SCENE – YEAR 2019 - PRIZE DAY

Int/Day

Master bedroom of mother and father

Few minutes before leaving for prize day ceremony. Mother (Sarah) and
father (Jonathan) are both dressed in their formal wear. Sarah is
doing her last makeup touches at her vanity table whilst Jonathan is
arranging his tie in place.

JONATHAN:
(looking annoyed) Ejja lesta?

SARAH:
(slighty pissed off) U gejja int, mela qed tahsibni ntir?

JONATHAN:
(being sarcastic) Arem hey, tahsbekx ghad ghandek tmintax.

SARAH:
(sighs) Ajma, dejjem l-istess paroli fil-vojt! Naf li m’ghandiex
tmintax…imma iva, nipprova nzomm ruhi kemm nista. X’hemm hazin
b’daqshekk?

Jonathan rolls his eyes as if he’s not listening.

SARAH:
U isma’ wara kollox, dan ghal wiccek ukoll. Biex ma joqghodx jghidu
minn warajk shabek li ghandek mara mitluqa. Billi ghandhom ilsienhom
taz-zokkor!

JONATHAN:
(annoyed) Tibdiex izzeffen lil shabi fin-nofs!

SARAH:
Mhux int bdejt? Jien bi kwieti nlesti kont.

1
JONATHAN:
(chuckles sarcastically) Tkellmet Santa Maria Goretti hey. Tisimghek
titkellem tahsbek xi qaddisa miexja fl-art.

SARAH:
Qatt m’ghetlek li jien qaddisa. Imma dejjem pruvajt naghmel l-ahjar
li nista.

Tension starts building up.

JONATHAN:
Int bis-serjeta? Iddahhakniex Sarah!

SARAH:
Qatt gejt mix-xoghol u ma sibtx kollox lest?

JONATHAN:
Bil-mod, qisek tqatta’ l-blat ghax taghmel erba’ facendi! Anke tifla
tal-iskola kapaci ddellek naqra art u hgieg…

SARAH:
Safrattant hwejjgek dejjem nodfa u platt ikel fuq il-mejda dejjem
sibtu.

JONATHAN:
Messu le wkoll! Mela nzommok paxxuta hawn ma jonqsok xejn, u
x’tippretendi? Li ma tlestiex imqar borma fuq in-nar?

Younger Noah comes in happily dressed in his formal wear. Breaks

tension in the room.

NOAH:
Lesti papa’?

2
JONATHAN:
(changes tone and attitude completely. Delighted to see his son) Hawn
sabih tieghi! (goes to hug him) Iva ta…l-ahhar ftit jonqos xbin, kemm
tlesti l-mummy. Ecitat jew?

NOAH:
Hafna papa’! Dis-sena vera kuntent!

JONATHAN:
Messek le! Tliet prizes f’suggetti differenti u l-aqwa student fil-
klassi. Nispera li taf li jien u l-mummy kburin immens bik!

NOAH:
Naf papa’. U jien nispera li tafu li nhobbkhom u ninsab grat immens
ta’ dak kollu li taghmlu mieghi (hugs father).

JONATHAN:
Nafu ghaziz. (breaks hug) Isma bilhaqq, ghadek m’ghedtliex xi tridni
nixtrilek tar-rizultat sabih li gibt.

NOAH:
U int ma tafx li jien il-kotba huma l-aktar haga favorita tieghi
papa’?

Sarah speaks from behind. All this time she’s been observing.

SARAH:
U ejja Noah. Kotba m’ghandekx bizzejjed? Ha tispicca tgharraq ghajnejk
erbat ijiem ohra!

NOAH:
Imma mama’, int taf li jien l-akbar passatemp tieghi huwa l-qari. Minn
dejjem hekk kont.

3
SARAH:
(sighs) Ma nafx jien. Guvintur tamparek jistaqsu l-genituri taghhom
ghal xi mobile jew tablet…u inti hlief kotba ma ssemmiex. Donnok
m’intiex bhal subien ohra.

NOAH:
Imma ma…

JONATHAN:
(breaks discussion – angry at mom) Hallieh int! Anke t-tifel ha jibda
jtik f’ghajnek issa?

SARAH:
Isma’ l-iehor, qisni qed nghid xi haga hazina x’kull wahda!

JONATHAN:
Mhux ahjar jaqra milli jahli l-hin fuq xi tablet? Xi tridu jkun bhali?
Jikber u jispicca jgorr il-gebel fuq dahru?

SARAH:
Jien mhux qed nghid hekk.

JONATHAN:
Mill-qari jiehu xi haga. Jistudja, jigradwa u l-quddiem isib xoghol
suret in-nies b’paga tajba.

SARAH:
U ajma dal-istudju kollu! Qisu min m’ghandux skola ma jsibx x’jaghmel
b’hajtu…

JONATHAN:
(angry) Imma kemm tiflah tkun injoranta! Flok tiehu gost li t-tifel
jibbrilla fl-iskola, tara kif ha twaqqaw down.

4
SARAH:
Imma jien m’ghedtx…

Noah breaks the argument.

NOAH:
Iva jimporta ma nibdewx bhas-soltu please? Illum il-gurnata tieghi u
suppost m’hemmx glied bejnietkom. (turns to father) Jekk joghgbok
papa’, ghamel effort. Ghalija.

JONATHAN:
(snaps out of argument and realises Noah is present) Ghandek ragun
ibni. Skuzani. Imma din (turns to mother) ma tirragunax!

NOAH:
Papa’! X’ghadni kemm ghedtilkom?

JONATHAN:
Iva, iva ha nieqfu. Issa ejja ha mmorru ghax ha tispicca c-cerimonja
u nkunu ghadna hawn (smiles to Noah).

They all leave for prize day.

Black out.