1 The Beginning By: Marion Ann Berry Copyright Marion Ann Berry, 2014 Marion Ann Berry 364 Moss Street #202 Victoria, BC V8V 4N1 250-514-9326 marionann.berry@gmail.com
2 The beginning Characters, 30 something, a guardian angel, ageless but could be 20 something. Fall Afternoon. In a kitchen/living room area of a small house in Edmonton. is sitting at a desk typing on a laptop. Pictures of her and a guy can be seen. She stops stretches her arms up, looks at the picture and goes back to typing. CBC radio in the back ground. There is a rapid knock at the door. is startled; she turns around and looks at the door. Another rapid knock at the door. opens the door, a young woman,, is standing at the door, one hand on the door way, she s out of breath. is wearing a black skirt, black t-shirt, red tights, tall black dock martins with red laces and a short black jacket. (Huffing) Did you happen to see my dog? He s...a chocolate lab...full of piss and vinegar. (She takes a deep breath)...i saw him run this way. (Panting) Sorry I haven t. (Breath is slowing down) Can I check your back yard real quick please? (annoyed) I haven t seen or heard any dogs this morning.sorry; I m kinda in the middle of something and waiting for a phone call. He s pretty sneaky.
3 I don t think he d be there. My backyard is fenced in and the only way in is threw the backdoor, if I see him I ll call you, what s your number? I m sure I saw him running this way. He could ve turned the corner and I didn t see him, he s pretty fast. Yeah, dogs tend to be. (concerned and panicked) I m just afraid he ll get into trouble What if he gets hit by a car? He doesn t know this area, we just move here oh god (Concerned but still annoyed) Fine, come in, we can check the back, but I highly doubt he s there. Sorry, I didn t get your name, I m Sara. Nice to meet you. Sis Sorry? My name is, as in a sister even though I m an only lonely, I m pretty sure my parents were smoking something when they named me, Angelica Heart come on, right? Huh, funny my parent s used to call me and I m an only lonely as well. It actually pissed me off sometimes because when I asked to have a brother or sister they told me I was their miracle baby and I was all they even needed. I think your parents talked to mine, they tried to tell me the same thing with me, but really I was a surprise for them and after they had me, my mother had her tubes tied and dad had a vasectomy, talk about doubling up.
4 That s pretty drastic, my mother just couldn t have another kid, and being an only has some advantages, not sharing clothing, birthday presents, or dad s attention. I always seem to find the only s of the world; my last two boyfriends were only children, that s what I call eeerrrrrie. Yeah, my boyfriend is an only child, we joke about how our only lonely radars found each other. That s sweet. (turns to the audience) Sounds a bit cheesy to me. looks at the phone and remembers she s waiting for a call. Okay, let s check for your dog, I m waiting for a phone call. No worries, I ll just check and be on my way. I really don t think he s there, maybe you should just go I m waiting for a phone call and really don t want to miss it. (Turning to the audience) Do you think she s waiting for a phone call? Did you say something? No, this is a great picture, is that your boyfriend? Yes, that s Jayce, he said he d be calling around this time, we haven t really talked for a few days, he lives in Atlanta. Kinda far from Edmonton.
5 Yeah, but I ll be moving there when I get a job. Sounds like it should all work out then. It should, I just don t like waiting around for my life, I mean our lives to start. Limbo sucks. It does, it really does. Phone rings. is startled; looks at the phone then. (Quickly)I gota get that, you can check the backyard and then show yourself out. Sure, thanks. picks up the phone. walks slowly to the backdoor. (Starts off with lovely dovey voice)hey you, I was just thinking about you...i was just writing...yeah it s something new, I want to send it to the New Yorker...yeah I know it could happen...how s your day I was wondering if I should I call the HR department to see how the job search is going, I can t wait to be there with you...last month was great, I love being there with you, it feels like home...what? (shock)wait!...no.don t you love me anymore? What about last week? You said but Jayce, please (a bit of anger) all those god damn promises I signed my name to the condo there, that does effect me! Why now? Why didn t you let me go when I asked...(she sighs)...just mail it to the house Jesus! What about this house Jayce? I mean the god damn lease is in your name always leave it with me, I ll take care of it like I always do...please don t do this FUCK YOU JACYE! slams the phone down. Sis is standing at the back door and then coughs. is startled, she forgot all about.
6 What tha fuck? Sorry, he s not back there, I ll just stay here until he shows up, I know he ll be here. Jesus who are you? Sis? I m not sure if you were listening, but I just got dumped after six years of my life gone into a relationship, six-fuckin -years. Sorry Six-fucking-years! He said he doesn t love me that way anymore, like it s a light switch, he flips it on and off, oh I love you, oh wait I don t, lights out, done. That s blows. I had a guy dump me on Valentines Day, talk about a real mood killer. (annoyed) I don t care about your valentine s break up who are you? You just need to leave, I need to be alone. God damn it! Are you sure? Yeah, I m pretty sure, I don t know you and I m about to pull out the rest of his shit he left here to burn. (a bit of sarcasm) Yeah, I think I should stay. I don t know you, get out!
