SEGMENT 16 of the musical "CANDELESCENCE" (written by Secretary Michael); the latest SCRIPT is found below; click to find the sheet music to this segment's necessary songs: "Yes and No" and the "Out of this Mud" excerpt.
Segment 16: Twimfina and Baba Switch
(Twimfina, wearing backpack, waits on dirt road in front of schoolyard)
TWIMFINA
(singing)
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? YES AND NO
ARE THERE ANSWERS? YES AND NO
IS THERE ANYTHING I KNOW?
YES AND NO AND YES AND NO
ONCE THERE WAS A TIME
WHEN ANSWERS ALL WERE MINE
WHEN ‘ONE PLUS ONE’ WAS ALWAYS ‘TWO’
AND WHAT I LEARNED WAS ALWAYS TRUE
BUT NOW I NEVER KNOW
AND ANSWERS COME OUT SLOW
WHEN EV’RYTHING’S SO RELATIVE
THE ANSWERS ARE TOO HARD TO GIVE
AM I SOMEONE? YES AND NO
AM I NO ONE? YES AND NO
AM I COMING? WILL I GO?
YES AND NO AND YES AND NO
NOT SO LONG AGO
I FELT SO ‘IN CONTROL’
CUZ I COULD MAKE THINGS WILT OR FLOWER
EV’RYTHING WAS IN MY POWER
I COULD SMILE BECAUSE
I KNEW JUST WHO I WAS
NOW EV’RY EARTHLY REVOLUTION
PULLS ME DOWN INTO CONFUSION
BRING BACK HAPPINESS TO ME!
WARM ME LIKE I USED TO BE!
GIVE ME PURPOSE AND A GOAL!
FILL MY SAILS UP ‘TIL THEY’RE
FULL!, FULL!, FULL!, FULL!
AM I SAILING? YES AND NO
OR JUST FAILING? YES AND NO
MOVE THE WORLD OR MOVE MY TOE?
YES AND NO AND YES AND NO
DO I LOVE HIM? YES AND NO
SHOULD GET MARRIED? YES AND NO
SHOULD GET BURIED? YES AND NO
SHOULD I LIVE-UP OR JUST GIVE-UP?
YES AND NO AND YES AND NO.
BABA
(arrives home with his tricycle cart)
Twimfina! I have a surprise for you and Guru!
(lifts small bag from cart, hands it to Twimfina)
Apples! From America! I don’t think Guru’s ever had one before!
(holds one up and chuckles)
Just like me – a little bruised-up, but none the worse for wear.
TWIMFINA
(worried voice)
Baba, you didn’t meet Guru on the way back?
BABA
No, it’s Saturday. He always stays at the Jeeno Library until it closes.
(looks at watch)
He should be on his way home pretty soon though.
TWIMFINA
Baba, I heard a rumor today that the GGG are looking for you. Please go to their meeting tonight – if only to keep yourself safe.
BABA
(kindly voice)
No, Twimfina. I’ve let men with guns control me for too long. That part of my life is over.
TWIMFINA
(resigned voice)
I rather expected you to say that.
(Twimfina takes off her backpack and unzips it.)
Baba, I have a deep, deep, deep request to make.
BABA
Three deeps?
TWIMFINA
I’ve been given free passage to America. I want you to go instead.
(Twimfina hands her travel documents to Baba)
Take these – please. They’ll get you to St. Louis.
BABA
I don’t understand…
TWIMFINA
Baba, you’re a hunted man. You’ve got to get out of here. You can teach Enemian at my old high school.
BABA
Twimfina, I...
TWIMFINA
(interrupting)
Believe me, the school needs you much more than they need me. They’re always looking for somebody to teach Enemian. You have experience. You could live upstairs in my old room in the Teachers’ Commune and then teach Enemian downstairs in the high school. I’ll stay here and teach English.
BABA
But my son…
TWIMFINA
Guru will be fine. Please give me a chance with him. We make a good team, he and I.
BABA
But I have no identification, no passport, no money…
TWIMFINA
I’ve got money in here and some traveling stuff. You won’t need a passport. Once you get out of Enemia you’ll be taking military transport. They’ll keep you safe all the way back to St. Louis.
BABA
Military transport? American military?
TWIMFINA
Life is funny, isn’t it?
(takes off her sweatshirt and offers it to Baba)
Unfortunately, you’ll have to wear this fluorescent yellow sweatshirt. It’s the only way my parents will notice you at Lambert Field.
BABA
(takes off jacket, sets it on the cart, accepts sweatshirt from Twimfina and puts it on)
What’s this candle on the front?
TWIMFINA
It’s our school mascot. Candelescent High. “Candelescence” means “the essence of a candle”. A candle spends its whole life giving off warmth and light to others – and at the end leaves nothing behind.
BABA
(grabs his jacket and offers it to Twimfina)
Then here, you take my crusty old jacket, Twimfina. It's not candelescent, but it'll protect you from welding sparks.
TWIMFINA
Thanks. Actually, it is candelescent, Baba. From that morning we first met, I've noticed that everything about you is candelescent.
(hands backpack to Baba)
Here, you’ll be needing this.
BABA
Thank you. And you’ll be needing my tools, Twimfina. There’s so much that I haven’t taught you yet about welding. Ask Toolie for help. He’s the one who taught me.
TWIMFINA
Thank you, Baba. I’ll make good use of them. We’ll definitely need the income. And Baba, when you run into Guru, please give him the news in an optimistic way. He looks up to you so much.
BABA
And I to him.
TWIMFINA
(stepping forward, she hugs and kisses Baba)
Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Guru. In the meantime, Baba, let’s you and me change the world.
BABA
(chuckles)
I don’t know about that. But thank you, Twimfina. Thank you for my son.
(Twimfina exits with tricycle cart; Baba begins walking back towards Jeeno; music begins)
BABA
(singing)
I COME FROM EARTH TO TAKE MY TURN
AND TO THE EARTH I WILL RETURN
I COME FROM EARTH TO TAKE MY TURN
AND TO THE EARTH I WILL RETURN, I WILL RETURN
BUT FEEL IT MY DUTY TO DO SO WITH BEAUTY
OUT OF THIS MUD, OUT OF THIS CRUD
OUT OF THIS SCUM, BEAUTY WILL COME
STILL AT THE GATE, STUCK IN THE MIRE
SPINNING MY TIRE, NOW I AM LATE
BUT THIS I KNOW, I CAN STILL CHANGE, I CAN STILL GROW
THIS MUDDY WASTE WILL BE REPLACED
FALLOW NO MO.......RE, LET THE MUD RO.......AR
OUT OF THIS MUD, OUT OF THIS CRUD
OUT OF THIS BODY AND OUT OF THIS BLOOD
OUT OF THIS SCUM, BEFORE I’M DONE...
BEAUTY WILL COME.
END OF SEGMENT 16
