Under Cover by G. L. Horton
CANDICE: CANDICE: “So they won't be taken for terrorists?” Candice questioned.
(A chamber theater adaptation) MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: The sales woman answered, “We are Americans, too.” CANDICE: One day, Candice, an American woman, is a member of Solidarity Movement. She went to the marketplace to buy and wear wear a hijab to show her sympathy with innocent Islamic women treated as enemies after the September 11 attacks. She said to the saleswoman, “Uh… good morning.”
CANDICE: Candice stroked the scarf she is holding, “This is really beautiful and Very soft. Lovely and silky and so feminine!
MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: “Good morning”, the sales woman replied.
CANDICE: Candice was shocked, “Uh—what?”
CANDICE: Candice inquired, “I want to buy one of those scarf things. A head covering. Hajib?” MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN : The woman corrected her, “Hijab”? CANDICE: Candice asked the saleswoman, “Hijab. To wear. To show solid— to um, to help—It is all right if a non Muslim buys one? I mean, you don't have to actually be a Believer, do you? If you're a friend?” MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN : “Of course you can buy for a friend,” the sales woman answered. CANDICE: Candice said that she does not going to buy for a friend MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN: The sales woman asked the lady customer on what what kind of hijab she likes. CANDICE: CANDICE: Candice said, “Your hijab is very pretty.” MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN: “My family is is from Morocco. We like colors.” The sales woman told Nikki. CANDICE: “Who likes black or white?” Candice asked the sales woman. MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN: Very strict strict or old likes black. American N.O.I. wears white. N.O.I. means Nation of Islam: what you call the Black Muslims. But now, many women now are wearing red white and blue. For America.
MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: Suddenly the sales woman asked, “You want this for a costume?”
MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: And the sales woman repeated it, “For a costume? costume? Like for Halloween or the gays wear the nun veil in the parade?” CANDICE: Candice disagreed to the sales woman’s thought. MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: “But, why will you wear it?” The saleswoman likes to know the customer’s reason to buy hijab. CANDICE: “For friendship.” Candice replied. “I wouldn't want to offend anyone.” anyone.” MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN: And the sales woman realized Candice’s reason. CANDICE: Candice told her, “I researched about it. I know the scarf has to do with God. Some wear the scarf for God, some for their family. It is also a sign of modesty.” MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: WOMAN: “We take take it off when they do something -- not bad, really -- but what their family doesn't like. Go to the movies, maybe for some that where nobody who knows my family would go. Otherwise, it's like they're are always watching over us. We have to be so careful not to embarrass them.” Said the sales woman. CANDICE: CANDICE: “I'd try not to do anything embarrassing while I'm wearing it.” Candice assured. MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: The sales woman told, “Not me, by me it's OK. It's mostly the men.”
CANDICE: Candice asked the sales woman on how to wear the hijab. MOROCCAN SALES WOMAN: The sales woman drapes the scarf on Candice, “Fasten it like this. And carry your head tipped a little. Stand straight, for respect, but the face tipped down for modesty.” CANDICE: Candice is now wearing the hijab. She thanked the sales woman and made a goodbye. When she is walking, Candice suddenly saw her friend Nikki. NIKKI: Nikki asked the friend, “Darling! Don't you look--! What's the occasion? Aiming for solidarity?” CANDICE: Candice replied, “Something like that.” NIKKI: “It’s not a communist fashion statement, right? I think you're just borrowing a symbolic gesture made to protect Jews in the 1940's, to make common cause today with the Jews' enemies.” Nikki said. CANDICE: Candice replied, “No! I’m not.” NIKKI: Nikki told the friend, “Well, some Muslims say it was Jews who destroyed the Towers. Secret Mossaad agents, disguised as Arabs, crashed the planes to bring the US into Israel's war against Islam.” CANDICE: Candice likes Nikki to clarify the latter’s statement. NIKKI: “Jews were warned, don't go to work at the Towers, don't fly on a plane.” Nikki said to the friend. CANDICE: “That's crazy!” Candice reacted. NIKKI: Nikki questioned, “Crazier than wrapping up like a mummy?” CANDICE: Candice answered, “The hijab is for modesty, just like no shorts at the Vatican. You know my friend, I am doing this for giving my sympathy to the Muslim women in our country who were nowadays looking and treating them as terrorists.” NIKKI: “Do you think you can change things only by doing that? Wake up!” Nikki told Candice.
