A Discovery

It is the afternoon that summer holiday is to be welcomed by the students.   Shirley a twenty-one-year-old blonde girl carefully parks her come and heads out towards the administration stately building heading to the paved pathway.  She seems a bit worried and frustration can well be established from her she walks and stares around.  She walks speedily and she gets annoyed after seeing her two friends outside their classroom staring as they busily talk to each other using the single facial expression of a stare.

Shirley

So, you are all there…  I have been waiting for your calls all morning… guess my company was not required…

There is a prevailing period of salience during which Shirley’s friends ignores her talks and presence simply to construct an answer.  Intently, she gives them a gaze, to try and determine their general mood as she wondered how she was going to tell them all that is in her mind before she gets in the classroom.  Finally, as if they were under control they turned and faced her directly.

Rose

Oh! We thought you were in school already.

Shirley can barely be able to control her temper, but she realized that their conversation is already taking their normal sarcasm switch and she automatically forms herself.

Shirley

No, no, I had not as you just say.

Maureen fixes Shirley’s attitude and talks with a long ironic facial expression.  Conscious of her best friend’s rush, she attempts her best with facial expressions to delay her next talk.

Maureen

Is it no longer fashionable not to come to school and once own means as it is expected?

Shirley

No, Maureen to as it has never been.

There is another silence period. Meanwhile rose remains calm as if the intensified conversation does not involve her at all. At that silence instance, a car is pulled up on the opposite side of the pathway.  It is Emma, a twenty-two-year-old dark girl and a friend to Shirley.  She gets out of the car at the same instant with her driver and they remained in the background and they seem to be engaging in a conversation.  As the girls wait for the conversation to end they resume to the conversation. Maureen resumes her rapid talks. Emma seems to end the conversation as she lives the driver and waves her goodbye and hastily heads to her friends.  She seems to be very excited which is not the case for her mysteriously staring friends.

Emma

For how long have you been in school?

Shirley responds in a polite but with an unenthusiastic smile

Shirley

For about thirty minutes and for some since morning I believe.

Emma

(Reluctantly)

Oh, okay.  Very good, I should start learning to spend the holiday all by myself and take at least a break from all of you.  This requires me to get used to being alone.

Maureen glares at both Emma and Shirley in a furious way but she still realizes and managers to control her anger.

Maureen

Get used to what?

Shirley looks and Emma who shows no interest in answering.

Shirley

As stated, it is getting used to being alone completely.  Not only from friends but from everything that mattered.

Emma

You should not be protesting and ask obvious questions we have always been stuck together what changed today. Not even a call from you both as only Shirley sent me a text a few minutes before she left her house.

Rose

(As she protested with a deep feeling of care and compassion)

But how can you state such a cruel thing?

Emma

Because everything I said is all true.  After our three years friendship having never lied to one another, you should at least respect that and permit me to assert my truth.

Maureen

And are there any other truths that we need to tell us about?

(She points at the garden next to the classroom that is all covered with litter and it is even hard to spot if there is grass under the pilling litter).

Shirley

What about that?  That is no news and we all know that?

Rose

Is that not a lie that is hidden in your so called truth?

Unable to control her anger Emma turns to both Shirley and Maureen

Emma

You all know what was happening yesterday. It was just a party to welcome summer it not like you did not know about it.

Rose

You mean so? And what was our deal about the party is you can just remind me? Well, please I beg the both of you would you just spare me that piece of the truth. I should be in class now.

Rose leaves them as she is unable to control how she felt.  The three girls remained unmoved.  This seems obvious that there is still more that the girls need to talk about.  After a long gaze at each other Maureen states that they should get in class.  Everyone around had already started gazing at them as their conversation was getting out of control.

Rose

This kind of friendship should never last.

Shirley is faced with a difficult period as she tries to control her feelings but at last, she manages to maintain calmness as she answered.

Shirley

Since yesterday, I have been the person who has not been ready to be in it.

Emma

Yeah, that is just a similar thing. Let us leave.

With the statement no one of the three girls turned back the conversation seems to be enough for the moment and without a word the slowly moves inside the classroom.

Shirley and Maureen seem to be very frustrated and tensed over the scene they just had but at the particular moment, they all had to restrain all that they felt.

SCENE TWO: IN THE CLASSROOM

The girls are all sited as usual in the neighboring seats but today unlike other times nobody seems to be talking to the other.  There is no sign of talk or happiness like for the other students in the classroom. For these girls, it is only silence. Maureen looks around admiringly as Shirley and Emma remained enfolded up within their growing emotions.

