CARMEN
A girl trapped by a huge man who has her in his power. Whose heart is beating wildly as he towers over her! But instead of just feeling fear, she is beginning to have deeper feelings for him. I’m that little girl again in the old neighborhood. Not knowing if I can even go there again. Not knowing if that place even exists anymore.
JOSÉ
(weakening further)
Do you want that place to exist again?
CARMEN
I’m too embarrassed to say what I really want, José.
CARMEN dances in front of JOSÉ, handcuffed hands behind her, pushing them toward him. Finally, he unlocks them. CARMEN turns and takes JOSÉ’s face in her hands as if to kiss him, then pushes him away and runs. She stops at the far end of the stage.
JOSÉ
Don’t make fun of me, Carmen.
CARMEN
No, it’s my heart that’s making fun of me. Leading me into love again when I’m so afraid of it. I’m not laughing at you, José. I would never do that.
JOSÉ
I came here a shell, wondering about my career, and my life. Now you’ve found all the empty spaces and filled them.
CARMEN
If I escape, will you be too angry to ever see me again? Or will you wonder how I would feel if I were in your arms, the way I am wondering how it would be?
JOSÉ
Carmen… Carmen… You make me think too much. I am drunk with thoughts of you.
CARMEN
Lillas Pastia’s club. I’ll be waiting for you.
CARMEN rushes to JOSÉ, kisses him passionately, then runs off. JOSÉ is standing forlornly in the middle of the stage, holding his empty handcuffs. ZUNIGA appears and looks around for CARMEN. He stares at JOSÉ, hands uplifted in question. He sees JOSÉ’s shoulders droop and understands what has happened. Then he crosses the stage and stares directly into the JOSÉ’s face. JOSÉ turns slowly away, cringing. ZUNIGA turns to SHEA and LANE and motions them over.
ZUNIGA
This is what happens to weak men. He’s let that girl get away. Write him up. I’ll do the rest. He doesn’t deserve to be in our unit.
Embarrassed, SHEA and LANE walk away after ZUNIGA.
For a moment the stage is empty except for JOSÉ and some neighborhood types, who are motionless. Then an old man enters from stage right, pushing a cart. Perched on the cart is a portable radio that plays the “Destiny Theme.”
Scene 2
We are at Lillas Pastia’s social club. It is modest, with a roped-off area and a small, slightly raised stage. CARMEN is sitting at a table with MERCEDES and FRASQUITA. Several people are standing at the bar, most sipping small cups of coffee or tea.
FRASQUITA
Carmen, look at you! You’re glowing! Are you sick?
MERCEDES
(feeling CARMEN’s forehead)
She’s got the flu!
CARMEN
I feel fine!
FRASQUITA
You’re depressed. Tell me what’s on your mind. It’s better to get it off your chest.
CARMEN
What’s on my mind? I’m thinking about a certain police officer. Six feet tall… dark eyes…
MERCEDES
(alarmed)
Oh, my God! She’s in love.
FRASQUITA
With a policeman? Not that José? I don’t believe it.
CARMEN
Little scraggly mustache…
MERCEDES
Carmen, please tell me you are not in love with any man. Then tell me two times that you are not even thinking of being in love with a cop!
FRASQUITA
She’s thinking of it. Even though she knows that love doesn’t work these streets. When love has to pass through el barrio, it takes a taxi.
MERCEDES
And keeps its head down so it won’t even see us.
FRASQUITA
Then sneaks away without paying! How do you know you’re in love? It could be swine flu.
CARMEN
I just keep thinking about him, Frasquita. He’s like a tune I can’t get out of my head.
MERCEDES
Carmen, you of all people. You know better. He’ll forget your face and your eyes and your heart. All he’ll see is another poor Latina longing for a life she can’t have. Love is for people with bank accounts. And besides, if he felt that much for you, he’d be around here looking for you. When did you see him last?
CARMEN
They put him on loan to the tunnel authority. All day long he has to breathe car exhaust. It’s only temporary.
FRASQUITA
Temporary? They’re going to move the tunnel?
CARMEN
No, the assignment. His sergeant is mad because I got away.
MERCEDES
Frasquita’s right. Love isn’t for poor people, honey. You show me a man without a job or a kicking hustle, and I’ll show you a dude that’s mad at the world. We’re just sweet meat if a man can’t afford to get married. For us it’s just a quick kiss, a quick hug-
FRASQUITA
A quick bam-bam-bam-
MERCEDES
And a long, sad time to think about it later. You know too much to believe in fairy tales, Carmen.
CARMEN
My head knows who I am, Frasquita. My head tells me, “¡Vamos, chica!” But my heart says, “Hey, Carmencita, maybe this time it’ll work out.”
MERCEDES
The last time he saw you he arrested you!
CARMEN
And let me go! This time he will come and maybe he’ll put me up against the wall.
FRASQUITA
That he might do.
CARMEN sits on a table, hands between her knees.
CARMEN
He’ll run his hands over my body, looking for weapons, and I’ll tell him all the places he’s missing. Then he’ll notice that my heart is beating fast, and he’ll ask me what I have to fear if I’m telling him the truth. I’ll tell him I think I’m having a heart attack, and he’ll have to put his ear to my chest to listen to the rhythm…
MERCEDES
She’s really in love.
CARMEN
Then he’ll see that I’m trembling and put his arms around me.
FRASQUITA
And suddenly all the streets with the empty food wrappers and the potholes and the garbage will disappear and you’ll be in a gleaming white castle on a hill far away…
CARMEN
It could happen. I feel it in my bones. There’s something about him, something that draws me to him. That excites me, too. You don’t like him?
MERCEDES
I guess he’s all right. I like men, too, but I only like them for a little while. Two weeks, three, unless there’s a holiday coming up. You have to stay with them through the holidays.
CARMEN
He makes me feel like a schoolgirl again.
MERCEDES
That’s good to you? Why? I don’t remember you doing any dancing on the way to school.
CARMEN
You’re getting to be too hard.
FRASQUITA