BROJO's FATHER: 30s+. A peddlar of snacks.
BROJO: (M) At various ages in the play, including 8, late 40s and late 50s. Casting very flexible.
SARJONO: Brojo’s uncle.
MAY: Brojo’s wife.
BROJO'S MOTHER: Appears only in silhouette. An ideal made from childhood memories.
SUSILO: (M) Personal aide to the adult Brojo. In his 40s and 50s.
COURIER: (any gender) Courier and messenger hired by the adult Brojo.
Note: All characters are Javanese.
Double and triple-casting possible and encouraged.
TIME: 1960s/1990s/2010s
SETTING: Brojo’s childhood home, his adult home, a hospital room.
ACT I
SCENE 1
A simple living room. A wooden table is located in the middle of the room, And four rattan chairs are arranged around the table. An ashtray, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter are on the table.
(BROJO’S FATHER and BROJO sit in the middle chairs in the living room. BROJO’S FATHER smokes while relaxing. BROJO, Still eight years of age, crosses his feet on the table.)
BROJO: Dad, where’d Mom go?
BROJO’S FATHER: Spending the night at your aunt’s house.
BROJO: Why didn’t she invite me?
BROJO’S FATHER: Who knows? Your mother also went alone there. Maybe there’s something she needed to discuss with your aunt.
BROJO: How many days will she be there?
BROJO’S FATHER: I also don’t know. Maybe you already miss her?
BROJO: Yeah. (acting cute.) You never tell me bedtime stories.
BROJO’S FATHER: (speechless.) Let’s drop you off in your room.
BROJO (standing up): It’s okay, I’ll go straight to sleep.
(Exit BROJO.)
(BROJO’S FATHER sits quietly while taking a smoke. An empty stare.)
(Several moments later a knock at the door.)
SARJONO (off-stage): Sir. . .
BROJO’S FATHER: Come in. It's unlocked.
(SARJONO enters the room. He's BROJO'S FATHER’S younger brother-in-law. HE sits facing BROJO’S FATHER.)
SARJONO: How is it, brother, is there any news?
(BROJO’S FATHER shakes his head weakly.)
BROJO’S FATHER: Not yet. It’s been two nights and I don’t know where my wife has been taken to.
SARJONO: Did you try asking?
BROJO’S FATHER: Who should I ask?
SARJONO: Simon the soldier must know where Mrs. Sul is now.
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah. But Simon is also new here, we don’t know what he’s like. It’ll make things worse if it turns out he has the same duties as them.
SARJONO: What is it they’re actually looking for??
BROJO’S FATHER: Who really knows? Brojo’s mom is just an ordinary member of Gerwani, she’s not always active to follow gatherings.
SARJONO: I’m scared, brother.
BROJO’S FATHER: The important thing is to take care of your wife and child, and help me take care of BROJO.
(He puts out the cigarette in the ashtray.)
SARJONO: Is BROJO asleep, brother?
BROJO’S FATHER: He just went to sleep.
SARJONO: Is he looking for his mom?
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah. He’s still not fussy like that, but he claims to miss his mom. That’s what my mind is now.
SARJONO: What do you tell him, brother?
BROJO’S FATHER: I say his mom is spending the night at your house.
SARJONO: It’ll calm him down for a bit.
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah, but I can’t keep on lying. He’ll get bigger and bigger, and in addition, if the news spreads, he’ll hear gossip from his friends at school.
(They’re both quiet.)
BROJO’S FATHER: Help me. . .
SARJONO: Gladly, brother, Minah and I will do the most we can.
BLACKOUT.:
ACT II
SCENE 1
(BROJO sits on the living room floor, busy doing a task. Then BROJO’S FATHER enters carrying a bag full of market snacks. He walks to BROJO.)
BROJO’S FATHER: Here, I got you some snacks from the market.
(He gives the bag to BROJO, then sits in one of the chairs and lights a cigarette.)
(BROJO takes the bag from his FATHER.)
BROJO: Are you selling now, Dad?
