Standouts - The Beat Within

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Page 9
Pieces of the week
Storm And Lightning
Characters: D’Easy: The Storm, Age twelve, Male
Shockey: The Lightning, Age ten, Male
Setting: In New Orleans, in the projects, there’s flooded houses
and broken cars and a lot of hail everywhere. It’s cold and windy
in abandoned houses. There’s bad pollution, and people are dyin,
injured and hurt.
Time: Summer, one PM.
At Rise: D’Easy is over the top of the neighborhood and Shockey
is striking houses.
D’Easy: Shockey, we need to stop doin’ what we doin’!
Shockey: What you talking ‘bout, bro?
D’Easy: I’m talking ‘bout the disasters we causin’ here in these
streets!
Shockey: What you mean? You want out or something?
D’Easy: My parents told me it’s my last strike. I can’t keep
destroyin’ the place, or they goin’ to leave me.
Shockey: For real, bro? Why they on you like that?
D’Easy: They want me to make a change. We ain’t doin’ nothing
but tearin’ our community apart.
Shockey: What you talking about, a change? All I know is to
knock stuff down. That’s what my father taught me to do.
D’Easy: I’m tryin’ teach you how to change, how to make our
place a better place for the both of us!
Shockey: You trippin’, bro. I ain’t tryin’ to change right now. We
been doin’ this since we was two years old.
D’Easy: I know we been doin’ this for so long, but I don’t want my
parents to leave me, like your parents left you.
Shockey: (Angry) Don’t bring my parents in this. You bein’ selfish
right now. Only thinkin’ ‘bout what your parents want for you.
D’Easy: If you don’t stop, I’ll have to end this friendship, and I
don’t want to do that.
Shockey: End this friendship? You the only family I got left!
D’Easy: I know. That’s why I want you to make a change, like me.
‘Cause that last hurricane we caused almost caused my parents
to leave me.
Shockey: Storm? Please! You know you like doin’ what we do.
Knockin’ buildings down, tearin’ things apart.
D’Easy: I know I like doin’ what we do, just ‘cause we been doin’
it so long, but when it comes to my loved ones, it’s a different
story. My parents don’t like it, and I don’t like the fact that they
goin’ to leave if we don’t get our acts together.
Shockey: What I got to do with your parents leavin’ you?
D’Easy: ‘Cause you’ like my brother, and my parents are like your
parents, so they want the best for both of us.
Shockey: So, bro, how we goin’ change? (Sarcastic.)
D’Easy: I really don’t know. How we could make it rain a little bit,
or a little breeze here and there, or something? We could even
make it snow or something. Instead of striking lightning and
windstorms and stuff.
Shockey: (Being funny/sarcastic) Uh, that’s cool, too. But doing
what I been doin’ brings me closer to my father.
D’Easy: I know you miss your father, but you can’t be just
Powerful
A gun can be more powerful in a violent way and a pen can be more
powerful in a non-physical way. You could just pull the trigger of a
gun and kill someone on the spot.
The pen could write something down and it could be used to
snitch on someone. It can also cause emotions and feelings. You
could really hurt someone with it. Say you write your girlfriend
a letter and hurt her. That’s how it can be powerful. Or if you’re
talking to a counselor and they write down what you say, they can
give it to a judge and that could affect your future.
-Ronnie, Santa Cruz
From The Beat: Excellent, Ronnie.
Pieces of the Week
Volume 17.01/02
following in his footsteps, destroying stuff. You need to put
yourself in your own shoes.
Shockey: I ain’t got nuttin’ to remember my own father from, but
the ways he showed me. He showed me how to strike, how to be
violent, create forest fires, ways to create a static charge. He was
the most destructive Sun in the world, and I want to be like him.
D’Easy: (Shaking his head) Aight, brother. What you want to do?
You want our relationship to end, or you want to be friends?
‘Cause we goin’ to need to choose today.
Shockey: Brother, you sound like you want to end our friendship,
or something.
D’Easy: I’m the closest person you got right now, and we both
watched your parents leave when you were fire. Leave you with
nothing but bad choices. I ain’t sayin’ I’m your dad or nothin’, but
I’m tryin’ to teach you good choices in life.
Shockey: I know you ain’t my father. You’ my brother. What can I
do to make this place a better place for us? How lightning goin’
do New Orleans any good?
D’Easy: You can create positive energy and benefit the plants. You
can light up New Orleans at night when there’s a black out, or
something.
Shockey: People know me ‘cause what my father did. Bro, today
the perfect day for us to create the biggest hurricane, bigger than
Katrina, then we can get recognized for being the biggest disaster
in New Orleans. I need you to back me up on this one. This could
be the most powerful one we ever created.
D’Easy: You a hardheaded little spark! If we go through with this,
then we over. I really love my parents and I wouldn’t do nothin’
for them to leave me. I love you, too. I don’t want us to split apart,
but they took care of me, taught me good from bad, and now it’s
time to stop. You sound like you scared to change.
Shockey: I don’t know. What is change? I see you, you happy with
your family. You got everything I don’t got. You know how that
make me feel? Every day I be thinkin’ ‘bout that. That I really
want to be a part of your family.
D’Easy: You is part of this family. Just because your connection
with family isn’t as strong as mine, don’t mean they don’t love
you. They want you to change, that’s showin’ love right there. My
family is your family.
Shockey: I never thought your parents had love for me the way
you sayin’. I thought they only thought about you, and what’s
best for you.
D’Easy: You trippin’ out, little bro. Dang. What’s wrong with you?
Shockey: I’m tellin’ you, I need some help right now. Makin’
a change, it ain’t that easy for me to make a change, like you.
‘Cause you was taught wrong from right, and I was just taught
wrong.
D’Easy: Tryin’ to teach you, lil bro. So, let me help you. So, is you
willin’ to pick me over your father’s dream?
-Denzel, San Francisco
From The Beat: Amazing, excellent, terrific drama. Your characters
personify a main controversy so many of you free and in juvy, deal with-to
listen to any destructive “big homies,” versus your families, who try to
make your home communities decent and safe. How does Shockey respond?
Newborn Son
This is my second time being in here. I am away from my newborn
child, and he is the only one I am thinking of. I wish things were
right with my son’s father, but only time will tell. My son is the one
I’m focused on.
When I get out this time, I have to go to school and do everything
I’m told to do. I will not mess up this time. I can’t be away from my
son again, because it’s killing me inside.
-Donna, Santa Clara
From The Beat: You’re right that only time can tell with relationships.
However your relationship with your child is one of unconditional
love, and we are proud that you can recognize that!