Cast of Characters
PETE: Male, age 71. An expatriated American. Loose fitting clothing.
Hair and beard are getting a little shaggy. He’s been here for a while,
but you can still see the American within.
ABDELKERIM: Male, age 14. A child soldier of a local guerrilla militia.
Uniform, satchel, rifle. Still has a bit of child about him, despite
what he has witnessed.
Setting
A camp located on the savanna of Chad, present day.
Synopsis
An old man and a child soldier encounter each other and discuss
their differing approaches to life and love.
Lights up on the exterior of a simple canvas
tent located on savanna in the Sahel region
of Chad.
There is a fire in the fire pit, as well as
a well worn lawn chair. A kettle hangs over
the fire. A loaf of bread has been freshly
pulled from the coals.
A solar panel and a plastic rain barrel are
the tell-tale indicators of a first world
person trying to be comfortable in a third
world location.
Abdelkerim wears a military uniform, dirty,
with a large blood stain on the side. He has
a satchel, and a rifle with a sling. He points
the rifle at Pete.
Pete wears all the indicators of an expatriated
American: Ball cap, blue jeans, loose shirt.
His hair and beard are shaggy, but you can still
see the clean-cut underneath. He points a shotgun
at Abdelkerim.
The BBC is playing over shortwave radio.
Silence. A moment.
Pete lowers and puts down his shotgun.
P E T E
This is ridiculous. Would you like some tea?
(Pete turns off the radio.)
A B D E L K E R I M
(in French)
Pourquoi est vous ici? (Why are you here?)
P E T E
I’m sorry, were you listening to that? The radio?
I’m sorry, I don’t speak much French. Never got
around to fluency. I suppose I never will now.
A B D E L K E R I M (in French, firmer)
Pourquoi est vous ici?
P E T E
Is yelling at me in French supposed to scare me?
A B D E L K E R I M (firmer)
Pourquoi est vous ici? Pourquoi est vous ici??
(Pete walks to the fire and takes
the kettle. He pours the water into the cup.)
P E T E
It’ll be a moment, it’s too hot to drink. I’m
not much of a tea drinker myself, but I
haven’t been able to find a coffee that I like
since I moved to Chad.
A B D E L K E R I M
J’été abattu, j’ai besoin d’aide. (I’ve been shot,
I need help.)
P E T E
If you’d like, I’ll grab you some sugar. You can
doctor it up as you see fit.
A B D E L K E R I M
Non, ne m’emmène pas chez le médecin!
(No, don’t take me to the doctor!)
P E T E (with a spark of recognition)
Well now, that sounds familiar! Medicine?
Do you need medicine?
A B D E L K E R I M
Nous vous avons observé. Le Général m’a dit
de venir vous prendre les fournitures don’t nous
avions besoin. J’ai dit que vous n’étiez qu’un
vieil homme, mais il m’a dit de vous prendre
ce don’t nous avions besoin. Il m’a tiré dans
le flanc, disant que si je refusais un ordre, il
tuerait ma soeur. (We’ve been watching you.
The General told me to come and take the
supplies we needed from you. I said that
you were just an old man, but he told me
to take what we needed from you. He shot
me in the side, saying that if I refused an
order, he would kill my sister.)
(A beat.)
P E T E
My friend, you have two problems. Three,
if I count the blood stain. One, I don’t
speak much French. But they speak enough
English in the city, I can buy my supplies.
and, two, no matter the language, I’m not
going to respond well to a child pointing
a rifle at me.
A B D E L K E R I M
Je ne suis pas un enfant! (I’m not a child!)
P E T E (in French)
Tu parles anglais! (You speak English!)
A B D E L K E R I M
You speak French!
P E T E
Not fluently!
A B D E L K E R I M
I was told to kill you!
P E T E
Then, stop trying to scare me by speaking
French, and do it already! You’ve had more
than enough chances! Make your General happy!
A B D E L K E R I M
I will! Don’t push me!
(Abdelkerim stares down the barrel
of the rifle, frozen.)
