Gaspar Green By Ben Gavarré

Gaspar Green

By Ben Gavarré

Characters

 * Gaspar: (The protagonist, with greenish skin, a "Gaspar Hauser" of science fiction).

 * Aura: (Younger sister, 8 years old. Witty and sarcastic).

 * Clio: (Older sister, 17 years old. The voice of reason, though she teases her brother).

 * Mom: (Owner of the flower shop, patient and affectionate).

 * Cacho: (Star skater, Gaspar's platonic crush. He is only a fantasy).

 * Cachi: (Skater from the Green Planet, Gaspar's friend who helps him discover his identity).

 * Doctor Sirisa: (Doctor at the health center on the Green Planet).

 * Family and friends on Earth: (On the Blue Planet).

Planets: Blue Planet (Our Earth) Green Planet (Alien world)

Act 1: (Blue Planet) The Skin, the Shop, and the Mystery

SCENE 1 (In the flower shop. Mom is finishing a bouquet. Gaspar enters, lost in thought, and Aura stares at him.)

AURA: (In a spooky voice) Look who's here, the space Grinch. With that skin, it looks like he swallowed an algae salad.

GASPAR: (Sighs and looks at his hand) I wish I knew if this hand is mine or if an alien lent it to me. What I do know is I can't draw and I love to skate. When I skate, I feel like I'm part of the air.

CLIO: (Laughs) You're hopeless, Gaspar. First the skin, now the delusions. In this life, flowers feed us, not pirouettes.

GASPAR: (Looks at a photo of Cacho on his phone and sighs) Cacho skates as if the ice were part of his soul. And me... I'm just a dreamer.

MOM: (Gives him an affectionate tap on the shoulder) Is he a friend of yours?

GASPAR: Yes, no. I wish.

MOM: I can tell... you can dream, but help me bring down some boxes, okay?

Act 2: The Platonic Crush and the Skating Rink

SCENE 2 (In a park. There's a sign announcing a skating event. Gaspar is on his skateboard doing tricks. His phone falls and lands on a video of Cacho. He feels a deep sadness. A kid kicks him and he stumbles.)

GASPAR: (He whispers to himself, frustrated) A five-year age difference! He's a star and I can barely stay on my feet.

AURA: (In a spooky voice) Don't worry, if you can't reach him, you can send him a postcard. Or even better, send him a selfie of your greenish face! (She laughs and runs off.)

GASPAR: (He walks up to the event sign and sees Cacho talking to a girl. He feels a deep loneliness.)

CACHI: (He appears as if out of nowhere. He walks up to him on his skates. He looks at him with genuine curiosity. He helps him up. And he talks into his ear as if he can't hear well) Are you okay, Gaspar? I'm with you... I'm always here.

GASPAR: (He is surprised by how familiar he is.) Yeah, but... how do you know my name is Gaspar?

CACHI: (He laughs.) Your mom always tells me you're a mystery.

GASPAR: (He thinks for a moment and then smiles.) It's just that sometimes, the people you think you can't reach are closer than you imagine. And... she, how does she know you... And where do you know her from... My mom, my mom?

Cachi disappears without a trace. Gaspar feels even more confused than usual.

Act 3: The Enigma and the Revelation

SCENE 3 (On the Green Planet. A minimalist clinic. Some things are different from Earth. For example, everyone is a bit greenish, and the flowers are fruits. Gaspar is in a bed. Doctor Sirisa, wearing a green face mask, checks some monitors.)

DOCTOR SIRISA: (Speaking on the phone.) He's in the final phase. We're just waiting for the patient to wake up.

(A beeping sound is heard. Gaspar slowly opens his eyes. For a moment, he starts speaking in another language... Gligli... Glico... Gli gli... which is the language spoken on the green planet, then he returns to the language of the blue planet, as a convention for us to understand him.)

GASPAR: (He touches his face, confused.) Gli... Glico... Glicol li... Where am I? What... happened?

DOCTOR SIRISA: (Also in the Glicoli language, but immediately switches to the human Blue language) Galu, Galu... Gaka, caca, lulu, li: Welcome, Gaspar. Your state is a complete mystery. You've been in a coma for weeks.

GASPAR: (He looks at his hands.) And my family?

DOCTOR SIRISA: Your uncle and your little siblings... Ah... They've left. They have to run the fruit shop. But your friend Cachi hasn't left your side for a second. Well... He's not here now. But he'll be back. Glikon, Gli... With the help of Glik.

GASPAR: (He looks at his hands.) I'm still green... I feel like I'm going to...

DOCTOR SIRISA: Oh, the patient went into a coma again... Kiglo, kili, kli. That's very bad news.

Act 4: Blue Planet. The Reunion and the Déjà Vu

SCENE 4 (In the flower shop, Mom and Clio talk on the street.)

MOM: I wonder where that boy went. I knew he was supposed to help me with the boxes, but no. He must have gone skating.

CLIO: Well, he's taking his time, huh... If I were to disappear for two days in a row... You'd probably make me do Gaspar's job.

MOM: Oh, look, what a good idea you've given me... Go up and get me some boxes...

CLIO: But Mom...

