flashquake's First Place for Plays goes to: The Boy on the Bus "The Boy on the Bus" was first written as Flash Fiction. It won Honorable Mention in the Sarasota Literary Society Anthology: NEW CENTURY VOICES 2000. The vignette has subsequently been revised and formatted as a play. |
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CAST:
SCENE: 1 SEAN: Nana, where are we going? DELIA: On the bus, Luv. SEAN: Where on the bus? DELIA: To America. SEAN: You can't go to America on the bus. DELIA: Sean, you weary me with questions. SEAN: I want to know. DELIA: We take the bus to Galway. Sail on the Shamrock to Boston. SEAN: Will I like the boat? DELIA: I'm sure I don't know. 'Tis a rocky bit. My sister, Margaret, was sick all the way. SEAN: I won't be sick. I'm strong and mighty. (Sean imitates a hero.) DELIA: A mite you are, but a good lad. SEAN: Why can't we stay? Grandpa said, 'Never sell the farm.' DELIA: Grandpa's gone. It's time to leave. Ireland eats boys. SEAN: Like bits of cheese and ham. (Sean laughs.) DELIA: No, they drag them into English hating, to throw rocks, hide ... SEAN: Won't I ever see Jamsey or Uncle Pat? (Sean sits next to her, dejected.) DELIA: I don't know child. Hush! Take these coins, buy a scone, fill your mouth with it now. ( Sean crosses to the food stand out of view.) (Michael Gorman enters from the left and looks around for Delia.) DELIA: Michael Gorman, what are you doing here? (She stands to face him.) MICHAEL: I met Pat. He said you're leaving today. Why didn't you tell me? (She shrugs. Looks away from him.) Why are you going? DELIA: (She turns to face him.) In Boston Irish women make lots of money raising the children of the rich. MICHAEL: If I had money I would ask you to stay. DELIA: Ahh! It's not money. It's Ireland. MICHAEL: I wish I could go to America. DELIA: And what would The Cause do without you? (Michael lowers his head, watches her hands fidget with her rosary beads.) DELIA: I'm sorry, Michael. I mean no offense. MICHAEL: It's the boy. DELIA: Yes! The boy. (She confronts him. Passionate.) The Cause can't have him. MICHAEL: His father was a patriot. He should know.... DELIA: He'll know childhood, school books, a night's sleep without being afraid. MICHAEL: (He challenges her.) And what the English did? DELIA: His father died of influenza. MICHAEL: You can't run away, live a lie. DELIA: He'll not be a messenger... get killed for The Cause. MICHAEL: Delia, you can't escape. There is no running away. You have to stand your ground. Fight. DELIA: Michael, we've had this argument so many times. You're so convincing. I almost believed it when we were young. MICHAEL: (He nods and takes her hand.) Aye, when we were young. DELIA: But you always chose The Cause. No other life for you. MICHAEL: We've paid so dearly. DELIA: All those years you spent in prison. I waited. MICHAEL: They were hard years. DELIA: Men died and went insane and I waited. MICHAEL: I lived for the day .... DELIA: And you came home. MICHAEL: To you. DELIA: To The Cause. MICHAEL: And you married Thomas. DELIA: A good man—we made a good life. MICHAEL: I've always loved you. DELIA: I know, but not enough. MICHAEL: I couldn't save your son. He was a born leader .... DELIA: I won't lose again. (Michael reaches out to touch her, changes his mind and turns away). MICHAEL: God Bless, Delia. Have a safe journey. (Michael leaves to the right. Sean returns nibbling a scone, looking around.) SEAN: Nana, why is your face so red? DELIA: Sure 'tis warm in here. SEAN: Who was that man? DELIA: Just a man I knew when I was a girl. (Sean hands her some coins. Delia fusses with her change purse.) (Sean looks for the bus impatiently.) SEAN: Is it almost time for the bus? DELIA: Soon Sean, soon. SEAN: I think I've seen the man standin' outside the play yard. He always smiles. DELIA: He has a smile like the divil himself. (You can hear a bus arrive on tape. Lights dim.) SCENE: 2 SET: Chairs simulate bus seats. AT RISE: A few minutes later. Sean and Delia board the bus. DELIA: Come, the bus is here. (Sean and Delia board the bus.) Help me with the soft bag, there's a good boy. SEAN: May I have the window seat? DELIA: Yes, I've no need to look back. SEAN: Nana, the man ... DELIA: Mr. Gorman? (Delia settles herself. Looks in her pocketbook for her tickets.) SEAN: He is watching us. Should I wave? DELIA: No! (A TAPE COMES ON: YOU HEAR THE BUS PULLING AWAY. THE DRIVER SAYS: Sit back and relax. We'll be in Galway in an hour. I have sad news. It's just come over the radio, the United States has declared war on Germany.) DELIA: (Delia gasps.) God help us! SEAN: Will I go to war, Nana? DELIA: God forbid. (Delia places her arm across her chest, her hand on her heart.) It'll be over long before you're old enough to go. MAN: I think not. SEAN: I'm going to war! |
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© 2001 by Patricia Richards | ||||||||