THE SPARK by Craig Harvey

THE SPARK Written by Craig B. Harvey 2/25/20

2/25/20

2

THE SPARK

CAST: MALIKA: 20-something, Fitted white T-shirt, flannel shirt tied around waist, fitted blue jeans, Timberland boots, gold watch, gold necklace, one gold ring on right middle finger, one gold ring on left index finger.

COREY: 30-something, Polo shirt, blue jeans, fitted baseball cap, all while Nike Air Force Ones, white watch, cellphone.

2/25/20

3 (At rise: Corey sits in a booth at a restaurant, texting on phone, waiting for Malika’a arrival.

Malika walks in and walks over to kiss Corey.)

MALIKA What’s up Big Head? Which one of your hoes you texting right now?

COREY Okay. (Pause) I’m doing fine. I’m a little tired, you know, jet lagged from the flight. Other than that, I’m okay. How are you?

MALIKA (Sarcastically.) I’m okay too. But like I said, which one of your hoes you texting? And why is it empty in here?

(Pause.) Oh, I get it, you’re trying to make right the error of your doggish ways. Well, shutting down your restaurant don’t count on the scale of grand gestures.

(Sits in booth opposite of Corey.)

COREY Damn, Malika. (Walking over to hug her.) We haven’t seen each other in a week and I really just wanna feed you and catch a vibe.

MALIKA (Putting up her hands in defense of Corey’s attempt to hug her.)

Let me see your phone. Before you say no – COREY Here you go, have at it.

(Handing phone over.)

MALIKA (Typing on phone.) So you think I’m a fool. What’s your passcode? (Smiling.) What is it?

COREY I’m really lost. Where is all this concern about my phone coming from? (Looking confused.) 7-23 –

2/25/20

4

MALIKA How sweet is it that my man’s pass code is my birthday.

(Reaching up to hug and kiss Corey.)

Now let me see who this hoe is you were texting.

COREY Why are you using that kind of language?

MALIKA (Seductively.)

I apologize, Daddy. Do you wanna spank me?

(Standing up to poke out her butt.

Corey reaches across the table and in mid-swing Malika catches his hand and quickly turns around.)

I still wanna know who the other bitch is, since she’s not a hoe.

COREY The other bitch’s name is ignorMALIKA I don’t wanna know as long as I get to experience you uninterrupted. I could care less what her name is.

COREY Like I said, her name is ignorance. The same ignorance that makes you feel okay referring to another black woman as a bitch or a hoe. As if you don’t know the history behind those terms.

MALIKA So, you assume that I think you were texting a black woman.

(Smirking.) Hell, for all I know you might want some cream in your coffee.

COREY That’s not the point. Whether or not I choose to date a less melanated woman is of no consequence, right now we’re talking about bitches and hoes.

2/25/20

5

MALIKA (Smacks her lips.)

Wellll, according to your philosophy, bitch is a term slave traders used in reference to enslaved mothers reacting viciously following the removal of their newborns after birth. They were said to have been as vicious as a female pitbull when someone touches her pups. Now, the term hoe was once again used in reference to enslaved black women who did the farming and gardening. A hoe is a garden tool and when a slave owner was feeling malicious, he would take the gardening and farming tools, then make the women till the land with their hands, and refer to them as hoes.

COREY (Smiling in admiration.)

I see you Shorty. But if you comprehend this philosophy, why do you continue to use these terms?

MALIKA Corey... (Pause.) Sometimes you come off as an authoritative father figure and not as the man I lust over. sometimes I just wanna catch a vibe and go with the flow.

It’s just a spark.

COREY (Laughing.)

Yeah, that part. (Pause.) The spark… so, you’re saying we have a spark, and it could be a fire, but I prevent that – MALIKA No, I wasn’t saying that... (Stammers.) I mean – you know sometimes you just over think things and it’s...sometimes it turns me off. Yea, it’s just a spark that we have. It has the potential to become a fire but… (Pause.)

COREY (With intensity.)

But. What?

MALIKA I don’t wanna get burned... Literally and figuratively speaking! (With emotion.) So, because you seem too good to be true, we take two steps forward, then I take three steps back.

2/25/20

6

COREY (Leans over the table to kiss the tears streaming down Malika’s face.)

Baby I won’t burn you. I just want to set you on fire cause you are my fire and desire (Mimicking Rick James, leans over and whispers seductively in her ear.) You are my fire.

MALIKA (Pushing Corey off and wipes away tears.)

Why are we sitting in an empty restaurant? I get that it’s yours and all, but I’m kinda hungry. I’ve been fasting the entire week you’ve been gone.

COREY Now it makes sense. You’re cranky – MALKIA I’m not being a crank. I’m just – COREY You’re totally cranked out. You don’t want me to touch you… but when I gave you my phone and pass code you were all like... (Mimicking her) “It’s sooo sweet your pass code is my birthday.” (Laughing.)

MALIKA (Playfully knocks off Corey’s hat.)

Shut up. I missed you and I just wanna play hard to get, that’s all. But seriously, I’m really hungry and I don’t smell any food.

COREY Well, my plan was to get you here, and hopefully after I do this you won’t play hard to get.

(Kneels down, holding her hand.)

Malika Amil Atkins, will youMALIKA (Taking deep breaths, panting.

Fanning back tears.)

Corey.

(Stammers.)

Wh- What?

2/25/20

7

COREY Why are you shaking? (Stands up.) I was just gon ask. It’s been almost four months, will you please stop playing hard to get, and let me hit it from the back?

MALIKA Boy, you better- (rolling her eyes.)

COREY (Kneels down again.)

You light my fire, will you please share this experience with me?

MALIKA I would absolutely enjoy the opportunity for us to experience each other.

(Pointing at her left ring finger.)

COREY Put a ring on it, huh.

(Kisses her hand then stands up.)

Let’s not institutionalize our experience. I gave you my word, you accepted, now we’re suppose to express our gratitude for each other on the highest. Plus, I can’t give you no ring, cause I don’t know if you can through that ass back.

(Both laughing.)

MALIKA (Stands up and grabs Corey’s hands and places them on her butt.)

Hmmm... (Pause.) Are you suggesting we consummate our agreement right here?

COREY You haven’t looked at your menu yet.

(Both sit in booth, and he hands her a menu.)

2/25/20

8

MALIKA (Opens menu and smiles seductively.)

I’m the appetizer, main course, entrée, and the dessert…

COREY That’s correct! I’ve had a taste for you since the first day we connected with each other.

MALIKA It’s just a spark.

COREY Yea, it’s just a spark.

(Pause and stands up.)

Since then that spark has become a flame, and a wildfire is where we are now.

(He takes off his baseball cap and unbuttons his shirt.)

MALIKA (Stands on the booth seats untying the shirt wrapped around her waist, dancing seductively, then sits on the table and kicks off shoes.)

You’ve been patient with me, providing the emotional balance that I need. And your intellect is...I mean with you I learned that I’m sapiosexual. Your wordsCOREY (Looking confused.)

Wait...did you just say a pee hole is sexual? Babe I can get freaky but you can’t pee on me and I don’t wanna pee on you. We can’t take no golden showersMALIKA (Laughing and helping Corey take off his shirt.)

Listen! Shhh. Your words take me somewhere I’ve never been before mentally. I didn’t say pee-hole-s-sexual, I said sapio-sexual. That’s when a person is aroused by another person’s intellect. You have me mentally, now please have me physically.

2/25/20

9

COREY (Smiling seductively.)

What if I had a master’s degree I would’ve knew that word already? (Pause.) Now that I think about it I’m sa-piosexual too. Because hearing you speak those words gave me an… (He looks down at his zipper.)

(Malika unzips his pants while Corey pulls out his cellphone and begins typing. Alicia Keys and Drake’s “Un-Thinkable I’m ready” starts to play. Corey steps between Malika’s legs.)

COREY Are you ready? We’ve waited a very long time for this.

(Talking between kisses.)

I remember the first time we saw each other neither of us spoke a word, but our spirits acknowledged each other.

MALIKA (Kissing Corey seductively.)

And then what happened?

(Gentle moans.)

COREY The un-thinkable happens, the spark becomes a fire causing us to explode with each other.

(Suddenly, a loud explosion. The spark has ignited a fire. Corey and Malika continue to kiss as smoke consumes the restaurant.)