
very much. Hey I better go. Come Margaret.
MARGARET Hey you girls I want the house cleaned when I come
back. Oh and Clare don't forget to wash my sheets.
CLARE Ye I know just go.
MARICA [Going towards the front door with Margaret]
Man I just hate to go to clinic. You should see some of
those women who come in. They look as if their baby
is going to fall out any minute.
MILLIE Yeah and the way you muck arounQ, your baby will
be born in the street.
[They all laugh]
MARICA It's my baby. [They exit]
BLACKOUT

16 17
Act 1 Scene 2. {She goes and sits at the table with her comic].
Two hours later. The scene remains the same. The tape recorder is on and MILLIE Hey gimme one glass eh?
music playing. [Tom fi Its a glass and hands it to Millie. He then goes
and gets two chairs, from the dining area, one for one
When the curtain rises, Clare is seated on the armchair reading a comic, of the boys and one for Mere. The other boy has
and Millie is sitting on the divan reading the newspapers. Both are already sat down on the divan. Tom fills the rest of
smoking. Seini is sitting at the table reading a comic. After a while Tom the glasses and sits on one of the chairs. There is a
enters followed by two boys and Mere, a Fijian girl. They are carrying a few knock on the door and a Fijian girl ofabout 17 enters.
bottles of beer. Mere who is already seated on the chair darts a quick
glance at the girl. Mere gets up quickly and goes and
sits beside the boy on the divan. She doesn't greet the
TOM Hey Clare? Where's aunty Margaret? girl like the others'do]
CLARE {Putting the comic down] She's gone out. TOM {To the girl] Com~, c~me and sit down. Have a glass?
{Millie has also put the newspaper down] GIRL Okay just one.
TOM We just drink here for a while eh? And then we'll go {Tom fills a glass for her. Mereoni enters from the
before aunty comes back. bedroom] .
CLARE No sa, you people go and drink somewhere else, we MEREONI Hey you people stop inaking too much noise!
going to clean up now.
SEINI WelJ, I better do some work. {She goes to the
SEINI Well, you people starting early. bedroom].
MILLIE Man you people smell like the brewery. TOM Nobody making any nois~, just go back and look
MERE Man we party last night, you two should have com~, after your baby.
any ;lmount of beer! MEREONI The baby is asleep. And the way you talk like this is
CLARE Anyway you people better go and drink somewhere your own house. You shouldn't bring all these
else. people to come and drink here, sa what you think!
{She gets up and goes to the kitchen to fetch some {Tom becomes angry all of a sudden. His feeling of
water. Enters shortly after and goes to water the pot dislike for Mereoni shows. He suddenly feels like
plant.] slapping her]
{Tom has already gone to the kitchen to fetch some TOM Oh look just piss off!
glasses]
{Sam enters from the bedroom]
MERE Se man, we' just drink one glass here and then we MEREONI Piss off your father!
gonna go.
TOM {To Sam] Hey Sam just tell your wIfe not to bother
TOM {Putting the glasses down and then opening a bottle us.
of beer]
Se just don't tall<;, we won't be here long. SAM {To Mereoni] Look just go. Go and wash the baby's
napkins it's stinking in the sink.
CLARE [Annoyed]la I just don't know what mummy gonna
say. MEREONI Sil, what you think! You go and wash it yourself,

18 19
 everyday I have to wash it. All you do is sleep! MEREONI [Offstage] You poofter!
SAM [Grabbing hold Of Mereoni's dress and pulling her [Sam doesn't reply, instead he goes to the bedroom
towards the bedroom 1 where the baby is still crying - faintly now1
You just do what I tell you, Okay? Don't get too TOM Sam, come have a glass.
bloody cheeky, you bitch. SAM No thanks. [He exits z'nto the bedroom1
MEREONI [Struggling1 Just leave me alone you bully. [The next action happens so quickly that at first
[She frees herself from him and comes forward to talk no-one is quite sure of what exactly is happening.
to Millie. Sam makes no attempt to get hold of her Mere runs up to the girl and slaps her across the face.
again. Instead he just stands there and stares at She then pulls the girl up from the chair and pushes
Mereoni as if nothing had happened] towards the door. The girl pushes Mere aside ... 1
MEREONI Millie, I thought you and Clare are supposed to clean MERE Just get off from here you bitch.
up and do the washing?
TOM Hey Mere what's wrong with you?
MILLIE Why don't you do the cleaning up?
GIRL Yeah, I don't know what's wrong with her. I don't
MEREONI Sa, why should I do it, that's not my job. know why she came and slap my face for.
