Story Time, Charos

This is the script I wrote as an assignment for the Creative Arts Module. I would like to share this so that as you get bored during your teaching and learning process you can just read to them the story to refresh yourself and your students. This can also be performed as it is in a script form.

It is entirely fiction. It is a depiction of how materialism is also evident in the psyche of students of students at a very young age. 

Hope you will enjoy READING. Happy Reading Year!

THE GOLDEN PEN

By Sonam Choden

Cast of Characters

PENJOR, a class three student, nine years old, son of a night guards.

TSHEWANG,  Penjor’s best friend. He is tinier than Penjor.

 KINLEY, son of a rich businessman and a bully, who regularly torments Penjor and Tshewang

Setting

A classroom during self study for final examination

Time

Towards the end of academic session, late autumn

Prologue

( The class is cheerful. The students of Class Three ‘A’ sit at their desks. The teacher is sitting on his chair, leaning his elbows on the edge of the table. He looks slightly tired and bored. The students whisper among themselves. Some of them snigger behind folded arms and you can hear the whispers grow louder. The teacher, a man in his thirties, with high cheek bones straightens in his chair and stretches his arms.)

SCENE 1

INT. CLASSROOM. MORNING

TEACHER:  It’s self study time. Study the important chapters for the final exams.

(The whispers grow louder as the students open their bags. There is sound of bag zippers open and close. There is shuffling of pages and yawning, a lot of yawning.

PENJOR, a small nine year old boy, with dry, uncombed hair stretches his arms. He manages a small yawn. He sits facing another small boy, with slightly longer and well managed hair, TSHEWANG. Tshewang is tinier than Penjor. Penjor and Tshewang both wear faded ghos that have tattered collars.) 

TSHEWANG:   (Whispering) Humjaiga

(Penjor  and Tshewang laugh quietly but uncontrollably.)

TSHEWANG:  Humjaiga

(They both laugh again. They gaze at the teacher’s table from time to time. The teacher stretches some more and decides to go out of the class. As soon as he leaves, a group of students gather around KINLEY, an eight year old boy who looks older and bigger than the other boys in the class.  Kinley has well combed hair, cleaner and fairer skin and his sleeves are as white as paper. His gho, despite it being towards the year end, is new and bright.

The group grows louder and bigger. Penjor and Tshewang are left outside the circle. They are not sure whether to join in or continue with their own jokes. )

GIRL IN THE GROUP:  Kinley, can you show us the man running in your watch?

(Kinley folds his sleeves and a shiny, big, deep red digital watch is exposed gleaming in his hand. He presses some button and a fluorescent shape of a man, runs across the screen of the watch. Everyone is amazed and looks at the watch like it is showing some kind of a magic trick.) 

KINLEY:  Do you know where my father got this from? (After a silence, waiting for response) From Bangkok. He is planning to take me this winter too.

(Kinley picks up his bag and shows it to the group. It is brand new and made of jeans.)

KINLEY:  Even this one.

(The girls and boys in the group are also amazed by the sight of the bag.  From inside the bag, Kinley takes out Ben 10 toys and the boys want to touch them and play with them.

Aside, Penjor and Tshewang are jealous.  Their faces reveal the two of them dislike Kinley.)

PENJOR:  Kinley is showing off his things again.

TSHEWANG:  I know. He always does this during self study.

PENJOR:  He is so stupid. He thinks he has a lot.

SCENE 2

(Kinley puts his hand in his bag and brings out a shiny, golden pen. It is an unusual pen and not the kind people normally see at school. The black pen has gold plating and has carvings on its surface.)

KINLEY:  This is what my father gave me for getting through the mid terms

(A girl in the front holds it from Kinley and smells it.)

GIRL:  It smells of sandalwood

(Even Tshewang is amazed by the pen this time.  He goes to the front of the group.)

TSHEWANG:  Can I see the pen and hold it?

KINLEY:  No, you cannot. Poor people like you may not have seen a thing like this. But it gives me no reason to let you touch it.

(Tshewang is embarrassed and angry but he cannot do anything. He stays quiet, his face buried.)

PENJOR:  He may be poor but that can change in the future

KINLEY:  You stay quiet. You are a night guard’s son. You are poor too.

(Penjor is silent. He cannot respond back. He slowly takes Tshewang aside.)

PENJOR:  It’s so sad that Kinley gets gifts for just being able to pass the exam

TSHEWANG:  I know… and when you get nothing from your father for coming first again. You are the one that deserves the pen.

(Penjor is silent but has a serious glare at the pen. The bell rings. We can hear few students shout out “Lunch!” at the same time and the class breaks for lunch.)

SCENE 3

INT. CLASSROOM. AFTER LUNCH

(Kinley is already sitting on his chair. The rest of the class has not returned back to class after lunch. Kinley has a dismayed look and is about to burst into tears. Gradually, the students enter into class. Penjor and TShewang also enter and sit on their chairs. When everyone has entered the class, Kinley stands up and..)

KINLEY:  Someone stole my pen. I have lost it.

(There is chaos in the class. Everyone is surprised. “Who is it? Who is it?” the children whisper among themselves.)

KINLEY:  Whoever it is, come forward and give me back my pen. Or else I will tell the teacher.

(Kinley looks around the other students who are looking at him with bewilderment and excitement with what had happened.  He turns to Tshewang and points at him.)

KINLEY:  You! You stole my pen. You are angry with what I said this morning and you took it. You are in love with my pen.

(Tshewang does not respond just like in the morning.  He is angry but he cannot do anything. He just shakes his head. Penjor does not intervene this time. He is as flushed and nervous as everybody.)

SCENE 4

(The teacher enters and Kinley hurries over to him.)

KINLEY:  Sir, Tshewang stole my pen.

(Kinley starts to cry. The teacher tries to console him.)

TEACHER:  There, There. Kinley, don’t cry. Tshewang! Did you steal his pen?

(Tshewang does not respond. He has shrunk in fright. He is nervous and starts to sweat. He could only shake his head to say “No”)

TEACHER:  Okay then. If you do not admit, you can give back the pen when school ends today. It’s better if you return it before we take you to the Principal or worse, the disciplinary committee.

TSHEWANG:  But Sir, I didn’t do it. I didn’t stea…….

(Tshewang is cut off by Kinley’s crying. It gets louder and uncontrollable. The teacher holds Kinley by the hand and takes him outside.  Kinley carries his bag with him. He won’t let it leave his sight.)

TSHEWANG:   (In between sobs) I didn’t steal. They have no proof and want me to return the pen.

PENJOR:  It’s so unfair how the teacher favors the rich.

(Tshewang starts to cry, disappointedly.)

TSHEWANG:  I know you stole the pen, Penjor.

(Penjor looks at him, and gulps with guilt. He stays quiet.)

TSHEWANG:  But you shouldn’t tell them it is you. You are a good friend and a good student. If you admit that you stole the pen, they will humiliate you. You must think of getting back the pen without letting them know it’s you.

PENJOR:  I am sorry. I just wanted to teach Kinley a lesson. I didn’t know they’ll accuse you but don’t worry, I have a plan

TSHEWANG:  What is it?

PENJOR:  First you must go to the principal before they take you, and tell him that you didn’t steal the pen. That way the principal will clearly believe you’re not the thief. A thief will never go to the principal directly. When the Principal calls the teacher and Kinley, I can sneak back the pen in Kinley’s unattended bag.

SCENE 5

INT. PRINICIPAL’S OFFICE

(The Principal is sitting on his desk writing a letter and signing it. He is a man in his early forties, roundish looking with a clear receding hairline. Tshewang enters inside.)

PRINCIPAL:  Yes, what is it?

TSHEWANG:  Sir. Sir Raghunath is accusing me of stealing Kinley’s pen without any proof.

PRINCIPAL:  What? A pen? Aren’t you in Class three? Are you even supposed to use pens?

TSHEWANG:  No sir, but Kinley brought an expensive pen and lost it and is accusing me of stealing it.

PRINCIPAL:  Well. Did you?

TSHEWANG:  No Sir. I didn’t.

PRINCIPAL:  Okay. Call both of them.

(Tshewang leaves the office. The Principal continues with the letter. After a while, Tshewang returns with the teacher and Kinley at his heels.)

PRINCIPAL: Mr. Raghunath. What is this I am hearing? This boy says you are accusing him of stealing a pen.

TEACHER:  No..ah..Yes Sir. It seems Tshewang has stolen Kinley’s pen

PRINCIPAL:  Seems?

TEACHER:  I mean he stole it, Sir.

(The teacher is nervous and stammers.)

PRINCIPAL:  How do you know he stole the pen?

TEACHER:  I don’t, Sir. Kinley told me he saw him steal the pen.

(The Principal looks at Kinley. Kinley doesn’t say anything.)

PRINCIPAL:  But how can you accuse a student without any proof? Don’t you know he’ll be humiliated? Stealing is not an easy thing to be accused of.

TEACHER:  Yes, sir. I know sir. I mean, I am sorry sir. I have not been having a good day since morning, Sir.

PRINCIPAL:  Is he even allowed to use pens? I thought it was clearly stated in the assembly that students below class four are not allowed to use pens.

TEACHER:  Yes, sir. It was very clear. Kinley, why did you bring the pen to school?

Principal:  I believe it’s an expensive one too. Kinley, where did you get it?

(Kinley is nervous just like the teacher. Tshewang is a bit relaxed and sighs deeply. Kinley looks at Tshewang and then back at the Principal.)

KINLEY:  I…ah. My father gifted me when I passed my mid-term exams.

PRINCIPAL:  Really? I know your father. He was disappointed by your mid-term exam results. I doubt that he’ll give you an expensive gift. Do you want me to call his office and find out?

KINLEY:  No, Sir. Please don’t. He didn’t gift me the pen. I stole it from his drawers. Tshewang didn’t steal it. I must have misplaced it. I will check my bag again. It must be somewhere in it.

PRINCIPAL:  You must swear to return the pen to your father. I will make sure of that.

KINLEY:  Yes, Sir.

PRINCIPAL:  Okay. All of you can go now.

(The three of them leave the office. The teacher and Kinley have buried themselves in shame while Tshewang breathes a sigh of relief as they exit the office.)

SCENE 6

(Penjor and Tshewang sit on their respective seats. Kinley picks up his bag and looks in the bag and finds the pen. Penjor winks at Tshewang.)

PENJOR:  I am sorry for putting you in so much trouble. This will be the first and the last time I steal something.

Tshewang:  Humjaiga!

(They both laugh.)

THE END

I t is a depiction of how materialism is also evident in the psyche of students at a very young age