A Play by Julie M.
| CHARACTERS: |
SPARKLES the Pretty White Dove-age 16 CHARM the Dove ( her Grandmother) age 72
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| SETTING: |
In the sky in South San Francisco
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| TIME: |
August 26, 2005
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| AT RISE: |
We see a black sky as dark as fresh leather and rain, hard rain that hits you like a base ball and clouds, mean, angry gray clouds and the wind blowin’ so hard it feels like it’s going 70 Mph. It’s cold as ice. Sparkle the Dove is in the air looking for Charm.
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(Sparkles in the air panicking)
SPARKLES
Oh where is my grandmother? (Pauses-2 minutes later) Grandma! Grandma! Where are you?
CHARM
Help! Is anyone there?
(Sparkles rushes down and finds Charm inside of a birdhouse, scared and weak)
CHARM (In a weak voice)
Sparkles?! What are you doing out in this weather? You’ll get a cold.
SPARKLES
I was looking for you, Grandma. I was so scared! I thought that you were hurt or something.
CHARM
You know this ugly storm can’t ever hurt me, dear…and if it does, it was supposed to happen.
(Sparkles is weak and shivering fiercely)
CHARM
Oh dear, you’re turning pale. Come here to your grandma and let me warm you up.
SPARKLES (tensely)
Grandma, why are you acting like you care all of a sudden? You don’t want nothing to do with me anymore!
CHARM (surprised)
What? Where did you get that from sweetheart? Oh…was it because of that argument we had that one day?
SPARKLES (in a soft voice)
Yes, it was because of that.
CHARM (in a calm voice)
Girl, you act like that hurt you or something…It aint like you’ve never heard that before.
SPARKLES (in an angry voice)
You’re right grandma. I have heard that before, but grandma, when you said that I’m worthless, it hurt. It felt like I just got pecked at constantly.
CHARM (in surprise)
It hurt you? Now baby, don’t you ever think about other people besides yourself? You don’t think it hurts me to watch you be aggressive and not behaving all the time?
SPARKLES (furious)
Hurts you? Hurts you! I’ve been pushing back my dreams because of what you said. I was supposed to be gone, away at the park with the best bird seeds: learning how to sing right now, but I couldn’t, just couldn’t go. I kept hearing “you’re worthless!” “You will never be nothing!” over and over again. It stuck in my ears like earwax…and it hurt you? I can barely look in your face right now and not wanna cry and you’re hurt Grandma? Grandma-I’m hurt!
(Sparkles starts crying)
CHARM (with humor-sarcastically)
Oh, I know …blame it on the old one…I am just the worst grandma in the world, aren’t I? Come on, say it…
SPARKLES (frustrated)
Why don’t you accept me? I feel like you push me away. I feel like I am not part of the family anymore.
CHARM (angry)
You know, you’re not the only one who has ever gone through problems before! All I wanted for you is to be close. I never got to watch you grow up. You were over in Union City with your Dad’s side of the family. You know how hard it was to watch my first grandchild be sent away?
SPARKLES (confused)
What? You really wanted to get to know me?
CHARM (sarcastically)
No, I just wanted to look at you all day! Of course I didn’t ever want you to feel like I don’t love you. I want you to do all the things that I wasn’t able to do.
SPARKLES (surprised)
Really, Grandma?
CHARM
Yeah
SPARKLES
You know grandma, I love you, but I don’t like it when you say things like that.
CHARM
I’ll try not to do it anymore, sweetheart.
SPARKLES
Hey Grandma, why didn’t you ever do all things you wanted to do when you were younger?
CHARM (sadly)
You know me and you are so much alike. I’ve been through similar stuff, like you. I just never got to have the chance you do, to turn things around. You’re such a strong dove, and I wasn’t as strong as you were, so I guess that’s why I never followed my dreams.
(The wind blows hard)
SPARKLES
You know Grandma, I wouldn’t mind if we could spend some time together soon. Maybe we can fly to the clouds together because I would like to get to know you, too.
CHARM (surprised)
You would?
SPARKLES
Of course.
CHARM (in pain)
You know, I remember my family talking aggressively to me, too. They used to treat me like I was a worm. “Do this –Do that!” “You’re worthless!” I guess that’s what I was doin’ to you, because that’s how I was raised. Would you forgive me? I forgot how much it hurt me to feel that way. And don’t ever feel like you can’t do anything, because you could!
SPARKLES
You know, I’ve been feeling like if I get close to someone they will abuse me, too and I’ve been scared. I don’t want anyone else to leave me nor abuse me.
CHARM
Oh Honey, don’t let anyone get that control of you. Don’t be scared. You’re strong and I know that you know when not to get close to anyone.
(The wind blows harder)
SPARKLES
Grandma, all my life I was able to do whatever, whenever. I guess the reason I was so angry was because when I was staying with you, I had to change my life around all at once and realize that finally someone does care about me.
(The storm starts going away slowly)
CHARM
Oh Honey, I love you and I will never go, even if I die. Just look up to the sky and you will always find me.
(They both huddle together slowly)
CHARM
Shhhhhh,my grandchild, and listen to that sweet lady hum that nice tune-in that white house in the window-looking at us…
(They hear her humming)
LADY (singing)
hum..hum…hum..hum..hum..huuummmmmm…….
(They both fall asleep next to each other)
THE END