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah, your mom asked me to keep the store open before she left.
BROJO: Dad?
BROJO’S FATHER: What, son?
BROJO: Mom joined Gerwani, right?
BROJO’S FATHER (hesitant): Yeah. . .
BROJO: Does mom have a heart?
BROJO’S FATHER: What do you mean heart?
BROJO: The heart to cut up the bodies of the generals killed at Lubang Buaya.
BROJO’S FATHER: Who said that?
BROJO: My history teacher. He explained what Gerwani was, and also said if one of our mothers doesn’t come home for several weeks, it is likely that she belongs to Gerwani member and has been arrested.
BROJO’S FATHER: Then, do you think Mother should be arrested?
BROJO: (shaking his head) No.
BROJO’S FATHER: Why?
BROJO: During the Lubang Buaya incident, Mother was at home, so it was impossible for her to do as my teacher said. So it’s true Mother was arrested, Dad?
BROJO’S FATHER: Yes. She was arrested a week ago.
BROJO: So Mother isn’t sleeping at Aunt Min’s house?
BROJO’S FATHER: No.
BROJO: Where’s Mom now, Dad?
BROJO’S FATHER: I also don’t know, son. Nobody gives any news, whether she’s in jail or how, I also don’t know much.
BROJO: We also don’t know when Mom’ll come back?
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah, we don’t know. Sorry.
BROJO: I’m already big, Dad. Don’t worry. We wait until Mom comes back.
BLACKOUT:
ACT III
SCENE 1
(BROJO’S FATHER and SARJONO sit in the living room. BROJO’S FATHER looks worried.)
SARJONO: How does he know, Brother?
BROJO’S FATHER: He said the history teacher at school told it in the class. I can’t stop thinking of the type of history they’re giving to our kids.
SARJONO: How’re things with BROJO?
BROJO’S FATHER: He seems to persevere and accept the situation, but he really likes to shut himself up in his room. I can’t do anything.
SARJONO: Take him walking for a while later Sunday, so you can get him to talk more.
BROJO’S FATHER: Where?
SARJONO: Someplace cheap, maybe the night market.
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah, good idea. (smiling.) He often went there with his mother before.
SARJONO: Try to entertain him a bit there.
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah. I hope he wants to go with me.
SARJONO: Why, Brother?
BROJO’S FATHER: BROJO was always very close with his mother, he went everywhere with his mother. He says he misses his mom’s stories before sleeping.
SARJONO: Then this is the right time to get closer to him.
BROJO’S FATHER: Yeah, you’re right. Fine, I’ll tell him.
SARJONO: I must go, Brother. (standing.) I’ll come here often to keep you company.
BROJO’S FATHER (standing): Yeah, thanks.
(SARJONO exits the house. BROJO’S FATHER waits in the room, then walks to BROJO’s room.)
SCENE 2
BROJO's room. A small, dim room. A futon couch in the corner, a wardrobe next to the futon, and a desk near the door.
(BROJO is reading on top of the futon. Someone knocks on the door.)
BROJO’S FATHER: Son. . .
(BROJO stands and opens the door.)
BROJO: Yeah, Dad?
(Enter BROJO’S FATHER.)
BROJO’S FATHER: What’re you doing?
BROJO: Reading, Dad, there’s a quiz tomorrow.
BROJO’S FATHER: Don’t you like the night market?
BROJO: Yeah, Dad. I liked going there with Mom.
BROJO’S FATHER: Let’s go to the night market next Sunday. It’ll be just the two of us. It’s been a long time since you’ve been to the night market, you just study in your room.
BROJO (quiet): Sorry, Dad. I'm waiting for Mom to go to the night market.
BROJO’S FATHER: Will you really wait for your mother?
BROJO: Yes, Dad. (Sleepy.)
BROJO’S FATHER: But nobody knows when she’ll be back.
BROJO: I know. But I really want to go there with Mom. I’m going to wait until Mom comes back and we’ll go to the night market, just the two of us.
(Awkward silence.)
