The Discovery

Setting: Regular US Corporate office, gray cubicles, large cream-colored desks, desktops, paper clutter.

Characters:

Sana Employee just returned from a week long training session
Damen New Temp hired in Sana’s absence
Mary Department receptionist
Joe Sana’s colleague and unofficial boss
Nabila Another colleague

All characters are in roughly in the same age group.

Scene One

Joe and Nabila are talking together. Sana enters on stage in a bright yellow tee shirt with pink flowers. She is cheery, enthusiastic and skips everywhere rather than walks.

Sana:   Morning people! I’m baccccccck!

Joe:   Welcome back! (Smiles at Sana) Enjoyed your training I see.

Nabila:   Sannnnnnnnie!!! Love, we missed you!!

Sana:   Oh yeah! 8 to 5 boring lectures. (grimaces) But here I am, ready to put it all in action!

Joe:   That’s like a good girl. Get that grin off your face. I’ll bet the food was good.

Sana:   Hehe.

Joe:   Nabila, that vouchers file, where is it?

Nabila:   On my desk Joe.



Nabila gives Sana a hug, they laugh for a few minutes and Joe and Nabila go off stage. Mary enters carrying some papers.



Sana:   Mary!! I’m back! How you been?

Mary:   Great! I’m ready to go on my vacation just when you bounce in!! How’s ….



The girls exchange excited chit chat before Mary exits.



Sana looks around her and spots a new face in a distant cubicle. A young man is quietly shuffling some papers on his desk. He has a pimpled face and looks bewildered. Sana walks up to him smiling and offers her hand.



Sana:   Hallo! I’m Sana. I just got back! We haven’t met. You are..?

Damen:   Damen Smith. I started yesterday.

Sana:   Are you replacing Mary while she’s out?

Damen:   Yes.

Ana:   What agency? I just saw you and it seemed weird - this place is always so hyper ’n noisy ’n stuff and your cube looked sooooo quiet. (laughs out, a full cheery laugh) So I thought I’d just walk over and intro myself. (Smiles down at him).

Damen:   Gee, thanks! That’s real nice of you. Where do you sit?

Sana:   By Joe, unfortunately (laughs out again). Do you know where he sits?

Damen:   Joe…yes. I met everyone yesterday.

Sana:   So they been keeping you busy? (laughs). Don’t worry, they always give all the work to the temps in the first week, then things quiet down and you find your place and you can sock it back to everywhere by then. (laughs again).

Damen:   I like you. You laugh a lot.

Sana:   Yeah, old habit. Sorry! (laughs again).

Damen:   You’re cool.

Sana:   Yeah well, I know I know (pull mock grimace). Well, I gotta go get started on work, so nice having you on board and if you need anything just holler!



Lunchtime.



Joe:   Sana, how about lunch?

Sana:   Err…

Joe:   Look, you never go out without a whole big group, I know that. But can’t we do lunch today, just you and me? Think of it as your welcome back!

Sana:   Joey, it’s very nice of you to ask but ….I donno…



Nabila enters from off-stage and deposits her purse on Sana’s desk.



Nabila:   Joe, what about lunch? Any plans? Sana, wanna go to that Middle Eastern place again?

Joe:   (disgusted) You guys go, I’ve got work to do.

Sana:   (looks at Joe) Err… Nabs, maybe another time.

Nabila:   Fine, suit yourselves. Want me to bring anything back for you guys? Hummus, tahini…?

Joe and Sana:   No!

Nabila:   (laughs) Alright, I’m out. See you in a bit!



Exit Nabila.



Joe:   Enjoy your lunch.

Sana:   You too. Joe I’ll have the Clarins report done by….



Joe, not paying attention, walks off stage.



Sana is left alone. She looks around and sees the temp at his desk. He is still working quietly. It seems no one has talked to him all morning. Sana feels pity for him and walks up to him again.



Sana:   Hallo Damen! Still working?

Damen:   Yeah, I thought I’d get out for lunch but…

Sana:   Well then go, why are you still here?