Maureen

I hope you are all thinking about the closing class will be all about. You know that we have a bad relation with the teacher. I am only trying to gather your thoughts and do not want to lose alone in this we are a team.

Rose

Have you ever been involved in a long wait? I just cannot wait for the outcome.

Shirley

This does not feel good. I know we will screw up once more.

Emma does not give any answer. She merely looks and listens to what to them.  As they try to make up excuses for their behavior if things do not turn up to please their teacher Emma is just gazing without any emotions and instead she turns to her watch and she seems to be doing some calculations.

Finally, the meticulously dressed teacher gets in class, standing in front of the classroom without a word. Everyone gathers silence as they want the class to end sooner so that they can enjoy their summer almost immediately.

Shirley

(Whispering to the girls)

So there she is…. I will be waiting for your supports

Emma

(Stares)

What! I thought that everyone should only offer support to self.

Maureen turns and faces the girls, smiles, and in a jokingly manner she attempts to laugh off the conversation.

Maureen

I see so this is a farewell afternoon? No one is being forced here.  We all created this mess and together we shall rub it off.

Rose pays zero attention to the tempting comments that her friends are making as she realizes that the teacher is gazing at them and with this, she sticks to her original version of thoughts.

Shirley

Let it be. It should not get worse than it is. We all know that things are not well at the moment. We should not risk more.

After the long silence from the teacher who seems to be carried away by the papers that she is continuously flipping, she hurriedly begins to distribute the quiz papers without a word. Finally, she breaks the silence the unusual way of skipping greetings.

Teacher

This afternoon is self-explanatory.  There is nothing much to be done and we all know what to do.  You can consider this as a class dismissal.  However, as usual, Emma, Shirley, Rose and Maureen please remain as the others head out.  We have a lot to link up.

This moment does not seem to be surprising the four girls as it was expected.  They remained unmoved on their seats even after everyone has left the class. At the far end of the class they remained seated and without a word, it is like they are waiting for some directions.  The teacher is reluctant to start the conversation.

Shirley

We are all here madam as you requested.

The teacher is looking at them but she seems to be constructing something internally. She ignores Shirley and she picks her books and heads out.  The girls collectively run following her and this time they cannot talk because this has taken the wrong turn that they expected.

Finally, they catch up with her on the corridor and now her mood seems to have worsened. They all take a moment to study her mood as she makes a stop on the corridor next to her office.

Maureen

Ma’, we are very sorry we have disappointed you in any way.

Emma

Please, we are here and ready to listen.is something wrong.

The environment is full of excitement as loud noises can be ahead from a distance. However, this is not the case here.  Rose remains silent throughout and although the situation seems to be bothering her she has nothing much to offer but silence.

Teacher: Everything about you girls is never right.  Leave alone the test your participation in class is always zero. You are a disappointment and you never seem to change at all! Can someone please make me understand why it is always the four of you? Is it so hard to do what’s right?

Maureen

We are very sorry Ma’am.  We have always been an issue and we can never apologize for enough but we are ready to transform.

Emma

We admit that we are a problem but at times it is challenging to understand things! You are always in our case and we rarely have time to organize ourselves for reform.

Teacher

Now you want to blame me?! Why is the issue only demonstrated by you?  My class is doing so well?

Rose

No, no anybody is blaming you, madam; we are just saying that it is challenging to get along with your class activities as well as discussions.

Teacher

Oh, I almost forgot that you never lose in any argument. You are a strong team in everything wrong.  My teaching is wrong when you are always spotted in offenses right?

This comment does seem to have impacted the girls wrongly and they are all trying to restrain their anger as they remained silent for a while.  The teacher sarcastically waits for their response.  The teacher realizes that rose is leaning on the wall paying attention to the conversation.  Realizing that she has been spotted she smiled reluctantly as if trying to communicate that she is connected.

Teacher

I will see you all after we resume school.

As if the girls have been seized by the sudden comment, the teacher heads straight to her office.  They all look at her with bewilderment as they watched her disappear into her office.  Then they looked at each other again and again for a few seconds. They realize that the teacher had left without a solution.

Rose

Let us not just stand here we should follow her to her office.

Shirley

Have you the guts to talk? What support have you offered when she was here? You can as well solve your case.

Rose does not take they comment well but she tries to manage her anger as she realizes that Shirley rarely loses this kind of argument and their one goal is to overcome the issue. Maureen subjects Rose with a calm expression which is a clear statement that no more argument is required.

Emma

Let us go.

