Carmen by Walter Dean Myers Page B

combination of English and Spanish. Among the girls is FRASQUITA, who has a fair complexion and light brown eyes. She is wearing a tight blouse and even tighter jeans.
    As the girls strut, the boys hover around. Music begins and slowly the posturing changes into a formal dance. We see the boys, who were nondescript at first, slowly change into gentlemen, proud of their heritage and respectful of the women. Then we hear the music of “El Ritmo del Barrio.”
    The cops watch, putting away their guns as the lights transform the dingy buildings into glowing neighborhood edifices. ZUNIGA leans against a pole, eyeing the girls.
    As the dance ends…
    ZUNIGA
    Why don’t you young ladies come to the precinct with us? The afternoon is young, and we can dance. I have a few moves I can show you.
    OFFICER SHEA
    (to FRASQUITA)
    Hey, beautiful, you married, or you waiting for me?
    FRASQUITA
    Married? You need two things to get married. Do you know what they are?
    OFFICER SHEA
    (proudly)
    A wedding ring and a license!
    FRASQUITA
    No, white boy. A passport and a job. No passport and you can’t stay here. No job, and there’s no love. Not from this girl!
    OFFICER LANE
    (to SHEA)
    These girls are nice, but I heard they’ve got somebody special here. They call her Carmen. I don’t know what she looks like, but they say she’s hot.
    OFFICER SHEA
    Ya seen one, ya seen them all.
    Suddenly the door to Delgado’s opens again, and a stunning young woman commands the space of the doorway. It is CARMEN. She is dressed in a white blouse, a short bolero jacket, and a black skirt. Her mirrored sunglasses reflect the afternoon heat. A flower sticks out from under the jaunty cap she wears, but the most amazing thing about her is the smile she flashes ever so briefly.
    OFFICER LANE
    Wait—there she is! Oh, my God! Is she fine or what?
    CARMEN descends the factory’s three front steps like the diva she is. The boys form an open circle in front of her, and she takes her rightful place in its center. Among the boys are MANNY, GATO, and ANGEL.
    MANNY
    Carmen, I’m yours forever!
    GATO
    Carmen, it’s me who is in love with you. I’ve always been in love with you.
    ANGEL
    (sinking to his knees)
    You finally found me. Now tell these fools who you really love so they can die in peace.
    CARMEN
    Get off your knees, handsome. People will think you’re serious.
    GATO
    Serious enough to marry you this very moment, Carmen.
    FRASQUITA
    All they know is push-push, Carmen. They don’t know about real love.
    CARMEN
    They know about love, Frasquita. But they still think it’s for us, that love is going to come flying down this street. Love isn’t coming to this neighborhood.
    FRASQUITA
    Unless it finds its way to flicker across the television screens or in the movies.
    CARMEN
    What are all of these cops here for?
    ANGEL
    They were going to raid Tía Sofia’s place, but they forgot the warrant. She ain’t letting nobody in without a warrant.
    CARMEN
    (looking at JOSÉ)
    Frasquita, I know that guy over there. The one with his hat off. We used to live on the same block when I was a kid.
    FRASQUITA
    He’s tall.
    One of the factory girls, MERCEDES, thin and chesty and working her high heels, comes over.
    MERCEDES
    What’s going down?
    FRASQUITA
    There was supposed to be a raid, but the cops blew it. Now they’re standing around, trying to figure out what to do. Carmen used to date the guy leaning against the car.
    MERCEDES
    You dated a cop?
    CARMEN
    I didn’t say I dated him. I said we used to live on the same block. He’s about four years older than me. I had a crush on him.
    FRASQUITA
    I was in love with an older guy once. I would have married him but his wife was my cousin, so…
    MERCEDES
    Anyway, you can’t be in love with a cop. Cops don’t have hearts. They got little tin badges inside where their hearts should be.
    CARMEN
    I was in love with him once. A little.
    FRASQUITA
    And what did he say when you told him?
    CARMEN
    I never told him. Maybe I