The Lost Bike

ACT I SCENE I

The Bel Air Club House indoor play area.

Rockstar’s Mother: Everyone else has gone home, it’s time for lunch.

Rockstar: No! Go away!

Rockstar’s Mother: Speak that way to me again and I really will.

Rockstar: GO. AWAY!

Exit RM, who moves to sit at the only exit to the secure play area, unbeknownst to the Rockstar.

5 minutes later, the Rockstar bursts into tears.

Rockstar: Mahmeeeee! Mahmeeeee!

RM: <rather too smugly> But you told me to go away. And I said if you spoke that way, I really would, what.

Rockstar: Mahmeeeee! Mahmeeeee!

RM: Now are we going home?

Rockstar: Yeeesss…..

Exit R being carried by RM. R clings all the way home and refuses to get on his bike parked outside the club house.

 

ACT I SCENE II

Outside their apartment after RM carries R all the way home.

RM: Ok we’re home now. Please take of your shoes while I run your bath.

Rockstar: <sulkily> Don’t want to.

RM: Fine if you need a moment. Come find me when you’ve taken your shoes and socks off for your bath.

The Rockstar proceeds to lie face down at entrance of apartment without another word. 10 minutes later, Rockstar enters the bathroom.

Rockstar: <conversationally, smiling> Mum. The floor is wet.

RM: Yes, because (our new helper) is cleaning it. Ready for your bath?

Rockstar: Yes.

RM: Good job. Just in time.

Rockstar splashes happily.

 

ACT I SCENE III

Bedroom in preparation for a nap and Putonghua lesson post bath.

RM: Rockstar. You left your bike back there. Now what?

Rockstar: I’ll get it tomorrow.

RM: <curious because he’s never had this situation before> What if it’s gone by tomorrow?

Rockstar: Then I lost it.

RM: ??!! But it’s your bike. I thought you loved that bike. You really didn’t want to bring it back just now?

Rockstar: I was crying just now.

(And of course, he knows he’s back for a rest and then one-on-one Putonghua, which is probably why he doesn’t ask to go right back which frankly I’m lazy to do)

The Rockstar naps for an hour, then has a 2 hour Putonghua lesson.

ACT II SCENE I

At Tree Café

RM: (On the phone with Rockstar’s dad) …. And then he actually left the bike there. He’s never done that before. I almost want it to be gone, to teach him a lesson. He said he’ll go back and get it tomorrow. I don’t think he believes he might lose it.

RD: I can swing by with the car to pick it up on the way home. What should I do with it?

RM: Leave it in the boot. I don’t want him to get it back so easily.

 

ACT III SCENE I:

At Home

Enter RM, coming home from the café.

RM: Hi darling, how was your Putonghua lesson?

Rockstar starts chirpily singing one Putonghua song after another. 3 songs altogether.

Shortly after, the phone rings.

RD: Where did you say the bike was? The new guard doesn’t know and we don’t see any bike here.

RM: At the entrance. Some of the other kids may have ridden it around for a bit so it might not be right where we left it, though. It’s been the whole day. I did tell the guard to keep an eye and he said no problem… They all saw me walking out toting Rockstar.

Rockstar: I want to talk I want to talk I want to talk!!!

RM: Wait darling, we’re trying to find your bike.

Rockstar: I want to talk I want!!!

RM: Stop it. Firstly, don’t interrupt and secondly, Daddy is trying to find your bike, which you left at the club house this morning.

RM exits, closing bedroom door because she needs to give RD some identifying feature about the bike (like the dog tags with our numbers attached) so he can show the guard and is allowed to leave with the bike.

Rockstar bursts into tears.

 

ACT III SCENE II

At Home

Enter Rockstar’s dad thru front door.

RD: (In Bahasa to RM because Rockstar doesn’t know Bahasa) It’s in the boot. (To Rockstar in English) You lost your bike, Rockstar. We told you not to leave your things lying around.

Rockstar: Ok.

RD: Why did you leave it there?

Rockstar: I was crying.

RD: Why were you crying?

Rockstar: Before that I……

RM: He started crying after not wanting to go home and telling me to go away; when I actually went away.

Rockstar: (After listening carefully to RM’s narration) Yeah.

RM: You agree that’s what happened?

Rockstar: Yeah.

 

ACT IV SCENE I:

The following morning

Rockstar: I want to go (back to the Club house to get his bike)

RM: You can’t today because you have school. Anyway Daddy already went back yesterday and had a hard time finding it.

 

ACT IV SCENE II:

Several hours later, Rockstar is dressed for school.

Rockstar: (After taking out his old scooter) Can I scoot down? And then after school today where are you meeting me so I can scoot?

RM: Uh, why do you want to scoot today?

Rockstar: I lost my bike. I only have my scooter left.

Note: At this point I can barely play along – he hasn’t asked for a new bike, and he hasn’t demanded to go back and look for his old one after I told him he has school. He just went and dug up his old scooter stored away in his room and which he hasn’t touched in awhile.

RM: So..… you’re….. just gonna give up biking?

Rockstar: Yeah.

RM: Because you left it there and lost it??

Rockstar: Yeah. I was crying yesterday.

RM: ??!! <slowly> Be….cause you were naughty.

Rockstar: Yeah.

RM: Well, you were good today, you tidied up all your toys by yourself and put on your school uniform, maybe Mummy and Daddy could try again to see if we can ask the guards to look for it?

Rockstar: <not much reaction, he’s too busy scooting about> Yeah.

 

ACT V SCENE I:

Rockstar scoots through the lobby to the car for school

RM: OMG Rockstar! Your bike in the boot! See? Sometimes when you’re nice it makes people try harder to be nice to you too, or help you out. Daddy tried to really hard to get the guards to search the area for the bike again after I told him what a good boy you were this morning!

Rockstar: <Grins> We didn’t really lose (the bike).

RM: What do you mean, yes it was lost yesterday.

Rockstar: <Reproachfully> No it wasn’t.

ACT V SCENE II:

In the car on the way to school

Driver: So what happened?

RM: We left Rockstar’s bike at the club house yesterday. And some kids probably rode it around for a bit and didn’t put it back so we lost it. Didn’t we, Rockstar?

Rockstar: <silence>

RM: We left the bike at the playground why, Rockstar?

Rockstar: Because I was crying.

RM: Why were you crying?

Rockstar: Because you left me there.

RM: Why did I leave you there?

Rockstar: Because I told you to go away.

Driver: He doesn’t lie or make excuses, does he?

RM: Not really, no. It’s one thing about him I’m really proud of. He faces the music.

THE END.