Battle At Home

A Play by Anthony A.

Performance: September, 2003
Hillcrest Juvenile Hall, San Mateo

Time: End of summer, sunset.
Place: In the living room of a house in a tree. Jungle in South San Francisco.
At Rise: In the background the waterfall is crashing into the pond. Even though its dark you can still smell all the colored flowers and the fruit hanging from the trees. The trees smell like strawberries, and the clean fresh air. And you can hear the branches and all the leaves rubbing against each other. Hear all the other animals walking on the ground, on the pebbles. They can hear the fish jumping out of the pond and back into the pond. The room is dim and it’s pretty warm and cozy. The sky is purple and blue with a cool breeze. It’s the perfect night to be outside.
The mom, Martha the Monkey, is sitting on the couch, and the son, Money the Monkey, comes walking through the living room from the bedroom, passing her and tries to walk out the front door.


Martha:

Where do you think you’re going?
   
Money:

I’m going outside to hang out.
   
Martha: What do you mean, you’re going out? Do you know what time it is?
   
Money:

Ma, I just want to go out for a little bit, and hang around with some monkeys I just met.
   
Martha:

I don’t care.
   
Money:   What do you mean you don’t care? How come I can’t go out?
   
Martha:   Because I don’t want you to go out. Maybe you can go tomorrow during the day.
   
Money:  

I can’t because my friends are downstairs waiting for me right now. Can’t you hear them calling my name?
   
Martha:   So? Tell’em to go home and come back tomorrow.
   
Money:   Ma, you don’t understand, it’s a big night tonight because me and my friends are gonna be hanging out with other Monkeys like…(Pause)
   
Martha:   Like what?
   
Money:   Like with girls and we’re gonna go to the other side of the jungle and on top of a big mountain and see the flying rock that lights up the whole sky and this only happens every 6,000 years.
   
Martha:   So?
   
Money:   Please Mom. I’ll do anything. I’ll stay at home for the next three months and I’ll clean the house everyday like you do. I only got fifteen minutes to get there Mom. I’m not a little baby anymore.
   
Martha:  

What do you mean by that?
   
Money:   Damn Ma, you’re frustrating me right now! (Yelling) Damn Ma! You got me yelling at you. And you know I never raise my voice at you.
   
Martha:   But you still haven’t answered my question.
   
Money:  

Yeah, I’m not a little baby anymore. And you probably don’t notice it, but I do. It’s just…It’s probably hard for you to realize it, you just don’t want to believe that I’m getting older.
   
Martha:  

I know you’re getting older. I just don’t want you to get hurt in any kind of way, cause that would really hurt me.
   
Money:  

Yeah, I know Mom. But you’re gonna have to let me learn how to take care of myself because you know and I know that we all go under.
   
Martha:  

As long as I’m alive I don’t want anything to happen to you.
   
Money:   Mom, look, this is what I am scared of, having to argue with you because you know that we have the best relationship in the house. And I will tell you anything and everything that happens.
   
Martha:   I don’t want nothing to happen to you. You think that I do it just to be mean towards you but it’s not that. I just don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to get killed by a bigger animal.
   
Money:   (Money starts to cry) Mom, I know you’re scared of me starting to go out, but it’s a part of life. You’re going to have to give me a chance so I can show you that I can handle everything that’s out there.
   
Martha:   I know. But I still need you around the house because you always help me take care of the baby while I’m cleaning.
   
Money:   So? Find a babysitter!
(Martha puts her head down.)
I didn’t mean to say that. But, to me going out makes me feel part of something.
   
Martha:   But in my eyes your still my little baby and it doesn’t matter if your getting older, that’s just the way it’s gonna be. I’m gonna leave it up to you, so you do how you feel.
     
Money:   What do you mean, do how I feel?
   
Martha:   Yeah, do how you feel. You said it yourself.
   
Money:   But what’d I say?
   
Martha:   Yeah, you said you were getting older. So what that means to me is that you know how to make your own choices.
   
Money:   I can still be with you and the baby even though I’m going out. It’s not like I”ll be going out everyday. You’re acting like if I’m the only one in the house. There’s still Dad, Glen, and Leon in the house.
   
Martha:   Yeah, I know. If you want to go out, go ahead. I’m not going to be mad at you.
   
Money:   Alright. I love you Ma.
(He gives her a hug and kiss on the cheek.)
I’ll be back later.
(Money walks out the front door.)
   
    The End.


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