America Finding Her Way

Jawea appears climbing, near collapse. Jawea, Brad, Jimbo are all climbing, straining. Jimbo stops, looks behind)

  Jimbo: (Realizing) Teddy's lost.

  Brad: He's not lost. Keep going.

  Jimbo: Wait...

  Brad: For what – Teddy to find himself? (Stomps off, disappears)

  Jimbo: That's not fair! Brad... Brad!

  (Torn, Jimbo can't move, calls, scared– )

  Jimbo: Teddy!

  (Jimbo disappears in another direction. Gasping for strength, Jawea senses she is watched. The shadow of the bear sweeps by)

  Jawea: Blood White? Is it you?

  (Full of wonder, Jawea opens, like a standing tree, to meet the bear. Instead, Teddy stumbles on, disoriented, drops his rifle, flings himself down, burying his face)

  Teddy: Auuuh.

  (Jawea's head turns sharply. Seeing Teddy, with a fiery rage she reaches for her knife, remembers she left it, scoops up Teddy's rifle, flicks off its safety, aims at his head. But as she’s squeezing the trigger, her head raises– )

  Jawea: Blood White?

  (Remembering she must have no weapon, Jawea drops rifle, leaves her kill, moves off after Blood White)

  Teddy: Faye...

  (He gets up, calm, picks up rifle, sets it butt to ground, looks up)

  Teddy: Faye, I love you. And I'm sorry, so sorry.

  (Then he bends his chest over rifle barrel, reaches for the trigger)

  Jimbo: (Distant, off) Teddy?

  (Teddy lifts his head, hearing Jimbo, decides to hurry, and bends again, ready to fire)

  Jimbo: (Closer) Teddy!

  Teddy: (Gives up on shooting himself, sits holding rifle) You smell me out?

  Jimbo: (Appearing) What the hell you doing?

  Teddy: Fucking with nature. Brad's gone crazy, right?

  Jimbo: How do I know?

  Teddy: Well you better watch him.

  Jimbo: Let's go.

  Teddy: Naw, I can't.

  Jimbo: Come on

  Teddy: Too scared. Keep seeing this dream I have. This gigantic bear rears, maw roars open, razor teeth, foaming red...and in goes Brad. (Beat) So you go ahead. You can do it. Follow the leader, huh Jimbo? Just like you took that squaw.

  Jimbo: (Glares at Teddy, but silent, turns to leave) We owe Brad.

  Teddy: You dumb fuck, how stupid are you? You know we're gonna die here!

  Jimbo: (Stops, looks back) I don't whimper about it.

  Teddy: Get out of here!

  (Jimbo nods, moves away. Teddy watches, gripping his rifle. But then Jimbo stops; realizing what Teddy's up to, he turns to look at him)

  Teddy: Go on. You'll catch me on your way back down.

  Jimbo: Sure.

  Teddy: Go on.

  Jimbo: (Beat) We could get the bear, and then die.

  Teddy: (Shrinks from Jimbo’s look) What?

  Jimbo: (Walks back, takes hold of Teddy’s rifle) You know, when I woke in my bed, I was sure it never happened.

  Teddy: (Choked) Did you ever do it before?

  Jimbo: Do what?

  Teddy: I've never even had anybody but Faye.

  (Jimbo slides heavily to the ground. Pause. Then speaks quietly)

  Jimbo: All's I know is...a situation...can get so intense, it just disconnects – like whatever happens has nothing to do with your life. But it does. Comes screaming back, takes everything you'd die to save – your wife, your home, your soul.

  Teddy: You did it before?

  Jimbo: Only heard about it. Circumstance like that, anybody could.

  Teddy: Brad didn't!

  Jimbo: (Suddenly angry) He didn't live through that night with the bear, going insane with fear! He just smacked into a tree and "bam," he was out, safe.

  Teddy: And we leapt like a pack of hyenas. This'll kill Faye.

  Jimbo: I gotta tell Kat, and I can't.

  Teddy: Faye's not strong enough.

  Jimbo: Kat'll know anyway.

  Teddy: Hyenas.

  Jimbo: (Quiet) No. There’s no animal does what we did.

  (Teddy looks, pounces, beats, strangles Jimbo, as though if he kills him, it’ll go away)

  Teddy: Why'd you let me? Why'd you go along!

