Deep Love

Y’all ready for the show?
(Curtain rises.Phoenix is brushing his fire)

You want to go play?

Sure, right after I finish watering the grass.

Want to go white water rafting?

How’s that gonna happen? I’m water and you’re the sun.

Alright, alright. I’ll come down into silver surfer.

Stop being smart or I’ll hit you with a wave.

I don’t care. I’m tired of playing. I have to go to school.

Why you getting so mad for?

I ain’t getting mad. Why you getting mad?

I ain’t getting mad.

If you hit me then I’m going to hit you back with fire.
(to audience ) I’m not really going to hit her.

If you hit me with fire, I’ll tell my mom.

Why you gotta say my mom ? It’s my mom also.

Here you go with this shit again.

Why you gotta cuss for?

 You know I’m fittin’ to tell.

No, no don’t tell.

Don’t you want me to say don’t tell our mom ?

I hate my mom. She’s a dolphin doing that salt. What do you expect me to do?
(To audience) I’m fittin’ to start a fire because I’m mad.

(To audience) He ain’t gonna start a fire. He just says that. He ain’t gonna really do that unless you get him really upset.

Who are you talking to?

I ain’t talking to no one.

Me and you are going to be fighting in a minute.

You’re scared of me. Why don’t you move with me?

Na, hell na. I ain’t fittin’ to move with you.

Why? Why? Why?

Stop asking stupid questions. You know Dad doesn’t want me to move to Pacifica.

Is it because Dad doesn’t want you to go to the underground school to get your grades up? He don’t want me to pay for your school or something?

Na, that’s not it.

What is it? Is it because our brother died?

Why you gotta bring up that?

Cuz he’s my brother too. I can get mad again and flood the city like I did before.

Why you gotta say that?

I lost my love for anybody in the family when my brother died. It was sad.

Why you think I burn things?

Cuz that’s how you do. Why you have an attitude and why you gotta burn something when you get mad?

Because that was my only brother. I lost it. I just lost it. I couldn’t control my anger. I just got crazy and went berserk. I thought I lost my soul. I started a forest fire out of anger. I miss riding my bike with him. I miss his love.

I’m here for you. You think you can love me and trust me? What about if I show you that I love you and trust you? Do you think you can show me you love and trust me? Why won’t you come live with me?

Because I will die. Cuz Dad will kill me if I move with you.

Why will he kill you?

Because he wants me to burn things. He wants me to be just like him. Like father like son.

Why you want to be like father like son?

Because you’re like mother like daughter.

Don’t even go there. I don’t even do that salt.

I want to erupt just like my dad. Cuz he’s a volcano and I want to erupt just like him when I get mad.

You can burn bright, but you ain’t gonna burn nothing. Cuz I’ll put it out with my 18-foot wave. You’ll go tell Dad like a little baby.

I’ll kill you. You can go tell mom I threatened you cuz it’s not a threat. It’s a promise.

How you gonna burn me if I turn myself into solid ice. I need your love. You were showing me a lot of love when our brother was alive, but since he’s not alive no more, you stop loving me like you did. I love you like you were my own son, but you’re my brother. I want you to love me and be there for me and my son and daughter.

Sis, I got something to tell you. I need you to listen right now! I burn a lot of things because mom ain’t there for us and dad is always erupting. I’m distracted a lot. I don’t concentrate. I’m frustrated and I get stressed a lot cuz I don’t have a scholarship and my grade point average is low. I don’t have enough credits to graduate. I go to space for high school. We are suppose to be on the same page. I need help. I need physical help. Show love instead of getting mad. You be tryin’ to set my fire out with an 18 foot wave to show me how mad you can get at me. I would fall into Dad’s volcano. I would drink fire in the volcano and spit it out into your water. You’ll turn to liquid ash and you won’t be able to move. I feel sad cause I’m disrespecting you. But you was disrespecting me.

(Aside) Dear God, I need help with my family. I am so sad that we do not get along.

Since you got something to tell me. I got something I’ve fixin’ to tell you for a long time. Why can’t you come stay with me? My mom is still a salt fiend. Why can’t you come and stay with me? I want you to come stay with me so I can protect you from danger, like violence, the illegal things that’s out there. Why do you want to do this because you’re 18? I don’t think so. I’ll put your fire out. I want you to burn bright. I want the inside of you to stay in the air and burn bright. I want the outside of you to come with us. The outside of you listens. The inside disobeys, burns everything and starts forest fires. It’s you birthday. If you stay up there the inside will become the outside. The outside will get trapped in there and won’t come out.

I’m gonna move with you no matter what Dad says. I’m tired of my Dad. I’m fittin’ to give up my old ways, blowing up things, burning things, setting things on fire.

(Writes Dad a letter)

Dear Dad, I’m in Pacifica with my sister. We have a plan. The only way you can come out here to live with us is if you change your life.

(Ocean writes Mom a letter)

Dear Mom, Me and brother came up with a plan. You have to get off the salt before you come live with us. It will make me feel happy and it won’t make me feel like I don’t know you. Mom I’ll start loving you if you get off the salt.