Carmen (2 page)

MICAELA

(to SHEA)

Do you know José? He’s on the force. Is he with you? Sometimes they call him DJ.

ZUNIGA

(who has overheard MICAELA)

I know him. Sure. He’s not here yet. But he’ll be here soon. He’s bringing the warrant. You want to sit in the car with me? Get out of the hot sun?

He tries to put his arm around MICAELA, who slips easily away.

MICAELA

No, it’s all right.

ZUNIGA

Hey, don’t fly away so soon, little bird.

MICAELA

I’ll come back after a while. You sure he’s coming here?

ZUNIGA

Any minute. This is a rough neighborhood. Come with me, and I’ll protect you. What’s your name?

MICAELA

Micaela. I’m a friend of José’s. Tell him his friend—the teacher’s aide—was looking for him. He’ll know who I am.

She leaves, looking cautiously around the neighborhood as she does.

ZUNIGA watches MICAELA go and then turns back toward the old lady in the doorway.

ZUNIGA

(to the OFFICERS, pointing to TÍA SOFIA)

Keep an eye on that one!

TÍA SOFIA

(tossing the front of her dress up)

And don’t forget to read me my rights!

OFFICER LANE

Look—here’s José now.

ZUNIGA

Men! Fall in! Get ready!

The men get ready to enter the building as JOSÉ approaches. JOSÉ goes directly to ZUNIGA and whispers something in his ear that clearly disturbs the sergeant.

ZUNIGA

What do you mean, we have to go to the judge again? What happened to the warrant we had before? By the time we go through the whole process, they’ll have moved their operation to another building!

JOSÉ

What can I tell you?

ZUNIGA

I’ll call the captain. By the way, there was a girl looking for you. Okay-looking, not from around here, I think.

JOSÉ

Dark hair? Pretty?

ZUNIGA

Aren’t they all?

TÍA SOFIA

(calling from the doorway)

Who’s the captain? Tell him Sofia says hello.

ZUNIGA, on the side, gesticulates as he talks into the radio. We can’t hear his conversation but see that he is upset.

ZUNIGA

(angrily)

The operation is off! Get the men out of here! How are we going to shut down anything with this stupid paperwork?

A loud buzzing noise comes from the factory. Instantly the younger men in the area jump to their feet. One, MANNY, begins to brush off his jacket. Another, GATO, first pulls up his pants, then lowers them to just the right height to be cool.

ZUNIGA

What’s that? Their all-clear signal?

OFFICER LANE

Lunchtime at the factory!

The door of Delgado’s opens, and the factory girls come out, strutting and chatting. Many are on cell phones, and most are speaking a combination of English and Spanish. Among the girls is FRASQUITA, who has a fair complexion and light brown eyes. She is wearing a tight blouse and even tighter jeans.

As the girls strut, the boys hover around. Music begins and slowly the posturing changes into a formal dance. We see the boys, who were nondescript at first, slowly change into gentlemen, proud of their heritage and respectful of the women. Then we hear the music of “El Ritmo del Barrio.”

The cops watch, putting away their guns as the lights transform the dingy buildings into glowing neighborhood edifices. ZUNIGA leans against a pole, eyeing the girls.

As the dance ends…

ZUNIGA

Why don’t you young ladies come to the precinct with us? The afternoon is young, and we can dance. I have a few moves I can show you.

OFFICER SHEA

(to FRASQUITA)

Hey, beautiful, you married, or you waiting for me?

FRASQUITA

Married? You need two things to get married. Do you know what they are?

OFFICER SHEA

(proudly)

A wedding ring and a license!

FRASQUITA

No, white boy. A passport and a job. No passport and you can’t stay here. No job, and there’s no love. Not from this girl!

OFFICER LANE

(to SHEA)

These girls are nice, but I heard they’ve got somebody special here. They call her Carmen. I don’t know what she looks like, but they say she’s hot.

OFFICER SHEA

Ya seen one, ya seen them all.

Suddenly the door to Delgado’s opens again, and a stunning young woman commands the space of the doorway. It is CARMEN. She is dressed in a white blouse, a short bolero jacket, and a black skirt. Her mirrored sunglasses reflect the afternoon heat. A flower sticks out from under the jaunty cap she wears, but the most amazing thing about her is the smile she flashes ever so briefly.

OFFICER LANE

Wait—there she is! Oh, my God! Is she fine or what?

CARMEN descends the factory’s three front steps like the diva she is. The boys form an open circle in front of her, and she takes her rightful place in its center. Among the boys are MANNY, GATO, and ANGEL.

MANNY

Carmen, I’m yours forever!

GATO

Carmen, it’s me who is in love with you. I’ve always been in love with you.

ANGEL

(sinking to his knees)

You finally found me. Now tell these fools who you really love so they can die in peace.

CARMEN

Get off your knees, handsome. People will think you’re serious.

GATO

Serious enough to marry you this very moment, Carmen.

FRASQUITA

All they know is push-push, Carmen. They don’t know about real love.

CARMEN

They know about love, Frasquita. But they still think it’s for us, that love is going to come flying down this street. Love isn’t coming to this neighborhood.

FRASQUITA

Unless it finds its way to flicker across the television screens or in the movies.

CARMEN

What are all of these cops here for?

ANGEL

They were going to raid Tía Sofia’s place, but they forgot the warrant. She ain’t letting nobody in without a warrant.

CARMEN

(looking at JOSÉ)

Frasquita, I know that guy over there. The one with his hat off. We used to live on the same block when I was a kid.

FRASQUITA

He’s tall.

One of the factory girls, MERCEDES, thin and chesty and working her high heels, comes over.

MERCEDES

What’s going down?

FRASQUITA

There was supposed to be a raid, but the cops blew it. Now they’re standing around, trying to figure out what to do. Carmen used to date the guy leaning against the car.

MERCEDES

You dated a cop?

CARMEN

I didn’t say I dated him. I said we used to live on the same block. He’s about four years older than me. I had a crush on him.

FRASQUITA

I was in love with an older guy once. I would have married him but his wife was my cousin, so…

MERCEDES

Anyway, you can’t be in love with a cop. Cops don’t have hearts. They got little tin badges inside where their hearts should be.

CARMEN

I was in love with him once. A little.

FRASQUITA

And what did he say when you told him?

CARMEN

I never told him. Maybe I should now.

MERCEDES

Hey, wait a minute. Do you know who that guy is? I saw his picture in the paper. He’s the one who shot that kid in the park. He could be weird. You don’t want to fall for a guy like that.

CARMEN

Girlfriend, I don’t “fall” for nobody. I’m not into love games anymore. I know what love is all about, and this girl is staying on the sidelines with her heart under lock and key.

FRASQUITA

Lock and key!

CARMEN

(sings “La Habanera”)

Love is a bird that sweetly dreams,

Soaring high in a clear blue sky.

He wants to rest, to settle down,

But summer comes and he has to fly.

You call to me; I turn away,

But I listen as sweet love sings.

I want to go, I want to stay,

While within me, my heart has wings.

L’amour, L’amour, L’amour, L’amour…

Latino boys have love so true,

But in my heart I must always be free.

You ignore me, then I’ll love you,

And when I do, beware of me.

You ignore me—at least you’ll try,

But I’ll love you,

And if I love you, if I love you,

Beware of me!

FRASQUITA

Carmen is right! Love is not for us!

CARMEN

(looking at JOSÉ)

I bet he doesn’t even remember me. I think I was ten when he moved.

MERCEDES

Ten? Carmen, you were never ten! Anyway, boys don’t remember anything.

CARMEN

You’re right. I’ll say hello, anyway.

CARMEN goes over to JOSÉ, who is looking at some papers. She puts her hand over the papers, and he looks up.

CARMEN

José Ibarra. You know I remember you from the old neighborhood, when I lived on Manhattan Avenue. You lived in the only building on the block with an elevator.

JOSÉ

That was a long time ago.

CARMEN

You used to buy potato chips from Ferrara’s and eat them on the corner. Once I was standing in the doorway of my building and when I saw you passing, I lifted my skirt a little so you could see my legs. You didn’t even look in my direction.

JOSÉ

We were both young. You’re very pretty now.

CARMEN

You went to church with your mother every Sunday. The early Mass.

JOSÉ

You were really watching me.

CARMEN

De pe a pa. We were poor, and you looked rich. We were nothing much, and you looked pretty special to me.

JOSÉ

You know, I remember you now. Someone said you were a gypsy.

CARMEN

You don’t remember me.

JOSÉ

Didn’t you go to Saint Dominic’s? But you were just a kid.

CARMEN

(smiling as she twirls)

Am I a kid now?

CARMEN dances playfully around JOSÉ. The other cops motion for him to go after her, but he tries to ignore her. Finally, he takes a step toward her, but she moves quickly away. She stops, takes the flower from her hair, and tosses it to him. He catches the flower and looks down at it as she crosses toward him.