P E T E
(with a sigh, slightly disappointed)
Your tea should be cooled off. Have some.
Pete holds the tea up. Abdelkerim hesitates
for a bit, before lowering the gun and taking
the tea. He drinks the tea quickly, finishing
it off.
P E T E
(continued)
I have some bread, if you’d like. I’m running
low on meat. Just not sure that I’m ready for
buffalo.
(Abdelkerim grabs the bread by the
fire, and tears chunks off, eating
as if this is his first meal in
years.)
P E T E
My God, when was the last time they fed you?
A B D E L K E R I M
Your god has abandoned you here.
P E T E
My god abandoned me years ago, I brought
myself here.
(Pete sits in one of the chairs,
staring at Abdelkerim.)
P E T E
How old are you?
A B D E L K E R I M
Sixteen.
P E T E
(disbelieving)
Sixteen?
A B D E L K E R I M
(sheepishly)
Fourteen.
P E T E
Seems right. I’m Pete.
A B D E L K E R I M
Abdelkerim.
P E T E
What’s your first name?
A B D E L K E R I M
That is my name.
P E T E
No, no. I know people named Abdelkerim.
It’s a surname, a last name. What is your first
name?
A B D E L K E R I M
That is the name that the General calls me.
That is the name that I answer to.
P E T E
Your “General” seems like quite the peach.
A B D E L K E R I M
(by rote, programmed, but not robotic)
The General is a wonderful man! He loves
and protects us all. He is going to stop the
government from exploiting the workers. He is
going to protect our mothers and our sisters.
He will ensure that we all have good
productive jobs.
He will put food on our tables.
P E T E
Sounds like a million strong men before him.
(Abdelkerim raises his rifle.)
A B D E L K E R I M
I need your supplies now, Mister Pete.
P E T E
You need to stop pointing your rifle at me.
I’m not threatened, and it’s not helping you
get what you want.
A B D E L K E R I M
I will kill you if you try and stop me.
P E T E
I came here to die.
(Abdelkerim looks surprised at the
thought.)
A B D E L K E R I M
What?
(Pause.)
P E T E
I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you the
supplies you need to take to your “beloved
General.” But, let me take a look at your
wound first.
A B D E L K E R I M
No doctors!
P E T E
I wouldn’t dream of it. I have a first aid
kit, I want to look at your wound.
(Abdelkerim ponders this for a
moment, then nods.)
P E T E
Wait here.
A B D E L K E R I M
Where am I to go?
(Pete enters the tent, the sounds of
him rummaging around are heard.
After a moment, Abdelkerim grows
impatient.)
A B D E L K E R I M
What is taking so long, Mister Pete?
(Abdelkerim raises his rifle, and
looks in the tent.)
A B D E L K E R I M
(continued)
Who is this? Bring that out. Let me see.
(Pete exits the tent, a first aid
kit in one hand, a framed
photograph in the other.)
A B D E L K E R I M
(continued, taking photograph)
Let me see.
(Pete reluctantly hands the
photograph over.)
P E T E
(quietly)
Lift your shirt, let me see.
(Abdelkerim lifts his shirt and
studies the photograph.)
A B D E L K E R I M
Who is this?
P E T E
Your wound’s not bad at all, just a scratch.
A B D E L K E R I M
Is this your wife?
P E T E
I can clean it out, stitch it up. You’ll be
back at it in no time.
A B D E L K E R I M
Est-ce votre femme?
P E T E
(sharply)
Yes! It is my wife. If you don’t mind, I’ll
stitch you up so you can go back to killing
people.
(Pete kneels beside Abdelkerim, he
cleans the wound with peroxide and
antibiotics.)
A B D E L K E R I M
(wincing)
Where is your wife? What is her name?
P E T E
She’s not here. She’s gone.
A B D E L K E R I M
Gone where?
P E T E
(stitching)
She got sick. She got sick and died. And I
miss her. I miss her a lot. She always wanted
to come here. She’d get tired of the sunsets
in our neighborhood. Always saying how much
better they were in Africa. Every time we
started talking about taking a vacation, she
always brought up Africa. So now I am here,
watching sunsets that she never got to see.