MILLIE Then don't talk, we will clean up when we are ready. MERE You think I was not looking. You was staring at
MEREONI la, I just don't know what Margaret gonna say, she Manasa
will get really wild. [Pointing to the boy on the divan]
[The baby cries1 and trying to fix him eh?
SAM Mereoni go and see the baby. MANASA You mad or what!
MEREONI Why don't you go and see it, every time I'm the one MERE [To Manasa1 Yeah and you too, you was looking at
who have to go and see it. her trying to fix her.
SAM [In a very tired tone1Look you talk too much, justgo [The girl is standing upstage centre and Mere is
and see the baby. standing arms akimbo, downstage left. Clare and
Millie look on with amusement. The boy sitting on
MEREONI [Moving towards the front door1No I can't, I have to the chair doesn't seem to notice what is going on. He
go out. continues drinking, and has his head bowed down
most of the time.Wanasa has a frown on his face1
SAM [Runs towards Mereoni] Look when I tell you to do
something, you just do it okay. GIRL Look nobody trying to fix your boyfriend, just sit
down and drink!
MEREONI [Mereoni 'is just a little quicker,' she is out Of the front MERE Yeah well you not drinking, just get om.
door before Sam can get hold of her. She shouts back
...1Just piss off. GIRL [Coming back to her seat1This is not your house!
MERE I told you to get out.
SAM [At the front door1 rou just wait till you come back,
[Mere runs to the girl and grabs her by the dress and
you bitch!
pulls her towards the door. The girl struggles, and
manages to get hold Of Mere's dress. The girl pushes

20 21
 Mere's face. The tussle gets worse as they both fall on CLARE Ye we know, you don't have to tell us again!
the floor. Tom and Manasa get up and go towards the [Picking up a cushion from the armchair and
girls. ManasagrabsMerewhile Tom takes hold of the throwing it at Clare)
girl. The girls struggle to get free, but the boys have a MARGARET Don't you try and get smart. Come on, get!
strong grip on them. The pair are standing opposite
each other centre stage). [C lare exits into the bedroom while Millie goes to the
kitchen and begins to tidy up. There is a look of
MERE Let me go, I wanna bust that girl's face. tiredness on Margaret's face as she looks around the
GIRL You just try, you bloody saqamua. room. She goes and picks up the cushion. As she does
MERE Saqamua your mother. this, the baby begins to cry. She goes to lie down on
the divan)
[Tom takes the girls towards the front door)
Margaret is about to lie down when there is a shout
MILLIE Hey Mere you mad or what? She was not looking at and the door bursts open and in runs Salote panting)
Manasa.
What's wrong?
MERE You don't know anything.
CLARE You people better go, come on we gonna clean up BLACKOUT AND CURTAIN
now.
[Suddenly Margaret enters. There is shocked silence.
Millie and Clare move to tidy uP).
MARGARET Who gave you people permission to come and drink
here ah? You Tom what you think! You can just go
into anybody's house and take people there to drink?
Come on all of you get the hell out of here. This is all
you people good for, just drink, drink all the time.
Come on go!
[Tom picks up the remaining bottles of beer and they
all move meekly towards the door and exit)
And Tom I don't wanna see your face here again.
TOM [Offstage) Se, you talk too much.
MARGARET How dare you talk to me like that.
[Margaret turns to Millie and Clare)
And you two why didn't you two do anything. You
think this the brothel or what? Anybody can come to
this house?
CLARE Ye, we told them to go, but Tom didn't listen.
MARGARET Listen your head. Hurry up and clean the house.

22 23
 Act 2 Scene 1 was going to feed the baby you punched me, why ah?
ALIPATE Look just stop talking and come out here. Can't you
A few seconds later. Salote is standing panting. Margaret is staring at her. _ _ ~- see the baby is crying? If you don't come out I'm
gonna come in.
MARGARET What's wrong? MARGARET Salote you better go, otherwise he'll come in here and
give you a hiding. And I don't want too much noise,
SALOTE What else? I'm running away from that bloody the baby is asleep.
------.--~ stupid man Alipate. I went next door to Sereana and
was yarning with her for a while. After that I heard SALOTE I'm frightened!
the baby cry. I was just getting up, when Alipate A.tIE:AIt:._ {Offstage; shouting] Salote!
called. I went home, and when I got through the SALOTE {Shouting back] What you want?
doorway he punched me. Well, I got a shock! And ALIPATE {Offstage 1Hurry up and come out here!
you think I'm gonna wait for another one? No fear, I
ran for my life. He's like a bloody animal! SALOTE Okay, if I come out you won't give me a hiding?
SEINI {Coming down the stairs] ALIPATE {Offstage] No.