  (Jimbo does not defend himself. Crackling rush at them; Teddy swings rifle toward noise. It's Brad)

  Brad: I saw him! (Brad turns, and runs off)

  Teddy: You're crazy, Brad!

  Jimbo: Be careful, Brad! (Runs after him)

  Teddy: (Alone) You're all crazy. (Runs after)

  (Jawea is on, sensing what’s around her. Sound spare, top of the world)

  Jawea: (Softly) Hoyatu.

  (A shadow passes over stage, Hoyatu appears, then is gone. Jawea stumbles to spot where he was; he appears elsewhere. Blinded, she stumbles after, at her strength’s end. She collapses; mist swirls, howls echo like spirits round unconscious Jawea)

  __________________________

  Reservation/Mountain

  Kat and Lena cross, carrying Sally. Faye is behind them. All are winded

  Lena: Matu's is the third house.

  Kat: With the satellite dish? Ugh – mud's so thick.

  Faye: Let me take Sally.

  Kat: Not in your condition.

  Faye: I'll do what I want; I want to hold her.

  Lena: She's heavy.

  (They stand, out of breath, passing Sally to Faye)

  Faye: 'Fore they came hootin' off the mountain, I was scared to tell Teddy ‘bout the baby. Cause how can we do it with no work? This whole year's a nightmare.

  Kat: In which you got married.

  Lena: Matu's light's on. See?

  Faye: What will she know?

  Kat: Everything.

  Faye: I'm scared, Kat. Got a bad feeling.

  Kat: No, it's just life. And hate.

  Faye: He's never not said goodbye.

  Kat: Hate can scare you, but as Mama says, it's a poor weak thing.

  Faye: Since when did you listen to her?

  Kat: Since she died.

  Lena: (As the women move off) Careful, don't fall.

  (Hunters dance crazily across)

  Brad: Over there!

  Teddy: You see the bear?

  Jimbo: Get him!

  Brad: (Leaping off again) Ahah!

  Teddy: (Leaping another way) Wait!

  Jimbo: Don't scatter. Don't scatter.

  (Howling. Dark)

  ______________________________________

  Hoyatu's Perch/Everywhere

  Lights come up on Jawea bundled by a fire. Hoyatu sits smoking a pipe. She's waking

  Jawea: Did you carry me? (No response) Hoyatu? (No response) I know that's who you are.

  Hoyatu: (Like rusty gate, long unused) Quiet.

  Jawea: You sound like a frog.

  Hoyatu: Shut your flapping mouth!

  (She shuts up, frightened, staring)

  Hoyatu: The village is dead?

  Jawea: (Shocked) What?

  Hoyatu: Why did you dare climb?

  Jawea: For me.

  Hoyatu: Do you matter?

  Jawea: I was good luck for the village. At my woman rites, heat came into my hands. Since, I’ve healed a hundred.

  Hoyatu: Humh.

  Jawea: But it's gone. My hands are cold.

  (To show him, she cups her hands round his on the pipe. He grasps her shoulder roughly, peers into her eyes)

  Hoyatu: Fool. You went among whites and they took your soul.

  Jawea: You can see it?

  Hoyatu: Waste.

  Jawea: Please help me.

  Hoyatu: Why? You'll do it again.

  Jawea: No! (Then humble) Yes. Because of a child. She's dying.

  Hoyatu: A white child. Nothing to do with me.

  Jawea: Then what good are you?

  Hoyatu: Do not dare! I have held this mountain against wh
ites for 150 years. My powers have grown full as these clouds. And the mountain is ours. That is enough to do.

  Jawea: That’s not life.

  Hoyatu: No, it's bliss.

  Jawea: (Beat) The child's name is Sally.

  Hoyatu: (Intense) Leave me!

  (His psychic force throws Jawea like a leaf in a storm, but she lands, creeps back)

  Hoyatu: Do not pretend strength. You lost everything.

  Jawea: I'm young. I don’t know how to keep my spirit safe when they take my body.

  Hoyatu: You’ll never be safe, crossing worlds.

  Jawea: My way will cross all worlds. Has yours worked? Who's saving your people, Hoyatu? You're fading like mist.

  Hoyatu: Devil!

  Jawea: Sally won’t die. I know you can see her.

  (Hoyatu inhales, envisioning Sally. Jawea is thrilled)

  Jawea: See the forest move in her? She’s alive in it. Her life is good for both worlds.

  Hoyatu: (Turns away, severe) It cannot be!

