Segment 5: Twimfina's Farewell

(Late afternoon in dining room of the Teachers’ Commune; UNA [40, Twimfina’s mother] is cleaning the chairs and tables; Twimfina is helping her; ZERO [40, Twimfina’s father] is repairing a plumbing problem. All three of them are singing a musical round.)

UNA, ZERO, TWIMFINA
(singing)

KEEP US OPEN, KEEP US FREE / KEEP THE WORLD OUR FAMILY
KEEP THE WORLD OUR FAMILY

KEEP US OPEN, KEEP US FREE / KEEP THE WORLD OUR FAMILY
KEEP THE WORLD, THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, OUR FAMILY

(Singing is interrupted as ZERO drops a tool and shouts in frustration)

ZERO
Ah! Who’s the idiot who designed this thing?

TWIMFINA
(slowly, as if talking to a child)
Father, we don’t use that word around here.
(now normal)
Unless of course we’re talking about...

UNA
(interrupting)
Oh please! No more politics! Are you all packed for tomorrow, Twimfina?

TWIMFINA
Well, let’s see. I’ve packed my toothbrush, my underwear, my writing pad... oops, I forgot to pack my brain.

ZERO
(laughs)

TWIMFINA
But that’s okay, I won’t need it. I hear that most classes are taught using an intravenous drip. It bypasses the brain.

ZERO
(laughs)

TWIMFINA
Mother, I’m still waiting for you to say: “Twimfina, my lovely daughter, please don’t run off to college tomorrow! You know that college isn’t some temple of secret knowledge!”

ZERO
(chuckles)

TWIMFINA
(continuing)
“You’re wise enough and resourceful enough to be your own teacher! Oh Twimfina, my wish – my great wish – is that you stay right here and help teach at Candelescent High and take charge of your own education!”

UNA
My great wish is that you’ll put all that self-proclaimed wisdom and resourcefulness into college – and then go out and change the world like you always say you will.

TWIMFINA
(after a pensive pause)
Well, Mother, I’m afraid I can only grant you half of your wish.

ZERO
(chuckling)
What? My Twimfina doesn’t feel that she can change the world anymore?

TWIMFINA
Not from some stuffy classroom I can’t!

UNA
You know we’re not going to budge on this, Twimfina. We’ve spent too many years planning and saving. The whole Community expects you to do great things in college.

ZERO
(chuckling)
Don’t worry, we’ll always be here to mess things up for you!

(Zero laughs out loud at his own humor. Twimfina walks to the door, stops, and turns around.)

TWIMFINA
Mom? Dad?

UNA and ZERO
(mindlessly without looking up)
Yes? Uh-huh?

TWIMFINA
(commandingly)
Look at me please.

(Una and Zero both stop what they’re doing and look over at Twimfina)

I love you both.

UNA
(confused, surprised)
And we love you too, Twimfina.

ZERO
(confused, surprised)
We all love you, Twimfina.

(Twimfina exits in silence.)

ZERO
(softly, after a safe pause)
I hope that wasn’t the voice of a guilty conscience.

UNA
I’m wondering the same thing. She’s up to something.

END OF SEGMENT 5

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