MRS. HO, looking dashing with a scarf, tries to get her son to see the GORILLA.
BABY WESTWARD digs in his heels and clings to his mother’s skirts.)
MRS. HO
Westward, not be silly! The big gorilla is friendly. See; he’s friendly.(The GORILLA smashes against the bars.)
GORILLA
Woog! Woog!MRS. HO
That’s how they show love, gorillas.GORILLA
Blood blood!
YOUNG SUNNY
Mummy, I want to go home.MRS. HO
You be quiet. This is time for Westward. He got to grow up.GORILLA
Blood!(MR. HO enters, too many cotton candies.)
MR. HO
Stop pushing the boy, Song. If he hates the naughty gorilla, let him hate.(BABY WESTWARD runs to his father.)
MR. HO (Continued)
Have a cotton candy, son.(WESTWARD eats in immense mouthfuls.)
MRS. HO
You baby him, Tug.MR. HO
You harden him.SUNNY
Don’t fight anymore!MRS. HO
Shush with your yoyo.MR. HO
(As much to his wife as to his son)You want to see the gorilla, son?
(WESTWARD cowers.)
MR. HO (Continued)
Come with Daddy.(They approach the steel cage.)
GORILLA
Blood, bloody, blood!(As they get closer, the GORILLA stops and abruptly makes puppy eyes.)
MR. HO
You see, son; there is nothing to fear in the world.(WESTWARD smiles.)
MR. HO (Continued)
You think he likes cotton candy?(WESTWARD holds out his cotton candy. Fearful then, he withdraws his arm.
His father takes the candy from him and holds it out himself. The GORILLA
gently takes some.)
MR. HO (Continued)
There, there, Mr. Gorill---!GORILLA
BLOOD!(The GORILLA rips off MR. HO’s arm. Blood spurts everywhere. MR. HO
dies. SUNNY screams. BABY WESTWARD cries and rolls on the ground,
drenched in his father’s life.)
SUNNY
I want to go home!(MRS. HO scoops up her son as the GORILLA reaches for him. She presses him
to her breast, both now covered in blood.)
MRS. HO
Westward, you are the only man in my life now!(Tears. Screaming primates. Uproar all around the park. Tableau.)
END OF PART IX.