(On the Blue Planet, Gaspar walks through a park and sees Cachi, who is standing on his skateboard. He walks up to him.)

GASPAR: You know, Cachi... Sometimes I feel like I'm inside a different reality than everyone else. For example, you... Why don't I know who you are, but I know that I know you.

CACHI: (He smiles.) You know they call me Cachi...

GASPAR: See, that's what I'm telling you... Do you think there are other worlds? And that people like us live in them? Are you really you? (Cachi laughs. He's like a ghost-like being; no one else notices he's there.) I mean, don't laugh. Are you real?

CACHI: Maybe. Maybe I'm very far away... and very close... (He laughs, but there's a hint of truth in his voice.)

Act 5: The Revelation and the Goodbye

SCENE 5 (On the Blue Planet. Gaspar and Cachi are in the park. Gaspar shows him a video of himself skating.)

GASPAR: My skin is strange, my life is strange. Sometimes I feel like I'm not from here.

CACHI: I've known you my whole life. We grew up together.

GASPAR: Nah. I don't believe that. (Suddenly, there's a notification on Gaspar's phone.) It says to wait, an important message will be Gli, gli, Klag, gluk... Gli, gli, Klag, what?

A holographic screen lights up. The artificial intelligence appears in the form of a Quantum Being from the Green Planet... It shows the boys two images in a projection. In the first image, there is a hospital on the Green Planet. In the other, the Blue Planet is Gaspar's temporary home. The images show Gaspar in a coma on the Green Planet, and Cachi taking care of him by his bed. The AI explains that Gaspar is a single person but that his Glik Gluk broke off and came to spend a season on the blue planet, but that he will soon have to return to his planet.)

GASPAR: (Confused.) Glik... Glak... Glu, glu... How is that possible? And why do I speak so weirdly?

IA: Gluk, gli, gli, gluko, gliko... In other words... When you fell into a coma, your mind separated from your body. Now you must return to it to be able to wake up.

(Gaspar smile to Cachi,  and they both disappear.)

Act 6: The Awakening and the Echo of a Dream

SCENE 6 (ON THE GREEN PLANET)

Gaspar wakes up in the hospital on the Green Planet. His skin is still green and he has some pink spots on his cheeks. Next to him, Cachi, with a green face, hugs him. Gaspar looks at him with a mixture of recognition and astonishment.

GASPAR: (In a weak voice) Cacho... are you here? I thought you were... unreachable.

CACHI: (He smiles, relieved) Over there I'm the unreachable Carlos. Here they call me Cachi, but it's like a nickname for Cacho, well, for Carlos... (He looks at the bewildered Gaspar) Well... I've always been here. In the hospital, waiting for you to wake up.

SCENE 7 (ON THE BLUE PLANET)

Aura wakes up on the Blue Planet. She goes to the kitchen, Clio and her mom are looking at her. Aura has a sad expression.

AURA: (In a spooky voice) He left, didn't he?

MOM: (She hugs her) I don't know what you're talking about, my love.

AURA: (She sighs) He left, but he took a piece of my heart with him.

CLIO: (Confused) Who are you talking about?

(Clio looks at everyone, feeling that something is missing, but she can't remember it. The atmosphere is charged with a strange melancholy.)

Act 8: The Silent Connection

SCENE 8 (IN THE FLOWER SHOP ON THE BLUE PLANET)

Aura is sitting at the counter. She takes a cup of coffee that Clio just left. The cup mysteriously empties.

AURA: Clio! What did you do?

CLIO: What thing?

(The radio on the counter starts playing. It's Gaspar's favorite song, a song that no one on the Blue Planet knows. It has a bit of Gli, Gli, Gluki, Gluki, but it's very sweet and nostalgic. The melody fills the shop. Aura and Clio look at each other, confused. They feel a strange sadness, but also joy, as if the song reminds them of something or someone, but they don't know what or who.)

AURA: (She laughs) It's the song that... someone liked. Kil, Kul...

CLIO: (She smiles) Yeah, someone. I'm sure.

(They both stay listening to the song in silence. They feel calm and happy, without knowing why.)

SCENE 9 (AURA'S DREAM ON THE BLUE PLANET)

Aura is in a dream. Gaspar, with his greenish skin and a special glow, walks up to her.

GASPAR: (In a calm voice) Everything's okay, Aura. I'm home, safe and sound.

AURA: Is that you? I thought you were gone forever.

GASPAR: I'll always be with you all. I'll visit you in your dreams and I'll remind you with a cup of coffee that empties itself, or with a song that makes you feel happy.

(Gaspar kisses her forehead and vanishes.)

SCENE 10 (FINAL)

Aura wakes up with tears in her eyes. She goes to the kitchen, where Clio and her mom are having breakfast.

AURA: Mom! Clio! I had a very strange dream. It was Gaspar... and...

CLIO: Gaspar? Who's Gaspar?

AURA: (She stops. She realizes they don't remember him.) Uh... nothing. It was a silly dream. Don't worry.

(Aura sits at the table. She looks at her mom and her sister. She feels calm and at peace. She knows that, even though they don't remember him, Gaspar will always be with them.)

THE END.