Just Ask
Characters:
Sally – a young girl (about 8 or so) who has been diagnosed with a serious illness.
Friend – Sally’s imaginary friend that Richard (her father) cannot see or hear. Friend wears a doctor’s costume that looks too large, like a child playing dress-up.
FRIEND
What do you want to do?
SALLY
(A little tired.) I don’t know. What do you want to do?
FRIEND
I asked first!
SALLY
I don’t know.
FRIEND
Do you want to play anything?
SALLY
Not really.
FRIEND
You’re boring.
SALLY
I just don’t feel up to playing.
FRIEND
Bor – ring! Come on – let’s play!
SALLY
Play what?
FRIEND
Uhh… Tag! Let’s play tag!
SALLY
I’m tired. I don’t want to play now.
FRIEND
Ugh! Come on – you have to!
SALLY
Why?
FRIEND
Because if you don’t I’ll sneak downstairs and tip over the fish bowl and tell Richard it was you who did it!
SALLY
Dad can’t hear you.
FRIEND
Well . . . he’ll blame you! There’s no one else to blame – so there.
SALLY
He loves that stupid fish.
FRIEND
He loves it more than he loves you!
SALLY
What?
FRIEND
It’s true!
SALLY
No it’s not –
FRIEND
Don’t act like you don’t know.
SALLY
I’m not . . .
FRIEND
Don’t lie! It’s true and you know it!
SALLY
Well – I – Don’t be stupid! How could my dad love a fish more than he loves me?
FRIEND
Oh! Oh! Oh! I know! I know! Pick me! Pick me! (Raising his hand, jumping up and down.)
SALLY
Well?
FRIEND
Pick me! Pick me! Pick –
SALLY
You!
FRIEND
Me?
SALLY
Yes!
FRIEND
Richard loves his stupid fish more than he loves you because he only has to feed his fish once a day – and he actually has to take care of you. He has to take you to the doctors’, and refill your prescriptions, and make sure –
SALLY
Okay – okay – okay. I get it.
FRIEND
Do I get a prize now?
SALLY
What?
FRIEND
Do I get a –
SALLY
For what?
FRIEND
For answering the question correctly?
SALLY
No.
FRIEND
Awww . . . (Pause.) Oh! Oh! I know this one! I know it!
SALLY
What now?
FRIEND
Pick me! Pick –
SALLY
You!
FRIEND
I know how you can get Richard to love you more.
SALLY
How?
FRIEND
You could go away.
SALLY
What do you mean?
FRIEND
You could go away. Like Mommy did.
SALLY
(Pause.) Couldn’t I just . . . run away, or something?
FRIEND
Nope. If you did that, they would just find you and bring you back.
SALLY
Well . . . how . . . how would I –
FRIEND
There’s lots of ways.
SALLY
Like?
FRIEND
Oh! Oh! I know –
SALLY
You!
FRIEND
Stop taking your medication.
SALLY
Dad would never let me stop –
FRIEND
You don’t know! You should ask! See what he says.
SALLY
I don’t know.
FRIEND
Oh come on! What are you so scared of, Sally? Oh – that could be your new nickname! Scared Sally! Scared Sally!
SALLY
Shut up – I am not scared to ask!
FRIEND
Then why don’t you?
SALLY
Fine – I will.
FRIEND
Ask him as soon as he gets home from work!
SALLY
Fine. (Pause.) But you have to help me bring it up, okay?
FRIEND
Okay!
SALLY
Promise?
FRIEND
Promise! What are friends for?
Notes from Roy:
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of great interaction in this scene, and the childlike way these two deal with each other has a strong sense of authenticity. There's also a good sense of rising action in the scene - a dramatic sensibility that pulls us forward and increases the stakes throughout.
One other thing is that this scene really raises the level of danger in your piece. Now we see that Sally is not only threatened by her health issues, but even more so by the voice of this friend inside of her. And the stakes are very high because it's a matter of life and death. And there's even more danger because the issues are being approached in a childlike way where death is seen as "going away," as if it were only a game.
Roy