Color Blind (2016)
Gylia Dryden and Zoe Lucas in “Color Blind”
Color Blind
by Zoe Lucas
Click here to watch “Color Blind”
Setting: On a beautiful island
Tinow: Well hello. May I ask your name?
Kanat: No you cannot! I never want to get close to your kind.
Tinow: Okay. You don’t have to be rude. What are you doing here, anyway?
Kanat: I am going to tell the red people about the island so they can inhabit it. Next I will sell all you blue people.
Tinow: And what makes you think that you can do that? How did you find out about us?
Kanat: I was going home from a rotten vacation and saw the island from a distance with blue people inhabiting it. I decided to come back and do what I’m doing now. I brought with me guns, teargas, and a lot of weapons. With all this you’re trapped. Now are you going to force me to use this stuff on you?
Tinow: Okay but you will have to give us some time so we can pack up all our stuff and move.
Kanat: Didn’t you hear me? You are going to be sold like slaves.
Tinow: You are such a brat ruining my life and the lives of all blue people who never did anything to you. What is so wrong with blue people? Have you ever got to know us? We are a happy, peaceful group.
Kanat: Exactly.
Tinow: Exactly what? You must have a problem if you want to destroy this wonderful group. Are you jealous?
Kanat: How dare you accuse me of such a thing! Now go into that auction square while I get some red people to buy you. What’s that?
Tinow: (Startled, Tinow inhales quickly). Don’t touch that button! Our ancestors told us that something will happen if you touch that button so DON’T.
Kanat: Who cares about the ancestors of blue people? (Touches it.)
(The actors start looking dazed and the background changes to yellow)
Tinow: Oh, no! We’re all trapped in the sun’s beams. You see, we live on a island where the sun beams are so hot you cannot survive for more than 1 day and that includes you. We are all going to have to save or island. Now we need one more person to reach the button and there are no more people left except you, Kanat.
Kanat: Absolutely not. I have pride and I hate you people. You are rich and happy, yet I am poor and lonely. It is so unfair.
Tinow: You realize that if we die you die. It’s either we sink or swim. What do you want to do?
Kanat: There is no way I will save your lives.
Tinow: If you save our lives you can win it all.
Kanat: How?
Tinow: Well for one you will save your own life. You will also be able to sell us. Then you will get what you want.
Kanat: No I will not. In the first place, why do I want to live? I have had a terrible life. Full of loneliness. In the second place if you live what good is that. I have been told that blue people are selfish. Red people and blue people have never gotten a long for as long as I remember. I hate you and I don’t think I will break the tradition.
Tinow: Well I guess that this it it. Okay we will just wait for us all to die. Look I’m sorry for your misfortunate life but let’s not end both of our lives because of that. Maybe if you look at life from a different perspective and live your life differently you might be surprised.
Kanat: That’s impossible. It is too late for change. I have my ways.
Tinow: That’s ridiculous. You’re young. You can start right now by letting us live in peace.
Kanat: Oh, I see why you are being so nice to me. You think that being nice to me will get you free. Well, stop! Pretty soon I will go get the red people and they will take over this island and buy you blue people, then I will have just what I want, fame, honor, glory, and friends.
Tinow: Do you really think that will make you happy?
Kanat: What are you, the bringer of happiness? You don’t seem too happy.
Tinow: Just mind your own business.
Kanat: Then why aren’t you minding mine?
Tinow: Well, I thought I could help you but I see you are too pig headed.
Kanat: Pig headed! How rude!
Tinow: What happens when you get fame and honor?
Kanat: Like I told you, I would have friends. Do you know how long ago that was?
Tinow: No.
Kanat: I actually did have friends but when I learned from my parents that red people are better than any other color, I started believing it and then there went my color friends.
Tinow: Maybe if you realized we all are equal you would have happiness and friends.
Kanat: Perhaps. I don’t know. I thought that this is what I wanted. I am so messed up. Why don’t I get the people instead of talking with you? I wish I knew the key to happiness.
Tinow: Would you like to tell me about your life and your feelings because I really don’t know you? Then perhaps I could help you.
Kanat: Okay, when I was little my family was rich and well off. However, my Dad lost his job and we became very poor. My parents had told me to hang out with the red people, however, they started treating me like trash when I became poor. I never tried to be friends with any other colors. I have been lonely ever since then.
Tinow: Thanks for telling me that.
Kanat: Why don’t you tell me about your life?
Tinow: Sure. I was born in this little teepee. I am the oldest of my seven siblings. When I was nine I won a scholarship to go to the capital of Vinn to do plane engineering. This was a big deal to me. You see my life is, and has been, wake up, have breakfast, and help my siblings go to school. Then when I get home I stir the pot of rice that my Mom makes, and get my siblings ready for bed. There were no surprises. I never did go to the capital of Vinn. I have sooooooooo regretted that decision. Right before you came I got another invitation, but because you decided to try to make nothing but hardships for us I couldn’t go.
Kanat: Well excuse me for living. Just because I’m here doesn’t mean you can’t do what you want.
Tinow: You are so wrong about that. That is a lesson that I just learned. It is great to become successful and have a great career. However, to be happy you need to finish what you started. If you have to help your family, it doesn’t matter how great your career is, family is your first priority and you have to help them. Never take them for granted. Now as for your life, I would suggest that you get rid of your prejudices and accept people for who they are. Don’t say it is too late to change, because it is not.
Kanat: Well, if it is not, how do I start?
Tinow: You can start by touching the sun, that way we can get back to earth.
Kanat: Ok, now that I have done that, what next?
Tinow: You can lift these wonderful people’s spirits. Please tell them that you won’t hurt them.
Kanat: I guess so. Nobody has to find out about the island. Why do I have to be famous anyway if I have friends.
Tinow: Great. Let’s tell them. This looks like the beginning of a new friendship, Kanat.
Kanat: I hope so, Tinow!
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