CANDICE: “Not all Muslims are bad, there are some who likes to be with us behind all of the chaos that struck our country, just like the saleswoman in the market.” Candice said to Nikki. NIKKI: “She’s a sales clerk. Nice is her job.” Nikki explained. CANDICE: “I know.” Candice told to Nikki. NIKKI: “Do you? Well, have a nice day.” Nikki kissed the friend goodbye and walked away from Candice. CANDICE: Candice went to the park. She is still looking for other people’s reaction. She act in the most modest way as possible in approaching a person Candice likes to chat with, but she failed. When Candice is walking near the riverside, she saw a crying teenage boy. Because of deep concern to the boy, Candice approached him, “Excuse me, why are you crying?” TEENAGE BOY: “Leave me alone! Terrorist!” The boy shouted to her. CANDICE: Candice became more concerned, “What is the problem? Maybe I can help you.” TEENAGE BOY : “Can you bring back my parents if I will talk to you? If you still have a little bit of consideration, please let me alone.” The boy told Candice. CANDICE: “What happened to your parents?” Candice questioned the boy. TEENAGE BOY: The teenage boy calm down on her and said, “Both my parents are Human Rights activists. They are against any means of oppressing other’s race, gender or sexuality. They have a lots of muslim friends… but then they still made my parents an instrument to execute their wrong ideas.” CANDICE: “If that’s the case, you should be the one not to judge all of us because you know what solidarity means.” Candice tried to persuade the boy. TEENAGE BOY : “But I don’t believe now” The boy told her.
CANDICE: Candice thinks that she cannot blame the boy from thinking about that. And she also cannot blame Nikki on hating the Muslims to show support to her fellow American. She feels his pain, his anger to the ones the boy and his family trusted once. Candice became silent. TROY: Suddenly, a man wearing a male Muslim scarf appeared. He is Troy, Candice’s friend on the Solidarity Movement. Troy also made the same thing as Candice does. He said, “Believe on her. Not all Muslims like are like the ones you have been see on TV and the newspaper. We are here in front of you to prove that we are not afraid to be with others because we did not anything wrong.” TEENAGE BOY : “Well, that’s a part of your tactic to condition our minds to believe on your terrorist ideolody.” The boy told the muslim man. “I have to get away from here, from the two of you.” The boy said and then quickly run away. CANDICE: Candice was surprised, “Troy, you also wore Muslim attire?” TROY : And he replied, “Yes, I am” CANDICE: “But…Why?” She asked. TROY : And Troy replied, “Because I also believe on your idea.” CANDICE: “To make this planet a haven for peace and solidarity?” She smiles. TROY : Troy replied, “Yes. It may be hard time for us to show it at this point in time, but I believe that one day, there will be no barriers anymore for people in different race, religion, gender, or sexuality, to communicate with one another.” CANDICE: Candice regain her strength to fight for what she believe is right, to protect innocent
Muslim women like the Moroccan sales woman, being seen and treated as terrorists by fellow Americans. “It’s not too late, right?” TROY: Troy replied, “Yes, it is”. CANDICE: Candice cheered up again. And she has a new idea, “Well Troy, can we go to my house and we are going to do something.” TROY: “What we are going to do?” Troy asked. CANDICE: She answered, “Just follow me”. TWO: Candice and Troy does not lose hope. Instead, they are being motivated in looking for a solution to centuries-old concept of hate and discrimination in their country. It is because they, especially Candice, realized that it is hard to live in America if you are… under cover.
