Lucien
Man
45 Years Old
Black
Business Executive
His wife died exactly one year ago yesterday. He hasn’t made love
with anyone in over a year and a half. He gests dressed in his nicest
suit. He climbs into bed fully dressed and pulls the covers up over his
head until he’s full insulated. He curls up in a fetal position.
Bobby Blue Bland’s “I’ll Take Care of You” runs through
his head. He hears it. Turns and smells the pillow. There’s no trace
of her anymore. She’s gone. One year and one day. He has to go out.
Find some contact. Somewhere...
He finds a business card in a restaurant. On it is the address for Café Bon Bon
Gerald
Boy
13 years old
Lives in a Group home for boys
Overweight
Holding a jar of Nutella to his fat upper lip, tears stream down the side
of his face. He has been beaten up by a group of boys who are looking
for a bag of Marijuana that a friend gave him to hide. He decides to get
rid of the bag, hides it in his underwear and heads out the door. Afraid,
in trouble, and not knowing what to do, he goes to see his mom. Maybe
he can stay with her for the night.
She’s a bartender at Café Bon Bon
Cheryl
Woman
35 years old
White
She wakes up in the morning with a splitting headache. Reaches into the
refrigerator, pulls out a jar of pickles and puts the cold glass against
her forehead. From there she runs into the bathroom, bends over the toilet
and vomits. Washing her face and hands, she turns and gets into bed. There
she slowly realizes that she slept with a man last night who left money
for her. She doesn’t remember a thing. To steady her nerves she takes
a drink, and gets ready for work. And as she heads out the door she has
another one for the road.
She’s a bartender at Café Bon Bon.
Umar
Young Man
22 years old
Fulani Muslim refugee from Nigeria.
Has massive burn scarring on his feet and legs from a fire during the
violence between Christians and Muslims. He lost his entire family other
than a Cousin in Germany. In the refugee home, waiting a month now for
asylum, he washes, prays and heads out across town to an internet café
to read an email from his cousin about someone who might be able to get
him over the border.
He get’s the message that he’s supposed to meet someone in the
kitchen of Café Bon Bon.
