Monologue Mania: Monologue Mania Day # 1510 Counted (from the one-act) by Janet S. Tiger (c) April 4, 2018

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Monologue Mania Day # 1510 Counted (from the one-act) by Janet S. Tiger (c) April 4, 2018

Counted

a monologue by Janet S. Tiger

tigerteam1@gmail.com

(A woman comes out. She is in her forties, but looks older, tired. She holds some papers and shakes her head. Slight Spanish accent)

Numbers. How many? Too many to count? How many pages?

I saved this, from years ago. You know what it is, mi hija?

The census pages. Yes, I know I should have turned it in. But....I was afraid. That's not true. I am still afraid. Being afraid is part of this.

For you, not so bad. In a few years, you will graduate, you will marry a nice boy, and you will give me grandchildren. And you will fill out these papers, and these papers will be easy for you. You will not have to lie.....

But me, for me, not so simple.

How many pages will they have next time?

And will they ask me questions I do not want to answer?

They want to count.....but I am asking, what counts? I have been good. Yes, I came across the border without permission.

But that is my only crime.

I have worked hard, and paid taxes, and my children work hard, and they pay taxes.

Some of the people born here, they do not know what they have.....they do bad things, they steal, they hurt people. But they can stay, they count.....they are counted.

Numbers.

Even when I was little, I liked numbers. That's why they like me in the tienditas....I am good selling things.....in all languages....with numbers.

Every night, when I go to sleep, I sleep with one eye open, for the men who come to send me back. I've been lucky.....mucho suerte.......but luck runs out.....your number come up....like in the lottery, only not good......where do I go, when they send me away. They say we have to go home, but this is home. They say we are bad, but.....when they need me to work, then it is different.

They say a wall will be enough to stop us, but how high is that wall? Is it higher than all my dreams? How many hearts tall will that be? Can anyone count that high?

(Listens)

Yes, I have a lot of questions, mi hija, because for all these years, I wait, and I count up the money for other people. Now I have another question for you......

When do I count?

(Turns to leave, stops looks back)

When do I get to be counted?

(Lights down, end of scene)

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This new play is based on a new question on the census for 2020 - article here

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* Note: A few words about 'free' - all these monologues are protected under copyright law and are free to read, free to perform and video as long as no money is charged. Once you charge admission or a donation, or include my work in an anthology, you need to contact me for royalty