Damen:   I didn’t want to go alone…

Sana:   Oh! I see. Well then, what if we go have lunch together? How about that? (laughs)

Damen:   That’d be great! Let’s go!

Sana:   Whoa! Ok. Lemme get my purse. We’ll go downstairs to the deli ok with you?

Damen:   I hate eating deli food. Let’s go to my studio. It’s right across the street.

Sana:   You have a studio? That’s neat. You paint?

Damen:   It’s a loft apartment cum studio. The person I live with is an artist. There’s a chinese take out in the building, we can grab something from there.

Sana:   (hesitates) Err…No Damen, I don’t think I could do that. Maybe another time. You go ahead. I wouldn’t want to have you eat deli stuff you don’t like.

Damen:   No, please come along. I’d love some company. I feel so neglected. It’s only a block’s walk.

Sana:   Well…I usually have lunch at the deli…I wouldn’t feel comfortable…

Damen:   Come on! Gotta get out and about sometime! It’s just a short walk, and I’ll get to show off his artwork!

Sana:   (hesitates) Err… well, I do like art and I’ve never been to a studio, so what the heck, let’s go. Just as long as we get back in time. (laughs again).





Scene Two.



Damen’s studio. Walls are painted black, white and red, two easels stand in the middle of a boldy decorated room. The room smells weird, musty. There are two narrow floor to ceiling windows looking out at the street below. A cheap bright red plastic beaded necklace and some jewelry lies on a black leather sofa. Sana seats herself in an upright chair next to the sofa. She feels uneaay and covers it up with a shy laugh.



Sana:   Hmmm. Nice place. Just like artist’s studios in the movies.

Damen:   You like watching movies?

Sana:   Oh just sometimes if something good is on.

Damen:   Let me get some plates and napkins. Then we can eat.

Sana:   Oh Damen, that’s all right, we can eat in the take out…



Damen shurgs at her suggestion and goes off stage, then re-enters carrying two plates piled with plastic cutlery. Sana takes a fork and and digs into her take out with gusto. Damen sits on the sofa and proceeds to eat his meal.



Damen:   (making elaborate hand guestures throughout his conversation)

I love your shirt. So summery. I love these bright summer colors. Especially the flower details, it’s so exquisite. The little tassels at the edging add a nice touch. My favorite shades are pastels. What about you, what do you think this season’s best colors are?

Sana:   I donno. Haven’t been shopping in a while. But I like pastels a lot….

Damen:   I definitely think gaudy colors are out this season. Pastels are so soft, so feminine. They just make my mouth water..



Sana listens wide eyed. She feels funny and laughs out.



Sana:   That’s funny Damen. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve never heard a guy talk about women’s clothes with the enjoyment you seem to take. Don’t mind. It’s a nice change (smiles).

Damen:   Oh, thanks. I just love anything to do with clothes. I like to cook as well.

Sana:   Cool. I like to cook too. You cook well?

Damen:   My partner says I’m the best cook he’s known. I make great chinese and thai….

Sana:   Oh you have a business partner? What business? I thought you just temp..

Damen:   No, I meant my partner. I guess you’d say my spouse. Well, we exchanged rings and kinda had a ceremony and all..

Sana:   Oh! You’re married! Cool…

Damen:   Yeah, it’s a marriage. I guess you can think of it like that. Atleast I do. He’s a great guy. This is all his work you see around you, the colors I picked out but…

Sana:   Huh? He?.. I …..(she falters and stops eating)..

Damen (continuing):

He’s at work right now, but if he was here I’d sure he’d love to know you. You seem so different for the others at that office. They’re all so stuck up…

Sana:   (barely able to breathe now)….ah…..

Damen:   (goes on):

I mean, so I’m gay, but you know that. I mean, it’s not like I don’t have a life. And Jim - that’s my partner - Jim’s the greatest guy in the world. He’s just fantastic. He makes you feel..

