CADAVER
Alberto S. FloreTitftlo
Torio
Marina
Carding
{The interior of a sqimlid, onewoo i
dwelling Öcated on the edge ofa cemetery in
Manïiä. wafls nndroo/—orde ofernpty
eruit boxes , tarbaiifin, bnmboo, and
cardboard patci •d togetMr — threaten to
collapse any minute. 1
{P door, upstage left, lendr to the
outside and another, Yighr, co rke kit ken.
L/psrage certtez isa small tuindow. At rigftt
comes isa cot placed diégonztlfy across the
TOoTti. Two Jruit boxes , standing on their
sides, serve as seats, and another, ft on the
ground, serves as o table where an oil lump
gives off the only light in the 5emi-
dorknf55.)
(Torio is ft rug ort the cot, a turnto
blanket coveYin Q him to the waist. He is
arouM 27 years old, with a square i•'•
=' a sett-deueto§ed body He is sick, ills eyes
,¿)
(CaTdtTtg entdYs: t2 ai bo bed, sl -
moeing mm in dirty pnnu and T-shirt. He
CTO538s to Torio end tap5 hits on the
shoulder.)
CARDING Pz Torio opens his e yes.)
Were you asleep, Torio?
TORIO No, Carding, I was not. Sit
clown,
CARDING (Sell sending. ) So you’ve
been sick. I didn’t knoW until Marina told
me.
TORIO Where did you see her?
CARDING She passed by the house just
a while ago.
TORIO Damn that woman! So she
insisted on seeing you. I told her nor 1oC
bother you!
CARDING Oh; it isn’t any bother at
all, Torio. I was even chiding her for not
letting me know right away. i Sales a seat
nt the foot of tke cot.) She was so excited
when she showed up, at firsc 1 thought
you were dead—or dying!
TORIO Don’t you let that woman
alarm you again! There’s not a time
.when she doesn’t worry about
something. Sometimes, I.even think she
worries about what will worry her next!
(He tries to iâtigfi but ends ufi coughing.)
CARDING But she has a reason to be
worried. You look very sick.
TORIO I’m just a bit feverish, thats all.
CARDING (Le‹sns {orward rind {eels
Torio’s temper‹stu e.) Your whole body
is on fire! How did you get that fever?
TORIO I don’t know. I guess it’s the tiny
wound on my foot. (Exposes his right
foot, bandaged with dirty rugs.J
CARDING Maybe you didn’t go to the
dispensary as I told you.
TORIO It’s not anything serious. (Places
$f5 JOOt ttftder tfi birrkei ognin.1
CARDING Notanything serious! If it
can put a man of your size and
strength to bed, it is something serious.
But you need not worry. I sent Marina to
the dispensary. TORIO What for?
CARDING I told her to ask the doCtor
to come arid look you. over. She
should have thought of that before.
TORIO Are you dreaming? Do you
think the doctor will come when we
have no money to pay him?
CARDING But you don’t have to pay
him anything. He’s the pub!ic doctor.
He’ll treat you for-free.
TORIO Maybe if I go there. But do you
think he’ll take the trouble of coming to
me? What do you th ink I am, a
O£lgi'essman?
CARDING (Ttims to min.) No, Torio.
TORIO It's all right. I know you can’t
do it. Not close. You need me. But don't
get impatient. I’ll get well sooner than
you expect.
CARDING You don’t get what I mean,
Torio ... I'm giving it up.
TORIO tsurprised.) What? You’re giving
it up? You’re joking!
CARDING I’m not joking, Torio.
TORIO But why? Have you found
an easier way of making a living?
CARDING I’m frightened, Torio. See
what happened to you. Suppose it
happened to me? I'm not ever› lmlf as
healthy as you are.
TORIO Oh! So this little wound had
you really scared, huh? Why, it’s only a
scratch! It did not even bleed a drop.
CARDING (Sits down.) You know what
the old folks say about those accidents
concerning the dead ...
TORIO What do they say?
CARDING Tliat if one gets wounded
— or even only scratched—by the
bones of the dead ... he will die.
TORIO Andyou believe that?
CARDING Of course.
TORIO fLaughs.) You’re j.ust like a child.
