EACH ONE REACH ONE at CAMP KEMP PRESENTS
LOVE IS BLIND
By ISHA E.
CHARACTERS:
FRESH the ONE-HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL. Female. One day old.
CLEAN the ONE-HUDRED DOLLAR BILL. Male. Two days old, Fresh’s BOYFRIEND.
SETTING:
Inside a woman’s purse, in the bill section of a Gucci leather wallet, which is silk-lined and feels smooth. The bills are all lined up in order from highest to lowest. It’s dark and with the smell of rich Dolce and Gabbana perfume. They hear zippers, taste salty fingers when the owner reaches into the wallet. They hear the loud sounds of a shopping mall, people talking, people walking, babies crying. They hear Christmas music.
TIME:
A snowy Christmas Eve, 4:30 p.m.
AT RISE:
FRESH and CLEAN are in the middle of a conversation.
CLEAN
But Baby, you can’t leave me. You’re my all.
FRESH
You know this is my dream!
CLEAN
Your dream is to LEAVE this Wallet, which is very dangerous.
FRESH
You’re so annoying. Why do you say it’s dangerous!?!
CLEAN
Because I know. Been there. Done that.
FRESH
Is there something I don’t know about you? Are you hiding something from me?
CLEAN
Yes. And I think it’s about time you know.
FRESH
Oh. What is it?
CLEAN
I know we only known each other a couple hours but you should know before I was in this wallet, I was in another wallet. I was crammed in with my Dad and a bunch of dirty bills. Then one day, my owner pulled out his wallet to give a homeless man five dollars, at Civic Center, in The City. While he closed it, I flew out with my Dad and ended up in the big fountain there. My father got ripped in there, and he went down the drain of the fountain.
I can never imagine you in this position.
FRESH
So what are you trying to say?
CLEAN
I’m saying I want to stay in this wallet. Forever. It’s my dream. It’s nice, warm, and clean. I wanna stay here with you.
FRESH
I’m sorry you been through all that.
(under her breath) I’m so selfish, all I care about is my dream, I should support him right now.
CLEAN
So, I would like to stay here with you because meeting you was the best moment of my life.
FRESH
I feel the same way.
(They KISS)
FRESH
…But I still want my dream fulfilled.
I want to get spent so I can be in the cash register of a fancy store like CARTIER, BURBERRY, or LOUIS VUITON. This is so important to me because there I will meet other bills that seen the world more than me!
CLEAN
Our dreams are totally opposite. All my life has been Pain and I was hoping you will make it better. But it’s just getting worse because you want to leave me.
FRESH
That’s how you feel? I’m sorry I don’t want to see you hurt, but I have dreams.
CLEAN
And I do too Baby. I see you in my dreams.
FRESH
That’s great. I wouldn’t want to crush your dreams. I love you.
BUT I need you to move out my way. So I can get spent first, because our owner will spend you first, because the way we are lined up in here.
CLEAN
(Rude) YOU WANT ME TO WHAT!?
FRESH
(Rude) TO MOVE DAMN IT!!
CLEAN
You’re breaking my heart. You want me to move just so you can get spent to leave.
FRESH
Yeah, you’ll get your dream to stay, and I’ll get mine.
CLEAN
Man, hell no. You’re not breaking my heart.
FRESH
(ASIDE, she is thinking to herself)
I need this dummy to move. Pssh. He thinks I love him. If he doesn’t move NOW, before we leave this damn Mall, our owner is taking us to The Bank; she doesn’t keep one-hundred dollar bills overnight. And I can’t let Clean know that, cause if he does he’ll know he’s not getting his dream to stay in this wallet.
CLEAN (looking at Fresh)
Hello, man. Are you not gonna talk?
FRESH
I don’t know what to say Baby. I’m sorry. I just feel my dream is more important to me right now.
CLEAN
Well I do want you happy.
(ASIDE, he is thinking to himself) OK. This is making Fresh worried, because she feels my dream won’t come true because she feels I will get spent. She needs me for her dream to not stay in the wallet, and I need her to stay. She needs me to move to the side so she can get spent first.
This all makes me feel frustrated, because I either loose her,
or my dream.
But really, I’m sad.
I don’t get sentimental because I am a man, but with Fresh, I feel soft.
Right now, I feel overwhelmed. I wish I felt happy right now.
FRESH
I’m happy you want me happy, Babe. But you need to move ASAP because the Mall closes very soon and I can hear her asking to see the pink shoes.
CLEAN
HELL NO! I’m not letting you break my heart.
FRESH
Oh, what the “Benji”! Just move.
CLEAN
No! A made up mind knows what a made up mind wants, and my mind is made up. I’m not moving.
FRESH
OMG! She isn’t buying anything. She just said she’s leaving.
CLEAN
So, we have tomorrow to figure this out.
FRESH
No, we’re going to The Bank!
(COMPLETE SILENCE)
CLEAN
What you mean, The Bank?
FRESH
(ASIDE) Oh my god, I just told him about The Bank situation. Ugh. I DON’T want to go back to The Bank. I hated it. It was boring and I listened to the same bills every day, all day. (MORE)
(TO CLEAN) Uh, I have to tell you something important that I should have told you.
CLEAN
(MAD) Oh my God, what?
FRESH
We’re going to the damn BANK. Our owner doesn’t keep big bills overnight.
CLEAN
When were you planning to tell me this?
FRESH
Never.
(COMPLETE SILENCE)
CLEAN
I’m disgusted with you. I loved you, but you’re so manipulative and selfish. You’re just using me. I’m so hurt.
FRESH
Yea, I was using you. It’s about time you realize you dummy, I don’t love you.
CLEAN
That’s why I’m not moving, Witch!
FRESH
Fine. Then don’t.
(FRESH turns her back on CLEAN)
CLEAN
What’s that I hear? OMG she’s opening her wallet. Fresh, brace yourself. It ain’t good!
(CLEAN gets picked up)
FRESH
Oh, what you mumbling now?
(FRESH turns and sees CLEAN getting picked up)
CLEAN
Bye Witch! I’m out of heeeeerrrrre (his voice fades out).
FRESH
Ugh. I lost my man and my dream. Now I’m stuck alone.
(FRESH begins sobbing. She now knows she’s going to The Bank. She falls asleep crying. Moments later, FRESH wakes up and finds herself surrounded by other fancy hundred-dollar bills. She’s been SPENT.)
END OF PLAY