But why did he punch you for? SALOTE You might bluff.
SALOTE You asking me? ALIPATE {Offstage] I'm telling you, just come out herel
SEINI Goodluck tease someone.
{Salote goes cautiously to the door and slowly opens
SALOTE I didn't tease him yeo it. Alipate stands there with one hand to his hips.
MILLIE {Enters from kitchen] He'sa big person of about twenty one. He has a stern
But he must punch you for something? look on his face. As soon as Salote opens the door and
sees this look on his face, she becomes scared and runs
SALOTE You know, I think he doesn't like me to go and yarn back into the house. She is too slow for him He runs
with Sereana. He says that she is a bad influence. I'm in and grabs hold of her and slaps her across the face.
sure it was him that made the baby cry. You know, he
She slips onto the floor, and he kicks her. He pulls
doesn't want me to go anywhere or to go and talk her up by the dress and grabs hold of her hair and
wi th anybody. And if he sees me talking with another
punches her on the ribs. Salote screams. He takes her
boy, he wants to know what me and the boy was
by_1.he dress and puJl~. h(}r !.oJ~fJ!ds...tbe. JranLdoQI...
talking about. He's so jealous! . ··1:Juiingatl"Tnis~Mo.rgaret, Millie and Seini are too
SEINI He's really jealous of you eh? scared to say anything. Margaret makes an attempt to
SALOTE You said it! do something, but is scared and unsure of what to
do]
{There is a loud knock on the door and Alipate calls
ALIPATE {Dragging Salote through the door]
Salote]
Next time I tell you to stay in the house, you just
ALIPATE
""~~--
{Offstage; outside] Salote? Salote? listen to me okay? Why did you go to that house and
SALOTE
'C<­ _ _ ~ _ _ _ --"~~~-.---
Ye, what you want? hide there for, eh?
A!,.JPi\TE Come out here and go and feed the baby. {They are both now of sight. Sounds of struggling
can be heard offstage]
SALOTE--­
-­
~ "~-.,,~~-"
[Indignant] Oh so now you calling me eh? When I SALOTE {Offstage] Don't touch me.

24 25
 [Their voices fade out. In the house, M iUie has run to
the threshold of the front door to watch what
happens. Margaret lights a cigarette and sits down in
the armchair. Seini goes and sits at the dining table]
MARGARET Some people just have no respect! The way Alipate
came in here and gave her a hiding like this Was his
house or what!
SEINI He just want to show off in front of us. Because he
does not like her to come to this house.
[Millie goes and continues what she was doing before
the commotion. Sam comes down the stairs and exits
through the front door].
MARGARET And where is that Mereoni? The way she just
disappears like she's got no children. Why does she
want to have children for when she can't look after
her own bloody child!
MILLIE Man, Alipate and Salote, always fighting.
MARGARET Yeah if you don't be careful, it will happen to you
too!
MILLIE [Sarcastically] Sorry, my boyfriend doesn't give me a
hiding. The day he touch me, there will be no more
Millie for him.
MARGARET That's what you say. All you girls are the same. You
think I don't know that your boyfriend always give
you a hiding. Who you trying to fool? You, Clare and
Seini pick up boys who are good for nothing, who
can't help themselves and who always like to bash
you people up. Those boys are really rough, I don't
know what you people see in them. If you people
don't becare£ul you'll have little children running
after you in the streets.
MILLIE [Who's been listening to all this with a sneer]
You trying to give me advice or what? I don't need
any
MARGARET I'm not trying to give you advice. I'm just telling you
the fact.
26
MILLIE Well that's my problem.
MARGARET Well that's your ...
[Mrs Johns, a big lady rushes in. She's in her late
thirties. She appears very agitated]
MARGARET HuBo, how are you?
MRS JOHNS Man, I'm just sick and tired of these people!
MARGARET What people?
MRS JOHNS Just listen. I went to the clinic at the dispensary. I
went and picked number twenty six. I was waiting for
my number to be calle(l, so I started yarning to Mrs
Kumar, since I know her. I got a shock when they
already calling number twenty eight? How come? I
said to Mrs, Kumar. I went right in and asked the
nurse. She's a bloody cheeky bitch! I ask that woman,
how come they never call my number. And she told
m~, [Imitating the nurse] 'Oh but we already call
number twenty six and nobody came'. And you think
that nures talk to me properly? No way. I said to her,
'Hey look here it's your job to clean my Manene and
tell me what you see!' And I also told her that if I see
her in town I will bust her face for her.
SEINI [Incredulous] You spoke to the nurse like that?
MRS JOHNS Yeah. These nurses are so cheeky, they never talk to
you properly. I know it is hard to deal with so many
people, but that don't mean that they have to be so
cheeky. Somebody need to put them in their place!
