Carmen by Walter Dean Myers Read Free Book Online

me. I pray, O Lord, I have so much to give but nothing that pleases him. I have this heart he doesn’t want, these arms so ready for him. I’m so in need, and all he wants is her! O God, please give me this moment. Let him see me at last, O Lord.
    MICAELA hears a commotion from the front of the club and steps into a darkened corner.
    JOSÉ stands quickly and points his gun at the door as ESCAMILLO enters.
    ESCAMILLO
    Relax, cowboy! It’s only me. Drinks for everybody!
    JOSÉ
    They don’t serve drinks here. This is a social club. Only coffee and sodas. They don’t want the police raiding them on some phony liquor charge.
    ESCAMILLO
    Good thinking. You have to be focused. Give me an iced tea.
    (gesturing to the gun)
    You need to be careful with that thing.
    JOSÉ
    I don’t expect a big name like Escamillo to come rushing in here every day.
    ESCAMILLO
    You’re right. Usually, I’m in my corporate offices, taking care of serious business. If I pull off this concert this weekend—and I will—it’ll be the start of the greatest tour you’ve seen. Bigger than Lil Wayne, Shakira, and Beyoncé combined.
    JOSÉ
    So what are you doing here?
    ESCAMILLO
    I’m looking for a certain girl. I’ve only met her once, but somehow she stays in my head.
    JOSÉ
    With all the girls following you around the world, you actually remember one of them? She must be beautiful.
    ESCAMILLO
    Beautiful, but not available. That’s what I’ve been told. They say she leaves men lying in her wake the way a ship leaves dead fish in the water, gasping and confused.
    JOSÉ
    So why would you be interested in her?
    ESCAMILLO
    I don’t know. Maybe because I’ve always wanted what other men have said is not available. When I lived in the projects, I wanted to be rich. I used to look up into the sky and envy people flying high above me. Now when I look down from my private jet, I wonder if there’s some small boy looking up in envy of me as I soar overhead.
    JOSÉ
    Do you have her address?
    ESCAMILLO
    No, but I’ll give a reward to the one who leads me to her. She’s beautiful, as you said, and she used to be in love with a cop.
    JOSÉ
    A police officer?
    ESCAMILLO
    I say cop; you say police officer. Interesting. Yes, some poor fool who thought he could hold her because he’s had some experience with crackheads.
    JOSÉ
    I think you’d better watch your mouth, maricón.
    ESCAMILLO
    ¿Maricón? Ah, I get it. You have a personal interest in this adventure, eh?
    JOSÉ
    Do I? Tell me, what’s this girl called?
    ESCAMILLO
    Carmen. Let me say the name slowly for you so you can enjoy the sound of it coming from my mouth. Caaarmen. Or shall I say, “Officer, her name is Carmen.”
    JOSÉ
    Yes, you’re right. I am the policeman she loves.
    ESCAMILLO
    Loved. Past tense. Once upon a time in a galaxy far away!
    The two men cross the stage toward each other.
    JOSÉ
    As a policeman, I’ve handled plenty of fools like you.
    ESCAMILLO
    Don’t let the thousand-dollar suit fool you, Tex, or whatever your name is. Under these fancy threads is a ghetto heart direct from the projects, and you have never dealt with someone like me before.
    JOSÉ rushes across the stage and attempts to hit ESCAMILLO with his gun butt. ESCAMILLO sidesteps the blow and hits JOSÉ in the small of his back. The two men start tussling. Soon ESCAMILLO is on the ground. JOSÉ aims his gun at ESCAMILLO.
    DANCAIRO, RAIMONDO, and CARMEN enter. CARMEN kneels over ESCAMILLO, shielding him from JOSÉ.
    RAIMONDO
    What’s going on?
    DANCAIRO
    They must be fighting over Carmen.
    RAIMONDO
    Look, we don’t want any fighting in here. We don’t need any weight on this place. We’ve got a good thing going, and we can’t mess it up because you guys are chasing the same skirt.
    DANCAIRO
    Have a drink. Relax.
    RAIMONDO
    Relax.
    CARMEN, suddenly confident again, strides, with hands on hips, to center stage.
    CARMEN
    Men have to fight. It’s their nature. But Raimondo is trying to run a business here. You