Enter the monster

APU begins to play with his bat again.

UTTARA: (off) Apu, no more cricket. Come on now.

APU: (crossly) Oh shucks. Shucks shucks shucks.

UTTARA: (off) Apooo!

APU puts the bat on top of the books and then places the cap on top of the whole pile. He then picks up the comic and crouches behind the sofa. UTTARA enters with a tray and crosses to the table. She puts the tray down on the table without noticing the pile of things on the chair.

UTTARA: Apu, where are you? Please go and wash your hands.

Silence.

UTTARA moves downstage towards the sofa.

UTTARA: Apu! APU

The lights go off. The pile of things on the chair throws a strange, giant shadow on the wall upstage.

UTTARA: Oh shucks. What a time for the lights to go. Apu! Where are you?... It’s all right Apu. I’m here. Just stay where you are. Are you near the sofa?

APU: Didi! Come quickly.

UTTARA: I’m trying, Apu. Just don’t get so scared.

APU crawls out from behind the sofa and looks towards the table.

APU: (screams) Didi! I can see a monster. A monster.

UTTARA: Don’t be silly Apu. There’s no monster anywhere. The lights have gone off, that’s all. Now you just... (she turns) Oh my goodness!

APU: You saw it? Did you see it? It’s there...

UTTARA: ... sitting on a chair.

UTTARA moves rapidly downstage staring at the shadow.

APU: (wailing) Didi! What shall we do?

UTTARA: Ssh! Don’t scream. It must be just something... something simple.

APU: I’m telling you it’s a monster. A monster. (screams) Mummy! I want Mummy.

UTTARA: (shouting) Stop screaming for goodness sake... I’m trying to reach you. (UTTARA moves behind the sofa and clutches at APU) All right now, I’ve found you. Give me a hand Apu.

APU: Here.

UTTARA: Don’t feel scared okay?

APU: But Didi, you are also scared, I know. Will it eat us?

UTTARA: Nothing is going to eat us. Don’t be silly. We’ll just sit behind the sofa okay? Till... till... the lights come. Okay?

APU: Yes. The monster won’t be able to find us here.

Pause.

APU: Will it?

UTTARA: Will it what?

APU: Find us?

UTTARA: Of course... not.

The children crouch behind the sofa, downstage.

Pause.

UTTARA: Listen, before the lights went off, there was nobody in the room except us, right? So...

APU: Monsters can come through walls.

UTTARA: Who said that?

APU: I know.

Pause.

UTTARA: It’s not moving at all.

APU: It is trying to fool us.

UTTARA: How?

APU: We will think it won’t do anything. And then wham! It will jump on us when we are not looking.

UTTARA: (screams) Don’t!

APU: Ssh! Don’t scream. It will find us.

Silence.

UTTARA: (whispering) I wish the lights would come back.

APU: Don’t be scared. I’m there.

UTTARA: Oh Apu! (hugs him)

APU: I will go and fight it.

UTTARA: No. No Apu. Please don’t. We'll just wait.

APU: Till? Till it eats us?

Pause.

UTTARA: Ssh. It moved.

APU: What?

UTTARA: I think it moved.

APU: Let me see.

UTTARA: Don’t stand up. It will see you.

Pause.

UTTARA: What are you doing Apu?

APU: I’m trying to find my hanky.

UTTARA: Why?

APU: Then I can creep behind the monster and tie up its eyes.

UTTARA: No, you can’t do that Apu.

APU: Why?

UTTARA: Because... because... before you do that it will see you.

APU: Shucks. Shucks. Shucks.

Pause.

UTTARA: Is there anything else in your pocket?

APU: Anything else? Let me see... yes. There’s a toffee wrapper.

UTTARA: Okay. Shall we throw it then?

APU: At the monster?

UTTARA: Should we?

APU: Suppose it gets angry?

UTTARA: True. No, better not.

APU: Let me try anyway.

UTTARA: No Apu.

APU throws the wrapper but it goes wide.

Pause.

To be continued.....

From Good Heavens! One-Act Plays for Children; By Poile Sengupta; Publisher: Puffin