Uptown Boys: The Beginning Of A Dream Book 1
Page 17
[He too decides to find his way out of the room, leaving LIHANDA alone]
LIHANDA [muttering to himself]
I know you will do it on your own, and I’m willing to be by your side, nwa! Through it all, no matter what, nwa!
[And the scene ends with such words of aspiration]
SCENE 5
[BASKETBALL COURT]
[THE FOLLOWING DAY]
[BOYO is sitting by the stands, and he is in deep thought while decked in the school uniform]
He has a pamphlet in his fingers and busy enjoying the texture it has. And at this moment, we see MODERN approaching and joins BOYO, thereby chasing away the sea of loneliness and deep thoughtfulness. But she does not say anything at first to BOYO as she also becomes thoughtful even though she is looking constructive in her school uniform too.
[The moment of being speechless in between the two classmates lingers for a while but it is soon excused from being present by]
MODERN [monotone]
Did you read the letter before you brought it to me, nwa?
BOYO
Yes, I did.
MODERN
And what was your reaction?
BOYO
It was everything to do with love, friendship and desire, nwa. And anything to do with running for gold as well.
MODERN
Indeed. It is a strong letter word!
[And a moment of silence sets in]
MODERN [seizing it]
You should probably go and join them to find CASANOVA!
[BOYO starts and looks at MODERN]
BOYO
Are you for real?
MODERN
I am for real, BOYO! It may have sounded foolish to you for such a statement to come from me, but I listen to my heart and speak what it honors me to say. It is just a reflection of what we rhyme every other night before we go to bed in our sleeping hall that, ‘Try and fail but never fail to try.’
[She shoots up on her feet now]
MODERN [as BOYO watches her]
That is all I can say about the letter, nwa!
[She then gets hold of one of BOYO’s arms and places the letter into his palm]
MODERN
They are your friends, all the way from Soraya to Lantana and there’s no such delight comparable to a miracle of friendship and friends willing to go along together through every situation.
[She looks all around them]
MODERN
I wish you to let them know and CASANOVA, in case you get to find him, that I shall be right here waiting for you all!
[And with that statement, she exits the venue as BOYO again takes time to admire the folded piece of paper just handed down to him by MODERN before deciding to get up on his feet and also walk away from the boring basketball court that has no serious activity]
SCENE 6
[NIGHTTIME – DOWNTOWN LANTANA]
The streets of Lantana are hardly as restless as a wind howling through the trees on a castle hill, and the weather is quite windy but not so cold enough to force one to wear a warmer piece of cloth.
Standing somewhere nearby a road-side food point is OBAN and LIHANDA, each carrying a back-pack and disguised in streetwear, almost in a manner of appearing to be waiting for someone.
OBAN [watching street activity]
I am surely going to miss MODERN, nwa!
LIHANDA
Not for long enough, nwa. I am sure she will hold on to the nights until we come back!
OBAN [worried]
I just hope my letter hasn’t made her hate me, nwa!
LIHANDA [smiling]
The good thing is that you’ve told her everything, nwa! And she will not be left suspicious for as long as we’re not yet back.
OBAN [radiant]
Okay, that is the good thing.
LIHANDA
Absolutely, nwa.
OBAN
And what’s the bad thing since every positive has a negative?
LIHANDA [laughing]
Oh, -The bad thing is that she will have to miss you for a period unknown to us, nwa!
[BOYO approaches OBAN and LIHANDA but seems to be lost for now]
LIHANDA [peering at him]
OBAN, look out at the shop nearby!
[OBAN noticing BOYO]
I wonder what he is up-to-now, nwa!
LIHANDA
Should I call him?
[But before OBAN attempts to reply, BOYO has already noticed both of them and he decides to join them by exiting from the point of arrival towards the point of converging where both OBAN and LIHANDA are standing upon crossing the busy-like road]
BOYO [upon reaching where the two peers are]
Can I say something, please?
LIHANDA [as OBAN looks away]
Yes, you can, nwa.
BOYO [to OBAN]
And to you too, OBAN?
OBAN [still looking away]
I will pretend to be listening, but it is okay, you can speak to me!
BOYO
Well, MODERN has promised to wait for us all until we come back no matter how long it takes. But she is doing it for the sake of you, OBAN!
