Summary: Dialogue contrasting the lives of two young women, one brought up in typical Western fashion, and the other in a 3rd World slum. Keywords: consumerism, mission, slums, 3rd World, deprivation, luxury
Style: Dramatic. Duration: 4min
Actors: 2F
Script
A: I was born in a rubbish dump.
B: I grew up in the suburbs.
A: I wish I could say that was a figure of speech, but it’s not. My house was made out of anything we could find from the piles of rubbish around us.
B: I had my own room, it was pink. Pink is my favourite colour.
A: Our hut was small and dark, with the constant smell of rotting food and garbage. I made a living sifting through rubbish to find something to sell.
B: We had a pet cat and a cubby house that dad made. I was devastated the day it got knocked down.
A: When I was young I went to school, I wanted to work hard cause I’d really love to be a nurse. I tried to study but every night I had to help mum with chores.
B: My primary school years were so much fun. My favourite class was cooking with Mrs James. She was the loveliest lady.
A: When my sister got sick I had to stop school altogether.
B: I went to uni thinking I’d change the world. But when I finished I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know what to do.
A: It was what I had to do.
B: My church was doing a missions trip, so I signed up. Maybe this was my chance to change the world. Then we arrived… I just couldn’t believe the living conditions – their houses were tiny, and it stank. The hygiene was awful, there were mosquitoes everywhere, making the children sick. The school classes were overcrowded – I mean, can you imagine 12 kids to a textbook? There were just so many people with so many problems – what could I possibly do to help?
A: One day some people came to where we lived. They gave us rice and vegetables to eat.
B: We went to different areas giving food and sanitary packs out. It felt useless to me: How on earth would a bowl of rice be of any help to someone who will soon be hungry again?
A: A few weeks later I got sick and couldn’t get up to work.
B: What am I doing here?
A: My sickness got worse and we ran out of food. Mum had to work even harder than before and I hated being such a burden. I felt so lonely all by myself but one day a lady came.
B: I remember visiting this girl who was sick, she had got an infection. I didn’t know what to do. All I could think of was talk with her, so I did. I talked with her and told her about Jesus. But she really couldn’t understand what I was saying.
A: I couldn’t understand what she was saying but it was nice to have someone to talk to. I told her about my sister dying and how I had always wanted to be a nurse. I had never told anyone that before. It was the first time I ever felt listened to.
B: I wanted to give her something, but all I had was a blanket I’d bought in the markets that day.
A: She gave me a pink blanket and this “Princess” T-shirt.
B: It was pink like my bedroom.
A: Pink is my favourite colour.
B: The blanket seemed so pointless in the hot climate. I gave her a T-shirt and told her she was a princess, which seemed like a stupid thing to say to someone who lives in a rubbish dump.
A: It’s the first brand-new thing I’ve ever had.
B: I don’t know if it meant anything to her. But it was enough to make me cry.
A: That night I just cried.
B: I just thought, people are dying – does anyone even care?
A: Someone cared.
B: How can we possibly make a difference?
A: I’ll never forget her.
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© Kerrie Polkinghorne, all rights reserved.,
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. She may be contacted at: