My Brothers Keeper - a play
Characters:
Melvin Johnson - main character. 1 out of 3 of the friendship (brotherhood) 17 year old black male tired of the typical black male stereotype. He’s trying to prove to the world that he's more than what people think he is and he's got his brothers to back him up. He’s ambitious and will take on any task.
Bryan Love - 2 out of 3 of the friendship (brotherhood) 16 year old black male who loves poetry and has a strong connection with his friends. He is gentle and has forgiving spirit.
Noah Robinson - 3 out of 3 of the friendship (brotherhood) 17 year old white male who tries his hardest to fit in with the world but deep down inside he is fighting his own personal battles. He’s awkward and humorous.
Mr. Jones - the stereotypical white middle aged teacher who is tired of teaching in a predominately black school.
Jamal Frost - 18 year old black male with brothers and a gang, wants what is best for his brothers and will kill for them.
Setting: Takes place in Detroit, Michigan, 2006. It is during late fall and the cold is torture. Main setting is Broadstreet and Courtland where Melvin and Bryan live and the two schools, Loyola High School and Denby High School.
Lights on, 3 guys standing downstage, backs turned to the audience,
1st guy walks up, turns his face to the audience, spotlight on him.
Narrator: Melvin Johnson. 17 years old. 2:30 pm. Loyola High School.
(sounds of knocking on the door)
Melvin: I come from the hard knocks of Detroit where you didn’t have to see the shootings on movie screens you just had to pull up a chair and watch it in the streets. Nah, don’t follow me around 7/11 I’m not gonna steal shit. Nah, don’t lock your car doors I’m not gonna knock your window down to steal your car keys so I can ride down to a corner. Nah, I am not gonna have sex with your daughter and then leave her to avoid hard circumstances. Nah, I have never walked into the prison walls or behind bars and no I can’t dribble a ball. You won’t see me on the TV screen as another black man being shot from the force of the police because I’m not all those things… or maybe… (looks at his hands and arms, examines himself) (sounds of knocking on the door)
Lights fade
Spotlight on second guy
Narrator: Bryan Love. 16 years old. 8:30 pm. Denby High School. 5 shots in the back. November 4th, 2006.
Ghost of Bryan: "Between me and my dream. Rose until it touched the sky—The wall. Shadow. I am black.I lie down in the shadow.No longer the light of my dream before me, Above me.Only the thick wall. Only the shadow.” -Langston Hughes. They don’t care if you have all those credentials. They don’t care that you love poetry or that your favorite poet is Langston Hughes. They could care less about how many brothers you have or the jobs you hold to make ends meet for your grandmother.(sighs) They just don’t care. So while I play pickup basketball games with my brothers on the court they don’t realize that they are playing pickup basketball games with a ghost. (breaths heavily, gets down on both knees) When I said that I’d die for my brothers I didn’t know it would be like this. So excuse me if I use the cliche that ignorance is bliss. Guns don’t solve problems with relationships... unless the blood dripping down my back and the bullets shooting through my spine is a love story…(covering his head, crying uncontrollably)
Lights fade
Spotlight on third guy
Narrator: Noah Robinson. 17 years old. 6:30 pm. Loyola High School.
Noah: (waves) Melvin, you were the first to say hi to me when I was wearing my bedazzled jeans and stingy yellow plaid shirt. I was new to the area and you welcomed me into homeroom in Mrs. Johnson’s class. I was the only white kid. You introduced me to Bryan from the corner on Broadstreet and Courtland and we would always meet up after school. Now it’s just the two of us, still waiting on him. Look, I don’t know what it’s like to be you. You and Bryan would tell me stories all the time of how you all don’t have fathers. The stories about your little brothers. The stories about being on the block seeing live action of killings everyday. The stories of walking miles to get to school. See I never understood and maybe my privilege was blinding up my vision but all I know was that you guys were the coolest dudes to ever grace Detroit. (pounds chest twice and throws up the peace sign)
Lights fade
Spotlight on Melvin
Melvin: I remember when the police kicked the door in
My grandma screaming at the top of her lungs watching you struggle to get out of the chokehold they had you in, their knee, caving into the spine that held you together and the pressure on your chin as you looked me in the eyes as if you knew how this was going to end, damn.
You couldn’t help but grin
And while I stand there with my fist balled up, holding my two brothers around the neck with nothing but an eight year old brain,
I turned to pencil and lined paper to keep me from going too insane
I remember when you took off something around your neck with your wrist stuck together like the bond we never had
Handcuffed as you walked out the house
Grandma holding onto your arm saying “don’t take my baby away”
You can hear the voice crying in pain and from your unforgiving hands I grabbed your chain…
I couldn’t find the words to say
But as you turned around and looked me in my eight year old eyes
I didn’t know if the smile around your eyes was a disguise
As you said
“I ain’t coming back for y’all asses just like ya crackhead momma”
Left me paralyzed…
How am I supposed to be a man huh?
Who’s gonna teach me how to deliberately keep the strokes smooth in the same direction so I don’t get cut when I shave my face huh?
Who’s gonna teach me every pick up line for the girls at the school dance?
Who’s gonna teach me how to teach my brothers tough love?
Who was ever gonna teach me how to dribble a ball or how to put on a baseball glove huh?
I turned into everything you were not.
I didn’t want to be like you.
You were in my life for that short period of time on accident and you loved me on purpose
I know that for certain…
Lights Fade
Spotlight on Bryan
Bryan: I’ve become immune to this thing called suffering
Been working on this blank canvas called life ever since I was 10 years old and I’m still coloring,
Hovering, over me like a dark cloud that’s never found their way out
Hovering, over me was something I have been in a relationship for too long and that was doubt I shout,
Why me Lord? Why all of this agony? Why you let my mother slip through my fingers like time
This hurts.
This hurts me…
I remember the day we all played at the park, no doubt in my mind crossed when I moved my legs back and forth on the swing.
No doubt ever crossed my mind when I would run to you to prop my leg up on your thigh for you to tie my shoe string as you would sing
‘Pick your afro baby
Because it’s flat on one side…’
Why did you leave me?
Holding me close to your chest to the hear the rhythm to the heart of your battered drum
Your arms is where I reside
You will forever be the woman I love…
Lights Fade
Spotlight on Noah
Noah: (examines self in the mirror)
I hate seeing my reflection
Ever since I was 9 years old I hated affection that my mom and dad would give in saying
“Baby you are so cute” but somehow there was some disconnection
Between myself and the enemy inside
So only as a protection in detroit was to mask the very hate I felt inside, it was the only connection and the direction I was heading toward perfection was all conception...
I am a directionless perfectionist where my mind is so parallel that it does not quite intersect with the perpendicular angles of my high expectations.
I am sorry…
I am sorry for every word that I stumble upon when I speak because my mind always tends to run faster than what I actually think, they say “think before you speak” but I speak before I think and I can not slow down from words faster than my intentions.
I am sorry that my idea of perfection is only deception and that these fabricated images in my mind is only my perception and I can’t quite seem to put these faint pieces to the bigger picture together.
I am sorry…
I am sorry my understanding is not too wide and my thoughts not too deep.
I’m living a life where growth is not adaptable.
I am afraid of change.
BUT I AM TIRED OF PUTTING MYSELF IN A POSITION WHERE I AM 6 FT UNDER WATER WHERE I BARELY CAN BREATH WITH WEIGHTS ON MY ANKLES AND THE ONLY PERSON PULLING ME DOWN IS…
me…
I hate myself and I hate it..
Lights Fade
Spotlight on all three
Melvin: 5 bullets deep into his brown back.
Ghost of Bryan: 4 reasons why.
Noah: 3 brothers.
Melvin: 2 hands in the sky
Ghost of Bryan: who would have thought that I’d be the…
All Three: 1
Lights Black Out
Narrator: The morning of November 4th, 2006. 7:30 am. Bryan, Noah and Melvin getting ready for school.
Lights up
Melvin: (knocks on the bathroom door) Devin, bro, if you don’t get out of that bathroom using all that hot water I’m gonna kick your ass yo!
Bryan: (looks in the mirror brushing his waves) This morning, I woke up. Feeling brand new and I jumped up. Feeling my highs, and my lows in my soul, and my goals. Just to stop smokin, and stop drinkin and I've been thinkin - I've got my reasons just to get by. Just to get by. Just to get by. (puts both hands in the air jamming out)
Noah: (walks into the kitchen to bacon, eggs, and toast on the kitchen table) Good Morning mom and dad. I will be a little late after school. I’ve got some assignments to finish up and then I’m going to hang out with Melvin and Bryan. We’re going down to the library, possibly up by the lakefront too.
Narrator: 8:00 am and school starts in an hour. 10 miles of walking and talking to do.
Melvin: (shouts outside Bryan’s house) I hope you ready lil fella! We gotta walk to school remember?! You ready yet?
Bryan: (shouts outside the window) Just give me a second bro. The real question is, are you ready?(points at him) Today is finna be a good day big fella.
Melvin: ahhhhh, you right. You right. But c’mon, we gotta make sure we get a head start and avoid these corners.
Bryan: (walks down the steps of his house and zips up his coat) Then let’s go.
Lights Fade
Spotlight on Melvin
Melvin: Will they ever call your death beautiful. Your life an offering. Like Jesus laid down his life for his friends and he showed his love through his suffering but the death of you has left my mind wandering. I’m choking my thoughts and causing suicide in the mind because what if he finds the mastermind behind… this… (pacing back and forth) he was my brother (shakes his head) man but what was I supposed to do? The bullets should have gone through my back but who left the residue. (holds a gun in his hand)
Lights Black Out
Lights up
Narrator: 10:30 am. Loyola High School. 2nd hour. Mr. Jones US History Class.
Mr. Jones: Good Morning class. Your packets are on your desk. They are due at the beginning of class tomorrow. You may begin to work on it as you please, if you have any questions I will be at my desk (mumbles under his breath) they don’t pay me enough for this.
Melvin: (raises his hand)
Mr. Jones: (sighs) Yes Melvin.
Melvin: With all do respect Mr. Jones, but this is the 5th packet you gave us this week! Can you actually engage us into a conversation about the history of America (scratches his head) even though it’s been whitewashed. But c’mon.
Mr. Jones: I do everything they have told me to do that’s in the curriculum. Case closed. Do your packets.
Melvin: (smacks his lips together put his head down on the desk)
Jamal: (taps Melvin on his shoulders) psst, Melvin, can you do me a favor.
Melvin: (looks up) Yeah, what’s up bro?
Jamal: My bros and I are on a mission tonight. We on a search for a dude who beat up my little brother at Denby High School. (looks around) You know what happened?
Melvin: I’m afraid not.
Jamal: Ol’ dude beat up my brother so bad, my little brother doesn’t even want to go to school. They was beefin over basketball or sum shit like that. I don’t care about all dat, his ass is mine. I will find that dude. No one messes with MY little brother.
Melvin: Most definitely bro.
Jamal: So you in? Meet us up on the corner of Orangelawn Street. (offers his hand for an agreement shake)
Melvin: (shakes his hand) Anything to help show the brother who not to mess with!
Lights Fade
Jamal and Melvin Walk Off
Spotlight on Ghost of Bryan
Ghost of Bryan: All I knew was that we were gonna meet up downtown at the library and possibly up at the lake front. But Noah got caught up with homework and his teacher and Melvin said he was on a mission that night. It was odd. (looks down at his hands, gets fidgety) Funny how that same night that they seemed to be busy, I was shot. My brothers weren’t around to protect me. MY BROTHERS WERE NOT AROUND TO PROTECT ME! (breaths heavily) Brothers are supposed to stick for each other man. Orangelawn Street was a corner we always tried to avoid. I wounded up being right there… (puts both of his hands up in the sky) (gunshot sound)
Lights Black Out
Narrator: 4:30 pm. Loyola High School. Noah sees Melvin walk out the doors.
Noah: (runs to catch up with him) Hey Melvin. You still wanna meet up after school?
Melvin: Man, I wish. I’m on this mission tonight with Jamal. I don’t know if we can dude.
Noah: I mean, it’s fine if we don’t. I got a lot of homework to do in Mrs. Johnson’s class anyways. You wouldn’t believe what she has got us doing in her class dude.
Melvin: And what is that?
Noah: (looks around and whispers) Poetry and short story writing.
Melvin: (chuckles) Those are Bryan’s favorite things to do. That guy loves to write. I can do a little writing myself. I actually like it. I mean, no one really knows I do… (looks down at his feet) You better not tell a soul. (laughs)
Noah: (chuckles) No, dude. It’s all good in the hood. It’s just, I rather would learn about science and how the body functions from the brain all the way down to feet. There’s actually a science fair coming up and man I gotta get ready for tha-
Melvin: Hold up lil fella, you lost me at science. (laughs) But hey, we can meet up tomorrow.
Noah: Sounds pretty groovy to me (puts his thumb up)
Melvin: Weirdo. But you still my bro.
Noah: (pounds his chest twice and throws a peace sign up)
Both Noah and Melvin walk off
Lights Fade
Spotlight on Noah
Noah: WHAT? THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? (anxiety builds up)WHAT DO I DO? HOW CAN I SOLVE IT? I’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE! (screams at the top of his lungs) HELPPPP. (pulls trigger to his head) (gunshot sound)
Lights Black Out
Lights up
Narrator: 8:30 pm. Jamal and his gang of friends on the corner of Orangelawn Street. Melvin right behind them.
Jamal: Ayo Melvin! Let me give you a description of the dude we lookin for. (hunches over, puts his hand on shoulder)
Melvin: I'm all ears.
Jamal: He's 6’0. Brown skin. Glasses. Last name Love ring any bells?
Melvin: Bryan? Oh shit. (thoughts roam his head)
Jamal: Don't tell me your friends with the dude.
Melvin: (hesitantly) uh, oh. No.
Jamal: Good (hands over his gun)
Lights Black Out
Lights up
Spotlight on Melvin, Noah and Ghost of Bryan
Melvin: (Sings) Back to life
Noah: Back to Reality
Ghost of Bryan: Back to the Dream
Melvin: (sings slowly) Back to reality…. (gun points at the audience)
Lights Fade
Spotlight on Melvin
Melvin: Overthinking kills. I guess that’s exactly what happened. Even though I had the gun in my hand it wasn’t me who pulled the trigger. Gun shots went through my back before it went through his…(stares into space) (gunshot sound)
Lights Black Out
Lights Up
Narrator: Morning of November 5th, 2006. Melvin residence.
(ocean wave sounds)
Melvin: (dreaming) Peace. Peace and quietness. Nothing but the ocean. The water tides moving back and forth. Back and forth. (picks up a seashell he is surrounded by and presses his ear against it) “You were supposed to be my brother” “You were supposed to protect me” “Where were you and Noah, Noah, Noah… (suddenly jerks himself up from his sleep)
Lights Fade
Spotlight on all 3
Ghost of Bryan: 7 bullets deep in the
Melvin: 6 foot boy
Noah: with 5 only known
Melvin: and 4 what reason
Ghost of Bryan: what 3 brothers hold
Noah: and 2 hands in the sky
Melvin: But I was the
All 3: 1
END OF PLAY