Timestorm Episode 14 Transcript

NARRATION
Previously, on Timestorm:

BENI
So, you’re laughing at my ideas now?

ALEXA
Don’t tell me I can’t laugh.

BENI
Says the boss of the world.

ALEXA
Whoa. What?

BENI
You’re always telling me what to do.

ALEXA
That’s the other drumstick you found today. 

IDRISSA
I do hope you’ll both accept it as a gift.

BENI
That entire time we were thinking the artifact was a drum. 

ALEXA 
A drumstick is easier to carry around, anyway.

BENI
Here’s the beat of three motherlands.

ATABEY
Quest incomplete. 

ALEXA
Incomplete?

HORACIO
Yeah, about this quest...es complicada.

ALEXA
Um, complicated how?

HORACIO
It’s a multi-stage quest.

ATABEY
Next time you travel, you’ll take the artifact with you to continue the quest.

MUSIC: THEME SONG - "IN THE TIMESTORM"

Witness. Find. Remember.
The hidden past seeks its dawn,
showing us that we all belong.
Horacio, Alexa, and Beni take back time,
find history in the timestorm.
Witness. Find. Remember.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: "TIMESTORM" TRANSITION.

ATABEY
Humans, it’s important that we get you started on your next quest.

HORACIO
Remember what I said about this quest being multi-stage?

ATABEY
Artifact cloud, emerge.

SFX: ARTIFACT CLOUD RHYTHM.

BENI
The drumstick from Senegal!

ATABEY
Artifact, advance. 

SFX: ARTIFACT (DRUMSTICK) MATERIALIZES.

ATABEY
Artifact cloud, retreat. 

SFX: ARTIFACT CLOUD RETREATS.

HORACIO
You’ll take this with you to your next destination.

ALEXA
Where are we going?

ATABEY
The island of Borikén. Puerto Rico. Before it was claimed by the Europeans. 

ALEXA
Before they took the land from the Taínos.

BENI
No way!

HORACIO
Here, put these on. Clothing!

SFX: WHIR OF CLOTHING CHANGE.

BENI
Wait a minute — are we going to be speaking Taíno?

ALEXA
I mean, we’ll still hear it as English.

ATABEY
You already use several words derived from the Taíno vocabulary.

HORACIO
Canoe, hammock, hurricane, barbecue.

BENI
Barbecue?

ALEXA
I knew that one! 

BENI
Those are Taíno words? That’s so cool!

HORACIO
Here. Take the drumstick, Alexa. 

SFX: ZAP INTO BAROMETER BUZZ.

ATABEY
Mil cuatrocientos ochenta y ocho / fourteen eighty-eight / motherland / la patria / Guayanilla / Guaynia / Borikén / Aguey / Bana / Bibi / tallar / carve /pulso / pulse / areíto / creation /origen / Atabey / Guabancex / Yucahu. Your quest: Carve the beat of three motherlands in Guaynia in fourteen eighty-eight. Quest begins now.

SFX: THUNDERCLAP INTO PORTAL FX.

The twins yell as they travel through the timestorm.

1488. TREELINE ON A HILLSIDE. GUAYNIA, BORIKÉN.

SFX: RAIN ON THE TREE CANOPY.

The twins laugh as the land.

ALEXA
Beni...look up.

BENI
Oh, wow. These trees are beautiful. 

ALEXA
So pretty.

SFX: BIRDS IN THE TREE CANOPY.

BENI
Hey! Wait a minute...it’s the bird Monsi Román made her model space station look like. 

ALEXA
That’s right! The iguaca! You know, they’re endangered in our time.

BENI
Well, the trees are full of them in fourteen eighty-eight.

SGX: A RHYTHM PLAYS IN THE DISTANCE.

ALEXA
Do you hear that?

BENI
The birds?

ALEXA
No, in the distance.

BENI
Oh. Is that a drum? Hey, the drumstick! Do you have it?

ALEXA
Yeah, I have it right — ahh!

SFX: AN IGUANA SCATTERS THROUGH THE FOLIAGE.

ALEXA nearly drops the stick.

BENI
Careful! We can’t lose this artifact. Here, I’ll take it.

ALEXA
That iguana almost gave me a heart attack.

SFX: AN IGUANA HISSES.

ALEXA
Yuh-uhhh-uhh! Let’s get moving.

