Embedded Files
Nia Vasquez
CHARACTERS
MOTHER EARTH, old enough
LYRIC JOHNSON, aka LJ., 13-year-old girl
SCENE 1
Time: 12:30
Place: Outer Space
At Rise: Earth is on the side of the stage looking down and around while shaking her head. At center stage, Lyric is sleeping.
MOTHER EARTH
(looking over Lyric)
Look at this poor child. She has cried herself to sleep for three nights. She seems so bright and charming.
LYRIC
(awakes slowly)
Who’s there? Is it an angel? Am I dying?
(interrupted by Mother Earth)
MOTHER EARTH
(talking to Lyric)
Hush up, girl, you’re not dying and if I’m an angel, pigs can fly. I’m Mother Earth, honey.
LYRIC
(Looks up with a confused look)
Mother Earth, you can talk?
MOTHER EARTH
(hand on hip with an attitude)
Yes, you heard me right! Wow, and I thought you were bright.
LYRIC
(gets out of bed)
Well, yes, I can hear you. But why is it you picked me out of millions of 13-year-olds to visit?
MOTHER EARTH
(gets closer to Lyric and holds her hand)
Honey dear, tonight I visited you because I couldn’t help but notice you have cried yourself to sleep for 3 nights. May I ask why? And who is the person responsible for turning your smile into a frown?
LYRIC
(pulls her hand away from Mother Earth and walks to the side)
I don’t want to talk about it. It’s a long, deep, and sad story.
MOTHER EARTH
(walks closer to Lyric)
Sweety, I know it may be sad and deep, but you see, I’m here and I want you to open up to me and tell me something please, anything.
LYRIC
(sits on the bed)
You see, if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. And I, wait, I don’t even know you. (with a lot of emotions) Why would I tell you my life story?
MOTHER EARTH
(sits next to her)
Look baby, I’ve been around the block a few times and I know and understand life very well. See, old Mother Earth here has a story to tell, but no one ever listens.
LYRIC
(turns and looks at Mother Earth)
If you know it all, but no one listens to your knowledge and wisdom; tell me.
MOTHER EARTH
(travels to center stage)
So, you want to hear my story. Wow. Haven’t that line in years. Here it is:
See Silent tears
fall from a little girl’s frown
That overcomes her fears
And all she wants is to wear a crown
Left alone with no one to care
She may have cracked a smile
Silence she could hardly bear
Because she was treated to fail
She cried, but yet no one
wondered why?
She hid herself behind a smile
They thought she was just shy
while walking mile after mile
She used to cry so painful and loud
But today she is just too proud.
(Mother Earth looks down in shame)
LYRIC
(walks over to Mother Earth and comforts her)
I’m so sorry. Is that little girl you’re talking about, is that you?
MOTHER EARTH
(looks up, says in shame)
Yes. You see, you’re not the only one who has a painful story. I’ve lived in places you wouldn’t and couldn’t imagine. Under bridges, in shelters. I’ve been homeless because I traveled the road traveled by most.
LYRIC
What do you mean by the road traveled by most?
MOTHER EARTH
You see, when I say I traveled the road that’s been traveled the most; I’m saying I always followed Venus and Mercury, my best friends.
LYRIC
(runs to the side stage scared)
Oh noo, you hear that? (Thump, Thump) That’s my stepdad. He is probably going to hit me. Hide. I have to go back to sleep, or he will punish me.
MOTHER EARTH
(scared)
OK, honey dear. I’m going to leave for tonight, but I shall visit tomorrow.
(Mother Earth exits offstage.)
LYRIC
(Runs to her bed and throws the books to the other side of her bed. Then gets on her knees and prays, whispers)
Lord please don’t let him hit me. I have done no wrong. I have told no secret or no lie. But am I wrong to want another like Staci, Lord? Why did you take Staci away from me? She understood and felt my pain. Forgive me Lord for questioning you. Good night.
SCENE 2
MOTHER EARTH
(center stage)
Beauty
Lost and unknown
Forgotten about but yet feared
Her smile may not be as bright as a summer’s day
Her hair may not flow like a winter breeze.
But her soul is as wild as a baby cub
Her hair curls to the scalp
Her eyes shimmer in the sunlight,
Her soul may say she’s fine,
but deep inside it screams for help
Her beauty is unknown to many,
It doesn’t catch the eye.
But if you look past the clothes and the hair
You will see the deep beauty within.
Beauty
Unknown and lost
forgotten about but feared
(walks back and forth across the stage)
I hope she will forgive me.