MARGARET But did they check you?
MRS JOHNS No, I wouldn't let them check me. Since they say that
I miss my tum, why should I get checked? I just
walked out. Morgan and me, we are going to see the
Minister {or Heal th and tell him about this. The way
these nurses carry on, sa what they think. They don't
care about anybody.
MILLIE [Who's been standing with the vase of plastic flowers
in her hand, has been listening incredulously]
When are you going to see the Minister?
27

MRS JOHNS Right now! Morgan is getting ready and we are going
to see the Minister now. Good thing we know the
Minister!
[Very abruptly] Okay I'm going, see you later [She
exits]
MARGARET Bye, Well I'll be. Knowing Mrs Johns, she'd do
something like thatl That'll give the nurses some­
thing to think about.
MILLIE [Putting the vase on the coffe table] And serve them
right too, the cheeky bitches.
[Seini goes back to reading her comic at the dining
table. Tom and Sam enter from outside. Sam has his
hands behind his back, hiding something]
SAM Ma, letter for you.
MARGARET Huh, who wants to write to me!
SAM The FEA. [Hands letter to her]
MARGARET Oh bloody hell, not the electricity bill again!
[OPening it] Man. I just paid our arrears last week,
and now we receive another one. These people are
cheating us. Bills, bills. Life is made up of bills. The
electricity bill. the water bill, the school fees, the bus
fares, the food, my god, what else?
TOM [Jokingly] The cigarette bills too.
MARGARET You just shut up. I don't know why we have to pay
bills all the time.
SAM That's part of life.
MARGARET True. [Shouting out to Millie] Millie put the kettle
on. Oh and just pour me a cup of the left over tea.
[Tom who's been sitting on the divan, now lies down
upsetting it. Clare coming from the kitchen.
CLARE' Ma, just give me one smoke?
MARGARET You just bugger off. I've only got two rolls to my
name.
CLARE Just one roll.
MARGARET Look, I said no. Understand English or not?
28
[M illie enters from the kitchen with Afargaret's cup
of tea. She looks straight at Tom lying on the divan.
Clare, meanwhile, tries to sneak slowly towards the
coffee table where Margaret's cigarettes are lying]
MARGAREJ [Reaching out quickly and grabbing her cigarettes]
I told you nQ. yeo
[Tries to slap Glare, but misses]
MILLIE Tom just get up from there man. Can't you see I just
fixed the settee.
TOM Don't talk too much, just go and make the te(l, I'm
hungry.
MILLIE [Flaring uP] Hungry your bum. who the hell do you
think you are? You think it's easy to try and clean a
house? Especially this house!
MARGARET Hey watch what you say.
[Margaret gets up and goes into the bedroom]
MILLIE NQ. that's a fact. All Sam and Tom are good for is
mucking around. Can't even go and look for a job.
You want to keep a girlfriend, but you can't even get
what she wants.
SAM Why don't you go and look for a job. Don't tell us.
SEINI [Turning around] Oh no we don't have to look for a
job. We girls get married and have children. It's the
man's job to look after his wife and children. So
there's no worry for u~, we'll get married.
SAM That's if any man wants to marry you three girls.
[Sam and Tom laugh]
SEINI We'll see about that. We will give those men some­
thing to think about.
TOM What you talking about? That's your job, always
giving something, you kaba waqa.
MILLIE Only your father kaba waqa. you know that?
CLARE At least that's better than what you do. You go and
screw the girls so that they can give you money to buy
your smoke.
29
SAM So what? MILLIE You bully, coward.
CLARE Well at least if Millie is climbing, which she's not [Sam, who's been standing there all the time, laughs
doing, at least she's getting some money. Not like out loud, joined by Tom]
you. You go and get one girl and make a baby and MARGARET Look you two boys better go. When you're around
you can't even look after them both. No wonder you're always fighting with the girls.
Mereoni is always out, she's probably gone out to
look for food. TOM Well, you tell them not to be too smart. They getting
too bloody cheeky!
[All the girls laugh]
MILLIE That's the problem with you and Tom, smart to MARGARET You just leave them alone.
make babies but can't look after it when it is born. [Seini appears on the threshold of the front door and
TOM That's our problem. Clare comes from the bedroom and sits on the stairs.
Seini comes in and goes and sits down at her place at
SEINI Yeah, we know it's your problem, you can't even the dining table. She carries on reading her comic.
think of it, that's why we telling you. Millie goes and sits on the remaining chair. At the
TOM Well it's none of your business. beginning the manologue JHargaret makes herself a
CLARE [Sighing] MaQ, they are so stupid. cup of tea, and lights herself a cigarette.

