The Last Percentage

The blogger ibikunle Abraham Laniyan intensifies his slice of short plays . Here is an original short two-character play about a missing phone charger, featuring Kofi and Amina. Title: The Last Percentage Characters Kofi (20s): Stressed, phone battery at 1%. Amina (20s): Calm, holding a small box. (Setting: A small living room. Kofi is on his knees by the wall plug, searching frantically.) KOFI (Shouting) Amina! Where is it? The red one! The fast charger! AMINA (Entering slowly, sipping tea) Good afternoon to you too, Kofi. KOFI My phone is dying. One percent, Amina. One! If the delivery rider calls and I miss the address, the food is gone. AMINA Maybe if you did not use it to watch ten-hour cooking tutorials at 3:00 AM, it would stay charged. KOFI I was learning how to make puff-puff properly. That is research, not a crime. Please, do you have it? AMINA (Smiles, holding up the small box) I found it under the sofa cushion. Safe and sound. KOFI Give it to me! Quick! AMINA Not so fast. Answer me one question first. Who used my favorite coffee mug yesterday and left it unwashed in the sink? KOFI (Groans) It was me! I am sorry! I will wash five mugs! Just plug it in! Zero percent! It is blinking— (The phone screen goes black.) KOFI No. No, no, no. AMINA (Sighs, walking over to the socket and plugging the charger in) Breathe, Kofi. It is just a phone. Sit down. Drink some tea while it wakes up. KOFI (Sinking into the chair) You are cruel, Amina. Purely cruel. AMINA (Laughing) No. Just wise. (The phone buzzes on the floor with a startup light.) KOFI It is turning on! Give me my life back! (Blackout.) If you want, tell me: What genre you want next (comedy, drama, thriller) The Last Percentage: Part Two Characters Kofi (20s): Relieved, now obsessed with his phone screen. Amina (20s): Amused, holding a dish sponge. (Setting: Same living room, five minutes later. Kofi is sitting on the floor right next to the wall outlet. His face is illuminated by the phone screen.) KOFI It is at five percent. The modern miracle of fast charging. AMINA Wonderful. Now get up and wash the coffee mug. KOFI (Not moving) Hold on. The delivery app is loading. I need to check the rider's map. Look, he is on the third mainland bridge. He is close. AMINA Kofi, the kitchen is five steps away. The cord is long enough. Move. KOFI If I pull the cable, the voltage might drop. It is science, Amina. AMINA That is not science. That is laziness. (A sharp knock sounds at the front door.) KOFI The puff-puff is here! (Kofi jumps up, forgetting the phone is plugged in. The cord yanks violently. The phone flies out of his hand, bounces off the table, and lands face down on the tile floor with a loud crack.) KOFI (Frozen) Tell me that was the sound of my soul cracking. Not the glass. AMINA (Wincing, looking at the floor) Do you want the good news or the bad news? KOFI Bad news first. AMINA Your screen looks like a spiderweb. KOFI And the good news? AMINA The delivery guy is knocking again. At least you can eat your feelings in the dark. (Blackout.) The Last Percentage: Part Three Characters Kofi (20s): Heartbroken, staring at his broken screen. Amina (20s): Practical, opening the front door. Tunde (20s): The delivery rider, wearing a helmet, holding a warm brown paper bag. (Setting: Same living room, five seconds later. Amina opens the door. Tunde stands outside.) TUNDE Good afternoon, ma. Delivery for Mr. Kofi? KOFI (On his knees, whispering to his phone) Why me? Why today? AMINA (Taking the bag) Yes, thank you. He is currently mourning. Don't mind him. TUNDE Ah, I see the phone on the floor. Screen cracked? KOFI (Looking up) It is shattered, bro. Completely shattered. TUNDE No vex, brother. I know a guy at Computer Village. He will fix that display in fifteen minutes. Cheap price. KOFI (Eyes lighting up) Really? Can you send me his number? TUNDE Sure! Let me bluetooth it to your—oh. Wait. (Everyone stares at Kofi's dead, broken phone.) AMINA (Laughing) He cannot receive it. TUNDE Ah. True. Inside life. KOFI (Sighing, taking a piece of puff-puff from the bag) Just tell me the number out loud. Amina, please write it down. AMINA Only if you wash my mug first. KOFI (Mouth full of food) Deal. (Blackout.) Where should we take the story next? Tell me if you want to: Introduce a new character (like the phone repair guy) Move the setting to Computer Village Finish the play with a final comedic resolution Ask anything Ask about