The streets of Brazil with many tourists (people cutouts) where DONNA, a cop, watches the tourists and REGGY, a young adult wearing a coat hiding a stuff animal monkey and bananas, enters.

REGGY: Okay, I’ve got everything. Are you ready? (Looks in his coat at the stuffed animal monkey and smiles) Keep cool, don’t have a monkey in my coat. Definitely not. (Sweats)

DONNA: (Approaches REGGY and speaks in Portuguese) Com licença. 

REGGY: Uh, I don’t speak Portuguese.  

DONNA: You are a tourist I take it?

REGGY: Yeah, yeah. Definitely.

DONNA: That is a strange way to answer. 

REGGY: Don’t worry about it, officer. I’m a law-abiding guy. (Laughs nervously and pats the belly of his coat and a bunch of bananas fall out) 

DONNA: Is there a reason you had bananas in your coat to make you look fat? 

REGGY: Uh, hey look! A monkey! (Points behind DONNA)

DONNA: Wait where? (Turns around) 

REGGY: (Runs and grabs the bananas as he looks in his coat at the stuffed animal monkey) Can’t let you free here! She’ll catch you!

DONNA: Wait. (Turns back and runs after REGGY) Get back here, kid! Did you sneak a monkey here?

REGGY hides behind a box. 

DONNA: Where are you?

REGGY: Not behind this box!

DONNA: (Approaches box) Oh really? 

REGGY: (Jumps up holding a banana to his face like facial hair) Welcome to Joshua’s fortune teller stand! Want to know your future? 

DONNA: Do you have a license?

REGGY: What’s a license? I got a monkey. (Puts banana down) 

DONNA: Ha! I knew it was you! And you confess you snuck a monkey with bananas around!

REGGY: You want a banana?

DONNA: No, I want the monkey.

REGGY: Well you’re not getting him! (Runs away)

DONNA: (chases after REGGY) Stop running! I want that monkey!

REGGY: At least she doesn’t want to arrest me.

DONNA: I’m going to arrest you if you don’t stop! 

REGGY: (Stops in a corner) Come on! I’m just trying to set this monkey free.

DONNA: I want that monkey as a pet!

REGGY: Wait what?

DONNA: I want that monkey, so give it to me before I have to arrest you!

REGGY: But why?

DONNA: Monkeys are awesome! Why not?

REGGY: Hey, I like monkeys too!

DONNA: Really?

REGGY: Yeah! The one I got is a spider monkey! It’s pretty cool!

DONNA: No one’s really fascinated with monkeys.

REGGY: I am, I just don’t think this one wants to be kept. He seems to be missing home.

DONNA: But I wanted it as a friend.

REGGY: I can be your friend. We both like monkeys, right?

DONNA: Yeah. Do you like anything else like tea?

REGGY: Yes!

DONNA: Oh my God! We’re going to be great friends!

REGGY: So, we’re letting the monkey go?

DONNA: Yes! Set him free so he can go be in the wild!

REGGY: (Pulls out the stuffed animal monkey and scoots it across the floor to exit)

REGGY and DONNA sit on a nearby bench

DONNA: Want some tea, bud?

REGGY: Yeah, but do you think it’s a good idea to let the monkey free here?

DONNA: He’ll be fine.

End scene.

***

“Okay, I’ve got everything,” said Reggy. “Are you ready?” 

He looked under his coat where the spider monkey hid with four bunches of bananas. It gave a little nod and Reggy looked around and noticed a Brazilian cop approaching him. He began to sweat more than he already had.

“Com licença,” she said. 

“Uh, I don’t speak Portuguese,” Reggy responded.

“You are a tourist I take it?”

“Yeah, yeah. Definitely.”

“That is a strange way to answer.”

“Don’t worry about it, officer. I’m a law-abiding guy.”

He was sweating so much, he only hoped she didn’t notice. Nervously laughing, Reggy patted the belly of his coat. Then, a bunch of bananas fell out and landed on the ground. The cop looked at the bananas then back to Reggy.

“Is there a reason you had bananas in your coat to make you look fat?” she asked.

“Uh,” Reggy said, “hey look! A monkey!” 

His finger pointed behind her to hopefully get her attention.

“Wait, where?” she said as she turned around.

As she was turned away, Reggy took the bananas on the ground and darted. He put the bananas back in his coat with the monkey who was beginning to get riled up. Reggy didn’t want the monkey to be scared.

The monkey always seemed to be missing something. It never seemed at home back in America with Reggy. That’s why he brought the monkey here.

He patted its head and he was bouncing up and down from running. The monkey calmed a bit and looked at Reggy.

“Can’t let you free here!” Reggy said. “She’ll catch you!”

“Wait,” she said as she turned back. “Get back here, kid! Did you sneak a monkey here?”

The cop chased after him. They both pushed past locals and tourists as they made their way to the marketplace. Reggy tried moving randomly and made his way to a pretty empty spot in the market.

He looked for the cop and noticed she was far behind. He took the opportunity and looked around. A big, wooden box stood nearby and he decided to hide behind it. Not long after, the cop caught up.

“Where are you?” the cop yelled.

“Not behind this box!” Reggy said.

“Oh, really?” 

She approached the box and Reggy facepalmed. He tried to think of something as the cop got closer. A lightbulb went off and he thought it might work.

Reggy took out a banana and put it up to his face like a mustache. Then, he stood up to meet the cop’s gaze.

“Welcome to Joshua’s fortune teller stand!” he said. “Want to know your future?” 

“Do you have a license?”

“What’s a license? I got a monkey.” 

“Ha! I knew it was you! And you confess you snuck a monkey with bananas around!”

“You want a banana?”

“No, I want the monkey.

“Well, you’re not getting him!

He put down the banana and bolted away. Right behind him, the cop chased after Reggy.

“Stop running!” she yelled. “I want that monkey!”

“At least she doesn’t want to arrest me,” Reggy said to himself. 

“I’m going to arrest you if you don’t stop!”

“Come on!” 

Reggy stopped in a corner and she caught up. She slowly stepped toward Reggy and blocked any escape.

“I’m just trying to set this monkey free,” he said.

“I want that monkey as a pet!” the cop said.

“Wait, what?”

“I want that monkey, so give it to me before I have to arrest you!”

“But why?”

“Monkeys are awesome! Why not?”

“Hey, I like monkeys too!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! The one I got is a spider monkey! It’s pretty cool!”

“No one’s really fascinated with monkeys.”

“I am, I just don’t think this one wants to be kept. He seems to be missing home.”

“But I wanted it as a friend.”

“I can be your friend. We both like monkeys, right?”

“Yeah. Do you like anything else like tea?”

“Yes!”

“Oh my God! We’re going to be great friends!”

“So, we’re letting the monkey go?”

“Yes! Set him free so he can go be in the wild!” 

The cop stopped approaching him menacingly and wore a smile. Reggy took out the monkey from his coat as she studied the monkey almost squealing about it. He put it down on the ground. The monkey looked at him with an expression he assumed was its way of smiling. It let out a quick coo and ran across the ground toward the direction to the nearby wilderness.

After a moment, the cop sat on a nearby bench. Reggy took a bit longer as he watched the monkey leave his sight. When it was gone, he joined her on the bench.

“Want some tea, bud?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Reggy said, “but do you think it’s a good idea to let the monkey free here?” 

“He’ll be fine.”