MARGARET [Offstage, from bedroom] Look you girls better stop

MARGARET I just don't know you people. Look at all of you.
picking on the boys. And you're making too much
Every time you are always arguing about the same
nosie too.
thing. You should see yourselves. Don't you people
SEINI They are so stupid and lazy. stop for one moment and just think about your
[Tom suddenly jumps up from the divan and runs for future, what it is going to be like? I don't know what's
Seini who runs out of the front door. Millie runs outside, going to happen to you all. Just as well. Don't you all
through the kitchen and Clare runs into the bedroom. want to try and achieve something in life? You are all
There are screams and shouts from the girls. Tom so young and wasting time, good time. Just looking
shouts at Seini] at you people I can already picture what your future
TOM You bloody kaba waqa! is going to be like. You w,on' t have enough money to
SEINI [Offstage] Only your mother's kaba waq{l, you bloody live on. And when you get married you won't have
V.D. enough money to have a house of your own, you'll
always live with other people in overcrowded houses,
TOM Only your father got V.D. like this one! Not to mention the children you'll
[Millie comes in from the kitchen area and tries to have! All running around naked. Huh, what a
sneak into the bedroom. Tom turns around and sees pictur~, I can just see it.
her. She tries to run, but she is to late. He gets hold of You Sam living with a girl in this house, who is just
her and starts kicking her. She does nothing but yell. hopeless. You have one child, and she can't even take
Millie sits on the floor and Tom kicks her twice] care of it. And who is looking after her and the child?
MARGARET [Coming out from the bedroom. Shouting at Tom] You? No. Your father and L You haven't bothered to
Tom what are you doing? Stop it!
go and look for a job, you're just too lazy to go and
TOM Yeal'l, talk some mor~, big mouth. look. You can't expect to depend on your parents all

30 31
 the time you know. The time will come when we'll MILLIE And the way they go to church every Sunday!
both be gone and that's when you will have to start MARGARET Yeah they're just a bunch of hypocrites. Before they
looking after yourself and your family. You have to talk about other people, they should talk about
try and be independent. You can't spend the rest of themselves. I'm sure their sins are worse. The way
your life depending on other people. Tom, the same they talk, like they're perfect! Millie have you made
goes for you. You can't spend the rest of your days \ the tea?
doing nothing. The job won't come looking for you,
you will have to go and look for it. And also I can't MILLIE No yet, I'll go and do it now.
understand why you can't go and live with your MARGARET See this is what I mean about you girls.
mother. You only want to stay here, because you can
do what you like eh?
And you girls! I've never come across such lazy girls BLACKOUT
in all my life. You gallivant all night and then you
come in, in the early hours of the morning to sleep.
And you don't get up till the afternoon. Young girls
like you should get up in the morning without being
shouted a,t, to get up, make the breakfast, clean the
house, and do the work young girls should be doing.
You can't find good husbands if you carryon this
way! You Clare you are a disgrace to your father. You
don't want to carry on schooling, instead you just go
ou t and cause more trouble. None of you feel sorry for
him. He works so hard to keep us alive and not one of
you does anything. You all know he's not well.
CLARE [Looking uP] What's wrong with him?
MARGARET What's wrong with him? He's a sick man. He's got
heart trouble and also because of so much worry and
nois~, he got high blood pressure!

CLARE You never told us that?

MARGARET Do I have to tell you everything? Can't you think for
yourself. No, only when he's dead then you'll say isa
we didn't know. Yeah, and also the way you girls
carryon, all the neighbours are beginning to talk
about you.
CLARE Let them talk! The ladies around her~, especially the
old ones are hypocrites. In front of YOQ, they are sweet
and goody goody, but behind YOQ, they run you down
to the lowest. If that type of gossip could kill, we'd be
dead long ago.

32
Act 2 Scene 2
Early evening a few hours later. The house is now very tidy ~nd ~verything
in its proper place. Margaret is carrying the baby and rockmg It to sleep.
Sounds of children's laughter can be heard from outside. There is a knock
at the door, and it slowly opens. A head appears. It is Siteri. She walks in.
She is a woman of about forty.
MARGARET Siteril Bula. It's good to see you.
SITERI Isa taciq1,J., how are you? Man this is Sam's baby?
[She goes and takes a look at the baby]
Isa what a pretty baby. How many months?
MARGARET Seven months.
SITERI Man, time goes so quickly eh?
[She goes and sits onthe divan]
Isa tadqu, so how are you?
MARGARET Oh I'm alright, can't grumble you know. And how
are you?