BENI
Towards the drums?

ALEXA
Sounds like a plan.

ALEXA and BENI walk through dense foliage.

ALEXA
I wish there was a path through all this.

BENI
A path? Alexa, it’s fourteen eighty-eight. What were you expecting? A bike lane? I’m just happy the trees are keeping us sorta dry.

ALEXA and BENI walk through the mud.

MUSIC: TRANSITION RHYTHM.
SFX: A HAMMOCK SWINGING BETWEEN TREES.

BENI
Do you hear that? It’s nearby.

ALEXA
Shh...what is that?

BENI
Someone in a hammock? A guy, I think.

ALEXA
Oh. We should come up with a plan before we — 

BENI
We? Or are you just going to come up with the plan like you always do?

ALEXA
I don’t always — 

AGUEY
(distant) Hey! What are you doing over there? Who are you?

ALEXA
He spotted us.

BENI
I’m going to say hello. You can wait here if you want.

ALEXA
No. No, no, no, no. Beni —

BENI walks toward the voice.

BENI
Um, hi.

AGUEY
Hello.

BENI
Sorry. My name is, umm...Iguana.

AGUEY
My name is Aguey. Are you headed to the areíto?

BENI
The areíto? No, no, I was just passing through with my sister.

ALEXA
Well, so much for staying hidden.

ALEXA walks towards AGUEY.

ALEXA
Hi, I’m...Iguaca.

BENI
(whispers) Iguaca?

AGUEY
Your parents must really love animals. Iguana. Iguaca.

BENI
They aren’t very imaginative.

AGUEY
Wow, your hair, it’s so...wide.

ALEXA
(awkward) Haha. Yeah, it, umm, runs in my family.

BENI
We’re from the other side of the island. It must be something in the water over there.

SFX: DISTANT DRUMMING INTENSIFIES.

BENI
Whoa, what’s going on down there?

ALEXA
Look, Beni. The villagers are circling the dancers. It’s like the ceremony in Idrissa’s village.

AGUEY
Have you two never seen an areíto before? Does your wide-haired village not have them?

BENI
What? Pssh, no. We have them all the time - what? Why aren’t you down there at the areíto?

AGUEY
I’m hiding.

ALEXA
Why?

AGUEY
I was supposed to recite the creation tale at the areíto.

BENI
Oh. Like, the creation tale for the island?

AGUEY
All land. You might not know this, but there’s land beyond our shores.

ALEXA
Yeah, we’ve heard.

BENI
Are you nervous about reciting the tale? 

AGUEY
Yes. The thought of standing in front of everyone, it fills me with fear. It’s as if I’ve swallowed a coqui frog. 

ALEXA
If you’re up here? Who’s reciting the tale?

AGUEY
My older brother Bana is the best storyteller in the village. I don’t think I’ll be as good as him.

BENI
Hey, it’s okay. I know it’s hard always being in the shadow of a sibling everyone thinks is better than you.

ALEXA
Maybe you just think everyone loves your brother’s stories, but maybe only some people do?

AGUEY
Bana is the best storyteller. It’s only fitting since he’s in line to be the cacique. 

ALEXA
Cacique.

AGUEY
He’s going to rule over most of this island one day.

BENI
Rule the whole island? Wow, okay, he sounds like the real deal. 

VILLAGERS shout praise in the distance.

AGUEY
There he is. No one down there is missing my weak attempt at reciting the tale.

ALEXA
I’m sure you’re not as bad as you think.

AGUEY
How would you know? You’ve never heard me.

BENI
Ooh! How about you tell us the story? 

ALEXA
Yeah!

BENI
You can get some practice with a smaller audience. 

AGUEY
I guess I could try. In the beginning, the only...no, only the goddess Atabey existed.

ALEXA/BENI
(Whispers) Atabey.

AGUEY
She formed all celestial bodies in a vast blue. No... In a vast blue rocky. How am I supposed to do this if I can’t even say the right words?

ALEXA
It’s okay. Memorizing is hard. Especially if you can’t read the words.

AGUEY
Read the words? What do you mean?

ALEXA
Oh...uh—

BENI
Pictures! She means looking at pictures to remind you of what’s next.

AGUEY
Great idea! I’ll draw pictures here in the ground. Just need to find a branch.

BENI hands him the drumstick.