[OBAN’s attention gets captured instantly and looks now at BOYO]
OBAN
How can I believe you, nwa? I cannot even take it to be that MODERN spoke with you. And I hope she didn’t tell you to come and join us or else I will never talk to her again when I find out that you’re here by pretending that you talked with her!
BOYO [firm; as OBAN looks away from him again]
I can only sum it up for you i one sweet sentence, she moved me with!
OBAN [interested; looking back at BOYO]
And what is that so-called sweet sentence you want to boast about?
BOYO
Try and fail, but never fail to try!
LIHANDA [laughing]
Oh yeah! That is her, and you met her indeed!
[BOYO puts on a face at OBAN]
LIHANDA
I now know someone is going to be missed!
OBAN [as LIHANDA brags]
Like you already knew!
LIHANDA [smiling]
Better than any of you!
BOYO [serious]
Look, OBAN, I am sorry about my reaction in the practice –
OBAN
Save yourself from the burden of having to feel sorry about your conduct for MODERN has just apologized on your behalf!
BOYO
And how can I believe you, nwa?
OBAN [peering at BOYO]
You’re carrying my letter to her somewhere on your body that I wrote, and you had to give it to her. And I trust my instincts!
LIHANDA [as BOYO laughs off]
I hereby apply for a search without a warrant on your body, nwa!
[But before he embarks on his adventure, BENJIE and SMARTER arrive at the same spot, and they get welcomed by the three friends followed by an embrace]
BENJIE
Are you ready for the journey, nwa?
OBAN
How are we going to travel before we answer your question, Sir?
BENJIE [holding out a car key]
I managed to hire a Peugeot for the journey, nwa!
[And there follows a huge excitement]
LIHANDA
I am sitting in the front.
BOYO
I knew that would be your next statement, nwa!
[And there follows a moment of laughter]
OBAN [pleased]
Where is the vehicle, nwa?
SMARTER [leading the way]
Down, at the junction off to Las Town, nwa!
[And as the cohort joins in after SMARTER]
BENJIE
Let’s do this!
[A few murmurs of readiness acknowledgment grow with the scene closing]
SCENE 7
[LAS TOWN]
We are with the gang, and the members are already hitting the road to Las Town, and they are now echoing their voices to th
e sound of ‘Nomakanjani’ by Brenda FASSIE. BENJIE, OBAN, and CASANOVA are sharing the back row inside the vehicle while SMARTER on the steering wheel, and LIHANDA are enjoying the front view.
[The rhyming is cut short by]
SMARTER
I was told that no one goes to Las Town without a name if it is your first time there!
OBAN [fascinated]
Really?
BENJIE
True.
SMARTER [focused]
So, you boys need to grab yourself a name before we get there for quick identification!
OBAN
I will hand over that task to LIHANDA!
[And there follows a moment of laughter]
LIHANDA
Why have you chosen me, nwa?
OBAN [funny]
You’re sitting in front of us, nwa!
[And there erupts bitter laughter]
LIHANDA laughing]
A friend narrated to me that there is a place called Uptown in Las Town and boys of our age are always there and so, we can meet them then –
OBAN
Wait, I think we have got our name, nwa!
BENJIE
I don’t see any name coming out of his story he hadn’t yet completed, nwa!
OBAN
I think you weren’t attentive!
SMARTER
Didn’t you hear the words Uptown and boys in his dialogue, nwa?
BENJIE [laughing]
Oh –
So?
OBAN [comedic]
We shall name ourselves as the –
LIHANDA & BOYO
THE UPTOWN BOYS!
OBAN
I wanted to say it alone, nwa!
[A moment of laughter ensues]
LIHANDA
I give you the chance to say it alone, nwa!
OBAN
I will say it when we reach Las Town!
BOYO
And I will not let LIHANDA steal that chance away from you, nwa!
[And OBAN jubilates by turning up the volume of the car radio blasting out ‘Mahala Jive’]
The curtains fall with the words UPTOWN BOYS.
[THE END]
The Setting for Various Scenes
List of Main Characters
Music Used in the Play
ACT ONE
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
ACT ONE
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
SCENE 7
SCENE 8
SCENE 9
SCENE 10
ACT TWO
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
SCENE 7
ACT THREE
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
SCENE 7
SCENE 8
ACT FOUR
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
SCENE 7
SCENE 8
SCENE 9
ACT FIVE
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
ACT SIX
SCENE 1
SCENE 2
SCENE 3
SCENE 4
SCENE 5
SCENE 6
SCENE 7