montepío - the musical

Act 1, Scene 3, "Jomorra's Confession"

"Jomorra's Confession"

JOMORRA: I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU CAN TAKE
A LITTLE SOMETHING OFF MY CHEST:
YOU SEE, AMIDST MY DAILY CONQUESTS
I GET A TAD DEPRESSED.

MISSIONARY: IF IT'S BECAUSE OF SOME SIN,
DON'T WORRY, THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR.
ALL SINS ARE FORGIVEN,
AT LEAST AROUND HERE.

JOMORRA: IT'S NOT SO MUCH A SIN...
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN.
IT POSES A THREAT TO MY RETENTION OF POWER.
YOU SEE... SIR... I'M A... A COWARD.

MISSIONARY: Nonsense, amigo! Pure and utter rubbish!

JOMORRA: I FEAR I'LL FALL PREY TO THE COMMUNISTS,
THE RED BEAR BEHIND EVERY PLOT,
AND HAVE YOU HEARD THE LAST JEWISH CONSPIRACY?
THAT'S THE SECOND POPE THAT THEY'VE BOUGHT!

MISSIONARY: MY FRIEND, WE LIVE
IN UNSETTLED TIMES–

JOMORRA: WHERE PEOPLE PERFORM
THE MOST UNSETTLING CRIMES.
I'VE TRIED TO KILL
THOSE THAT I CAN
BUT HOW MUCH BLOOD CAN I FIT
ON ONLY TWO HANDS?
INSURGENCIES, REBELS,
REVOLTS AND GUERRILLAS,
EACH DEVIL INTENT
ON THEIR ATTEMPTS TO KILL US.
THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS IN THIS WORLD THAT I FEAR,
A PHOBIA FOR EACH DAY OF THE YEAR.
BUT WHO RUNS THE COUNTRY
WHEN I'M RUNNING SCARED?
I'D LEAVE IT ALL
BUT IMACULATA...
SHE'S NOT PREPARED.

MISSIONARY: THERE'S ONLY ONE FEAR
THAT BINDS YOUR HANDS.
HAVE NO FEAR OF FEAR
AND YOU'RE STILL A MAN.

JOMORRA: BUT I DON'T JUST FEAR FEAR.
I FEAR A MAN.
A MAN WHO'S HERE.
HE FLIES LIKE A BIRD THROUGH THIS JUNGLE,
SO SWIFT HE CAN ALWAYS OUTFLANK ME.
I'M HIS CAREER,
YOU'D THINK HE WOULD THANK ME!
I'VE TRIED TO KILL HIM
BUT I CAN'T FIND HIM.
I CAN MAKE OUT HIS SHAPE,
I'M JUST ONE STEP BEHIND HIM.
AND IMACULATA, MY DAUGHTER,
MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER...
SHE LOVES HIM
WHO I'D SLAUGHTER...
SHE LOVES HIM...
SHE'S WITH HIM NOW.
I TRIED TO DRAW HIM OUT
BUT IT APPEARS, FRIEND,
THAT HE'S DRAWN ME.

MISSIONARY: I see.

JOMORRA: I can't live like this. I can't live scared. Scared of him, scared of me, scared–

MISSIONARY: WHAT'S FEAR?
WE ALL HAVE OUR FAILINGS,
DON'T WORRY,
YOU'RE HUMAN.

JOMORRA: I'M SCARED.

MISSIONARY: YOU'RE HUMAN.

JOMORRA: I'M SCARED.

MISSIONARY: YOU'RE HUMAN.

JOMORRA: I'M SCARED.

MISSIONARY: YOU'RE HUMAN.

JOMORRA: I'LL DIE!

MISSIONARY: YOU'RE–

JOMORRA: ...human... I don't want to die. This revolution is going to swallow me up like I was nothing. My family has run this country since before I was born. Why should I be the one to lose it? I want to live forever. Not in some heaven, either. Here... on Montepío.

MISSIONARY: I can't give you that. I deal with this world, not the next.

JOMORRA: The two are not so different... When I die, promise me something.

MISSIONARY: What? What could I ever promise you that you don't have already?

JOMORRA: When I die, I want you to bury me. Bury me secretly so nobody knows.

MISSIONARY: People find things out. Secrets leak. Nobody disappears, General. You, of all people, should know that... They die. La muerte...

JOMORRA: I know, I know. And I'll die, too, but when I die I want you to take my watch. Just my watch. Bring it south, to another country. I want you to fake my death. Everyone knows a fake. People find things out, secrets leak. You see? You... You could make me live forever.

MISSIONARY: Oh, General. Like Saul, I am blind... Escucha – Can you hear that?

JOMORRA: Hear what?

MISSIONARY: Listen closely.

JOMORRA: I can't hear a thing.

MISSIONARY: It's the sound of scales falling.

(A gunshot splits the night, then another. Sounds of commotion from an uncertain direction. Shouts. More gunfire.)

JOMORRA: It's him, isn't it.

MISSIONARY: Come.

♩♫ ♬  MUSIC ♬ ♫♩

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