Save

 

The

 

Best

 

For

 

The

 

Last

 

 



Synopsis

Catherine and Jasmine are best students in history. Charles is second fiddle to them when it comes to performances after examinations. The female students see Charles as a small fry. However, they are faced with ‘’defeat’’ when Charles’ brilliance becomes Save the Best for the Last through the organized history competition.

 


Characters

Charles (17)    Student

Catherine (16)    Student

Jasmine     (17)     Student

Uncle Sam   (36)    History Teacher

 

In class…

Charles, Catherine and Jasmine await the arrival of Uncle Sam for the commencement of the history competition.

 

Jasmine: Many journeyed, few succeeded. History can confirm that.

 

Catherine: No wonder what became of those whose successful journeys were recorded as events…So, without any event, there won’t be any history.

 

Charles: I agree. History is competitive. Best of events make the best of documentations

 

Jasmine: What’s this second fiddle trying to say?

 

Catherine: Have you forgotten that we’ve been out-performing you in this subject since the start of our High School year?

 

Charles: But I’m still in the contest, you know.

 

Jasmine: This contest is done and dusted already. This contest is not the first; neither would it be the last that we’ve been dealing with you.

 

Catherine: He’s lucky he’s still in the race. We’ve relegated all other guys to the background, making them mere spectators!

 

Charles: Remember, this is His-Story, not Her-Story. Get that straight, Jasmine and Catherine.

 

Jasmine: You must be out of your mind. So, what are you trying to say?

 

Charles: Simple. It’s masculine. Based on what I’ve said, does History sound feminine?

 

Catherine (chuckles): Like I earlier mentioned, Jasmine and I have successfully relegated to the background all other male students offering this subject. You’re lucky, though. All the same, history as a subject is now feminine. Let it sink in, Charles.

 

Charles: Let’s await Uncle Sam. The competition will judge.

 

Jasmine: Yes it will. That’s the only reasonable thing you’ve said.

 

Catherine: We’ll deal with you as usual. Are you trying to seek some magical powers? Well, we’re here to let you know that you have to look up to us as your superiors in this subject. You know the antecedents.

 

Charles: We’ll see.

 

Jasmine: See what? Can’t you see? Have you gone blind?

 

Charles: If you have a good pair of eyes, why use the recommended eyeglass?

 

Catherine: Who are you to talk to Jasmine that way?

 

Charles: Well, she decided to set the ball rolling. And I returned the pass. That simple!

 

Jasmine: You have eyes that can’t see

 

Charles: I guess my pair of eyes is natural. What about yours?

 

Jasmine: They are there to see what your so-named natural eyes haven’t seen in years.

 

Catherine: Charles is our second fiddle. He has always been and will always be the underdog.

 

Charles (claps his hands): Very good. Remember, a man always have his will.

 

Catherine: You’ve forgotten a woman always have her way

 

Jasmine: Don’t mind him. Only trying to cover up for his failure…Trying to be like us.

 

Charles: I’m not, on the contrary. I agree with what you’ve said, Catherine. But listen, when there is a will, there is always a way.

 

Jasmine: Provided there is no bill. How about that?

 

Charles: Do you know men read better in small prints than women?

 

Jasmine: How does what you’ve just said relate directly with what’s on ground?

 

Catherine: He’s just being a dummy!

 

Charles: No. I read between the lines better than the two of you combined.

 

Jasmine: Now, I see you’re a dummy.

 

Catherine: Women hear well than men. I’m sure Charles isn’t aware…

 

Jasmine: How can someone who has consistently trailed behind successfully lead the pack?

 

Charles: It’s possible!

 

Jasmine: You’re very dumb. That’s impossible!

 

Charles: It’s only in the dictionary of fools you find the word ‘’impossible’’

 

Jasmine: Are you implying that we’re fools?

 

Catherine: I hope he’s not projecting that. If he does…

 

Charles: You girls should figure out what I just stated. Catherine, what if I meant your suspicion, what would you do?

 

Catherine (sighs):  You will see me in action.

 

Charles (laughs): Action speaks louder than words, right?

 

Jasmine: Who is he feeling like?

 

Charles: Me!!!

 

Catherine: What I just said to you is a reflection of how good I am reading between the lines. Reacting to what you’ve just asserted, Catherine, an elderly man once told me: ‘’boy, there are two kinds of women in this world you and I live in. The first category of women is those who admit they’ve lost the way. Then, the second is those who think they know the way but are either lost or stuck in the way they thought they knew was the way. Girls, scratch those!

