My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
1
Scene Eight The next day. Parvaneh wears homemade butterfly wings and runs, flapping her arms around the yard. Javad rips leaves to bits on the ground. PARVANEH --and when I woke up this morning, Maman showed me my wings! She said we’re going to flap flap flap our wings all the way to a new flower called Amreeka where we can sing out loud and play like this! Woosh woosh! (Beat) Hey!
Why are you so quiet?
Do you want butterfly wings too?
JAVAD No. PARVANEH Maman can make one for you, I can ask! Leave me alone!
JAVAD Parvaneh stops fluttering. PARVANEH
What’s wrong? JAVAD Go away. (Beat) What?!
JAVAD Cont’d
PARVANEH Do you want to come to Amreeka with us? courtyard walls and—
We can play outside the
JAVAD Play outside courtyard walls? You’re such a dummy. (Beat)
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
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PARVANEH Do you want to come in and play with me and Hussein?
He always—
JAVAD Why is he named Hussein? That’s so weird and creepy. It’s not creepy! No, it’s not.
PARVANEH It’s funny!
JAVAD Don’t you know about Saddam Hussein?
PARVANEH That’s where I got his name! And he’s got this silly mustache just like Baba! JAVAD Silly! You think Saddam Hussein is silly? He’s a liar and a thief! And Amreeka isn’t a flower where you can flap your wings and be free! Don’t you know Amreeka’s just as bad as Saddam? Don’t you know Amreeka gives Saddam his bombs? Don’t you know Amreeka’s the reason we’re in this stupid war to begin with? Don’t you know anything? PARVANEH I thought you said war is fun? JAVAD Well it’s not! It’s stupid stupid! name for your stupid toy! Hussein is not a toy! name!
And Hussein is a stupid
PARVANEH He’s my husband and he has a beautiful JAVAD
He’s a dog! PARVANEH You’re a dog! JAVAD You don’t know anything about anything! I’m sick of being trapped with you in this stupid courtyard! I’m sick of all your dumb questions! Figure it out for yourself! Just figure it out for your own stupid self!
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
3 Parvaneh looks at him. Beat. She turns to leave, a wounded animal.
Where are you going? She stops. Why are you being mean?
PARVANEH cont’d
(Beat) You hate me? (Beat) You hate me, Javad? Javad bursts into tears. Parvaneh comforts him as she’s seen done. Javad melts into her, a small and terrified child. PARVANEH cont’t It’s ok, Javad. You’re right. Hussein is a dog sometimes. But today he’s my husband. We don’t have to like everything at the same time. I like his name, but you don’t have to. I like you. You’re my bestest neighbor friend. Please don’t cry. If it bothers you so much, we can call Hussein something else. What would you like to call him? Javad continues crying. Firuz?
PARVANEH Cont’d Would you like to call him Firuz? Javad cries louder. closer.
There there, Javad.
Shhhh.
Parvaneh holds him
There there.
Javad continues crying. Eventually, his tears subside. Parvaneh sits back and watches him wipe his tears. Wait.
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
4 She runs to the house and returns moments later with something behind her back. PARVANEH cont’d
Here.
She thrusts Misha’s newly decorated leg toward Javad. JAVAD
What’s this? PARVANEH It’s a thank you for helping Misha.
I decorated it for you.
Javad holds the leg. Thank you.
JAVAD
PARVANEH You like it? JAVAD Yeah.
It’s real neat.
(Beat) PARVANEH It’s real quiet today. JAVAD Yeah. PARVANEH It feels like a sad day. JAVAD Yeah. PARVANEH Why does it feel like a sad day? Because it is.
JAVAD
Beat.
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
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(Beat) PARVANEH Oh. JAVAD I got something for you too. Javad exits and returns with something hidden behind his back. JAVAD
Here.
He presents a green bandana. Woooow!
Thanks!
PARVANEH One of my very own! She wears it around her head. PARVANEH cont’d
How do I look? JAVAD Real great. (Beat) There’s something else… PARVANEH What?
JAVAD
You can’t tell anyone. PARVANEH What is it? JAVAD No one can know. I won’t tell!
PARVANEH Let me see! Let me see!
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
6 Javad pulls out a gun.
Is that...? JAVAD
Yeah.
She steps away. Are you scared? PARVANEH I’m not sure. (Beat) Where did you get it? JAVAD The men with the beards. PARVANEH They gave you one of your very own? JAVAD
Yeah.
PARVANEH Do you feel special?
Wow.
(Beat) JAVAD No. PARVANEH
Why? I’m not sure.
JAVAD
(Beat) Well.
PARVANEH Thanks for showing me.
JAVAD Do you want me to teach you how to use it?
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
No.
I don’t think so.
7
PARVANEH
JAVAD I thought you wanted to learn? PARVANEH I think I changed my mind. JAVAD Oh.
Ok. He puts the gun away.
JAVAD Remember, don’t tell anyone. At least not until tomorrow. Then I can tell?
Then it won’t matter. Oh.
PARVANEH
JAVAD I’m leaving.
PARVANEH When are you coming back? JAVAD
I don’t know. PARVANEH In two days? JAVAD
No. In five hours? Maybe never. Maybe never? (Beat)
PARVANEH JAVAD PARVANEH
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
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Where are you going? With the men.
To war.
Where’s that? Up there.
Next to God.
You’re going to God?
JAVAD Then heaven. PARVANEH JAVAD PARVANEH
JAVAD Yes. But my parents can’t know. PARVENEH It’s a secret? JAVAD Yeah. PARVANEH Oh. (Beat) Do you have to go? JAVAD (Beat) I miss Firuz. PARVANEH Firuz is in heaven? JAVAD Yes. PARVANEH With God?
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
9 JAVAD
Yes. PARVANEH Oh. (Beat) And I’ll never see you again? JAVAD Not until you go to heaven too. (Beat) PARVANEH
Javad?
JAVAD
Yeah?
PARVANEH What if God’s not there? JAVAD What do you mean? PARVANEH I prayed and he didn’t talk back. there?
So how do you know he’s
(Beat) JAVAD If God’s not there, then where’s Firuz? Silence. Don’t worry Javad.
PARVANEH God is there. JAVAD
You think so? Yeah.
He’s there.
PARVANEH
Parvaneh considers.
My Dear Hussein Excerpt by Nahal Navidar
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Silence. Your hands are getting big.
Parvaneh takes his hand.
Like my Baba’s.
JAVAD Sometimes I wish they would stay small. They continue holding hands in silence. Lights fade.