April 23rd

This is a short script about an alcoholic indigenous native and the stereotypes behind that and a secret connection between two people.

Characters: Two 

Amber-Female, late twenties

Koi - Male, early twenties

One

1.     A:  Ok let’s do this.  I’m Amber what’s your f*****g name?

2.     K:  Uh, my names Koi.

3.     A:  What like the f*****g fish?

4.     K.  No, like a f*****g panther.  It’s Choctaw, my tribe.

5.     A:  Oh so you’re a f*****g Indian.

6.     K:  What’s up with you and the word f**k?

7.     A:  The f**k does it matter?

8.     K:  No I’m not a f*****g Indian, Columbus didn’t name me, and I’m not a Native American because the US government doesn’t get that privilege.  I’m an indigenous native.  Is that all f*****g right with you or should I add another f**k?

Two

1.     A:  This Sober Soulmate program is so stupid.  I don’t even know why I’m here.

2.     K:  Uh you’re here because you’re an alcoholic, like me.

3.     A:  But they are assigning us randomly to share our personal stories as if another alcoholic is going to cure me, that’s crap. 

4.     K:  Well I don’t want to be here with you either so let’s just get this over with.

5.     A:  Fine Mr. Apple.  You go first.

6.     K:  Mr. Apple?

7.     A:  Yeah, you know.  Red on the outside, white on the inside.

Three

1.     K:  Excuse me?

2.     A:  Excuse me? Yeah that.  You act all prim and proper as if you’re white but you’re nothing but a no good featherhead.

3.     K:  You think I’m white because every other word coming out of my mouth isn’t profanity?  Well you f*****g racist b***h, I can use profanity too.  Now you go first!

4.     A:  Whoa!  Hold your horses cowboy killer.  Alright, alright I’ll go first don’t get your panties in a twist.

5.     K:  Then go.

6.     A:  I drink… because I killed someone.

7.     K:  Ok go on.

8.     A:  That’s it.

9.     K:  Clearly that’s not it.

10.  A:  What else do you want me to say?  I killed someone and I dealt with it by taking a shot or two…or ten.

Four

1.     A:  You’re up Koi.

2.     K:  That’s all you’re gonna tell me.  That’s it?

3.     A:  Yup.

4.     K:  Ok I’m going to talk to our rehab director because they specifically said we had too...

5.     A:  I got the instructions too, tattle tale.  Just go!

6.     K:  Fine but I’m taking this seriously so I’m playing by the rules.  Ok.

7.     A:  Ok.

8.     K:  Per the directions you cannot interrupt me until I finish.

9.     A:  Alright!  Just go!

10.  K:  So I grew up on this reservation.

11.  A:  Sob story!

12.  K:  So I grew up on this reservation that was dirty.  Nothing grew there.  Literally it was dirt and concrete.  No flowers.  Nothing.  All I had was my family.  My sister she’s amazing.  Was amazing.  We were only one year apart so growing up we were really close.  I remember as kids our mother asked us what we wanted to be as we grew up and she said, wolf.  She’d get on all fours howling at the moon.  It was the cutest thing ever.  As a teenager she began showing signs of depression and I think, in a way, that brought us closer because I was always there trying to help her up. But I failed.  She believed it, you know.  She believed that the way she was treated was the way she should be.  A loser.  The invisible.  The forgotten, and she stepped in front of a car.  She was just consumed by all the hate because she was never seen as a person only as Indian.  So I began to drink.  Our mom would say.  “See, our lives are still being controlled by the white man.”  That year 7 other reservation kids committed suicide.  The suicide rate amongst indigenous people is 3 times higher the national average. The driver just left her there. I’m finished.

13.  A:  When did she die?                                    

14.  K:  April of 2012.

Five

1.     A:  What was her name?

2.     K:  Talli.

3.     A:  What did she look like?

4.     K:  She was small, I called her little wolf. 

5.     A:  And what day did she die?

6.     K:  It was a Monday.  April 23^rd.

7.     A:  So April 23^rd 2012.  On what street?

8.     K:  On 7^th street.

9.     A:  7^th street!

10.  K:  Yes what is this 20 questions?  Look we’re obviously done here so I’m going to the post-assessment interview now. 

11.  A:  It wasn’t my fault.  She just jumped in front of me.  I wasn’t a drunk.  I was driving home from work.  It wasn’t my fault she felt that way, right?