BROJO’S FATHER: Fine, if it’s like that. (Quiet.) Have you eaten?
BROJO: Yes, Dad.
BROJO’S FATHER: Fine, keep studying. I have to take inventory.
BROJO: Sure, Dad.
(BROJO’S DAD exits.)
BROJO: I want to go to the cheap night market where everyone is happy, but only with Mom.
BLACKOUT:
ACT IV
SCENE 1
(BROJO’s FATHER sits on a sofa with a sad expression.)
BROJO’S FATHER: The incident turned out to really change everything, whether one was directly involved or not. Me, my wife and my child are just ordinary people who actually don’t know about the real incident, who gave the order, who got the order, who was killed and who did the killing. But we were also affected, see how our family began to fall apart.
(standing)
Now I no longer know what I can do to comforting BROJO. His mother belongs to Gerwani, a thing that was previously normal but now needs to be eradicated.
(angry)
I want to know what that history teacher said about Gerwani, and especially about my wife. How could they say my wife is a wicked murderer?
(walking back and forth)
Actually what was wrong with me until BROJO refused my invitation to go to the night market? During this time I was not very close to him, but it was also beyond my control. Then how long will we wait? No one knows for sure when the innocent will be released and if they’ll be alive. How long will you wait so you can go to the night market again with your mother, son?
Will you also leave me later?
(crying)
And let me grow old here alone? Bear the fate of being ridiculed as the husband of an inhuman Gerwani member, and dying in loneliness? Is that what you want, son?
Or maybe that decision is the best for you, and to stay far away from your father, just go. So I don’t have to feel ashamed of all these things...so I don’t have to wait to sell all the merchandise just to eat good food. Go find entertainment from the lights scattered on the night market as you wish. And leave me here -
(harsh smile)
- imprisoned in an invisible jail, waiting, waiting for you to talk to me.
Cries.
BLACKOUT:
PROLOGUE: Off-stage, the sounds of the bustling night market; sounds of children laughing, playing, and merchants offering their wares.
ACT V
SCENE 1
YOUNG BROJO (voiceover): I want to go to the cheap night market where everyone is happy, but only with Mom.
BROJO’s living room. A space with the following furniture: sofa, table, a rack consisting of a glass display and a photo of BROJO and his wife, MAY.
BROJO is sitting on the sofa. He is a man of nearly 50 years of age, he’s wearing brand name casual clothes.
BROJO: The night market. Why is the night market cheap but makes people happy? We don’t need to bring a thick wallet to ride an exciting ride, like the lofty amusement parks. The food sold there is also very cheap, sometimes it’s possible to use credit if you know the seller. If you want to ride the windmill until it feels like you’re drunk or eat cotton candy until you get diarrhea, it’s no problem.
Of course I miss going to the night market. But I have dignity. Because I’m already successful, BROJO's rich, I’m not the son of an itinerant grocer. Rich people don’t go to the night market. If I go there, people will think I’m being poor and thirsty for entertainment. If I obey my heart, I can buy a karaoke or movie theatre to use it to satisfy myself and my wife. But those things will only make everyone know of my enormous wealth.
When was the last time I went to the night market? It feels like it’s hard to remember because it’s been so long. Ah, never mind; don’t let anyone know I’m still looking for the night market.
(MAY, BROJO’s wife, enters the room. She's much younger than BROJO, with an attractive, made-up face. The clothes she’s wearing also looks expensive. She walks casually but her gaze is sharp and her gestures alert.)
MAY: Night market again?
BROJO: Huh, MAY?!
MAY: You weren’t talking to yourself just now?
BROJO: What?
BROJO (voiceover): Never mind, Roh, you trust me. We just elope, leave this village and forget all our identities. If we need, we can change our names just to make them sound more urban.
MAY: You remember? Although finally only me who changed my nickname from Maesaroh to MAY, and you keep your name.
BROJO: I just miss it.
MAY: Do you miss your mother, too?
(BROJO silent. MAY sits next to BROJO and acts friendly.)
