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Monologue Mania Day #439 by Janet S. Tiger Apr. 27, 2015
Sally's Side
(for Return - see previous Days # 435, 436, 437)
A monologue by Janet S. Tiger © all rights reserved tigerteam1@gmail.com
(This woman is truly a housekeeper - she knows how to do everything in and around a house, and she is a part of the family, too. She is holding a small object in a box, which she puts onto a table, where we can see the object is a children's record player from many years ago. She then takes out a record and puts it onto the player.)
You wonder why I brought this, don't you, Mr. Jeffrey. Well, you musta seen me use it before, with Miz Eleanor. Sometimes I play old records, that's true, but I don't know if I ever told you what works with the older folks like Miz Eleanor, who are .....forgettin'.......
When I was a little girl, I always had an affinity for older people. My grandparents raised me after my momma died, and they were good people. When they started.....forgettin'.....I was the only one who could figure out what they wanted......but it was not easy. I could see them strugglin' for the words, for the ideas....for how to button a shirt, how to cook eggs. Things they'd been doin' for years.
But I noticed that, no matter how hard the other forgettin' was, it was the repetition that drove most people crazy. My grandma, one day, she musta asked me about a hundered times, (imitates) 'Sally have you seen my shawl?' (as a child) Gramma, you have it on your shoulders!......'Sally, have you seen my shawl?' And there it was, that same shawl on her shoulders.
Then I 'membered somethin' my Grampa had taught me about records, and how they skipped. He showed me on this here player, which is about as old as I am, so it probly has arthritis, too, so I don't need to turn it on, just remind you.....here, do you remember how the record would get dropped or mebbe someone would be rough with it, and then it would get a scratch, or....a skip.
And that record would stay on the same part of the song.....forever.
My Grampa showed me. (as a child) 'But grampa, the record is ruined, now we have to throw it out!' and he showed me how to lift up the arm.....just like this....
(She illustrates with the player)
And all of a sudden, the song can go on.......And when my gramma was repeatin' herself that day, it came to me, that somethin' inside of her head was like that stuck needle - and I said, 'grandma, we can skip this part, since you have your shawl....'
(She is reliving the moment)
And I took my gramma to the player and lifted the needle as if I was gonna go to the next part of the record.......and I skipped over a section, as if it had a scratch. And, somewhere, inside, she musta remembered that, and she didn't ask again about her shawl.
The next time she started repeatin' herself....maybe the followin' day...I dunno, she started askin' about her Bible, which was always on the table next to the chair where she would sit to read every day.
And after she asked about the Bible three or four times, I went to the player and did the same thing with the needle. And it worked again! I had found a secret - the forgettin' was somethin' wrong deep inside of the head. Where you can't see. It didn't mean the person was gone, it just meant, they could no longer be seen by us.
Mebbe only God can remember them when they start forgettin', I dunno. All I know is Miz Eleanor has been gone a long time.
And I understand you are a man, and a man needs company, company of a woman. And even though I was not happy when you took up with that Rita, I have come to like her, because she takes good care of Miz Eleanor, and.....(grudgingly) ...she takes good care of you, too.
But this thing with the new medicine.....you asked me my opinion, I will not mince words. my gramma used to say, you can mince your meat, but don't mince your words, baby, say 'em straight out so there is no confusion. Because life is confusing enough without misunderstanding!
So, Mr. Jeffrey....I think you are crazy! What do you want to start foolin' with nature like this? They are tryin' to make two headed babies and people with a third eye! Lemme tell ya, God is not happy with this!
It would be one thing if we knew this worked already, like the penicillin, or those heart operations, but this is different...this is...(spits it out) experimental.
I will not begin to discuss side effects, but I want you to think about one thing. What if it works? What if Miz Eleanor comes back to herself....if she returns to bein'...Miz Eleanor? What do you plan to do then? Are the three of gonna live here together, in a sin that I will not condone! Just give that a little think, will ya please?
(She turns to leave, stops, looks back)
And just to be one hunnert percent sure you know - I pray Miz Eleanor gets well every day.....but I will not live under the same roof with the three of you if she does! And that, my dear Mr. Jeffrey, is final!
(She exits. End of scene)
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Janet S. Tiger
858-736-6315
JanetSTigerMonologueMania.blogspot.com
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
Swedenborg Hall 2006-8
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