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Rhonda Washington
Professor Sabir
English 201A
14 October, 2009

“Holler If You Hear Me” by Michael Eric Dyson

Characters in Play:Tupac- son Afeni-mother

Setting:Action takes place in Autumn of 1990, Los Angeles, Ca. Afeni is meeting with Tupac to discuss their relationship. Afeni arrives at Tupac’s house at 5 o’clock in the evening. He greets Afeni in his baggy jeans, boxer shorts and combat boots. Afeni is wearing a long flowing flowered dress and sandals. Afeni enters Tupac’s two-story home in a gated community with a view overlooking the city of Los Angeles. Afeni enters his living room, that has a bookcase the size of his wall filled with books and beautiful black art on the other walls. She sits on his black leather sofa in front of an in-wall fireplace. The glass elephant sofa table has a beautiful bouquet of red roses. In the background Tupac’s surround system plays Al Green. As Tupac sits next to his mother Afeni they begin to talk.Scene 1Afeni now faces her addiction soberly, admitting that it harmed her children, especially her man-child. “I know what harm I brought him”, she says, “so really what I did was to prepare him to be able to live through the harm.” “ Dyson(36)”

Tupac: Mom I wrote something that I want you to listen to:
When your hero falls from grace
All fairy tales R uncovered
Myths exposed and pain magnified
The greastest pain discovered
U taught me 2 be strong
But I’m confused 2 c u weak
U said never to give up
And it hurts 2 c u welcome defeat
When ure Heros falls so do the stars
And so does the perception of tomorrow
Without my Hero there is only
Me alone 2 deal with my sorrow
Your heart cease 2 work
And your soul is not happy at all
What r u expected 2 do
When ure only Hero falls “Rose (119)”

Afeni: [tears runs down her check]: Son that was beautiful, I am so sorry for not being the kind of mother that you needed me to be.
Tupac: You left me alone, I needed you to protect me.
Afeni: Tupac I love you and I never wanted to cause you pain.
Tupac: But you did !
Afeni: I know that I can not erase the past, but I am asking for a chance to make our future right.
Tupac: How do you plan on doing that?
Afeni: One day at a time and with Gods grace.
Tupac: How do you expect me to believe or trust you?
Afeni: Tupac, I don’t expect you to trust me. I know that trust is something you have to earn. But, I will spend the rest of my life trying to prove to you that I have changed.
Tupac: Change how, Mom?
Afeni: Well for starters I have been clean for six months. I attend my support group classes weekly and I have joined church and redeciated my life to the lord.
Tupac: Well that’s great mom, I’m proud of you. Hopefully this time will be different.
Afeni: It will be, it will be son.
Tupac: Well like the saying “ what don’t kill you will make you stronger.” [Tupac smiles]
Afeni: [Laughs] You did always have an old soul. But, seriously I never meant to cause you pain. I only wanted the best for you and your sister.
Tupac: Mom, I know you had good intentions, unfortunately it just did’nt go the way we all would have liked.
Afeni: Just know that I think you’re a great son, Through all the obstacles you endured without me, I’m proud of you and I will never abandon you again.
End of Scene1
3:22 PM