Gina Gargar looks at her watch. It is 6:05 p.m. She is wearing a lappa with a red blouse. Her slippers cost thirty Liberian dollars. Her hair is loose and tied at the end with a strip of cloth. It is dark all around her. The crickets are alive with noise. You can barely see her in the dark. She chuckles and enters the house, which has only one room and a small parlour. Her parents are already asleep. She and her six-year-old brother sleep together in the parlour. Their bed is a huge piece of plastic with lappas. There is a little rectangular table with copybooks and a lit lantern. Atus fiddles with the lantern. The light lowers. Gina berates Atus.

Gina: Hey, stop playing with that lantern and go lie down! That was plenty of eating you did today, don’t wake me up for poopoo business. Call your Ma.

She goes outside and sits down at the same spot. Snow slowly walks towards her.

Snow: Hello oho!

Gina: Mmm, four o’clock is… (She looks at her watch)… now 6:35 p.m. Why don’t you respect time?

Snow: No, my friends slowed me down.

Gina: Say you were smoking and drinking with them! You don’t take anything seriously!

Snow: Maybe Gin, but our anniversary is the most serious thing to me.

Gina: I told you to not call me Gin. My name is Gina.

Snow: I love that name, because you are the one who makes me charged all the time.

Gina: Say that to your liquor bottle.

Snow: Haha, haha! (He hugs her from the back.)

Gina: Oho, excuse me, man! You are coming from drinking and smoking again. You’re lucky, because I only gave myself one minute to wait for you.

Snow: I was going to burst the door.

Gina: Say my Ma and Pa were going to kill you.

Snow: They can’t run more than me. Where’s Atus?

Gina: Don’t ask me that type of question. You know where he is at a time like this.

Snow: Look, sorry for coming late, but how are we spending the day tomorrow?

Gina: Ah, I don’t know! (She shrugs.)

Snow: OK, we will go to the beach. Thinkers Village beach will be good.

Gina: I don’t like beaches.

Snow: Then, let us go eat out at Bonjal.

Gina: Why can’t you give me that money so I can cook plenty so that we can eat? Uh!

Snow: Then what will we do to remember this day?

Gina: If you don’t have any other ideas, I will just go fishing with my small brother.

Snow: Mmm! Ehe! We will walk to Du River.

Gina: I don’t believe that thing you’re talking. You will come at night again and say, “I am sorry, oh!”

Snow: No, no, no, I can’t mess with my special day. If I did that, it would mean I didn’t love you.

Gina: It’s 6:38 p.m. now. You’d better start going home.

Snow: So you’re driving me away now?

Gina: No, it’s getting too dark. You know this place is quiet.

Snow: You will reach me home.

Gina: OK, depend on that, for me, I am already home.

Snow: I am just joking, walk me small. (He holds her hand; they walk six metres away from the house). So tomorrow, we are going to Du River? Be ready.

Gina: I should be telling you to be ready. I don’t believe you will even come.

Snow: If I don’t, don’t ever respect me again. Now, go back home. (As she turns to leave, he pulls her back and they kiss affectionately).

Seconds later, she tries to pull away but he grabs her by the waist and they kiss for even longer.

Exit.

Tell us what you think: What are your first impressions of Gina and Snow’s relationship? Do you think Snow will keep his promise?