AGUEY
What a fine piece of wood.

BENI
It’s a drumstick. It was a gift. 

AGUEY
Then I’ll be sure to be careful with it. Please, take a seat.

AGUEY scrapes the ground with the stick. ALEXA sits in the hammock.

ALEXA
Whoa! Ooh. Nice. 

AGUEY
In the beginning, only the goddess Atabey existed. She formed all celestial bodies. In a vast blue sea of one rocky planet, she placed a string of islands. One of those islands was named Borikén. Atabey had two children: Yucahu and Guabancex. Yucahu made the ground fertile so plants and animals could live and grow. 

BENI drums along on his thighs.

AGUEY
But Guabancex grew jealous of her brother’s creations. And her envy transformed into ferocious winds that whipped seawater onto the land, destroying all Yucahu had made. Still, Yucahu continued to create life, despite a constant battle with his sister. When Guabancex unleashed her fiercest fury, she transformed into Juracán.

SFX: BIRDS SCATTER.

AGUEY
To this day, those who live on the island experience the devastation of Juracán and the beauty of Yucahu's creations. (giddy) I can’t believe it! I told the whole story! 

BENI
You were amazing!

ALEXA
Aguey, that was beautiful.

VILLAGERS shout praise in the distance.

BENI
It’s as if the villagers heard you.

AGUEY
The pictures really helped, Iguaca. Thank you. Is there any way to return the favor?

BENI
Those pictures you drew on the ground... could you carve them onto this drumstick? I want to remember this story.

AGUEY
Sure! Then you can always carry it with you.

AGUEY carves wood.

ALEXA
Great idea, Beni.

BENI
Yeah, I have those sometimes.

BANA
Aguey! Aguey!

BANA climbs up the hillside.

ALEXA
Aguey, who is that?

AGUEY
Oh, no. It’s my brother, Bana. 

BENI
He looks strong.

BANA
You two better hide. There, behind those plants.

The twins hide the foliage. BANA walks up the hillside.

BANA
Aguey, we’ve been looking everywhere for you. The entire village was at the areíto and you were up here?

AGUEY
I was practicing.

BANA
You practiced right through the areíto. It’s over now.

AGUEY
I wasn’t ready today.

BANA
No one’s ever truly ready, Aguey. And yet we must step up when we are called.

AGUEY
Don’t you ever doubt yourself, Bana? Wonder if you’ll make a mistake? If you’ll say the wrong thing? If your actions—

BANA
You wonder too much, little brother. You conjure up things to fear.

AGUEY
I’m sorry I’m not fearless, like you.

BANA
I’m not fearless. But I keep moving when fear and doubt show up, that way they can’t catch me.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: "TIMESTORM" TRANSITION.

ATABEY
There he is. Before he wore the guanín medallion, before he was cacique.

HORACIO
That’s him? He’s so young.

ATABEY
Of course, he is. This is fourteen-eighty-eight. They have no idea what’s coming. How the world will change. No one on that island knows.

HORACIO
Except for my cousins.

1488. TREELINE ON A HILLSIDE. GUAYNIA, BORIKÉN.

MUSIC: TRANSITION RHYTHM.
SFX: BIRDS SCATTER.

ALEXA
I guess it’s pointless to say I wish we could warn them about what’s coming.

BENI
That’s not why we’re here.

ALEXA
Not to change anything. We wouldn’t even be alive if the Taínos had defeated the Europeans. More like...a heads up, so they can be...prepared, I guess.

BENI
There’s no way to prepare for a whole new race of people showing up and taking over your land.

ALEXA
I know.

BENI
Would you want a heads up if your world is about to change into something unrecognizable?

ALEXA
I would if I could do something about it.

BENI
Well, they can’t.

ALEXA
Right. 

MUSIC: TRANSITION RHYTHM.

ALEXA and BENI rustle in the brush.

BANA
Did you hear that?

AGUEY
(Laughs) Just the animals: iguacas, iguanas.

BANA
You laugh after the way you’ve embarrassed our parents? I had to jump in last minute to tell the creation story you were supposed to recite. In the rain, no less.

AGUEY
(muttering) Sorry you had to save the day again.

BANA
What did you say?

AGUEY
I’m sorry you had to save the day again.

BANA
Aguey, by the time I was your age, I had been taking part in areítos for years.