SITERI Isa dear, I'm like you, can't grumble. This I just run
away from home for a while. I just want to get away
and rest. I just work and work all the time looking
after those kids. I just don't know.
MARGARET True, we do nothing but worry and look after kids.
Anyway, how is your daughter Leba, and her baby?'
SITERI Oh they're fine. Beautiful baby, nice and big. If only
the father of the baby could see it now. I am sure he
will want the baby. Oh you know, every time I think
about it. I get really angry.
MARGARET Tell me, what really happened?
SITERI Oi lei, there is nothing much to tell. I just got a shock
one day when she got sick all of a sudden. I don't
know, but I just got really worried. I asked what was
wrong, and she said she didn't know. Well the thing I
was really worried about happened. [Pause] She was
pregnant.! asked her who was the father. And you
34
know what she sai\:!, she didn't know. I said 'How
come'. Well she just said it might be a certain boy. but
she was not sure, You know I feel really ashamed.
You know ga the way people tall5., saying that Leba
has been ~leeping with different boys. I just don't
know what to say.
MARGARET Well what can we say? It is just happening a lot
nowadays.
SITERI NQ, but still I get angry when I think about it. You
know, Leba is so hopeless. She never helps in the
house. She can't even look after her own baby. She
does not try to go and look for work to try and help.
You know what it is like looking after five childreQ,
and trying to keep an eye on them, especially t~e
older two. You know Emily next door? She tnes
really hard. She is working in a factory and looks
after her baby and she helps her mother and father at
home with the food and other things. She looked and
look~d for a job until she found one. Not like some
other girls. I always think if you really want to work
to find a job you'll find one. All you have to do is to
look and look hard.
MARGARET Yeah you true. Look I know it is difficulJ, but Leba is
so young, just give her time. Time will come when
she will realise things.
SITERI Yeab, then it will be too late!
MARGARET Just try to be patient:
SITERI Margaret it's no use to be patient. I am tired of talking
all the time. Nobody want to listen to me.
Kids nowadays never listen to their parents anymore.
They just do their own thing. We work so hard for
them. And what we get in return? Shame. Some
children alright, but some I just don't know.
MARGARET Well they are young. They want to enjoy themselves
and have a good time.
SITERI Eah, well the good time is not so good when the
stomach pops up because then there is no father to
feed the baby.
35
 [The door opens and James Miller enters]
Ai J emesa, bula.
JAMES la ni bula.
SITERI Isa, I've got to go.
JAMES Don't go just because of me.
SITERI No I've really got to go. The children are on their
own.
[She gets up]I'm going, bye.
MARGARET You've been here for only a short while, yeo
SITERI No I've really got to go.
[She walks to the front door]
I'll see you again soon. Bye. [She exits]
MARGARET Bye.
[He goes and takes the baby from Margaret and
continues to rock it to sleep]
[Margaret goes to the kitchen]
JAMES The mailman come today?
MARGARET Yeah.
JAMES Any Mail?
MARGARET [Offstage] Why, what you expecting? The way you
ask like you get letters everyday.
JAMES Why not allowed to get a letter? [Pause] So I suppose
nothing come?
MARGARET [Offstage]Ob, yes something came alright. The light
bill.
JAMES Oh no. How much?
MARGARET Only thirty five dollars.
[She enters from kitchen with two cups of tea. She
lays them on the coffee table and goes and takes the
baby from James and takes it to the bedroom. James
goes, takes his tea and sips it. He goes to the
sideboard, and takes the electricity bill which has
been lying there opens it and reads. Meanwhile
Margaret returns from the bedroom.
JAMES What are we going to have for tea?
MARGARET We haven't cooked anything, we were waiting for
you.
JAMES jesus man you can't wait for me all the time. I left
some money so you could buy the food.
MARGARET You thought you left some money! You didn't leave
anything! When I checked the drawer, there was
nothing there. So what do you expect me to do? Don't
come home from work and start talking!
JAMES I talk because I'm the one sweating my butt out for
you lot! You know sometimes Ijust get sick and tired
of you all! You are all like a bunch of cripples. Just
tell me, what would happen if something had
happened to me eh? If I had an accident or I collapsed
at work. Who would look after you and the children
the eh? I'm sick and tired of looking after people who
can't think and who can't help themselves. You can't
even talk to Clare about her friends. Shit man, they
have thier own houses to go to, we can't look after
them. Then there is Sam and Mereoni and the baby.
There is something wrong with that boy. He expects
me to feed him, his woman and his child for the rest
of their lives? Sam just does nothing! Both Sam and
Tom are just hopeless.
MARGARET Why don't you talk to Tom, he's your relation!
