The Price For Fame (A Comedy Play)

Wednesday Afternoon

Mercy picks up her phone and dials a number.

BOY: Hello.

MERCY: Hey, Boy. It is me, Mercy.

BOY: Oh, Mercy, my dear. How are…

MERCY: Don’t patronise me. What was that stunt you played yesterday?

BOY: What stunt?

MERCY: The money you stole from me.

BOY: Oh, that one? (Laughs) That was the price for being famous.

MERCY: Boy….

BOY: Don’t boy me. You go around deceiving men, telling them you love them when you know you don’t.

MERCY: Boy…

BOY: And now, you are doing the same thing to my friend Gadalf.

MERCY: Oh, stop it Boy. If you really care about him, why didn’t you tell Gadalf already?

BOY: Oh, I would have. But he’s also paying the price for being famous.

MERCY: Famous for…

BOY: Famous for being stingy to his male friends. And he cares only about women.

MERCY: Well, Boy, that is…

BOY: Do you have any other thing to say? I guess not. I have to go now…

MERCY: Boy, my money…

BOY: I’ll talk to you later. (Ends call)

Monday, the following week

Boy sits in the reception area of a large firm. The reception nods to him and he stands up and walked into the interview room.

BOY: Good morning sirs. (He bows slightly as he walks inside the room)

INTERVIEWER ONE: Good morning. Do have your seat.

BOY: Thank you sir. (Sits down.)

INTERVIEWER ONE: So, introduce yourself to us.

BOY: (sits up.) My name is Boy. Boy Sharp-Sharp. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Business Communication. I also….

INTERVIEWER TWO: We know all of that from your Curriculum Vitae. We want to meet the real you. The personal you.

BOY: Oh. Aright sir. Sir, you see, I am very hard-working. In fact, I work so hard that people often beg me to take breaks.

INTERVIEWER ONE: Is that so?

BOY: Yes sir. Even when I was in the University sir, I was one of the most hard-working students. In fact…

INTERVIEWER TWO: (cuts in) But it says here you have a Third Class…

BOY: Sir, that one is the work of evil forces oh. My set eh… Those lecturers failed all of us. That was why I had to do a Master’s sir.

INTERVIEWER TWO: Okay. Tell us more about yourself.

BOY: Sir, I am also very honest. I don’t tell lies. In fact sir, I hate lies.

INTERVIEWER ONE: (Nods head) Okay…

BOY: Yes. In fact, my colleagues in school then called me Man of God. This isn’t because I was religious sir. It was because I was so honest, people believed I was a pastor sir.

(The door suddenly opens and a female walks in)

MRS. GREG: Hello everyone. (Turns to Boy) Hi dear. I just decided to join you guys this morning, I want to have an idea of the kind of people we are bringing in.

INTERVIEWER ONE: It’s aright ma.

INTERVIEWER TWO: Yes, please come this way ma. There is a spare chair ma.

MRS. GREG: (Settles down) Aright (Turning to boy) So who do we have here.

BOY: I am Boy ma. Boy Sharp-Sharp.

MRS. GREG: (Chuckles) Boy Sharp-Sharp, I like your name. (Going through his file)

INTERVIEWER TWO: Ma, he was just telling us that he is honest and hard-working.

MRS. GREG: Is that so? (scanning Boy’s Curriculum Vitae) I see here that you attended Height University.

BOY: Yes, ma, I did. And I am very hard-working

MRS. GREG: And you graduated with the class of…. oh class of 2014. That’s great. And you say you’re very honest and hard-working?

BOY: Yes ma. I am….

MRS. GREG: (Cuts in) And if we call any of your colleagues, they will be able to verify that?

BOY: Certainly ma. The only problem is getting their contacts. They…

MRS. GREG: (Cuts in) Oh, don’t worry about that. Someone from your Alma Mater once worked here. Mercy Johnson.

BOY: (Shocked) Ma!

MRS. GREG: Do you know her?

BOY: Yes, ma. But only a little. I doubt if she will know me though.

MRS. GREG: Why don’t we find out. (She picks up the receiver of the telephone on the table) Kemi, this is Mrs Greg. I want you to put a call through to a former employee, one Miss Mercy Johnson, and patch her through to this room. (Drops receiver and puts the telephone on speaker.)

MERCY: (Comes in over the telephone)

MRS. GREG: Hello. Miss Johnson. This is Mrs Greg. Good morning.

MERCY: I know ma. Good morning ma.

MRS. GREG: How are you?

MERCY: Fine, thank you ma.

MRS. GREG: Do you know by chance know anyone named Boy Sharp-Sharp?

MERCY: Yes, I do ma.

MRS. GREG: (Looks at at Boy and then turns away) Could you tell anything about him, character-wise?

MERCY: Ma, I think you have the wrong candidate.

MRS. GREG: What do you mean?

MERCY: I mean, he is going to ruin your company ma.

MRS. GREG: Are you sure we are talking about the same person?

MERCY: Yes ma. He was very famous in school ma. He was a truant and had a Third class for it. The only thing he knows so well is cheating, lying and blackmail.

MRS. GREG: (Glances at Boy) Is that so?

MERCY: Yes, ma.

BOY: (Protests in a low voice) Ma, I don’t think I’m the one she is talking about.

MRS. GREG: Excuse me?

BOY: (Summons courage) Hi! Did you know him as Man of God? The one that protects his friend from knowing evil and helps others hides their iniquities?

MERCY: (Shocked) Er… Ma, is he with you?

MRS. GREG: Yes. Why is that?

MERCY: I just heard the voice now and I don’t think it matches with the one I know

MRS. GREG: Miss Johnson!

MERCY: Sorry ma. I just remembered now. The person I was talking about is Boyo Sharp-Sharp. I must have gotten it all mixed up.

MRS. GREG: Aright then. (Looks suspiciously at Boy.) Why don’t you do and join others in the waiting room. We will call you back in soon.

BOY: Thank you ma (He walks out of the room)

In Mercy’s Apartment

FRIEND: What just happened?

MERCY: My former boss just called me to know about Boy.

FRIEND: Okay. Hope you told them what a scum bag he is.

MERCY: I tried but Boy was in the room. He heard everything.

FRIEND: So?

MERCY: So? Boy knows me. He knows every single secret about me.

FRIEND: When you were misbehaving in school, I warned you but you wouldn't listen. Now, your past deeds have come back to haunt you.

MERCY: What…

FRIEND: Yes. You wanted to be the biggest girl on campus. Well, look at you. First, he stole your money. Now, he’s blackmailing you into silence. You’re paying the paying the price for fame and you just got started. (Walks out of the room)

The end

This is my entry for the #iPlay Challange by @jochi and sorported by @the-future

Thanks for reading

Blessings

[Image source: Pixabay]