AGUEY
I told you: I just wasn’t ready today! But I will be, next time, I promise —

BANA
Enough. Return to the village. 

AGUEY
No.

BANA
It’s time for you to grow up, Aguey. You have a role to fill —

AGUEY
To be the younger brother of the future cacique. That’s it. To stand in your shadow. I’ve done enough of that already. For once, let me make a choice for myself.

BANA
Fine. Stay here then, safe from the rain. But one day, you’ll have to brave the storm, Aguey. 

AGUEY
When it is my time, I will be ready.

BANA
I’ll believe it when I see it. 

BANA walks down the hill.

AGUEY
Bana...

SFX: BIRDS SQUAWKS.

AGUEY
He’s gone. 

ALEXA and BENI walk through the foliage..

ALEXA
We saw you stand up to him.  

BENI
That was really brave of you.

AGUEY
After my parents hear how I chose to hide up here during the areíto, they’ll think I’m a coward. I’m not afraid of the rain like he thinks. I just needed more time to finish carving this for you, Iguana.

AGUEY hits the drumstick against a tree.

ALEXA
That’s not his drumstick.

BENI
Excuse us. 

ALEXA and BENI step away from AGUEY.

BENI
Really? You want to bring up whose drumstick it is? That’s not the point. 

ALEXA
Idrissa gave it to both of us.

BENI
He’s carving it because I asked him to.

ALEXA
Oh, are you trying to keep track of who gets credit now?

BENI
It’s okay for you to get the credit for the things you do, but when I try to—

ALEXA
So you are trying to get the credit!

BENI
That’s not what I—

AGUEY hits the drumstick against a tree.

AGUEY
Hey! I finished.

ALEXA
He finished carving our drumstick.

ALEXA stomps over to AGUEY. BENI follows.

AGUEY
Here’s Atabey, Yucahu, and Juracán.

ALEXA | BENI
Whoa. | Wow.

ALEXA
You’ve got a lot of talent, Aguey.

BENI
It’s amazing, Aguey. You don’t know how much this carving means to us.

AGUEY
Thank you for the idea of using pictures to help me remember the story.

ALEXA
You’re going to be amazing at the next areíto. 

ALEXA steps forward.

ALEXA
I’ll take the drumstick now.

AGUEY
Doesn’t it belong to you, Iguana?

BENI takes the drumstick.

BENI
Thank you very much.

AGUEY
You’re welcome.

BENI
Now, we’ll be on our way. Come on, Iguaca.

ALEXA and BENI walk through the foliage.

BENI
Nice way to confuse him, Alexa.

ALEXA
Why’d you tell him it was yours?

BENI
I never said it was mine, you want me to tell him, “Hey, actually, that stick belongs to someone who won’t be born for centuries.” 

ALEXA
Obviously not.

BENI stops short.

BENI
Why do you think I’m here?

ALEXA
What?

BENI
This is our history. This drumstick, Aguey, the island. I don’t think this is a game. I’m not doing this to be a hero.

ALEXA
Beni, I just—

SFX: BAROMETER BUZZ INTO PORTAL FX.

The twins yell as they travel through the portal.

1488. INSIDE A BOHIO. GUAYNIA, BORIKÉN.

MUSIC: TRANSITION RHYTHM.
SFX: THUNDER RUMBLES IN THE DISTANCE.
BIBI mashes yuca in a bowl.

AGUEY
Mother. (beat) Hi. 

BIBI
Hello, Aguey. 

AGUEY
Do you need help mashing the yuca?

BIBI
No, thank you. 

AGUEY
I’m sorry about skipping the areíto. I should’ve told you.

BIBI
You embarrassed us in front of everyone.

AGUEY
I would’ve embarrassed the family even more if I had to recite the creation tale in front of the whole village. 

BIBI
You know the story. You’ve heard it since you were a baby. It’s inside of you.

AGUEY
I know, but still...I wasn’t ready to tell it yet. But I promise I wasn’t just hiding, I was practicing for next time.

BIBI
You get that from me — always wanting to prepare.

AGUEY

It’s a blessing to be like you.

BIBI
For some things, yes. But son, do you understand your role in the village? On this island?

AGUEY
To be the little brother to the future great cacique.

BIBI
Oh, Aguey. You know that as Bana’s younger brother, the role could fall on you one day and you could wear the guanín medallion as the island’s chief leader.