Besides, it was ari accident! A corpse did
not leap from his tomb to plunge one of
his ribs into my foot! Nothing like that
happened ... so there’s nothing to be
scared of!
CARDING Even them. You got that
wound in a cemetery ... (Leant forward
him.) Torio, let’s not offend the dead any
more. It’s so brighter ir g. You never know
what they'll do to punish us.
TORIO What can they do—except
haunt us! And who is scared of ghosts?
CARDING (S waigktens tip.) I’d rather
offered the living—
TORIO Ahdif they catch you what do
they do? They throw you in jail. The
dead are more kind, Carding.
CARDING I.haven’t had a good night’s
sleep since we started this work. It
seems so mear and ugly like stealing
candy from:a baby.
TORIO Carding, if you start being
sentimental in this world, you’ll starve to
death.
CARDING Oh ... here comes Marina.
(Marine enters, a Fla omnn of
25
or 26, sloppil y dressed in n formless, tunic-
CARDING Where is the doctor,
Marina?
MARINA How's Torio!
CARDING Where is he, Marina?
MARINA (Touching Torio’s brow.) Your
temperature’s still rising.
CARDING Marina, I’m asking you—
where’s the doctor?
MARINA He couldn’t come with ice?
TORIO (With c yniCal triuTTtph.) See? I
told you so! I would have died of
surprise if he came!
CARDING (To MnTlrtn.) Why couldn't
he come? Was he husy?
MARINA (Uncertainly.) Well ... no,
not exactly. He was not.
CARDING What did he say?
MARINA He wants us ro take Torio to
the dispensary.
CARDING How? He can't .even sir up
TORIO Whosays I can’t even sit tip? 1
can! (TTfBS tO Sit up but fails as Mnrina
cries Don’t!) I know I can—if 1 reai'y
try.
CARDING That doctor must be crazy.
TORIO Thectoctor's.afraid that instead
of paying him, 1 would beg money from
him. If he came I would have really
beggecl from him. (Lntighs.)
CARDING Areyou sure you tried hares
enough to make him come, Msrind?
i T E R A T U R E U i›i n R T H E R £PU z i I c 2$ 5
MARINA Of course, 1 did.
TORIO You're both .afraid I might die.
For all you know, I will outlive both of
you. Smiles and s tarts mtizmiiririg to
himself.)
MARINA (Crosses to Cazding doumstoge;
speaks low.) Whar shall we do now?
Listen to him. I’m afraid the fever has
touched his brain.
CARDING Let’s take him to the
hospital.
MARINA It’s not as easy as that,
Cardirig. He hntes hospitals.
CARDING Yes, I krtow. We’ll drag
him to it if we have to.
MARINA We can’t make him do
anything he hates.
CARDING (Touching her or the nrm.)
But we can't leave him alcirie, Marina!
He’s really more sick than he appears to
be. It is only his will to live that keeps
him going. He’ll break down soon and it
may be too late then.
TORIO Notices them conversin.g.) Hey,
whar are you two doing ther whispering
like two lovebirds?
CARDING (Loud enough {or Torio to
hear.) You’d better go down the street
and get a jeep.
MARINA Wehaven’t even a centavo
to pay the driver.
CARDING I’ll take care of that. I have
some money here.
TORIO What do you want a jeep for?
(S£tTCfistic.) Are you iwo eloping? Can’t
you wait till I'm dead?
CARDING Torio, we’re taking you to
the hosp ital.
TORIO You're not taking me anywhere!
CARVING Torio, we don’t have to ask
you.
TORIO Oh no? You speak as if you
owned my body!
CARDING Because I know it’s, for your
own gocid.
MARINA Torio, He's our only friend
arid you dare speak of him like that?
(To Carling.) Carding, you must forgive
him. He doesn’t know what he’s
TORIO But I don’t want to go! Don’t
tell me I can’t even refuse something for
myself!
CARDING Torio, lister to me. Be
reasonable. You’re sick. If you refuse to
go, we’ll drag you if we have to.
TORIO (threatening.) Just try, Carding!
Just try. I’ll fight you with my last
strength! CARDING Torio!
