Thursday/ Fish

by Joseph Frost written for The Glen playwriting workshop 2012

draft June 14, 2012

Attic Scripts Joseph Frost 4550 Normandy Dr Jackson, MS 39206 atticscripts@hotmail.com

Rubble. Concrete blocks and bricks. fireplace still stands improbably.

Two women, a mother and daughter, stand amongst the rubble. Mother is a sturdy woman, in a wool shawl and long dress. Daughter, maybe 15, is wearing a long coat and a beret - a single braid falls over her shoulder. The daughter has been crying. You mustnt cry dear. I havent cried yet. Dear. I havent. But not now. Then when? MOTHER DAUGHTER MOTHER DAUGHTER MOTHER DAUGHTER The mother steps unsteadily across the rubble to the fireplace. Its Thursday. MOTHER Fish today. DAUGHTER MOTHER DAUGHTER

The market is closed. Thursday is fish. Theres no fish.

MOTHER Well get fish from the river. DAUGHTER Theres no fish in the river. Foolish. MOTHER

2. DAUGHTER Theres no more fish in the river. MOTHER Tell your father to go to the river. (silence) What will we do about Thursday, then? Mother stares at the fireplace. Daughter studies the sky. DAUGHTER It will snow at nightfall. I dont think so, dear. It will. them. You see. No. Youre not looking. MOTHER

DAUGHTER Papa taught me to look at the clouds. (points) MOTHER DAUGHTER

To read

MOTHER I have to make the fish. DAUGHTER Theres no fish. Theres no meat. Theres no potatoes. Theres no greens. Theres nothing. MOTHER I still have to make the fish. We need shelter. We must eat. DAUGHTER

MOTHER Its Thursday. DAUGHTER A voice is heard shouting. VOICE (calling) (MORE)

We have no fish.

Stephen!

3. VOICE (CONT'D) Stephen! Where are you? Come home to me, Stephen! Mother goes to where a window used to be. MOTHER Stephen must be missing. Must be. Have you seen him? No. Will you go look? Hes gone. You dont know that. Where else would he be? Stephen! DAUGHTER MOTHER DAUGHTER MOTHER DAUGHTER MOTHER DAUGHTER VOICE Mother moves away from window. MOTHER Dont say such things. I hope his mother finds him soon. hate to think of a mother having lost her-I

Mother stops, must steady herself to keep from collapsing.

4. DAUGHTER He is gone I know it I may not have seen, but I know Its as real to me as a witness As if I had witnessed with my eyes my own eyes but my only witness has been my ear the sound of boot steps the rumble of the ground the buzz in the sky explosions collapses screams and my ears are full they are full Stephen! Come home, Stephen! VOICE

Mother stands. She starts for the fireplace again. The fish. MOTHER Daughter puts herself between the fireplace and Mother. You heard it too. Heard what, dear? You heard it. window. No. You did. I didnt. DAUGHTER MOTHER

DAUGHTER I know you did. You held me back from the MOTHER

DAUGHTER I was going to the window and you held me back. MOTHER

5. DAUGHTER You heard. You heard the sound and you held me. I wanted to go outside to see the sounds but you held me. Why did you hold me if you didnt hear the sounds? Stephen! Dear... VOICE MOTHER Daughter grabs Mothers arms. DAUGHTER Say you heard the sounds! Like you can hear Stephens mother! You heard! Mother breaks down. I did. What did you hear? The sounds. I heard them. I heard the sounds. What sounds? MOTHER DAUGHTER MOTHER

DAUGHTER What did you hear?

Tell me.

MOTHER Footsteps on the cobbled streets tank treads bursting bricks and mortar crumbling and and I heard screams I heard screams Who? Who? Dear... Was it Papa? DAUGHTER

MOTHER DAUGHTER

6. Mother drops her head. Daughter lets go and drops to the floor. MOTHER He was in the street I could see him through the window I could see his eyes see it in his eyes what he had seen soldiers and steel advancing he was running and I could see his eyes I couldnt hear his voice, but I could see it in his eyes His hand outstretched SAVE HER he shouted save her he lipped Save her and I turned to you and I held you I held you and I held you while the world crumbled and flamed at our feet you were in my arms as I turned I turned to see him through the window but the window was no longer there it was no longer there Papa. DAUGHTER VOICE (faintly, giving up hope)

STEPHEN Stephen... stephen

A moment. And now, its Thursday. It is. And there is no fish. MOTHER DAUGHTER MOTHER A moment.

7. DAUGHTER MOTHER A moment. Daughter stands. Mama? Yes? DAUGHTER MOTHER Daughter grabs a piece of rubble. Mama. DAUGHTER We must make the fish. It is Thursday. Daughter picks up another piece of rubble. She tosses it to the side. Mother picks up a piece of rubble, tosses it. They continue to clean up the rubble. Together. Lights down.

I may cry, now. And so might I.