Scene 4:
SOUZU a small Asian man in two large suit stands at Aleshia’s door holding an oversized vacuum. Aleshia is in her early 20s bouncing a baby in her arms as he speaks. The house is large and white.
Souzu: Hello. My name is Souzu. I want to sell you a vacuum cleaner.
Aleshia: What?
Souzu: Well.. first I will demonstrate the power in this machine and then we will negotiate a price. If you’re interested that is.
Leesha: Um, I don’t need a vacuum cleaner.
Souzu: Wait. Don’t go yet. Let me just show you what it can do.
Aleshia: Well I don’t think now is great.
Souzu: Here, see this? It’s a dollar. Take it. And I will show you what it can do.
Aleshia Um okay sure. Come in.
INT Living room fairly neat, but a few things out of place here and there.
Aleshia sets the baby down in a crib. He plugs in the vacuum cleaner.
Souzu: See how quietly it purrs?
Aleshia: Yeah I guess so.
He goes about the room vacuuming up the whole floor, and emptying the filter laying all over the floor white things with piles of dust on each of them. He vacuums a few feet, squats, places new paper pile and repeats. While she sits on the couch and watches. Souzu has a small sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Souzu: Do you see how much it’s picked up?
(Out of breath)
Aleshia: Yeah I do. It really is powerful.
Souzu: Okay good I knew you’d like it. And it’s just 3 easy payments of $200.
Aleshia: Sorry we just can’t afford that. I like it a lot though.
Souzu: Really? It’s not that much really. And if you think of the value of having a really clean house, it’s something you can’t put a price on.
Aleshia: Yeah I’m real sorry, but with a baby and all, things are tight.
Souzu: No I bet. Okay um, Just a minute.
Aleshia: What are you doing?
Souzu: I will call my manager to see if he will go down on the price.
Aleshia: Look I don’t think it’s necessary. I doubt I’d afford whatever thing he is going to say.
Souzu puts a finger over his mouth quieting her as the phone rings.
Souzu: Hello. Um Aleshia here says she cannot afford the vacuum. Do you think we could go down on it? Oh yes. Uh huh. Okay yes I see. I see. Thank you. Yes I will tell her. No I did not vacuum her bed. Okay bye.
Aleshia: And?
Souzu: I need to vacuum your bed.
Aleshia: That’s not necessary.
Souzu: But my manager says I should. He wants me to vacuum your bed. Can I please do that?
Aleshia: Fine.
She leads him to the bedroom. He does the same with the bed as he did with the floor. Large piles of dust on little papers all over her bed. Twenty more minutes pass as he does this. After he wipes off a sheen of sweat and wipes his hands to his pants.
Souzu: How do you like that?
(tired)
Aleshia: No that’s impressive. I do like it.
Souzu: Good news. My manager said we can go down to a mere $150 dollars a month.
Aleshia: That’s too much.
Souzu: Surely it’s not. Look at this house you live in.
Aleshia: Um I’m sorry but it is.
Souzu: But I need to sell a vacuum cleaner. I haven’t sold one all day and I think I’m going to lose my job soon.
Aleshia: I am real sorry.
Souzu: You are?
Aleshia: But I can’t.
Souzu: Okay I understand. Thank you anyway. Have a nice day.
Aleshia: Thanks for vacuuming my house. It looks really good. Here is your dollar back if you want?
(He takes the dollar and walks out).