TORIO Carding, you’re my friend. Don’t
do anything I hate. And don’t worry. I’m
in my right senses.
WARDING (Irked.) All right, all right,
I won’t insist. (bits down.)
MARINA C omes forward.) for in,
please ... listen to us ...
TORIO Why are yoti so worried about
me?
PRIMA VhatasñyquestOn!
TORIO That’s not a silly question !
Why should you worry that I might die?
Haven’t you always wanted me to die?
MARINA Torio!
TORIO You were never really happy
with me, were you? I know yfiu’ve grown
tired of me.
MARINA No, Torio!
TORIO Don’t be ashamed to admit it! I
won’t mind. I confess I also ger bored
sometimes. But where I could always
seek fot change, you cannot. I can
tmagir›e how you must feel inside.
MARINA Torio, whatever gave you
those ideas?
TORIO So, if you think I’m going o die,
don’t take all this tremble of pretending
you don’t want it to happen. Just leave
me alcine to die. This would be your
chance to get rid of me and get another
man. Carding, for instance—
MARINA Torio!
TORIO He’s quite a man too! Even
beforé I'm dead and gone, he has already
laid his hands on you—
saying.
CARDING Don’t worry. I understand
very well.
TORIO See? I’m not dead yet and
 already you have taken his side against
me!
MARINA Torio!
TORIO Do you think he can take care
of you as well as I have been doing? He
can't even earn enough money to
support himself. He cannot even take over
our business wher› I get sick—
MARINA What business?
TORIO — how much more if he had
you to take care of? He'll starve you
to death.
MARIA A What “business” does he
mean, Cardir g?
CARDING Don't mind him. He
has
gone mad!
TORIO SoI’m mad, huh? (To Mnrina.)
I'll tell you what kind of business we
have. CARDItJG Torio!
TORIO It's a business that requires no
capital. All you need is a good, strong
stomach—
CARDING (SHking him) Torio, stop it!
TORIO (Ptishing him oJ.) Why? Are you
ashamed ro let others know the dead
have been supporting you all along?
MARINA What does he mean,
Harding? CARDING Don't listen to
him. He’s out
of his mind:
TORIO Really? To Stamina.) Do you
want tc› know where the money I bring
home comes from? Do you believe I really
earn it by break ir g my back at the
waterfront. I’ve fooled you so well you--
never even suspected.
MARINA Just what did you do?
TORIO Ter put it plainly—
L"AROING Toric›!
try to harm you?
TORIO (Pointing rhroitgh th window.)
Look at them! Doesn’t that sight infuriate
you? Look! Nothing worries them. They
TORIO I robbed the dead around us.
(Cnrding turns nway.
MARINA Shocked.) What! You mean —
TORIO I was one of those who force
open the graves of the deal.
1\iIARINA Hnrdty nble to spenk.) Ar d
you stole ... from them?
TORIO Yes! And why not? Rich
people are always buried with
something valuable on them: rings,
earrings, necklaces, watches—and
gold teeth! why let such xreasures rot
under the ground—while above that
ground peop le like us are starving!
MARINA Torio, you didn’t do that! You
didn’t!
TORIO But I did! You can ask Carding.
He was wlth me all the time. At first he
was scared to death. He would tremble
and perspire. But later on—
WARDING (Turns to them. 1 didn’t
want to—
TORIO —but he t because hé had
to eat—even from a dead man's hand.
When he tries to rob the living, he always
gets caught. He’s too slow for then. But
with the dead, once he got used to it, it
was so easy. The dead do not report to
the polic they don’t fight back—they
don’t even scream!
MARINA Stop it! I can’t stand it! (Sits
down.) Ohhhh ... the poor sacred dead—
TORIO What’s so sacred about them?
They're deed!
MARINA {Almost crying.) To‹ rio . . when
we had nowhere to stay, we moved here —
to their place. We put up his house on their
land. They did not complain—they did not
call us “squatters” —they did not drive us
- away. And what did you do in return —
wHt?
TORIO I hate them! That’s why I robbed
them! I hate them!
MARINA You hate them? Why, what c4id
they do that you hate them? Did they ever
],lTI'RATuAt N*5R *H E k› rU e . u 2 1 7
lie there day arid night, sleeping like bahies,
mocking our sufferings!
