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by
MELISSA V. CHARACTERS:
INDEPENDENT the Raven,aka “Inde” female, 8 in bird years, 34 in Human years CRAZY LEGS the Monkey, 7 in monkey years, 14 in Human years. Her daughter.
SETTING: The bottom of a tree in the Redwood forest. The sun is coming down. Every animal is now getting ready to go to sleep. It smells like fire is burning, and the musk of animal leftovers. You can hear airplanes.
TIME: Around 9pm on a summer day
AT RISE: INDE is on the phone talking to Jeanette. Jeanette is a worm, Inde’s best friend.
INDE Hey girl… Nothing, just Crazy been acting real weird, she not coming to me for advice. What should I do? …
Well, yeah, but how do I come to ask her about— I mean, she’s so moody…
That’s true, I’m her mother, but I can’t find any way to start the conversation. It’s getting me really irritated, and I’m not in a mood to hear her mouth today…
Well for one, she woke up on the wrong side of the tree today. In the morning I told her to clean up her room and she looked at me as if I was talking to the wall! Then I told her again and she said, ‘flock you, don’t tell me what to do’ and I couldn’t believe what came out of her mouth. She has changed so much since she’s been hanging around in the jungle…
I don’t want to be hard on her, but it does break my heart to hear her talk to me like that… I didn’t know how to find words to tell her what I wanted to say, so I just left to my room in my nest in shock, and couldn’t help (it) but to cry…
Well, I guess it’s worth a try. I’d rather do it another day, you know? She’s going to get all worked up and probably just run away, and I really don’t want to …
Call you later, girl. (she hangs up)
SCENE TWO
SETTING: At the Cave, Crazy Leg’s secret hideout, that only her and Rehab the gorilla know about. It
looks small from the outside but its big inside. It’s also like a mood ring, when she feels sad & cold the cave gets nice and warm, and smells like Hot Cheetos. It has pictures of her family and friends all over it.
TIME: Same
AT RISE: CRAZY is pacing back and forth, on the phone with Rehab.
CRAZY LEGS Can you come meet me at the cave please, Rehab?… Can we just meet up, I’m going bien loka!…
To start it out, my mom wanna be like, ‘go clean your room’ when she knows I’m getting ready to leave the nest, so I just act like I didn’t hear none. But she wanna keep talking so I went bad on the Breezy. I love my moms off tops, but the shiznep she be doing just pisses me the flock off…
No, your not understanding me! Quit trying to take her side. (sarcastic) You’re supposed to be my boyfriend. (he says nothing) Why can’t you see it how I see? My mom be acting hella out of pocket. I just want her to leave me alone most of the time. I’m old enough to know better and young enough not to give a flock…
But I don’t want to listen to her, I just want her to leave me alone sometimes… Cause she hasn’t taken the time to even talk to me, so why should I take the time to listen to her?
Ughh, fine, I’ll guess. I’ll just go home and talk to her. But if things get out of paw, I’m letting you know I might give her (gestures backhand) “the paw”.
SCENE THREE
SETTING: Back at the bottom of the tree. TIME: 9:30pm AT RISE: We see Crazy Legs walking towards her mom, Inde.
CRAZY LEGS Hey, I’m home. (she climbs up the tree)
INDE How did your day go? (flying behind her)
CRAZY LEGS Good I guess …does it even matter?
INDE Crazy, you really got a mouth of an animal
CRAZY LEGS Well maybe if you spend more time con tu niña, you would know I had a mouth of an animàl.
INDE What do you mean, ‘spend more time with my niña’? I try to spend as much time as I can with you!
CRAZY LEGS That’s not true! You hardly ever try to spend time with me.
INDE Crazy, how could you say such a thing? I try my hardest to spend time with you.
CRAZY LEGS That’s not true! Whenever I try to talk to you about Rehab or my feelings, you always find flockin ways to get away—
INDE (interrupting) Crazy…
CRAZY LEGS …or cut me off. And I’m tired of it.
INDE Crazy, don’t you think it’s hard on your mother to hear about her little girl growing up? CRAZY LEGS (attitude) Well yes. But can’t you at least try to listen? I feel like I don’t have a mom most of the time INDE I feel like I don’t have a daughter most of the time. I feel like you just take me for granted, and always yelling at me, like I’m just your friend!
CRAZY LEGS Well sometimes I wish you were just my friend. Maybe you would give me better advice, instead of always saying, ‘He;s no good for you.’
INDE Well, I’m just trying to look out for my baby, Crazy. I’m older, I been there and done that. I know, trust me, he is no good.
CRAZY LEGS Mom, why don’t you let me make my own mistakes and learn from them? I love that you’re trying to look out for me, but you’re failing as my mother (mom reacts) by not giving me your time or better advice. INDE I don’t give you my time?! You know what, I don’t have time for this (starts to leave). I had enough of this.
CRAZY LEGS (angry, hopeless) See? Everything I just said went in one ear and out the other. If you don’t stop walking away, I’m going to leave and you’ll never see me again! INDE (Stops, takes a deep breathe) Crazy, what do you want me to do? I’m so tired of fighting… CRAZY LEGS I don’t want you to do nothing. I just want you to …give me better advice, be a better mom. INDE Crazy, I’m tired. Can we …please talk tomorrow? (Crazy fumes) We’ll go to lunch, yes? CRAZY LEGS (to herself) Ugh. Always making excuses. (to Inde) If I’m even here tomorrow.
(to herself) Wonder how she would feel if I left, and got kidnapped. She would probably go crazy. (looks at Inde trying to avoid things again). Or maybe not even care at this point. Who flockin knows, because I sure don’t know.
What if I just take flight and attack her. You think maybe then she will learn to listen to me more? And maybe then she’ll want to finally talk it out with me? Man flock it, I’m gone. I’m done with her b.s.
THE END |