 

Jasmine: Reacting to what you told us, there are two kinds of men: men with money but no time and men with time but no money. Charles, think about it.

 

Charles: I’m seriously trying to place a finger on how it relates…Hmmm…That’s by the way. But we’re in His-Story class, not Her-Story class. So simple to understand…Common sense is what it is, even though it’s not common. We’re awaiting Uncle Sam for the organized History competition. Girls, if I were you, I ought to have been reading for me to convincingly defeat the underdog, ‘’Charles’’, just as you’ve been doing.

 

Jasmine: Look at this write-off talking [looks at him from the head to toe cynically]

 

Catherine: That’s his viewpoint. Let him run his mouth. But you and I know his position at the end…The end shall justify the means.

 

Charles: Time will tell.

 

Jasmine: Time has told us time and time again that we’re way better than you in this subject

 

Catherine: His His-tory really tells us that

 

Charles: Smart of you, Catherine. Your brain is working well. I wouldn’t know of Jasmine’s

 

Jasmine (upset): You’ve gone nuts!

 

Charles: Mine is intact. I advise you check yours.

 

Jasmine:  You’re funny! Ha! Ha!! Ha!!! Vey dusty you are!

 

Catherine: We’re only three in class. Rather than read your so-named His-Story book, at least, to play catch up with us, you are enjoying the fun of trading words with us, right?

 

Charles: Do you making a certainty out of a perhaps?

 

Catherine: Explain what you meant, that is, if you knew what you’ve said.

 

Jasmine: He’s actually confused.

 

Charles: I won’t explain any further. Why?

 

Jasmine: Tell us, even if you don’t understand the rhetoric behind it!

 

Charles: ‘’Y’’ has two branches and a tail!

 

Catherine: You never cease to amaze me, my second fiddle.

 

Charles: We’ll see if I’m that second fiddle you girls are fond of referring me to.

 

Catherine: Do you think you can alter His-Story of how Jasmine and I have been out-doing you?

 

Charles: That was in the past. We’ll know soon if it would be possible.

 

Jasmine: But you understand that History is the documentation of past events. In our case, it’s the record f how we’ve been defeating in this subject since Day One!

 

Catherine: I concur

 

Charles: Girls, history can be made. Records are set. And records are meant to be broken. The past is past. The present is present. And the future, of course, becomes the future.

 

Jasmine: Very thoughtful of you, Charles. So inspiring, so motivating…which other word would describe better? Catherine, Charles would have thought he made some profound statements.

 

Catherine: Yes, he would think. Mr. Man, let me put it to you that you’re a product of your past. Meaning that whatever, you’re doing now is a product of how we’ve been defeating you in this subject. Your past forms your present. That means what you’ve been saying has been a reflection of how you feel when we’re above you. You present determines your future. What it simply means is that we’ll defeat you, just like we’ve been doing over time and just like you rightly said, we’ll set a new record not to have been defeated by you since the start of our high school you till our present final year.

 

Jasmine: I support what Catherine has said.

 

Charles: Let’s see what happens after the competition.

 

Jasmine: I will emerge first. Catherine will finish second. Of course, the last will be you!

 

Catherine: I will be the first. Then, Jasmine will come out second. Then we all know who the last person would be…

 

Charles: We shall see who emerges winner in this competition.

 

Catherine: In a competition, there is a winner and a loser. We know the winner as well the loser.

 

Jasmine: I’m the winner!

 

Catherine: What are you saying, Jasmine?

 

Jasmine: You’re on your own. All man for himself…We’re all competing for the best.

 

Catherine: I see. I’m the best and you and Charles will settle for less!

 

Jasmine: Same to you! Back to sender! Head to head, I have an edge over you.

 

Catherine: Yes. But slightly

 

Jasmine: I’ll extend it.

 

Catherine: This time around, I’ll edge you seriously. Your defeat will be so obvious that you and Charles will share what’s left.

 

Jasmine: You talk too much!

 

Catherine: I do that to defeat my opponent. You and Charles, for instance.

 

Charles: Interesting! All man for himself… We are all competing against each other. Can’t wait to know who the winner-emerge would be

 

Jasmine: I’m confident it will be me!

 

Catherine: Me!!!

 

Charles: It’s not possible for two competitors to share the same winner spot. One must emerge winner.

 

Jasmine: I will be

 

Catherine: It’s going to be me!

