Hot Water
Michelle Chavez
Characters
Anita: Young undocumented girl who works at a local store to support her family. Has big dreams that are put on hold and a fire inside for change.
Mother: Mother of Anita, cautious and protective of her daughters Anita and Zul.
Police Officer Terri: Police officer of the department, just joined the department. Dedicated to getting her job done and to prove herself to the other guys.
Scene 1
(Taking a deep breath, the smells of cooking waft through the air, spices and beans dominating, with some sweet notes of sugar and bread. The room is crowded, but
cozy, soft. It’s a den used for hibernation, waiting for the new sun to come out. On the couch is Anita, her eyes closed and arms spread. She is tired, but satisfied after coming home from a deep conversation. Off to the side we see her mother cooking, putting rolled up tamales into a large pot.)
ANITA:
The food smells delicious mama!
MOTHER:
It’s not ready yet, you’ll have to wait.
ANITA:
I know.
MOTHER:
How was your little party at the library?
ANITA (exasperated):
It’s not a party mama, it’s a discussion group. And good! We talked about minimal wage this week and some of the others in the group recommended me these books (waving her hands in the general direction of the three books by her). You know that the federal minimal wage was created in the 1930s but only for companies that were interstate businesses, then in the 60s extended to major businesses, then in the 90s finally included the majority of business and was set to only $3.80 an hour!
MOTHER: (washing her hands and drying them)
Oh?
ANITA:
Yeah! That’s why, when people say that the $15 minimal wage is too much to raise it to, they don’t realize that it should have been that amount all along!
MOTHER:
That’s very interesting Anita.
ANITA:
Mhhh (pauses) Mama how would you feel if I got another job?
MOTHER:
I’d be happy for you, you don’t like work now. What would you be doing?
ANITA:
Oh nothing too big, paperwork maybe, working at events, things like that.
MOTHER (walking towards Anita):
It sounds like you have someone giving you a job.
ANITA:
Yeah, another member of the group I go to, Maria, she stopped me from leaving today and talked to me a bit. Said I could be a big help to the organization.
MOTHER:
What organization?
ANITA (realizing her mistake and backtracking, standing up):
It’s a non-profit organization! It wouldn’t be an official job or anything so I don’t have to worry about the Social Security thing or nothing! And I wouldn’t be doing any work outside the office, I could even do the work at home!
MOTHER:
Anita.
ANITA:
Mama…
MOTHER:
No.
ANITA:
But mama!
MOTHER:
No, it’s too dangerous, and knowing you, this organization is a political one. Politics is dangerous Anita, your tio Manuel was killed because of it.
ANITA:
No, he was killed because he was trying to make Mexico a safe, cartel-free place and the Drug Lords did not approve of it.
MOTHER:
You will be in big trouble if you go into politics, especially with all the round ups going on! Our next-door neighbor’s husband was taken just last week! Dios mio, why are you always trying to hop into hot water?
ANITA:
I’m not getting into hot water mama, I’m trying to make our lives better!
MOTHER:
If you want to make our lives better, come to the store with me.
ANITA (frustrated):
Ugh! Fine.
(They both walk towards the door, keeping the door open and keeping the screen door closed. Anita’s mother waves and gives a forced smile at the next door neighbor, an older Guatemalan woman. The woman does not wave back. The silence continues for a few beats.)
MOTHER:
Are you mad at me now?
ANITA:
No.
MOTHER:
Anita, honey, I am trying to keep you safe.
ANITA:
I’m 25.
MOTHER:
And not legal…
ANITA:
Humans can’t be illegal.
MOTHER:
Anita.
ANITA:
What? I’m just saying.
MOTHER:
I don’t understand why you are mad. You know how dangerous it is for us.
ANITA:
Yeah and it shouldn’t.
MOTHER:
That’s not your battle to fight.
ANITA:
And who’s going to fight it then? Not our **president** and certainly not these other gringos.
MOTHER:
Oy!
ANITA (animated):
What? You know it’s true! I’m sick and tired of hiding in our home and living in fear. You know how much I hate that Zul is able to go to school and study and live her life while I’m stuck in this hole working at a stupid store doing nothing with my life!
MOTHER:
If you get into any trouble, Zul won’t have her sister to protect her. You have your friends and parties--
ANITA:
They are not parties!
TERRI:
Excuse me.
(The two women stop when they see a police officer coming their way, both immediately going stiff and putting a mask on of calm, putting their hands in plain
sight. The officer slowly makes her way, her hands resting lightly on her hip, close to the gun strapped.)
TERRI:
May I see your identification?
ANITA:
What are you stopping us for?
TERRI:
Your identification ma’am.
ANITA:
Why are we being stopped? You can’t ask for papers without a reason to stop us. I know the police have been picking up more people recently with no cause. What? Trying to impress the other guys in the department?