Sana (barely audible):

I’m sorry, I didn’t know…I didn’t know…

Damen:   You’re different from those snobs at work. I can see that my homosexuality doesn’t bother you. In our relationship Jim’s my "husband", and he really really is a cool guy. You’ll like him. He’d be so happy to know meet you.…

Sana (speaks up, her mind whirling):

I see. I see. That’s nice. That’s ok. Err.. Damen, I think this food is stale…I’m…going to go back and exchange it..

Damen:   Yeah, I think so too. Sometimes this chinese guy makes good stuff, seems like today the spices are overwhelming me…Hang on I’ll just go to the powder room and we’ll go together. Then we can come back and I’ll show you some of Jim’s paintings.

Sana:   Ah, no, I think I need to go back soon. We’ll just exchange the food and go back to work. Maybe I’ll meet your…your… friends another day…

Damen (looks sharp at Sana, then shrugs his shoulders):

All right. I’ll be back in a sec and then we’ll go.



Damen exits. Sana stands up, looks around her and feels faint. She clutches the back of the chair, then immediately removes her hand and wipes her palms on her tee shirt. She sees a box of tissues on a table near the chair and reaches out for it, then recoils from that as well. She wipes her mouth on her sleeve and smooths her clothes and hair. Damen re-enters carrying a headset and CD player.



Damen:   Want to listen to some music while we walk back?

Sana:   Err…no…you listen. Thanks.

Damen:   I got it coz it gets so boring at work with no one to talk to I might as well listen to some music. Alternative rock. You like alternative?

Sana (not paying attention anymore):

No I don’t like music much. OK, I’ve got a report due this afternoon so we better hurry back…

Damen:   Don’t you want to exchange your food?

Sana:   Nah.. I think I’ll just stick to my deli food. Could you just throw it away for me please?

Damen (eyes her with a knowing smile):

Alrite. Let’s go back. You’ve got work to do.



Sana reaches the exit door, and stands waiting for Damen to hold it open for her. He does not. She reaches for the knob with disgust and confusion written all over her face. Exit both.





Scene Three.



Back at the office at Sana’s desk. Joe enters.



Joe:   Where did you go? I was looking for you…

Sana:   Umm..Joe.. not now. Please. Just leave me alone. I got to finish that report. I got to think straight…

Joe:   What happened? What are all these wet tissues doing on your desk? Your shirt is all wet! Had a bathroom fight? Are you ok?

Sana (now very emotional):

Joe, that new temp…he..he..

Joe (incredulous):

Please don’t tell me you were out with that guy!

Sana (surprised):   You mean you knew??!!

Joe:   How can anyone not know??!! He’s gay! Everyone can see that for miles! Couldn’t you tell? Sana!

Sana:   I didn’t know. No one told me…

Joe (back to his boss tone):

Well if you insist on being friendly with every Tom Dick and Harry, that’s what happens. Now put yourself together and get me that report.

Sana:   If you’d only told me… I’ve never been around those types of people before…I…

Joe:   Forget about it Sana. You’re too naïve for your own good. Don’t dwell on it too much.

Sana:   How can people live like that Joe?

Joe:   Like what? Gays? I don’t care much. Bunch of perverts.

Sana:   He acted so normal Joe.

Joe:   Just get on with your life Sana. You’ve had a good training week, focus on what you need to do with those skills.

Sana:   Is he going to be here long? Just thinking about him makes me feel yucky all over.

Joe:   He’s here for two weeks, then we get Mary back. Till then you just be yourself and don’t bother about him. No one here really cares to get to know Damen much.

Sana:   Can I ask how you knew, about his being…you know…

Joe:   He was checking me out when he came, and then he made some comments about Matt Andrew’s physique. Nothing you need to get concerned about Sana. Just carry on with your work and keep out of his way like the rest of us.



Sana absent mindedly picks up a file and starts flipping through it. Joe watches her intently. After a few minutes:



Sana (very softly, still looking at her file):

Joe… can we have lunch tomorrow? Just you and me?

Joe (beaming):   I was wondering when you’d ask…





The End