CARDING (At the doorway.) Marina,
stop listening to hire. He used to tell me
that over and over.
TORIO One nighr, as I was coming
home, a strong rain caught me. I ran
for shelter to the nearest tomb, that one
nedr the road, belonging to a dead
Chinese mi llior aire. It was so
beautiful—the tomb—it looked more
like a palace than a place for the ‹head,
with thick marble walls and roof—and
festive lights! Inside was the body—in a
coffin. It was so dry in the rair and
comfc›rtable even ir death. Why should
that dead merchant have marhle walls
and roof to protect him from the rain—
while I was outside, soaked to the bone
and shivering in the cold— waiting to
go home to a dark, dark place with a
carclboard roof that leaks ever› in the
lightest rain! Why? He’s dead and I am
alive! I have more right to the things
wasted on him ori’t you think so?
Don’t you think we need thick walls
more than the clead?
MARINA Hemust have seen you—
TORIO Whocould have seem us?
We useel to work after m idn ig t
when everyone was asleep.
MARINA It was God who saw you
doing that evil thing—God who keeps
eternal watch over the dead—
TORIO Why should Ciod keep watch
over the dead? Why not over you and me
whc› are still alive?
MARINA Oh, what you did is a hsrrible
sacrilege! If you die, heaven will not
receive your soul! Even hell will refuse
your damned soul!
TORIO (Mod.) Why do you always say
“if y.ou die,” “if you die,” “if you die!”
You do want me to die?
MARINA No, why shnuld I?
TORIO JUeheinently.) You really want
to be rid of me, don’t you? (Throughout,
Marirui i:tries to interr ttpt but in vain.) Now
I see that you two have been waiting for
me to die so you could live together!
Maybe that’s why a little wound like this
car put me to bed. You’re preying—
praying that I will die. But I’ll disappoint
both of you! I will live on and on if only
to punish you by denying you,the chance
to live together! I’m still young! I have a
hundred years before me! Not all the
deacl in the world can drag me to the
grave! (His savings Use in pitch.) I hate
them! Yes, I dare all rhe dead whom I have
offended to take me! (Riding tTt6td, 5 titinQ
through the window.) Take me if you can! I
despise all of you! Oh, that you were all
alive now and suffering in life! (He siidde
nly collapses.)
MARINA (Rusting to his side.) Torio!
What happened? Harding! Help me!
CARDING (AtTorio’s 6 ide.) Torio! (To
Mnrinn.) Get some water quick! Morinn
gets water as Curbing ture.s to revive Attn.
Then he mnkes him drink.)
MARINA Torio ... are you all right?
TCiRIO {He comes to, sees Murine ord
speaks between gasps.) I’m all right . .
They cannot take me . . I’m not
willing to go yet ... (Looks around
blindly.)Where’s Carding? Has he gone?
CARDING (Shows himself) I’m still
here.
TORIO I thought . you had left
You are not mad at me, are yc›u?
CARDING No, I’m not, Torio.
TORIO I didn’t mean what I said
about you ... I had a drunker feeling ...
just said anything . . ,
CARDING You don’t have tó
exp1ai».:I understand. Try not to talk.
You.need rest: TORIO Yes, I feel tired . :.
. you two talk to each other ... l’ll take
a short nap ... To Mnrino:) Wake me up
when he’s ready to leave, Marina.
MARINAo. Yes, Torió .
(TOTtCt Closes his eyés. Si«fdcn1y bis hg‹zd
end IS OTWt JODÍ fiWev tH edge of nite col.)
MARINA (Screnms ;s ing
hitn.).Torto! Wake up;”Torio!. Wake up!

MARINA ›It was so sudden as. if an

unseen hand suddenly snatched him
away!
HARDING At last he is now atipeace.
MARINA How can he ever have peace?
The: dead he offended will not let him
alone.
CARDING No; Marina, the dead .are
not cruel and vindictive like us. They
will
..understand. They iwill understand him
mor much more than we, the liv.ing,
ever could.
!Catding kneels on the/oO7. Mnrinn{ollows.
eJ tllft f StQtl ”OJ f$C CROSS .