Maybe she can see them through my eyes, I
don’t know. Just waiting until I get to see her.
(Pete finishes the stitches and
applies a bandage, stands.)
A B D E L K E R I M
That is why you aren’t afraid to die. The
General is doing a favor by having me kill
you. See your wife sooner.
(Pete stops for a moment, before
drawing some water from the rain
barrel. He rinses his hands, and
pours a glass.)
P E T E
(reflectively)
I’m not afraid to die. I’m not in any rush,
but I’m not afraid. We’re all going to die,
eventually. All that matters is the path we
take to get there.
A B D E L K E R I M
Yes! Yes! Exactly as the General says!
P E T E
Maybe. But I don’t want to ruin other lives
to get there.
A B D E L K E R I M
I am helping the General save lives! Your
death, even, it will save lives!
P E T E
(with a soft chuckle)
Doubtful.
(An animal sound, off.)
P E T E
(continued)
Oh, look! The buffalo are here. There is a
spring just there. They come through here to
drink their water. It’s far too muddy for me,
I’m fine waiting for the rain.
They watch the buffalo stroll on
their way. It is a moment of peace
in the middle of their respective
wars.
(After a moment.)
P E T E
Do you believe in heaven, Abdelkerim?
A B D E L K E R I M
If this is hell, then there must be a heaven.
P E T E
You are a wise young man, Abdelkerim.
(Abdelkerim hands the photograph
back.)
(Pause.)
P E T E
(continued, still watching the buffalo)
You can take whatever you need. Food,
medicine, just take it.
(Abdelkerim exits into the tent.
Pete’s quiet pain plays across his
face.)
(A moment later, Abdelkerim exits
the tent, closing his now full
satchel.)
P E T E
Do you have everything you need?
A B D E L K E R I M
Yes. I do.
P E T E
Good.
(Abdelkerim raises his rifle,
pointing it at the back of Pete’s
head.)
A B D E L K E R I M
I hope you see your wife soon, Mister Pete.
P E T E
Sara. Her name was Sara.
(Abdelkerim pulls cocks his riffle.
Pete, hearing the click, closes
eyes and steels himself to the
inevitable.)
P E T E
Make your General proud…Get it over with…
(Abdelkerim looks down the barrel of
his rifle, hesitating.)
P E T E
(a firm sotto voce)
Do it!
(Abdelkerim fires his rifle, the
sound of a buffalo collapsing.
Silence.)
P E T E
You missed.
A B D E L K E R I M
I hope you see your wife soon, Mister Pete.
But not today.
(Pete turns around, angrily
disappointed.)
P E T E
You failed your General, Abdelkerim. Your
sister is in trouble.
A B D E L K E R I M
Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe she is already dead, I
don’t know. Maybe I don’t have a sister at
all. But I know that you don’t deserve to die.
Not like this. You are a kind old man, you
should be shown kindness.
P E T E
Get out of here.
A B D E L K E R I M
I will tell the General that you are dead. I
will give him the things I have stolen, and
lead him away from you. You will be safe.
P E T E
I spit on your General.
A B D E L K E R I M
(gathering his belongings)
I have shot you a buffalo. You now have plenty
of meat. Buffalo meat is good, you will like it.
(Abdelkerim begins to walk away.)
A B D E L K E R I M
(continued)
I guess we both want peace, Mister Pete. We
just have see who gets there first.
(Abdelkerim leaves.
Pete, still stunned, watches him.
Lights down.)
END.
Brian Cern is a Twin Cities-based actor and playwright, whose work has won numerous awards and contests throughout North America, Australia and the UK. A member of the Dramatists Guild, he received his training at Cardinal Stritch University, where his theatre and writing studies led him to a deep appreciation for the stories that unite us in the human condition. As parables, his work has been called “imaginative,” “beautifully soulful,” and “thought-provoking.” Of all the credits to his name, however, it is “Teaching Artist” for local children’s theaters that he treasures the most. He lives in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife and son.