Madam Louise’s office is extremely minor.  The room contains many books that cover all the shelves and the atmosphere around here is fully occupied. The atmosphere inside the office is that of a place that is rarely utilized and cleaned. The teacher has just finished packing her bag and was heading to the door, opens it only to find the girls standing right there.  They appear to be a little bit anxious than they were before. Without giving them an opportunity to talk she gets out of the office thus push them further and closing the door.  With an intense expression upon the face, she stares at the girls. The girls take her all in with their eyes slightly opened as they examined her reactions.  The teacher is not able to understand their behavior so with a gesticulation she exclaims jokingly.

Teacher

Would you like us to talk?

The girls continuous to give him a stare but this time their faces seems a bit lighter after the comment which was, however, sarcastic.  The teacher is no longer amused by this reaction and she held her bag firm to illustrate that she was ready for a talk.

(Voice)

All: yes we should please.

Finally, the stare is placed to an end and the teacher takes rose by the hand and they begin to move as the rest are following without a word. Their expressions seem determined but the expression on rose’s face has not changed as it seems gloomy and angered.  They finally make a stop at the car park.

SCENE THREE:  AT THE CAR PARK

Nobody seems to be taking note of the happening around as the girls are completely busy fuming over their mistakes and they are therefore eager of letting their inner selves understand that they are up to any challenge that they may be given.

As the teacher points at their quiz papers which are still held in their hands, they all gaze at each other ready to support their fail.

Teacher

I think that you are not used to facing challenging alone. You all got a mark that was below five points. I have this sensation that none of you is used to being in a sole situation.

Maureen

(Gazing first at Emma then at Shirley)

Yes, madam, this seems to apply well with us…

Meanwhile, the teacher places her bag on a luxurious car that is parked just right where they are standing.  Rose attempts to help her out by she calmly resists this move.

Emma

Don’t be so harsh on us Madam. This is our weakness.

Shirley

We can change this for our own good and to end the disappointments.

While these exchanges are ongoing the teacher takes a look at all of them at a time and shakes her head with a disagreement signal.

Teacher

(Sympathetically)

I have never said that studying was easy or it can be easy.  The thing is that you have a strong team and in reference to the negative things you accomplish them so well.  You put so much energy on everything else but this energy is not reflected in your studies.  I know you are a strong team and I am not trying to break it up. But this strength can be used for bettering selves.

Maureen

Being in a peer team and doing the right things can be tough at times.

Teacher

Does that mean that you have to blame me for your mistakes?

All (voice)

No ma’am.

Shirley

We shall work on that and the next semester will be completely different. Trust us this time.

The teacher is smiling sarcastically as she listens to their calm talks.  She cannot help control her feeling as she does not want to judge them.  They have said all this so many times but she still wants to believe in them.

Teacher

(Wholeheartedly smiling)

Just remember that positive results are a signal of strength and effort.  Without effort, there can never be any signal. We can all confirm that. They are all smiling and nodding their heads in agreement. Thank you. See next Semester.

She waves goodbye, picks her bag and heads to her car without even turning.  The girl’s heads to Shirley’s car and at the background their conversation begins as they head inside.

SCENE FOUR: INSIDE THE CAR

Everyone is happy than before but there are fewer connections between them. Rose is still gloomy and no one seems to be taking consideration of this.

Shirley

I thought we were no longer doing things together!

Maureen

Please stop this; I will not get into any argument anymore.

Emma

Thank you. Right now all we need is peace.

Rose

What is peace without solving issues amongst us! Shirley and Emma betrayed us by turning to the party contrary to our agreements.

Shirley is sited with Emma at the front and Shirley is not affected by the comment as she is able to control her anger, unlike Emma. She speedily drives the car and as they head out of the main gate the girls are still exchanging comments.  They hit the main road and silence now prevails.

Shirley

We discovered that we can use our friendship in generating wellness so stop all the stupidity and let’s carry out our plans.

Maureen

So true we have our plans for today and this will not stop us!

Emma

I am sorry for yesterday and no more betrayal.

Shirley

Yeah right.

 (Voice)

Good.

SCENE FIVE: OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT

As they get out of the car their expressions and attitudes have changed for the better and this can be gotten from their laughs.

Shirley

Yeah, am so hungry.

Emma

I too, yesterday was fun though

(She states sarcastically as Maureen push her as they all laugh and begin to move)

Rose

(Jokingly)

Please keep that from us. We are not interested.

The day was not pleasing but we resolved the issues well with a fresh discovery. We should stop for lunch first.

The car is stopped outside a big modern building and the girls get out with so much excitement. They walk holding each other towards the entrance. With a bang, they begin their plans for the summer holiday.

 

 

                                                                ***The End***