TS A STORY OF PAIN TRAUMA HAPPY MOMENTS, CHILDHOOD MOMENT BORN ON 13TH OCTOBER 1972 IN KINGS COUNTY HOSPITAL NEW YORK CITY TO A PUERTO RICAN FAMILY, MY EARLY LIFE MY MOTHER HAD ME AT THE AGE OF 16, WHILE LIVING WITH HER GRANDMOTHER ALONG WITH HER SISTERS AND BROTHERS,MY FAMILY WERE POORMY MOTHER LIVED WITH MY GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS POOR AND LIVED OFF OF THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS THAR WERE FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES WHO COULDNT PROVIDE FINANCIALLY,MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A STAUNCT ILITERATE,BUT SHE WAS VERY TALENTED AND SHOWED ME HOW TO SEW AND ALSO SPEAK SPANISH THROUGH HER I LEARNT FISHING,SHE TAUGHT ME ABOUT GOD TOO, MY MOTHER MARRIED MY FATHER ,AND MY FATHER JOINED THE MILTARY I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD WHEN MY MOTHER CONCEIVED MY SISTER AND WHILE MY FATHER WAS STATIONED IN SEATTLE WASHINGTON DC,IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR MY FATHER BEING DARK IN COMPLEXION WHILE BEING IN THE MILITARY THEY DESCRIMINATED AGAINST HIM AND HE HAD TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO PROVE HIMSELF AND I WASNT AN EASY GIRL TO HANDLE, SO I WAS STATIONED ON THE MILITARY BASE WITH MY PARENTS I WAS ALWAYS VERY MISCHIEVIOUS, I WAS AT THE HEAD STATE SCHOOL AND A LITTLE GIRL DIDNT WANT TO SHARE HER BOTTLE WITH ME I TOOK A PENCIL AND JABBED IT IN HER EYE IT ENTERED THE TEAR DUCK, I WAS TAKEN HOME AGAIN BY THE MILITARY POLICE I WAS WHIPPED SEVERALLY, MY FATHER BECAME ABUSIVE TOWARDS MY MOTHER AND MYSELF AND I UNDERSTOOD WHY BECAUSE HE WAS UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE MILITARY AND HE HAD TO WORK REAL HARD TWICE AS HARD AS A DARK SKIN MAN, He was an E4 Specialist: I remember I had a play room with all of my toys and my mom was a nurse at the time so she was at work and I went into the closet and found a switch blade knife and i cut my finger so bad I was afraid to tell me father because I knew he would beat my ass so I hid in my room and wrapped it up with toilet , I also had a pet cat that I tried flushing down the toilet, My sister was a baby so when my mother returned home she came in and found me hiding under my canopy bed and called out my name: And I came out of hiding and she saw the injury to my finger and she gave me home made butterfly stitchesAt a young age I knew so much my parents would go over to another couples house to spend time with and I would play with their children But i remember they were using drugsThey were sniffing white powder And drinking, Well the physical abuse became so bad towards my mom and myself that my mom called cooked my father a meatloaf dinner and grounded glass into it and as he sat down at the dinner table to take that first bite the sun peeked through the window and the meatloaf shimmered from the glass and he got up and threw the chair back and said to her bitch your trying to kill me And he went towards her I got in the middle he struck me then he grabbed the broom stick and my mother got in the middle and he started to choke he with it as she was trying to protect meThat same night she reached out to my uncle Victor who was married to her sister my aunt and he drove to Seattle and as my father slept we left like thieves in the night We went to far rock away New York and stood with my aunt and my uncle with her children which she had 4 and she was raising my aunt’s 3 boy’s her name was Carmen My first loves name was Jason Garcia He was Puerto Rican he was also a drug dealer and he lived with us grandmother and this was in Brooklyn New York on new lots aveBut this was later on when my mother met my step father RaymondWell at the age of 9 we lived over a check cashing place and that was where I had my breaking point my mother was heavily using drugs and I was ironing a pair of red jeans and they had lint on them so I went to get a razor to shave them off of my pants and I heard the voiceThe voice that said to me open it up take the blade out and did and then I started to cut my wristAnd I fell to the floor as I bled and my mother came home saw that wrapped my wrist up called the ambulance they took me away Sabrina Ortiz: Well the second attempt I tried to take my life was when i heard the voice and I went into my aunts medicine cabinet and took a bottle of Valium and swallowed all the pills they found me unconscious they called me uncle because they were afraid they would take me and put me away in a mental institution so my uncle had me drinking milk and made me vomitFrom that point the had me see a psychiatrist and they put me on medicationNow moving ahead my mom moved back into an apartment that my grandma had it was a one bedroom apartment room and we all shared the bedroom it a living room with the kitchen together and a bathroom of course We were poor but ate like a rich person because my grandma would go fishing everyday and I went with her we would catch crabs and blue fish, red snappers, flounder’s, porgies, shark, eel,octupus,[2:35 pm And we ate seafood every other dayI use to fish using a soda can with the line on it and a hot ok and the weight and cast it out and catch fishI use to go to the beach with my granny