AGUEY
Like that could ever happen, mother. The island is at peace, and Bana, he’s as strong as they come.

BIBI
Still, you need to be ready for anything. No one can know what the future holds, Aguey. Take that instinct to practice and use it to prepare for being cacique. 

SFX: BIRDS SCATTER.

THE TIMESTORM. ANOTHER DIMENSION.

MUSIC: "TIMESTORM" TRANSITION.

ALEXA and BENI laugh as they land int he timestorm.

ATABEY
Ah, maybe this laughter will put an end to all of the bickering.

ALEXA / BENI
Hey!

HORACIO
Mira, I know these quests are hard and it’s natural that you won’t see eye-to-eye on everything. But can I give you two a piece of advice?

BENI
Definitely not.

ALEXA
No, thank you!

HORACIO
Wow. Look at that, something you two can actually agree on.

BENI
Hey, Alexa...what Aguey said about having an older sibling everyone thinks is better. I sort of understood that. Sometimes, being compared to you...it’s not easy.

ALEXA
I didn’t mean to get super possessive over the drumstick. I’m sorry.

BENI
Me too.

HORACIO
Ay. You two remind me of...never mind.

ALEXA
Do you have siblings, Horacio?

HORACIO
Two, actually. I am the youngest of three. El chiquito.

BENI
Have you ever summoned them into the timestorm?

HORACIO
Well, no—

ATABEY
No, Beni. They weren’t good candidates.

HORACIO
Atabey’s shown me a few birthdays, weddings. That’s about it.

BENI
Do you miss them?

HORACIO
I do. More than they know.

ATABEY
You humans have such strong feelings about siblings.

ALEXA
Yeah, I guess we do.

BENI
Even great leaders, like Bana.

HORACIO
And Aguey.

ALEXA
But wasn’t it Bana who became cacique?

ATABEY
Aguey took his place when he died.

BENI
We just helped a cacique learn his lines for an areíto?

HORACIO
Of course, in the original timeline, Aguey did eventually figure it out on his own. But you helped him find his confidence a little bit sooner.

ATABEY
Artifact cloud, emerge.

SFX: ARTIFACT CLOUD RHYTHM.

BENI
The drumstick looks cool with Aguey’s carvings.

HORACIO
¿Verdad que sí?

ATABEY
Artifact attained.

SFX: ARTIFACT FLOATS INTO CLOUD.

ATABEY
Artifact cloud, retreat.

SFX: ARTIFACT CLOUD RETREATS.

ATABEY
Quest: incomplete. 

ALEXA
I had a feeling.

BENI
One more motherland to go.

HORACIO
But first, get some rest and—

SFX: DRAMATIC THUNDERCLAP iNTO PORTAL FX.

ALEXA and BENI yell as they travel through the portal.

CREDITS

MUSIC: "IN THE TIMESTORM" (INSTRUMENTAL).

NARRATION
This episode was written by Andrew Siañez-De La O. With additional writing, story, and direction by me, Dania Ramos, with sound design and music by Michael Aquino. 

The role of Alexa Ventura was played by Leilany Figueroa. Beni Ventura was played by Claudio Venancio. Horacio Méndez was played by Orlando Segarra. Atabey was played by Alicia Rivas. Aguey was played by Luis Figueroa. Bana was played by Jospeh Respicio. Bibi was played by Tanya Pérez. The featured guest musician was William Ruiz.

Special thanks to our culture and language consultant Candy Warixi Soto.

Timestorm is produced by Cocotazo Media and is a proud member of TRAX from PRX. To learn more about TRAX, visit TRAX dot fm: that’s t-r-a-x-dot fm.

If you enjoy the show, ask your parents to subscribe to Timestorm on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or the Kids Listen App. 

A quick message for our adult listeners, please be sure to check out our free resources, including episode guides and transcripts over at Timestorm Series dot com. And if you're interested in more bonus and behind-the-scenes content, we hope you’ll consider joining our Patreon community over at Patreon dot com slash Timestorm. You can also show your support the series by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Podchaser. 

Timestorm is produced in Essex County, NJ, which is situated on the traditional territory of the Leni Lenape people.

ATABEY
Witness. Find. Remember.

END OF TIMESTORM - EPISODE 14: BEFORE HE WAS CACIQUE