There is another in need of my help.
LYRIC
(sitting on the edge of center stage)
Oh Lord, I hope Earth is ok. It’s 10:30 at night; when will she arrive?
(half an hour later, sits on the bed and nods off to sleep, but wakes herself up. Looks at her watch.)
11:00. It can’t be, I’m starting to think she’s not coming.
(kneels to the side of her bed)
Lord, I’m all alone again. First, it was Staci. You killed her. My best friend, she understood me, she never judged me. She was always there for me. She was my sister. Her smell was a weird but sweet scent. Her heart shined through her skin. Her smile could turn any stranger’s frown upside down. she would flip and maybe even trip to make me laugh. When I cried, she cried. When her head hurt, my head hurt. She knew what I was going to say before I said it. And now, Earth, now you take from me. You leave me alone by myself with no one to hold. What have I done to be punished so harshly?
(Lyric goes to sleep)
SCENE 3
MOTHER EARTH
(sees Lyric sleeping in her bed. Walks over and sits on Lyric’s bed)
Lyric...Lyric honey, wake up.
LYRIC
(leans up)
Oh, so now you want to visit. What happened last night?
MOTHER EARTH
(stands up)
There was another child in need of Mother Earth’s help.
LYRIC
(stands up in front of Earth)
I was a fool to believe you were any different from any other adult. All you do is care about yourself. You make decisions that may hurt people’s feelings; but it doesn’t matter because you simply don’t care.
MOTHER EARTH
(moves closer to Lyric)
Look little girl; don’t you think I didn’t care? I wouldn’t have come here and explained what happened last night.
LYRIC
(looking down)
Well, no. I have never had an adult explain their self to me.
MOTHER EARTH
(backs away)
But you see, I’m not like any other. I’m me, like you are you. No matter what happens in life.
LYRIC
(walks to side stage)
I don’t know about that. You see, my life has turned twisted and even flipped my soul.
MOTHER EARTH (walks and stands next to Lyric. With a compassioned voice) How? Please explain and express yourself.
LYRIC
(turns to Mother Earth)
You promise not to tell anyone. I can’t believe I’m doing this.
MOTHER EARTH
(leads Lyric to her bed)
Just think of me as the pages in your diary. And sweet, it’s better to let it out than holding it bottled up; I should know. (both sit on bed)
LYRIC
I guess, well, here it is.
Daddy’s little girl
That was I
Till the age of three.
He said he was going
to the store.
And would be right back,
But right back turned
into never again.
He used to dress me up,
Put a crown on my head.
He said he loved me and
never leave.
But today I stand in front of you fatherless.
His scent of cologne,
His soft kiss on my forehead,
His rough hairy arms,
This is all I remember.
(starts to cry, move to center stage)
I walk down the street.
And I stare deep inside every
strange man’s eyes.
That walk past me
Is that father, or is it him,
My mother works.
She wears holes in her shoes,
To make my handmade clothes,
See she cares.
But I find myself,
disrespecting her more and more,
I long for my father.
And cry to never long for another as much.
I gave my father my mind and soul.
I gave my mother heartbreak and pain.
But little does she know.
She’s my hero, my angel, my treasure.
You my dad left an empty hole
in my heart.
He left tears in my eyes
With love and compassion my mother
fills the empty hole.
And with every tear that falls
she is there to catch every
drop.
MOTHER EARTH
(stands next to Lyric and tries to comfort Lyric)
Look, honey, your father is missing out on you. You’re beautiful, smart, charming, caring and all around a great person and to thank for that is your mother. You can’t forget what your mother has done for and let that be, overcome by your father leaving.
LYRIC
(looks at Mother Earth)
Yes, but it’s so hard to forgive and forget.
MOTHER EARTH
I’m not telling you to forgive and forget, but I’m telling you to forgive and move on. But take it day by day.
LYRIC
(hugs Mother Earth)
You’re right. Thanks for everything.
SCENE 4
(Both Lyric and Mother Earth at center stage holding hands)
MOTHER EARTH
Each heart breaks different,
Whether it’s love or hate
That cracks the heart in half
LYRIC
Each tear falls with
different emotions.
Whether it’s happy or sad,
That brings a tear fall
from an eye.
MOTHER EARTH and LYRIC (both say this)
But yet each heart heals the same,
With love, compassion and trust,
But each heartbreak and every tear
Just makes you stronger.
THE END
Nia is a student at Cuyahoga Community College studying psychology. The piece they submitted was created during an afterschool screenplay program.
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