7 points to the door and doesn t move. You re pretty brazen aren t you, just think you can come in here looking for your dog and then stay for some chit chat, don t you get the hint I just got my fuckin heart ripped out of my chest and I m in no mood to be neighborly. Just go, I m only going to ask once. I think you need me. I think you need some serious help! Get out! walks in front of and walks her to the door. starts to shut the door in s face, smiles. Feels good doesn t it, just like you did with that dumb blonde bitch when you caught her sitting on Jayce s lap making out on your sofa? Felt good to slap her across the face and push her out the door pulls open the door and begins to take deep breaths, she s losing control. How the hell did you know that? That was in Jasper, like three years ago. (Pause) Are you stalking me? No, I just know you. How? Are you like my fairy godmother, waving your wand around to get me a new life? Close, I m your pseudo guardian angel. Oh Jesus, this day just gets better and better, and smart ass guardian angel at that! Let me get Jayce s knife out to slit my wrists chalk it up for another failure!
8 Hold on don t get dramatic here. Well excuse me, I m the one who just got dumped I invested my whole life into that asshole! And now you re supposedly my guardian angel, and I m supposed to believe that? Yeah, right. The one who cheated on you, not only once need I remind you. Fuck me this is not how I saw this day at all. I need a drink. How about some tea! I d love some earl gray please. I was thinking of something a little stronger. Yeah, no, it s eleven in the morning and anything stronger might cloud your judgement like it when you thought you met the so called love-of-your-life. Gaaaad. Are you kidding me? Put the tea on, you need some help. Oh, and you re going to help me with not only how my heart is aching, but now I have to get the hell out of this house and start all over again. Always so dramatic, let s just have some tea and take one step at a time. Get out! walks to the counter and opens a drawer, pulls out a long large knife. She walks towards and quickly points the knife at
9 Whoa! Geez that s a big knife. Didn t you hear me, and I have a knife! I see that, it s a nice one, a sushi knife right? It s Jayce s he was going to come back for me and his favorite knife. Fuck, who gives shit, get out! (To audience) Does she hear herself; she really thought he was coming back for her and that knife. Get out! waves the knife at. becomes annoyed, huffs and points at the knife, s hand seems to just drop the knife on the floor and it slides towards. She puts her boot on the blade. Jesus its official, I m going fucking crazy help me please! Ummm, I m here to help you. picks up the knife puts it on the kitchen counter. Okay, where do you want to start? How about you leaving and letting me grieve over my broken heart. Is it really broken? Come on, I know you, do I have to remind you of the dumb blonde bitch again, or how about when he didn t tell you about Atlanta until he got the job and he put his notice in and didn t tell you. Helllllooooo?!
10 taps her own head. How did this happen to me? I use to be so intuitive; I stopped listening to my gut feelings. What does your gut say about me? I can t believe I m about to say this, but this might not be a dream. I ll get the tea if you get cheese and crackers. Great, an angel who likes cheese, what s next, Mary Poppins knocking on my door selling pot...well I could use a hit about now. goes to the counter and takes out a box of crackers and cheese and slices it with the sushi knife. I use to feel guilty for using the knife for non-sushi things, oh well! laughs out loud. then chops the box in half with the knife. Fuck you Jayce and this god damn fuckin knife! continues to stab at the box, the crackers are crushed. That s okay, I don t need any crackers. Who cares! I hate him and this god damn knife.
11 Okay, let it out, but how about I take the knife, I think the box is dead. pushes the box around. Yup, it s gone now; we ll say a little something for the wheat thin family. How can you make terrible jokes at a time like this?! My life is over, I have absolutely nothing left. You shut up! Your life is not over, you have everything, you get a fresh start without that cheating, lying bastard you called your life. How can you say that, you don t know what we went through. Pretty sure I do, dumb blonde, Atlanta...how about when you did break up for those five hours, you were on your way out and feeling good about moving away from him, then he came back all teary eyed and said he really loved you and couldn t image a life without you. Palllease. Are you sure you re not a fairy god mother, can t you whip up a pumpkin, turn it into a great car and I can get the hell out of here. Damn fairy god mother! No pumpkin s, no bibbidi bobbidi boo s out of this, but I do think you need a vacation, I think we could use some sun, how about Maui? And how do you think I m going to pay for that, I m alone now, paying this lease off, fuck I forgot the lease! What an asshole! Don t you have his credit card? Excuse me? It s in your purse right?
12 gets her purse and pulls out the credit card. How d you know that? shrugs her shoulders and smiles. I ll show that fucker. Left his credit card for emergencies, this is one god damn emergency! picks up the phone and dials. Air Canada? Great...I d like to book the next flight to Maui. There is a scratching at the door, perhaps a dog scratching at the door. Light fades.