JAMES It's very easy for you to say that. You can't even talk to
your relations how do you expect me to talk to mine?
These relations are just a bloody nuisance! I just
don't know. Every week my pay goes into buying the
same things, the food, paying for the bills and the
children's bus fare and lunch. I can't even buy
anything for myself or for you and the children or
even for the house. And I am going to continue doing
this until I diel
MARGARET So what do you want me to do? You the head of the
house why don't you talk to them. Don't come and
complain to me.

36
JAMES [All of sudden he seems very tired. It seems to him
that Margaret doesn't really care anymore]
I have every right to complain. Look I am not a rich
man, I can't look after people all the time, you should
know that.
MARGARET Look I don't wanna talk anymore, I'm tired.
JAMES Yeah, tired from doing nothing all day. That's why
you want Clare's friends around here for, so you can
order them around. You want them to do your work
for you, so you can just sit back like a big queen. You
want to show people that you have people around to
do your work.
[Margaret stands up and goes to the kitchen]
And yet behind these girls backs you talk about them
and run them down. [He goes and sits down and sips
his tea]
MARGARET [From the kitchen]
How you know I run them down? You worse than a
woman. And even if I run them down, I have a right
to. They staying in my house, and if they don't do any
work I talk. It's only natural to talk about these
people.
JAMES Yeah, but you're kinda talk is frightfuL
MARGARET [Offstage] Oh ho.
JAMES [Pause] You know I always wonder who's going to
look after us when we're old. Clare and Sam are just
hopeless; they won't be looking after us, we'll be
looking after them.
[Margaret enters with a few eggplants and a basin.
She goes to the table and begins to cut]
MARGARET Sometimes I think our life has been wasted. We work
hard, and what we get? Ungrateful children.
JAMES Not only that, they'll suck everything out of u~, and
even then they won't feel bad.
Well let's just hope that the two boys get through
their schooling. Hopefully they'll get good jobs and
when we are old they will look after us and buy our
38
medicine when we are sick.
MARGARET Hah. You hope.
JAMES _You know we should encourage them with their
school work. I was just thinking the other day how
instead of encouraging them we always discourage
them. We tell them how stupid they are when their
school work is not good. We send them all over the
place, until they are too tired for study. And when
their result is not good we wonder why.
MARGARET Well I'm glad you realise that now. Me I can't say
much, I never had a good schooling. You the one
who should be helping them out. You went further
than me in schooL
JAMES No, no that's nothing to do with it. Whether you
went only as far as class eight or you got a university
degree, its basic common sense. We have to try and
encourage them, so that at least they can finish school
properly and get a decent job. Otherwise they'll end
up like the other two, good for nothing bums.
MARGARET Well I don't know what's in you today to start talking
like this. Its no use just talking you know. We tried
with the other two. We helped them, but its the kids
around here. Some of the kids are a bad influence.
JAMES That's because of their parents.
MARGARET 0 look this talk is getting stupid. It's always the
sam~, you come back to the parents. You shouldn't
talk. You're no help at all. You just come hom~,
changt, and off you go again, go and drink grog all
night. And in the morning you look like a monkey's
backside.
You talk about education, encouraging them, help­
ing them as if you do anything about it. You say it
today, tomorrow back to the old way. If you say it, do
it. Practice what you preach. I'm sick and tired of
empty talk. I'm the one who ends up doing it all in
the end.
[She goes to the kitchen]
[He goes to the dining table, takes some money from
39
 his pocket and leaves it on the table]
JAMES There's some money. I'm going out.
MARGARET [Entering from the kitchen] Where are you going?
See it's always the same. You talk about something
and when you can't finish it you change the subject
or you get up and leav~, because you got nothing else
to say.
[]ames doesn't answer. He goes and slips on his shoes
again, but does not tie them up. He gets up and walks
out.]
JAMES [Offstage] J01 Get and have a batb, and better call
Raymond in too. Have you done your homework?
JOSEPH [Offstage] No.
JAMES [Offstage] Well get in and make sure you do it tonigh t
and not tomorrow morning, okay?
JOSEPH [Offstage] Yes
[He enters]
MARGARET Jo, where's Raymond?
JOSEPH Ma, I'm hungry, what are we having for tea?
MARGARET I haven't cooked yeJ, that's why I want you call
Raymond so that he can go to the shop.
[Sounds of voices are heard]
JOSEPH [Going to the threshold of the front door and calling]
Raymond, Raymond, mummy wants you.
[Clare's voice can be heard offstage]
CLARE [Offstage] ... and who the hell do you think you are?
JOSEPH [Turning around] Ma loo~, Clare is fighting with
Mrs Peter.
