The Fourth Estate
Written by Ucip Zabit
Tibazpro1@gmail.com
Scene 4
On an unlit street, late at night, 13 years later, a man staggers. He is very drunk. He reaches the door to a house and leans on it for support, then bangs the door fiercely.
On an unlit street, late at night, 13 years later, a man staggers. He is very drunk. He reaches the door to a house and leans on it for support, then bangs the door fiercely.
Inside Tabu suddenly wakes up from her sleep. “Who's there at this hour?” she asks, pursing her full lips and holding the bed sheet tighter to her heaving chest. Tabu checks the clock on the wall and sees it’s 3 in the morning.
The front door suddenly flies open and her boyfriend crashes in, falling onto the sitting room floor. Tabu jumps out of bed.
“Why do you always do this? … come home so late. Why are you always drunk? Where have you been for the past 3 days?’ she questions.
Her drunk boyfriend starts to gargle in anger “Shut up. I said shut up. That’s it. That’s it. I’ve had it. Just shut up!” He grabs her and punches her.
Tabu falls to the ground and he follows her and starts to choke her. Tabu struggles to breathe, but her boyfriend is intent on killing her in his drunken stupor. His gruff hands continue to squeeze her throat as she continues to gasp, eyes bulging, tongue swelling. The stench from his alcoholic breath is overpowering.
A young teenager armed with a wooden stool suddenly bursts into the room and brings his weapon crashing down on the man’s back. The blow is enough to send the man sprawling across the floor with a grunt. Tabu’s eyes are wild and popping as she looks at her son standing there, adrenalin pumping. “Mateso … wait … don’t” she croaks.
The man’s bloodshot eyes focus on the teenage boy. He gathers himself and lunges at Mateso, punching him in the face twice, then punching him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
Tabu gasps and gags but can’t move. “No wait …” she moans. The man punches Mateso again in the face and knocks him out. Tabu’s beautiful eyes tear and she sinks into unconsciousness with the beaten body of her son beside her.
Her boyfriend, looks around confused, bewildered, and staggers out the door. He heads off into the darkness.
