ACT 1 - Age: 11
Family Background: From middle-SES; mum's a home-maker and dad's a blue-collar worker. He has a younger sister of 7 who attends the same school as he does.
SCENE 1
The bell rang. Andy dragged himself into the classroom, shoulders hunched with a heavy feeling of dread in his heart.
“Oh no, it is Science again!” He thought to himself.
SCENE 2
Andy recalling his Science lessons 2 days ago…
The teacher shouted at Andy, “Where’s is your brain? Did you leave it at home? Huh? Aren’t you supposed to have learnt all these concepts in Primary 2 or 3? I don’t understand why you can’t answer these simple questions!” With that, the teacher threw his book into his face.
Andy tried to catch the book but missed. As he turned around to pick it up, he noticed 40 pairs of eyes staring at him.
Immediately he heard a voice hollering behind him, “Go get your corrections done or you can forget about having recess today!”
SCENE 3
“Hey Andy!” The voice jolted Andy back to reality. “Look at the number of stickers I have on my spelling cover page!” boasted Bee Chu.
Andy looked even more despondent, let out a big sigh and muttered under his breath, “I’m not good in Science, and I’m lousy at spelling too.”
At that moment, Ms Wong strutted into the class glaring at all of them in disapproval. “Class, stand!”
In unison, the class chorused in a monotonous tone, “Good morning Ms Wong”.
“I want to see your Science books on the table and nothing else,” Ms Wong intoned.
Almost immediately, Bee Chu, a bespectacled chubby girl, had her books on the table.
Then Bee Chu approached Ms Wong, “Ms Wong, Ahmad did not do his homework again!”
“You shut up! You think you are so smart!” Ahmad shouted.
“Both of you—sshhhuutt your mouths up!” Ms Wong shot a menacing look at both of them.
‘Ok, we are going to learn the water cycle today. Look at the board and repeat loudly after me, (pointing to the different stages of the water cycle), the cloud becomes rain, the rain becomes sea, the sea becomes water vapour, the water vapor becomes cloud, …repeat 5 times. Together, 1, 2 go …’ The students repeated in unison and enthusiasm. ‘Copy the diagram and read your textbook for the details. We have no time. Before you go for recess, take note that you will have a Science test next week. Go home and revise the chapters on States of Matter and Water Cycle”.
Upon hearing this, Bee Chu turned around and sneered at Andy, her voice booming, “Yah! You are going to fail!”
Andy felt a surge of anger welling inside him as he shouted at Bee Chu, “You shut your mouth up!”
Ms Wong glared angrily at Andy, “That is so rude of you Andy!”
Andy wondered to himself, “What did I do wrong this time? Didn't you also use those same words just now?"
SCENE 4
Andy at home trying to study for his Science test...
Andy was slouching over his desk at home, while his younger sister was watching tv outside in the hall. Just as Andy was about to start on his Science revision, he heard his sister laughing loudly. He was curious and went to peek at what his sister was watching.
He told himself that he would only stay for 5 minutes but ended up staying for a good 20 minutes before resuming his revision. He sat down, opened his textbook, and started mumbling to himself. ‘After evaporation becomes cloud, then cloud becomes rain, …’ Half-way through his revision, when Andy was trying hard to commit to memory the processes of the water cycle, the phone rang.
Andy said, "Hello!"
It was Ahmad. "Hello, is that Andy?"
Andy replied, "Hey, Ahmad, what’s up?"
Ahmad asked, "Andy, do you want to play soccer with us? We are already at the soccer field waiting for you."
Andy paused for a while, soccer was after all his favourite sport. Ahmad asked again, “Hello, Andy, are you there?”
Andy hesitated, “I haven’t finished my revision lah, how to play soccer?”
Ahmad suggested, “Why don’t you play first, and then revise later loh?”
“Huh, revise later, what if I fail again?” Andy queried.
“Never mind lah, won’t fail one lah” Ahmad responded confidently.
“Erm, can we play later?” Andy asked tentatively
“Cannot leh, we’re all at the field already. We are all waiting for you. Come lah, think so much for what?” Ahmad asked.
“Sorry lah, I can’t”, and with that, Andy returned to his revision with a sigh of resignation.
Andy recited the water cycle to himself, trying hard to focus whilst he imagined the fun his friends at the soccer field were having. He could almost hear their laughter, and smell the fresh grass under their boots.
SCENE 5
Back in Science class…
Ms Wong announced the results of the Science test. “Bee Choo got the highest score! Class, see, Bee Choo did so well! So smart! Let’s give her a clap!”
The class gave Bee Choo what sounded like one disgruntled clap.
“As expected, Andy, you failed the test! If you don’t want to stay back every day, from now onwards, you had better start passing!”
Ahmad sidled up to Andy, “I thought you were studying, you didn’t join us for soccer.”
Andy replied, “I spent so much time learning the water cycle but I couldn’t remember anything when I sat for the test. Even though I know the different states of matter, I don’t even know what Ms Wong is asking for … Aiyah, I should have played soccer with you guys huh, after all, I still failed!”
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