  Jawea: Matu sent me.

  Hoyatu: (Sharp pain, heartstruck) Matu...

  (Matu looks cross the distance to Hoyatu, and he to her)

  Hoyatu: She would not climb with me.

  (Silence of understood sorrow between them)

  Jawea: But she sent me. It’s my path. If I regain my power, Sally can live.

  Hoyatu: Or all can die. You, me – the mountain draws blood. The child dreamed of a battle that's coming. It's coming now.

  Jawea: I claim the right of a healer, Hoyatu.

  (Hoyatu grabs Jawea, pulls her to face him)

  Hoyatu: You don’t know what you ask!

  Jawea: (Terrified, won’t flinch) You’ve no choice. You’ve no one else. Teach me!

  Hoyatu: (Angrily drops her; decides; then, barks like a warning-) Get cool fresh water.

  (Jawea scrambles to carry out his instructions)

  Kat: (Calling, off) Matu!

  Hoyatu: Lift red hot rocks from the fire. Strip off your skins. Seek purely, and visions will come. When the child sees the battle, she wakes, but one will die.

  (Jawea pours water on rocks; steam rises; she sits in steam, focused on visions; Hoyatu behind her, speaks in her ear).

  Hoyatu: You are earth, nothing more. Steam will devour you. These base things are holy.

  (Steamy stage, pinpoint light as focus darts, groups kaleidoscope. Hunters creep along)

  Hoyatu: Face the heat...

  Brad: Here's a clear track!

  Jimbo: Look at the size of this mother!

  Hoyatu: ...it smacks your lungs, blisters your eyes; its shock terrifies.

  Lena: (Off) Matu! Jawea!

  Hoyatu: Receive it, and watch.

  Teddy: My god, fourteen inch paws!

  Faye: (Off) Matu!

  Brad: It's Blood White. Stay close, back to back.

  Hoyatu: Hunters come, stalking the mountain..

  (Shadows of hunters. They slink and dodge, while women carry Sally between them)

  Jimbo: Look there!

  Hoyatu: They rip their wealth from the womb of creation.

  Brad: What do you see?

  Jimbo: Indians!

  Teddy: By the trees. Look!

  Hoyatu: For these, to kill is to be.

  Jimbo: Indians everywhere.

  Teddy: Get that doe!

  (Matu’s chant. The hunters strike crazily, shooting. The women pound the ground)

  Lena, Kat and Faye: (Calling) Matu!

  (Matu stops chant, stares at her fire. Lena calls from outside)

  Lena: Please, Matu. I need Jawea.

  Matu: Jawea’s gone.

  Lena: Where?!

  Matu: Where you can't hurt her.

  Lena: Let me in, please. Sally’s dying.

  Matu: (Pause) Only you.

  (Lena leaves Sally in Kat's arms, and moves in to Matu's fire)

  Lena: Please let my friends in.

  Matu: Do they bring back the power they stole?

  Lena: What power? Jawea's? How could they steal it?

  (Matu looks at Lena. Spot on Jawea)

  Lena: Tell me!

  Matu: You will curse your question forever.

  Lena: (Frightened to hear) How did they steal from Jawea?

  Matu: (Stone) Their men raped her. Your husband stood by.

  Lena: (Still) No.

  Kat: (Calling from outside) Lena? Let us in.

  Lena: They want to know.

  Matu: So tell them.

  (Lena can’t move)

  Kat: Lena?

  Matu: (Sees Lena paralyzed, grunts– ) Bring Sally to the fire.

  (Kat and Faye bring Sally near. Kat sees Lena's face– )

  Kat: You know. What did Matu tell you!

  (Lena looks at Kat, but can't speak. Hunters link arms)

  Faye: What did they do, Lena?

  Kat: Tell us!

  (Jawea rising, agitated, anticipating rape)

  Jawea: Hoyatu...

  Hoyatu: Don’t move!

  (Hunters circle, menacing. The women witness Jawea reliving rape)

  Jawea: Awhhhh!

  Faye: Stop. It’s a lie!

  Kat: (Warning) Jimbo...

  Faye: Not Teddy!

  Kat: No!

  (Jawea erupts with roar, determined to kill)

  Hoyatu: (To Jawea) Stop!

  (But Jawea takes on Hoyatu’s power, “strikes” Teddy, who’s broken, falls down crevice)

  Jawea: Awhhhh!

  Teddy: