Saturday, December 20, 2014

Monologue Mania Day #311 by Janet S. Tiger Stoop Ball Dec. 20, 2014

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Monologue Mania Day #311 by Janet S. Tiger     Dec. 20, 2014 
 
                                 Stoop Ball

                                       ©Janet S. Tiger all rights reserved
                                                     tigerteam1@gmail.com

           (A kid comes onstage, bouncing a ball. He takes the ball, looks closely, then hurls. It bounces back to him and he catches it.)

One bounce.  Five points.   I can do better.....I have to do better.....

         (He throws again, now jumps to catch the ball, he has it, he smiles.)

(happy)  Third from top, on the fly, no bounce,.....that's thirty points!  So, that's 35 now....

          (He throws again, it's on the ground)

Two bounces, nothin'.....

Let's try this....

          (He jumps up and throws, lands, then jumps to catch, a tough one, but he made it)

The top step!  Fifty points!  Up to 85!  I can do this!  Boy, I can make you well.....
  
         (He turns to the audience)

I can't talk now!  I have a lot of pitching to do!

         (Throws again, middle, with a bounce)

Only five, so that's.....what was I up to?

        (He listens)

That's right, 90, thanks, mister!

        (He throws, then catches, jumping for it)

Forty!  All right!!  I can do this!  Only a few more thousand to go!

         (He turns)

Each step is worth a different number of points, the bottom is ten points on the edge, if you catch it as a fly.  Second, twenty, on the fly only.  Top is stair five, so it's fifty.  I have to hit twenty of them on the edge to get a thousand....it's important, I have to hit a whole ten thousand for this to work.  You see, I asked God for a favor, to help me save Soldier, that's my dog, you know, he's a good dog.  And I figure it's almost impossible to get ten thousand points, but if I do, then would God please save my dog....

         (He turns, listens)

Yeah, mister, I'm doing this to save my dog!  I can't talk! I have a lot of pitchin' to do......What am I up to, I think, it's a hundred sixty five.....

         (He throws again, jumps)

A hundred ninety-five!

         (As he throws, he talks and keeps count)

Soldier got hit by a car today, two ninety-five, and we took him to the vet, three hundred twenty-five.....and it's not good, the vet shook his head, three hundred thirty five but I think if I get to 10,000 points I can make him well! Three hundred fifty five.....

         (Jumps high, catches, then drops the ball)

Damn!  Sorry, mister, that was fifty points I lost.....

         (Looks, listens)

I have to do this!  Soldier may be old, but I love him, and he loves me!  When I was little, my mom got real sick having a baby, and the baby didn't make it, and she couldn't have any more babies, so my folks wanted me to have a little brother or sister, and they found Soldier, whose family was moving, so I got him.  From what I see with my friends, most of the time, a dog is a lot better than a brother or sister.....

        (He throws hard, fast)

Three ninety-five, four hundred, four hundred twenty, four hundred fifty......

        (He stops, catches his breath, shakes his arm)

This is harder than I thought it would be......

        (Throws with direct aim, leaps, gets it)

Five hundred!  yeah!  I can do this!

I have to do this.....you see.....(hard for him to say)...you see, I left this gate open, this one right here where you're standing.....and I was playing and throwing and I told him not to run out!  I didn't see him and then he was in the street, and then......

         (He's re-living the moment)

The car hit him!  And it didn't even stop!  And he limped over to me and I.....

         (He puts his arms around himself)

I held him, and he was bleeding......and I promised God, and I will get to ten thousand.....I will!

          (Slows a bit, turns to listen)

What did you say?.......Who are you, mister?

         (Shakes head)

You can't be.  I mean, how can you be me?  I'm me.  Here, now.  You say, you are me in the future, but I don't believe you!  How do I know it's me?

        (Listens, sits on the ground)

How could you possibly know that?  It hasn't happened yet......Soldier's still alive.....I saw him.....I held him......

        (He stands up straight, he is no longer young.  He takes a deep breath)

I guess...it's never easy losing someone you love.....goodbye, Terry.  I guess I couldn't save you like I couldn't save Soldier.......no matter how much I bargained with God, no matter how many times I threw that ball against the stoop.....

        (He turns to leave, stops, looks back, then takes the ball and throws it, it doesn't return)

I guess....sometimes, it just doesn't come back.......

        (He exits.  Sometimes, so do those we love..... )



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Janet S. Tiger    858-736-6315
www.JanetSTiger.weebly.com
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
Swedenborg Hall 2006-8



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