[Margaret runs to the doorway and stands behind
Joseph]
CLARE [Offstage] ... what i do is my business. I'm not like
you peeping from the window like a cunning fox,
watching people go by every night.
40
WOMAN I don't care your business or what, but don't you
come pass my house and swear at my daughter. She
didn't do anything to you. Just look at yourself
stealing things from the shops and going around
with all different kinds of boys. Just like a bitch.
[Clare by now can be seen through the window]
MARGARET Clare just come in here and stop fighting out there.
CLARE [Taking no notice]How do you know I'm a bitch ah?
Only your daughter is a bitch. You know, your
daughter's mouth is too big for her face. Who does
she think she is, to go around telling people about the
boys who have gone out with me. How does she
know? She's only jealous because no boy around here
wants to screw her. You and your daughter are sly
and cunning. You go around talking about other
people, what's your business eh? Before you talk
about me, you just take a look at your daughter and
all your other children., they are not perfect.
MARGARET [Going to the doorway and pulling Clare in] Look,
who the bloody hell do you think you are to go
around talking like that? You should be ashamed of
yourself.
WOMAN You swine you. Who the hell do you think you are to
talk to me like that foreh? You just wait till I see your
father.
CLARE [To Margaret] Leave me alone. [She runs to the
doorway] You go ahead and tell my father. Butletme
tell you this, if I see your daughter on the roaQ,
around here or in town, I'll bus t open tha t big mou th
of hers.
WOMAN You are only full of talk you know.
[Woman's voice fades out]
[Seini has already appeared from the bedroom and
has been listening for sometimes. Margaret pulls
Clare by the arm and tries to drag her toward the
divan]
41
MARGARET What happened?
CLARE [Releasing herself} The cheeky bitch up the road,
wait till I catch her?
MARGARET But what really happened?
[The baby begins to cry. Raymond enters. Clare takes
a cigarette from the packet on the coffee table and
lights it]
Raymond where have you been, just go to the shop.
Man, I just don't know where the mother of that child
has gone to.
RAYMOND Clare what happened?
CLARE Ohgoaway.
JOSEPH Oh ma, hurry up I'm hungry.
MARGARET [Going to the dining table]
Raymond here, take this money and go to the shop,
and buy one tin corned beef.
[Raymond goes to her. Millie runs in. While Millie is
talking with Clare, Margaret is talking with
Raymond, however they are not heard]
MILLIE Clare man. Good luck you told that woman off. She
talk too much. I was listening from Lewa's house.
Just give one puff?
SEINI Hey give me that butt eh?
MARGARET [Finished with Raymond]
I don't know why you have to go screaming at Mrs
Peters for. You make me feel ashamed.
Seini just and see that baby.
[As Seini gets up Mereoni enters through the front
d,oor and sneaks upstairs. After a while the baby
stops crying]
CLARE Ashamed be damned. It was her fault. Let her tell me
off in front of everybody else while I do nothing? Sa,
no way!
42
MARGARET Well you have no right to talk to her like that for. She
is much older than you
CLARE Well she has no right to talk to me like that. If she has
any problem she should tell me nicely, not scream
and swear at me. Sa who the hell she think she is?
MARGARET I just don't wanna say anything.
[Turning to Raymond]
Raymond go to the shop. What you standing there
for?
RAYMOND [Going towards the door] Oh every time I have to go
to the shop. Clare you go to the shop.
CLARE No sa, I just came in. I'm tired.
MARGARET You just go to the shop Raymong, and stop
complaining.
[Raymond exits, grumbling]
JOSEPH Ma, I'm hungry.
MARGARET Oh shut up and go and have your bath.
[Valerie rushes in]
VALERIE man guess what happened? This is the latest
news.
MILLIE Hurry up, tell us.
[The baby cries]
VALERIE You know Mereoni the girl that was going around
with Maika? Well she's pregnant. And Maika's ran
away to the village, they just found out! Her mother
is telling her off now. Come, come we go and spy.
[They all exit except Margaret. She goes to the
kitchen window and takes a peep through the
curtains. She then goes to the sideboard picks up a
comic and goes to the divan and begins to read it. The
baby's cry becomes a little louder.
CURTAIN CLOSES
43
Glossary
Saqamua Prostitute
Choke Ask for money
University of Correction Naboro Prison
Pun pun Sniffing Methylated spirit
Malai Soft/Weak
Fix him "making eyes" at him
Manene Women's private part
FEA Fiji Electricity Authority
Kaba waqa Lit. trans. "Climb Boat" a word used
for prostitutes
V.D. Venereal disease
Taciqu Sister
Bula Hello