TERRI:
If you don’t cooperate, it’ll be for failing to cooperate with an authority.
MOTHER (nervously):
Miss. Police Officer Terri, we are just going to the store here--
ANITA:
Yeah that’s not a crime in this city is it?
TERRI:
Watch it. Or you’ll be arrested.
(Anita straightens up, but quiets down.)
TERRI:
Look, I need to see your identification. You are required by law to have it on your person at all times, willfully failing to have it is a misdemeanor and will land you in jail.
MOTHER:
But we are just going around the corner here, we just needed some juice for our dinner, we didn’t think to take our cards with us, just some cash--
ANITA (Stepping in front of her mother, touching her shoulder gently and slowly):
Mama, don’t self-incriminate, right to silence.
TERRI:
I can take you down to the station and we can figure that out.
(A crowd starts to gather from the commotion, as people walking down the street catch the interaction, some people peeking their heads out of their windows from hearing a voice they’ve heard often taking their community away, and store owners walking out phones in hand and recording.)
ANITA:
You can’t stop us without cause and arrest us for not having ID.
TERRI:
I can, and I think I will.
ANITA (loudly):
What are we being arrested for?
TERRI:
For failing to obey a police officer!
ANITA:
That’s not a crime if you never said what you stopped us for. You just asked us for our identification, which is illegal to do without probable cause according to the law. We told you already we don’t have our ID with us cause we are just going around the corner for some juice. We are not doing anything illegal. So what are you arresting us for?
TERRI (looking around at the crowd and addressing them):
Nothing to see around here folks, move on with your day. Recordings will be confiscated.
(No one moves from their spot)
TERRI (at the two women)
Your identification.
ANITA:
Why are we being stopped?
TERRI (hesitating):
I have…reasonable suspicion that you two…are...about to commit a crime…
ANITA (firmly):
What crime?
(The two women stare each other down, Terri biting her lips and hunched over. Anita stands tall, looking directly at Terri with a calm expression. The people continue watching, with more curious people stopping to see what is happening. Terri takes a deep breath and looks away)
TERRI:
No crime. You are free to go. Have your ID next time.
(She walks away.)
ANITA (Turning quickly to her mother):
Mama, are you okay?
MOTHER:
Si, si, let’s go home.
(Anita puts her hands around her mother’s shoulder, guiding her to the house. They are shaken up, but Anita is calm, glad she practiced with the political organization for this instance. Her mother, on the other hand, is still visibly upset. They get to the house, and Anita gets her mother onto the couch. Anita goes to the kitchen to get a cup of water for her mother, then sits next to her mother.)
ANITA:
Are you sure you’re okay mama?
MOTHER:
I never thought we would be stopped by police. Even when they came for our neighbors, I always figured we would be okay, we would stay out of the radar.
ANITA:
It’s a tough reality to come to terms with, I think lots people think that way.
MOTHER:
It’s not right. We did nothing wrong.
ANITA:
No, we didn’t. I’m glad people stopped to check what was happening. Who knows what would have happened then.
MOTHER:
I just want what’s best for my family, that’s why we left Mexico Anita
ANITA:
I know, mama.
MOTHER:
It was too dangerous to live there with all the crime and corruption. Every day we lived in fear that one of us would be taken away to drug lords or murdered for getting in the way. Me and your father thought this would be the best, America does not have such crime or corruption, we would be safe and live peacefully. But now, now, I feel the same fear I felt in Mexico.
ANITA:
I’m sorry mama, was this the first time you’ve been stopped?
MOTHER:
Yes.
ANITA (Quietly):
I’ve been stopped before…
MOTHER:
What? Anita when?
ANITA:
A couple of times. Sometimes when I’m with Zul taking her to school, or when I go to my group reading sessions at the library, once when I was on my way to work.
MOTHER:
Why didn’t you tell me?
ANITA:
I didn’t want you to worry. I was already chained to the town, I didn’t want to be stuck in the house for the rest of my life. I knew you’d freak out and never let me leave. I thought everyone has had an experience with the police and ICE, so I just kept quiet. A few weeks back, I was stopped by the police while going to my reading session. That was the closest I’ve got to being arrested…but Maria, the political organizer I mentioned earlier, was passing by and helped to get rid of them.
At the meeting right after, we just talked about immigration and ICE and all of that and I realized, this isn’t normal, this isn’t how people should live. Maria offered me a job and I told her I’d have to think about it and see what you think.
But now, I don’t care what you say, I’m joining the organization because they came for my mother, and I’ll jump into hot water if it means protecting you.
MOTHER:
Oh mijita.
(The mother reaches out to pull Anita in an embrace.)
It breaks my heart to hear you tell me this, I never wanted you to be alone and scared. But Anita, I’ll be right here with you. I won’t let you fight this alone anymore.
ANITA:
Mama…
MOTHER (pulling away from the embrace):
Do you think they have a place for me in this organization?