Script Title: Where the Heart LiesWritten by: Eziukwu Samuel AmarachiACT 1:Scene 1 – A park, Chuka and Adaeze sitting on a bench, overlooking the river.Chuka:(Looking at the horizon, voice full of doubt)Sometimes, I wonder if the heart truly knows where it lies. If it’s really just a matter of fate, or if we choose where to place it.Adaeze:(Softly chuckling)You’re overthinking it, Chuka. The heart always knows. It doesn’t need to search; it beats where it belongs.Chuka:(Sighs, glancing down at his hands)I don’t know, Ada. I feel torn between two places… two people. One, I’ve known my whole life. The other… I met recently, and everything feels different.Adaeze:(Leaning forward, eyes narrowing with concern)Who are you really in love with, Chuka?Chuka:(Pauses for a long moment)I don’t know anymore. I thought I had it figured out. But now… it’s like my heart is somewhere else.Scene 2 – Chuka and Ezinne sitting in a restaurant, having dinner. The mood is romantic but tense.Ezinne:(Smiling softly, stirring her drink)Chuka, you’ve been distant lately. Is something wrong? Did I do something?Chuka:(Fidgeting with his fork, avoiding her gaze)No, Ezinne, it’s just… I’ve been thinking about a lot of things. You know how I get sometimes. Work, family… the usual.Ezinne:(Reaching across the table to hold his hand, her voice soft but serious)Whatever it is, we’ll face it together. You and I, forever. That’s what matters.Chuka:(Voice softens, but uncertainty lingers)I know… I just don’t know if forever is what my heart is really after.Scene 3 – Chuka and Nnamdi having a late-night drink at a bar. The bar is almost empty, the lights dimmed.Chuka:(Taking a deep gulp of his drink, clearly conflicted)I don’t know if I can marry Ezinne, Nnamdi. She’s perfect, but something feels missing. My heart doesn’t seem to lie where I want it to.Nnamdi:(Leaning back, raising an eyebrow)You’re a fool if you don’t realize where it lies. It’s not always about being perfect, man. Sometimes, it’s the imperfection that makes it real.Chuka:(Sighs, looks at his friend)But what if the imperfection isn’t the one I’m supposed to choose? What if my heart is leading me elsewhere?Nnamdi:(Chuckling)You can’t make sense of something that’s not meant to make sense. Follow your heart, Chuka. It’s always clearer than you think.ACT 2:Scene 1 – Chuka running into Chisom at a local café. She’s sitting alone, reading a book.Chuka:(Surprised, yet intrigued)Chisom? What are you doing here?Chisom:(Smiling softly, looking up from her book)I could ask you the same thing. But maybe we’re both here for the same reason.Chuka:(Raising an eyebrow, skeptical)What do you mean?Chisom:(Looking directly at him with an unreadable expression)You know that feeling, when something inside you tells you there’s something more… something that’s missing? That’s where your heart lies, Chuka. You just have to listen.Chuka:(Nods slowly, as if the weight of her words is sinking in)I’ve been running from it, haven’t I?Chisom:(Shrugs, smiling)It’s not about running, Chuka. It’s about finding. And you’re closer than you think.Scene 2 – Chuka sitting alone in a park, his mind racing as the sounds of the city fade in the background.Chuka:(Muttering to himself, shaking his head in frustration)How can I know where my heart lies when I feel it in two places? With Adaeze… with Ezinne… but my heart keeps leading me back to… something else. Someone else. (pauses) Maybe I’ve been too afraid to listen.(He stands up suddenly, the clarity dawning on him.)Scene 3 – Chuka meeting Mama Ugo at her house. She’s an elderly woman with a warm presence, sitting in a rocking chair.Chuka:(Confused, holding his hands in front of him, pacing nervously)Mama Ugo, I don’t know what to do. My heart is torn. I want to follow it, but it’s not where I thought it was.Mama Ugo:(Looking up with a gentle smile, her voice calm and wise)Chuka, my son, the heart doesn’t always go where you think it will. It’s not a place to settle; it’s a journey. You will find where it lies, but first, you must listen to the whispers it sends you.Chuka:(Eyes widening as if understanding for the first time)So, it’s not about choosing between two paths… it’s about following the one that feels true?Mama Ugo:(Nods with wisdom, her gaze steady)Exactly. Listen, and you’ll know where your heart belongs.ACT 3:Scene 1 – Chuka alone in his apartment, the weight of his decision heavy on his shoulders. He picks up his phone and dials Adaeze’s number.Chuka:(Voice trembling slightly as he speaks on the phone)Adaeze, I need to talk to you. About everything.Adaeze:(On the other end, calm but concerned)Of course, Chuka. What’s going on?Chuka:(Closing his eyes, then speaking with clarity)I’ve been scared to listen to my heart, Ada. I’ve been running from it. But I need to tell you… my heart lies somewhere else.A