Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Monologue Mania Day #587 Day of Atonement (revised) by Janet S. Tiger Sept. 22 2015

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Monologue Mania Day #587 Day of Atonement  (revised) by Janet S. Tiger  Sept. 22 2015

              From last year's Day of Atonement Day # 235  Oct. 5, 2014   - a thank you to my father for inspiring this story!
                                              Day of Atonement 
                                    A monologue by Janet S. Tiger   
                                           © all rights reserved                                                                         
                                           tigerteam1@gmail.com

          (An older woman comes out, she is carrying a bird cage, which is empty.  She looks at the cage, then sets it down, looks up)

Yom Kippur.  I never thought I'd see another one, did I?  Written into the Book of Life, was I?  I guess...you just never know.

          (She looks at the cage)

I miss Mushke, she was a sweet bird.  Stupid, but sweet, like all of them.....She was not written into the Book of Life....I guess her death reminded me of all those years ago....    

         (She looks up again)

I just wanted to talk with you again, Beryl, and you, too, Dovid......oh, I know you wanted to be called Barry, and David, but you're both dead thirty years, so who cares?  I'm almost dead and I don't care. But I do care about one thing. 

Amazing, all this water under the bridge, and here I am, worried about a stupid bird. Not Mushke......she was the latest,  no, Beryl, I'm talking about your bird..  Remember? Your little parakeet......Tweety bird.  Remember her?  Remember how you loved her so much, and how you warned Dovid that he must never ever open the cage, because she could get out, and that would be it......what am I asking if you remember, of course you remember. 

Once you die, you remember everything.  So you must remember when Tweety escaped and you blamed Dovid, and he denied it....which he always did whenever he did something wrong, he was very convincing, too, maybe that's why he became a lawyer, I don't know. But you beat him up because the bird was gone, and I was little, and you, Beryl, you knew it had to be Dovid.

But maybe......maybe you don't know everything. This was back when I was four years old.  And I was alone in the room with Tweety.....(remembering)  Tweety the sweetie, you used to call her.   

          (Remembering)

And I knew you loved that bird, you would come home from that office you worked in, and you'd be so tired from the subway, and that bird would sing as soon as you came in the door!  And you used to tell Dovid, (imitates)  Don't you go near Tweety!  If anything happens to Tweety, I'll kill you!

        (Hard for her to say, she pantomimes what she is telling)

I climbed up on a chair and I wanted to get a better look...so I......(shudders)....I opened the cage, and Tweety flew out, and out the window.....and I was so scared I hid in the closet.  And then you came home and saw Tweety was gone, and you beat up Dovid.....for what I did.       

         (She takes a handkerchief out and dabs at her eyes)

 And no one suspected me, because I was so little, and I had moved the chair back, and no one thought I could do anything like that......and I watched you hit Dovid and I was afraid, you might hit me.......you never did, for anything, and I always felt bad that I never told, so that's why, on this day, today, I'm telling you both.....that I'm sorry.

 (Sighs deeply) I never meant to have Tweety get away, and for you to get beat up, Dovid. I just wanted to hear her sing....for me.  That's why, I guess, I've had birds my whole life.        

(Takes a deep breath) And so today, that's why I wanted to ....what would the word be?  Apologize?  Confess?  Make amends? I am sorry, Dovid, and Beryl.......I hope you both forgive me.  I figure, I'll be with you in person soon, so I wanted to clear this up before I join you. How is it up there?  I hope we all get along better than we did down here. If we don't, maybe I can visit cousin Yankel and the Gallagher boys down below.  (She laughs)  I'm sure they're not up there with you!           

        (She touches the cage)

 I'm not sure if I should get another bird.  What if I'm not sealed into the Book of Life and the bird has to go to a new home?  Is that fair?  Does a bird care what's fair?

        (She picks up the cage and starts to walk out, stops, looks up, smiles.)

   All the troubles in the world, and here I am, worried about a bird that's been dead for over 60 years!  Thank you, God, for a life that had such boring problems!    

       (She exits.  The end of Yom Kippur for this year.....L'shanah Tovah - wishing all a Happy, Healthy New Year) 
                                        
                 
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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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