 

Charles: Any moment from now, Uncle Sam will come to class and the competition will begin…

 

They are reading their History notebooks. The class is quiet. Two minutes later, Uncle Sam steps in

 

Uncle Sam: Class, my sincere apologies. There was a mix-up somewhere. The typist mistyped the quiz questions. She typed the questions I’ve set for the entire class, that is, your final examination, insteadof the quiz questions.

 

Catherine: Wow! [Her eyes are wide open]

 

Jasmine: I’m stunned.

 

Charles: It happens at times.

 

Uncle Sam: You all have the right to be right. Howbeit, I chose to do the unusual. I’ve just nine questions set. This time, there are no options. Each of you will answer three questions at random, if you like. And you will be given ten seconds to answer each one. Failure to answer within the given timeframe would give the other competitor the opportunity to answer. If he or she answers correctly, that would mean that a bonus point of 1 has been earned. Each question answered earns the competitor three points. Again, there are no options. Am I clear?

 

Charles: Yes. But it’s a bit unusual.

 

Uncle Sam: I understand.

 

Jasmine (perplexed): Okay. But…

 

Uncle Sam: It’s self-explanatory. We need not to waste time on this.

 

Catherine: Out of the box it is.

 

Uncle Sam: Yes, Catherine. This is an out-of-the-box thought. Without much ado, let’s get straight into the business of the moment. Catherine, you’re sited at the far right. I’ll begin with you. Then you,Charles, sited at the middle, will be next. To my far right, is, of course, you, Jasmine. You’ll be the last. Catherine chose a question.

 

Catherine: Question 1

 

Uncle Sam: Whose flag is the oldest in the world?

 

Catherine (thinks for five seconds): The Chinese Flag

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Catherine has earned three points. Charles, pick a question. Question 1 has already ben answered.

 

Charles: Question 2

 

Uncle Sam: What was the ancient name of Africa called?

 

Charles (answers instantly): Alkebulan

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Charles has earned for himself three points. Jasmine, your turn

 

Jasmine: Question 4

 

Uncle Sam: Which number has its spelling, that is, alphabets, the same as its hand-counted numerical equivalent?

 

Jasmine (thinks for almost ten seconds): Four

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Each of you has 3 points. Catherine, pick a question. Remember, I, 2 and 4 have been picked and answered.

 

Catherine: Question 5

 

Uncle Same: How do you know the age of a horse?

 

Catherine (gives up): No idea

 

Uncle Sam: Charles, bonus question

 

Charles (thinks for just two seconds): its teeth!

 

Uncle Same: Correct! Charles has earned four points. Charles,  pick your question.

 

Charles: Question 4

 

Uncle Sam: Who invented the TV and what year was it invented?

 

Charles: John Baird and 1923.

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Charles has scored seven points. Jasmine and Catherine share three points. Your turn, Jasmine.

 

Jasmine: Question 6

 

Uncle Sam: What is the largest outer part of the human body?

 

Jasmine: (answers immediately): The skin.

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Jasmine is now on six points. Catherine, your turn

 

Catherine (down-casted): Question 8

 

Uncle Sam: Who wrote the book ‘’Animal Farm’’?

 

Catherine: No idea

 

Uncle Sam: Charles, bonus question

 

Charles: George Orwell

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Charles has eight points! There are only two questions left; 7 and 9. Jasmine, you may pick any of them.

 

Jasmine: Question 7

 

Uncle Sam: What is the capital of Cyprus?

 

Jasmine (answers after eight seconds): Havana

 

Uncle Sam: Wrong! Catherine bonus question

 

Catherine (answers reluctantly): Nicosia

 

Uncle Sam: Correct! Catherine is now on six points, same as Jasmine. Charles, the ball is in your court to wrap up this competition. Whether you answer this last question correctly or not, you are already the winner. May I proceed with the last question?

 

Charles: Yes

 

Uncle Sam: Which country bears my name, ‘’Uncle Sam’’?

 

Charles (laughs): The United States of America

 

Uncle Sam: You’re right! Congratulations to the new winner Charles. Thanks for you time!

 

Catherine and Jasmine reluctantly congratulate Charles. Uncle Sam does same. The rest of the class, sited far behind the contestants, is jubilating over Charles’ stunning victory. As Charles, Jasmine, Catherine and Uncle Sam leave the classroom to be congratulated by other teachers in their offices, Charles is heard saying: ‘’Save the best for the last’’