LITTLE MARY - PART THREE
SCENE FOUR
CHRISTINA
“That
is indeed a great miracle, Christina”.
The sanctum, evening.
Lights up, Christina is surrounded by Tivoli, Jose and Lulit. Beside her on the
bench is a full plate of food. Ambient crowd noise, a large but reverent crowd.
Muttered prayers, and occasional shout of “praise God!”.
CHRISTINA
That’s
all I told the reporter that Cardinal Gian had said.
TIVOLI
Didn’t
you know he was from the Enquirer?
CHRISTINA
(proud)
Yes!
I was very nervous.
LULIT
Christina,
you need to eat something.
CHRISTINA
But
I don’t feel hungry, Mother Lulit. I really
don’t.
JOSE
She
has not eat since she hear--eh...
La
voz de Dios.
The voice of God.
We hear a buzz from the
crowd outside start and grow louder, like a wave washing toward the church.
TIVOLI
You
understood all that?
JOSE
I
am trying to learn English more now.
A cell phone rings. It is
Jose’s, which he pulls from a pocket beneath his shirt.
TIVOLI
(probing
Jose’s eyes)
Do
you really believe this is the work of God?
Jose looks at him
uncertainly. The ringing phone demands his attention.
JOSE
(on
cell phone)
Si?
(to
Tivoli)
Excuse
me.
(on
cell phone)
Si?... No habla Englese.
Gian, the source of the
crowd swell, enters, nearly bumps into Jose, who is stepping away to talk on
the cell phone.
JOSE
Hola,
su Eminencia.
Your Eminence, hi...
A quick bow of acknowledgment
and Jose steps to the side, and carries on quietly on the phone.
GIAN
What
is happening here?
LULIT
An
article was published,
your
Eminence.
GIAN
Yes,
yes! But there are a thousand
people
outside holding candles. Why?
TIVOLI
Because
it was the Enquirer.
They
are here to see and touch
“Little
Mary”.
Jose holds out phone to
Lulit.
JOSE
No
lo puedo entender, Lulit.
I cannot understand him, Lulit.
LULIT
(on
phone)
This
is Mother Lulit. Who
am
I speaking to?
TIVOLI
Who
is it?
JOSE
(uncertainly)
“Biff”
from Senor Morris?
TIVOLI
Senor
Morris?
JOSE
Eh--
Guillermo Morris.
TIVOLI
Good
old Guillermo.
GIAN
What?
TIVOLI
“William
Morris”.
It’s
a talent agent.
GIAN
I
don’t understand.
LULIT
One
of the couriers at the agency speaks Spanish.
Lulit returns the phone to
Jose.
JOSE
Si,
es Jose Naverez... De verdad?
Yes, this is Jose Naverez?... Oh, really?
(to others)
Excuse
me.
Jose exits, continuing his
conversation.
TIVOLI
We
know what you’ve gone through,
that
you’re confused.
CHRISTINA
But
I’m not anymore. As soon as I told
Cardinal
Gian, I knew I was right.
TIVOLI
Papa?
GIAN
How
do you know this
was
the voice of God you heard?
How
do you know it was not
the
Devil or... post traumatic
stress
disorder?
LULIT
Christina,
many people, with pure intentions,
have
claimed many things.
CHRISTINA
I’m
not pulling this--...
(stops,
pondering what she is about to admit)
Okay....
Okay, uhmm... I’ve had visions.
(the
others react)
I
have seen my unborn. They’re all mixed up...
Mixes of things. Hispanic and white and Asian and
African
and Arabic. Everything.
TIVOLI
Tina,
DNA tests will be done.
CHRISTINA (excited by the prospect)
Wow… I wonder what they’ll say?
TIVOLI
Christina--
GIAN
Bishop Tivoli.
TIVOLI
Then
speak, Cardinal Gian! You’re wise man, say something.
GIAN
I
did not become wise by speaking.
The
Cardinal-Secretary of State will arrive tomorrow.
TIVOLI
(clearly
displeased)
He’s
coming here?
GIAN
He
will advise us of the Holy
Father’s wishes.
TIVOLI
Ugh--
I can smell his cologne already!
Gian suddenly grabs Tivoli
by the arm, but is immediately aware it was a mistake. He turns back to Lulit,
imploring her with his eyes to take Christina and go.
LULIT
Christina,
let’s warm your food.
CHRISTINA
I’m
not hungry.
LULIT
If
you care for these babies,
you
must eat.
Jose pops in, smiling.
JOSE
Christina...
The agent, Biff, for you.
Christina looks at each of
them, frustrated, then hurries out, brushing past Jose without taking the
phone. Jose follows her, and Lulit soon after.
TIVOLI
You
think this merits flying
Machiavelli
in from Rome?
GIAN
Enough!
(this
grabs his attention)
I
was sent here to excommunicate you!
TIVOLI
(pause)
I
suppose that shouldn’t surprise me.
GIAN
Yes,
it should. You should be ashamed and humiliated.
We saw such greatness in you.
The
poor of Rome. Your
converts
from East Africa—Much of
what
you’re attempting here at your mission--
Greatness.
TIVOLI
Then
why does his Holiness want to
excommunicate
me?
GIAN
Because
you are out of control!
TIVOLI
I
am being a shepherd in the best
way I know how.
GIAN
Listen!…. I have convinced His Holiness that I
might
reform
you.
TIVOLI
And
he believed that?
GIAN
He
wished to seem benevolent.
But
whatever I report when I return, I’m certain
his
mind is decided.
TIVOLI
(beat)
Onward
and upward, then. Why delay?
GIAN
(pause)
His
Alzheimer’s is advancing. It is taking
a
dire physical toll as well.
TIVOLI
(beat)
So...
You’re stalling for time?
GIAN
We
won’t talk about it further.
TIVOLI
I don’t want you getting in trouble for me.
GIAN
Then when the Cardinal Secretary arrives, behave.
I have watched you grow from that
infant into something remarkable. Peter, I
know
you are capable of such good--
TIVOLI
I am trying to do good now!
GIAN
You
offend the church!
TIVOLI
I
would not be offended, if I was Pope.
The lights suddenly go
out. We are in total blackness.
GIAN
What
is this?
TIVOLI
A
rolling blackout. I’ll get some candles.
(starts
to go, stops)
Are
you all right, Papa?
GIAN
Yes,
fine.
Tivoli exits in the
darkness. A long pause. Then, the statue and Gian are dimly illuminated. Gian
reacts to hearing something in the darkness that we do not.
GIAN
What?
Who’s there?
(pause,
then a gasp)
Gian freezes, listening
with awe and intensity. He seizes up and stumbles over a bench. The lights
black out.
TIVOLI’S
VOICE (calling)
Papa?....
Papa!
In the darkness, we hear
Gracie Fields rendition of “Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye” play.
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